Tech Connect
Read - React - Write
In watching the news on the wildfire in California, I was struck by the power of Nature to humble us. One of the landmarks that was destroyed in the blaze was the Malibu Castle, which I was lucky enough to have seen on my vacation in California this past summer. When we drove down the Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu (with me hanging out the car window taking pictures as my brother drove) I saw this castle and wondered what it was. Now I know. And now it’s gone. Very sad.
When I was a little girl at PS 233, we had assemblies every Friday morning. We all had to wear a white blouse or a white shirt, a red scarf or tie and navy blue skirts or slacks. We vied for the coveted job of flag bearer, where you got to wear a really uncomfortable harness that helped you carry and steady the large American Flag on a heavy wooden pole as you marched down the center aisle of the auditorium, the envy of all the students. When I started working here seven years ago, I was sad to learn that there were no longer weekly assemblies, and in fact, very few assemblies throughout the year. Students no longer had a regular opportunity to practice their listening skills as an atttentive audience, or to share their talents on stage with their classmates.
Happily, assemblies have made a comeback at PS 233. Every other week, two classes get to “strut their stuff” in talent shows–one assembly is for the “littles” in grades Pre-K to 2 and the other is for the big kids in grades 3-5. I think it’s a great way for the students to feel some ownership and sense of community in the school, and it’s a wonderful way for teachers to see their students in a different light.
Here’s a short video of Room 415’s presentation. There’ll be more to follow, so stay tuned to the blog.
In my travels through the blogsphere, I came across this terrific video that explains, in plain English, exactly how a wiki works. We are using wikis in the computer lab, and I hope that some of our teachers will want to set up wikis for their classrooms as well. Students in Room 419 have been using a wiki to peer edit their autobiographical sketches. We have a fourth grade “New York New York” wiki in the works, and a fifth grade writers wiki. Third graders are going to put together a wikispace with pages full of information they gather about endangered animals. I’m very excited about using this web technology with my students. I’d like to know how you feel about using the wikis, so start writing your comments to let me know!
I know the school network is blocking the video (it’s a YouTube thing) so you can access this terrific and educational short video directly from it’s source:
Since you will be learning how to create you own animations using Frames, I thought it would be interesting for you to know something about the history of animation. You might be surprised to learn how old the art of animation really is! The picture to the right is a girl using a thaumatrope. Click on the picture so you can see how it works. Take a look at The History of Animation: The Early Years - Before Disney.
To learn more about the process of making your own animation, check out Animation Sensation. Read the articles and then take the quiz on this student-created website. How did you do? Let me know!
These are some clay animations that students in Mrs. Gold’s class created last year:
The Early Worm Gets Noticed
What does a worm do when he suddenly realizes he’s the center of someone’s attention? Watch this animated movie by still another of our talented fourth grade animation teams to find out. Nicely done!
The Marriage of Colors
A cute take on what happens when Red gets together with Blue. Nicely done by another team of fourth grade animators. Good job!
This Guy Loves To Wave
Our next clay animation features a very happy fellow who is just waving his life away. Have some fun watching The Waving Man. Nice job students!
The Appearance of The Disappearing Cookie…
Our next clay animation is finished and ready for prime time. Welcome to “The Disappearing Cookie,” a glimpse at what happens on Christmas Eve when no one is looking…
Icy The Movie is Here!
Our first completed clay animation movie is ready for screening! Icy tells the tale of what can go tragically wrong when a child ignores his mother’s warnings. Congratulations to our budding moviemakers on a fine job! Grab a hanky and enjoy the movie!
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