Badges
Smore Newsletter: This is an example newsletter that I could use in my future classroom. This one is about my open house and a brief overview of what the semester will look like. Smore is a website that creates newsletters and is perfect for teachers to use because educational templates are already available. Online newsletters are convenient for parents to look at what is going on in their child's classroom and not have to worry if their child has brought one home or not. The newsletter is easy to create and more efficient than a paper newsletter.
Edpuzzle: This website helps turn an informational video into a complete lesson by adding questions into the video. For my edpuzzle, I found a video that gives a scenario of students working together to solve a problem. Throughout the video I added questions that could help assess my students on the topic and if they were understanding it. The video stops until the question is answered and then resumes. This is a great resource for teachers to use as lesson elements, quizzes, and homework.
Concept Map: Inspiration concept maps allow teachers to make a web outline for students to use. For my classroom, I made one based on the vowels A, E, I, O, and U for students to have examples and pictures. Concept maps allow students to easily follow the information using the web and be more engaged about the information. Making a concept map is more efficient for teachers because it is printable so students would not have to take more time to take the notes they would already be available.
Production: This is a production that I made for my Problem Based Learning lesson. I made a video about the basic shapes and put the video into Edpuzzle. In Edpuzzle, I added questions for the students to answer as they watch the video. Teachers can use productions in many different ways, they can make videos and use them in their lessons. Teachers can even have students make productions to explain a topic or share research. Productions are good for students to make so that they can learn the skills while learning about a topic.
Chatterpix: The chatterpix app allows pictures to be uploaded and a voice over can be applied. For my chatterpix, I used a picture of myself and made a brief welcome statement for my future students and parents in my classroom. The app allows a line to be cut on the picture to make it look like the object in the picture is the one talking, just like in mine I am the one talking. This is a great way to make short informational clips that are more engaging and different than just a simple note. Chatterpix would be a great use of technology in the classroom when wanting students to share something.
Board Game: This was the board game that I made for my Digital Citizenship Lesson Plan. Incorporating a board game into a lesson plan is a great interactive way to get students engaged in the lesson. This particular board game was based on the game Candy Land but was used to inform students about the Digital Citizenship topic Internet Safety. The game cards had questions regarding internet safety and some were QR codes that linked to videos or other resources that kids would use to answer some questions. The QR codes added digital elements so it was not just the normal board game.
Hour of Code: This is a computational thinking hour of code activity. Computational thinking is forming a problem and processing a solution to the problem. Coding is forming a process of how to do something and to follow that solution to complete the task. Using coding in a classroom is a great way for students to think abstractly and figure out a solution by testing different ways to get to the solution. Teachers can use coding in any lesson plan and it adds an interactive and engaging element to the lesson. Most students enjoy fun and interactive lessons, using coding is that and a little challenge for students.
Timeline: Using timelines in lessons is an easy way for students to view the information in an easier format. This example that I made is about George Washington and could be used in a lesson around President's Day. Timelines are easy to make and do not require much time. Teachers can use timelines for a lot of different subjects. Timelines do not have to be elaborate but more brief overviews or main points; this makes them more efficient for teachers to make.
Plagiarism: This is not a topic that is covered in detail in a Kindergarten classroom but is older grades. Students should know the importance of not copying someone else's work and to always come up with their own ideas. Plagiarism is easy to do and often times students do not know that they do. Like the one I did, there are plagiarism tutorials that teachers can use in their classrooms for students to better understand plagiarism and the consequences that can come from plagiarizing someone else's work.
Website Evaluations: Digital Citizenship is an important subject that all teachers should cover if their students are using any type of device that uses the internet. A teacher should always evaluate an educational website before advising students to use it. The internet can be a dangerous place especially for children. It is very important for students to use safe and trusted internet sites. I did a few website evaluations and listed one that was a safe and trusted source that only had two minor problems. internet safety is an important topic to share with students, teachers need to make sure trusted sites are used.
Instructional Robots: This is an instructional video I made to use in my Computational Thinking Lesson Plan. For this particular lesson I used the Bee-Bots to trace the outer edges of shapes. These robots are a great resource to use in any subject lesson. Instructional Robots work when it is given a specific program to complete a task. Programming is a great way to teach students step by step instructions and using the robots is a very engaging tool.
Jeopardy Game: This is a jeopardy game that I created over a few topics covered throughout a year in kindergarten. I would use this game towards the end of the school year as a reinforcement over the year. This is a fun way to get students engaged and excited. Students learn so much over the course of one school year and to watch students play a game like this, would be a great way for a teacher to assess how much her students understand. This would be a great activity for students to work together in groups. These games can be related to many different topics or have questions over one topic. They do not require a lot of time to make so they are convenient for teachers to incorporate into a lesson.
Professional Identity: This is a really important topic to add into a digital citizenship lesson. Students need to understand all aspects of digital citizenship, especially internet safety. This document includes my thoughts on some internet safety questions. As teachers, it is an important task for us to teach students the importance of internet safety and keeping personal information private.