Session # 2A or A Lunch 11:10 – 12:10
A. Making a Smart Board a Centerpiece of Your Elementary Classroom
John Minelli
Interactive whiteboards affect learning in several ways, including raising the level of student engagement in a classroom, motivating students and promoting enthusiasm for learning.
In this presentation, we’ll primarily focus on using the Smart Board in the elementary classroom. Topics will include basic operation, layering, finding online templates and creating your own, Infinite Cloner and using the recorder for lesson compilations. We will also share a wide assortment of lessons for grades K-5.
B. Artists and Authors using KidPix
Nancy Daigle & MK Monley
See how two teachers at Thatcher Brook School have used this drawing tool to tap students’ creativity and practice their tech skills: Grade 1-2 students mimic an illustrator’s style in Library classes as they create their own “Hodag” while every 3rd/4th grader becomes a Pop Artist, modifying and arranging digital images to imitate this artistic style. Hear about the challenges and rewards of these projects and the way in which these concepts evolved as each class worked to completion.
C. Expand the Mind, Map the Trees, Serve the Community
Chuck Connelly and Ben Worthing.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the GPS help students understand their local community and the world around them by conducting digital data collection, analysis and ultimately, real life problem solving. Students in a Biology class worked with the GIS Coordinator from the Regional Planning Commission and their teachers to create a tree inventory of trees located on school property. Students used Garmin GPSmap 76 handhelds and both ArcGIS and Google Earth software to create an inventory of trees by species, height and digital co-ordinates. The hope is to add to this project database over the next few years.
D. Personal Essays the Digital Way
Beth Lane and Amy Truchon,
5th grade students at Edmunds Elementary School in Burlington tackled Expressive Writing Standard 1.12 through digital story telling. See examples of how students used Audacity and Windows MovieMaker to make connections between personal experiences and ideas and to compose their reflective essays. Addresses the multimedia bullet of Vermont Tech GE IT5-6:4.
E. The Shareware Multimedia and Design Highway
An intro to Sketch-up, Scratch, Pencil, and Inkscape
Willie Lee
There is a lot of free and easy to use design and multimedia software available online. Google Sketch-up, a 3D design program, and Inkscape, a vector drawing program, are both fun and engaging. Pencil, a 2D animation program, allows students to easily create short animated movies. Scratch, a programming language, allows students to build games, animations, and interactive programs. All four allow to students to use technology and show their knowledge in new and interesting ways.
F. Engaging our Students with Geocaching
Jan Fraga
Imagine your class taking a walking tour of your town using a GPS to find your local landmarks? Picture your students out in the field marking geology specimens for other classes to find. How about having your class geocache clues for a math problem? Geocaching is an outdoor adventure activity in which you use a GPS (global positioning system) to find a specific location or cache. This workshop will explore how this activity can be used as both as an educational and motivational tool in K – 12 classrooms.
G. Teaching Technology Skills to Teachers: Multiple Buildings, Multiple Responsibilities ~
Joanne Finnegan, Kristen Courcelle, David Davidson, Lisa Fernald, and Kathy Gallagher
One stage of VTCite Phase II is the development of Community Projects.~ Joanne Finnegan recruited other~Technology Integration Specialists to collaborate for the creation of a compilation of professional development resources for teaching educators how to integrate technology. ~Our resources include contact information for Vermont educators who have expertise in a variety of information technology skills, Internet resources, and Vermont home-grown materials used to teach workshops.~ We will provide information about our progress, share information for accessing these resources, and lead a discussion about managing the over-whelming job of serving multiple buildings.~ We welcome your participation!
H. Problem: Tech GEs: One ~Schools' Journey, Part 2
Rob Gervais, Michelle Lussier, Barb Grady
What a difference a year makes! ~Enosburg Elementary School is in year two of a three year plan to fully embed and assess Technology GEs throughout our curriculum. ~How'd we get started? ~Who's involved and responsible? ~How far have we come? ~How's this impact students and teachers? ~Through discussion and demonstrations from our Teachers, Library/Media, and Principal we will share teacher and student projects from kindergarten through 5th grade using resources such as Inspiration & Kidspiration, Appleworks, 4teachers.org, Scholastic.com, and Blogger.com.
~~~~~~~~Like most initiatives, there have been many twists, turns and obstacles along our journey. ~We don't have the "cookie-cutter" model of technology integration, but we can share our experiences on professional development, accountability, access to technology, how we got here, and where we're headed.
I. Web 2.0 Tools Across the Curriculum – Part 2 of Hands-on Double Session
Tony Galle
See description above
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