November in the Lab

The month of November was very busy in the computer lab.

Kindergarten: Students continued their exploration of the program Kidspiration learning how to use pre-made sorting circles and Venn diagrams to organize pictures. They are gaining independence as they launch programs and print on their own.

First graders used Kidspiration to create their own word webs and Venn diagrams. In addition, they used the program Early Learning Toolkit (ELT) to write and illustrate stories problems inspired by the book 12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam. Finally they designed avatars (online identities) for a Voice Thread project on the human body.


Second graders began using the Internet for research. Using the online encyclopedia World Book for Kids, students worked with partners to research animals found in the rain forests of South America. They practiced the skill of taking notes and then used the notes to write informational paragraphs using Microsoft Word. Writing friendly letters to their parents about South America provided additional practice of word processing skills.

Third graders ended their second rotation in the lab with a geocaching experience. Using handheld GPS, groups navigated across campus to find caches. Inside the caches were objects such as colored bears, erasers, and small toys. Students worked together to sort the objects and then used the online tool Create a Graph (www.createagraph.com) to make bar graphs.


Fourth Graders spent their second rotation reviewing the basics of Microsoft Word, Inspiration, and Excel. Students wrote haiku poetry, created All About Me webs, and sorted data about rivers of the world. In Word, students practiced aligning text, formatting fonts, and copying and pasting both images and URL addresses. In Excel, students learned that a spreadsheet is used to organize and display data and were introduced to important vocabulary such as row, column, cell, data, sort, etc. They also learned how to use Chart Wizard to create a bar graph, label the axis, and edit graph features such as the legend, labels, and bar colors. In Inspiration, students learned how to use colors and shapes to visually organize information.

Symmetrical Monsters

Kindergarteners visited the lab to learn about symmetry. After viewing a short video on symmetry around the world, students looked at a variety of monster puppets to see if they were symmetrical. Students had keen eyes noticing differences in eyes, mouths, spots, and antennae that prevented the puppets from being symmetrical. They then had the chance to create their own symmetrical monsters using a symmetry template in the drawing program Early Learning Toolkit.

Alliteration Slideshow 2009

Here is the alliteration slideshow that debuted at the 2nd Grade program, A Small Part of the World, last Friday. The students were so creative!

Alliteration Slideshow 2009 from Anna Baralt on Vimeo.

Graphing with Skittles

First graders continue learning about different types of graphs. During this visit, each student was given a bag of fun-size Skittles to graph. Our goal for the project was to determine if each bag of candy has the same number inside. Once the students graphed their bags independently using The Graph Club, we gathered as a class to tally which number appeared the most. In case you are wondering, a typical bag of fun-size Skittles has 15 Skittles inside. This was definitely a tasty way to graph!

Typing Away in 4th Grade

After fixing a few issues with our new typing program, Type to Learn 4, 4th grade students are getting back on schedule with their lessons. Each class will visit the computer lab twice a week for 20 minutes to practice their typing skills. Students progress through sequential lessons, learning two to three keystrokes at a time. Lessons begin with the home row ASDF JKL;. Keyboard covers are used to encourage tough typing and assessments are built into the program. The goal for the year is to have students leaving 4th grade typing 15 WPM with at least 90% accuracy.

You can learn more about the program they are using from the Type to Learn 4: Agents of Information website.

2nd Graders Learn All About Alliteration

Alliteration is defined as "the repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables" (Answer.com) One example of alliteration is a tongue twister. Who can forget Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers!

Second graders are creating country alliterations in conjunction with their "Small Part of the World" program. Using the first sound of their first name, they were each assigned a country from around the world. After learning on which continent their country is located as well as what its flag looks like, they used dictionaries to identify nouns, adjectives, and verbs that begin with their sound. Next week, they will write their alliterations and illustrate them.

1st Graders Use the Super Grouper Tool

During their visit to the lab this week, first graders and I discussed the concept of sorting. We talked about different ways to organize materials and brainstormed ways we use sorting in our everyday lives. This discussion led to the introduction of a new tool in Kidspiration called "super grouper". Students used teacher-created templates to sort in Kindergarten. As first graders, students learned to use the tool independently.

After a group sorting activity on the floor, students were sent to the computers. Each student was given a card with a topic to sort such as fruits/not fruits, fast/slow, and round/square. Here is an example:

4th Grade Washington, DC WebQuest

Fourth grade students are participating in a WebQuest about Washington, DC during their first three week rotation in the computer lab. A WebQuest is an inquiry-based activity in which the information used by students comes from the Web. According to Bernie Dodge, the inventor of the WebQuest, a real WebQuest....

1) is a task that is a scaled down version of something adults would do as citizens or workers.
2) requires higher level thinking including analysis, problem-solving, synthesis, creativity and judgment.
3) makes good use of the Web.

Here is some information about our project. You can see the complete WebQuest here.

Project Introduction:
The Funtastic Travel Agency in downtown St. Petersburg has asked for your help. They are planning a bus tour across the continental U.S. with stops in each state's capital as well as Washington, DC. Since there is so much to do in D.C. and each person taking the tour has different interests, they are asking you to help plan individualized tours for each of the passengers.

