POST #3: Share a resource

       If you were given the opportunity to utilize any of the resources listed under the URL of www.iowaonline.org, which one would it be? Assume that as a substitute you would be given the necessary username and password. The overview page of the "AEA Online Resources" gives you a brief description of each of the resources and a place to submit the username and password.  
      After discussing each of the resources, you could pick a resource or let the students decide which resource best suits their research. Many of the resources are age and grade specific, which should prove very helpful when targeting a particular audience.
      The tutorials should be helpful for you to naviagate through each of the resources. The best way to learn is to work with their resources in the class especially given the fact that the students can take this information home and work with it. One of the best advantages of this material is the fact that it is 24/7. The best results you could hope for would be twofold. For the present the students use these resources and get the results they are looking for. Better results should indicate better grades. In the future you want the students to develope a successful research background along with good study habts that will carry them all the way through school.

I utilized Brittanica (http://school.eb.com/) in the Elementary levels 1 &2  to look up various artists and illustrators (Van Gogh, Gauguin, OKeeffe, Carle, Audubon) as well as time periods and classifications of art (Renaissance, Cubism).  Although only teaching one first grade art class, I can foresee this being a great resource to utilize when introducing artists, illustrators, mediums, time periods, etc... I especially liked how it gives links to anything related – such as for Audobon it gave the Audubon society, Magazine articles and excellent links to relevant websites.  This will be especially useful for 5th graders when researching an artist to base a project and paper around.

I went to TrueFLIX, and used the resources with my 4th, Title Reading group of students.  We were reading a story in class called At Pennsylvania Avenue.  I used the website to watch the video first about the White House to get the students interested in the story we would be reading.  I also used the non-fictiction story on the website regarding the White House to discuss vocabulary.  We used a Venn Diagram to compare the story on the AEA website for TrueFLIX and the story we read in class.  We discuss vocabulary and elements of the story.  The students reading seemed to make connections with the stories and they had a great discussion about interesting facts they learned about the White House.

There are many ways I will use this resource, but one particular way that I will use Culture grams is to help my students gain background information. For this lesson
I will go to AEA online and click on culture grams http://online.culturegrams.com/. From there I click on the kids edition as I teach 2nd graders. I am using this resource to help my students gain background information for a story we are reading. The students will need to search for Guatemala, which I will help them do with the use of a projector. Once in the correct place, I will have the students fill out a paper including a picture of the flag that they will color in. At the bottom of the sheet will be a place for them to write down 5 interesting facts they find about the country. The students will have time to search through the site to find what they think is interesting. Since some of my students are lower readers than others, those students will have the option of using the headphones to have the computer read the article to them. After all students are done they will be able to share their facts with each other giving them greater background knowledge of the country our story character is from.

I went to the Heartland website and clicked on Library and Digital Resources, the 6-8 tab and then Learn 360.  I used the username and password I was provided for this class 9211haea and haea11 (because I am working on this course away from home and I didn't ask for the password before I left Friday).  I was searching for a video to use in my 7th grade ecology unit.  I tried finding something on population dynamics but the clip they offered only gave general information about populations in ecology,  I clicked on the high school tab and found an 11 minutes video about communities of living things on rocks at the seashore.  I will be able to use that clip to talk about adaptations when we get to that topic.  I will show the video and have the students identify what adaptations allow an organism to be successful in the harsh environment of the seashore.  

The resource I chose for this post was BookFlix, which is centered on PK-3 students.

I chose the category "Earth and Sky". On the book on screen, I chose pairs 13-16.

I then clicked on the pair "Stars, Stars, Stars" and "Looking Through a Telescope".

I chose this particular pair to be used with preschool students who are beginning to study space. For most four year olds, the basics of the planets are taught. However, I looked at this pair as an extension for students who have the basics of the planets, but need more information on other space figures, in particular, stars.

The objective for these students is to expand their knowledge on stars and constellations. Depending on time constraints, I would bring in a set of glow-in-the-dark stars and have students studying these books begin to form constellations of their own to trace and label for sharing with their peers.  

I particularly like the clip-art because of what I teach (web graphics) and how I could use it in the class.  It is a location that students/staff can access that you can find usable graphics/images that are copyright free.  With so much information/stuff on the internet it is hard to figure out what you can use or not use without getting in trouble.  This provides a location for that stuff pretty much worry free.
I would say the target audience would be anyone looking for free graphics.  I plan to use it sometime with students in 9th through 12th grade.  The students objective will be to create a collage that describes them through the use of pictures.  They will need to blend the images together in a Photoshop document.  What they choose is up to them but it has to be appropriate for school.
This is the link where students will go to access their material- http://schools.iclipart.com/index.php.

