Tag: webtools

Nov 12 2015 November 12, 2015 March 11, 2016 NoComment by David

Kindergarten Rhyming Words

Posted in Kindergarten, Language Arts

CaptureKindergarten students at Davis Elementary have been learning about rhyming words (K.4b) so today in Ms. Dunkum’s class we created pictures of rhyming words using Pixie. This was their first lesson with the computers, so we logged in using a generic kindergarten login. I showed the students how to open Pixie by clicking the Start button and typing PIX. First we reviewed several rhyming words so the students weren’t all using the same ones. You could use a site like Frog’s Rhyming Machine or Freeze Dance Rhyming to review. Then we created a text box and typed a rhyming word. We didn’t change the font or size since this was their first lesson. After we typed a second rhyming word, I showed them how to click and drag to paint a picture of each word. Clicking and dragging is a difficult skill for kindergarteners, but they caught on quickly. When they finished, the teacher wanted a way to save their work and maybe print them later. The only problem with logging in the generic way instead of with the student’s username and password is that it’s difficult to save their work. So we got creative and saved their finished pictures to CoMemories. You can see their rhyming word pictures here.


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Nov 12 2015 November 12, 2015 February 18, 2016 NoComment by David

4th Grade Nonfiction Text Features

Posted in 4th Grade, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies

website2Fourth graders at Davis Elementary have been learning about nonfiction text features (SOL4.6a) and drawing conclusions using textual information (SOL4.6f). So today students in Ms. White’s class created nonfiction websites using CheckThis. Since they have been studying clouds (Science SOL4.6) and Jamestown (VS.3), they made their websites about one of those topics. First we reviewed text features to include like bold type, headings, captions, and photographs. I also explained that their classmates would be using the information in their websites to draw conclusions, so they needed to be thinking of good questions to ask about their topics. Next, we went to CheckThis and created a website without signing in. Since students can’t create an account, we had to finish the website during the one hour lesson, which wasn’t a problem for this class. I showed them how to customize the colors and fonts of their page. Then the students typed their information, making important words bold. I was surprised at how much they were able to type in such a short time! They also added a photo and a poll. The polling feature is one of the reasons I prefer CheckThis to other webpage-creation services because it adds an interactive element to the students’ websites. Finally we published our sites, copied the links, and posted them to Google classroom with a good question for our classmates to answer in the comments. You can take a look at all their websites here.


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Nov 05 2015 November 5, 2015 February 16, 2016 NoComment by David

1st Grade Past Present Comics

Posted in 1st Grade, Social Studies

CaptureFirst graders at Davis Elementary have been studying past and present (SOL1.1), so today students in Ms. Long’s class created past/present comics using StoryboardThat. First we helped them log into Google classroom where I posted the link. Then I showed them how to search for a background from the past and a background from the present. Next we added a person from the past and a person from the present to the correct background. We discussed the differences in clothing, buildings, and technology. I showed the students how they could customize the colors of the characters. Finally we added speech bubbles (called textables) and wrote complete sentences with the characters telling whether they were from the past or the present. I helped them take screenshots of their finished comics, and we posted them to Google classroom. You can take a look at some students samples here.


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Oct 22 2015 October 22, 2015 February 16, 2016 NoComment by David

2nd Grade Weather Sequence

Posted in 2nd Grade, Language Arts, Science

CaptureSecond graders at Davis Elementary have been learning about different types of storms in Science (SOL2.6a) and sequence words in Language Arts (SOL2.6c). So today in Ms. Becker’s room we created weather sequence diagrams using Popplet. This was my first lesson using Popplet since their recent update. Since students aren’t allowed to create accounts, we need to use the demo mode. It used to be full-featured, but now the demo mode has some restrictions (you can’t delete bubbles, and you can’t change the title of the bubbles). Due to these restrictions, I’ll probably use Google diagrams instead of Popplet for future lessons. First the students chose a type of storm: thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane, blizzard, flood. Then they created three bubbles to tell their storm story in sequence. They used words like “first,””next,” and “then.” Using the connectors they connected the bubbles together in order. The students also drew a picture in each bubble (that is one feature of Popplet I really like). We exported the images as .JPG files and then published them to Google classroom. The students were instructed to finish each others’ stories in the comments section using words like “Finally” or “Last.” You can take a look at some samples here.


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Sep 24 2015 September 24, 2015 October 5, 2015 NoComment by David

4th Grade Primary Sources

Posted in 4th Grade, Social Studies

JuxtaFourth graders at Davis Elementary are learning about primary and secondary sources (VS.1a), so today students in Ms. White’s and Ms. Bennett’s classes collected and analysed their own primary sources. First we discussed primary sources and why they are valuable. We looked at some Civil War photos, some photos of Abraham Lincoln, and a contemporary painting of George Washington. The students correctly identified all of these as primary sources. I explained that they would be going back in time today to take a photograph of a place, and then we would be comparing that old photo with a modern one. First we opened up Google Earth, and I told them to find a place in which they were interested. We discussed examples like their neighborhood, a favorite vacation spot, or a place that was important to their family. We zoomed in fairly close, so we were able to see roads and buildings. Next I showed them how to use the timeline feature and we went back in time. I asked if this was a primary or secondary source. We figured out that it was a primary source because it was a photograph taken by a satellite at that time. We used the Snipping Tool to take a screenshot of the place and saved it to our desktop. Then we dragged the timeline to the present and took another screenshot. We combined the two images using a cool webtool called Juxtapose. The images have to be hosted online to get the links, so we uploaded them to Comemories. Then we copied the links and pasted them in Juxtapose. Juxtapose turns them into a before/after comparison complete with a slider. The students could now compare the images and see how the places changed over time. Take a look at some student examples here.


