Tipping the Scales!

Inequality Math Centres

Centre One - Smartboard

Prior to centres, students were exposed to Crickweb's Number Balance as a closure to a math lesson on equal and not equal. For centre work, students work as a group to come up with number sentences that use the equal sign using Crickweb's Number Balance. Past experience has taught me students will sometimes just create simple equality sentences such as 8+0=0+8. So I created a sheet for them to fill in their group answers that provides a bit of a push to extend their equations.  Crickweb also has a recording sheet.  As a follow up to centres, students individually complete the back of the sheet I created (as typically they only get the front done in centres)  and then use the Crickweb's Number Balance to correct their own work.

Centre Two - Netbooks

Prior to centres, students were exposed to Poddles as a set activity for a previous lesson. As a set to math centres, I review the other activities students can chose from. 

• Poddles Weigh In
• Number Balance
• Pan Balance Numbers

Centre Three - Writing

For this activity, students need to write an equality word problem. Earlier in the week, students had solved some equality word problems. I work with students at this centre. We discuss some unequal experiences they might have had at home and brainstorm some ideas. Then they write their own word problem. After they are finished their writing, they use a small whiteboard, they then need to show two different ways to solve their own word problem. These problems will be used the follow week during centres, where they will answer their peers' questions. 

Technology As A Part of A Tic Tac Toe Menu

What Is A Tic Tac Toe Choice Board?

Basically a Tic Tac Toe Choice Board is a variation of centres and it is a great way to differentiate learning. You can use it in pretty much any subject. Choice Boards Tic-Tac-Toe Menu Boards outlines what they are in more detail and gives some examples. I have created my own template to use for my Tic-Tac-Toe activities. I usually have three things I want students to do so I strategically place each option.

I try to have accountability built into each activity. Sometimes that is as simple as having a peer check their work and other times it requires them recording a simple answer.

Technology Choices

I like to add technology as three choices. I instruct students verbally and on the template that they can only have one technology activity in their "line". I usually have a Smartboard centre (the rule is only two people at this one at a time and no line ups), a netbook/laptop centre (no line ups) a listening centre or video centre. If students finish their initial three activities before Tic Tac Toe time is over, they can choose additional activities from any square.

An Example: Measurement Tic Tac Toe

Planning

I recently wrapped up my grade two measurement unit. I wanted to give students an opportunity to review before I assessed them. So I created a Tic Tac Toe that lasted about an hour. My three topics were:

• Topic One: measuring with non-standard units
• Topic Two: drawing something to a measurement (non-standard units)
• Topic Three: technology and measurement

The three technology activities were:

1. Laptop Centre: The Fearless Flying Fleas (choose BOLD) 
2. Video Centre: * Video segment was from Math Monsters: Standard and Non-Standard Measurement  
3. Smartboard Centre: Simple Scales from Crickweb

How I Did the Video Centre

I used a laptop and connected it to a device that came with my listening centre. Then I set up three headphones. I used a video segment from Discovery Education.* I monitored when the video was over and told the class when the centre was available again for those who had it selected as a choice. 

Lesson

First I quickly reviewed all 9 activities and where they were set out in the class. As my students
had done a Tic Tac Toe before, I quickly reviewed how they work. Then I gave them about 45 minutes of centre time. During this time I checked in with student I knew needed guided review of certain topics. I kept track of on task behaviour as well and intervened if necessary. However, because students were so engaged and in charge of the speed at which they work, this was only necessary once.  Most students completed their "line" and went on two 1 - 2 other activities.

At the end of the activity, I review what was achieved for each square. For example, for the video, I had students who watched it reveal to the rest of the class that feet can be used as non-standard units.  For the Smartboard centre and two pan balance centre we review what were the heaviest and lightest objects.

Final Thoughts

Using a TIC TAC TOE is a great way to give students choice and create engagement. However they can be time consuming to set up. I also would not recommend them to teach a concept but rather for students to practice, extend or refine their understanding of concepts. More non-standard units online activities can be found in my post Non-Standard Measurement Activities. 

Bringing Canada Into the Classrom with Google Earth and Maps

I frequently use Google Earth in my social lessons. I wanted to share some simple ways I use Google Earth in my division one class!

You Should Know

As a grade two teacher, I will be giving grade two examples. Grade one teachers might also want to check out Google Earth in Grade 1.

