Curriculum & Instruction
Digital Passport
Standards:
- E1.1 Use technology responsibly to explore personal interests
- E1.2 Help peers with digital technologies
- E1.3 Collaborate in a positive and productive way using digital tools
- E1.6 Demonstrate appropriate online safety
- E1.8 Understand the consequences when people use inappropriate communication online
- E1.9 Understand that communicating information to others is a lifelong skill
- E2.1 Use technology and keyboarding skills to produce and publish writing
- E2.3 Use technology devices and applications to create visually pleasing and well organized presentations
- E2.4 Use devices and applications to create content
Picture Book Month
November was a great month to read and celebrate our favorite picture books. As part of the celebration, we introduced students to Tumblebooks, an online database of digital picture books that you can read on your own or have read to you. Some of our classes shared reading picture books with Mrs. Lussier's library classes in Connecticut through Skype. Why, we even had a guest reader (look at the photo above to see who it was!) Some of the many picture book topics we studied were fables, legends, and author Mem Fox.
Standards:
- P3.6--Identify basic genres of literature and stories
- P3.10--Develop online reading and etext skills
- P4.3--Access and identify school library selection of ebooks
- P4.4--Evaluate grade appropriate children's literature
- CC--Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems, etc.)
- CC--Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
- CC--Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
- CC--Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood,
emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
Kevin Henkes, Cinderella Stories, World Folktales, and Mo
In December, we extended our love of picture books into a few author studies and traditional literature. Kindergarteners learned about Mo Willems, author of Mrs. D'Elia's favorite Elephant & Piggie and Pigeon. To give students an opportunity to develop their own storytelling skills, we played with the Don't Let The Pigeon Run This App! app and created our own Pigeon stories. First graders, learned how Kevin Henkes writes and illustrates his well-loved books. We read his new Penny books and watched a video interview with Kevin Henkes in his studio. Second graders read several different versions of Cinderella stories from around the world and compared them with the original. Third graders continued to
Intro to using the mouse
Kindergarteners used a die variety of web apps to learn about and practice their mousing skills, including several winter-themed websites.
Standards:
- P2.1--Demonstrate the proper handling of devices and applications
- P2.2--Learn about input devices and a variety of keyboarding options
- P2.3--Use input or output devices and applications to operate and interact with technology
Blogging
First graders continued to learn about blogs, including how to comment on each others' writing. Students will begin to use blogs as part of their homework in January.
Standards:
- P1.6--Explain how communicating online can affect yourself and others
- P2.1--Demonstrate the proper handling of devices and applications
- P2.2--Learn about input devices and a variety of keyboarding options
- P2.5--Use devices and applications to create content
Google Drive
All students in second grade and up have now been introduced to Google Drive. Second graders came to the computer lab to type up stories they have been working on in their writing time.
Standards:
- P2.1 Demonstrate the proper handling of devices and applications
- P2.2 Learn about input devices and a variety of keyboarding options
- P2.3 Use input or output devices and applications to operate and interact with technology
- P2.4 Use devices and applications to create content
Book Creator & Explain Everything
Students in grades 3-5 have been introduced to either Explain Everything or Book Creator as tools for project creation. In third grade, books were made from student-written variants on Three Little Pigs stories and poems were used for Explain Everything. In fourth grade, Explain Everything was used to demonstrate understanding of the forces of motion evident on rocket day. In fifth grade, students created their own books from poetry.
Standards
- E2.3 Use technology devices and applications to create visually pleasing and well organized presentations
- E2.4 Use devices and applications to create content
Art
Students in 4th grade completed a social studies project with Miss Fallon that included using their iPad to take a picture and then editing the background with the Green Screen app.
Standards:
E1.4 Demonstrate understanding of simple concepts of copyright and Creative Commons
E1.5 Demonstrate ethical use of information by citing sources
E2.4 Use devices and applications to create content
E3.5 Select and modify powerful keywords and phrases for information seeking process
Music
Students in 5th grade created their own compositions using MuseScore on the PC, then transferred their song into GarageBand on their iPads for further editing
Standards
E2.4 Use devices and applications to create content
Reflections
- Students are starting to take control of their learning with the iPads. They're coming up with solutions to their own problems using the devices or using them in novel ways, such as using features they weren't explicitly taught and doing independent research for help when a teacher is unavailable.
Goals for next month
- i-Ready for grades 1-5
- Begin third grade biography project
- Work on mammals and fish projects with Mrs. Guanci
- Plan out Cultural unit for second grade
- Start/plan keyboarding times
The Collection
- Students have begun selecting Birthday Books! We love seeing happy students with great books in their hands.
- The white shelfmarkers have arrived and the Volunteer Assistants are starting to put the labels on them and putting them on the shelves. The picture book section is finished and they are making the books easier for the students to find. Thank You PTO for purchasing these great-looking shelfmarkers.
Reflections
- The Volunteer Assistants finished shelfreading the entire collection. Phew! This was such an important step in finding lost items and keeping student accounts accurate.
- In the beginning of the year, I changed the borrowing period from 3 weeks to 2 weeks in an attempt to stay on top of overdue materials. What it has done instead is create way more overdue items than I care to keep track of. I will change the borrowing period back to 3 weeks.
Goals for Next Month
- Label the Easy Nonfiction section next with the new shelfmarkers.
- Find an easier way to contact parents when students have severely overdue items.
- Start a Used Book rack in the lobby so the Pine Glen community can donate used books or take used books for their home collections.
Professional Development
- Laura & Dan co-presented Syncing Your Library & Technology Programs at New Hampshire's Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference.
- Dan also presented iPad Creation Tools in the Elementary School as a three hour workshop at CMTC.
- Dan taught a model lesson on using Google Docs with elementary students at the Google Apps for Education Summit.
- Dan concluded his first semester teaching a graduate class for Antioch University New England.
