For the past two days I have been involved in workshops using lots of free software. These included Sketchup, Monkey Jam, Hot Potato, Google Earth and Web 2 Tools.

Each of these programs have applications for use in the primary classroom.

Sketchup explores the world of 3D shapes, lines, geometry and vi ews. Suitable as a demonstration tool for the juniors but seniors would be able to design things even buildings with afew instructions. To download use this link http://sketchup.google.com/download/ http://hotpot.uvic.ca/

Monkey Jam is a program in which you can produce a little animated movie. Very simple to use as long as you have a few simple things- pictures as backdrops, bluetac, fishing line, little critters, a camera or a webcam. To download go to http://monkeyjam.en.softonic.com

Hot Potatoes includes six applications, enabling you to create interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises for the World Wide Web. Lots of uses and easy to make once you have questions and answers developed to do with your theme. To download go to this link  http://hotpot.uvic.ca/

Google Earth can be used in conjunction with mapping, literacy, geography and HSIE. Tagging areas around Australia then adding photos, information links then take a fly over sightseeing Tour of places selected. Google Maps is an easy flat look at country then send it to Google Earth to view in a 3D way.

Web2 Tools revisited

BLOG

WIKKI

DELICIOUS

Most videos in youtube and other players are flash video.  This is incompatible with with Windows Media Player which is where you would normally play video if you own a PC.  To make matters worse the converting Flash video to WMV or something compatible with Windows Media Player doesn’t usually work.

Instead get the free Adobe Media Player then you’ll be able to convert the video to MP4 or something else compatible and play your video.

There are two steps:

Downloading the video

1. Go to Video Code Zone
2. Open tab Video Download
3. Copy the URL of the video you want to convert to MP4
4. Save the video on your machine.

Playing the video

1. Download Adobe Media Player
2. Open the video to view it

Any other tips feel free to post them in the comments.

I am really happy with contributions from both parents and students on Wormbins.   I’m finding the best thing about blogging is that it is an opportunity to reflect on work and to include parents in the classroom in a more interactive way.

How you can contribute:

„    Speeches – To provide students with the best possibility of creating interesting engaging speeches this term I am posting their ideas online.  We will then all provide ideas, suggestions and constructive feedback to help make their ideas come to life.

„    General class posts – Read the posts and talk to your child about the work they are completing.  Post questions or ideas.

„    Good work – If your child has good work posted please comment on it.

„    Encourage your child to check the blog every weekend to see what task is set for the week.  I’ll post the homework on Friday.  If they are having trouble with the homework or tasks feel free to comment in the homework posts.

Tips on commenting

„    Be specific.  What did you like?  What do you think could be improved?  Ideas that could be included.  Useful connections eg talk about something you have experienced or where you found extra information.

„    Be kind.  We will not post any inappropriate or bullying comments.  This should be a positive learning experience for students.

„    Become an ‘expert’ for our students.  Everyone has strengths and interests feel free to share.  If you would like to contribute a post that you feel would be valuable email me.

„    Encourage your child to be a regular commenter.  It is a way for them to show their thinking and writing skills in a real way and in their own time.

General issues:

  As you may be aware we have been creating videos of our experiences in the classroom. 

•  I have created a link to the finished videos on Wormbins.edublogs.org. Click on the ‘Teacher Instructional Videos’ link which is located down the right hand side in the box called Blogroll.
•   Most students in 4/5M are included in the videos but Alexi, Julian, Chenaya, Pheobe, Ashlee, Heather, Abby, Sinead, Ben, Tim, Jay, Dane, Holly and Albert feature in speaking roles.
•  The main videos they feature in are ‘One Classroom’s Blogging Experience’, ‘Organising the Classroom’, ‘Multimedia for Everyone’, ‘Spreeder’, ‘Survey Monkey’.

Writing component resources, text types with examples at various stages.

Excellent well thought out, easy to use resource.

LINK: Rainforest Maths

Write comments on your use of technology in the classroom. 

Thanks for visiting my blog. There are lots of new things happening that I would like to talk about on the staff development day. To get prepared please have a look at the videos and links provided. That way we can get into more detail on the day.

Infants

• We will be looking at ‘To Create a Story’. I haven’t created any resources for this. Just bring your story ideas.
• Watch the Comic Life video. If you think you might want to use this with your class this term download the free trial and have a play with it. If you have some ideas or have created a template bring it along. We will look at creating very simple templates for use with infants.
• Watch ‘Our Class Blogging‘ a video on my experiences with blogs including commentary by Stu Hasic from the region IT office. Blogging is suitable for infants as a record of learning and a way to display student work.

Primary

• Watch the Comic Life video. If you think you might want to use this with your class this term download the free trial and have a play with it. If you have some ideas or have created a template bring it along. We will look at creating very simple templates to get started.
• Watch the ‘Multimedia for Everyone‘ video. Bring your ideas and questions along. We will make a 20 sec video of our experiences learning Movie Maker during the session.
• Watch ‘Our Class Blogging‘ a video on my experiences with blogs including commentary by Stu Hasic from the region IT office.
• We will be looking at another resource called Rainforest Maths (which actually has a writing component). We will have a look at this on the day but I’ve included the link just in case you want to have a sneak peek.

Other ideas/resources

• ‘Speed reading‘ video
• ‘Survey your Class‘ video
• My class blog – Please feel free to comment on the kids work it means alot to them
• ‘How to Worm Farm‘ kid created video

I’ll be adding additional resources on an ongoing basis including the other videos we have created in the classroom.

Introduction to blogging by Stu Hasic

Blogging in our classroom – A video about our classblog Wormbins

How to create an Edublog (Click here for larger image)

As my first project in Comic Life the children in my class selected 4 questions and answers from an interview that they had with their parents regarding Australia and the changes they had lived through. The children converted this into a comic inserting pictures of themsrlves talking about the responses that they had from their parents. It was a wonderful motivating and challenging piece of writing with a lovely finished product. The children have embraced this program and are having fun with it at home in their own time.