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{extra} I am honored to "report" that I was chosen to participate in the Keystone Technology Summit!!!!
Keystones Technology Integration
To learn more about the Pennsylvania Keystones: Technology Integrators Program
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{flat} Flat Kids Technology Projects {flat}
Each February, after discussing Groundhog�s Day, I begin a "Flat Kids" technology integration project. The students help each other trace the outline of their bodies to make their �shadows� which in turn becomes their flat kids." We then send our flat kids� on vacation to visit with friends and relatives. Each flat kid also takes along a journal .
When the flat kids arrive back at Caley, we display each one along with the journals and souvenirs from their journey and we discuss the state or country that was visited. As a culminating activity to this project, I teach the students how to complete a PowerPoint presentation about the state or country their flat kids visited.
The students then do research in the library using resource books and, during computer lab, they use Internet to research the flag, flower and bird for their state or country. After completing the research, the students write sentences to convey the information. Initially, the students used graphics however, during the third year of flat kids (2003) I began to have the students use Internet sites to locate and download pictures to include in their presentations.
These presentations are very easily differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. Some students write three to five sentences about their flag, bird and flower, some write one sentence, while others complete a sentence frame. All the students work at their developmentally appropriate level.
In order to view the following projects you will need to have PowerPoint installed on your computer. If you do not have PowerPoint, you can click the link below to install the viewer.

Click here to download PowerPoint viewer

{bbbb} {Animated Flag of The Great State of Pennsylvania} {cccc}
These two pictures are from a scrapbook a parent made for me during the 2000-2001 school year, the first year, I began integrating PowerPoint into my curriculum. These pages show pictures from our flag presentation.

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Zoo PowerPoint Presentations

During the 2005-2006 school year, I decided to begin teaching my children PowerPoint earlier in the year, so that when it came time to do our flat kid presentations, they would have experience using the program and would be more comfortable using power point.

We visit the Philadelphia Zoo each March and when we returned from the trip, I had the children draw pictures and label their pictures. I developed a power point template and had the children insert clip art pictures into the template and then complete a sentence frame; again, some students were writing their own sentences while others were writing three to five sentences about their animals.

We presented these on Grandparent�s Day to a stunned crowd, who could not believe that children could use technology at such an early age!

This year, we used student-sized digital cameras so that the sudents could take photos of their favorite three animals. Currently, we are in the process of creating our presentations using the photos taken at the zoo. As with the flat kid projects, you will need PowerPoint or PowerPoint viewer to see the zoo projects.
Click here to download Powerpoint viewer
Zoo Presentations -- 2005-2006
Zoo Presentations -- 2006-2007
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Kindergarten Blog
In March, after I added a blog to my website to allow parents to see what we are doing in Kindergarten, I had an "ah ha" moment.
What a wonderful way to get the students motivated to write. Let them be �bloggers!!!" I did several mini lessons about to teach the students about blogging and what it would require them to do.
I knew letting the students write the news would help with writing skills, however, I did not know how much it would motitvate ALL the students to want to write. It is truly amazing to watch those who usually don�t like to write, want to write for the blog. Amazing!!!!
Click to view our blogs:
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Digital Storytelling
This year, I introduced the students to digital storytelling in early October. We were completing a unit called "All About Me" and we wrote alphabet books using the letters in our names. After completing a big book to keep in our classroom library, I made Powerpoint presentation stories with our names then we made the digital storybooks. Then students greatly enjoyed using the microphone to read their page in the book.

These files will play in Microsoft Media Player.

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Our Favorite Zoo Animal Graphing Activity

We did a graphing activity in order to determine our favorite animal. We used the wireless keyboard and mouse to write our names on the graph. Then we colored a graph with crayons to show the graph results and used the computer lab and laptops to make a graph on the computer. Click below to view our graphs.
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Smartboard Activities
These are some of the activities I have made to use with our smartboard.
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Photos of students engaged in technology

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Anna clicks through the alphabet game.

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Angela, Nikita and Lainie use the laptops to work on zoo power point presentations.

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Adrielle practices handwriting on the Smartboard.

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Kaci works hard at blogging.

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Viktoryia leads the class in "Fundations" drilling sounds.

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Julia works on her zoo presentation in the computer lab.

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Short Videos of Students Engaged in Technology
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Technology Integrated Lessons

{aaaa} "From Angela to Simeon" ... AM Class Powerpoint story book

This is the morning class' Powerpoint storybook that we read before we made our digital storybook.

{b mark} "From Adrielle to Zarak"...PM Class Powerpoint Story Book

This is the afternoon class' Powerpoint storybook that we read before we made our digital storybook.

{c} The Name Game

This is a phonics\writing game. When playing �The Name Game,� the students not only learn about a new kindergarten friend each day, but also about sound\symbol correspondence, proper letter formation, letter identification, and much more.

{d} "Fundations" Alphabet Game

I am piloting a systematic phonics program called Fundations and, by infusing technology, I have been able to give ownership of the drill sounds activity to the students.

{e} Two Great Presidents...A President's Day Presentation

This is a presentation I put together to help the children learn about President's Day.

{f} Holidays Around the World...Symbols of Hanukkah

This presentation taught the students about the symbols of Hanukkah.

{g} Holidays Around the World...Symbols of Kwanzaa

This presentation taught the students about the symbols of Kwanzaa.

{h} Holidays Around the World...Symbols of Christmas

This presentation taught the students about the symbols of Christmas.

{i} Zoo animal sequence activity

We read this story about zoo animals. Then we used the zoo animal sequence activity to help us remember the sequence of the animals in the story. After we reviewed the sequence, we cut out animal pictures and glued them to a sentence strip to make a zoo animal sequence chain.

{j} Matrix for Station Rotations

This matrix is used to visually show the children how they will rotate during our station times.

{k} Weekly Job Chart

This is a sample of the weekly job chart the children use in the classroom.

{l} Open House Presentation 2006-2007

This is the presentation I used this year for Open House.

Last Modified on 7/2/2008 8:07:46 AM