Kevin Henkes

As I was working on a comprehension lesson for Second Grade using this book I found a cute trailer.  I liked this idea because many students in this class need a visual hook and I thought this was a cute way to introduce the read aloud.  

Here is a reflection on my literacy project using the program that was supposed to work for my students.

• Click to view my tale.
• 

Literacy Project

• Click to view my tale.
• 

Teaching writing in Pre-K starts with teaching drawing.  The Dot, a story that inspires students to make their mark, was used as a read aloud to my class.  Then with a set of watercolor paints and a brush each member of the class used colors to create. After the paintings were dry I took pictures of each piece and uploaded them to Little Bird Tales.

The program is easy to navigate, but I had lots of technical errors- plug-ins, inconsistency with sound, not saving on my laptop.  Like my EDUC 584 class I had to move to the library.  Anyway with this came frustrations on my end.  The kids loved it and didn't mind repeating their dictation.  We will continue the project next week.  I only have them in school for 9 hrs a week and it was not possible to finish and meet their little needs.  I included our rough draft.  Next week volume will be right and our pictures will be edited.

The program let us individually narrate each page and then we can eventually publish a class book.  We will invite specials teachers and the principal to view our book and will share with parents at conference time. The kids loved it and were very reflective about the sound and clarity of their voices.  I will continue with more little bird tales, but for now I need to continue to troubleshoot. 

If you give a mouse a cookie; mentor text for digital story

This is one of the cutest storybird creations I've seen!  What a great idea to show what young learners can do and to justify the cost of an ipad.

• Click to view my tale.
• 

Learning to Teach

When I started taking graduate courses I was excited to learn strategies to become a better reading teacher.  I honestly had no idea that I would learn as much as I did about accessing, navigating and creating digital tools to incorporate in my classroom.  After completing this course I can confidently teach my young learners using technology.  EDUC 584 Reflection by incillorachel on GoAnimate 

It began with Animoto, a tool I was not familiar with.  It was extremely user friendly and I was able to create a visual schedule for my current class.  Instantly, I realized what adding technology to the lesson actually meant.  My students need constant visual models and because of this course I can create with their specific needs in mind.  I also was able to suggest making book trailers to my colleagues.  In a short time that one project has inspired many.

The next step in the journey was keeping up with a blog page. My favorite part of the course.  At first I felt as if I had nothing to share, but then I realized even a video that I use in my class may inspire another teacher.  I completely love viewing other educator's blogs.  I take a virtual tour of their classroom and then feel energized to try new things.  Blogging was a topic discussed in the class readings, but exploring the world of blogging showed me the endless opportunities.

Skype in the classroom has endless possibilities as well.  We had the chance in EDUC 584 to experience both talking to an author and participating in a mystery geography chat.  Both Skype interactions showed how beneficial the tool can be to learning.  It also provided insight into how to manage the session.  

The web 2.0 projects have proved to be an excellent way to integrate technology into a literacy lesson.  My writing lessons have included making class books that excite and motivate, but never a class story that can be published on the computer with live narration!

I am grateful for this class.  I'm glad it took place during this fall semester as my classroom lessons shift to common core and teaching 21st century skills.  Not only did I have a chance to learn what is available digitally for my students and myself now, but it reminded me that I have to continue learning to teach.  I can't teach my students effectively if I am not constantly learning the newest technology resources.  I never thought blogs or twitter had a place in education because I wasn't interested in their social impact, but their educational impact can be outstanding for global collaboration.

Eric Carle on Bill Martin Jr. and the Brown Bear Series

This video was something I shared with my Pre-K class last year.  We read many Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr. books and were learning the roles of authors and illustrators.  My class loved hearing the artist speak. They liked watching him create the baby bear for his book. Some commented on Bill Martin's inability to read until much later in life.  I learned from my students as I watched them learn about one of their favorite illustrators.  We then created our own pictures using Carle's craft.  I can't wait to do it again this year.  Now that I know how to create digital stories I can turn our artwork into a final collaborative piece.

Launching Opinion Writing with Digital Tools

Well that was fun!  I just created a story about why I love fall.  I created this text as a mentor piece for launching opinion writing in second grade. The story would help teach the concept of opinion writing.  The digital component would keep their interest.  The students would love to hear how I published this piece of writing and how they too could publish their own opinion pieces.  I'd love to help in the class to provide extra support because the students ability levels vary greatly. Giving each individual feedback during the writing process is important, yet difficult to manage. I can't wait to give the struggling, succeeding  and excelling students in this class a time to show their writing creativity.

Watching Writer's Workshop

The Teachers College videos really show how workshop conferences can work. 
A Writing Conference: Teaching a Student to Write for Audience (3-5) from TC Reading and Writing Project on Vimeo.

Ted Talk Favorites

A friend of mine recently mentioned they had never seen a Ted Talk.  I tried describing it, but unless you see the way it works it's hard to explain.  When I was researching Multiple Intelligence for a previous course I came across a Ted Talk that was from Ken Robinson's description of educational paradigms; it's one of my favorites.

The Process

The process in which students move from unknowing to knowing in any subject is important right now.  How the student used their skills to arrive at the answer shows the teacher far more about what they have learned and what they still need to know than just an answer.

Recently a fifth grader in my school took a math test and failed miserably.  He was the only one out of the entire class to receive these results. He is at a Tier III and we have seen on many occasions that when he has one to one support or takes a test without support but in a environment where he is alone he does well.  So, he was given a chance to retake the test.  He took the test with a substitute paraprofessional that was instructed to give no help.  The results were amazing.

Not only did he score an A on the test, he showed the process.  He wrote his explanation of front end estimation as he explained it to the substitute who had not seen our new math curriculum.  The classroom teacher and other members on the team learned at our RTI (SRBI) meeting that this student has many skills, but his inability to focus in the classroom setting prevents him for showing his knowledge. 

So as I read Kathy Cassidy's book, Connected from the Start I began to make my own connections.  I followed her link to Common Craft. I watched how this could provide tools for students to show what they have learned.  Although it is something a teacher would have to pay for I like the concept and will continue to see what it can offer my students.  Perhaps there is something similar that may work for my students as well.  While the writing process and math process are easier to see from pencil and paper.  Assessing learning of the lesson Cassidy refers to on teaching needs and wants could be shown using this type of media.  I think many social studies lessons in the early grades could benefit from this technology.

Visual Schedules

Each morning the boys and girls entering Pre-K know what to expect because a visual schedule is always present.  During circle time the kids and I review the day by looking at pictures and words to describe our activities.  Some students need this more than others.  In fact without it as a reference the entire day might be a catastrophe for some little learners.

This year I have a little one that needs it. I'm also in the process of making a miniature visual schedule to help with transitions. All I've had on my mind is how to make our day flow better with less words and more subtle cues.  So when I sat down to create an Animoto I decided to make a video schedule for my entire class.



All pictures are from our classroom environment and several include the children.  My hope is that when I play this for the class they see our day.  I want them to see how fun the day can be.   If we follow the routine of the school day we have more time for play,stories,specials and smiles through all of our learning.  I look forward to hearing their feedback.

Dot Day in Pre-K

After watching several informative videos and reading blogs on digital storytelling in the classroom, I am planning to use them in my Pre-K class.The goal is to have students demonstrate their work through this technology tool. In a few weeks I will be ready to read The Dot to my class. After the read aloud, reacting to the text and brainstorming students will create a picture that shows how they will make their mark.  I plan to take a picture of each piece of work and have each student narrate their sentence.  A Little Bird digital tool seems simple, creative and a perfect way for my Pre-K students to explore their individual creativity. One particular class book made me definitely want to try this. Check it out.
.

• Click to view my tale.
• 

This site also has templates to help correlate with the common core state standards.  In addition, it meets the technology standards as presented in the NETS.  For this particular project I am interested in the first two standards 1. Creativity and Innovation 2. Communication and Collaboration.  I can also see other areas of technology being used through this site.

International Dot Day

When you have so little free time in your life....there is always the Internet to search and provide.  Once upon a time I could visit a library and/ or bookstore and search at leisure for what I wanted to read to my class.  Now I visit the school Library while my students are at a special and constantly feel rushed. Even more often I have the book read to me by someone on You Tube.

I was interested in learning more about The Dot, by Peter Reynolds.  I watched clips from teachers and loved the projects that students were producing.  After seeing inspirational projects, I needed to check out this book and see how I could use it.

I won't share it with my class before international dot day (it's tomorrow), but I will share this inspirational story when the time is right with my Pre-k class. I'd love to do it soon because everything is so new and students always feel they can't write or draw.  This book will be a tool to promote self confidence in my little learners.

blogging for homework

If I were an eleven year old given the assignment to blog on the computer for homework I think I'd be highly motivated.  This task is making me question the balance of technology and written work.  I personally like to write.  I like how my ideas look on paper.  I organize my thoughts and can see the trail.  I don't backspace and delete a line and forget about it; it is a record of the writing process.  However, I know several students that would love to have blogging be an option because it makes them feel comfortable.  Why not encourage writing any way possible?  I feel this would motivate reluctant writers and allow fluent writers a different vehicle for expression. As teachers we must remember to keep the balance.  We must provide choice, but teach the beauty of it all.  I also think of parents and hope that while they install a new app that is teaching their three year old largest and smallest that the next day they show them how to stamp a thank you note and mail it to a friend.