Students drive on Google Drive

This month I introduced the students to Google Drive. I let them play around with it and take the driver's seat, so to speak. It was really exciting to see how quick they were to get through the ins and outs of working on an assignment with a partner or group. After just one period I had a couple of boys going home that night and working on a presentation for social studies. Fantastic!

The students have been creating presentations, using both Google Drive and Power Point, on a variety of self selected topics. It is wonderful to see how excited they are to share and learn from each other, not only about the topic but about the technology and resources they used as well. 

On another note, we have been on the   laptops creating some stories using The Mysteries of Harris Burdick and letters using The Dr. K. Fisher books. I am taking one of Kevin Honeycutt's suggestions and looking into publishing a book of our writing. It would be cool to have a double book where you can flip it one way for the letters and the other way for the stories. I wonder if that's a possibility? I will have to check!

After EQAO, of course.  :)

Inquiry Explosion

The month of March has been pretty exciting in our classroom in terms of inquiry. The students are continuing to look into questions they have around our science and social studies topics. They are using the laptops to explore resources such as Britannica School and the Ontario Educational Resource Bank. 

However, and this is the most exciting part, whenever we have independent reading or extra time after an assignment is completed the students are getting together in groups or independently researching topics that interest them. I have a group of boys who, everyday, gather at the back of the classroom with their writer's notebooks and materials on the chosen topic of the day/week. 

I have also just introduced them to Google Drive so that the collaboration can continue on at the presentation/publishing stage. Can't wait to see how this turns out!

Blog you later. 

Inquiries & OERB

As a class we've been exploring the world of structures and have been able to research some of the world's most interesting and famous landmarks using the laptops. The students have been working in partners on a research topic of their choosing.  

Besides using looking at different resources that are available, we have started to evaluate them and use our reading strategies of trying to find the main idea/important information. We have started to use Alpha Boxes to help the students put those ideas into their own words. 

We've also been using the Ontario Educational  Resource Bank (OERB) a lot on our laptops. The activities, especially for math, can be used as introductions, practice, and review. It is also easy to differentiate when using the site. I love it and so do the students. 

Inquiring minds

January was a great month for inquiry in our classroom! The students have really started to get excited about being able to explore their own questions. The laptops have enabled them to do so. 

The students are also loving the fact that they can publish all of their favourite writing assignments so easily and in a variety of ways. I have students using regular Word documents; some using Word Q to help with spelling and clarity; others creating "picture books" using Power Point; and a few exploring making comics using Bitstrips. It's great!

Diagnostic

This month I wanted to perform a diagnostic so that I could compare my
results from the beginning of this inquiry to the end. I did this by
providing my students with a quick survey that asked about their research
skills and knowledge of how to use technology to help them answer their
questions, which I will use again at the end of the year. As well, we did
a mini-inquiry into Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week. Without much
help or advice, the students went on to research one of four questions of
their choice. They were able to use our laptops; however I did not give
them any instruction on which sites or programs to use. I’m excited to
be able to compare the quality of product and the answers of the survey to
yearend results.