Draw a Stickman

Looking for a fun way to engage your class in a story telling experience?  Check out Draw a Stickman.

This interactive game will take you and your students on an adventure, while you are in charge or drawing characters and tools to help you on your adventure.  This would a lot of fun as a large group or in small groups... seriously, check it out.  You'll enjoy it!

Google Hangout On Air: Africa!

Today, some 3rd graders in Mrs. Figgins', Mrs. Kaplan's, and Mrs. Mata's class had a Google hangout with the Minnesota Zoo.   They joined zookeepers Dawn and Adam as they chatted about the animals that are being featured in their summer Africa! habitat, including giraffes, ostrich, wildebeest, bongos, addax and guinea fowl. The sights and sounds of this habitat are pretty wild and they even get an up-close look at one of our "taller" friends!  Unfortunately, there was some technical difficulties, so it was not recorded, however, we did get some photos you can enjoy below!

Thanks again to the +Minnesota Zoo  for having us as well as some other classes from District 64!

Mapping with Google: Free Online Course

Are you interested in learning more about Google Maps and Google Earth?  Google announced that they are offering a free, self paced course on everything with Google Maps starting June 10th.

Discover new ways to navigate the world around you with Google Maps and Google Earth.   Improve your use of new and existing fatures of Google's mapping tools.  Choose your own path.  Complete a project using Google Maps, Google Earth, or both, and earn a certificate of completion.

Want to sign up?  Click here.

Want to see more?  Watch the clip below.

I signed up - who's with me?

What is an Instructional Coach?

I follow a group on Facebook called, The Instructional Coaching Group, led by Jim Knight and the University of Kansas, the leaders of Instructional Coaching.  This weekend, Jim posed a question that I would LOVE to know your answer to!

He says the definition of an instructional coaching is:

Instructional coaches partner with teachers to support them as they meet goals usually through the use of effective teaching practices. 


After having an instructional technology coach for almost two years, what would your definition be?   These answers are purely for me, but I'd love to know your opinion, so please share below!!!

Making New Friends

This past Wednesday, Mrs. Kulnig's class of 4th graders Skyped with their new “mates”.

Mrs. Kulnig arranged the opportunity through the family hosting her son who is playing soccer there.  The host family’s 9-year-old is in the equivalent grade as her Roosevelt fourth graders.  We Skyped through the classroom’s SmartBoard with their counterparts in teacher Gemma Taylor’s class at St. Katherine's Primary School on Canvey Island. The island sits in the River Thames’ estuary directly east of London along England’s southeast coast.

The 9-year-old students on both sides of “the pond” had been busily brainstorming topics to present to their new friends.   They both shared “big picture” information about Roosevelt School’s location and make-up, and what they study as fourth graders including art, music and gym.  They also decried the many ways they use technology in their learning, and wrap up with a topic of universal interest – homework, describing assignments and the school’s after school homework help club. We heard similar accounts from the St. Katherine’s students. 

Check out the quick highlight video below to see more - and hear some great accents!

Memorial Day Fun!

Are you looking for a fun way to teach your students about Memorial Day this weekend?  For many students, Memorial Day merely marks the beginning of summer fun. This year, introduce them to the true meaning of the holiday, and provide them with a glimpse into the lives of the men and women it honors.

On their site they have an Internet Treasure Hunt plus Web-based activities for learning about and celebrating Memorial Day!    Click here to be taken to an internet treasure hunt from Education World that I created into a google doc for you to print off and use.

I hope everyone enjoys the long holiday weekend!

Congratulations to...

Congratulations to Sabrina Brady of Sparta, Wisc., the 2013 U.S. Doodle 4 Google winner! Sabrina's doodle, "Coming Home," tells the story of her reunion with her father as he returned from an 18-month deployment in Iraq, and will be displayed on the Google homepage in the U.S. tomorrow, May 23.

Internet votes also helped select the four National Finalists. Read more about Sabrina and all our talented finalists: http://g.co/pqcv