Take Your Class on a Virtual Art Gallery Field Trip with Google Art Project

Teaching art has never been more powerful or interactive.  The Google Art Project is an absolutely incredible resource.  Using street view technology and incredible high resolution imagery, students can virtually tour many of the most famous art galleries around the world, explore famous art works right down to cracks and brush stroke details, learn about famous art works and artists, and much more!  If you're an art teacher, you must explore the Google Art Project with your students.  Incredible!!

MindMapping

I was asked to offer a PD session next month on MindMapping software that students could use in their brainstorming process. My initial thought was to introduce the software that is available on our Board's image. Then it occurred to me, why not check out online alternatives? That way students could access the software from home and school.

One quick Google search later, I came across bubbl.us, a free online mindmapping website. If you sign up for a free account, you can store up to 3 mindmaps (you can create as many as you'd like, but only 3 can be saved online). Any mindmaps created can be savee as a .jpg or .png image for download.

Does anyone else have good Mindmapping software or websites that are worth a try?

What is this Google of which you speak?

We actually had a conversation like that the other day in the office!  We were talking about measuring the distance of our commutes, and I commented that I would clock it on the odometer on my way home - it took me a few seconds to shout out, "I could use Google!"

Sometimes we forget to use tools that have become second nature to us in our teaching - so how have you embraced Google?

One of my favourite teachable aspects of Google Maps is using Google Street View to do community walks or visit historical landmarks.

View Larger Map

How are you using Google in your classroom?

Wallwisher - A Virtual Bulletin Board for Your Classroom

Wallwisher is a free online application that allows you to instantly create an  online bulleting board.  You can share the customized URL you create with your students, who can then post text and links to images on the wall.  This is a great way to add instant online collaboration to your lessons.  Imagine your students responding on a class Wall to a read aloud, adding new vocabulary to a Wall as part of a literature circle, brainstorming as a pre-writing activity, and much more!  Add your own ideas for using Wallwisher to our 6 Easy Clicks Wall.

Podcasting in Kindergarten!

I was recently at Waverly P.S. visiting a Kindergarten classroom and was amazed by the innovative and exciting ways that teacher Monica Cheung is using Audacity for podcasting with her kindergarten students.  Visit Miss Cheung and Mrs. Leslie's Super Awesome Kindergarten Page to listen to podcasts of the students describing their learning at classroom centres, reciting poems, responding to stories, and much more!  Imagine the powerful ways parents can be engaged in their children's learning by listening to these wonderful student podcasts.

Primary Story Writing With Storybird!

Storybird is another great online application that has a teacher dashboard that allows teachers to create a class and monitor student accounts in a similar way to BitStrips and KidBlog.

Storybird allows children to select from preset art libraries and write stories to to match the illustrations.  The finished "storybirds" are beautiful picture book versions of the students' original stories that can be read online in an engaging full screen book format.  Students can also invite classmates as collaborators on their stories, and read the published stories of their classmates.

Your primary students will love creating stories in this engaging online format.  Get started here by creating a teacher account and adding students.

Microblogging

Many of our kids are excited about using social media in their own lives.  Can we leverage the appeal of 140 character thoughts in our classroom?  You be the judge - Twiducate allows teachers to create a class of students and have the students communicate in a Twitter-type style.