Sock Worms, Banana Split Milkshakes, and Homemade Pillows!

Need to know how to create a sock worm? Or banana split milkshakes? What about a pillow, potato woman, hamburger, or a friendship bracelet. Students in Mrs. Devlin’s class created videos to show you how!

In this project, they wrote step by step directions on storyboards, took pictures with digital camearas, and used photostory to record and create digital stories with step by step directions

.Sockworm Taking Pictures Recording

Take a look a few examples below, and check out all their stories on Mrs. Devlin’s Class wiki!

StoryRobe Digital Stories by Third Graders

Storyrobe AppThird Graders went on a trip to Apple Ridge farms this month.  Despite camera difficulties, they were able to get enough photos to use for digital stories!  The day after the field trips, we loaded the pictures into the iPod Touches, grabbed some microphones, and had students quickly create a “What we learned videos” using the StoryRobe App. Here are all their stories, together in one video.  Check it out:

Exciting News: ActivExpressions!!

ExpressionsA set of ActivExpressions will be arriving at Oak Grove, Clearbrook, and Glenvar Elementary.  I’m so excited for you and your students!!  The ActivExpressions work much like the ActiVotes, BUT they also include features that allow you to ask more than just multiple choice questions.  Now, using the Expressions, students can “text” in answers…and do things like put a series of items in order, or rate something on a Likert scale.  The kids are going to love them!

I have a flipchart which I’ve altered (Debbie Dawson created the orginal form) that we can use to introduce both you and your students to the ActivExpressions.  After you get an idea of how they work, I also have directions for creating your own activities!!  If you are interested in having me come into your room with the Expressions, just send me an email and let me know.

Animal Research in 2nd Grade

Students in second grade at Glenvar researched and created their own powerpoints about animals.  They worked in partners and used a google custom search to search safe sites for animal information.  Then they used the facts they found to create at least two powerpoint slides.  They learned skills such as saving and opening a document, inserting pictures and text, formatting backgrounds, and using a search engine.  Below are all their slides shows put together by class.

How To Stories…with a Digital Twist!

What do Purple Cows, Nachos, and 3-D Robots have in common? They’re all things YOU can learn how to make, just by watching a simple Digital Story! Yep, so easy even a Third Grader could do it…actually, they did! And they created these digital stories to show YOU just how easy it is! Here’s an example:

So, how did they do it?

First, Mrs. Devlin worked with her students on writing expository “How To” paragraphs. Students then used their paragraphs to create a storyboard for their digital stories. Then they brought in supplies and had “picture day.” During this time, students followed their storyboards and took pictures of the step-by-step process of making their creation. The digital pictures were loaded on the computers in the lab, and students then used PhotoStory to finish their projects. It was interesting to listen to their problem solving skills as they followed their own directions…and even as they created their Digital Stories. Lots of learning took place, and the end product turned out great!

Check out all the projects here:
Digital “How To” Stories

Third Grade Subtraction Voicethreads

Students in Mrs. Devlin’s Class have created these voicethreads to practice subtraction, teach others how to subtract, and see if anyone has a different way.  Check them out, and feel free to comment with your own method! 

Subtracting Numbers without Regrouping

 
Subtracting Numbers with One Regroup

Subtracting Numbers with More than One Regroup

Subtracting Numbers Across Zeros

Note:  We did realize that you could keep the writing from fading towards the end of the project.  To see how, read how to increase writing time in voicethread.

Mission 00 Rain (A Skype Project)

A few weeks ago, students from Oak Grove, Glenvar, and Clearbrook Participated in a global project called Mission 00 Rain organized by Mrs. Henriquez-Santiago. After reading the book Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs by Jodi Barrett, students imagined that in addition to the town of Chewandsawallow the rest of the world has also been plagued by the unexplained appearance of giant food falling from the sky. They pretended that they were secret agents presented with the task of saving the world by writing clues and solving riddles about this curious type of “rain”. Students wrote and presented riddles about a food item that fell past “their ” classroom window using Skype (a free video conferencing tool). By solving the riddles, the classes saved the world!

Here’s some pictures from the event! (you can see even more on the Mission 00 Rain Wiki)

Mrs. Hushour’s and Mrs. DiNicola’s Classes

Mrs. Allen’s and Mrs. David’s Classes


 

 Mrs. Chamberlands’s and Mrs. Olivera’s Classes

Mission 00 Rain (Glenvar) on PhotoPeach

Hunting for Treasure with Kindergarten Pirates!

The Kindergarteners at Glenvar Elementary went treasure hunting on Friday to look for “pirate loot!” Using treasure maps and gps units, they found all sorts of goodies while practicing their map skills. They did this in full pirate attire, of course! Here’s some pictures of the event…it was a blast!!

Pirate Geocaching with Kindergarten! on PhotoPeach