Feel free to add any ideas you might have of ways to integrate technology in the classroom!
Shared Reading
KcrewShared Reading -- This is a website that was created by kindergarten teachers and has lots of resources for teaching in general, and has a link to balanced literacy resources on the left-hand side of the main page.
Bookr -- Make online books with flickr images using Bookr. Here is one that I made about counting...
Mixbooks -- Mixbook.com is a great website that you can use to make books for your classroom. You can upload your own photos, add text, add backgrounds, and other design elements. You can even order a copy -- a real book -- if you want to have a hard copy. Otherwise, just sign-up with a username and email address and make books you can use with the computer/projector for class read-alongs.
Literacy Workstations (Have at least 4)
Kcrew Units and Literacy Centers Independent Reading -- This is another link on the kcrew website and it has ideas for various centers. List of Online Books -- This site has a list of the top 11 sites for books that read outloud to the listener. Many of these sites would be great for computer stations (with headphones of course) and there are even a couple that have books in Spanish as well.
Interactive Whiteboards
This is a tool you can check out and use with your students. It is like a big, fancy chalkboard but you connect it to your computer and students can interact with the computer on the board. See the SMARTboard (tm) page to find websites for activities you can do with the SMARTboard (tm). And check the Promethean website for activities to be used with the Prometheanboard (tm).
Lesson Ideas (Some of these work on any whiteboard, others with specific ones...):
SMARTboard search engine: This is a google-type search engine dedicated to SMARTboard activities. You can type in a topic like "math" and it will give you a list of sites that suggest interactive whiteboard lessons. Some of the sites have the lessons on them, some direct you to other sites.
Math Graph: This is an interactive graph you can use for simple bar graph activities.
Whiteboard Lessons websites: This is a list of websites compiled by a teacher. It is organized by subject and gradelevel.
Topmarks Educational Search Engine: This website from the UK has links to websites for elementary students. It is organized on a graph at the top and when you click on different parts of the graph you can see varying lesson options below.
SMARTer whiteboard Use: This is another webpage filled with links to various interactive whiteboard activities. Lots of links to be found here.
Chalkboard: This is a website that allows you to just draw with a pen. It's like a blank notebook page but it is NOT a "SMARTboard" technology project so you could use it with anything (including a home-made interactive whiteboard...)
Technical Stuff:
How to connect the SMARTboard: This is a pdf file which tells you (and includes pictures) of how to set up and use your SMARTboard.
How to create your own interactive whiteboard: This is a site that has a couple of videos of how a very clever person at a university created his own interactive white board for a fraction of the cost. You cannot use the SMARTboard Notebook software (it is copyrighted to be used only on SMARTboard products) on a home-made whiteboard, but you could use other sites.
Discussion Board: This is just a discussion about whiteboards and their uses in the classroom. Not all of the info is helpful to PK teachers, but it does have some interesting links in some of the comments. And you might get a few ideas of how others use the interactive whiteboards.
Educational Websites
Starfall is HERE -- a website with activities for early readers. PBS Kids is HERE -- a website that you might use as an occasional computer center for K - 1 students.
Databases
Most school districts have subscriptions to various databases for student research. Ask your librarian for access information as many of these require a password. A few exampes are as follows: Kidsearch Database is HERE and a video for how to use Kidsearch is HERE. Searchasaurus Database is HERE.
The following resources are free and do not require a password: International Children's Digital Library Ebooks are HERE. WikiJunior -- Free, online children's books are HERE. Web 2.0 Teacher Wiki -- A wiki where teachers discuss how they use technology in the classroom is HERE.
Digital Images and Video
Videostreaming can be used for giving students connections to places and events they might not be able to see otherwise. Your school district probably pays for some of the larger videostreaming sites (ask your librarian). One tip is to have the video play through once (before school starts) so it is already "loaded" on your computer. The ITS person on your campus can help you!
