Monday 28 September 2015

G1 IAs are Moving from Learning Apps to Using Apps for Learning

Grade 1 IAs are now on their third year of attending tech training sessions on Wednesday afternoons. In the beginning, there was a lot of time spent on classroom ipad maintenance and care as well as a some app explorations.  Training then moved more toward building confidence and competence with the core G1 apps.  At the end of last year, G1 IAs were regularly using apps to share learning and create independent projects.

This year, we are following a Discovery Time cycle, where individuals pursue personal interests, passions, and curiosities.  IAs began by brainstorming a variety of topics that interest them, topics that pique their curiosity, and even more topics that they hold dear to their heart as a passion. After brainstorming, IAs have decided on one topic and what kind of product they want to create in order to share their interest, wonder, or passion with a larger audience.


Sunday 13 September 2015

Going Places Safely Online

The G1 Librarian and I teamed up to teach students about how to start using the internet safely.  We begin by making comparisons with real world travel and online travel.  Just as children have rules when traveling in the real world, they should have rules for going places online as well.  After that, students go on a virtual field trip and explore the San Diego Zoo Kids' website.   They practice asking permission to go to Safari or Chrome and have an opportunity to apply rule #3, if they end up somewhere that is not a 'just right' place, students close out the tab.

Sunday 6 September 2015

G1 PLCs - Inquiry Time, Make Time, and Digital Portfolios

First Grade teachers are interested in trying out iTime, Maker Time, and Digital Portfolios this year. The goal is to spend 3 PLCs in S1 planning, developing, and deciding on some basic structures as a beginning framework.  Then, in S2 implement these ideas and during 3 more PLCs adapt the framework based on reflections.

Teachers originally answered four guiding questions to make sure group members shared a similar vision for these concepts.  Two of the questions were, "How much time will this take?" and "Where will the time come from?".  The main concern from teachers was that there simply isn't enough time to integrate all of these ideas independently.  So, we are working on an overall Discovery Time framework that would encompass each of these components in one cycle.