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Jun 04 2015 June 4, 2015 August 20, 2015 NoComment by David

Create an Online Yearbook

Posted in Tutorial

sampleslideToday teachers at Davis Elementary created their own online yearbooks for free using Google slides and Flipsnack. First the students logged into Google classroom where I posted a Google slides template that all of them could edit. You can do that when you post an assignment by choosing the “Students can edit file” option. The students opened the slideshow, and each student got a slide that corresponded with their student number. They wrote their name on the slide and added a photo of themselves using the webcam (Insert > Image > Take a snapshot). Then they typed a few sentences about their favorite memories of this school year. Finally they added more photos using the Google Image search or taking snapshots with their friends. When they were finished, I exported the slideshows as PDF documents (File > Download As > PDF Document) and uploaded them to Flipsnack, a webtool that converts PDFs into online flipbooks. This made it easier for parents to access the yearbook, plus it looks really cool. You can take a look at a few yearbooks here: Eller, Bennett, Cousins. UPDATE: I taught a similar lesson with Ms. Conway’s class at Laburnum, but this time I converted the slideshow to images (File > Download As > JPG Image) and uploaded them to Animoto to make a video yearbook with music.


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Jun 02 2015 June 2, 2015 August 19, 2015 NoComment by David

1st Grade Memory Walls with Padlet

Posted in 1st Grade, Language Arts

CaptureIt’s getting close to the end of the year, so many classes are recalling the good times they’ve had together. Today First graders at Holladay Elementary created memory walls using Padlet. Padlet is an online bulletin board where students can post notes, pictures, videos, and files. Teachers create accounts, but students don’t need to sign in or anything, so it’s very easy for them to use. We gave the students a link to their teacher’s boards, and all they had to do was double click on the board to create a new post. They typed their name at the top, then they typed a sentence or two about their favorite memory of first grade. Next they used the webcam to take a snapshot of themselves and added that to the note. With Padlet, posts appear on the board immediately, so students can see each other’s work, and even offer helpful suggestions. You can take a look at their memory walls here: Valvoda, French, and Schemmel.


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May 07 2015 May 7, 2015 August 13, 2015 NoComment by David

5th Grade Science Video Storyboards

Posted in 5th Grade, Language Arts, Science

Screen Shot 2015-08-13 at 12.06.40 AMMs. Elsea at Davis Elementary told me about a great project her class was doing here at the end of the year. They were making a student-created science show where they taught a different topic for each episode. She was wondering if I knew of an online tool to help them plan out their videos. I suggested StoryboardThat, and today I went to her class to show them how to use it. First they logged in using their Google accounts and clicked “Create a Storyboard.” They set up a 3×2 panel using the “Add Cells” button at the bottom of the editor. Then they used the “Scenes” tab at the top to add backgrounds, or settings, to each panel. Next they added characters and props using the top toolbar or the search feature. I showed them how to customize the colors, poses, and facial expressions of the characters. Finally they added text bubbles, or “textables,” and typed what each character would say. Now that they had their scripts and scenes planned out, they were ready to record their videos! You can take a look at their storyboards here.


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Apr 30 2015 April 30, 2015 August 12, 2015 NoComment by David

4th Grade Famous Virginians Come to Life!

Posted in 4th Grade, Language Arts, Social Studies

Screen Shot 2015-08-12 at 11.04.38 PMFourth graders at Davis Elementary have been learning about famous Virginians in the 20th century (VS.9d), so today we brought them to life with the magic of technology! First the students decided whether they wanted to work in groups or alone. This project, like any project that uses an online tool, goes a lot smoother if students are working in groups since less computers are using the bandwidth. Once they selected their group, they chose a famous Virginian and found an image of the person online. I explained that they needed a good clear photo of the person’s face looking straight ahead. Next we downloaded a screen recording Chrome extension called Screencastify. We would need this tool in the last step to record our videos. Now we were ready to go to SitePal where the real magic happens. We clicked “Create Your Own” talking avatar and uploaded the image of our famous Virginian. The site guides you through the process of animating the head. Then the students wrote a paragraph in the Text-to-Speech section with facts for the “talking head” to say. They also chose a voice. We used Screencastify to record the videos since there isn’t another way to save them. Finally they posted their videos to Google classroom so they could watch each others’. You can watch them too by clicking here.


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Apr 24 2015 April 24, 2015 August 12, 2015 NoComment by David

4th Grade Review Videos

Posted in 4th Grade, Science, Social Studies

Screen Shot 2015-08-12 at 3.26.13 PMFourth graders at Davis Elementary have been reviewing for upcoming end-of-the-year tests, so today students in Ms. White’s class helped each other by preparing review videos on various topics. First the they decided whether they wanted to work in groups or alone. This project actually works better if most of the students are in groups since it is bandwidth intensive. Once they were with their groups, they agreed on a topic and did some quick research using the Internet and their class notes. They also collected images to use in their video. Next we went to WeVideo, which is a great site for making and editing online videos. The students signed in with their Google accounts and opened the movie editor. We used the storyboard mode, instead of the timeline mode, since it was simpler for their first video (click the 3 lines in the top left corner to switch from one mode to the other). They uploaded the images they collected and recorded a few clips of themselves explaining the topic. Then they organized their media in the editor, added a Title screen and captions, and selected a theme. Themes make it easy to add filters, transitions, and music automatically, but each of those effects can also be changed individually. Finally the students published their videos, copied the links, and posted them to Google classroom so they could watch each others’ movies for review. You can see some of them here.


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