Another great article on iPads

Another great article about using iPads in the classroom -
17 Real-World Ways iPads Are Being Used in Schools

iPads in Education

The following link (http://www.scoop.it/t/ipadsineducation) provides a variety of articles about using iPads in the education field, from the use with young children up through the college years.  5 iPad Apps for Students with Disabilities and
10 Popular Tools Being Used On iPads In The Classroom were two articles that caught my eye.  The site features many other articles and includes links to other educators using iPads in their classrooms.

Preschool Expectations Digital Stories

In my PreK Special Ed classes I frequently use social stories to teach children about feelings, calming down, as well as classroom rules and expectations.  As part of a SPDG PBIS Grant through SERC, our department created a set of social stories about our preschool expectations.

With having an interactive whiteboard in my classroom that I frequently use for instruction, I decided to turn these social stories digital.  I am anticipating creating a whole series relating to different parts of our day including snack, the hallway and the bus.  In the digital stories you will note repeated phrases and pictures, especially our three preschool expectations, be safe, be kind and do your best!

Pinterest and Education

 
Take a look at the Wiki about Pinterest and Education.  There are many great links and ideas about how to get started pinning! 

There are also links in the Wiki to my Pinterest page and links to all my education related boards!

Happy Pinning!!

Tagxedo

Amazing Web Tool!  Thank you to KHaggs07 and her blog for introducing me to Tagxedo and all the wonderful things this website can do.  First thing that came to mind is art for my classroom using children's names.  Here is the Tagxedo I created using my blog posts...

The Pinterest Addictions

So I admit, I have an addiction.  Pinterest.  But how can you not be addicted?  All these ideas at your finger tips... from recipes to household DIY ideas but even better lesson ideas galore.  I often find my first stop in planning these days is a trip to Pinterest.  In fact I have even started to create various "boards" matching topics and themes for my classroom.  As a preschool teacher I often have to think outside the box for lesson planning as I don't have a full set of prescribed curriculums I follow.  I have found Pinterest to be a great tool in developing lessons and ideas for use in my classroom.  Take a look... follow me on Pinterest.

Digital Storytelling in the Preschool Classroom

In trying to figure out how to incorporate digital storytelling in my preschool classroom, the example provided from the Gryphon House Blog really helped clear the air on what a digital story is and can be. 

"Have you watched a wedding video lately? Many times the video starts with music playing in the background while visually zooming in on still photographs, such as pictures of the spouses’ childhood homes and baby pictures, then moves seamlessly to actual video of the ceremony and reception. That is an example of how digital storytelling works."

This blog posts continues to provide ideas and resources to use when creating digital stories in the classroom including Voki, StoryBird, and StoryCenter.org.  It also provides an example of a digital story that was created by a teacher in New Jersey using Voice Thread.  This teacher was national recognized for her the digital story her class created about polar bears.