Google Hangout in 1st Grade

Students in Mrs. Scharffenberg's 1st grade class had a chance to meet students in Dyersberg, Tennessee.  Through Google Hangouts, two teachers were able to break down their classroom walls to have their students meet each other.  These teachers and students are participating in "The Global Read Aloud" where they read the same book and discuss it with each other.  The book that they discussed was "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox.

Before the Hangout, Mrs. Scharffenberg read the book aloud to her students.  They discussed the similarities and differences in the book, then the things that we all in common and those things that make us different.

At the beginning of the Google Hangout, students went back and forth asking each other questions about their school, town and state.  Then, they asked each other questions about the book.

What is the Global Read Aloud? The premise is simple; we pick a book to read aloud to our students during a set 6-week period and during that time we try to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be. Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible. The scope and depth of the project is up to you. While there are official tools you can use such as Skype, Twitter, WriteAbout or Edmodo, you choose the tools that will make the most sense for you. Teachers get a community of other educators to do a global project with, hopefully inspiring them to continue these connections through the year. (Source)

Breakout EDU

Students in 6th grade had a special visitor last week.  Dr. Carreiro came to their classroom to help them with with a great game called "Breakout EDU."

What is BreakoutEDU? BreakoutEDU is a game that will have your students thinking critically, problem-solving, troubleshooting, working collaboratively and having so much fun they won't even realize how much they are using their brains!  (Source)

To begin, Dr. Carreiro spoke with the students to interest them in the activity.  She had them discussing the tasks and the expected behavior during the game.

Then, students began the game "Weather Wizard".  Their tasks included math with temperature, finding clues with hidden messages on snowflakes, solving a puzzle on an iPad, figuring out a pattern, finding a missing word in a poem, using a QR code for seasons, and finding a key in severe weather images.

The best part of Breakout EDU is that students work collaboratively to solve the activities.  Each student had a strength and they used those strengths to unlock each key to get to the box.

After the students unlocked all of the keys and got their prizes, they debriefed with me and Dr. Carreiro.  We discussed the tasks, their difficulties, strengths and weaknesses, and the need for rules.  The students are excited to create their own Breakout EDU.

Thank you Dr. Carreiro for joining us at Howe Manning and bringing Breakout EDU!

Click HERE for information on implemented Breakout EDU in your classroom.

Chromebooks in 2nd Grade

Second grade students are very fortunate to have access to Chromebooks in their classroom.  Our lessons are infused with technological programs for every subject.  Students are even adding their work to a digital portfolio for parents to see.

Chromebooks for math - 

Students practice math skills with the program iXL and they reach further with TenMarks where they can receive tips and video tutorials.

Chromebooks for reading - 

Students use the program "Raz Kids" to access books on their personal reading level. As their reading level increases, they are able to access more books.

Chromebooks for their digital portfolio to capture student learning in any form - 

The program "Seesaw" empowers students to independently document what they are learning at school. Students can “show what they know” using photos, videos, drawings, text, PDFs, and links.

Students can also import directly from most popular apps, including Google apps like Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drawing and more! (Source)

Second graders are practicing, extending, sharing, problem solving, collaborating, searching, learning, and reaching beyond their classroom walls and Chromebooks make this all possible.

Thank you to everyone who makes having technology in our classrooms possible!