BP 11_OMM_KinderSite Project

I really like Kindersite's wide variety of activities for children. There are many links and and media that it uses - all in one place. I tried to highlight some of them in this video slideshow. It is not fancy but I was playing around with different slides and sounds.

BP 10 Comment to Diane Milton's Blog

I love the WebTool StoryJumper. Digital stories are a big hit with students in all classrooms. I would definitely use this at school and at home.


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BP9 Comment to Kymberly Polite's Blog

I had a chance to view Kymberly's short slideshow "Courtney Jackson Polite". I was so thrilled that something so simple was so entertaining and visually pleasing. What a great way to tell a story through pictures....


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BP 8 KindersiteProject Web Tool

As a teacher, I am always looking for Web 2.0 Tools to use in my classroom. I have found a great place for both students and teachers. It is called KinderSite Project. Although the title may indicate that it is just for "Kindergarten " teachers, I have found through my research that it has games, stories, and music for up to children 12 years old. One of the things I noticed quickly about this tool is that is has a wide selection of things to do and see for children- music, stories, and games. These are profiled on separate pages by age and by interest. There is even a section for multicultural activities with different languages. Each activity shows the link of where it came from - PBS kids, Starfall.com, BBC, etc. Another thing about this tool is that there is a section for teachers which highlights research, schools, and links to professional articles. A feature of this tool is a page that you can set up with your favorite links. There is a search portion which you can narrow down the age, interest, and strengths of the specific activity you which to use. There is a comment section where you can post what you like about an activity and what works or doesn't work. Interactive activities as well as basic learning skills makes this a valuable tool for the classroom.
This would be a great tool to use on a Smartboard and individual computers. There are so many activities on this site that a child would be engaged to try different things but also has the choice to repeat and master an activity. Teachers could fine tune this with specific lesson plans as well as control which links to go to by using the Teacher page. My favorite thing about this tool is that it promotes technology for early learners through the things that they like- music and stories. As they learn to manipulate the mouse and are familiar with the tool, they can add games into their list.

BP7_OMM_Shidonni

SHIDONNI

Although adults can evaluate and decide whether web tools are good to use in a teaching situation, it is actually a child who can test the program and tell you honestly what they like about it. My daughter Abby discusses what appeals to her about Shidonni in this 1 minute message. Kid tested and approved- the best authority of an effective web tool made for children, used by children and interactive with children.

I found it interesting that the things that I highlighted in a previous post were maybe not so important to my child. She liked the fact she could make clothes for her character and that she could color or scribble or whatever- there was no set rules on how to use the features. She has a chance to do a lot of exploration of this tool. The games, such as Chutes and Ladders, are familiar yet new with her own characters.

I think ultimately my daughter or even the children in my classroom could use this tool to do some creative writing using their own imaginative characters and situations. The possibilities are endless for a child using Shidonni.

BP6_Comment to Jacqueline Jones

"Learning to get Along with Others- a Social Skills situation using Go Animate" ( Luke Lundstrum and Friend, Garritt)


Hello, read my comment on Go Animate on Jacqueline Jones Blog at:




click here



Jacqueline Jones shares a great web tool called Go Animate. this tool could be used by both teachers and corporate trainers. How exciting to know this is out there!!!

BP5_Comment to Andrea Shike

Follow this link to my comment on Andrea Shike's Blog. She showcases a great web tool which I have also used in the classroom- SpellingCity.com

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BP4_Shidonni

Hello Fellow Bloggers- another Web 2.o Tool I have discovered is a great site for children!!! It is called Shidonni!!! Shidonni has many great features- drawing and animation, creative play, games, and the best thing about it is that your friends can be a part of your Shidonni world.

Let me take you through the Shidonni world- First, a child can create a character. This character is named and colored in a draw and paint program. THe character is totally child centered- there is no templates. The child draws the character how they see it. Next a background can be added. Food that the character eats is also created. When the character eats the food, there is audio of chomping and the character has hearts around its head.

Next, is the addition of friends on your list. With parent permission, a child can add his or her friend's to their imaginary world and the characters can interact. It is a virtual world for drawings!!!

Games are a feature in this tool. THe character that the child creates is the featured player. There is an email feature but it is parent controlled.

I like this tool as it has a child focus. This is a great way for a child to explore their creative side as well as control what the character does in its world.

There is a special feature of this site and it offers a specially made stuffed animal based on your child's drawing.


Here are some pictures of Shidonni
http://www2.shidonni.com/default.htm


Images taken from Shidonni.com ( child drawings made by Abby Lundstrum)

BP3_KIDOZ

The Web 2.0 tool I chose was KIDOZ, a web browser specifically with the young child in mind ( ages 3- 10 years old). One of the things I noticed right away was the kid- friendly graphics and large print which make navigation easier for children. Since a parent ( or a teacher) must set up the account, it offers great security features. Although technology is a great teaching tool, it is also a dangerous place for children. KIDOZ keeps the child's identity, privacy, and access ability in mind. Also, parent controls allow for what websites, games, or videos the child can view on any given day. This is a great feature that will give many parents and educators a peace of mind. The browser is set up with sections for videos, websites, and games which are educational and developmentally appropriate for this age child. THere are many teaching tools which enable a child to use skills such as matching, letter recognition, story comprehension, number recognition, and how-to videos. There is a blog section for updates. The interactive graphics allow a child to see a cause and effect relationship and immediate results. I like the Statistics tab which gives overall feedback from consumer reports as well as business journals and parents/ teachers who use this tool. Tabs on top of the labeled topics can add new websites, videos or games as the parent discovers them making this a personalized web tool. In addition, parents or teachers can block certain choices as well. I feel that this web tool would be great technology tool for the parent at home or the early childhood teacher at school. I will be looking at using this in my classroom with some of my k-3rd grade students. This is a great site to train students how to use the internet safely as well as how to increase their basic learning skills. I can see myself using this on classroom computers as well as on the SMART BOARD for a group lesson. Stop by and take a look http://www.kidoz.net/site_tr is a basic package which is free and the upgrade is not very much considering your child's safety and learning is priceless !!!


Screen shots retrieved from http://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=KIDOZ

BP2_iGoogle Screenshots