2007-08 School Year Projects started
We have started the school year with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm, plans, ideas and projects to integrate technology into our classrooms.
We are getting students and teachers excited about using our laptop cart, Alphasmart cart, Digital Cameras and camcorder. Weekly planing time with each grade level is promising that teachers are starting to think of technology when they are writing their lesson plans.
The two projector carts, equipped with a laptop, projector, sound system, VCR, DVD and an Elmo are being checked out daily by various grade levels.
Here are some of the projects that are in the works:
Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd Grade:
- Webkinz
Each class received a Webkinz, that they have named and are learning to take care of online at Webkinz.com. Classes are voting and graphing their choices of furniture they wish to buy for their webkinz. They are calculating if they have enough money to purchase a baseball bed or need to earn more money by painting fences in a certain pattern. As a class they are answering questions in several curriculum areas according to their age level. Teachers and students are having a ball and are beaming when the projector cart is being rolled in. Kindergarten teachers are planning to start using a blog, where they will ask their students to write about their Webkinz adventures. - Life ‘Round Here
3 teachers from 4th, 5th and 6th grade are on board to work on Chris Craft’s Life ‘Round Here project. We are working on a time line and lesson plans/help/coaching ideas for them. - E-Pals
Have contacted several schools in Egypt through E-Pals in order to connect our students. So far no response. - SJEDS Egypt Blog
In 23 days a fellow teacher and I are off to Egypt. We are traveling for two weeks and taking our students along with us virtually through the Egypt Blog.
Professional Development
- Created a School Professional Development Blog
- Holding once a month PD workshop opportunities for faculty, staff and administration. First one will be in 2 weeks and will introduce blogging.
- Learning seems to happen (even for teachers), when they are engaged in the technology. When they are using the tools to do something that they want to accomplish.
- We (Technology Integration Facilitators=TIFs) are in the classroom with them, giving them some sort of security, while they experiment with the laptop, projector, plugging “things” in, going online, clicking around, etc.
Little on site tutorials and tips are working.
These look fantastic Silvia! I would love to do something collaborative with your students if you’re interested – maybe a “flat classroom” kind of thing with grade 4 or 5. What do you think? I’m thinking video conferencing, blogging, collaborative projects, social networking – really bringing it all together!