Also, it is useful to know the difference between using Google Earth and Google Maps. Google Maps are more collaborative. Also note maps can be viewed in Google Earth and vice versa.

Take Time To Play Yourself aka Learn the Resource Before Teaching It

The basics of Google Earth and Maps are fairly intuitive, however, like any resource, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the basics before you use it with your class. As I am writing this in March, planning a dream vacation to Mexico sounds like a fun way to spend some time learning about the different features of Google maps.

Google maps is a part of the Google Apps we have for EPSB staff and students. You can access it in the "more" section. However you will need to download Google Earth.

You can change to Street View by dragging the pegman (the yellow man) onto the map. Streets that you can view in this way will show up as blue when you do this.

If nothing else, play around for a bit to get to know how to navigate. Google has Basics and Help with Google Earth and Tutorials. You may want to also reference this Google Earth tip sheet.

Whole Class Use

I have only ever used Google Earth as a whole class device. It's great for things like discussing Chinese New Year and then showing the students China. I also use it when I introduce a new community in social studies. I try to always start in Edmonton and then have the students direct me with NESW or once we start 'moving' on Google Earth, have them describe what direction we are going.

Grade Two Specific Examples

Please note while we love readers from anywhere, our specific audience is EPSB teachers, so the examples will be based on the Alberta curriculum. 

Edmonton

At the beginning of the year I use Google Earth to show students where we are within Edmonton. I zoom out from our school and show them how big Edmonton is. I point out the squiggly line running through our city and ask students what it maybe. Then using Street View, I go to a bridge (or two) and show students the river. I use Google Earth to locate and discuss the other various land and water features of our city.

Then I zoom out from Edmonton to show the students where the city is within Alberta. I continue to zoom out and show them where Edmonton is within Canada. 

Iqaluit

I start with reviewing where we live - Edmonton. I review the size of Edmonton, discussing the grey area is the city (when zoomed out far enough to see this). I usually circle the area I am talking about on the Smartboard. 

Then I ask students to direct me to Iqaluit (north and east). I stay zoomed out to discuss/review where Iqaluit is in relation to Edmonton.  Once zoomed in closer, I point out that it is a much smaller city. Typically, I will then go to street view so students can see the difference in the buildings, roads and landscape. 

When I have zoomed out more, I direct the conversation around the land and water around Iqaluit including: the inlet, the river, the lakes and the coastline. 

Meteghan

As with Iqaluit, I start with review of where we live. I review the size of Edmonton and emphasis how big of a city it is. I review where Edmonton is in context of all of Canada and point out we are landlocked. 

Then I ask students to direct me to Meteghan (east). I stay zoomed out to discuss/review where Meteghan is in relation to Edmonton.  Once zoomed in closer, I point out that it is a village. I draw their attention to the fact that there are really two visible main roads.

Then I take students on a street view 'drive'. I enter street view at the southwest end of the village and drive/click through town. I stop every now and then to look left and right and point out that we can sea the bay on the left. I engage students in a discussion about what else they notice (no fences, houses are spread out, the joining roads are gravel/dirt.)

Saskatoon

As with Iqaluit and Meteghan, I start with a review of our city and province. I tell them we are going to drive to Saskatoon. I ask students help me get started by pointing me in the correct direction (east). Using street view, I drive from our school (which is on the southeastern edge of the city) out of the city. I point out the difference between the urban and rural elements as we leave the city. 

I do not 'drive' all the way to Saskatoon. I do skip ahead on the highway a few times until we are just outside of Saskatoon (Trans Canada Highway) so we can enter the city with street view. I ask students to share what they notice. Without prompting I usually get 'very flat' and 'no trees'. 

Making a Connection to Climate

One thing I like to point out is when the images we are looking at in street view are from. This is usually found at the bottom left corner of the images. Not only do students need to be reminded it is not real time but it can lead to questions like, 'what would it look like in the different seasons?' Or you might have discussions around what might change over time. 

Your Turn

I'd love to hear how others use Google Maps and Google Earth in their classroom! Please share in the comment section.

Google Art Project Reflections

Background

I had heard about Google Art Project but I had never really taken the time to sit down and play with it. I had a chance to learn more about Google Art Project at a Google Apps Summit. All the ideas I am sharing in this post are a result of the workshop I went to run by Jim Sill.  As with many things, it is something that older students could be taught how to use and then be set free with. However, as a grade two teacher, I did find some useful applications.

