Technology in the Primary Grades

How do we make sure we cover all tech TEKS when we are not one to one?

How can we make the best use of technology time?

How can we make using technology in the primary classroom easier?

Edmodo is a great place to start when it comes to getting little peeps on the road to digital fluency. If students can remember this one password and username (they can make them both the same if you want), you can link any other URL into the site and they can point and click. It is a great place to learn about social networking, an amazing site for pre-assessments, assignments, quizzes, and polls. It even grades them for you (AWW-some right?). As a teacher, you get immediate feedback from this site and it doubles as a perfect platform to communicate with parents.

www.edmodo.com

group code: p3iv3h

We love this site for blogging with little ones. You set up a class and the kid's passwords for them. Lunch numbers work well. The kids just need to log in (they can do this through a link in Edmodo) and pull their name down from a menu and type in their password. They can write about anything and everything. You can use it as a pre-assessment tool, a social networking tool, a book report, just about anything. It is also a great place for kids to respond to each other.

www.kidblog.org

Padlet is awesome as an exit ticket, a pre-assessment tool, a think tank, you name it! It can be used as the perfect KWL chart. There is no log in for kids - just send them a link (via Edmodo) and they can log in and write their answers to questions, their ideas, sentences for vocabulary words, etc.

http://padlet.com/wall/o60wm8fdf903

This is the easiest BINGO game you will ever use as a teacher. No cards, no markers, no problems. You simply create a game or use one from the public bank and send out a link to your kids (Edmodo works well for this). Every kiddo will have a different card that will change every time they hit refresh. It is a great way to quick review any subject area. This is a great way to start a guided reading or math group if you have a few computers or iPads on hand or can be used with an entire class if you have a class set.

https://bingobaker.com/play/290334

This is exactly like bar trivia for kids, without the bar. It is seriously so fun, once you use it you won't be able to stop. You create quizzes or use the bank of public quizzes. You chose the quiz you want, open it and your students will see a quiz number. They type that in, plus a nickname and you are ready to go. You can create quizzes that require little to no reading if needed. You can use this game with any platform - from ipods to netbooks. If you do not have full set of computers this can be done in small groups, relay or team style. It is a fabulous tool for review! You even print out a score sheet and grade it if you would like!

www.kahoot.it - student site

www.getkahoot.com - teacher site

This site is incredible for our little peeps who are not quite ready to write. It is great for writers too, but this is one of the best drawing sites we have found. Students do not need to log in, they just need your "room code" and they can write and draw to answer their questions. You can display all pictures on screen or create a classroom book out of them. It is perfect for pre-assessment, summative assessment or anything in between.

www.infuselearning.com

This site is full of fun quick brain break materials. Lots of dancing, wiggling and fun to get the blood pumping back up to those cranky craniums. This is perfect to use with just the teacher computer and a screen. There is even kid Zumba!

https://www.gonoodle.com/

Have you ever shown your class a video on Youtube.com that was totally school appropriate but had tampon and Viagra commercials pop up on the side? Awkward, right? This fun little site makes sure that doesn't happen. You don't need a sign in, you don't need a password, you just need a link to a video. You paste it in... and you can show it to your class without worry!

http://safeshare.tv/

One of the easiest apps we have ever used is Chatterpix. It is FREE. Kids can take a picture or use a picture of anyone (or anything for that matter). Once they have the picture they use their finger to draw a little line across where they want the mouth to go (they can do this over and over until it is right) and then click on the microphone and speak. It makes for a great "all about me" project, book report, biography, report on an old building, story starter.... really anything. Kids love it. Teachers love it. Win-win!

Augmented Reality is so stinking cool. It looks really complicated but it is surprisingly easy to use. You will be able to amaze and impress your kids with this app (which can be difficult with digital natives). The free app - AR Flashcards is super easy to use. You download the app and then go to the website and print off the flashcards. When you log into the app, and point your viewer at the cards the images come to life. Great for your kiddos who are really disappointed by how much X-Box time kindergarten is eating up!

Aurasma is ahhhh-mazing! It is augmented reality that you create yourself. You can literally connect any two images or videos seamlessly. The app is free. It can be used to amaze parents at Open House, to help students study vocabulary, check their own work, or receive a tutorial at home just by aiming at an image. It is seriously amazing stuff. It can be made even more fun by creating your own video in Chatterpix !

Another great app is colAR Mix. It is super fun and easy to use as well. It is very similar to the AR Flashcards - you download the app, go to the site, print off pictures. Your students can color them and watch them come to life in 3D. The sight has a "dot" page where students can color a circle and watch it come to life and spin in 3D. This can be great when learning the difference between plane and 3D shapes, learning planets etc.

Screen Chomp is another free app that allows you to create and share short tutorials. It gives the user a virtual "whiteboard" to use while you record your instructions. This is great to use for homework, for students who may have been absent, students who may need instructions given several times or for a substitute. This also a great DIY activity if you are using PBL. Tutorials can be made by the students or teacher.