Student Tasks:
Task 1
Read the bibliographical information of your assigned passenger and find six places in Washington, D.C. that you think will be of interest to him or her. Use the Web sites provided to identify the six tour stops as well as to research interesting facts about each one. Use the handout provided to record your facts.

Task 2
Use the information gathered during the research process to create a series of Web pages using iWeb. Your presentation should include text, graphics, and audio (if time permits).

Wordle of the Week

Did you know that I love geography? I love teaching it and challenging my students to learn about the world around them. I incorporate geography-related units throughout the year. Another way I challenge students to think geographically is through my "Wordle of the Week." Each week I create a new word cloud and post it in the classroom. The students look at the words and figure out how they are related. Sometimes the Wordles have one connection, sometimes two or three. Can you solve this week's?

VoiceThread for Peace

Listen to 2nd and 5th graders share about peace, what it means to them, and how they can support peace each day. You can see a full view of the project here.

What is an Avatar?

In preparation for an online project, second graders learned about avatars this week. An avatar is a two-dimensional picture used on the Internet to represent a computer user. As student use of the Internet continues to increase exponentially, every effort is made to help keep student identities safe. Using avatars is just one way to help children participate in online communities while maintaining their privacy. Students had so much fun creating a Lego Man avatar. Look in E-bytes next week to see their avatars in action.

Meet Firefoot, Mrs. Swirly Whirl, Sparky and Curly Q

Last March, the second graders released four travel bugs out into the world. A travel bug is a trackable item that moves from place to place through the sport of geocaching. At the end of this month, Shorecrest 2nd graders will release four more bugs.

Creating the Bugs:
Many people attach their trackable tags to items such as key chains, stuffed toys, or other small objects. Shorecrest travel bugs are special because everyone in the class has a chance to contribute to its creation. Using my class SmartBoard and the drawing program Early Learning Toolkit, each child in the class drew one part of the bug, adding on to what was drawn before them. Next, each class voted on a name for their bug as well as wrote the goal for their bugs.

Travel Bug Names & Goals:
Curly Q. (Ms. Graham's Class) would like to see Mount Rushmore.
Sparky (Miss Hartz's Class) would like to reach Hawaii.
Mrs. Swirly Whirl (Ms. Cameron's Class) would like to visit the Sears Tower.
Firefoot (Mrs. O'Mullane's Class) would like to stop in New York to see the Statue of Liberty and then visit the Grand Canyon.

Tracking the Travel Bugs
As travel bugs are retrieved from and dropped off in caches, their movements are logged on the Geocaching.com website. I have set my account to send me email notifications anytime a bug is moved. This allows me to give the classes weekly updates. The students will then use Google Earth to record each bug's travels. In addition, I have a large map in my classroom where the students will place pins when the bugs are moved.

Teaching geography through travel bugs couldn't be more fun!

First Grade Name Webs in Kidspiration

Kidspiration is a kid-friendly mapping tool that allows students to organize ideas visually. Students write text or add pictures based on a main idea. Text and pictures can then be linked together to show connections. First graders used "Picture View" to create a name web last week. They practiced launching the program, changing the main idea, adding pictures from the library, and creating links to make their web. They also reviewed how to print independently.

Fun with Wordle

I just love the site www.wordle.net, and so do the kids. Wordle is an online tool that allows you to make "word clouds" from text. These "word clouds" can be printed out or saved as images. Words typed more than once are more prominent in the final graphic. Students can format clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. Third graders made Wordles about themselves while fourth graders created Wordles highlighting aspects of digital citizenship.

2nd Grade Fun with Google Earth

For their first visit to the computer lab, second grade students were asked to demonstrate their present knowledge of the world by drawing their own map. Each child was given a piece of paper and asked to think about the maps they have seen before. For fifteen minutes they sketched and labeled - and when it was all done, these young cartographers learned that it is really hard to make a world map that looks like the world!

So begins their geographic journey. As they study the seven continents in their classrooms throughout the school year, they will also participate in a variety of technology experiences with tools such as online atlases, encyclopedias, hand-held GPS and Google Earth in the lab.

Today, they learned how to fly around Google Earth viewing satellite imagery, maps, and terrain. After moving form Earth > Continent > Country > State > City and seeing our school from a "bird's eye view," they flew to their own homes. (This required students writing their home address on a note card before coming to the lab.) The students were delighted to see their rooftops as well as those of their friends.

You can download Google Earth 5.0 for free from http://earth.google.com/intl/en/download-earth.html.

Summer's Gone

I can't believe it is time again to kick off a new school year. The summer sure went by fast. I look forward to hearing about all your wonderful adventures - especially the incredible places you traveled! I was very lucky to spend time in our nation's capital Washington, DC for a week. My family and I had great fun visiting the Museum of American History, the National Gallery of Art, and Union Station. We took an elevator ride to the top of the Washington Monument and climbed the steps to the Lincoln Memorial. We rode the Metro to Arlington National Cemetery and watched the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. We even took in a baseball game, watching the Washington Nationals beat the Boston Red Sox. I could go on and on about all the amazing places I visited, so instead I am sharing this video of our trip. Enjoy!