Under Eleven?

[Falconswiki]

At the Falcons School for Girls we are really excited about Web 2.0...if a little scared! Are any members on here involved in teaching under elevens (do you call it Junior Grades in the U.S.?)? It would be great to hear fromanyone who has run any 'flat' projects with younger pupils.

[Heather Davis]

Hi, I agree about the time zones. Hawaii and Beijing are a case in point. Actually we are not that far apart geographically speaking but as you are on one side of the international date line and I am on the other the time difference is massive.

As I am writing this it is 11:44 am Tuesday morning in Beijing but it is 5:44 pm Monday evening where you are located.

I am sure there are ways around it.

Heather

[Jackie Gerstein]

Here is what I am creating for my students. Let me know if you are interested.

I have begun developing my program for my students' return in two weeks. My project is Creative Web Tools For and By Kids inspired by the Flat Classroom Project. I am looking for other 3rd through 5th grade classrooms who want to trail blaze with me. Here are the details:

Creative Web Tools For and By Kids is a project designed for students, ages 8 to 12, to use emerging technologies for engaging, thinking, learning, collaborating, creating, and innovating. The focus is on the use of free, open-source, or minimal cost tools, so the project can be replicated. An underlying goal is to demonstrate how advanced technological applications for enhancing learning can be implemented with only a computer and Internet access.

Please let me know if you would like to collaborate, have suggestions, etc.

FYI - I am creating a companion website - Wee Web Wonders is an interactive site to showcase educational and creative uses of the major web tools used in the Creative Web Tools For and By Kids program. I put in some initial pages but plan to have the students add additional pages.

[Sheri Edwards]

Jackie, what projects have you started? Who is allowed to join? Thanks, Sheri Edwards, writing teacher, grades 5-8. (Your sites are creative, clear, inviting)

[Jackie Gerstein]

Thanks, Sheri. Here is what I have started with Creative Web Tools For and By Kids (http://weewebwonders.pbwiki.com/) with my 3rd through 5th gifted students (although I am finding the 3rd graders to be a bit young for this project and will integrate them more slowly).

1. The students are beginning to create their identities and introductions for their Wiki Project pages using one or more of the following: http://doppelme.com/, a autobiographical timeline - http://www.classtools.net/main_area/timeline.htm (thanks for the link Vicki!). I will also introduce them to Animoto (http://animoto.com/) this week. I am focusing on having them create an identity without any identifying data.

2. My students are also identifying their learning interests as I really want a constructivist model of education. I will be posting their Wiki project pages by interest. Some of the initial topics are Insects, Dance, Chinese art, pastel art, cats. Some have already paired up, others will begin alone - hoping other students will want to join. They will begin to identify and post links to support their learning interests. I like Thinkfinity (http://www.thinkfinity.org/) so I will ask them to begin there.

3. Then, they will create an online product/project using a Web 2.0 to demonstrate their learning. I plan to introduce one tool at a time - I already introduced Aniboom (http://www.aniboom.com/) and several love it! Next week (I meet with them one day per week) will be either Animoto or Tux Paint).

3. Two other classes, one from Oklahoma and one from Colorado, have expressed interest in joining so I am open to having their students join the projects my students are doing or add their own.

The next step I'd like to explore is some form of video conferencing - Skype or Ellumination, so the students from the various classrooms can have some real time interactions.

Your thoughts?

Jackie

[Sheri Edwards]

Your student are already moving on strong! How are their projects going? I tried aniboom, but it wasn't responding well to my input; I'm sure kids will do better.

We don't start until after Labor Day. Unless our administration mandates certain activities (as happened last year after I had planned two weeks in advance before school started), we will start week 2 with the book by Hanoch Piven and create team responses patterned after the book. Students will individually create responses first --but not to share on the Internet. That will help them think of team ideas. http://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Who-Are-You. I was planning this for grade 8, but I could do it with grade 5 too.

[Note, the author also wrote a book: What Presidents Are Made Of]

I'll review more of your links and try those also. I'll let you know how we are progressing, and perhaps some sort of interaction could develop with any of the classrooms.

I've never used Skype for video conferencing and I think video chat is blocked at our end. I'll try video Skype next week with my husband and see if it works.

Your work and pages are spreading -- even on Twitter :) Thanks for the reply.

[Sheri Edwards]

Jackie, I just learned (twittering -- TeachaKidd-- about a nifty site where kids could show their interests by creating a magazine cover with their pic and info as headlines: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/magazine.php

Sample from TeachaKidd (blog with samples)
http://macmomma.blogspot.com/2008/08/digital-photo-tools-to-motivat...

It's easy to do. Just a thought.

[Sheri Edwards]

Melanie and Jackie: A wiki would be perfect for classrooms from different timezones. The wiki can include videos, podcasts, text, anything and students can collaborate in their own zone, figuratively and literally :)

Jackie (below) has an excellent wiki site started.

I teach writing to fifth through eighth grade students and would love to join with a project for my fifth and sixth grade students. Sheri Edwards

[Mrs. Cerminara]

Greetings from the US/Japan:
I am the Junior School (3 year old - Grade 4) computer teacher at the International school of the Sacred Heart. We are an all girls school in Tokyo, Japan. I'm in the US for the summer but will be returning to Japan soon. I would love to explore some possibilities with you on how we can work together. I'm fairly new to this but eager to learn. Looking forward to your reply.

[Cheryl Lykowski]

If you are interested in my Global Explorers project contact me via email at [e-mail]

[Vicki Davis]

You'll need to set up something asynchronous -- use a wiki or Ning. These tools are GREAT for time zone differences!

[Heather Davis]

Hi, I am really interested in the Flatworld Project. I teach Grade 4/Year 5 using the British national Curriculum at an international school in Beijing. One of my goals this year with my class is to do a collaborative project with my students. We are not streaming them for any classes this year so I will have them all day except for the specialist classes. I am glad to have them back full time.

Let's keep talking

Heather

[mrkp]

Hi Heather,

Perhaps we could organinse something along the lines I've just posted. I know that mykids would already be hooked on Bejing because of the Olympics!

Cheers Steve