December 10, 2014 by plemmonsa

Coding and Beyond with PreK Using Sphero, Osmo, iPads, Computers, and Books

I love it when a small seed of an idea turns into something much more. A few weeks ago, I approached PreK about using our Sphero to practice writing letters. I knew that PreK was working on forming the letters of the alphabet and I thought that the Sphero Draw and Drive app would be a perfect way to merge letter practice with some programming. I originally thought that small groups might come to the library and use the Sphero with me, but further brainstorming with Ms. Heather resulted in us deciding to do 5 centers that students would rotate through in order to experience many technology, math, and literacy experiences.

Ms. Heather’s class has been bubbling with excitement about coming to the library to try out all of these centers. Ms. Heather split the class up into 5 groups which was 4-5 students per group. Ms. Heather, Ms. Melissa (parapro), Ms. Callahan (parent), and I all led a center and one center was independent. Each center lasted about 10 minutes and took up about an hour with transitions. Here’s what they did.

Center 1: Hour of Code programming with Sphero

Since this week is our hour of code, I was so glad that PreK got to experience an aspect of coding. While coding didn’t fill up our hour, it certainly sparked their interest in how to make a computer or robot do what you want it to. Students sat in a row and each took a turn to think of a letter to practice drawing. Using the Draw and Drive app on iPad, students drew a letter and pressed play. The Sphero drove around the carpet in the shape of that letter. With a shake of the iPad, the letter was erased and the next student had a turn.

We repeated this process over and over until we were out of time. Each time the robot rolled around the floor there was a burst of excitement. As the facilitator, I asked students about the letters that they were drawing to make sure that they understood what they were trying to draw.

Center 2: Osmo Tangrams and Words

Our Osmo devices are one of our favorite tools in the library. The Osmo is came out this summer. It includes a base to put the iPad in and a red attachment to place over the camera. Osmo comes with 2 sets of tools to use with the apps: a set of letter tiles and a set of tangrams. The three apps are free to download but you must have the base and attachment for them to work. For this center, students used the Junior version of the Words app. This app gives students a picture with a matching word. The beginning sound of the word is missing and students have to lay the correct letter tile in front of the iPad. If it is correct, the red attachment “sees” the letter tile and magically adds it to the word on the screen. If it is incorrect, students have to try again.

Students also used the Introduction to Tangrams in the tangrams app. This app shows students 2-3 tangram pieces pushed together. For this beginning phase, the colors of the tangrams on the screen match the colors of the actual tangrams. As students correctly place the tangrams on the table in front of the iPad, the red attachment “sees” them and fills in with black on the screen. When they are all correct, a new combination is shown.

This center was one that needed adjustment as we went along depending on student needs and strengths. Some needed to focus more on the shapes while others were ready to think about letter sounds in words. All students had a blast watching the magic of the Osmo happen on the screen and table.

Center 3: Starfall on Computers

Ms. Heather facilitated the computer center. I put out a computer, mouse, and headphones for each student in the group. One part of this center was simply using fine motor skills to practice using a mouse. The other part was to use Starfall to continue practicing letters and sounds.

Center 4: Reading

A parent volunteer read aloud stories that I pulled. The selections were Peanut Butter and Jellyfish, Job Site, and Stars. She had students engaged in discussion about the story and the pictures all along the way.

Center 5: iPads

PreK has 5 iPads in each classroom. Students have a variety of word apps that they can use at their own center time in class, so they are used to using these apps independently. This made the perfect independent center since we didn’t have 5 adults. Students sat on the bean bags by the windows and used the iPads by themselves for the 10 minutes of this center.

I think many times people think that our younger students can’t use technology or they are unsure of what to do with younger students. I love giving things a go and seeing what happens. We were amazed by students’ engagement and excitement today. Some asked, “Can we do this every day?” That was a sure sign of success. When working with younger students, you have to think about what your barriers might be. For us, we wanted smaller groups in order to have more adult support if needed. We also wanted smaller groups so that students wouldn’t be waiting around since we only have 1 Sphero and 3 Osmos. Using the teacher, parapro, parent volunteer, and me helped to make this possible. You might have a different barrier, but I hope that you will consider what you might leap into with your youngest learners in your building.

January 23, 2012 by plemmonsa

Kindergarten Research…so many firsts!

