Using Wikis in Education

Wikis are a great way to obtain information that can be edited by numerous members of the group. I have created a wiki for my second graders to use when we are completing the social studies unit of the US regions. The students will be allowed to add and edit information that they learn throughout the tour. They may use this as a study guide at the end of the unit as well.

http://regionstourinformation.wikispaces.com/home

Geotagging

This is a lesson created for Second graders. The lesson introduces the students to geotagging pictures. The students will be responsible for doing all the required work to share with other students in New York, Kansas, and California.

Content Area: Social Studies, ELA

Materials/Resources: Computer Lab (one computer for each student), digital camera, class Flickr account.  

Learning Objectives: Students will learn about our region (the south, specifically SC), as well as other regions (New York, Kansas, and California).

Overview:

1.      After completing a unit on the regions (South, North, Midwest, and West) of the US, students will recall information attained in class about the regions and states discussed in class.

2.      Students will then be taken to the computer lab to do research on our Region, the South, but focus on our State, SC. After we have gained information about SC we will go back to the classroom to complete a class Google doc that explains what we know about the south already, but incorporate the facts from specifically SC.

3.      We will then be taking a field trip to our Capital, Columbia.

4.      While here in Columbia, the students will be taking pictures of anything that they think may be worthwhile to include in our Google Doc to share with the other states that shows SC as a southern state.

5.      Once we return back to the school, the students will be introduced to geotagging using Flickr.

6.      The students will then be taken to the computer lab to upload 3 of their pictures into our class group on Flickr making sure to tag it with our class name and also place it on the map where it belongs.

7.      As a class we will look at all the pictures taken and chose 5 that we really like and place into our Goggle Doc to be shared with the other states.

8.      While we are doing all the above, other educators that are friends and family members in the states of New York, Kansas, and California will be conducting the same type of research with students who are from those areas.

9.      We will all be sharing our information through the Goggle Docs that we create.

Lesson Question: What is the information about the south that we know that we can apply to SC to share with other states/regions of the US?

Management:

Teacher’s Role: The class will be taken to the computer lab.  The teacher will be walking around the room observing the children and answering any questions that may arise.

Student’s Role: The students will need to actively participate in researching SC in the computer lab. They will also be responsible for taking pictures when we go to Columbia and then uploading 3 pictures correctly by tagging with class name and placing it on the map. They will also be included in picking out the 5 pictures that will be inserted into our Goggle Doc for the other states to see.

Social-tagging through Diigo

Social-tagging is a great resource for both teachers and students to be able to use. Here is a lesson I would use with Second graders to introduce tagging using Diigo.

Grade Level: 2^nd grade

Content Area: Science

Materials/Resources: Students will be utilizing the computers in our computer lab. We will go to the computer lab as a class. Each student will be placed into a group of 4-5 students to complete the assignment

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to research information by using keywords (tags) on different animal groups to bring back to their own group for the group project.

Overview: Students will be doing a research project on animals and their characteristics. Each student will be placed into a group of 4-5 students. Each group will be given an animal group (mammals, insects, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians). The students are to research their animal group using sites already set up by the teacher in Diigo. The students will use tagging to find information only about their animal group. For example: if I was in the group for mammals I may type in the tag word mammals to find the sites that contain information about mammals. The students will do this independently in the computer lab and then bring back any information that they found to the classroom. They will then get with their group to discuss information and begin to plan their final project, a voicethread, introducing the other students to their animal group.

Lesson Questions: What are the needs and characteristics of animals?  How are animals we study alike and different? How can we use research to present a multimedia project for others to view?

Management:

Teacher’s Role: After discussing how the students look up information using tagging, the class will be taken to the computer lab.  The teacher will be walking around the room observing the children and answering any questions that may arise. Teacher will also be available in the classroom when students begin their work with voicethread.

Student’s Role: The students will need to actively participate in conducting proper research using the tags given on Diigo by the teacher. They will then write down information to bring to the group. The students will discuss the research found and then plan on how they are going to share this information to the class by using voicethread.

***Students will already know how to create a voicethread as we would have gone over it before hand by teacher modeling of the program.***

Fairytale Podcast

After finishing a unit on Fairytales, I would like for my students to create a podcast. This podcast would be the student retelling a Fairytale of their choice, making it their own. I have included an example of what I will be expecting by using and creating  a podcast about The Gingerbread Man. Here is my link to the podcast: http://tbroome1.podomatic.com

Here is the RSS Feed for the podcast as well: http://tbroome1.podomatic.com/rss2.xml

Links for iPad apps that can be used when teaching

Below you will find a list of links that offer great ideas as to what apps a teacher may use in education to help teach many skills.

http://bestappsforkids.com/tag/2nd-grade-apps/: this site offers many different apps for all grade levels. One may choose which level they wish to view or may view them all. The apps are also broken down into  content areas.

http://2teach.edublogs.org/2011/02/02/ipad-classroom-apps/: This is a second grade teachers blog and she shows through pictures apps she plans on using in her classroom.

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/ipad-apps-elementary-school/ : This is a site that offers 12 apps for elementary aged children.

http://www.topappreviews101.com/search-result-ipad.php : This site allows you to search for apps by category or price range for apps. This page shows educational games.

http://elementaryipad.weebly.com/second-grade.html : This site allows you to search by content for apps.

http://www.newmanagement.com/ccapp/classcardsapp.html : This is an awesome site that explains the app of class card. It is a new way of class management but made into an app.

http://love4thgrade.blogspot.com/2011/11/ipads-in-classroom-app-recommendations.html : This is a blog that gives a list of creative apps for students generally geared from grade 2-6.

There are so many resources out on the web that give ideas for educaional apps. The above are just a few places to start looking.

ESOL Resources For Primary Grade Teachers

I NEED HELP WITH MY ESOL STUDENTS!

As a fellow educator who has had ESOL students in my classroom, I have often made the above comment. Therefore I have compiled a list of 10 online resources for teachers of primary grades to use in the classroom with ESOL students, as well as to be used by students. These resources will help the student succeed in the classroom.

Resources:

Paso Partners: This website offers a set of lesson plans designed for grades K-3 to help increase success for ESOL students in Math and Science.

EFL Playhouse: The EFL Playhouse has collections of educational games, songs, fingerplays, action rhymes, craft ideas, printable materials, tongue twisters, and more to be used with ESOL students.

Literacy Center: an early childhood language learning site that provides help with basic skills.

Starfall: reading instruction and reading games for students. This site works with phonemics to help students become better readers and spellers.

Reading Planet: This site has many stories that you can listen to online for grades K-2.

PBS Kids: This site offers many resources to use including games to play as well as hearing stories read aloud.

Storyline Online: This website is great! The student chooses a book. The book is then read aloud to them by an actor.

Education Place: This site has all subject areas available. One picks a topic then an activity to use.

Spelling City: This website is great for visual and auditory skills to be enhanced. The teacher is able to create a spelling or vocabulary list. After that, a student may get on the site to learn the words. There are many resources involved inside the site some in which include: writing skills, hearing English spoken as well as seen, and playing games involving the words.

Sumdog: Sumdog's math games are always free to play, either at home or at school. They cover 100 numeracy skills, split into 10 levels.Most are multiplayer, so you can play against thousands of students’ worldwide. Because the games are so engaging, students can finally enjoy developing their mental math skills.

I hope that these 10 websites are helpful to you in your classroom and also for your ESOL students. If you need to contact me at any time please do. If you have more ideas, resources, or discussions to share, please leave a comment for all to see and respond to.

Tara Broome

tara.broome@lcsdmail.net

Phone: 803-285-8484