Oh, How I Love Kidspiration!

I read and commented on Tammy, Whitney and Ashley's videos!! They were all so fabulous.

Through this assignment, I really have learned to love Kidspiration and can honestly see myself using it in my future classroom. It would be inappropriate to simply sit students in front of the computer screen and expect them to teach themselves, but I think it would be a great assessment tool. After introducing a concept (i.e. seasons) to the class and performing numerous interactive activities to expand their knowledge, Kidspiration is a perfect assessment activity. It helps show how much students truly know as they apply concepts, but they are getting to play a game all along the way. This hands-on activity would be helpful to every student. Another HUGE advantage is numerous activities are already designed, preventing me from having to invent every program from scratch.
The only problems I can anticipate relates to the grade level I am teaching. For example, if I am teaching 1st grade, I may not let each individual student access Kidspiration. I do not want to spend all of our time explaining directions and teaching students needed computer skills. However, if I have previously observed that students are comfortable with technology, I will happily let them perform the activity on their own. Another possible problem is the lack of support during this activity. It will be extremely hard to have an effective activity if I am only able to visit with a few students. If I decide to use Kidspiration, I will encourage parent volunteers to come and help with the activity.

Kidspiration- Seasons!

Science Activity-Seasons

My science activity is centered around the different seasons. I will begin the unit by introducing the concept of seasons to the class. We will have a class discussion about what they have observed about the different seasons, and then I will tell them specific characteristics of each season. Following which, each student will take his/her notebook and walk around the room, stopping at marked locations that contain objects that represent a certain season. They will make their best predictions about the objects, dicussing their thoughts with their classmates, and then return to their seats as we review the answers as a class.
At the end of the week, I will assess their knowledge. Using Kidspiration, each student will click on the 'Science' section and then 'Seasons.' For the assignment, they will use the symbols on the left-hand side to describe each season. Then, they will go to 'Writing View' to describe how each picture relates to its season. Since this activity requires them to apply the knowledge they have learned, they need to find symbols for 1)what the sky would look like during each season 2) the clothes they would wear during each season, and 3) another area of their choice. As they complete their assignment, I will walk around, answering questions and providing assistance.
1. Content: Science-Kindergarten-Standard 3-Objective 1: Investigate changes in seasons
2. Pedagogy: This activity employs so many essential scientific procedures:

Observing, Classifying= First with the activity in the classroom, and then with Kidspiration, students have to observe the objects/pictures and classify them into an appropriate season
Predicting=Every discussion and activity revolves around predicting which characteristic matches with which season
Acquiring data= Studens will organize all their predictions neatly in each season
Interpreting data=The paragraph they write in 'Writing View' will require them to describe the relationship between the picture and the season
Analying data=During class discussions, we pay particular attention to everything we are learning about each individual season

This activity requires students to use their own problem solving and critical thinking skills. They are acting as real scientists as they pose questions, gather information and make valid conclusions on what they discover. However, I will be close by to scaffold their efforts.

3. Technology: Kidspiration! It's a great fit because it provides a fun, interactive activity that not only reinforces the concept to the students in an enjoyable way, but it also gives me a chance to assess their knowledge.
4. Representation: Again, this multimodal representation is so beneficial to students because it is hands-on! Students learn so much more and are able to stay engaged when their mind, eyes and hands are busy. Compared to simply looking at different seasons in the textbook, or watching a video of the leaves falling, students are able to use technology to search for objects related to different seasons and drag them to the appropriate season "box." They are able to use their prior experiences to choose which symbols they want. Through this use of technology, each individual child can complete the assignment according to their personal needs.

A Tour... or Not a Tour?!

This poses a hard question. I will be the first to admit that yes, I think virtual tours are very impressive and would be a great teaching tool. Young children will become easily distracted and bored if they are having to learn about different cultures and land marks from the pages of a book. How great would it be to actually let them see and view the experiences firsthand?! Activities could be interative and hands-on, as teachers are always striving for, and I would be incorporating technology to help capture their attention as well.
Unfortunately, the same problem arises as with other technology projects. I will not be teaching children above 3rd grade so having them make a virtual tour is highly unlikely. I would have to put them together myself, and this one took me quite a long time, with countless struggles mixed in. I doubt I will have the patience for such a project when I am trying to juggle so many other things.

Completed Virtual Tour- Visual Arts from Various Cultures

Virtual Tour Content

Core curriculum standard: Visual Arts- 3rd grade, Standard 4: The student will interpret and apply visual arts in relation to cultures, history and all learning!

I think a virtual tour would be a great way to bring this standard to life for the students. Of course, we could study about other cultures and history from a textbook, or they could have a closer look of themselves. This activity has the students look at visual arts from several different countries/cultures and apply this knowledge to what we are learning in the classroom. The students have a specific task for each visual art they view, but they are able to travel the world to gain a deeper understanding. By incorporating technology and providing students with a multimodal representation, they will be able to grasp the concepts better. They can be interactive with the lesson plans and have personal visuals and firsthand experience. By visiting the different locations, they will learn to appreciate other cultures rather than being bored by them.

Location	Activity Description	Google Earth Content
1. Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota	Carefully study 3 different pictures of Mt. Rushmore. Then, create your own "Mt. Rushmore" of 4 other past Presidents. You may draw their faces/appearances or use symbols of their great accomplishments.	Geographic Web- Panoramio
2. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Look carefully at the intricate structure of the Eiffel Tower and gather ideas for when we begin to constuct our own bridges and buildings using various materials.	Street View (Quai Branly)
3. The Colesseum, Rome, Italy	After we finish our unit on American Presidents, we will be discussing several contributions to our history from Greece and Rome. Admire the impressive Colesseum and start brainstorming how their architecture is similar/different than the architecture we have here in the United States.	Gallery- 360 Cities (The Colesseum)
4. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia	First, use wikipedia to learn more about the Sydney Opera House and what it is used for. Then, click on the specified You Tube video and watch a small clip of one of the performances performed at the Opera House. This activity will help prepare us for the school play we will be attending at the end of the week.	Geographic Web- Wikipedia & Gallery- You Tube 4/4 (Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss)