Adrianne Lecuer 20 percent project part II

I started out my 20 percent project with the idea of making my end of year testing less teacher centered, and using some technology to help me do so.  The first thing I did was make the end of year Rhyming Test and Beginning Sounds Test on the Promethean Board to use with the Interactive Voting Devices.  This allowed me to administer the tests in a group setting and have the results instantly as well.  Only 3 students out of 17 needed to re-take the test with me in a one-on-one setting which saved me a lot of time.   I then decided to share an Art project that we did with the parents by scanning the art work, with students help, and then adding them to a Picassa slideshow.  This was then shared on the Kindergarten website.  The students also engaged in an end of year writing project that was scanned into Little Bird Tales.  They were then able to read their text, and see the final product once it was shared on our Kindergarten website.  Finally I created a Voice Thread to use for the counting part of our End of Year Testing.  This will allow each student to sit at the computer, count and record it for me to listen to later.  I think that I will “pilot” this with my higher students next school year, and if it goes well, create more for other parts of the test as well.  This will save me time, as right now I spend a good 2 months giving one-on-one assessments.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Before this class, I only used one-on-one assessments with my students.  I was able to start creating a plan and develop some assessments that involve technology so as to free up some of my precious time to still be teaching students.  I feel that using the Interactive Voting devices, and Voice Thread, are both really good ways to incorporate Digital-Age Learning Assessments into my classroom.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

By keeping the Kindergarten website up to date, and creating projects with the students that use Digital-Age tools I feel that I have really been engaging in Digital-Age work.  When doing the work, I always model for the students how to scan, how to then upload the document, and what they need to do to record the sound.  They are seeing the steps, so will hopefully be more willing to engage in using the tools as they get older.

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

As I stated before, I never used any alternative form of testing with my students before starting this class.  I feel that I have evolved to where I feel comfortable engaging in and using different techniques to ensure that my students have learned required content and skills in my classroom.  This will help me to then be able to share my results and knowledge with my other colleagues during team meetings and during our PLC time.

Resources:

Rhyming file

Beginning Sounds file

Voice Thread

Little Bird Tales Project

Picassa Art project

Adrianne Lecuyer 20% project

In my 20 percent project, I choose to revamp my calendar routine to keep my students interested.  The calendar routine is completed almost every day and is one very important part of students learning in my classroom.  First of all, I decided to add an interactive temperature page.  This way students can be engaging in questions about temperature and reinforcing math concepts about larger and smaller.  Second, I added activote(individual voting devices) questions after each main part of the calendar routine.  This way I can ask questions some days, and get a general feeling of the students understanding of concepts.  It also keeps them a little more engaged as they have to actively participate.  Third, I created a binder calendar to aid students in following along.  It is basically the Flipchart pages printed off, then put in a 3 ring binder. This binder can be completed sitting with the other students and following along with the on screen activities.  Fourth, I created a screencast of my calendar routine to help all students and especially to help the new student in my classroom.  The screencast is a little complicated as of now, but I hope to be able to complete it on the ActivInspire software but may need a larger, class sized microphone to do so. I also need to know how many minutes I can record for.  I used Screencast-o-matic for my video example.  I intend to sccreencast the calendar routine and then post in on my website.

Recreating my calendar routine allowed me to incorporate more technology into my kindergarteners’ day.  I use various web based resources to reinforce concepts and to keep the students engaged.(youtube videos, interactive number grids, links to websites)  These resources are at my fingertips when I use the Promethean board for the calendar routine.  It also allows be to be flexible on a daily basis and to leave things out sometimes, or add things in based on the students’ interests.  Using the Activote to let students answer questions also increases their engagement in a routine activity like Calendar.   They answer questions after every activity, and then as a whole class we analyze the responses.  As a teacher, I can quickly see if the students have a basic understanding of what we are doing.  To go even further, I could assign individual devices to each student and then track his/her progress throughout the year.

To help the students better understand weather, and temperature, I have added a temperature recording sheet.  On this page, we click on the internet link and it brings us directly to the temperature for Edina that particular day.  Then we record the temperature.  In doing this, we can see what the temperature was the day before, make predictions, and then talk about larger and smaller, hotter and colder.  It is a great way to engage students, differentiate, and to talk about real life information.  In using technology, I feel that I have grown as a teacher.  It forces me to constantly revise my teaching to better meet the needs of all my students.  It allows me to add new content in very engaging ways as well.  (example, adding a new alphabet song on a youtube video when students get tired of one). 

Examples:

Screencast example

youtube Alphabet video

Activote slides

Activote example

Temperature Slide

Temperature Example

photos of binder

Thank you to the following websites for information and suggestions.

calendar templates

"Kristen's Kindergarten Blog"