Exploring the Gulf Coast

A podcast created by our fourth and fifth graders. We made our own audio CD of the story because the one given to us through our reading series is terrible...according to the fifth graders.

Polar Clock

Love this screensaver. Read about it in Wired.

Probability Voicethread

This is a voicethread my students have been commenting on. The process was as follows:

• Students filled out a chart showing all the possible combinations that can be rolled with two dice. We then created a bar graph showing the probability of rolling a 2, 3, 4 etc. all the way to 12. They discovered that the probability of rolling a 7 was much greater than rolling a 2 or a 12.
• Students worked in pairs to roll two dice 50 times and tally the results.
• They used the laptops to visit National Library of Virtual Manipulatives and created a bar graph showing their results.
• I screencaptured their graphs using the PrtSc/SysReq button on the computers because their wasn't a screencapture program installed on all the computers.
• I uploaded the pictures to box.net which now has a feature where you can easily edit the pictures using picnik. I cropped the screenshots down to show just the graphs.
• I imported the pictures to Voicethread along with instructions on how students should comment.

Students are choosing to comment using voice and text. I instructed them on how to choose their own "identity" icon before commenting although sometimes they are forgetting to do so. We began this process before spring break and before the blizzard so unfortunately we didn't finish. I will re-introduce the process when we get back and have students finish commenting. I am hoping that others outside the classroom will comment as well, giving another perspective on this activity. Lesson plan to follow.

To Do:

Here's the plan for the remainder of the year:

• Create podcasts with the fifth grade, re-recording the reader's theater at the end of each Storytown theme. We started this before spring break. We were going to record on Thursday, but the blizzard cancelled our plans.
• Publish lesson plan on using Voicethread to teach probability/graphing lesson.
• Publish students creations from buildyouwildself.com along with their poems about where they live.
• Publish student created Voicethreads for Cultural Comparisons unit. My group will publish information about India. I will check in with other fourth grade teachers to convert their ppt files to Voicethreads and allow everyone to publish comments.
• Participate in PlanB 3.0 project with Todd and Liz. Integrate into our Give and Take unit on natural and man made resources.
  
• Remain connected, and flow through the rest of the year.