Subject – Page 51 – iLearn Technology

Story Nory

January 12, 2010January 12, 2010Kelly Tenkely9 Comments5143 views

What it is: Story Nory is a collection of FREE audio books for kids. There is a mixture of new stories, fairy tales, and specially adapted myths and histories. A new audio story comes out each week (this has been true since November of 2005!). Search stories by newest additions, original stories, fairy tales, classic authors, educational, or junior stories. The stories can be subscribed to as a podcast in iTunes, through their iPhone/iPod touch app, via email, or RSS feed. Story Nory offers the text to accompany the audio so that kids can read along.

How to integrate Story Nory into the classroom: Story Nory would make an excellent addition to your reading/listening library. Listening to audio books can be a great way to help students improve comprehension skills, and to listen for different literary features (such a voice, timing, rhythm, annunciation, etc.). Set up a listening center on your classroom computers, an iPod or MP3 lab, or in a lab setting. Students can access stories that are of high interest to them at their level. Students can create book talks, or reviews of the stories to share with their peers. Set up a wiki where students can share their thoughts about the stories they listen to.

Tips: Encourage parents to sign up for the Story Nory emails so that they can share the story of the week with their kids.

Leave a comment and share how you are using Story Nory in your classroom.

Nasa Interactive Timeline

January 11, 2010January 14, 2010Kelly Tenkely4 Comments13730 views

What it is: Nasa has hundreds of great online tools for the classroom, their Interactive Timeline is the one of the most impressive. The multimedia timeline begins in 500BC and follows the search for extrasolar planets to modern discoveries. Students can “autoplay” the timeline for a journey through the history of space discovery or explore at their own pace. Students can search the timeline by key milestones, technology, discoveries, or by thought and culture.

How to integrate Nasa Interactive Timeline into the classroom: The Nasa Interactive Timeline is a great way to teach students about the history of space discovery and thought. Students can gain an understanding about historical figures, key events, and key discoveries. At any point, the timeline can be paused for discussion. Nasa’s Interactive Timeline would be well used as an introduction or anticipatory set for further exploration. View the timeline on autoplay as a class using a projector or interactive whiteboard, or allow students to explore the timeline on their own during center time on classroom computers or individually during lab time. Assign students a key historical figure or time period to learn more about. Students can present their findings to the class when their time period or figure comes up on the timeline.

Tips: The Interactive Timeline gives basic information. Encourage your students to find additional resources and information about each event, historical figure, or time period.

Leave a comment and share how you are using Nasa Interactive Timeline in your classroom.

Carrot Sticks

January 11, 2010January 12, 2010Kelly Tenkely4 Comments4076 views

What it is: Carrot Sticks is another fun place for your students to practice math facts. Carrot Sticks is a fantastic place where your students can practice their math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) for FREE! Students get to create their own Carrot Stick avatar to help them practice. Then they practice addition facts against an online opponent of their choosing. Carrot Sticks has students testing their math fact skills against other students from around the world in a completely safe environment (no personal information is shared and students can’t chat). Students earn math achievement certificates for reaching various goals. Note: To get your FREE Carrot Sticks account (available to educators for school/classroom use only) email support@carrotsticks.com.

How to integrate Carrot Sticks into the classroom: Use Carrot Sticks for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division math fact practice. Students love seeing how they stack up to their peers from around the world. Carrot Sticks also offers individual goals for students to reach. Not only are they competing against others, they are trying to improve their own best times. Carrot Sticks is a nice alternative to flash card practice. Students will enjoy the ability to create their own avatar and earn rewards for meeting goals. Carrot Sticks would make a good addition math fact practice center for students on classroom computers. Give students a set amount of time to practice their facts. Keep a running scoreboard by the center with the highest student score in 1 min, 2 min, or 5 min. Carrot sticks reminds me of World Math Day (which my students go crazy for) why not offer the Carrot Sticks website as a “training center” to prepare for World Math Day?

