district tech presentation on connecting classrooms

Using Technology to Connect

Katherine Sokolowski

Contact Info…

Email: sokka@sages.us

Twitter: @katsok

Blog: http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com

Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/katsok

Plan for todayIn this hour I’d like to:

Tell you why I think students should connect with people outside the walls of your classroom.

Teach you an overview of how I use: Skype, Padlet, Blogs, and Twitter

Give you time to set up an account and play around with one of those options.

Why should we connect?

I began to wonder…who was the

audience for my students? Just me?

Classmates?How could I open

up our classroom to the world for them?

Skype

Getting Started…

• Download Skype to your machine

• Create an account

• Think about how you could use Skype…• Connect with authors

• Search: Kate Messner Authors Who Skype• Connect with other classrooms

• Mystery Skype• World Read Aloud Day• Dot Day• Mock Caldecott

• Have relatives of your students (or you) Skype in to share with the class.

Skyping with Classrooms…

And with authors…

Skype Tips…

• Have the students run the Skype visit

• Prepare questions ahead of time. Write them down.

• Bring a book to the carpet or spot you will Skype in case there are technology issues.

• Have a conversation about active listening with the students.

• Discuss group rules. (Waving, using the restroom, etc.)

Padlet

Getting Started…

• www.padlet.com

• Create an account• Decide if you want the regular account or Backpack ($45 a

year)

• Think about how you could use Padlet…• Exit Slips• Brainstorming• Keeping track of students’ reading• Visual posters

Blog

Getting Started…

• Decide what platform you will use - I currently use Kidblog

• Create an account if needed

• Decide on privacy

• What will the purpose of their blogs be• Mine have evolved from reading spots to writing

• Teach them about blog etiquette and commenting

Twitter

Getting Started…

• Create an account

• Will this be your account or your students? (I have one for my class, one for myself)

• Sit back and watch for awhile. Connect when you are ready.

• Connect with authors

• Connect with other teachers and classrooms

• How do you introduce students to Twitter?

• What to do when things go south?

What would you like to try out?

Set up a Skype account - www.skype.com

(only if you are ready to download it to your computer.)

Set up a Padlet account - www.padlet.com

I use Padlet Backpack ($45 per year)

Set up a Twitter account - www.twitter.com

(Don’t keep an egg as a profile pic. Create a bio.)

Set up Kidblog accounts www.kidblog.org ($29 per year)

Other options are: Weebly, Edmodo, Google?