It's vacation week...

It's time to explore some fun websites and apps for kids.

(1) FunBrain.com.
http://www.funbrain.com/

This site has tons of fun reading and math games. Try out the MadLibs. Read online books, such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Galactic Hot Dogs. Visit the Math Arcade or play a word game, such as the Grammar Gorillas.

(2) My Coloring Book Free App
Visit the app store and type in coloring for kids and you'll find a ton of coloring book apps that are free, but my favorite was created by Jeff Pedersen. There are so many pictures to choose from!








(3) 4 in a Row Online App

Yes, another free app! This is really the game Connect Four, but just goes by a different name. Try your hand at beating the computer or other players.

**Special thanks to my niece Vivian, who helped me discover all these cool apps. :-)

There's a cat...in the library

Reading Links

Do you feel like listening to a new story today? Kick back with your laptop or iPad and go on an adventure.

(1) http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet.htm

(2) http://www.storylineonline.net/

Animoto Biomes

Fifth graders studied a variety of biomes in their science class. The fifth grade science teacher and I coordinated to create a unit, where students would take notes in the classroom using books and then they would use the Encyclopedia Britannica database in the library to research an assigned biome, such as the tundra or desert.

After research was completed, students took their notes and created Animotos using the facts that they had gathered as well as photos from Pics4Learning. This project fulfilled a number of technology standards and it also fulfilled several common core standards, such as conducting research to build knowledge on a topic (W.5.7) and then presenting that information in a multimedia presentation.Here are some wonderful Animotos that the students created.

New Books in the Library!

Check out all the new titles!

First Grade Winter Projects

In first grade, students read Caldecott Medal books during the month of January. As explained to students, the Caldecott is given each year to an artist, who creates the most distinguised picture book. We read two classic Caldecotts: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. Students were asked what they would do on a snowy day. They wrote a sentence about their activity and then illustrated it using Kerpoof.com.

Students discovered in Snowflake Bentley that no two snowflakes are alike. They created their own snowflakes using the following website:http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/
These projects allowed students to demonstrate the following standards:
-Proficiency in the use of computers and applications.
-Ability to communicate and collaborate via technology.
-Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts and feelings.