Teaching Art

The most obvious application is to use Google Art Project when teaching art. In my grade two class, I have an artist of the month that is connected in some way to the type of art the students will be creating that month. For example, in September, I teach students about line and so the artist of the month is M. C. Escher (who is NOT in the Google Art Project).

One of the activities I have the students do is experiment with their pencils what kinds of lines they can make- thin, thick, squiggly, straight, light, dark, etc.  Next year I plan to use this pencil drawing, An Elephant, to illustrate using a variety of lines in one drawing. I would use the cool zoom feature (discussed more below) of Google Art Project to zoom in to take a closer look at the lines that make up the elephant. 

Zoom

You can zoom into artwork. Very cool for encouraging/teaching art appreciation. You can a create a link to a particular part zoomed in. To do this you have to be signed in (EPSB staff automatically have an account through Google Apps) and you have to add the image you want to zoom into to YOUR gallery. It will prompt you to create a gallery if you do not have any set up. For example, I created a link to the image on the left to show my class. When you mouse over the image you will see another image appear in a black box on the right hand side. It will allow you to zoom in further or zoom out to the entire picture. You could use this as a whole class experience on the Smartboard or you could have students explore art more deeply on their own individually. With grade two students, I would recommend providing them with the links/images you want to explore (you could post these on SchoolZone).

There is a user-created gallery within Google Art Projected titled Zoom In Thinking Routine. "The purpose is to get students to focus on the detail of the images and then gradually reveal the greater context of the image as the students discuss their thinking. Thus stimulating thinking and ultimately activating their creative thought processes." I love this idea! It could be used when learning about an art technique or to inspire more detailed writing. Perhaps even giving the zoomed in shot to inspire creative writing and then only show them the full picture after! 

• Zooming In for Stimulating the Creative Thought Process

Street View and a Virtual Field Trip

You can visit art galleries using Street View. The 'peg man' allows users to walk through parts of major art galleries. It also may be worth discussing with students how these things are available on the Internet. People have to take pictures of them. 

I do a Van Gogh unit each year to teach oil pastels and texture. This year my students will be going to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam! Not only will students have an opportunity to see what the inside of a famous art gallery/museum looks like and how they are set up, but they will be able to explore the artwork as described above. When a piece of artwork in a museum has a black and white icon near it (like the example on the left), users can select it to explore the artwork. 

Compare

Another cool feature is the ability to compare two pieces of famous art side-by-side (notice the yellow compare icon in the screenshot to the left). This is not something I might use regularly with my grade twos. However, I teach pointillism and then impressionism. I think showing a zoomed in side-by-side comparison would be a great segue between the two projects. 

Search and Refine

The tools for navigating around Google Art Project are fairly simple to learn. They have a search function and a refine function to help the user find what they are looking for.

The search function will bring up not just the artwork or artist you are looking for but the collections they might be stored in and user generated galleries. 

This is not a database of every famous work of art. There are many artists you will not find.

Limitations and Cautions

As a Canadian educator, one limitation of the Google Art Project currently is the limited number of Canadian collections it currently offers. Hopefully in the future this will be expanded. For example, I would love to see an Inuit art collection!

As well, as mentioned above, it does not include every famous artist. It also does not include the entire body of work for each artist within its database. For example, this is not the website to use to research Picasso. 

As with many art history books or art gallery field trips in general, you need to be aware that art contains nudity. Therefore the Google Art Project contains nudity. Like any resource, on the Internet or otherwise, you need to use at your own discretion  The better familiar you are about a resource, the more you are able to mitigate any potential issues. 

Learn Yourself

Want to sound like an expert on a particular piece of art? Press the details button. As you might have guessed, you will get the details of the artwork, including viewing notes. 

Other Links

• My general reflections on the Google Apps for Education Alberta Summit.
• Great Works Worth a Visit (Jim Sill's Gallery with Google Art Project)

Explorations in Art

I started a new assignment in an International Baccalaureate and Arts Focus school this year.  Having come with experience in several district art core programs, I have been excited to share arts based websites and uses of technology in art that keep my 23 inquisitive and creative Grade 1 learners engaged.  They are definitely of the "Yes, Let's" approach to technology and creativity which I find most inspiring for me as an educator!

There have been several really helpful posts in the Div1 Edtech in EPSB blog which outlines processes to get young children "up and running" with basic skills using the technology itself.  Most of the students in my class had quite a bit of experience in their Kindergarten class with Netbooks so quite quickly I was able to determine who might be "tech leaders" and I have been able to enlist their help with students who still struggle with signing on.  Building independence is key, but having support from peers is a great way for students to begin the collaborative opportunities that abound in using technology as a vehicle to facilitate inquiry and conversation during a creative process.


A Playful Download

Skipping ahead from the beginning wanderings and wonderings students had about how they might use technology this year to support their inquiry and creativity, I was aware of a free starter download of an art program called "Art Rage 2".  There is a free, unlimited demo version of the program which is what I downloaded to my desktop for students to investigate on the SmartBoard during Arts centres. (if you would like more information about Arts Centres, I can elaborate in a future post).  You can access the site here.  While it is always best to access software that sits in the "cloud", especially when using Netbooks and Chromebooks, once in awhile, a playful program pops up with advantages for download.  When the download is free.... bonus!  The version has a scaled down tool set but there are enough tools available, particularly the paint brush capabilities, to make the download worth the time.  You do have the ability to load previous paintings and to save and print paintings/pictures created.  System requirements include Windows 7, Vista, or XP, with 256 MB of RAM and there is also a Mac download available.

As an art teacher, using ArtRage 2 allows students to practice skills they have learned on paper to see how they work on a computer/SmartBoard.  Creativity is the focus as they further develop techniques and experiment with the medium.  I also love that the type of paper used can be selected such as watercolor and various textured papers.

ArtRage for the IPad

ArtRage is also available as an IPad App, though at $4.99 plus GST it may not be an option for all IPads in your school.  I do have it on my personal device and I am presently experimenting with it to see how it might be used in the classroom.  During the "experimentation" phase of determining whether or not an App is "classroom worthy", I do bring it to school and let the students use it during Arts centre time. Many an App has been crossed off the "need to get" list based on student exploration and feedback from them.


How to Introduce the Program

Just like any centre time activity, I briefly share with students a few of the main features so that much of their time can be spent exploring the program rather than me showing them all the ins and outs.  I had a principal once remind me that letting them "play" with the new technology, to discover what it can do, is all part of the creative process.  After the brief explanation, they are off to centres, with ArtRage being one of their options.  We always allow two students at the SmartBoard centre to allow for collaboration, conversation and exploration and we make sure that there are several "switches" during centre time as well.  Because this is a popular centre, we keep track of who has visited the SmartBoard to allow for everyone to have an opportunity to create.  Here are few of their collaborative efforts with the program:

As you can see, the paint still looks wet and it is this property that makes the program exciting for students to experiment with.  There is even a little cup that students "wash" their brush finger in and I have often observed students wiping their paint finger on their clothing, one action I don't have to apologize to parents for at the end of an art class! 

Sharing Process and Products

At the end of Arts centre time, students participate in a group sharing time where they reflect on their experiences and share products and processes of their activities.  This is one of their favorite "show and share" opportunities and I have to be mindful that we save enough time to allow for as many to share as possible.  This is a critical component of Arts centre time where I assist students in providing specific feedback to their peers using arts terminology.


What's Next?

We have used this program for a whole class collaborative painting which I will share in a future post.  For those of you who have used ArtRage 2 or ArtRage 3, please share your ideas as a comment below!  If you have any questions or comments, I invite your feedback as well!

This is the blog post that doesn't end. Yes, it goes on and on my friend.

One of the problems I have doing summative posts at the end of a project is that I often forget some of the small details that go into it. While these details are small, they are often part of what made the activity a success.

So I am going to try a blog post that I will update all year. This is going to be a record of the technology activities my students engage in, with the hope that by the end there will be a clear record of how I got from A to Z.

1. Technology Helper

The first thing we did in my class this year that involved technology was using the Smartboard. In the second week of school I introduce my classroom helpers. One of the jobs is a technology helper. This student is in charge of turning on and off the Smartboard. They learn how to reset the Smartboard if it stops being interactive. They are the ones that can tap it if it goes to sleep. As the year goes on, I add more tasks. For example, I teach them how to use extended desktop, so that when visiting teachers are in the room who are unfamiliar/uncomfortable with extended desktop, there are many students who know how to help.

