Blog Post #7

In the first video, How to Make an Audio QR Code, I learned how to make an audio QR code. This allows for you or students to record something and listen to it back. The teacher can record a book or a part of a lesson and the student is able to listen to it at their own leisure. They can listen as many times as they wish or even use their own recording to listen to if they wish. You can copy the code and share it with others. Then by going to QRcode Monkey you can turn text, email, and phone messages into QR codes. If you copy and paste the QR code into word you can resize, print, or make copies of you r QR code and more! You can download the free QR code scanner and access many different QR codes. This is great for communicating with your students and directing them to one exact place that you'd like them to visit or give them a description of an assignment. I look forward to using this tool in my own classroom.
In the video, ipad Reading Center, the students can video tape themselves reading something and it makes it more fun and engaging for them to play around recording themselves while practicing their reading skills. This gives each student the opportunity to work on their own mistakes by correcting themselves and spares embarrassment or shyness with other students. It makes it fun for the students as they are practicing their skills for becoming better readers.
The next video I watched was Poplet with Ginger Tuck. In this video I learned how to use Poplet in centers in a kindergarten classroom. Poplet is a free app that allows you to create a diagram like structure relating certain topics or subjects to each other. You can take pictures of objects and insert them into your Poplet. You can add text to your picture to describe or name your subject/object. This is great for the children to practice their typing skills.
The following video I watched was Alabama Virtual Library as a Kindergaten Center. You can download the Alabama Virtual Library app and log in to access. The students are able to search through the AVL on any given subject. The AVL has pictures, an introduction, videos, and audio recordings for the students to access. This is great for using worksheets with and comprehending what they learned or observed in the AVL. It is fun and easy for the students to use.
The next video I watched was Tammy Shirley Discovery Education Board Builder Moon Project. The students are able to create their own username and password and log into the Education Board Builder where they can choose their background and title it. When they create their own board they can make it on any given subject and then list features or facts, and add images and videos about their subject. Then the student demonstrated how she created her board builder about the moon. Then the student read her narrative on her trip to the moon and shared the image that she drew. Carly also demonstrated how to add videos and pictures to your board.
Next I watched the video Mrs. Tassin 2nd Grade Students Share Board Building Project. Here two of Mrs. Tassin's students demonstrated their board builders after taking a virtual field trip. The kids demonstrated how to obtain photos for their board builder off of safari and upload them to enhance their projects. The kids seem very enthusiastic and proud of their board builders. This allows them to independently think and create their own experiences and observations.
In the next video Using iMovie and the AVL in kindergarten, I learned that kindergarten students are using iMovie as well. They are making book trailers for books that they are reading in their classrooms. Michelle stated that the teachers haven't had to teach their students the specifics of creating a book trailer in so long that they have to refresh themselves on it. AVL is free to anyone in the state of Alabama. It is great for teaching students basic research. It gives articles, images, and research based information for the students to base their search on. The students really enjoy doing the research and are eager to continue looking for more each day.
The last video I watched was We All Become Learners. This was another group conversation between Dr. Strange, Michelle, and Elizabeth. In this video they discussed that they are learning that teachers are teaching students, students are teaching students, and students are teaching teachers. By this happening we are all becoming learners along the way. Kindergarteners are advancing more in technology than ever before so there is opportunity there for them to teach us new things as well as vice versa. Michelle discussed how she has seen padlet used in the classroom. The students become excited about showing and teaching about the work they have done through these programs. The students are always eager to teach their teacher and/or visitors that visit Gulf shores Elementary. Both of the media specialists are very excited about the change in technology that has taken places over the past several years in the Elementary classrooms.