This next year I will be teaching science and social studies to 5th graders. After exploring the TrueFlix site, I found short videos and books that will follow some of the units we will study. I went to www.iowaaeaonline.org. Then quick links- TrueFlix was at the bottom of the list of resources. I used my school's username and password. Then I went to Science and Nature- next Human Body- next Respiratory System-watch video. The video will be a great introduction into the unit. Then we would use the books that go along with the unit we would be studying. I like that the students can have the book read to them, and they can read along or they can have the read aloud off and just read to themselves. This feature will be helpful for some of my below level readers. This feature can help with their fluency, vocabulary, and increase their confidence with reading. After the story is read, they can take a quiz and do a vocabulary match to check on their comprehension. This site also gives a project idea, explore the web, and a section called more about the topic. I feel I will be able to use this a great deal with many of the topics we will study.

I am excited to use CultureGrams in my classroom.  To get to this website, I went to the Iowa AEA online webpage www.iowaaeaonline.org and clicked on the word “CultureGrams” on the left hand side of the page.  I would use this lesson with first, second or third graders.

From CultureGrams homepage, I would go to the “States Edition.”  I would help my students become familiar with the website by going through in detail the information they have about Iowa.  Because I want my students to explore this website on their own, I would have each of the students choose a state (other than Iowa) that they would be interested in learning more about.  This could be a state they have a relative living in, a state they will be visiting on summer vacation or a state that a parent might be traveling to for business, etc.  

After allowing the students ample amount of time to learn about their state they have chosen, they would need to creatively present highlights of what they learned to the class.  This could be by dressing up as a famous person from his/her state, by creating a display of interesting facts about their state, or by writing a persuasive speech about why they would or would not like to live in the state they researched.  With this lesson, students would be given the opportunity to practice researching something that they are interested in.  From there, they would be required to do a higher level thinking task by evaluating and analyzing the information they discovered.

I am excited to use CULTURE GRAMS with my second grade students. I have a student who happens to be obsessed with Egyptian history. He absorbs any and all information he can get on the subject and has almost exhausted our classroom and school library. He loves to write about his favorite topic. Because he does not always have the facts correct when sharing during Author’s Chair, this will be an excellent tool for him to use! I plan to show him how to “click” on the continent and then the country to discover available information.

1. CULTURE GRAMS
2. KIDS EDITION
3. THE WORLD KIDS
4. AFRICA
5. EGYPT

http://online.culturegrams.com/kids/kids_country.php?contid=1&wmn=Africa&cid=15&cn=Egypt

He will be thrilled! We do not have a Smart Board in our room; but, he will be able to connect this to our Elmo and turn up the speakers. This boy will demonstrate the procedure to his peers. Not only will he teach his classmates, he will feel VERY special!

I am choosing to use soundzabound with my third and fourth grade students in music class in two ways.  The first is to have students select sounds that demonstrate such musical concepts as high and low pitches, upward and downward movement, forte and piano dynamics, crescendo and decrescendo, and fast and slow tempos.  Students at this level are expected to identify these concepts and use these vocabulary terms when describing music, and I believe this will be an engaging way for them to demonstrate mastery.  I even envision them arranging sounds from soundzabound into original compositions.  I arrived at the soundzabound sound effects two different ways:  by typing “sound effects” into the “Search” box with this result (http://www.soundzabound.com/audio/search/sound%20effects) and also by clicking “Category” in the “Browse by” menu, then selecting “Sound Effects” (http://www.soundzabound.com/sabcs?terms=57).

Another way I plan to use soundzabound is to have students listen to one or more excerpts from the examples of Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions available on the site.  This will coordinate nicely with our study of Bach as we read Mike Venezia’s book Johann Sebastian Bach (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers).  As in my example above, I was able to find these excerpts in two different ways:  by typing “Bach” into the “Search” box with this result (http://www.soundzabound.com/audio/search/bach) and also by clicking “Category” in the “Browse by” menu, then selecting “Bach” (http://www.soundzabound.com/sabcs?terms=134).

