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    Wednesday
    03Feb2010

    Integrating Medieval History, Simple Machines and Web 2.0

    DateWednesday, February 3, 2010 at 1:59PM

    Last week, our children utilized a variety of resources to explore simple machines.  We focused on six main types:

    • inclined planes
    • a screw
    • wedge
    • levers
    • pulleys
    • wheel and axles

    For each simple machine, we viewed the corresponding BrainPop movie.  Afterwards, they worked together to complete the vocabulary handouts and the online quizzes.  This provided a great foundation allowing for deeper exploration.  For fun, they created a wordle to review key ideas.

    Wordle: Simple Machines

    Activity:

    Our children went on a simple machine scavenger hunt.  The mission was to keep a tally of each type of simple machine while capturing either a photo or digital footage.  Our 4th grader took charge and decided to use her digital camera.  After completing the handout, she entered her data on spreadsheet.  I gave her the choice of using either Zoho or Google Docs.  The younger children simply filled in their tally charts.

     

     

    Afterwards, they worked together to create a animoto of their simple machine discoveries.  Check it out!

     

    Great Online Resources:

    I know you are probably wondering how medieval history fits into the picture!  Throughout last week, we were also continuing our discussion on medieval castles.  Along the way, we ran across a great online game called Destroy the Castle.  Basically, you build a virtual trebuchet and launch an attack on the castle.  Fun, right?  Each child had the opportunity to build their model and test it out.  Throughout the process, they kept a record of which designs were most successful.  In the middle of it all, a light bulb went off.  They realized that a trebuchet was a combination of class 1 and class 2 levers.  Enthusiasm spread and before we knew it, we were building our own model using drinking straws and paper clips. 

    Always looking for ways to integrate subject areas, I decided a journal needed to be kept throughout the building process.  Our 4th grader was nominated for this task.  So, let me see, we have science, history, and language arts included so far.  What about math?  Simple!  After completing the model, they launched carrots and measured the distance.  They also explored the effect of adding various counterweights.  Again the information was recorded on a spreadsheet and results discussed. 

    What a week!  What began as two separate lessons ended up being a multidisciplinary unit study.  We launched an attack on the mundane and made learning fun!

     

    Web 2.0 Resources:

    • Zoho
    • Google Docs
    • Animoto
    • Wordle
    • BrainPOP

     

    AuthorAshley Allain | CommentPost a Comment |
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    Thursday
    28Jan2010

    Breaking Boundaries

    DateThursday, January 28, 2010 at 2:03PM

    I was recently inspired by a tweet by @ktenkely in which she mentions her hope of shedding subject areas in schools and eventually grade levels.  How wonderful!  As I began to reflect on this type of learning environment, I realize that I have this opportunity each and every day with our children.

    When I first began homeschooling, I was actually doing public school at home.  I followed the same school schedule, the same incentives, and even tried to mimic the accelerated reading program (which I didin't even like!).  I think this was done to provide a sense of structure to our lives and to serve as a transition from a private school education to homeschooling. Slowly, though, we have stepped outside of the box and truly began to homeschool.

    Each day I teach four very different children who are technically in four different grade levels (preschool, 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades).  However, each day, the lines between where one grade ends and the next begins becomes more blurry.  We are breaking through the boundaries established by polite society and truly beginning to learn for the sake of learning.  For example, we have a first grader (who would have been forced to be in Kindergarten due to when her birthday falls) who can keep up with her fourth grade sister when discussing Medieval history or our fourth grader can push her quest for knowledge in science and math without being held back.  Our children are blessed to have the opportunity to explore, imagine, and create while working at their own pace and, oftentimes, incorporating multiple disciplines at once. I realize now, this was often missing when they were in school.

    With all of the talk about digital learning, web 2.0, and global classrooms, one thing is for sure, the landsape of educaiton is rapidly changing.  While the basics are still the same, educators of today face great challenges while be presented with great opportunities.  For example, technology has opened many doors, yet educators have to find ways to integrate these new tools in meaningful ways.  Classroom teachers are constantly complaining of not having enough time to complete tasks or engage in meaningful activities.  Finally, let's not forget the dreaded end of course exams or yearly standardized tests!  Too much each year is determined by these scores and, many would agree, they are not the best indicators of student achievement.  Whether you homeschool or teach in a traditional classroom, we all face these issues to a certain degree.  

