Kidspiration 3 - Lesson on animal classfication

Kidspiration has a very visual tool for kids to learn about classification is biology.  Here is an examples how how to use the tool to help students learn about the characteristics of different group and find animals belong to each group.

The instruction is very easy to follow.  Once they find the animals belong to each group, they can select the writing tab on the top to go to the next view as follows:

Create Chronology of Ancient Rome using Kidspiration 3

In study Ancient Rome, Kidspiration 3 is an excellent tool to create a chronology of all the events for the history of Ancient Rome.  Teacher can create a graphic organizer as showed (see below ) and have the 6th grade students complete the activities as follows:

1. Search about the Ancient Rome and add important events in chronological order

2. Add or draw symbols for the events.

3. Go to Writing View and add details.

Name:_____________

Use Popplet.com to learn Ancient Greek Architecture in social studies

Popplet.com is a free online tool that allows users to visualize ideas. Teacher and students can create graphic organizers and many other forms of visual organization.

Some of the advantage of using Popplet.com are:

               

·         Graphical organizer help students to visualize and organize all the information.

·         In each Popplet created (within the graphic organizer), students have the options to write, draw, or simply insert an images to depict the design characteristics of the three schools of architecture.

·         ELL learners will benefit from the additional options other than writing the descriptions of each architectural design characteristics.

·         Popple.com is a fun way to engage students and it is very easy to learn.

In my lesson, I created an activity using Popplet.com as follows:

Name:__________________

Use Popplet.com (or paper and pencil) to fill in the below graphic organizer as follows:

For each Greek architecture design (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian )

a)  In the Popple labeled a, describe (in complete sentences), or draw , or find image (using Google or other search engine) which has all the characteristics of the design

b)  Find an image of the design column

c) Find a building or architecture with the design columns, provide name of the building

Figure 1.  Ancient Greek Architecture Graphic Organizer

A sample of what student produce:

Kidspiration for Science

Kidspiration is a great tool for the second graders to develop understanding in science using graphic  images library and the graphic organizer.  As a reinforcement after the  discussion on the properties of the three states of matter, the students will sort objects into the proper categories, solid, liquid, or gas.

The lesson idea using Kidspiration is taken from the lesson plan retrieved from:

http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~elem/kidspiration/tamargo/landwater.html

Below is the Kidspiration activity on "matter".

Use Kidspiration to learn Landforms and Bodies of Water in Social Studies

Kidspiration is a great tool for the second graders to develop understanding in social studies in a fun and colorful way.  The use of graphic  images and the graphic organizer will benefit every second grader, not just the visual learners.

The lesson idea using Kidspiration is taken from the lesson plan retrieved from:

http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~elem/kidspiration/tamargo/landwater.html

As part of a class study of landforms and bodies of water in the United States, the students will move items from the custom picture libraries to the appropriate super sorter.

The Kidspiration class activity:

Use Excel to solve math word problem on inventory tracking

Excel  is great tool for solving math problems related to inventory tracking.  Sixth grader should be taught to use Excel to help them understand and solve  inventory problems.  First demonstrate how to manually track and maintain Classroom furniture and art supply inventory.  Next, manually determines the total cost to restock  items that are below required inventory limit.

Next, use a laptop computer, Microsoft Excel, and the Smart Board to demonstrate how the same problems are solved using Excel spread sheet.

Advantage of using Microsoft Excel:

Using Spread sheet to track inventory, what items and how many to order, and  calculate total cost of the purchase order.  Once the formulas and charts are set up properly in the spread sheet, any changes to the furniture, art supplies, and item unit prices, all the dependent data such as the quantity to order, the total purchase costs,  and all the bar charts and pie charts are automatically updated to reflect the change.  Spread sheet user don't have to belabor themselves with the calculations or updates to the pie charts and bars charts.

The most costly items can be readily identified visually by examining pie chart and percentages which are automatically calculate when pie chart is added for select group of data cells.

