Podcasting strengthens school community

Children love podcasting because they love acting like adults.  Other than giving children an opportunity to talk like adults, podcasts allow children to share their work and school happenings, to have an audience, to practice literacy skills (i.e. script-writing), and to build teamwork skills.  Podcasts also provide them with a window to the world by keeping them current on community happenings and allowing them to see what other schools do.  I love the idea of podcasting because it is cheap to do and children seem to love it.  It simply requires a computer with recording ability, recording software, and a microphone.  What I like the most about podcasts is they build a sense of school community-children become excited about being members of their school.

Google Earth as a travel agent

If children are not keen on learning about the world through geography lessons, perhaps traveling with Google Earth might appeal to them.  Using Google Earth, the author found a way to experience the essence of foreign destinations-food, sights, language, etc.-without leaving her computer.  For preschoolers, the trick is to use GE to disguise otherwise boring geography lessons.  After using GE to teach children terms such as neighborhoods, cities, states, countries, continents, planets, etc. they could plan their own globe-treking project.  Perhaps they always wanted to go to Disney World.  Maybe they want to share their summer vacation with other children.  I like the idea of using GE to teach because it opens the minds of  young children by making the world accessible to them.

Between the Lions: Reading made fun for preschoolers

Between the Lions is a PBS kids program that joined public television in 2000.  Aimed at 3-7 year-olds, the program’s goal is to turn young children on to reading by making it fun and appealing.  The interacitve portion of the site provides educational games, video-clips, and storytelling.  Parent-teacher resources include literacy tips for parents who are trying to get their children to read, and a teachers toolkit on how to use the program to enhance early childhood reading curricula.  Children like the loveable cast of furry friends and the program’s humorous take on teaching reading skills.  I like the program because it takes me back to classic public television programs from my childhood, such as Sesame Street and Zoom.

esaKids:exploring our world and beyond!

esaKids invites children to explore topics relating to our universe, space/space travel, and planet Earth in six languages.  Interactive labs allow children to visit space and investigate global air pollution. A “fun” segment has games while a “news” segment photo-documents current space travel.

Shel Silverstein Video

This is my favorite author of children’s poetry.  However, he probably has as many adult fans (maybe even more!) as he does child fans.  His zany prose and illustrations make him one-of-a-kind! 

Let them play!

Just playin' around

Recess should be mandatory!  No matter how much trouble a student (or entire class for that matter!) is in, recess should not be taken away for disciplinary reasons.  It would be nice if younger children had a mandatory two recesses a day, and third through sixth-graders, at least one.  It is bad enough that lunch-time is becoming more restrictive…let them play!

Reading, writing…

"old-fashioned" blackboard

I first fell in love with teaching eight years ago when I started working as a paraprofessional (“para”) for Topeka Public Schools.  After about a year and a half, people started telling me…”you should try substitute teaching..” and I was hooked.  Although I have loved working in a variety of settings with different age-groups, I have to say that I am ready to settle down and have my own class with students (preschoolers) who really know me.  I have grown to love teaching and my students over the years.  Although I realize that being a preschool teacher has added responsibilities, the commitments are a fair trade for no longer having to be “the sub” who, in most cases, has not had the opportunity to earn the students’ respect.

Wacona Elementary School uses “digicams” in the classroom

Wacona Elementary compiled information on how to introduce digital cameras to elementary school students. After sifting through the information, it seemed like preschoolers could handle using digicams as well.  I know firsthand that children love taking photos as much as they love being photographed.  Digicams are popular with children because of their convenience-pictures can be viewed instantly, then transferred onto a computer for printing or deletion.  The article explains that basically, preschoolers need to be taught about digicam handling and usage and guided about the aim of a photo project and what they want to “shoot.”  Included in this website were a number of photo projects, many too complicated for preschoolers.  I did, however, like the following project ideas and even added a few of my own.  Ways to use the digicam year round:  have children help to make a class roster at the beginning of the year by both posing for their portrait and helping to photograph their classmates; take digicams on fieldtrips; have children take pictures of classroom happenings to show their parents what they do in preschool;  allow children to photograph teachers and staff in funny situations;  do an alphabet project, whereby children find an object in the classroom or school that starts with a given letter of the alphabet and photograph it.  There are endless ways to engage children in picture-taking without boring them about the art of photography.  Incorporating digicam projects into the curriculum adds a fun and creative dimension to learning.

Mrs. Levin’s Pre-K Pages

Mrs. Levin’s Pre-K Pages is  a very user-friendly guide for integrating various technologies into the Early Childhood classroom.  This teacher made several suggestions for implementing iPods and iTunes in a preschool curriculum.  Examples included replacing cassettes and CD’s in the listening center with an iPod and expanding the center’s library by reading and uploading stories onto an iPod.  Similarly, she explained how iTunes can be used to interest children in reading by facilitating the creation of  audiobooks that students can watch on a computer.  The teacher also experimented with using iPod shuffles for homework.  Following the suggestions of her students, she made audio recordings of books for take-home use.  Finally, to update parents unable to attend school events, she used iPods to create the audio portion of video podcasts of classroom happenings. This site made it apparent that iPod and iTunes can add elements of convenience and variety to any preschool classroom.

Yes, I have already walked!!

Me in my cap and gown

My Associates in Arts degree has been four years in the making because of work commitments. However, I am proud to say that I have already graduated and am ready to put my Early Childhood Education degree to good use!!