Ideas for Using Google Drawing

The third grade team is integrating Google Docs into several areas of their curriculum. Both Gennie and Ashley have recently used with their classes.

Gennie used Google Drawing for a social studies assessment with both third grade classes. Students had to indicate where certain sights were on a map of Massachusetts. This year Gennie wanted to try it paperless. She uploaded a blank map of Massachusetts into Google Docs. Using Google Drawing she created a legend with symbols for the different items students had to be able to label. She taught students how to create the symbols as well as add text boxes to create labels in Google Drawing. She shared out the map, students made a copy, labeled their own map and then shared it back with her. She then was able to add her rubric and feedback right onto their map document for them to see.


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Similarly, Ashley is using Google Drawing in science to teach the life cycle of a tree.


Want to learn more about using Google Drawing? Check out the information here or schedule a time with me!

Screencast-O-Matic

Screencast-O-Matic is an amazingly easy program to use to make Screencasts, or videos recording what is happening on your screen. The site allows you to make a free screencast without setting up an account, though you are limited to 15 minutes, cannot password protect your screencast or use the editing tools. A year long account costs only $12 and you can make unlimited screencasts. I have used screencast to create several tutorials for this blog. They can easily be published to YouTube for easy sharing. Recently Gennie began using Screencast-o-Matic. She made a really quick tutorial for her students (and their parents) for accessing their homework on Google Docs. She then embedded her screencast right onto her FirstClass website (more to come on that in another post!)so students could watch it at home.

Wallwisher

Wallwisher is a free site that allows you to create a wall that others can then post sticky notes on. You can create an account on Wallwisher, or you can create a wall without having an account. Two benefits of having an account (other than them being free) is that you can moderate sticky notes and that all of your walls are saved on your account. I use Wallwisher as a way to assess student learning by using a "virtual exit ticket". I will post something I want students to respond to on a Wallwisher wall. Then I link the wall onto my FirstClass website. I set up a few computers and students take turns accessing the wall to post their stickies.

Here is a wall I recently used with 5th graders. They are responding to a question I posted after our first CyberSafety lesson.



Wallwisher could also be used to generate ideas. For example, they could use it to generate questions or to suggests areas for study or books to add to your library. If you want help setting up a Wallwisher account, or using Wallwisher in your class- let me know!

Power Teacher

Power Teacher is a now available as an alternative to SMS for progress reports. To learn more about Power Teacher watch the tutorial below or check out the Quick Start directions posted in the tech tool kit on Moodle. Power Teacher has a lot of convenient features and best of all, does not run slowly on Macs! Yay!

Power Teacher Video Tutorial Elementary from Newton Public Schools on Vimeo.