TechPACK components	What is known	What must be learned
Technology	Laptop personal computer basic, spread sheet basics, Microsoft Word basics.	Spread sheet, insert math function, insert bar graphs, pie charts.  Research online for Excel tutorial software.
Pedagogy	Model how to solve a small inventory tracking and reorder problem by applying addition, subtraction and multiplication of decimal numbers and whole numbers.	Model a small inventory tracking and reorder problem using Excel spread sheet
Content	Decimal Number Addition, Percentage.  Solve word problem in everyday situation by applying whole number and decimal addition / subtraction.	Using Microsoft spread sheet to solve the inventory problem

Using Microsoft Word to illustrate elements of a good Narrative

You don't need a different fancy software to enhance children's understanding by using some simple visual high lighting tool in MS Word.  For example in a lesson on narrative writing, I can color code the different elements using different high light colors as follows.

Example of Sensory details, Action, Internal thoughts and feelings, and Dialogue

Then I can high light the actual examples in the narrative writing using this color code scheme.

See the color coded elements in the excerpt below.   This technology integration trick was illustrated by Professor Kelser using MSWord, his laptop and the Smartboard during one of his classes.

--------------------Excerpt of " The Screaming Mean Machine" by Joy Cowley -----------------------------

                                                          ...

“Sit with me in the front seat,” my brother Ricky says.

We’re in the car and a bar comes down. The bar is sticky with cotton candy. And I think I’m too young, after all. Next summer would be dandy. I think I’ve changed my mind and now I wonder how I get out of here.

I say to Rick, “What happens if the wheels come off the track?”

He says, “They can’t.”

“But suppose they did?”

“They’d just put them back,” he says.

Then he looks at me real close and says, “Hey, don’t you freak on me!”

“Who’s going to freak?” I want to know.

“You’re scared!” he says. “I can see!”

“You can’t see anything!” I laugh. “Ricky, you’re out of your tree!”

The car jerks. There is a long rattling sound like chains in a dungeon. We are being pulled up high off the ground, high up the Screaming Mean Machine, so high up a mountain of track that all I can see is sky. Then I lean over and look back a long way down at Mom and Dad who are like little dots of confetti on the ground. The car stops at the top and my stomach flips. But I’m not going to freak. I’m not! Then the car begins to move. Oh-oh!

So fast I can’t breath. Race, race, straight down. Wind in hair. Wind in face. My brother yelling, “Yay-eeee!” I hold onto the bar. Faster, faster. Can’t feel. Can’t see. Blur of speed.

--------------------------------- End of Excerpt---------------------------------

Kidspiration 3 - in Science (biology - animal classification)

Is a tool to visually explore and understand words, numbers and concepts.  Therefore it is great educational tool for the visual learners.  For example ESL student can benefit a great because visual images / graphics convey a lot of information without resorting to text written into English language.  Tool is appropriate for grades 1 to 5 students.  It use the visually learning principal to help students develop strong thinking skills.

The tool is a treat in learning because the user interface is very well designed and structured.  It has a lot of build in features and very rich libraries that are well organized easy to use.  At the top level (menu), there are picture view, writing view, and math view.  Activities are group into the 4 subjects, reading and writing, math, science and social studies. 

 I recently learned to use the tool in the picture view to do a short animal classification activity without spending a lot time in figuring how to use the tool.  Picture view provides a graphic organizer to help user to organize and develop ideas, classification information, etc.  It is very easy to navigate in the picture view.  There are wide selection of icons and symbols on the side menu/library and the top tool bar  for users to choose in this view.  Student can also create their own symbols/icons using the existing drawing tool.

In a short time, I was abled to create a diagram with the 4 classes of animals (insect, bird, mamal, and reptile).  I only needed to focus on providing  the textual descriptions for all four classed, and to focus on  figure out which class the animals belong to.  There is no need to draw any of these animals because most (if not all) are pre-drawn animals and available in the symbol library.

This tool supports learning in all standard subjects in K1-6. 