Public domain images-- Copyright friendly - public domain images, free for any private or commercial use, credit or back link is not required.HERE BBC Learning Zone -- Another site with video clips. Search by subject! HERE. Discovery Education-- This site has some great educational videos but does require subscription (ask your librarian!). Find it HERE. Futures Channel -- Free online videos HERE. National Archives -- Some good (free) science videos mostly about NASA can be found HERE. Smithsonian Flickr-- Free pics from the Smithsonian historical collection HERE. NeoK12 -- More educational video clips. Listed by subject! HERE. Openphoto -- Free pics for educational use HERE. PBS Teachers -- Various teacher resources including some interactive and videos HERE. Pics4Learning-- More free images for educational use HERE. Ourdocuments.gov -- Free pics (for educational use) of historical documents HERE. Sumopaint -- Online photo editing software HERE. TeacherTube -- Like YouTube, but with educational videos. Free! HERE. WatchKnow -- More educational videos. Listed by subject and/or searchable by key term HERE.
Digital Audio
You can do podcasts with your students or create soundfiles for various projects. Below are a few resources. Freesound -- a database of Creative Commons sound files HERE. Soundzabound-- Royalty free music for schools with a subscription (ask your librarian). HERE. Gabcast-- Create online podcasts. HERE. Voicethread-- If you want to do an online participation where others can comment WHILE you are presenting -- even drawing on the images you have in your presentation, Voicethread is the tool for you. Find it HERE.
Online Creations
There are some free resources online for students to use to create things. MAKE SURE you test it first ahead of time and deem the content in the page as age-appropriate.
Glogster-- An online, free Web 2.0 tool that allows students to make online "posters". Think the old-fashioned "make a poster" project but with digital tools.
Animoto -- A free (you need an account...be careful about student accounts) online tool for quick and easy video production using photos.
Photostory-- A free (PC based) downloadable tool for creating animated videos using photos.
GoAnimate -- For older students, this is an online tool students can use to make own animated stories using pre-designed characters and backgrounds. Some characters might not be appropriate for younger users so check it out thoroughly before you use it.
Wikispaces -- Create your own class wiki. An award-winning example from a fourth grade teacher and her class can be found HERE. (Wikispaces has FREE wiki space for educators so look around the site a little to find the free options.)
Technology Ideas
Feel free to add any ideas you might have of ways to integrate technology in the classroom!Shared Reading
KcrewShared Reading -- This is a website that was created by kindergarten teachers and has lots of resources for teaching in general, and has a link to balanced literacy resources on the left-hand side of the main page.Bookr -- Make online books with flickr images using Bookr. Here is one that I made about counting...
Mixbooks -- Mixbook.com is a great website that you can use to make books for your classroom. You can upload your own photos, add text, add backgrounds, and other design elements. You can even order a copy -- a real book -- if you want to have a hard copy. Otherwise, just sign-up with a username and email address and make books you can use with the computer/projector for class read-alongs.
Literacy Workstations (Have at least 4)
Kcrew Units and Literacy Centers Independent Reading -- This is another link on the kcrew website and it has ideas for various centers.List of Online Books -- This site has a list of the top 11 sites for books that read outloud to the listener. Many of these sites would be great for computer stations (with headphones of course) and there are even a couple that have books in Spanish as well.
Interactive Whiteboards
This is a tool you can check out and use with your students. It is like a big, fancy chalkboard but you connect it to your computer and students can interact with the computer on the board. See the SMARTboard (tm) page to find websites for activities you can do with the SMARTboard (tm). And check the Promethean website for activities to be used with the Prometheanboard (tm).Lesson Ideas (Some of these work on any whiteboard, others with specific ones...):
SMARTboard search engine: This is a google-type search engine dedicated to SMARTboard activities. You can type in a topic like "math" and it will give you a list of sites that suggest interactive whiteboard lessons. Some of the sites have the lessons on them, some direct you to other sites.Math Graph: This is an interactive graph you can use for simple bar graph activities.
Whiteboard Lessons websites: This is a list of websites compiled by a teacher. It is organized by subject and gradelevel.
Topmarks Educational Search Engine: This website from the UK has links to websites for elementary students. It is organized on a graph at the top and when you click on different parts of the graph you can see varying lesson options below.
SMARTer whiteboard Use: This is another webpage filled with links to various interactive whiteboard activities. Lots of links to be found here.
Chalkboard: This is a website that allows you to just draw with a pen. It's like a blank notebook page but it is NOT a "SMARTboard" technology project so you could use it with anything (including a home-made interactive whiteboard...)
Technical Stuff:
How to connect the SMARTboard: This is a pdf file which tells you (and includes pictures) of how to set up and use your SMARTboard.How to create your own interactive whiteboard: This is a site that has a couple of videos of how a very clever person at a university created his own interactive white board for a fraction of the cost. You cannot use the SMARTboard Notebook software (it is copyrighted to be used only on SMARTboard products) on a home-made whiteboard, but you could use other sites.
Discussion Board: This is just a discussion about whiteboards and their uses in the classroom. Not all of the info is helpful to PK teachers, but it does have some interesting links in some of the comments. And you might get a few ideas of how others use the interactive whiteboards.
Educational Websites
Starfall is HERE -- a website with activities for early readers.PBS Kids is HERE -- a website that you might use as an occasional computer center for K - 1 students.
Databases
Most school districts have subscriptions to various databases for student research. Ask your librarian for access information as many of these require a password. A few exampes are as follows:Kidsearch Database is HERE and a video for how to use Kidsearch is HERE.
Searchasaurus Database is HERE.
The following resources are free and do not require a password:
International Children's Digital Library Ebooks are HERE.
WikiJunior -- Free, online children's books are HERE.
Web 2.0 Teacher Wiki -- A wiki where teachers discuss how they use technology in the classroom is HERE.
Digital Images and Video
Videostreaming can be used for giving students connections to places and events they might not be able to see otherwise. Your school district probably pays for some of the larger videostreaming sites (ask your librarian). One tip is to have the video play through once (before school starts) so it is already "loaded" on your computer. The ITS person on your campus can help you!
Public domain images-- Copyright friendly - public domain images, free for any private or commercial use, credit or back link is not required.HEREBBC Learning Zone -- Another site with video clips. Search by subject! HERE.
Discovery Education-- This site has some great educational videos but does require subscription (ask your librarian!). Find it HERE.
Futures Channel -- Free online videos HERE.
National Archives -- Some good (free) science videos mostly about NASA can be found HERE.
Smithsonian Flickr-- Free pics from the Smithsonian historical collection HERE.
NeoK12 -- More educational video clips. Listed by subject! HERE.
Openphoto -- Free pics for educational use HERE.
PBS Teachers -- Various teacher resources including some interactive and videos HERE.
Pics4Learning-- More free images for educational use HERE.
Ourdocuments.gov -- Free pics (for educational use) of historical documents HERE.
Sumopaint -- Online photo editing software HERE.
TeacherTube -- Like YouTube, but with educational videos. Free! HERE.
WatchKnow -- More educational videos. Listed by subject and/or searchable by key term HERE.
Digital Audio
You can do podcasts with your students or create soundfiles for various projects. Below are a few resources.Freesound -- a database of Creative Commons sound files HERE.
Soundzabound-- Royalty free music for schools with a subscription (ask your librarian). HERE.
Gabcast-- Create online podcasts. HERE.
Voicethread-- If you want to do an online participation where others can comment WHILE you are presenting -- even drawing on the images you have in your presentation, Voicethread is the tool for you. Find it HERE.
Online Creations
There are some free resources online for students to use to create things. MAKE SURE you test it first ahead of time and deem the content in the page as age-appropriate.Glogster-- An online, free Web 2.0 tool that allows students to make online "posters". Think the old-fashioned "make a poster" project but with digital tools.
Animoto -- A free (you need an account...be careful about student accounts) online tool for quick and easy video production using photos.
Photostory-- A free (PC based) downloadable tool for creating animated videos using photos.
GoAnimate -- For older students, this is an online tool students can use to make own animated stories using pre-designed characters and backgrounds. Some characters might not be appropriate for younger users so check it out thoroughly before you use it.
Wikispaces -- Create your own class wiki. An award-winning example from a fourth grade teacher and her class can be found HERE. (Wikispaces has FREE wiki space for educators so look around the site a little to find the free options.)