Letter Tracer

I am student teaching in a kindergarten classroom that utilizes “Rest Time”. For 45 minutes in the afternoon every day, the students are expected to lie on their towels and draw/write in their notebooks (or can choose to relax). Since writing is encouraged during this time period, I have been using Letter Tracer ($0.99) with the children in combination with their already existing notebooks. The students are to say the letter name, trace the letters with their index finger on the iPod, then write the letter in their notebooks. My cooperating teacher is focusing on the Fountas & Pinnell letter formation language, so I have been implementing the “talking letter” language into these mini-lessons. For example, to write an uppercase A, the letter formation language is:

Slant down

Slant down

Across. 

The students sit near me, while I stuff go home folders, so that I can reinforce the "talking letters" and assess the students randomly throughout the alphabet. Once they have completed all 26 letters, it is time for someone to use it!

Some ideas to differentiate among learners:

• Ask students for the sound the letter makes,
• Students can write the letter in lowercase (it appears as an uppercase on the screen),
• Students can write both uppercase and lowercase, 
• Students can write a word that starts with the letter, or has the letter in it,
• After the student has completed the alphabet, ask them to circle the vowels. 

The only downfall I found with this app is that is it not Zaner-Bloser handwriting and so the uppercase I looks like a lowercase l, which confuses some of the students. 

Obstacle Course..

We are a third of the way through this spring semester and I am still struggling to find time to fit everything into the day. For a week now, I have had 5 iPod Touches in my possession to be used in my kindergarten classroom. I spent a few moments charging one to test out and play around with it. I need to become more familiar with this device before bringing into the classroom.


A few obstacles have popped up... Since I still live in the stone age, I cannot access wireless Internet in my apartment. Off to campus I go to and it works beautifully. I test out a few games that are already available on the iPod and search the Apple iTunes App Store but I am still so incredibly new to this I do not download any new apps for kindergarten level, not yet.


It dawns on me the next day, that I will need wireless access to the Internet while I am at school in order for the students to use the iPods. Again, I run into a similar obstacle. I now need access to the wireless server for our school and what on earth would the password be? After speaking with the principal on Friday, February 18th, it is my understanding the iPods will have access the following school week!


I have chosen to begin this experiment with students who are struggling in academics. After viewing PALS (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening) scores from the benchmark testing, which occurred in the end of January, I have chosen 4 out of 16 students to work with during "rest time" that last 45 minutes each day. I will focus on alphabet games - recognizing letter names, letter sounds, and letter formation - and number games - recognizing numbers, forming numbers, and begin simple addition and subtraction. As I acquire more apps and games I will implement the iPods into the morning center, which will allow all the students to have 15 minutes working on the iPods daily.


It is my goal to begin blogging twice a week, I will share lesson ideas, good/appropriate apps to use with kindergarteners, other materials if used in collaboration with devices, as well as, videos of students using the iPods. But in the meantime, check out the iLearn Website for Teachers. Grade profiles has a handful of videos and testimonials from teachers using iPods in the classroom!

Horizon Report

Most technology buffs already know the Horizon Report (2011) is a great source of upcoming, innovative technologies that will most likely “have a large impact over the coming five years on a variety of sectors around the globe” (p. 2). We have already seen the addiction most Americans have with their mobile phones, smartphones, iPods, and much more. Most electronic geeks already have their hands on an electronic book (Kindle, Nook) but many Americans are still debating this endeavor. I, for one, still enjoy highlighting passages, taking notes in the margin, and being able to read in bed. Apparently all of the above can be done with an electronic book! Electronic books hit Main Street within the past year or so, and have started to transform our definition of reading, learning, and studying. Gone are the days of lugging around a 20-pound backpack, killing millions on trees, and the never-ending search for a pen.

Electronic books with web browsing ability such as iPads and Samsung Galaxy are making reading a more social and collaborative activity, engaging readers, instead of isolating people. Some universities are thinking about switching to electronic textbooks, which would “secure cheaper buying options for the students” (p. 9) that is, if you already own an electronic book. Stanford University School of Medicine has begun to utilize this tool by supplying their medical students with iPads to provide them with interactive study materials (graphics, videos) to maximize their free time in between classes without the heavy backpack (featured on page 10). As I continue to travel home to Rhode Island for holidays and special occasions, it’s usually a toss-up for which textbook (or magazines) I’ll bring with me, having an electronic book I could bring them all!

Now, take a moment and think back to grade school, when you first learned to read. Everyone was so excited to hear to read a short story, and as you became a stronger reader, what happened? They asked you to “whisper read” or “read yourself” or “spend 20 minutes in your bedroom reading... to yourself”. Now imagine a classroom (or household) with an electronic book with web browsing, children are able to read wherever, whenever, and share it or publish a video with whomever they wish. A treasure to all those parents overseas. Children could access interactive, online websites to strengthen their academics, while on vacation, or at the dentist office. As an elementary educator I envision positive learning experiences for children with a variety of learning needs, with and without support, when utilizing an electronic book. “The promise offered by the technology is such that electronic books are being explored in virtually every discipline” (p. 9). Endless possibilities will arise from this new phenomenon.

iPod Touches in Kindergarten?

RU just finished up with the third week of classes this semester :) 12 more weeks until Graduation.. eeek!! I'm in the process of figuring out my course project/objective. There's a slight possibility of acquiring iPod Touches for my classroom full of Kindergarteners. Now I need to figure out what I can do with the children and an iPod touch. As a requirement of this course, I have signed up to be a member of Classroom 2.0 which has an abundance of resources and information on how to integrate technology into the classroom. The only problem is I have been coming across plenty of comments about using iPod Touches in the upper grades - middle and high school - but I'm working with 5- and 6-year olds. 


Any suggestions folks? Once I have a definite answer of whether or not RU will be able to loan my classroom a handful of iPod Touches, I will dive into the iPod world and hopefully come out with something useful for everyone. Stay tuned!