Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Nikes, Ipads, and Bugs Bunny...

Hey Y'all!
Welcome back :). 

     Technology options are growing exponentially!  My favorite principal once said, "Be careful.  Teachers can wonderful themselves to death."  What he meant is that we can have so many fabulous options and ideas that we spend our time teaching our hearts out trying to decide which one to use.  You know. Get. On. It. (cue the Nike ad.)
 Just Do It! 
So. . . today I'm going to focus on ONE new favorite blog, ONE helpful video, and ONE app that can be used on Ipads in your classroom. 
 
    Today's one favorite blog is written by a kindergarten teacher in Dallas, Texas named Matt B. Gomez.  This guy's got it going on like Donkey Kong!!  (Focus, Dana, focus.)  On Pinterest, Matt has 3 boards dedicated to Ipads and apps for the classroom which you can find  here.  Matt did a very helpful post on using Ipads in the classroom.  Check out his classroom management post on introducing kindergarten students to new apps here.  And while you are there, look around his blog to see a million, bajillion, trillion ways to use apps and Ipads in the classroom.  Real. Life. Examples!! 
 
   How does Matt Gomez incorporate apps like Bugs Bunny Toontastic into his lessons?  Check out this video created by his kindergarten students about Martin Luther King, Jr..  I think the Toontastic app is perfect for helping students understand elements of a good story.  The app breaks the story down into 5 categories: 
  1. setup: includes the setting and characters,
  2. conflict:  introduces the problem,
  3. challenge: problem is in the works,
  4. climax: the height of the story, and
  5. resolution: how the problem was solved and the story ends.

     I plan to use Bugs Bunny Toontastic to help students retell stories and summarize.  Students can pretend to be a famous person such as Abraham Lincoln and tell about important events that happened.  (Non-fiction literature, anyone?)  Remember that library critter I talked to you about here?  Students could do creative writing on Toontastic about the adventures of that slithery creature, or they could create informational stories including facts they've learned about that school pet at school.  I would have students work collaboratively in pairs on their Bugs Bunny Toontastic creation.  With permission from the students, I would show other classes the results.  Wouldn't those kids feel special? (Confetti falls from ceiling.)  I would use the opportunity as a lead-in about real authors.  An author study would follow to help us understand where real authors get their ideas, how they plan stories, how they decide what the illustrations will look like, and how they chose the names for each character.  The possibilities are endless with the Toontastic app!  Fun, yet educational.

     Do you need help getting started?  Do your students use Ipads in your classroom?  What is your favorite app?

Thanks for stopping by!

I. need. to. focus.
Really focus. 
'Cause it's time for Bugs Bunny.
That's all Folks!
 
Dana ;)
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3 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 11, 2013 at 6:14 PM

    I loved learning about the Toontastic app:) I will use this application in my classroom. This is a wonderful way to wrap-up a history or science lesson with the students presenting what they have learned. It was wonderful reading your blog this week! You are a very funny person...I could learn a lot from you. My children are always telling me "You are too serious Mom."

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  2. UnknownApril 12, 2013 at 10:01 PM

    I like your quote about teachers getting carried away with all the bells and whistles of education. Although it is important that we don't get off track, we still should find new and exciting ways to include our diverse learners. Like you talked about Toontastic, it's okay to have some fun in the classroom. However, in every fun activity there should be some academic reasoning behind it. Many teachers have children and use technology during reinforcement time at home. We should take some of those games/information children's cite and incorporate in the classroom.

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  3. CBlackApril 13, 2013 at 8:58 PM

    I LOVE the Toontastic app! It is a little complicated for some of my first grade students but some of them do an awesome job with it! It would be fun to do some retelling with this app. We also just finished up a huge Jack and the Beanstalk unit so it would be neat to see them come up with their own version.

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