LitteKidsBigPossibilitiesFALL2010

=CATNIP Fall 2010= =__** Little Kids, Big Possibilities **__=

__**Description**____:__ Learn about the what’s, how’s and why’s of using web 2.0 tools and social networking with elementary age students to enhance learning and student engagement. **__Presenter:__** Kelly Hines , Washington, North Carolina, USA **__Length of Presentation:__** 19:07 **2** CATNIP HOURS __**URL:**__ []

__**Steps for completing the class**__
 * 1) **Register for the class in True North Logic.**
 * 2) **Write down the Essential Questions located below. You will want to refer to these as you are watching the video.**
 * 3) **Watch video presentation at URL listed above.**
 * 4) **Return to this wiki page to answer the Essential Questions and write a Summary**
 * 5) **Adding to this wiki**
 * 6) **Click on the Edit button located on the right - note that an Editor toolbar will appear**
 * 7) **Scroll down to the next empty spot**
 * 8) **Type in your name**
 * 9) **Write a brief answer for each question**
 * 10) **Write a brief summary as to how you might use this new information in your classroom**
 * 11) **When you are done click on Save in the Editor toolbar**

//If you have questions regarding entering information into this Wiki please contact Kim Thomas (kthomas@msd38.org).//


 * Essential Questions:**

Your Name: Amy Bondeson 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it?

I loved all the ideas that Kelly Hines shared, but the one I would like to try first is wordle. I thought the idea of creating a wordle, and having students guess the historical event that the wordle is describing was a fabulous idea. The first idea that came to mind was to use it to either have them guess a state in the United States that the worrdle is describing, or to guess an event that is being described from the American Revolution.

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them?

I have my students type their current events from a document on my teacherweb, and there are always about 5 in a class that don't have much access to computers. I liked the edmodo site a lot and initially thought I could use it for their data project in math this year, but then it is more difficult for the students who do not have internet access. Of course, I could always allow them to use the school computers before or after school which would eliminate that problem,. It is then just a matter of the students taking the initiative to come in and work on the project before or after school.

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools.

As I mentioned before we do a lot with current events in fifth grade. I try to show them where and how to find an article and how to organize their thoughts. I think using wordle to have the students guess what current event is being described or even what section of the paper the event was found in would help them with the current event process.

Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?):

I really enjoyed this video because she really got to the point and described how to work each of the sites. I want to use them all eventually. I liked her idea of using the comic strip with geometry. I think some students who do not typically get excited about school work would love comics.com. Using the post its on wallwisher would also be a nice way to quickly review a concept.

Your Name:Kateland (Katie) Newton 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? I was thinking about using wall wisher or the edmodo polling tool as a way to connect with parents as well as students. I could set up a wall wisher for responses to our upcoming Intervention Convention to give parents a way to express their thoughts as well as give them an opportunity to share ways they would like to see the function change for next year. Similarly, I would like to use the edmodo tool to poll parents in order to collect statistical data for a variety of purposes.

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? The only challenges I thought of in using these with my Kindergarten students would be the feasibility of them actually typing and spelling the words right now. As the year progresses, and their knowledge of letters and sounds progress, I think they would be able to independently use all of these tools. In the mean time, I loved the idea of creating ABC books on comiqs, as that is what we are focusing on right now.

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. I currently do a lot of sharing/reflective activities with my students, and I want to start using wordle to display their responses to whether or not they liked a certain activity, or what they liked most about a particular books, etc.

Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): I am currently working on creating "Technology Time" as the 1:30-2pm time block in my classroom, and I need to add to my repetoire of tools to use with my students. Having these social networking tools as additional resources provide me with versatility and adaptability, because I can use at least one of the websites mentioned with almost any/all subject area activities. I am so excited to start using them this week!

Your Name:Bonnie McCarthy 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? I teach Kindergarten and could use www.wordle.net to use the comic creators section. There is an alphabet book function that would allow my students to create a book that would reinforce the letters we have been learning in class. It would be a visual representation as well as interactive on the computer.

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? The average student in my classroom is unable to use computers to type and spell words. In order to overcome this challenge, I can use some of the functions in wordle.net that would allow me to create a wordle of their names, stories we have read, sight words, or comments the students have made. As the year progresses, the students will develop more reading and writing strategies to better utilize the websites. However, I believe that right now it would be beneficial for them to begin to see the wordles and become familiar with the words we use in the classroom.

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. I would like to use a wordle to help reinforce letter and sight word recognition. It would give the students an opportunity to see the letters and words visually as well as identify them on the computer screen. Having the words and letters displayed in a different fashion would be beneficial for them as well.

Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): I can beginning using this new information in the classroom during the computer center time. Students will be able to see and practice their letters and sight words as well as create alphabet books and see responses to discussions. The comics are also a nice way to get students excited about reading and identifying letters. Once the students become comfortable with the format, their understanding and development will increase throughout the school year.

Your Name: Teresa Belnap 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? I think I will use wordle, having students generate ideas that relate to our fabric science unit. I also love the idea of creating an alphabet book, but I think first creating a book for each letter as we focus on them individually.

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? Spelling would be the main challenge for my kindergarten students. I think having them work with someone one on one (me or a volunteer) would take care of that. Also, possibly look into working with an older class to allow for more students to complete the assignments at the same time.

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. Wordle could easily be put into our reading, science & social studies, as we review our lessons or units.

Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): First, I would introduce the different areas a few times, using the SmartBoard for them to see and participate with. Next, I would have students work on classroom computers, one on one, with myself or a volunteer to support. Later, I would love to have them be independent enough to have the whole class work in the computer lab with me there for support. I would love to see them creating their own alphabet books, comic strips, respond on class walls and then as a class we could sort them and discuss how they are sorted, as well as other ways they could be sorted.

Your Name: Julie Bradford  1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? I could use the website wallwisher.net as a pre and post assessment to determine how much the students have actually learned during a particular unit. Before I start teaching the unit, I could ask students what they already know about the topic. I could use the sticky note format and type their information on sticky notes. After the unit is over, I could ask the students what they know about the topic again. I could then type up their information on sticky notes. Then as a class, we can compare how much the students have learned about the topic.

 2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? My students are not familiar with using the keyboard to type. At first, I could type for them to demonstrate. After students have become more familiar, I could have a student come up and type. Finally, students could utilize an instructional typing website to help them learn and practice.

 3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. As an introduction to a new letter, we teach students to identify words that begin with that letter. I could use wordle.net to create a wordle that used words with the same initial sound. Then I could ask students to identify what letter the wordle was about. This would be a fun way to introduce the letter at the beginning of the week. It would also be a great starting point to connect to other points of instruction.

 Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): Because these websites seem much safer and appropriate for younger children, I will be much more likely to use these websites in the future. I think it would be really fun to have a buddy classroom using edmodo. I have several friends who teach in different districts. It would be neat for us to pair up on a topic and discuss the topic using edmodo.

Your Name: **Katie O'Neill** 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? **Wallwisher seems like a 'super easy' to log-in and there is a functionality that all students will be able to access. I like that students would be able to share their ideas, sort their fats and opinions. Students could use this to summarize text or facts and opinions.**

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? **Having all of my students having access to functioning, working computers. I would be able to overcome this struggle by enrolling my students in computer lab time at my campus.**

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. **This week we are practicing summarizing during reading. Students could access wallwisher and jot down their summary for all students to read and then compare/contrast.**

Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): **I would like to use the information I learned to share with my grade level team at our weekly team meetings. Hopefully I will be able to implement these strategies when we develop our grade level lesson plans.**

Jenny Davey: 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? When we have access to the SMARTboard, I would definitely use Wordle to introduce vocabulary for new concepts or stories by helping students read the text and make predictions.