2. Smartboard Whole Class Work 

Early in the year I begin having students come up to interact with the Smartboard. This allows me to teach the whole class how to do full screen, move to the next page, close, and push rather than hit the Smartboard.  We use wands in our class on the Smartboard. This allows smaller students to reach all parts of the Smartboard. It is also easier to clean the wands than the entire Smartboard regularly to control the spread of germs. 

3. Smartboard Centre Work

Once students are comfortable using the Smartboard in my class, I introduce it as a reading centre. We start off with practicing the centre as a whole class. I review how the turn taking works on the Smartboard. I also review during centre work that they need to get the technology helper, not me, to help solve Smartboard problems. 

Example of Smartboard Centre Work- This is an example of a centre I use. After the class has done a Making Words lesson and the subsequent Sort and Transfer lesson, I assign a review centre. This one is after we made the word autumn. During any centre work in my class, there is always a leader.

4. Introduction to Netbooks

Usually by the end of September I introduce netbooks to my grade twos. There is a bit of preparation work that I do before I put the netbooks in front of them. I've outlined the previous post HELP! How do I get my class logged onto the computer for the very first time?

Once I have all the prep work done and I feel my class management is under control, I introduce the netbooks to the whole class. I have gone into detail about how I did this this year in the post Introducing Grade Twos to Netbooks.

5. Introducing Centre Work Activities to the Whole Class

Throughout the year I have reading centres and math centres. One of the centres I frequently use for both is a "netbook" centre. For reading centres that typically involves having the students use RAZ kids to read an online book and then take an online quiz. For math centres that typically involves having the students use Mathletics to an assigned activity and then "live math" where they practice their basic facts. 

Before I introduce these as centres, however, I introduce each program as a whole class activity. Not only is this a prep for centre work, but it is a great chance to review how to log on to the netbooks. 

For more information on different subscriptions available for the division one classroom, you may want to read the post Subscriptions and Sign Ups. 

6. Centre Work

Once students seem comfortable knowing how to log on to a netbook independently, I introduce them as a centre. It is important to have slightly longer centres when using netbooks as student need time to log in to the programs they are going to use. What I typically do is teach the first group to not log off but simply shut the browser. That way the subsequent group using the netbooks does not need to log-in to the wifi but just needs to log-in to the program they will be using. The last group is in charge of shutting down and putting the netbooks away. 

7. Google Account Authentication with Buddies

The majority 95% of my grade twos have never used Google Apps before. This means they need to accept the terms and conditions that Google has and type in that funny little code given when you accept and continue.

I like to break this step apart from the first actual lesson. This year our grade 6 buddies came in and helped. It was just a 25 minute lesson that I modeled on the Smartboard as they followed along. They went to SchoolZone. They went to the Google Apps tab. They selected Docs. They were directed the page that requires them to accept Google's terms and conditions. They scrolled down to the bottom. Their older buddies helped them decipher the word they had to type to activate their account.

When they finished, they went to Tumblebooks until buddy time was over.

8. First Simple Google Apps Assignment

I keep my first lesson with Google Docs simple. The main goal is to introduce them to the steps I will be using fro the rest of the year for using Google Docs. The actual product is not the goal during this first lesson.

For this first lesson, I actually had them do a 30 minute math lesson online first. They did 3 online math activities and then logged on to Mathletics. The first Google Docs assignment can be a bit stressful, so I like starting kids off with something they can do successfully. It also allows me to deal with any technology or logging in problems before we get to the Google Docs assignment.

Here is a basic overview of the lesson:

• review logging in to the netbooks
• model getting to Google Apps via SchoolZone
• model opening the document (I had shared it with them earlier)
• model "make a copy"
• model naming document
• students filled in the blanks (was not concerned if they didn't finish or did not do it correctly for this activity)
• model sharing the document with me

9. Laptops for Halloween

I used Halloween as a time to introduce my students to the other technology in the school this week - laptops. The laptops have a different routine for handing out and logging in. It can be time consuming and frustrating. So I booked the laptops for the last hour for our Halloween celebration. It's great as a teacher because it is low key. It's great for the kids, as they love the activities. I put the links on my msmondor.wordpress.com class website (but you could put them on SchoolZone). I also like it because there are many Halloween activities that have real curriculum connections (reading, spelling, math and art activities for instance). I've collected a number of activities to use with students over the years that I keep on my sundayideas blog.

By having a fun activity as the goal AND a full hour to work, it made using laptops for the first time successful.

10. Repeat
I plan on having my students repeat a variation of their first Google Docs assignment 3 times so that they learn the steps and routines for working with Google Docs.

