Intec Newsletter
May 2013
Great Technology Workshops For You!
There are some great learning opportunities coming up for SC educators. Click the links below to learn more and to sign up for these fun workshops and conferences. But hurry- some of these workshops are filling up fast!
iPad Walk for Curriculum- 5/9 (FREE)
Geocaching and QR Code Day- 5/18 (FREE)
Upstate Technology Conference- 7/9 to 7/10
Students at Leaphart Elementary School Create a Math Parody Song Using Audacity
Mrs. Norris, with the help of her 5th grade math students Jay and Edward, wrote a math song called "It's Volume and I Know It". Enter the recording studio as you watch the video below where music teacher Cindy Reeves records these talented students singing and recording with the program Audacity. Jay and Edward, along with InTec Specialist Andrea Rollison and their classmates, are in the process of creating a music video to go along with their song. Students from Irmo High School will then use the recordings to complete the final music video. Check it out in our next technology newsletter.
It's Volume and I Know It Recording Studio
Click on the link below to listen to their song.
Irmo Elementary School 4K Students JellyCam Safety Videos!
Margaret Nickerson's 4K students created a series of safety videos using JellyCam. JellyCam is FREE stop motion animation. Stop motion animation is a series of still digital pictures that makes a movie when put together using software. The students created a community (neighborhood, playground, etc.) and then each student created their own character. Each small group created an example of a way to be safe (i.e. seatbelt safety) using stop motion images. Please click here to view this 4K JellyCam!
Please click here to download JellyCam!
Please click here to download JellyCam!
HWES Kindergarten Students Record Their ABC's with the PixnTell App on the iPad
Ms. William's Kindergarten Class at Harbison West has been working very hard to learn their ABC's. Using the iPad, a picture was taken from students' alphabet books (one from each letter of the alphabet) and pulled into the PixnTell app. Then students worked with Mrs. Ogen to record themselves reading their page. Now Ms. William's Class has a great video and a way to remember all of their letters. We hope you enjoy watching it, too!
Our ABC Book The Movie
River Springs, Leaphart, and Chapin Elementary Students Create Mother's Day Tagxedo Silhouettes
This fun activity integrated language arts and visual arts while creating a beautiful memento to have forever. Students came up with adjectives to describe their mother or caregiver and typed the words into Tagxedo to create the Tagxedo Silhouette.
Click here to view projects.
Click here to view projects.
NRES 5th Grade Uses Timetoast.com to Review
Mrs. Riddick and Mrs. Quarles' 5th grade classes have enjoyed making interactive timelines with Timetoast.com. Each student was responsible for creating a timeline of a Chapter from their history book as a review. Students easily added facts and images to complete their timeline. The interactive timelines can now be embedded in the teacher webpages to share with other students, family and friends.
H.E. Corley Focused Planning Empowering Teachers to Integrate Technology!
H.E. Corley Principal, Dr. Judy Franchini, utilizes Focused Planning during the instructional day for grade level teams of teachers to delve deeper into topics of interest and explore and learn. Dr. Franchini allots a two hour block of Focused Planning time for each grade level (during the contract day). Substitute teachers cover classes and teachers collaborate with specialists in their chosen topics of interest. This year HEC Kindergarten, Second Grade, Fourth Grade, and Fifth Grade teachers selected technology for Focused Planning.
Dr. Judy Franchini, H.E. Corley principal says "We're used Focused Planning for several years. The uninterrupted two hour period of time was a very effective way to provide quality on-the-job professional development. We've watched teachers, who do not respond well to the on-the-fly, get and grab type of PD, think more carefully and reflectively about what's happening with their students and the quality of the instruction they are providing."
HEC InTec Andrea Baker met with grade levels prior to the first Focused Planning that occurred in November to plan the two hour Focused Planning agenda with the grade levels. The topics were primarily selected by the teachers with additional suggestions made by HEC InTec Andrea Baker and Principal Judy Franchini.
The H.E. Corley March 2013 Focused Planning agenda included learning about Smilebox. Click here to view 2nd grade teacher Shannon Herin's Smilebox about Spirithawk and Native American Artifacts.
Dr. Judy Franchini, H.E. Corley principal says "We're used Focused Planning for several years. The uninterrupted two hour period of time was a very effective way to provide quality on-the-job professional development. We've watched teachers, who do not respond well to the on-the-fly, get and grab type of PD, think more carefully and reflectively about what's happening with their students and the quality of the instruction they are providing."