    For our family, homeschooling has been a blessing.  Don't get me wrong, we have our moments of stress!  However, I am excited we are breaking through boundaries and moving forward.  It is far from perfect and each day we face new challenges.  I face the same struggles as many teachers who are trying to make sense of everything and find ways to integrate the digital world into their classrooms.  While the task is daunting at times, I find it exciting!  The classroom of today (whether it's held at the kitchen table or not) needs to rethink assessment, look across disciplines and think "outside the box" as they strive to prepare our students for the world of tomorrow.

    Good luck and Happy Learning!

     

    AuthorAshley Allain | CommentPost a Comment |
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    Wednesday
    13Jan2010

    Digital Learning for the 21st Century Student

    DateWednesday, January 13, 2010 at 3:14PM

    Many educators are spending time this January reflecting on the past year.  For me, I am completely amazed at the integral role technology plays in the education of our children.  Even our three year old, can log onto PBS Kids and navigate his way around.  Just like many modern classrooms, it would be impossible for us to return to the "old ways."  Let me explain.

    A typical day for us begins with the children going to our class webpage and checking their assignments.  I create weekly lessons for each child using the spreadsheet in Google Docs and post them on Sundays.  This serves as an electronic assignment pad and is essential to all of us staying on track.  I can quickly make changes as needed for each child and it is automatically updated on our website.  So cool!  From there, they navigate to various "online learning environments" such as Time4Learning, Spelling City or BrainPop to complete daily assignments. 

    Each child has their own gmail account so that I can create tests or reviews using the "forms" option in Google Docs.  Also, I have used the "share" feature in Google Docs to establish a writer/editor relationship with our fourth grader.  As she types her writing assignments, I am able to edit and send them quickly back to her before anything is ever printed.  Amazing!

    Learning has taken on an entirely new look for our children.  It's going digital!  When asked to brainstorm, they turn to wallwisher, create wordles or make flow maps in bubbl.  When asked to define or explain a term, they "google it," use eyeplorer, visuwords or wikipedia.  When asked to write a summary or do research, they create interactive reports using scratch, make animoto movies or digital posters using glogster.  Books are still read, however, digital versions are explored using Google books and even our iPod Touch.  Our fourth grader began blogging and our second grader is curious about stop-motion animation.  Drawing is a favorite around here, but programs like Anime Studio, Manga Debut, Tux Paint, Acorn, and Scratch bring these drawings to life.  In addition to "paper and pencil", stories are created on Storybird, art is created using a Bamboo tablet, journal time is inspired by images on Flickr and spelling words are turned into works of art using Spell With Flickr.  Wow!

    With the world at our fingertips, children today are truly part of a global community.  Just this past semester, our children were able to take virtual field trips using Google Earth, correspond with people all over the world, and attend a "live" webcast from the Clearwater Aquarium as they honored Winter, the dolphin.  In addition, we were able to research global customs and relive history through many fascinating, online resources. 

    Our children, like students all over the world, are experiencing the changing face of education first-hand.  21st century learning centers around technology and is cultivated through critical thinking.  The student of today needs to be able access, process, analyze and effectively communicate the wealth of information that is readily available to them.  Many classes use wiki's, twitter and other social networking tools to allow for collaboration and stimulate creative thinking.  Through this collaborative process, students (and teachers) are able to develop clarity and lucidity in the expression of ideas while learning the importance of peer evaluation.  Learning becomes more student-centered and the teacher plays the role of facilitator. 

    Digital learning is revolutionizing the landscape of modern education.  In a world where preschoolers are learning phonics on iPods and elementary students are writing programs to create interactive reports, educators need to be in tune to the rapidly changing needs of the 21st-century student.  As I reflect on the future learning of our own children, I hope I can provide them with meaningful experiences that fuel their creativity, ignite a passion for learning and ultimately develop their critical thinking.

     

    AuthorAshley Allain | CommentPost a Comment |
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    Monday
    04Jan2010

    BCS National Championship Game

    DateMonday, January 4, 2010 at 8:50PM

    As many of you may know, I am a die-hard Alabama fan! For Christmas, we were given tickets to watch the Crimson Tide play Texas in the National Championship game out in Pasadena, CA.  Needless to say, my post will have to wait. 

    Preview

    Topic: 21st Century Skills for the Modern Student- What Do Students Need to Know?

