Pick Up, Dust Off, And Get Going

Simply put, the Adobe Buzzword experiment was not successful. Perhaps it was the time of year. Approaching the holidays is probably not the best time to ask anyone to do anything foreign and "extra". After two attempts to circulate the "dream meal" document, even I ran out of time to keep asking but that doesn't mean that the train stopped there. So, I've moved on.....and, hopefully you'll learn about something that will spark your interest and inspire you to try something new!

So what's next? I've REALLY enjoyed using Imagination Cubed with the 2nd and 3rd grade classes. While the students have had a ball drawing, I've been able to assess their mousing skills. Specifically, I can see how much control they have when dragging the mouse. Clicking skills can also be observed. You can use this neat tool with students to create simple pictures and develop fine motor skills.

The 4th grade has thoroughly enjoyed working with Webspiration. Webspiration is the web-based version of Kidspiration (Inspiration). Students can use this program to create, organize, and explain ideas and information visually. This a great tool that has cross curricular applications. I've used it to show relationships between different types of computers. I have a lesson plan book that could be useful in gaining more perspective on how it could be applied with your existing curriculum.

Lastly, I have recently created a custom Google search engine that I'll be using with 4th grade to research planetary distances from the sun and create a chart using MS Excel. Custom search engines are very helpful when you want to create a safer search environment. The students can practice their searching skills without the distraction of completely irrelevant and inappropriate content. Further, the search engine was extremely simple to set up. This is a great addition to a research project, especially with younger students.

That's it for today! Stay tuned for more information about really great technology tools that we can use help enrich the learning experience at our school! I may even try testing Adobe Buzzword again (- :