The Best Web 2.0 applications in k-6 with an emphasis on the kinder
I'm a Tech/Curriculum TOSA and I'm looking for the best ideas for k-6 tech integration. This group has tremendous ideas. Can anyone help me to spice up my current focus and direct me into some great Web 2.0 applications that work with the younger kids? I appreciate all levels, but of course, kinder, 1, 2 etc.. seem to be the toughest to truly integrate.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Anne Pemberton on
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Erik,
You may be in a position to test a theory of mine that occured to me when I was teaching tech to the K-2 crowd. I made a flash program to help the kids see the alphabet on the keyboard. It is called AlphaKey: http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/movies/AlphaKey.html
The year I did it, the Kindergarten teachers were using an interesting method. They established among the classes (about 6) the Letter of the Week. I do not know the source of the order they presented the letters in, it was not in alphabetical sequence. When the kids came in the lab, I asked each class what was the letter of the week, and to sign into the lab, they had to type that letter into an excel spreadsheet on the line for their name. Then they did used a word processor to type the letter a few times after typing their first name a few times. They also typed a few easy words that began with that letter after we discussed some in the pre-lesson. In class each week, they did a number of activities with the Letter of the Week.
I would be curious if integrating the teaching of Letter of the Week with using that letter on the keyboard helps the child not only learn the letter, but also learn to find the letter on the keyboard for early word processing. I had only 25 min a week with each class, so there wasn't much time to see if it would integrate.
It sounds like you are in a position to suggest to the teachers that they try Letter of the Week with an integration to the keyboard. Let me know if you try it and how it works out. I am thinking it is a find way to help the kids get into word processing a little more quickly and therefore enhance their reading and writing skills without waiting until they can laborously learn to draw the letters on paper.
Anne
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Permalink Reply by Erik Johnson on
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Thanks Anne, I'll let you know if I try this or pass this on to someone who uses it.
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Erik,
To continue with the Letter of the Week concept, I have a few more materials that could be useful for you Kindergarten kids. Go to: http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/books/Alphabet to find a series of printable or use on screen books each of which is an adventure finding things that begin with a given letter. There is also a link on the site to print out Pictionary pages (the same concept I used with my high schoolers to draw picture to illustrat the words). The Pictionary was a popular year-long activity for a two nephews, one autistic, the other just a regular kid who was being homeschooled. For the older kids, I suggest that they use words they find in hteir reading to put on each page, providing a full set of the pages from the git-go. For the Letter of the Week, the pages can be introduced one by one.
Also, on http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/mrsp/language/ you will find other alphabet activities, including the AlphaWords game, the A-Game, B-Game and D-game, and the letter tiles. Sorry there are so few letter games, but I ran out of steam and had to do some work for other grade levels and haven't gotten back to them. I have been told that they were quite useful. Letter Bingo is an easy activity to help kids recognize the letters.
I also made (and can't find it) an excel spreadsheet to let children move pictures of items that begin with a letter into the correct column on a spreadsheet. It would be easy for your teachers to do, or I could just make one and hang it on the web for them. Widen the columns wide enough to accomodate the pictures. Use two letter on a page so students can choose which letter a picture goes to. Then, on the side of the spreadsheet, insert some small clip-art pictures. The student grabs the picture with the mouse and moves it to the correct columnh. Let me know if you want me to make a sample or a set of these worksheets.
For the first graders, I have a group of personalized stories for First Readers http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/books/Readers/ that can be personalized to a student in the class and read from a screen, or individualized to each student in the class and printed to put in their hands.
For 2nd grade, there is the Presidents Scrapbook http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/famamer/Scrapbook2/ which is a webquest to make a powerpoint presentation on the Famous Americans the children study (in VA( in 2nd grade. The sie includes everything needed to help the teacher set up the activity. You may want to change the people in the project to those studied in your state (if specified), using the concept provided. This activity can actually be adapted to any of the early grades. I did this activity with 1st and 2nd graders in the computer lab.
Hope these are suggestions that you will find useful.
Anne
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Anne, you are a busy bee, aren't you? Thanks for all the hard work. Now to check it out in detail!
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Erik,
Now that I am retired, I have the time to make the web applications that I wished I had had available when I was teaching. If there is anything I can develop for your teachers just let me know. I usually send out a newsletter at the end of the month listing what is new on the site. Send me an email (my address is at the bottom of most of my web pages), and I'll add you to my mailing list. You can then forward it to your teachers.
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Outstanding! Please do so and I will pass it on!
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Permalink Reply by Nedra on
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If you have Google Earth Google LIt Trips now has some primary stories to view. One of the projects was made by a first grade class. Thanks for starting this thread. I am looking for the same information. I just started teaching K-5 tech classes this year. Over Feb. break I am hoping to begin a site for elementary teach teachers to share links/lessons etc. I have a kindergarten project described and linked on my blog under the Language Arts page.
elementaryteachteacher
Nedra
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Nedra,
Thanks for the kudos! It's nice to hear that you're doing the same thing. My website is www.professortosa.com I have a resource link to a start at what my teachers have been creating. There are plenty more out and around the district, as the teachers have been going mad with creating lessons, but this is a start. Please let me know when you have something that might be useful to me and you're welcome to use all that I have. I'll follow your blog too and maybe we can keep some sort of collaboration going. It's hard to really get the useful resources for the primary grades. Oh, you'll find my blog off of my website too.
Erik
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Permalink Reply by Kelley Irish on
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I like to use the following open ended browser based activities with the k 1 group.
http://fluxtime.com/animate.php animation they love the underwater world
www.moovl.co.uk moovl-draw and give artibutes to drawings.
http://www.earthsky.org/kids earth and sky
http://www.kerpoof.com/ i love this one
Other sites to try
http://www.spellingcity.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Item... spelling city
http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/gamestation/content/picturepairs.mspx
http://www.kindersay.com/
http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/
http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/
http://www.storyplace.org/eel/eel.asp?themeID=18
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/stories/
hope these get you started
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Wow, thanks! Well done. What is your position?
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I am an educational Technology Specialst- Basically a k-8 computer teacher!
My wiki with interactive lessons and web Links for teachers and Kids is at http://computerkiddoswiki.pbwiki.com
Feel free to borrow whatever you need-Nancy also has a great site you might to check out!
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