A major project I do with 10th graders is a research paper and speech unit.  They chose topics, research them, write a proper research paper, and then give a informative or persuasive speech based on what they found.  We often have various issues using strictly the internet search engines to find our sources and information.  When I logged into AEA online I did some trial-run searches to see what it would be like for a student to use some of the resources.  I used SIRS, Brittanica, and GALE to run trial searches on "Battle of Stalingrad" to see what was available.  As the training promised, I found solid, citable, and useful sources in each of the databases.
These resources will be helpful not just in the student research, but also in lessons that discuss the differences between reliable sources and ones that may not be.  The students will also be happy to see that some of these provide citations to make that part of it easier as well.

 The Online Resource I  have chosen is from the 6-8 grade band.  For a unit on weather, and a lesson on Thunderstorms, I scrolled down to the TrueFlix logo. From there I clicked on the "Extreme Nature" logo. There you will find a number of topics such as Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Forest Fires, etc. But the topic I want to choose is "Thunderstorms". There you will find a short video clip and a TrueFlix book on Thunderstorms. You could  use them  as a whole class presentation or allow student groups or singles to read or listen to the book. Another option would be for small groups to read different pieces of the material and then share  in a "jigsaw puzzle " type of presentation. This could be as a discussion, PowerPoint presentation or draw a group poster.
The book could be used as a spring board for a number of whole group, small group, or single student projects. PowerPoints and posters could be created on a number of topics presented in the book. Also included are Web resources that could also be used for more in depth research.  If time doesn't allow for that, a quick quiz and word match could serve as a quick review.
Students would learn about different aspects of thunderstorms: lightning, thunder, rain, hail, wind, clouds, & tornadoes. They would also come away with an understanding of why certain safety procedures must be followed. Depending on presentation type chosen, technology, reading, language arts, graphing, math would be included as well as Earth Science.

#3
In 4th grade social studies, a major part of the content curriculum is tied to the five regions of the United States (the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West).  In the past, I have always tied some type of language arts activity to the social studies curriculum to extend students’ learning.  (For instance, when teaching about the Northeast I do literature circles themed around the American Revolution.)  However, I have always had a difficult time finding resources to incorporate language arts into the social studies curriculum when I teach the West region.  That is, until I found this resource on the AEA online website:

http://tfx.grolier.com/cb/node-33061

On the “TRUE FLIX” website I there are several resources I can use to bring in some more language arts into the social studies curriculum.  This link contains five topics related to westward expansion.  While teaching about the west, I would introduce each of these topics using the video found on the site.  This would give kids some background knowledge about each of the five events.  I would then introduce a project tied to each topic under the link “project idea”. The five topics and projects are as follows:
 The California Gold Rush - "Gold fever" was spread by newspapers announcing the discovery of gold in California. Think about what these announcements might have said to cause so many people to become gold seekers. Then write a flyer that tells them what they would want to know.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition - Work with a partner and choose an event around which you can create a two-minute newscast. Write and practice your newscast. Then present your newscast to the class.
Life in the West - In small groups, choose a favorite scene from the TrueFlix flipbook Life in the West. For example, you might choose to depict life on the trail in a wagon train, a gold miner’s life, working on the railroad, building a sod house, women’s work, or children’s work.
The Oregon Trail - Traveling the Oregon Trail provided opportunities for many new adventures. Show what you know by creating action cartoon books about these pioneer adventures.
The Transcontinental Railroad - Tell the story of the transcontinental railroad by creating a class display that includes a map, a timeline, pictures, and reports.


I would then have students, either as individuals, pairs, or small groups, choose and research of the six topics by reading the book and exploring the web resources. The final step of the mini project will be complete and present their project to the class.

When I was at Durant High School, we spent a lot of teacher inservice time devoted to multiple intelligences and brain research.  I remember that students learn better when something creates an emotional connection, and some students learn better through music.  From the AEA online homepage, I went to the soundzabound link.  Singing up was easy, and I was able to complete this without having a school id which would be great for a just out of school teacher looking at resources.  From the home page, I clicked the category link.  From there I picked the 90s link.  From that list I picked The Main Attraction (artist), I Have a Dream – Tsunami Relief Tribute.  Which lead me to http://www.soundzabound.com/sabcs?artist=28013 where I was able to play the music.  I think the video can be used at the middle school or the high school level.  The main message is unity and making positive changes for the future.  It could be tied into lessons on Martin Luther King.  It could be used in science talking about tsunami.  It could also be tied into lessons on character.  It could also be used across curriculum to link several lessons together.  Because the music is hip. I think students would be more receptive than just a discussion on the topics.