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? With Kindergartners, we would need to scaffold the use of these resources by using them together as a group before expecting students to use them independently. In “A Peek for a Week,” the teacher provided visual instructions to guide her 6-7 year olds through the sites they were expected to use; we could create something similar for our Kindergarten kids.

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. When working on the Five Finger Retell, students could share what they remember from a particular story using Wallwisher, then we could organize their stickies into who (and who else), where, what happened first, next, last, and the heart of the story. Students might also be able to use Comic Creators or Comiqs to share story elements and sequencing.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I definitely plan to use Wallwisher and Wordle, and am going to look more closely at edmodo to evaluate it’s fitness for use with Kindergartners. I also plan to look at Comic Creators and Comiqs to see if they would be appropriate resources for my students.

Your Name: Victoria Coughlin

1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? I like the idea of putting text into wordle and having the students discuss what they see and figure out the main theme or story. With my kindergartners I would use something short and familiar, one of the poems or songs we learn. I also like the comic creator. This would be a great tool for re-telling a story, whether it is one we read together or one the students create a cut up for other students to sequence.

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? One of the biggest challenges of implementing some of these strategies is that most of my students do not read or write well (or at all) yet. Some of these things I could use whole group on the smartboard so that the students could learn how to use them but I would type in the information…Like the wallwisher. I might type in information they learned about goldfish and guppies and we could sort it together (me reading the sticky notes).

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. I think it would be fun to use comiqs.com to create class books. We make at least one a month. Students write to a prompt about various subjects and we put it together. This month we create Moving with the Gingerbread Man. Students come up with an action verb for the gingerbread man. Using comiqs.com I could take pictures of my students doing the actions and we could create the class book with our own pictures!

Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): There are so many ideas floating in my head right now I do not even know where to start. I like that the sites were safe and user friendly. I am adding the ones I didn’t have to my delicious bookmarks!

Your Name: Kristy Koopman 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? I can’t wait to use Wordle to enter information about an artist and have my students figure out who it is-what a great way to quiz them in a fun, informal way! I’ve used this application to create binder covers and things like that but never thought of an application like this for it-thanks! 2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? Some of these strategies don’t necessarily lend themselves to my subject matter (Visual Arts) but I could try to use Wallwisher to get input for students (whenever they feel like it) on new art project. 3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. I could use Super Action Comic Maker in class to show examples of cartooning and give my students some good examples of this drawing technique. We could also use it for examples of perspective and storyboarding. Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): I learned about some great websites that I can use in the classroom to integrate technology with my subject matter. I have found that using technology is always a great attention grabber (and keeper) for students so I am really looking forward to implimenting these.

Your Name: Jamie Jay 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it? I love the Wall Wisher idea. I can see myself taking the kids into the lab, playing a movie, and having them take notes just like this. We can then find an interactive smartboard and have the kids sort the notes themselves and truely using the interactivity of the smart board. I love the monitoring idea too- I know at least some of my kids will post something silly, and if I sepearate this into two days I can make sure it's actually used well. Wordle seems like a great way to get kids hooked into a history or science lesson. Used correctly it might even be a way to get an exemplary on the evaluations.

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them? Web literacy is a problem, as well as making sure that the students stay on task is a problem. Another problem is making sure that they have time to imput notes. I can see some of my lower students ignoring one for the other, either a) taking notes or b) watching the movie.

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools. As I watched this I saw my WWI lesson today I saw Wordle flashing through my mind. I don't have time to do it today, but maybe for my great depression/WWII lesson I can use this to introduce the lesson.

Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?): I'm going to skip off to Delicious and add all of these links so I don't lose them. Sequencing is the next idea in my Treasures resources! I'm a bit excited about the comic ideas because they love comics and graphic novels. It'll be a good way to incorperate some of what they love in my teaching.

Your Name: 1. What is one idea that you can see using with your students tomorrow in your classroom? How will you use it?

2. What challenges can you see in implementing some of these strategies with your students? How might you overcome them?

3. Please share an idea of something that you already teach that could modify to incorporate one of these tools.

Summary (How might you use this new information in your classroom?):