Computer and internet access for every student

From  my observation as a student teacher in the sixth grade class, I think all  students will benefit by having more computers accessiable at  both mathematics and ELA classes.  For example, in mathematics and ELA, there are plenty of online resources that provide drill-and-practice programs that students can use to reinforcement many concepts taught and to improve their fluency in many math facts, vocabulary words, etc.  In addition, some online resources, such as Math by Design, have  game-like activities that can be integrated into teaching as a reward for learning.  Also many students have very poor penmanship, so having computer or laptop will allow them to type their essays and so on using MSWord.  Having their work typed benefit both students and teachers,  It is more efficient for students to type their work and it is easier for teacher to read their type-up works.

Another important reason for each student to have his/her own computer is the transition time taken if they have to go the library or the computer lab room to access the computer / internet.

Great Freebie online - Popplet.com

What a great FREE tool for school. Popplet is a platform for your ideas.  Its super simple interface frees you  to focus your thought on task at hand.  With Popplet you can capture your ideas and sort them visually in realtime.

I had used the tool to write chapter summary (each popplet is one chapter) for the book "Watsons go to Birmingham".  Lines can be drawn between the popplet to show the connection and sequence of the chapters in the book.  Popplet.com can help students analyze the sequence of events in their reading comprehension.  In the sixth grade ELA class where I did student teaching, students had to work on a series of drill / practice skill book prior to the high stake test.  One of reading skill being practice is "Sequence" which help student understand the order/sequence of events in  reading comprehension.  A good use of Popplet is to have student use popplet to draw a sequence-of-events diagram to support their understanding of the text.

 Another  ideas  Popplet will be useful is in drawing  a character map or information map for a story that students are reading. 

Using PowerPoint for an engaging lesson

In my EECE 525 (Learning and Literacy in Elementary Years) class, students were celebrating the Social Action Writing.  Professor Kesler was presenting all the work using digital multi-media instead of the traditional genre of narrative writing.  It was quite some eye-opening experience for me.  I learned something from everyone's great and creative working using Microsoft PowerPoint.  There were so many different techniques utilizing the features and functions support by this presentation software.

Using the software I can make my lesson more interesting and engaging by incorporating sound, movie clips / animations, etc. to teach various subjects.  I had recently using this tools to present a lesson on Ancient Greek Architecture.  With the tools, I am able to add sound clips, and many graphical images, and many photo related to Ancient Greek architectures.   The lesson went well based on the assessment I used.   My assessment involve sketching the characteristics of the three school of ancient Greek architecture and answers a list of questions.  30 out of 33 students turned in their works, and almost all of them got perfect scores.

Kidpix - for a slideshow or moving picture

I had learned about another cool software tool - Kidpix on Mac a few weeks agon.  It  is a multimedia program for students  There are several parts of KidPix:  KidPix (graphics), Moopies (moving pictures), Stampimator (animated stamps), and Slide Show.

I used the tool to create a slide show of for a Ancient Quest Myth - Perseus.  You can add music and voice to narrate  a slide show.  This exercise give me an activity idea for future read aloud in the elementary class.  Ask student to retell the read aloud story using Kidpix.  I think students will enjoy drawing as a variation from writing or retell a story.

I recently did a lesson on Ancient Rome in my student teaching.  One of the short topic was about the Origin of Rome and how the city was founded by the twin boys named Romulus and Remus many years ago.  The lesson activity was to write a myth about the origin of their own city.  I think instead of writing, have students use Kikpix to create a story using slideshow or other parts of Kidpix.  I thinks children will love drawing and will be excited about create a slide show and even a moving pictures.  Especially when my lesson was after the New York high-stake exam that they had been studying and drilling for the prior months.

Another great idea is to have students using Kidpix to draw maps when they are studyig geography of each new country in their social studies class. 

Technology increases efficiency!

Technology has come a long way.  Not too long ago, the terms "Network is our computer" and "Cloud computing" were very novel and revolutionary.  In the last two face-to-face classes I witnessed and realized how mainstream these two terms have been.

During our first technology class, students were all entering their email addresses into the same Excel spread sheet from different computers on the same network at the same time.  The simultaneous data entries were synchronized and stored into a single file.

Technology certainly makes life easier.  No need for our instructor to pass a piece of paper around the classroom for students to write their emails and to enter them into the PC afterward.