scrapblogging in the classroom

I learned about Scrapblog when I went to the TCEA 2008 conference in Austin, TX. My class dabbled with it last year but we are doing much more this school year.

We have been learning about presidents in the last couple weeks, particularly George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I read several books to them and showed them a few videos I found on United Streaming. I also had them research more on their president of choice. After taking down notes with a provided form, I showed them Scrapblog. They are to showcase their learning with this blog/ scrapbook site.

I created accounts for each student, showed them how to use it, and now they are on their way. It's as simple as 1-2-3.

You can learn more about how to use Scrapblog and blogging (and more) with this 'scrapblog' I created:



Here is an example of one of my kid's work in progress. They are turning out so good. You should try it! If a first grader can do it, anyone can!

kidspiration activity- dressing for the seaons

I LOVE Kidspiration. When I was first introduced to it, I found it a bit dated. I didn't like the interface, the robotic voice, and the pictures in the picture library could be better (cuter). Then I began to use it and soon found many benefits. It gives kids an organized way to show their learning. Once you get accustomed to the tools, it's very easy to use. I love how it's already full of classroom ready templates. From there, I can reformat them to my classroom's own needs.

Right now, we are finishing up our unit on weather with a Kidspiration activity. I created a template called "Dressing for the Weather." Here is what it looks like:



The kids have to find 2-3 pieces of clothing they would wear for each season and place them in the appropriate box. Then, they need to label the pictures.

When they are finished, it should look something like this: