Elementary Technology

Spelling City is an online spelling program that is customizable. You can enter your own spelling words and create games, quizzes and worksheets that are customized to individual students. Imagine students being able to play games like Word Search, Unscramble, HangMouse and  CompleteThe Word using their own spelling lists. With the teacher options, teachers can create and save lists for the entire year. Students can also login and access this from home. With a focus on differentiated instruction, this free website can be a great way to track and assess individual student’s progress.

I discovered Photo Op while searching around on the National Gallery of Art website. It is a website filled with interactive art activites for kids. Photo Op caught my eye because I found a great way to use it. Each year, my Tech Team students spend a lot of time using the digital cameras for school functions. There is never enough time or cameras for them to really practice the art of digital photography. By that I mean, focusing on a subject, snapping the picture at the right time and then editing the image. This fun application allows them to practice these skills in a kid friendly yet sophisticated environment. It is a  great tool to use to teach the art of digital photography.

Here we are at Groundhog Day and thanks to the site “Teachers Love SMARTBoards“, here are two SMART notebook files about Groundhog Day that can be used as is or revised and customized. This is a great example of how a little searching found something close to what I want but not exactly. Instead of starting from scratch, all I have to do is edit the file and save it for my own use. One of them has a great page on having the students predict whether he will see his shadow or not.

Here they are:

groundhog_activities-1

groundhog-activities-2

Enjoy!