While the rest of the school is working on persuasive writing, our Kindergarten is working on informational writing. The teachers and I met back in December to plan some goals that we had for student research of informational topics. It was important to each of them that students have experience locating information in a variety of places, but to specifically look at content that matched their developmental and reading levels. Our print collection in the media center already has a variety of texts on a variety of levels, so I felt like they would find enough resources in the nonfiction section that would meet the needs of several topics.

The challenge came with finding a digital resource that would meet their needs. We have access to great databases such as Encyclopedia Britannica in our state Galileo database, but even Britannica didn’t seem to get at what we wanted. Fortunately, we were able to get a one-month trial of PebbleGo from Capstone. PebbleGo has three main databases: animals, earth and space, and biographies. The content targets a K-2 audience, but I’ve found that the topics are appropriate for all of our grades and really match the reading needs of many of our readers. The content is broken down into headings and students have the option of reading the content themselves or having a professional narration read to them. There are also videos, charts, maps, timelines, and more within each heading.

Kindergarten chose to do a beginning stage of research by assigning all students similar topics within their science standards. Some students learned about rocks while others learned about soil. In our collaboration, we decided that they needed a very basic graphic organizer. We chose a four square organizer with the topic in the middle surrounded by 4 questions that students would answer. They could answer the questions with text or even draw pictures in the spaces. Each teacher booked a one hour lesson. I introduced PebbleGo and how research is all about asking questions. Students generated some sample questions about rocks before I showed them the 4 questions they would explore. I briefly clicked through the pieces of the site and showed the feature that would read the content to students. We also looked at the 4 questions and thought about which tab would answer which question.

When students seemed too saturated with information, we moved to the computer lab where PebbleGo was already loaded on their screens. I was immediately amazed at the level of engagement but also the number of firsts. For so many students, it was the first time using a mouse, a keyboard, the internet, a graphic organizer with set questions, and more. It was easy to get overwhelmed by the number of questions that students were asking, but when I stepped back and took a deep breath, I was amazed at how excited the students were. I was amazed by what they were remembering from what they heard regardless of whether or not it made it onto the graphic organizer. There were 4 adults helping students: the teacher, student teacher, my paraprofessional, and me. We knelt down beside students and had conversations about listening to information more than once, writing down keywords rather than complete sentences, using a graphic organizer, and more. In the end, students left with several facts written down about rocks and soil, but they also left with excitement about coming back again to use the computer for research. When we checked in with them at the end, every student said they wanted to come back for more.

The teacher commented to me that this lesson just made her want to use the computer lab even more and how this was all a process. In order for students to get better at researching and using the computer, they have to do it more. It can’t just be a single lesson in the lab. Wow! Even though the lesson exhausted me at the very beginning of the day, it energized me with possibilities.

Our four square graphic organizer

January 30, 2011 by plemmonsa

PreK Weather Forecasters: a teacher’s perspective

Ms. Kelly Hocking just made a page on her website about the PreK weather forecasters in her classroom. You can find more pictures of the project and a few of her own thoughts on what a great job these students did.

Ms. Hocking’s Website

January 28, 2011 by plemmonsa

PreK Weather Forecasters

Over the past 2 months, Ms. Hocking’s PreK class has been studying weather. In collaboration with the media center, students have participated in several learning activities to prepare for giving their own weather forecast. Students have watched videos of meteorologists giving weather forecasts and made lists of words that the meteorologist used. They have studied various weather words and what they each mean. Students toured our broadcast room at school and learned about the different jobs that our 5th grade BTV crew performs each morning. They learned about producers, assistant producers, video mixers, audio technicians, anchors, and camera crew. Next, students worked with their teacher, paraprofessional, parent volunteers, and me (the media specialist) to write their own scripts for their weather forecast. After scripts were written, these same adults guided students in creating cue cards for their weather reports. Students then spent several days practicing their scripts and cue cards in class.

Finally, the big day arrived and the preK students came into the broadcast room buzzing with excitement. Each one assumed a role in the weather forecast: 2 anchors, producer, camera, and cue card holder. Each forecast was recorded and uploaded to Teacher Tube for the class to enjoy and share with the world. Please take time to enjoy their weather forecasts. What an amazing technology, science, and literacy project with such early learners!