Tips: Send this link home to parents, they are often looking for new ways to practice math facts at home.

Leave a comment and share how you are using Carrot Sticks in your classroom.

Math Two

January 7, 2010January 7, 2010Kelly Tenkely2 Comments4585 views

What it is: Math Two is a great alternative to flash cards for students who are practicing math facts. Games are leveled by difficulty and include addition and multiplication facts. Students are given a problem and must type the answer. Students receive immediate feedback about their answer (correct or incorrect).

How to integrate Math Two into the classroom: Sometimes you just have to mix up the flashcards a little bit when practicing math facts. Math Two isn’t overly interactive or “gamey” but it will give your students another opportunity to be drilled on and practice math facts. My students actually love practicing math facts this way, I tell them it is good practice for World Math Day where they compete against other students from around the world. When they think of it as training in preparation for upcoming competition, they are excited to practice. Math Two is best for individual computers or as a math fact center on classroom computers.

Tips: Send this link home to parents, they are often looking for new ways to practice math facts at home. Thank you @2sparkley for introducing me to Math Two!

Leave a comment and share how you are using Math Two in your classroom.

Math Snacks

January 5, 2010Kelly Tenkely3 Comments4629 views

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What it is: Math Snacks is my new favorite teaching resource for math! Math Snacks are animated videos and games that help students understand math concepts. Each “snack” offers a math concept that students can learn, review, and practice. The snacks are available online or can be accessed for free on a mobile device like the iPhone or iPod. The snacks focus on math concepts that are appropriate for 5th-8th grade. Print materials are available that can be used to help students in applying their conceptual understanding to math problems. Concepts on Math Snacks include ratios, proportions, scale, number line properties, equality and order on the number line, tables, graphs, measurement, and equations.

How to integrate Math Snacks into the classroom: Math Snacks is a fun way for students to visualize difficult to understand math concepts. There are short humorous videos that demonstrate the math concept in action. These videos can be viewed as an introduction to a new concept or as practice and review of learning. The videos can be paused for class discussion about the concept and for solving of problems. All videos are available for viewing online and can be downloaded to an iPod. Some of the iPod downloads also include subtitles. Each video also comes with a learner and teacher guide. Print these guides to direct you in discussion throughout the video and activities.

Tips: A huge THANK YOU to @summersj who introduced me to Math Snacks via Twitter!

Leave a comment and share how you are using Math Snacks in your classroom.

iboard: A Day at the Park

December 29, 2009Kelly Tenkely5 Comments7956 views

What it is: A Day at the Park asks students to position characters at a park and then construct sentences about their placement or movement. Students can construct the statements by using a word bank, or the word bank can be hidden. This is a great activity for students to practice describing words.

How to integrate iboard: A Day at the Park into the classroom: A Day at the Park was created to be used with an interactive whiteboard. To use it with an interactive whiteboard or projector, invite students up to manipulate the characters in the park scene. Then ask other students to describe their positions and movements by constructing sentences below the scene. This would also make an excellent literacy center activity. Send students to the classroom computers in pairs where they can take turns placing characters and describing their positions.

Tips: iboard has a variety of activities for the interactive whiteboard that can be purchased. A Day at the Park is one of their freebie samples.

Leave a comment and share how you are using iboard: A Day at the Park in your classroom.

iboard: How Far Away do You Live?

December 27, 2009Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2166 views

What it is: iboard’s How Far Away Do You Live? is an excellent interactive activity for the interactive whiteboard or for use with a projector. Students create labels with their names and pin them on a graphic chart to depict how close they live to the school. Students can also add places to the graphic such as restaurants and stores. This is a great way to begin discussions about distance and introduce some new math language. When students have finished placing themselves on the graphic, they can compare the results on a block graph.