    Hopefully, everyone will be patient while I go support the Crimson Tide and enjoy a few days of rest and relaxation in California.

    Roll Tide Roll!

    AuthorAshley Allain | CommentPost a Comment |
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    Sunday
    27Dec2009

    Technology Tools That Have Enhanced Our Homeschooling

    DateSunday, December 27, 2009 at 11:11AM

     

    The following is a reflection on our fall semester regarding ways we have successfully used technology to add diversity to our curriculum as well as enhance our children's learning.  I have a passion for creating and developing interactive unit studies  and lessons that integrate technology in meaningful and exciting ways.  I have been inspired by many classroom teachers through my PLN and value the varied discussions that have evolved over the last few months.  Even though I know many people are familiar with the different programs and sites mentioned here, I still find value in sharing what has worked for us.   Hopefully, you can find some ideas that will prove useful to you.

    *************************************************************************************** Language Arts

    • Spell With Flickr: Create a visual masterpiece of your weekly spelling words!  Check out one activity I used with our 1st and 2nd grader.
    • Spelling City:  A tried and true site by many parents and teachers, spellingcity.com provides an alternative to the usual "drill and kill" method of learning spelling words.  Through online games and activities, children can explore not only the spelling of a word, but also its meaning.  If you are one who still clings to handouts, printables are available for most activities.  You can even take weekly tests online and record student progress.
    • Glogster:  Interactive learning at its best!  This has been a big hit with our children and a great way to revitalize our novel studies.  Our oldest daughter routinely creates digital posters as final projects for the novels she has read, special unit studies, and even as an outlet for displaying writing assignments.  As a fourth grader, she taught herself how to include videos, wordles, images, summaries, and many other treats to make this task truly a multi-sensory experience.  In addition, her enthusiasm inspired her younger brother and sister, who are in 1st and 2nd grades.  Don't forget to take a chance on the younger students, you just might be surprised how much they can accomplish!  Check out some of their posters:
    • StoryBird:  These are short, visual stories that students (and teachers) create online.  It is intended to be a collaboration of ideas.  We have found it to be a way to spark enthusiasm into our creative writing.  Again, this site is user-friendly and free.  Not only can you create your own story-bird, you can read others creations. Check out the one I made for our three year old called Chasing Butterflies.  Around Halloween, everyone wanted to write their own "Trick or Treat" stories.  Check out their creations!
    • ToonDoo:  This is a simple, creative, online comic book creator that makes writing fun for our second grader. After journaling about a superhero this morning, he was inspired to create a comic strip version of his story. Once your account is created, you are able to choose from existing backgrounds, characters and props or you can create or upload your own.  It is a great way to bring out the artistic side of a reluctant writer.
    • Grammar Ninja:    We just checked this out today.  This is an interactive game with three levels of play: beginner, skilled, and master ninja.  Throughout the game, you are asked to identify various parts of speech by choosing the correct word(s) from the given sentences.  It moves quickly and is a great alternative to handouts.  There is also a Grammar Ninja Sentence Creator available for download.
    • Writing Fix:  This site provides a wealth of resources to enhance any writing curriculum.  Centered around the 6+1 Traits method, writing fix provides many writing prompt generators, lesson plans, and strategies for improving writing instruction.  We have used the right-brain writing prompt generator this week to kick-start our daily journaling.  The kids have really enjoyed writing and are actually excited to see what tomorrow might bring (for journaling, that is).
    • Google Docs:  This is another way I have tried to make writing fun!  I created gmail accounts for each child and showed them how to access the word processor.  Basically, we have established a writer-editor relationship.  As a paper is created, they share it with me.  Then, I am able to make critiques and/or suggestions and send it back to them.  Eco-friendly and fun!
    • Bubble.us: This is a fun, interactive mind mapping tool.  Use this for brainstorming, organizing research, and stimulating the writing process. Check out our Going Batty With Web 2.0 to view an example of how to use this resource.
    • Animoto: This is a great slideshow tool.  Educators have the added benefit of requesting a free account.  Definitely worth checking out! We used this as a way to highlight the different species of bats after completing a unit study.  Like everything presented on this sight, it was created by our children.  Amazing what children are able to accomplish!
    • Visuwords: Take dictionary skills into the 21st-century! This is an amazing online graphical dictionary and is a great vocabulary development tool.

