Loving it so far but I want to do more...

We are progressing through Edmodo, learning and doing a little more each time we log in to the program.  Last week I posted an assignment which attached copies of a book review assignment.  Students will have to turn in their finished product electronically using the "Turn In" function.  Baby steps....

The book review assignment is an interdisciplinary activity that marries science, reading, writing, and technology as the students rotate through four stations.  They were required to read three picture books and then post a professional book review from a newspaper, magazine, or other source onto our Kidblog page.  By Monday, they have to pick one review from Kidblog and print it out so they have an example to use for ideas when writing their own.  I was a little surprised that less than five students knew how to cut and paste using the Galaxy tablet so the exercise with Kidblog (cutting and pasting links) was a great learning experience for all (me included).  Many students immediately asked me how to cut and paste and I reminded them that they had a tablet in their hand...."How can you answer this question for yourself?"  We are working on becoming problem solvers and I'm doing my best not to swoop in with quick answers.  The biggest problem with this approach is the investment of time.

I found our monthly meeting of participating teachers and central office technology specialists to be very inspiring.  We have such creative teachers in the county and I feel like a sponge every time I have the chance to talk shop.  The energy and excitement from that meeting motivated me to spend my Friday evening going through some of the bookmarked pages on my computer.  I found several wiki pages full of web 2.0 tools that I have been meaning to go through for some time.  The resources are overwhelming but I did manage to come away with something...a newly created link to my webpage titled Learning Communities.  I want this page to be used by students and parents who have questions with the curriculum or to prepare for future assessments.  I used sites that are tutorials for math and science like Khan Academy, LearnZillion, Gooru, Hippocampus, Number Nut, Show Me, and Mentormob.  Many of these interactive tutorials also include a "practice component", which I know will prove beneficial.  I also used the time to add Khan Academy tutorials for our upcoming quiz onto my Math Video Page.  Either of these additions should help in preparation for Tuesday's quiz.

How can I do more?  I want students to access material through a VLE (virtual learning environment) other than Edmodo.  I found Lore and I love its look and feel.  Unfortunately, it wouldn't let complete the initial setup because of "cross scripting".   I would like one location to post...

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