Weekly reader online!

I am beginning  to find more and more ways to bring technology into the classrooms.  The other day I found out the the "weekly reader"  has an online version.  This informative news paper for children has come a long way since the flimsy newsprint when I was in 2nd grade!  The site allows you to further explore the information they give you in the paper handout.  There are interesting real life photos, songs and games, and even gives the reader the phonetic sounds of some of the harder or unfamiliar.  We were looking at the latest articles about bats and night creatures.  The articles often relate to the seasons and current events all over the world.  A great tool for social studies and for current event.   The only problems I found with the site were that you had to get a username and the site required a small fee.  Also we only had one computer in our room so you would have to have the children come up a few at a time to explore the site. You might also want to have headphones so the children can listen along to the songs and words with out disturbing the other members of the class.  The songs are educational but can get a little silly :) Click here for the Weekly Reader online.

Project approach lesson about Monarchs

  One of my teacher's sent me this link in another class.  I thought it was  fitting to share it with everyone else.  It is a video about using a computer program called " Journey North".  Teachers use the program and the Internet to document the migration of the monarch butterfly from Mexico to  The US (There are also programs for other  migratory animals).  

Curriculum also allows a big opportunity for multicultural learning which I noticed many of you were interested in.  I really liked the idea in this, of the students sending paper butterflies to others students in Mexico to mimic the butterflies migration.

I added the site to my "Great Ideas" list, so I just wanted to share it with you.  

Video was very slow when I first uploaded it, but is smoother the second time through.  Hope you find this useful!

http://www.edutopia.org/journey-north

Fast Math

I was in my field placement ( a second grade classroom)  in Bangor, and I was introduced to a program they are using in the school.  I was a math program called "Fast Math".  It was interesting to see technology being used in an early childhood classroom, and in a community that is by no means wealthy.

Children are introduced the program in second grade, and continue on with it through third.  It starts off with a typing test, to determine the child's typing speed ( ex:  the screen show the number 2 and the child types 2. The screen shows 11 the child types 11 etc..).  Once the speed has been determined the child is given simple addition facts.  A child must get a certain number of facts ( ex: all math facts that add up to 5, 4+1+, 5+0=, 2+3= etc..) at a predetermined speed ( unknown to child and to me) to qualify them as "fast facts".  As the child masters the facts the program allows them to choose different display themes and different options as rewards.  As the child's skills advance so does the degree of difficulty in the addition problems.  Once they have mastered addition they move on to subtraction.  From subtraction to multiplication, and then onto division.  

The educators I was talking to said they decided to introduce the program to their second graders right away this year ( instead of later on in the school year) in hopes that the children will be able to get through the subtraction part and be ready for the multiplication and division section when they enter third grade.  An added bonus is that they will already be familiar with  the program and and know what they can expect from it. 

This program reminded me of Math blaster.  A computer game that was very popular when i was younger.  Though this program is less like a game then math blaster, it is still more exciting to the children then flash cards!! :)

They also have a reading program for the third grades that is created by scholastic, however I personally did not get a chance to review this.  The educators opinion of this reading program seem to be mixed, so i will reserve my judgement until I can see what it is like for myself! 

I have included a link where you could review this product if you would like more information on it!  

http://www.scholastic.ca/education/tom-snyder/m-fastmath.html