PodOmatic: Sun & Moon podcast

At first I was not excited about making a podcast and using PodOmatic as a tool, I thought that I would feel uncomfortable and awkward recording myself to teach my students but as I attempted to record myself it was as uncomfortable or awkward as I thought and in fact it was pretty fun. I feel that this will be a great tool to teach my students to use because most children wont have a problem with recording their voices and will find it very fun. This tool will allow them to communicate in a different way and present information to their classmates or others in a fun and interactive way. The students will be given time in class to experiment with this tool and will them be given an assignment to make a podcast to teach another student about a specific subject they have recently learned. For students who may not have access to a computer I will give them differently opportunities to come in and use our classroom computers, they may choose to stay in for recess and work on their podcast, or even after school if parents allow.
I used this tool to give instructions to my class about the new science activity we did, I also used it to express our classroom results and findings from the activity.

Science Standard 2: Grade 1
Earth and Space Science. Students will gain an understanding of Earth and Space Science through the study of earth materials, celestial movement, and weather.
Objective 2: Observe and describe the changes and appearance of the sun and moon during daylight.
a. Observe the sun at different times during the day and report observations to peers.
b. Observe and chart the moon when it is visible during the day.

ISTE: Creative Communicator
I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

Sun & Moon Episode 1
Sun & Moon Episode 2
Sun & Moon Episode 3
Sun & Moon Episode 4

StoryBird: Fun with friends

StoryBird was such a fun and cute tool to use and I really enjoyed creating a story to teach my students about participating in activities together. StoryBird is free, easy to use, and has a ton of different templets to choose from to help you create your story. I love how each templet is full of different images you can choose from to help you illustrate your story. This tool benefits both the students and the teachers and can be used for so many different things in the classroom or at home. The students in my classroom will have the opportunity to express their ideas and bring their creativity to the next level. They will be able to use this tool to show the things they have learned. I love that the students can work on their projects here in the classroom on our computers but I also love that they can continue to work on their projects at home or somewhere outside of the classroom where they have access to a computer. I loved learning about this tool and I love that the students will be able to keep their stories for as long as they want and they can share them with others. I highly recommend this tool and will be using it my classroom. But not only will I be using this tool as a teacher I will be using this tool outside of work and in my home as a mom. I think its very important to read to our children and I want my children to develop a love of reading and learning. I will definitely be using this tool to create books to show my children and will be teaching them how to create their own books so they can express themselves and let their creativity show. I love this tool that much!

Physical Education Standard 1.5.4: Grade 1

Discuss the enjoyment of participating in activities with others.

ISTE: Knowledge Constructor 
I critically select, evaluate, and synthesis digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge.

Educational Technology Standard 5:
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3,4)

StoryBird: Fun with friends storybook.