Utah! Still the Right Place

Animoto

         How cool is Animoto? This is a wonderful tool that provides an engaging way to learn about new content. Animoto can be used for businesses and in many other fields, using Animoto in the classroom enables teachers and students the ability to share pictures and facts about a topic in short 30 second video segments with music.

         Animoto is so easy to use. There is a variety of music to select from or you may add your own. With Animoto all students or teachers need to do is add pictures and create! 

Assignment: Student will get into small groups of 3-4 and create an Animoto about a county in Utah. Student will add facts with a picture to accompany each fact. Include county name, main exports, agriculture, county size as well as interesting facts. What are fun things to do in this county? Are there interesting geological features in this county?

Links

Animoto

Mrs. Hansen’s Examples

Utah County

San Juan County

Cache County

Carbon County

UEN- Social Studies 4th Grade

Objective 2

Analyze how physical geography affects human life in Utah.

Identify population concentrations in the state and infer causal relationships between population and physical geography.

Classify the distribution and use of natural resources.

Compare the development of industry and business in Utah as it relates to its physical geography (e.g. mining, oil, agriculture, tourism).

Make inferences about the relationships between the physical geography of Utah and the state's communication and transportation systems (e.g. trails, roads, telegraph, rail lines).

Examine the interactions between physical geography and public health and safety (e.g. inversions, earthquakes, flooding, fire).

UEN Ed Tech- Standard 8

Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5, 6)

ISTE- Innovative Designer

I solve problems by creating new and imaginative solutions using a variety of digital tools.

What Should I Eat?

Brochure
          Brochures are a fantastic way to share an overview of information, using pictures and text to highlight main points in an organized and visually pleasing way. They can be used as an alternative to book reports, state presentations or be adapted for any subject matter or criteria. The great thing about making a brochure is that there are templates that are readily available through most software and even accessible on Google Docs.

          How do I know what to eat? We are going to learn how to make healthy choices to fuel our body. We will learn about how different foods are used in our bodies; fats, proteins,carbohydrates, etc. We will talk about portion sizes, how to read nutrition labels, activities that keep us physically active and discuss how being healthy impacts our families and communities.

Assignment: Students will work in small groups of 2-3 and create a brochure outlining things we have learned in class. There must be a minimum of 6 pictures and 6 health related facts used in the brochure. The more colorful the better! Have fun sharing what you have learned.

Here is an Example

Link
Mrs. Hansen's Brochure

UEN-Health Education 5th Grade

Standard 6

The students will understand how a healthy diet and exercise can increase the likelihood of physical and mental wellness.

Objective 1

Predict the impact of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans on health.

Know the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Relate how following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans may impact the health of individuals as well as communities; e. g., obesity, heart disease, cancer, insurance rates, missed work days.

UEN Ed Tech-Standard 7

Use telecommunications and on-line resources (e.g., email, online discussions, web environments) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5)

ISTE- Knowledge Instructor

I critically select, evaluate and synthesize digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge.

'Tis Always the Season for Edpuzzle

EDpuzzle
         Contrary to the name, EDpuzzle isn't actually a site for puzzles, but EDpuzzle is a wonderful way for teachers to introduce new topics to their students. Through the Ed Puzzle site teachers choose videos that support their content and are able to edit those videos to fit their students and classroom needs. Teachers can choose when to pause the video clip and insert questions into the video clip, this helps to reinforce student's comprehension on new or difficult topics. It is a fun and engaging way to introduce new topics and ask questions that involve higher order thinking.

• EDpuzzle is a free site! Hurray!!
• EDpuzzle site does not allow feedback from students, it is more of an answer aloud tool for the classroom.

Assignment: We will be studying weather and  seasons in class and will begin with an overview of the four seasons. The students will watch  The Four Seasons EDpuzzle video, answering the questions, and then will pick a season they would like to learn more about. They will work with others that have chosen the same season and 3 share facts with the class about their chosen season. Have fun!

Watch Mrs. Hansen's The 4 Seasons Edpuzzle

More Links

Why Do We Have Seasons?
Four Season Vocabulary


UEN- Science 1st Grade

Objective 3

Identify characteristics of the seasons of the year.

Identify characteristics of weather, e.g., types of precipitation, sunny, windy, foggy, and cloudy.

Observe and record weather information within each season.

UEN Ed Tech-Standard 7

Use telecommunications and on-line resources (e.g., email, online discussions, web environments) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5)

ISTE- Global Collaborator

I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others and work effectively in teams using digital tools.

Show Me What You Know

Socrative

         When you hear the words "Pop Quiz" what goes through your mind? Does your heart rate speed up? Do your palms start to sweat? Can you remember your own name, or does your mind draw a complete blank?

         Teachers always want to evaluate what their students know in a low pressure way that doesn't cause the students test anxiety. What teachers and students want is a fun and quick way to test and review the content that has been taught. Socrative is a great way to use technology to quickly assess students comprehension.

         Teachers write a quiz and share the URL with the class. Socrative can be used as an individual  quiz or in teams.  Teachers can ask questions in T/F, multiple choice or open ended format, teachers can even mix formats and choose one of each.  One great feature of Socrative is the team option. Teams can choose different icons to represent them, for example rockets, bears, unicorns, etc. The teams have the exact same questions and when they answer correctly it moves the icon along.

Blasting Off with Teams are fun!

         Teachers are able to see what information is understood and what may need clarification. Socrative also gives teachers the ability to share quizzes with other teachers.

         Socrative is a free site with limited options unless you subscribe to PRO paid account. This site also takes some getting used to. I suggest dabbling with it to see what the site has to offer.

Link

Socrative

My Map Quiz Example

UEN-Social Studies 2nd Grade

Standard 3               
Objective 2
Demonstrate geographic skills on a map and a globe.

Identify and use information on a map and on a globe (e.g., map key or legend, simple grid systems, physical features, compass rose).

Locate your city, the State of Utah, and the United States on a variety of maps or on a globe.

Locate and label the following on a map or a globe: the seven continents, the five oceans, the poles, and the equator.

UEN Ed Tech- Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

ISTE- Global Collaborator

I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others and work effectively in teams using digital tools.

Prepare to be Emaze-d

Emaze

         Emaze is a tech tool that teachers can use to create visually unique presentations that keep students interested! Emaze offers numerous default templates that can be customized to fit the teachers needs . While Emaze is slide-based, it's more artistic than other slide show programs. Images and text can be layered on top of one another, and there are many different fonts to choose from. The Emaze tool was fun to use, I would recommend playing with the program before starting your project.

         One thing that I wish were different about Emaze is that it is a paid service so you need to be aware of that from the start. The other thing that I wish was an option with Emaze is that students could use it to collaborate with each other. This is not a great tool for students to use as a group project.

         Real world use and application using the Emaze tool. Teaching students about emergency escape plans and how to be safe can be scary. When students are taught what to expect in an emergency situation can help to ease their minds. Students who have practiced what to do in an emergency can save a life and stay safe.

Assignment: Have students talk with parents and make a fire escape plan for their home. Practice the fire escape plan. Discuss when it is appropriate to call 9-1-1. Be prepared!

Link
Emaze
Staying Safe


UEN-Health Education 3rd Grade

Standard 5
The students will adopt behaviors to maintain personal health and safety and develop appropriate strategies to resolve conflict.

Objective 1
Match safety procedures to potential hazards. (SC)
Describe procedures to follow in case of fire, flood, earthquakes, and electrical shock.

UEN Ed TechStandard 8 

Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5, 6)

ISTE-Empowered Learner

I use technology to set goals, work toward achieving them and demonstrate my learning.

Let's Write a Story

     

Storybird

                                                              

         Let's talk about Storybird! Storybird is an amazing creative tool that teachers and students can use to share their writing skills. Storybird allows a student to choose artwork that is already uploaded, and then write a creative story. The artwork is beautiful and will prompt the students to create a story that goes along with the pictures. No matter the level of writing Storybird is ideal for all learning levels. Storybird will take the anxiety out of writing and make it fun for students.

        The versatility of Storybird is great. Teachers can write a story for their students to read about specific subject matter that they are learning. Another option for teachers is to have students individually write short stories about subjects assigned. There is also a collaborative option that students can work with each other in small groups and add their own pages to contribute to an impressive final product.

Assignment: Read ABC My Monster and Me with a parent and choose 5 letters of the alphabet and make your own monster letter of each.

Links
My Storybird

ABC My Monster and Me

UEN-English Language Arts Kindergarten

Reading: Foundational Skills Standard 1

Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

UEN Ed Tech-Standard 8

Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5, 6)

ISTE- Empowered Learner

I use technology to set goals, work toward achieving them and demonstrate my learning.

Extra! Extra! Read All About Class News!

Mrs. Hansen's News!

Newsletter

         Have you ever felt like you were the last parent to know that the big science project was due? How about the last parent to pick up your child on an early out day? Here is a great way to share classroom news. No more sending your students home with important information and crossing your fingers that it made its way out of their backpack and into their parents hands!

         Newsletters are a great way to communicate with students and parents. My classroom newsletter will include information about class parties, remind students to bring back library books, schedules for special classes, remind about a up coming fieldtrip,  and highlight a special student!

          My personal favorite use of a classroom newsletter is to remind my students and their parents of the spelling words as well as fun ways to practice them.

Assignment: Students choose any 3 of the spelling activities to practice your spelling words and be ready for the spelling test on Friday.

Mrs. Hansen's News

UEN- English Language Arts Grade 4

Language Standard 2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
               
Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

UEN Ed Tech-Standard 8

Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5, 6) 


ISTE- Empowered Learner

I use technology to set goals, work toward achieving them and demonstrate my learning.

It's Traditon

Tiki-Toki

         One of the best things about living in America are the wonderful cultures that we get the opportunity to celebrate. Holidays are a perfect example of those different cultures. Through holidays students have the opportunity to share the traditions of their own cultures as well as the cultures of others. Who doesn't love an excuse for a party?!

         Tiki-Toki is a wonderful tool to help students visualize events and to put them into perspective using a timeline. Tiki-Toki is an engaging way to share information, add pictures and videos to a timeline that make the information come alive.

Links

My Tiki-Toki

Assignment: Students will choose a favorite holiday and share with the class a favorite tradition from that holiday. Linked below are some of the holidays that students can choose from they do not have to choose from holidays listed. Let's learn and celebrate together!

UEN- Social Studies Kindergarten

Objective 2
Share how families celebrate occasions such as birthdays and holidays.

UEN- Ed Tech Standard 8

Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5, 6)

ISTE- Empowered Learner

I use technology to set goals, work toward achieving them and demonstrate my learning.

Connecting the Dots

Mind Mapping

      Many students have a hard time "Connecting the Dots" organizing their ideas and putting them to paper. This is where Mind Mapping comes in. Students can create a mind map easily while keeping organized. Students are able add pictures, colors, fonts all while having fun and while drawing connections from one idea to another.

Assignment

       Students will define differences between elements in different types of poems, find their own example of each and add a picture.  Students can choose from the following apps Coggle, Mindmap or Popplet.

Link
Teacher example

UEN-English Language Arts Grade 4
Reading: Literature Standard 5

      Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

UEN Ed Tech-Standard 5

      Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

ISTE-Creative Communicator

      Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

Blast Off!

Google Slides

         Have you ever wanted to blast off into outer space? With Google Slides you can! Google Slides is a wonderful tool that students and teachers can use for group work, collaboration, presentations and much more. Google Slides lets  a group submit photos, videos and text to make a beautiful presentation that is able to be used where ever they are, whether they are on Neptune or right here on planet Earth.

Assignment

         Students will use Google Slides to collaborate in groups. Each group will consist of 3-4 students. Each group will choose one planet to present on. Presentations will consist of 5 slides,  have at least 5 facts about the planet, and 5 photos of the planet. Let's get intergalactic!

Links

Moon Phases

UEN-Science 3rd Grade

Objective 1                 
Explain that the sun is the source of light that lights the moon.            

UEN Ed Tech-Standard 5

             Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

ISTE- Global Collaborator

I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others and work effectively in teams using digital tools.

Do Not Fall Down the Rabbit Hole

 YouTube

YouTube is awesome! There is so much information on YouTube that can help with every subject imaginable. There are tutorials on how to do your makeup, how to change your oil and how to make your grandma’s homemade apple pie. Why not use it for education in the classroom?

When writing a story students can get confused with the differences between nouns and pronouns, verbs and adverbs, conjunctions, and the list goes on. YouTube is a wonderful tool to not only help inform students but also entertain and inspire. Below are some great links to videos that will help students with a writing assignment.