    Science

    We are studying physical science this semester and are having so much fun.  It does help that their daddy is a physicist.  As a result, we have a wealth of resources available at our fingertips.  Using the ESET curriculum developed by San Diego State University, our students have been focusing on energy this week.  To supplement our discussion, we have used the following resources:

    • BrainPOP:  I can't say enough about BrainPOP.  We love it!  There are many free movies available, but it id definitely worth the monthly fee to make the full repertoire available to you.  Each topic is complete with vocabulary explorations, graphic organizers, activities, and suggestions for further exploration.  Everyone loves when we learn with Moby and Tim.
    • Wordles: If you haven't figured this out by now, this is one of my favorite tools!  In science, wordles can be used to create a study guide or to highlight key concepts.  For example, our 4th grader created a wordle to highlight the different ways bats are helpful.
    • Motion Sensors: We have also used motion sensors and corresponding software to create speed-time graphs.  Being a math person, this has been really fun.  I am so excited to be able to provide opportunities for our children to lay a foundation in interpreting graphs and understanding relationships between data.  Modeling is essential in science and math.
    • Google Docs: This has been an invaluable tool!  I plan to introduce spreadsheets as a means to further explore the relationships between data through graphical representations.  This can be so much fun and yummy too!  Here's one idea: Take a bag of Skittles and chart the amount of each color or what about a blind taste-test between who prefers milk or dark chocolate?  Oh the possibilities!
    • Web Search: I have really pushed our oldest daughter this semester.  One of her favorite activities focused on kinetic energy calculations.  Using her background knowledge of order of operations, exponents, multiplication and division, I asked her to investigate which animal would release more kinetic energy: a cheetah or an elephant.  In doing this activity, she had to use the internet to research the average mass and velocity of each animal and then take this information to compute the amount of kinetic energy released.  Check out the activity if you're interested.
    • Glogster: Yes, you can use glogster in science class!  All three students collaborated on this magnetism project.

    History

    We are studying the Middle Ages throughout this school year using The Story of the World as well as History Odyssey Level 2.  We are so lucky to be living in the age of technology!  Here are a few things we have been doing to make history come alive.

    • Scratch: This is a computer programming language developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten program at MIT.  All I can say is, it's amazing!  After being assigned a writing project on William the Conqueror, our 4th grader blew me away by creating an interactive report in Scratch.
    • Google Forms: I have been using this to create self-grading quizzes.  This serves as a review and a way to stimulate discussion.
    • Wordles: These word clouds are a great way to highlight central themes and review historical events for a particular region or time period.  Here are some of our examples:
    • Dipity: This is an interactive timeline where students can upload links, videos, and images to highlight each individual entry.  Check out our timeline of medieval history.
    • Google Earth: Develop your map skills and explore the earth in 21st century style!  Besides the obvious explorations you can do with a globe, I enjoy creating virtual field trips.  Two of our favorites have been:
    • Walk Through Time:  This is an interactive history site created by the BBC for 7-9 year olds.  Lots of fun!
    • History for Kids:  This is another wonderful site created by the BBC with a wealth of information and activities.
    •  Eyeplorer: This is a great research tool where you search the web by topic and a wealth of information becomes available to you at a click of a button. 


    Computer Programming

    We use Scratch to introduce our children to computer programming.  As mentioned earlier, this is an amazing program developed by MIT to encourage students to imagine, program, and share.  As a graphical programming language, students are able to explore the world of computer programming without getting bogged down in syntax.  I am amazed at the possibilities.  Our oldest daughter, uses her Bamboo drawing tablet to create her own animations in Scratch.  They have created basic video games, as well as, tutorials.  Last year, Abby made a interactive tutorial about poetry.  After selecting a type of poetry, you would be directed to a page with a definition, example, and an original creation.  Wow!  She proceeded to tell me this was more fun than simply writing it on paper.  This year she continues to find new and exciting ways to use Scratch.  Here are my favorite examples:

    ***************************************************************************************

    This is just a glimpse into some of the things we have done over the fall semester.  Everyday is an adventure and I am thankful to be able to let our children have such wonderful opportunities.  It's funny!  I slowly find myself letting go of the rigors of traditional learning and embracing new ways of thinking about teaching and education.  I am amazed at the mind of a child and what it can accomplish if simply given the chance to imagine, discover and grow.  I wish everyone a blessed new year!



     

    

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