Friday, July 27, 2012

Integrating Technology ... with Prezi



Hi all, I've spent the day experimenting with a super cool web-based presentation tool called Prezi...  I created a presentation for the Integrating Technology workshops Polly and I have been hosting - some which have already taken place, and others scheduled for a few weeks from now.

If you have a few minutes to explore this Prezi, be sure to select the "full screen" option above the "more" tab.

You'll find a huge number of resources here to spark your imagination.  We hope that you'll be able to take a bit of time to explore a range of techie options for your classroom next year.  I was able to imbed videos for TedEd, the Google World Wonders Project, Google Earth and more... so please take some time to explore those possibilities.

Let me know if you have any questions at all - or have other resources to add... and hope you are enjoying your summer,

mb


Thursday, July 19, 2012

From iLearn Technology: Scholastic's Listen and Read

Thanks to a blog posting on iLearn Technology, I discovered this wonderful free set of ebooks from Scholastic.  I have reposted the entry below, with thanks to iLearn Technology - a blog dedicated to integrating technology into the classroom.  I recommend you subscribe by Email - the link to the blog can be found here:

 


What it is: Scholastic is constantly sneaking new great resources for the classroom onto their site. The other day I learned about one that I haven’t seen before from @rmbyrne on his great blog Free Tech for Teachers. Listen and Read has fantastic online reading activities for early learners. There are 54 nonfiction read-along books that include words, images and sound. You can sort books by subject including: Community, American History, Animals, Civics and Government, Environmental Studies, Plants and Flowers, Science and Social Studies. You can also sort books by level (A or B).

How to integrate Listen and Read into your curriculum: Non-fiction can be hard to read in the early years. It often includes unfamiliar words and vocabulary and concepts that students don’t have a lot of prior knowledge of. Scholastic’s Listen and Read is fantastic because it helps students navigate their way through non-fiction with the support of a read-aloud, sounds and images. These interactive books help students better comprehend content because they aren’t focused on the words they are stumbling through. At the end of the book students can click on the unfamiliar new vocabulary to hear the word said again. This follow-up exposure reinforces word recognition, vocabulary and ideas.
Scholastic Listen and Read can be set up on classroom computers as a reading center. Students can read and listen independently with headphones. After reading through the story, students can discuss with a partner (or as a whole class) what they remember about each of the “sound it out” words from the story.

If you don’t have the ability for students to read these non-fiction books independently, use a projector connected computer or interactive whiteboard to read as a whole class.

Tips: Some of the titles are offered in both A and B level. This is great for a little differentiation within the classroom (while gaining the same concepts).