A word of caution: Anyone using YouTube should be aware that in addition to entertaining and informative information, there is also information that is not suitable for students to view. Students should be monitored while using YouTube.

Another risk of using YouTube is what I like to call “The Rabbit Hole Effect”. A student can easily fall down the “rabbit hole” when searching topics on YouTube. We’ve all done it, we start by looking up a specific topic and before we know it we are watching cute baby seals play in the water and, what was I talking about?? Oh yes, DON’T FALL DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE.

LINKS

MY LIST

UEN-English Language Arts Grade 3

Language Standard 1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Independently and legibly write all upper- and lowercase cursive letters.
b. Produce grade-appropriate text using legible cursive writing.
c. Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.
d. Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
e. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).
f. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
g. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
h. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*
i. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
j. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
k. Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.

UEN- Ed Tech Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, and scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

ISTE- 5. Digital citizenship

Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

What's Up Doc?

Google Docs

       Google Docs is an excellent way to stay connected with parents to let them know “What’s Up?” in your classroom. However, it has many other uses, it can help students collaborate with each other on group projects, communicate with their teachers in real time, it is also perfect for teachers to share ideas and projects with each other. Using Google Docs in the classroom is a Win-Win-Win for everyone!

       I am going to use Google Docs for a math activity to help kindergarten students recognize shapes in different sizes and orientations.  Teachers can keep this high tech and have students use the paint buttons to fill in the shapes with the assigned colors or it can be low tech using regular old crayons to color in the different shapes.

Assignment: Color all of the triangles red. Color all of the squares green. Color all of the circles orange. Here is the example with the link below.

Link
Google Doc Shapes

UEN- Kindergarten

Math: Geometry Standard 2
Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall sizes.


UEN- Ed Tech Standard 5

Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)


ISTE- Computational Thinker

I identify authentic problems, work with data and use a step-by-step process to automate solutions.

...And Then What Happened?

 Infographics

            Have you ever retold a story and forgot what events took place in which order? Many students have this same problem. Being able to read and then remember characters and events in a story sequence is an obstacle that many new readers have. To help in overcoming this obstacle we will use a tool called Infographics. 
          What is Infographics? Infographics are an awesome way to engage a visual learner.  Infographics are a technology tool that can be used in all types of settings.  A student can use Infographics hand in hand with their creativity to make fliers, posters, graphs, the list is endless.

Assignment: For this project students will use a template to create timeline for the story we read in class The Three Little Pigss. Students can introduce characters and sequence events in chronological order. There are so many possibilities!
          Students can make it look however they wish, try a new tech tool, show that they can correctly sequence events in a story, share with their class mates and most importantly use their imagination!
Must have a title and contains at least 3 pictures.

Links
Make your own Infographic using Vengage
My Infographic Example



UEN- Grade 3
Reading: Literature Standard 3

Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

UEN- Ed Tech Standard 5

Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

ISTE- Creative Communicator

I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats and digital media.

Is it Living? Is it Non-living? Was it Once Living?

                                    

Pinterest             

There are Living and Non-living things all around us. I am excited to explore with students how to identify whether something is Living, Non-living or Once Living. We will be discussing the differences and doing a few experiments in the classroom to determine the category of different things which will answer the questions; Is it Living? Is it Non-living? Was it Once Living?

We will also be collaborating on a Class Pinterest board to allow students to show what they have learned and help us add to our knowledge!

           Using technology is a fun way to learn new things. Technology in the classroom engages all types of learning styles and helps us to explore our world in different and exciting ways. We can use technology to share the things that we learn with others easily and effectively. Pinterest is a technology tool that allows us to collaborate/share ideas with others and learn with hands-on experiences.

Assignment: Students will add pins to Class Pinterest board using the criteria we have learned.  There must be 3 pins classified as Living; 3 pins classified as Non-living; and 3 pins classified as Once Living.

Link
Living? Nonliving? Once Living?

UEN- Ed Tech Standard 7

Use telecommunications and on-line resources (e.g., email, online discussions, web environments) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5

UEN- Contents Science grade 3

Standard 2- objective 1
a. Identify characteristics of living things (i.e., growth, movement, reproduction).
b. Identify characteristics of nonliving things.
c. Classify living and nonliving things in an environment

ISTE- 2 Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.