**NOTE This was harder to keep up with then I anticipated. I apologize!****

11. Blogging
In November I attempted blogging with my students for the first time. You can read about my first lesson in the post Grade Two Bloggers. Since then we have done more blogging, not a lot. Here is a list of the things we have done with blogging.

• Replying to a post (as discussed in Grade Two Bloggers)
• Using it to publish a final copy of a persuasive writing based on the book The Little Snowgirl. Students did this by replying to my initial post.
• Using it to publish a final copy of an acrostic. Students learned how to create their own posts. Students also learned how to comment on other student's posts/acrostics.
• On Hundred Day, students had to use jot notes to plan what they would buy for $100. Then students composed their paragraphs as a blog post. They also commented on other students' posts. We had technical difficulties this day, so not everyone had a chance to comment.
• In March we posted a class write on our blog about what gum looks, smells, sounds, feels and tastes like. I encouraged students to log in at home to comment on the class write.

12. Culture Presentations
I decided to have my students do their final copies of their culture research projects on Google Docs this year. They still did the research using books in class and jot notes on paper. We did one day of guided research using the Internet. I blogged about the first project, Inuit culture. For that project, I just had them share their knowledge using jot notes. The second project was about Acadian culture (template) and students were expected to write in sentences. The third project is about Ukrainian culture.I blogged about all the culture presentations in the post Putting Presentation Into Presentation.

13. Brochures of Places Studied
Each year I have students make four brochures: Edmonton in the past, Iqaluit, Meteghan and Saskatoon. I have always found it a challenge to find enough images and research material for students when they do Meteghan. So I decided to turn to the Internet this year. In the blog post Making a Brochure with Presentation Lesson Plan, I explain the steps and include a rubric. It was so successful that I plan on doing all four brochures with Google Docs next year!

14. A Story
In March, after planning a story on a paper graphic organizer, I had students compose their story on a Google Document.

15. Using Technology In Art
Before my students did their first pointillism painting, I had them view paintings of Seurat up close using Google Art Project. I blogged about how to zoom into paintings and other ideas in the post Google Art Project Reflections.

16. World Education Days
Each year I have my class participate in World Education Days/Games. I give them one practice session at school for each topic (literacy and math) where I teach them how to log in and encourage them to practice at home. I give them 20 minutes to participate on each "game day" and again I encourage them to try again at home.

17. Continued Use of Centre Work
Throughout the year I regularly use centres in: reading, math and social. I don't teach science, otherwise I'd use it in science as well. :) I've blogged about a few ideas:

• Non-standard Measurement Activities
• Tipping the Scales (inequalities)
• Technology As Part of A Tic Tac Toe Menu

18. Using Google Presentation To Learn
My students created a Google Presentation about working in Meteghan, Nova Scotia. I detail what I did in the post Another Grade Two Presentation Activity.   

19. Blogging and Using the Webcam

While I don't teach science, I used something my students did with their science teacher in a writing activity. The students had to write a draft (on paper) of how to make a Plasticine boat. They had to use strong sequence words and used a posted organizer to help them. The next day they started a blog post and learned how to use the webcam to take a picture of their boat for the post. On the third day they did their typing and published.

20. Synergize! 
We are a Leader In Me school. Our current habit is Synergize. So it was time to learn how to work on a shared Google Doc! For four Wednesdays in a row I had my students work on their spelling sentences as a shared Google Doc. The goal was simply to give them experience working on a shared document. I assigned one student to create the document, name it and share it with their three other group members. Those group members were to help spell their name and help the creator select the correct users to share with. Then the leader pressed enter a bunch of times to create space on the document. Each student was assigned a word to write a sentence for. Early finishers were to choose another word.

21. Smartboard Centre
Every six weeks my students have a spelling review test. During that week one of the reading centres is a spelling review activity. I choose 20 out of the 25 words for them to review. I used a template I got from SmartExchange and modified it for spelling. Students have to write on a small whiteboard (or small chalkboard) what they think the answer is. Then, once everyone in the group has an answer, they check to see if they are correct.

22. Science Reports!
My students put their science research notes about an animal into a Google Presentation.


23. Commenting on Blog Posts
My students were eager to comment on each others' blog posts but their comments were "asom" (awesome) and "nic sintincs" (nice sentences). So I decided I needed to tap into that interest and we discussed what made a good comment. I tied this into health and students wrote "friendly grams" - which had to be specific compliments that had a greeting and had to include who wrote it.  As well, I added awesome and sentences to the spelling challenge words.

