Social Media for Young Learners?!

I know what thoughts are most likely running through your head right now...

• These students are too young, they are still learning how to interact in person!
• Social media could expose these students to a lot of unhealthy examples or predators!
• What relevancy does social media have for students who can't type efficiently, let alone spell?

Am I right? Well, these were the thoughts rushing through my head when I discovered the power Twitter held for my own professional development and then had the crushing realization that this type of community was probably not a possibility for the young learners I teach! However, I am happy to say I have been proved wrong!

Teachable Moments: The Power of a PLN

Well, it's a whopping 63 degrees here at my house with plans for it to get up to 74! Gotta keep hoping for that warm summer weather - although, with no air condition I should be careful what I wish for up here in the Pacific Northwest. Nonetheless, the enjoyable weather has been perfect for some reading. I thought you all might like to dive into some good material as well!

Since I focused on how teachers can continue to grow and learn this summer using Twitter last week, I thought I would highlight some of the articles and neat finds from my first adventures in the world of Twitter. Below you will find 5 of my favorite resource finds that I discovered thanks to all the members of my PLN (professional learning network).

• 11 Chrome Extensions Every Smart Teacher Loves to Use: If you're a Google fan like me, than your browser of choice is Google Chrome. These extensions add a whole new level of productivity to what I already consider to be an ideal browser. I am looking forward to seeing how they will continue to increase my ease of access and organization when the school year starts back up.
• 6 Ideas for Teaching Digital Reputation: Alright, this might not be necessarily helpful for us early childhood educators within the classroom...but, I loved getting a look at how some of the social media and Web 2.0 tools that aren't a perfect fit for young learners are being harnessed to create amazing learning experiences for older students! I wish I could've participated in some of these assignments as a student.
• EDpuzzle: This cool new tool will transform not only some of the professional development sessions I will be offering this summer, but will lead to some really neat and engaging multimedia activities in the classroom. Be sure to watch the demo video and set-up your own account so you are ready to go when the school year comes around. You might even consider getting some videos set up during the Summer break.
• ISTE 2014 Session Notes: Now, this one is a doozy! It is a collection of all the notes that attendees of ISTE 2014 were willing to share publicly with those that did and did not attend. I find it rather powerful that so many people were willing to share their take-a-aways from the conference with others to provide a comprehensive overview of one of ed tech's largest gatherings. The notes are organized by category, so look for a topic that interests you and get reading!
• International Dot Day Club: Well, this one is perfect for early learners and captures the themes of global collaboration and creativity - both which I have featured separately through teachable moments and free resources! This unique project sounds like a great way to get your school year off to the right start from so many different perspectives...it could take the form of a geometry lesson, social-emotional discussion, differentiation explanation, basic tech skills introduction (using Paint or FreeDraw on the computer), and so much more!

While these resources may not share a consistent classroom theme, they are all resources I discovered through my PLN via Twitter...and these are only 5 of the multitude of resources that were shared out! I will try and highlight some more thematic collections of resources in the future, but for now my main goal was to showcase the power of my professional learning network. Now, it's your turn to give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Teachable Moment: Global Citizenship

Nelson Mandela's statement that "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world" is popularly quoted by educators. Are you striving to inspire your young learners to change the world through your teaching? Today I am sharing a few ideas for building global citizens within the classroom through a stream of teachable moments.

Free Friday: Digital Citizenship

Ever since my students I completed the "Webonauts Internet Academy" by PBSKids together a few months ago, they have been hooked. Every time they earn free choice time in the computer lab, the first activity they choose to return to is the Webonauts. However, there are quite a few good resources out there for teaching digital citizenship or promoting awareness of Internet safety that I'd like to share today.

Teachable Moments: Digital Manners

Inspired by my current graduate classes which are focused on global perspectives and virtual schooling, I will be highlighting a few easy ways to impress on young learners the necessity for using their manners when interacting online.

Free Friday: Popplet

Thinking maps, graphic organizers, lists, diagrams....these are all tools we utilize on a daily basis to help our students organize their thoughts, knowledge, and questions. Most teachers commonly use paper copies of these structures or hand draw them on the board, but Popplet is a tool that expands possibilities in the realm of brainstorming, sequencing, and mapping with young learners.

Teachable Moments: Printing

Have you ever gotten to the end of computer lab time and asked your students to press the print button only to watch all of their hands go up multiple times as they walk their way through the series of print screens? Take a moment to check your students knowledge of how the printing process works and provide them with a foundation for how machines communicate with one another!

Free Friday: Google Doc Story

One of my students greatest challenges in our second grade writing curriculum was the concept of dialogue - how to read it, how to write it, and when it was appropriate to use it! When I discovered Google Doc Story Builder, the concept easily clicked for them. Not to mention, it motivated some of my reluctant writers to beg to be able to use this resource in the computer lab.

A Digital City of Stories: Part One

As my second grade team begins to wrap up a unique project-based learning experience with our students, I wanted to bring an in-depth look at the process behind the product to you. Stay tuned for a posting all about the final product in early June.

Teachable Moments: The Mouse/Touch Screen

So, I have a pretty good feeling that most early childhood educators are probably raising an eyebrow and going "huh?" over the mention of trying to teach young learners about the different clicks on a mouse or gestures on a touch screen. However, if you teach the basics about the tools your students use to operate a computer their ability to troubleshoot in the computer will greatly increase!

Free Friday: Wonderopolis

Have you ever wondered what's in a Wonderball? Well, if you didn't grow up in the 90's you probably haven't. But, I bet you or your students have wondered about a wide variety of other things! This week's featured resource is Wonderopolis.

