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.

Reflective Blogging

Grade 1 students have been doing a phenomenal job blogging so far this year.  For the most part, first graders post a photo of their work and then type a sentence about what they learned or give more information about the image.  Mrs. Hellgeth decided that her students were ready to extend the types of sentences they included in their blog post.  So, her class explored and practiced making reflective blog posts.  They were exposed to ways you could be a reflective thinker by asking themselves one of the three questions below:

1.  How has my thinking changed?
2.  What do I know, but what am I still unsure about?
3.  Why is this new learning important?

Here is the lesson

Student Samples

How has my thinking changed?

What do I know, but what am I still unsure about?

 Why is this new learning important?

Showing Respect Online - Digital Citizenship Lesson #2

First graders were involved in another foundational Digital Citizenship lesson pertaining to ‘Showing Respect Online’ with me, the first grade tech coach, and Mrs. Cuthbert, the first grade librarian.  Since all of our first grade classes are running student-run blogs, we were able to relate this skill, Showing Respect Online, to commenting on each other’s blog posts.  Students learned that they should ask themselves 3 questions before they make a comment on a peer’s blog post.  

Think Before You Comment

Would I say this in person?

Did I only use first names?

Is my comment positive?

Here is an informative and engaging video that we (G1 tech coach, G1 librarian, and G1 counselor) made for the students.

Blogging in Grade 1

Students in Grade 1 are becoming pretty capable bloggers!  The app of choice to use is Easy Blogger which makes blogging so easy for some of our youngest students.  Students are expected to include some form of media (photo, video, or both) and an explanation or description of their learning.  In the posts pictured below, students blogged about their 'Neighborhood Walk' which is part of the G1 Social Studies unit called, Our Community.

Book Creator

Book Creator is definitely not a new app in town, but an app that we have revisited as a school.  Originally, Book Creator gathered a lot of steam with our teachers due to the media-rich books that students could make about their learning.  It was only when it came time to sharing this lovely books that posed a problem.  Books over 25MB cannot be emailed, and furthermore, if books could be emailed we encountered the issue of some families not having a device with iBooks in order to view the book.

There are a few work arounds teachers have tried with a little more success.  For starters, schools now have unlimited storage space in Drive, so books can be uploaded to Drive and links shared with home.  Devices with iBooks are more prevalent with families so that helps too.  Lastly, Book Creator has provided an 'export as video' option.  Although the deign of a 'book' and flipping of pages is lost, this option does provide a quick and easy way for students to share books without losing any audio.  Books can saved directly to the camera roll and then uploaded to their blogs through the Easy Blogger app.

Below is a quick slideshow on how to make a Book Creator and options for sharing it.

Using Popplet to Show Prior Knowledge of a Topic

Students in Mrs. Kelly's class used what they already know about a topic to think about words that might be in a book on that topic (prior/background knowledge).  With the app Popplet, students were able to make a mind map/web of words they already knew about their just right book's topic.  This is one way grade 1 students get their minds ready to read a book!  Below is a blog post from one of her students.

Blogging with Grade 1 Students

Students in first grade have started student-run blogs in their classrooms.  They are so excited to have voice and choice with the learning they share with their families.  Teachers have set up a teacher-managed blog that all of their students will post to during this school year.  They have used the Labels gadget so students can use their names as the label and easily get to all of their posts and learning throughout the year.  The app of choice is Easy Blogger, which makes blogging EASY!

Blogging for Fun!

Two students in Ms. Analu's class used their Fun Friday time to write a story on their blog.  Their perseverance to publish such a lengthy story on their ipad is commendable, and then, to top it off, they independently made the decision to post it on their student-run blog!   

Blog Post Commenting in G1

Grade one students in Ms. Analu's class learned how to make appropriate comments on their peer's blog posts!

A New Take on an Old Idea

Plenty of teachers have either heard of or tried having a stuffed classroom pet that travels home with students and asking children to write about the animal's adventure away from school.  Some commonly used ideas that tie in with class read-alouds are: Flat Stanley, Tacky the Penguin, or The World According to Humphrey.  Mrs. Woody has put a 21st century spin on a journal going home with students and she is asking that kids blog about the animal's experience.  Her first grade students take a photo of themselves with the pet and then email the photo along with a message to the student-run blog.  What a fantastic way for students to see a real purpose for blogging!

My Favorite Book

Students made a video talking about their favorite book and then emailed them to their class' student-run blog!