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Available for Purchase Now!

In “Innovate with iPad: Lessons to Transform Learning in the Classroom” primary teachers Karen Lirenman and Kristen Wideen provide a complete selection of clearly laid out engaging open-ended lessons to change the way you use iPad in the classroom.

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Connect, Collaborate and Create with Twitter in the Classroom

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2014 issue of ETFO Voice.

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Course Description

In this grade two 3-D Geometry iTunes U Course, students will explore attributes of 3-D objects using concrete materials and drawings. Students will also build and construct 3-D objects and models as well as develop language to describe geometric concepts.

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One Best Thing

Discover how to keep parents informed, connect globally and link to your curriculum. This One Best Thing leads your primary classroom students through the creation of a learning network on Twitter.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Full Of Beans

This past Monday our class began a plant unit.  We are reading about plants, creating procedural writing pieces about how to plant a bean seed and we are part of a collaborative group that all planted seeds yesterday and will be recording our learning on a Wiki. Students will be collaborating with students from around the world through the wiki, Skype, and google hangout.  Here are a few pictures of what we have been doing this week so far:
Our bean greenhouses
Simona's prediction
Parts of a plant craftivity



Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Bring Your Own Device Friday

Last Friday the grade 1's were encouraged to BYOD in.  I feel that allowing children to bring in their own devices will give them an opportunity to swap roles with the teacher.  I also want my students to learn that their device can be used for so much more than just gaming.  That it can be a learning tool that we can use in our classroom.
For our first BYOD, our learning goal was for  the children to bring their device in and be ready to share an appropriate game with another student or the class.  Norms were discussed with the students about acceptable and safe use and a note was sent home to parents with expectations and a consent form.  Please click on the link for the note that was sent home. BYOD note to parents (Thank you to Mrs. Martel for the parent template).
 Out of 40 students, 30 children brought devices in.  The students that did not bring anything in were given a school playbook, an iPad or a computer to use.  This was our first BYOD day and I wanted to get a sample of what the students had available to them so I could create future lessons to incorporate the devices they have from home.
Unfortunately, I came down with the flu the night before BYOD day occurred, so I was unable to participate.  My principal did take a few pictures of my students and I heard from other teachers and my students that it was a success.  I am planning on having a questionnaire for the students to poll what everyone brought in and I will go from there with my planning.  If I am going to encourage BYOD, I need to figure out how to use them to meet grade 1 curriculum expectations.  Have you participated in a BYOD day?  If so, I would love to know how you are meeting curriculum expectations using your students' own devices.