Colonial VoiceThread

My third graders have been learning about Colonial America these past 2 months. This year the technology/library teacher, Lane Young, and I decided to collaborate and create a VoiceThread. First the students were each assigned an event on our colonial timeline. Next, each student found facts using books in our library collection and Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Each student then created a reflection or personal connection to what they learned. Mr. Young helped them select images for their slides using Google Images. Next, they used Audacity to record the facts and reflections. They also had to draw self-portraits that we scanned in so we could identify each student’s slide and comment.

This has been an amazing project. It has touched on many important skills such as researching, writing, recording, selecting appropriate articles and images, and using the online library catalog. I have especially enjoyed the opportunity to work with a specials area teacher.

So, here it is for the world to see. Please comment on the slides and if you are a teacher, have your students comment as well.

3rd Grade Colonial and Revolutionary War Project

Thank you to Lane Young for creating with me, Vinnie Vrotny for leading me to the k12 Online Conference which led me to VoiceThread, and David Green my co-teacher for encouraging and supporting me with this project.

Classroom 2.0, Colonial America, Teaching, VoiceThread, collaboration, curriculum, education, elementary, social studies | Comment (0)

Indignation vs. Calm

This past winter I have been doing a lot of thinking about curriculum and collaboration. More than anything else, these two words have been the focus of my professional growth - this past year in particular. If you’ve been following my posts you know that I started this blog almost a year ago now, and my enthusiasm and drive for enhancing/improving my curriculum has increased exponentially. I am also networking with teachers at school, nearby, and far away so that we can share ideas and perhaps collaborate on future projects.

Lately, however, I found myself being side-tracked and moving away from this good growth and the goals I had set for myself. My biggest problem had become my own indignation. The definition from Dictionary.com describes it as “a strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base.” It could also be described as “righteous anger” with the following synonyms: “resentment, exasperation, wrath, ire.” What raised these extreme feelings? Often times it was because collaboration was not happening, and instead decisions were being driven by personal gain and personal agendas. I find that I can quickly become judge and jury, convicting anyone who doesn’t “play fair.” Teachers who seem to only be thinking of themselves and their own personal satisfaction were really getting to me, but then I realized I was letting them get to me.

The antonym of indignation is calm. This will be my new goal. Just creating this post has already helped me vent and refocus. Will I always be able to remember this new focus? Heck, no. But at least it’s a start . . .

collaboration | Comment (1)