Minchau School

A blog charting the use of iPods in a K classroom...

A great way to collaborate as a team or in a classroom.

How to integrate Extreme Planet Makeover into the classroom: Extreme Planet Makeover is a neat simulation where students can design a custom planet. As they create their own custom planet, they will begin to notice what makes a planet habitable or not, and the unique features that must be in place for life. Extreme Planet Makeover can be used with the whole class using a projector-connected computer or interactive whiteboard. Invite each student to make an adjustment to the planet. With each adjustment, students can describe the ways that the planet has changed. The finished class planet can be used as the base for a creative writing prompt. Set up Extreme Planet Makeover as a center activity where students can create a planet and download to save. The finished planets can be shared on a class photo stream, website, or blog where students can compare and contrast the features of each planet. In a one to one or computer lab setting, students can each create a planet that they use for a compare/contrast to an actual planet in the solar system and as a creative writing prompt. Who lives on this planet? What galaxy is their planet in? How do you get there? Tips: One of the features I really appreciate about the Extreme Planet Makeover is the explanations that pop up over each planet attribute. Students learn about how atmosphere, size, different stars, the distance from the star, and the age effect a planet.

a rubric for assessing student book talks

This is a great site for kids

Create a talking avatar with Voki

How to integrate technology into your classroom with only a few resources. 

 Story Nory is a collection of FREE audio books for kids.  There is a mixture of new stories, fairy tales, and specially adapted myths and histories.  A new audio story comes out each week (this has been true since November of 2005!).  Search stories by newest additions, original stories, fairy tales, classic authors, educational, or junior stories.  The stories can be subscribed to as a podcast in iTunes, through their iPhone/iPod touch app, via email, or RSS feed.  Story Nory offers the text to accompany the audio so that kids can read along.

Tennessee Librarian, Mary Ann Cole passed on a site called lifehacker.com - a daily weblog on software and personal productivity that recommends downloads, web sites and shortcuts that help you work smarter and save time.  As with all sites, preview and choose what works best for your situation.  It will take a good chunk of your personal time too!

A video clip (2 minutes) showing a Josh McCabe, a 12 year old boy, who practices 2 hours a day (put first things) and can do amazing things with a basketball!

Ten Frame game supporting the Power of Ten

Ungraded Games

timed basic facts

games, grouped - p-k, 1-3, 4-6

flash cards and games - not graded-interactive features like flashcards, puzzles, and games plus ahomework helper