Teachable Moments: The URL

Has a student ever asked a question during class that has caused you to stop and "Google it?" This is an almost daily occurrence in my classroom especially when we are reading any sort of text (especially non-fiction) or observing a special holiday. If you left it up to your students to choose the best result to find the answer to their question, would they make a good choice?

Free Friday: Interactive Sites Weebly

Whether you are familiar with an interactive whiteboard, or not, the site Interactive Sites for Education, created and maintained by Karen Ogren is an invaluable resource in the elementary classroom. Karen has graciously compiled a multitude of online games and activities based on their subject matter for use by teachers and students.

Teachable Moments: The Password

Every Monday I will be highlighting a small moment during the school day that could be easily used for teaching educational technology skills and content with minimal interruption to your scheduled lesson plan. These teachable moments are valuable opportunities to help your young learners become digitally literate! I will also be including some ideas to transform these moments into stand alone lessons, as well.

Free Friday: Online Typing Programs

I am going to feature some of the free technology tools and resources I use regularly in my classroom every Friday. On occasion there will also be a free printable or lesson resource produced by me included! Be sure to check back next Friday for the next featured tool/resource! If you are looking for a resource for a particular purpose or content area, I'd love to hear about it!

Teachable Moments: The Computer Lab Trap

My school district has no formal digital literacy curriculum so time in the computer lab is often spent on STAR Reading and Math assessments, reading and playing games on Starfall, on CoolMath4Kids, etc. While I do not discount these activities and recognize their potential in providing valuable reinforcement of essential skills (there is never enough instructional time), I believe we are doing a disservice to our students by using websites in isolation. Our approach to computer lab time should be a comprehensive one.

Young Learners and the Smartboard

While more and more classrooms are being equipped with Smartboard technology, it remains a daunting task for teachers to fully utilize the many capabilities of the board with young learners. Students between the ages of three and eight encounter several unique challenges when working with the Smartboard and teachers are frequently overwhelmed with where to start or how to create material to be used with the board. While there is so much that could be covered, I have selected just a few of my favorite tips that have been received as the most eye-opening to fellow teachers.

Adapt:

• Touches
• Small children sometimes have trouble navigating the Smartboard using their hands because they haven't figured out how to apply that "just right" amount of pressure. This quickly becomes the frustrating battle of moving objects only a few centimeters at a time. Try having your students make a fist with their thumb adjacent to their pointer finger and placing their whole hand in this position on the Smartboard to select and manipulate objects.
• Pointers
• Height is also a frequent problem with Smartboards, particularly when they are unilaterally installed school wide at one set height. Stock up on as many pointers as you can! Amazon has a great selection for a good price. Allow students to use pointers to reach those items at the top of the screen or across the screen from them. This will also cut down on the shadow effect that commonly stumps young learners as they go to click on an object or write only to find their few blocked by their bodies. By using pointers, students are able to better understand how to re-position themselves due to their greater range of motion.
• Wireless Keyboard
• Many teachers have expressed frustration at having to sit at the computer during Smartboard lessons to type in information on the computer when a link takes them to a search engine or other interactive website. If this is your case it is worth talking to your tech team about investing in a Wireless Keyboard (preferably one with a track pad) that you, or your students, can use to manipulate websites and other features of Smart Notebook software more easily. Not to mention, this can be a great alternative for those students who still struggle to interact physically with the Smartboard or who are unable to interact due to other limitations.
• Re-Alignment Screen
• The need to re-align your Smartboard must occur at least once, if not fifteen times a day in an early childhood classroom. It never seems like the projector cart can stay clear of the stray student wandering past and is constantly just the slightest bit off, making it difficult to interact successfully with the Smartboard. Make the re-alignment process a routine that your students are a part of - all too frequently the 10-15 seconds it takes to re-align Smartboards has caused student focus to crack and crumble. I recommend requiring the students to count with me, run through the sight word list, or clap every time I press a re-alignment point. Additionally, to ensure your Smartboard is at its most accurate, try touching the pen (or your finger) to a point about 6-8 inches away from the re-alignment point and then dragging it over to the exact spot in the middle of the point. This will speed up the process and prevent you from having to go back and re-do points where you may not have hit the target exactly!

Don't Work Alone:

• Smart Exchange
• I have been surprised by the number of teachers that are not aware of Smart Exchange. It is an online community (requires a sign-up, but is still free!) comprised of teachers and other educational professionals who can post and retrieve lesson covering a BROAD spectrum of curriculum. Smart Exchange is a great place to start when you are creating a lesson. There is no reason to re-invent the wheel when another teacher might have already compiled a lesson for the curriculum you are interested in teaching. If you don't find exactly what you are looking for, it is still a good idea to find a "shell" that you can adapt by substituting your own information, or to find ideas for how you might like to go about teaching a particular lesson. It is a wonderful free resource that teachers who are both experienced and inexperienced with the Smartboard should check out!
• Team Files
• If you are fortunate to work with a team of early childhood educators, take the opportunity to divide and conquer a unit or set of lessons you might want to utilize the Smartboard for. You might consider each taking a lesson and storing it on a group file on your school network. Or, perhaps you might want to get in touch with colleagues at other schools if the project is particularly large. It is best not to try and take it all on yourself, working in teams is a great opportunity to learn from other's experiences and tackle new challenges to make them more manageable.

While these tips will be extremely helpful in fully realizing the potential of a Smartboard in the early childhood classroom, the best thing you can do for your students is to model expected behaviors repeatedly. By showing children what you expect their interactions with the Smartboard to be, including the steps they should take in troubleshooting, taking turns, and navigating home, you will find yourself able to successfully utilize the Smartboard one lesson at a time!