I plan to use "culturegrams" in my Sociology class.  (I noted that many posters that chose culturegrams were elementary teachers, but I think it could be useful at the high school level as well.)

As part of our unit on "culture" and I would have students use this website to examine the culture of another country of their choice (differentiation) and create a presentation involving 10 components of culture that they could compare/contrast with that of the U.S. They would be required to use images as well as statistical data.  (Digital story telling could also be used here, but I think one new resource at a time is sufficient)

I would start by directing my students to go the AEA home page  http://www.iowaaeaonline.org/ website and click on student resources at the top to access what is available to them. I would have them go to the gold column on the left side of the page and click on "culturegrams" ( http://online.culturegrams.com/) and upon landing on the next page click on "World Edition". That would be the starting point of introducing them to a new source of information for their comparison presentation. It is a very simple assignment, but yet reinforces the concept of "culture" as well as introduces them to another valuable resource.

In being a counselor, the most relative and useful resource was Teen Health and Wellness. It can be accessed by typing in the following URL address: http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/. This resource addresses depression, bullying, drugs & alcohol, eating disorders, stress, anxiety and suicide along with many other personal concerns. Due to many students too embarrassed to seek counseling, refusing to participate in counseling, not feeling like they trust anyone to talk to or whatever the reason, I like that this resource is credible and helpful to assist them in a variety of ways. The Teen Health and Wellness resource is extremely helpful in the sense that it is translated in different languages and accessible through smartphones. I also like the idea that it has hotline phone numbers for students to call and Dr. Jan’s Corner as a resource for students. All students are a target audience especially those dealing with any struggles of depression, bullying, drugs & alcohol, eating disorders, stress, anxiety and suicide. There are also resources pertaining to all students such as dealing with financial literacy, getting a car etc. I believe this resource can be distributed in homerooms throughout the building by teachers. Counselors will give teachers a script to read in class for presenting this resource.

I teach 6th throught 8th grade and our district is implementing new homework guidelines for the district next year.  We have been struggling with standard based grading practices for the last year in the 6th grade.  Students who are starting 6th grade next year will have had standard based grades for through 5th grade.  Next year they will have both a letter grade and a standard grade.  I thought it would be interesting to engage these students in a conversation about homework before we discuss our homework policy.  I am interested to see if they feel the same about grades and homework as the students who have had letter grades for the last 3 years.  I used the SIRS general search engine and searched for “homework.”   “At Issue: Homework” was a short article that I think will be appropriate to initiate the conversation.  The article also listed 3 critical thinking and Analysis questions that will help guide our conversation together.  This will be our first Critical Conversation of the year so I will need to spend some time discussing behaviors and expectations of Critical Conversations.  Critical Conversations always end with the last word where students write their last thoughts on a 3X5 card.  For this Critical Conversation I will have then answer “What kind of homework assignments do you think are most worthwhile?  Explain.”  I think SIRS is a site that I will use often this year.    
Staff, P. (2015). At issue: Homework ProQuest LLC. Retrieved from http://sks.sirs.com

One of the sites I wish I knew about when I did a long term last fall was Culture Grams. I was teaching Spanish I and students had to do a research project on a Spanish speaking country. When I went into the website, I was able to find most of the required information that the teacher was looking for. It would be a site where there would be good reliable information. The students have to make a visual along with their presentations and this site would give a lot more information in the short time period they have to work on the project. Instead of searching several sites trying to find whatever they could find, they could find all on one site. Searching  is sometimes very difficult for students, especially those with organizational skills, and on this site they could find all their information easily.

I went to the AEA online and selected Learn 360 because we have recently started doing a unit in science on the solar system. Because this is a new unit for our district in our grade level, teaching the unit was a learning experience for the teachers as well as the students. But by accessing the learn 360 website, I was able to find lots of short video clips as well as full videos that help to reinforce some of the concepts that we were teaching in class. For instance, the moon, the sun, the constellations, and the different planets. Even though some of the videos were dated and the students thought they were very old, they still were a good secondary way to support the students learning in this new unit. One of the things that does take time is filtering through the videos watching the videos, and finding those that you feel are going to best support your curriculum.  Without pre-watching, you can end up showing a video that is useless and a waste of time that is of no benefit to the instruction. But overall I've been very pleased with the videos that I was able to use in our solar system unit the first time around.