Autistic Web Browser- Great for all children?

Zac Browser, with its' peaceful aquarium backdrop, is a wonderful addition to the world wide web for young children! It was made for autistic children so that it would be less distracting and have limits on choices. It also blocks out most adult sites and leaves free public sites for children to explore. In an age where browsing the Internet is important, and yet children could be exposed to things they should not see, this is a great tool. It's use in the classroom is limitless! I found it to have many great sites for children's interactions and explorations and it was easy to use! It has videos, stories, games for learning and much more. It seems to be geared for PreK through, best guess, 3rd grade! Best thing about it.... it's free to use! To learn more about this excellent browser watch the video, or go straight to Zac Browser.

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Why Search for a Video When You Can Make Your Own?

After searching on the world wide web for hours, for the exact video that would compliment our classroom experiences, I finally decided to make my own. Did you know that pretty much every computer has a movie maker program? It's very easy to use and although it does take some time to make a video, it is something you can use over and over again. Also, if you save your raw project, you can tweak it every year to keep it relevant to your students.

In this interactive video a puppet shows the children how to make a pattern and asks them to help her finish it. She also encourages the children to make their own after the video is done, which then fosters their active inquiry. This video supported my objective, given 4 choices of objects ( C), Kindergarten children (A) will be able to position them into a pattern (B) with 85% accuracy (D). "Des Moines Elementary Math, Grade Kindergarten", for my spring thematic unit.

Another way to use video making, which I am excited to try, is to use footage of your own children in the classroom. Use it as a recap, to extend learning, or let them come up with something they want to explore. Students in 3rd to 5th grade made short movies about why they should be able to use technology in the classroom. Letting them create something really shows the diversity in their thoughts and learning styles. Not every student learns in the same way! Plus what a perfect way to share what is happening in you r classroom!

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U Touch in the classroom - More than just a Smart Board!

As I was looking for information on Smart Boards in the classroom, I stumbled across U Touch! What a great learning tool! Smart Boards are great for upper level classrooms but these U Touch screens are perfect for lower elementary. Teaching becomes very interactive as you can see! The feature I found most helpful is that I could have one student do something on one page and another could do something else on a completely separate page. Children seem to like their own spaces and tend to write big so to have a blank space for them is wonderful! And yet, I don't have to erase the child's work before them. In fact, you can still reference back to it with a click of a button! It is more than just a smart board, it is smart teaching!

Another option I found was a Smart Table. This one seems to be more child initiated. It has many learning opportunities as well! Technology is the future. It is wonderful that they are making it easier and more inviting for children at younger ages!

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Is there a place for handheld computers in the classroom?

The story about Taylor's day in Mr Vincents's classroom using handheld computers is very thought provoking! It was amazing how many programs the children had access to, that were benefiting their learning. Their classroom seems to be very collaborative and self motivated. Some of the activities are made up by the children, like their spellit, and some by Mr. Vincent, like quiz questions he sends them in tic tac toe form. Either way they are definitely engaged in learning in this classroom. I did like that he said they still use a lot of paper and pencil for activities! The handheld seems to be more of an extension of teaching and learning. The project of the reporter for "The Daily Planet" was a great way to build a community within their classroom. They are responsible for the "news" within their classroom and I think that is so much more meaningful! Check out Taylor's Day!

Who would have thought to use Spreadsheet as a tool for children?

A spreadsheet is an easy way to prepare an activity for children. In this activity the children are to predict what weather they think they will see most in the spring and compare it to what the weather actually was for two weeks. It supports my objective, given pictures of changes in spring(C), Kindergarten children (A) will be able to explain what change is happening (B) with 85% accuracy (D). "Des Moines Elementary Science, Grade Kindergarten" This teaching tool is rather easy to make and does not require a lot of time in preparation. This activity will also encourage students development of critical thinking since they have to compare the two graphs!

Look at this spreadsheet that has been turned into a crossword puzzle about Nursery Rhymes. It is a great example of how children can use spreadsheet without even knowing it. It even has a built in self correcting aspect so the children know right away if they put the correct word in. Click here to visit more spreadsheets. You will want to scroll down until you see sample workbooks to download. Take advantage of a tool that most computers have, experiment with spreadsheet!