HEC InTec Andrea Baker met with grade levels prior to the first Focused Planning that occurred in November to plan the two hour Focused Planning agenda with the grade levels. The topics were primarily selected by the teachers with additional suggestions made by HEC InTec Andrea Baker and Principal Judy Franchini.
The H.E. Corley March 2013 Focused Planning agenda included learning about Smilebox. Click here to view 2nd grade teacher Shannon Herin's Smilebox about Spirithawk and Native American Artifacts.
River Springs 2nd Graders Explain the Properties of Matter
Second grade students show what they learned about properties of matter by creating a paper slide video. They wrote a script and illustrated their understanding of matter on paper. They then recorded themselves reading the script while showing their illustrations.
Click below to see Mrs. Pennington's Class.
Click below to see Mrs. Pennington's Class.
Lake Murray 2nd Grade Students Explain Math Strategies
Mrs. Randolph's 2nd Grade students know how to solve math problems and they can show you how! They recently learned how to use the Show Me app on the iPads which allows them to write and record their voices at the same time while they explain what they are doing. This app is great for students to explain any concept- especially math. Listen to the example below as Trey explains subtraction with regrouping! Talk about Common Core!
Trey's regrouping subtraction Math ShowMe
Seven Oaks and Irmo Elementary School Teachers Pilot Doceri!
Doceri is an interactive whiteboard for the iPad. Imagine being able to hold your iPad and walk freely around the room untethered to the SmartBoard. Sound too good to be true? Not with Doceri!
Doceri connects wirelessly to the SmartBoard via the teacher laptop. If you want to try it out yourself, please go to http://doceri.com/. There is a free trial to test the software on your laptop and the Doceri app is free.
Sarah Fischer, SOES Math Interventionist and Doceri user, says, "Doceri is a great program to engage students in your classroom. Students can manipulate items on the iPad all while allowing it to show the same thing on the board. Teachers can monitor all students while still using the whiteboard tools and lessons as she/he walks around the room. This program allows teachers and students to become more interactive and focused on learning."
Five Seven Oaks Elementary School teachers are piloting the paid versions and working on a variety of Doceri presentations over the summer to wirelessly present to SOES teachers during preservice days in August. Eight Irmo Elementary School teachers who have volunteered to serve on the IES Technology Committee the rest of this year and next are piloting paid versions of Doceri.
Doceri connects wirelessly to the SmartBoard via the teacher laptop. If you want to try it out yourself, please go to http://doceri.com/. There is a free trial to test the software on your laptop and the Doceri app is free.
Sarah Fischer, SOES Math Interventionist and Doceri user, says, "Doceri is a great program to engage students in your classroom. Students can manipulate items on the iPad all while allowing it to show the same thing on the board. Teachers can monitor all students while still using the whiteboard tools and lessons as she/he walks around the room. This program allows teachers and students to become more interactive and focused on learning."
Five Seven Oaks Elementary School teachers are piloting the paid versions and working on a variety of Doceri presentations over the summer to wirelessly present to SOES teachers during preservice days in August. Eight Irmo Elementary School teachers who have volunteered to serve on the IES Technology Committee the rest of this year and next are piloting paid versions of Doceri.
Ballentine Spanish Students Create Interactive QR Codes
Denise Quickel designed a creative project for her Spanish students that had them engaged in learning on a whole new level. The students illustrated flags for Latin countries, then recorded a description of the flag in Spanish using Chirbit. The kids then created their own qr codes which they could use to listen to each of the descriptions and match to their flags. As an itinerant teacher, Mrs. Quickel also did this activity with her HE Corley students. Scan the center pic below to get a sample of their fabulous work!
Oak Pointe Students Educache
Fifth graders in Mrs. Stokes' science class were able to get a hands-on experience in their study of land forms. Students used GPS trackers to hunt down erosion, deposition, weathering and other geological marvels at their very own school grounds. They used ipods to take pictures of the types of earth changes they saw. Students were very enthusiastic about this project that got them moving, thinking, and documenting.
Dutch Fork Elementary Fifth Graders Get Into the Car Business
Heather Mims' students created and experimented with cars to learn about Forces and Motion. They decided to incorporate literacy and media studies into the mix and kick it up a notch by creating car commercials to persuade buyers that their groups' cars were a must-have. Great job fusing science with creativity, communication, and collaboration.