24. Father's Day Poems
Using a simple worksheet, I had my students plan a Father's Day acrostic. I edited them. Then they created a Google Doc to type their good copies. We used laptops so that they could print them to take home.

25. Filing Away Our Grade Two Work
As my students were taking home their paper duotangs and organizing their paper/binder portfolios, I also had them pack up digitally. I showed them how to make a folder. They named it Grade Two. Then they moved all their grade two work into that folder.

Wow! It was a busy year!

I Would If I Could But I Don't Have The Time So I Won't

The Question I Can’t Answer

In my role as lead technology teacher, I deal with a lot of potentially frustrating things. I need to keep up on the ever evolving world of technology. I need to find ways to provide useful professional development to a staff of varying technological interests, abilities and divisions. I have to deal with weird computer, netbook and Smartboard problems throughout the school. I have to help facilitate reasonable response times for weird computer, netbooks and Smartboard problems. Most days these are interesting challenges; sometimes they are frustrating. For the most part they are all solvable... eventually. The one thing that has left me stumped is how to respond to a colleague who tells me they would love to use technology in the class but they simply don’t know how to find the time.

The problem is they are correct. Using technology effectively, takes time. It takes time for teachers to learn and plan. It also takes time for the students to learn, which means it takes up precious class time. Any attempt to rush teaching technology or integrating technology leads to frustration and generally leads to people not wanting to try “that again”. I touch on this a bit in my previous blog post Direct Teaching of Technology Skills and Vocabulary.

Snowballs!

What concerns me about not being able to provide a good answer to those who do not feel they have the time to integrate technology is that the problem snowballs for the next year’s teacher. So, if the grade one teacher does not have the students use technology, it means more work for the grade two teacher. So now something that already is potentially time consuming becomes even more so.

The Answer?

I do not have one yet. I have some ideas and some suggestions. I am also hoping to generate some comments as to what the readers of this blog think.

Small Chunks of Time Exist!

Often, when planning to integrate technology, teachers think big. They think about projects or research. I think students need a lot of experience logging onto computers so that skills becomes as automatic as tying shoes become. Providing students with an opportunity to read online during DEAR time (I bet no one calls it USSR any more!) is one way to accomplish this without giving up a lot of time. Yes, the first few times will probably not involve a lot of reading. However, my experience is that reading online is motivating enough for students to give them the incentive to persevere through the initial frustrations of learning how to log in. Believe me I am not dismissing the importance of providing students with independent reading time!

Here are some other small chunks of time I think technology can be snuck in:

• Math facts drills.If your class does math facts drills, try doing these online!
• Math Baseball by Funbrain
• Math Flashcards
• Spelling practice.
  Have your students practice their words once a week using something like SpellingCity.
  Students can type their spelling words in Word and print to take home.
• Using Unitedstreaming videos (EPSB teachers).
  Teach your students how to log into Discovery Education using SchoolZone. Instead of playing a video you want to show them on the Smartboard, have them view it on a laptop!
• Buddies.
  If your class does buddy activities, this is a great time to encourage technology use. They could read online or do math activities online.
• Geography in social studies.
  Have students use Google Earth to explore a topic in social studies. You could have students work in small groups of 2 or 3 using a computer or laptop. Read the great post Google Earth in grade one for more ideas.

Start Small and Start Early

One of my colleagues had a personal realization the other day. It was early May and they were discussing one major computer project they do each year. She looked at me and said, “we really need to start this earlier next year.”

Technology Clubs

One strategy I have used in my school is to run technology clubs to help develop the technological expertise in our student population. This leaves the teacher feeling supported in the classroom when using technology. Each month, two students come from each class to learn how to problem solve different technology problems (laptops, Smartboards, netbooks, etc).

A Critical Outcomes School Scope and Sequence

At my school we have started the process of developing a critical learnings scope and sequence for ICT outcomes. As a part of this process, staff have identified one or two skills they expect or hope that students from the previous grade will have.

A Disclaimer!

The above activities and suggestions are not about how to integrate technology effectively in your classroom. They are suggestions to get started with technology in your classroom and to allow your students to develop some automaticity with basic computer skills which will free up time when you are ready for that integrated technology project!