Monday 25 April 2016

Make a Digital Map of Singapore

Grade 1 students are learning about popular destinations and landmarks in Singapore for part of their Social Studies unit.  During this particular lesson, students began activating prior knowledge and growing their knowledge in a fun partner whiteboard quiz.  Locations are called out and partnerships have to look at a map with numbered destinations on it.  Students decide which number represents that location and writes it down on their whiteboard.  The teacher then shares the correct number that correlates with that location.  After all of the locations are discovered, students use the app of their choice to make a map of Singapore and include a minimum of 3 landmarks discussed in the beginning of the lesson.

Here are some student samples:

       




        






 


Google Map for Reference

Tuesday 12 April 2016

Lego WEDO 2.0

Grade 1 students in Mrs. Kelly's class trialled our new Lego WEDO 2.0 kits last week.  Students worked in collaborative pairs to build a Lego rover robot, program the robot to move forward, and then wirelessly control the rover through their ipads.  Their ability to work together, troubleshoot, problem solve, and achieve success was exciting to observe!

Monday 11 April 2016

Showing Data Digitally

Students in Grade 1 have begun their data unit in math.  They have learned how to collect information through surveys and explored how to show the data using real life objects (i.e. shoes for a shoe graph) and also representative objects (i.e. yellow snap cubes for vanilla ice cream).  So, for tech class, students were faced with a challenge, "How can you show your data digitally?"

During the chalk and talk students brainstormed apps that would be a good tool for the job.  Pic Kids, Doodlecast Pro, and Drawing Pad are usually the first apps mentioned but after a few minutes students begin to 'see' through a wider lens and start suggesting apps such as Tiny Tap, Stop Motion, and iMovie.  As a group, we discuss apps like iMovie and try to tease out how we could make a graph in it.  Other students are quick to note that iMovie would not a good tool for creating a digital graph.

Students are then set off to 'test' out the app of their choice and see if they can make a graph with given data.  It is wonderful to see that all students are able to make a graph with the app of their choice.

Here is the lesson and some student generated samples on the last two slides.