This site is based on the popular PBS series Between the Lions. It offers games, video clips, stories, and a resource section for parents and teachers. This series teaches a number of reading and phonics strategies.
This article looks at gaming on a variety of levels and offers interesting stats (i.e.,"42% of gamers are women . . . (representing) a greater portion of the game-playing population than boys 17 or younger.") No wonder the White House is interested.
This brief article is an early work by Dr. Ian Bogost related to what he would later refer to as "procedural rhetoric." In this piece Dr. Bogost draws parallels between various processes essential to being "literate" at different points in history.
With what "processes" do we need to become literate as educators in the 21st century? How can we help others become literate?
Through technology, if we can get our kids,and students to engage in a educational video game like they do with the wii, game cube and all the others we will have a better chance at reaching our kids. Most of these children can show you how to get to the highest level in games, why can't we learn how to teach our children to have the same drive in education. I think we can through technology, creating these educational games that get the kids into wanting to play them. First we ourselves need to know how to do it through technology.
This sounds a lot like learning by doing. If students can't experience battle re-enactments, or visit musuems and historical sites, or travel to parks, or act out a story, technology might afford those luxuries. Computers, iPads, even smart phones can provide virtual field trips and experiences. Students can further share these experiences through social networking. As an older generation, I feel it necessary to keep learning how today's youth are communicating so I will be able to connect with them and bridge that gap in their education.
Not a fan of Diamond, but I did like Guns, Germs, and Steel. As it relates to learning, I do agree that there is great benefit in constructing your learning. I imagine a day when we will be able to choose from a vast assortment of resources that will allow us to illustrate specific terms or concepts and from those resources we can build knowledge, sort of like a Lego model.
The mission of The Why Files is to explore the science, math and technology behind the news of the day, and to present those topics in a clear, accessible and accurate manner.The Why Files produces a new story each week, alternating longer features with shorter shorties. The website also posts a series of interactive science animations and the ever-popular "Cool Science Images," a series of Teacher Activity Pages linked to the national science teaching standards, The Weather Guys, and Curiosities. I think this is a cool resource!
Looking for a way to get your students more engaged? Mixbook is proud to present Mixbook for Educators, a program that allows educators even easier access to the most powerful suite of digital storytelling tools on the web. Check out the stories below to hear how Mixbook can help YOU.
Get your students interacting with many math backgrounds and manipulatives that are commonly used in K-4 classrooms including: bar diagrams, calendars, grids, equation charts, number lines, place value charts and all the markers, counters, game pieces, money images, blocks, and clocks that you will need.
This website is great to look up stories that have been put together already. It will give you some ideas on how to use digital storytelling in your class.
Video recording of a big picture, well-executed presentation on digital storytelling by digital humanist Dr. Bryan Alexander given at Case Western Reserve University.
Starfall.com opened in September of 2002 as a free public service to teach children to read with phonics. Our systematic phonics approach, in conjunction with phonemic awareness practice, is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, special education, homeschool, and English language development (ELD, ELL, ESL).
A site aimed towards the primary years. Used this during my internship in a kindergarten classroom. Not only did the kids love it, they were able to interact with many of the aspects during the free time on one of the PCs in the classroom, or during the morning circle on the SMART board.
This is a great site for children ages 2-8. It teaches pre-reading as well as reading skills up to 2nd grade. Includes games, animated stories, songs, and writing activities. I use it daily!
Starfall is a free website that teaches children how to read through phonics. It has practice games on phonemic awaresness. The program is great for grades K-2, second language learners and special education.
Digital Storyteller is a web-based tool that offers teachers and students frictionless access to digital images and materials that enable them to construct compelling personal narratives. Digital Storyteller was developed as an initiative of Primary Access. You can enter this site use guest login without registration.
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