How to integrate iboard: How Far Away Do You Live? into the classroom: How Far Away Do You Live? is a neat interactive to teach students math language about distance, how to read a graph, and how to describe objects in relation to each other. Begin by defining what it means to live close to the school. What does it mean to be “very close” is that one block away, around the corner, less than a mile, a 5 minute walk, closer than the shop on the corner? Define what each distance will mean on your chart. Then, invite students to the board to add a sticky note where they think their house falls on the chart. After everyone has been added to the chart ask questions such as: “Who lives closest to the school?” and “Who is the furthest away?” Finish by looking at the block graph and discussing how many students fall into each category. This is a great way to teach your students to create and read informational charts and graphs.

Tips: iboard has a variety of activities for the interactive whiteboard that can be purchased. How Far Away Do You Live? is one of their freebie samples.

Leave a comment and share how you are using iboard: How Far Away Do You Live? in your classroom.

iboard: Deck Chairs

December 27, 2009Kelly Tenkely3 Comments2794 views

What it is: Deck Chairs is an interactive activity from iboard that allows students to explore pattern and symmetry. Students can create patterns with three different colors. Then, they can test out their pattern to find out if it is symmetrical.

How to integrate iboard: Deck Chairs into the classroom: Deck Chairs is a simple interactive activity that lets students explore pattern and symmetry. Deck Chairs was created for use with an interactive whiteboard but would be just as effective as a math center on classroom computers. For use with an interactive whiteboard, create a pattern on half of the deck chair. Invite students to the board to finish the pattern to make it symmetrical. Test out the pattern to find out if it is symmetrical. As a math center, send pairs of students to the classroom computers. One student will create the initial pattern. The second student will try to mirror the pattern to create a symmetrical design. I like the way that this activity checks students progress and gives immediate feedback. If the design is not symmetrical, the pair should try to solve the problem together.

Tips: iboard has a variety of activities for the interactive whiteboard that can be purchased. Deck Chairs is one of their freebie samples.

Leave a comment and share how you are using iboard: Deck Chairs in your classroom.

iboard: Alien Pairs to 10

December 27, 2009December 27, 2009Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment4337 views

What it is: Alien Pairs to 10 is a fun warm up game for the primary math classroom. Students are given 60 seconds to find as many pairs of 10 as they can. The numbers students have to choose from are written on Aliens, with the target number (always 10) on the spaceship. Students drag pairs of aliens into the spaceship and check the answer to find out how many pairs that equal 10 they can find.

How to integrate iboard: Alien Pairs to 10 into the classroom: Alien Pairs to 10 will bring out the inner competition in any student. To use this site with an interactive whiteboard, split your students into teams. Have students face off to find out who can find the most pairs of 10 before their 60 seconds are up. This site was created with interactive whiteboards in mind but, to be honest, I think this site is best suited for classroom computers as a math center activity. Keep a running scoreboard next to your classroom computers where you post the high scores of the week.

Tips: iboard has a variety of activities for the interactive whiteboard that can be purchased. Alien Pairs to 10 is one of their freebie samples.

Leave a comment and share how you are using iboard: Alien Pairs to 10 in your classroom.

iboard: Treasure Hunt

December 22, 2009December 22, 2009Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2521 views

What it is: Treasure Hunt is an interactive game where students practice following directions to coordinates on a grid. Students are given a set of directions that they must follow to find a hidden treasure. Directions are in the format of left, right, up, and down.

How to integrate Treasure Hunt into the classroom: Treasure Hunt gives students a platform to practice direction. Students are given directions such as take 3 steps right, take 1 step down, take 4 steps left, dig. If students have followed the directions correctly, they will reveal a hidden treasure. Use Treasure Hunt for a whole class game. Split students into two teams. Have each team form a line at the interactive whiteboard. Team one sends up their first player to follow the first direction, then the next player on team one takes a turn, etc. If they correctly follow directions and dig up a treasure their team receives a point. Repeat with team two. Students could also practice coordinates at a math center on the classroom computers.

Tips: iboard has a variety of activities for the interactive whiteboard that can be purchased. Treasure Hunt is one of their freebie samples.

Leave a comment and share how you are using iboard: Treasure Hunt in your classroom.