The Healthy Refrigerator

Here is a great website that deals with teaching young children about leading a healthy and active lifestyle. It is based at a grade three level in the subject area of health and deals with controlling deals as well. The site mainly focusses on the fact that if you eat right and stay active you can prevent many diseases and keep your heart healthy! There are links in the right hand corner that you as a teacher or your students can access such as the healthy fridge, good nutrition, heart of the matter and then there is a link just for kids. I also enjoy the main page of this website, it draws you in because it has the cartoon heart pumping and colorful images that engage your attention. I could definately see myself using this website in my future classroom!

To incorporate this website into my lesson plans at school I would first give an introductory lesson to my class about controlling diseases and leading a healthy and active lifestyle and what it can do for your body. I would use areas such as the food guide on display, a list of physical activities that are simple and fun, etc. After this, I would allow for my students to access this website and click on the link "just for kids!" They could read about fun recipes, facts about heart disease, take a healthy fridge quiz from what they learned and seek a word game. I would allow for my students to go on the computers in partners when accessing this website because they then can collaborate information and ideas to complete the word game and quiz. After the students are done on the site, we would meet back at our desks and brainstorm healthy foods and learn more about the food guide. As a teacher, I would then send a note home with the parents/guardians to ask them to send their child with one healthy snack. Our class would have a potluck lunch including foods from the four main food groups. Some could bring veggies and dip, another a fruit platter, others could bring cheese crackers and meat, etc. During our lunch we would then further examine and learn about the heart and how healthy eating can benefit our health and body so greatly. We would also talk about some favorite areas of the website, how did everyone do on the quiz, what recipes sounded good, etc.

I feel that this website would benefit the learning of my students because it is kid friendly and engages the students attention through the images and interesting information. Instead of it being a site where it just lists information and facts, it includes recipes, quizes and word games which students really seem to enjoy. By providing this variety the students find it enjoyable and the content more easy to follow. Child obesity is such as growing issue within today's society, so as a future teacher I plan to help decrease this problem by beginning in my classroom with my students. This site is a great way to educate your students about a healthy heart, type 2 diabetes and how they can lead a healthy and active lifestyle. I would also send home this website in the parents/guardian newsletter so that the students can also access it at home to learn even further about this subject area!

Secrets at the Sea!

Here is a great site based on the grade two science curriculum level on the topic of oceans. On this website they display something similar to a television news program where you follow along on information and news about oceans. The news broadcaster has a mini speech bubble, and once you are finished reading it, you simply click on the bubble to hear the next set of news being said about the ocean. After the news reporter is done talking, you have the ability to click on the "field notes" at the bottom of the page where it explains several topics in relation to the ocean such as food webs, killer whales, tides, salmon, plankton and many more. Once you click on that topic it reveals a page of information that you can further read about and learn! It also displays a picture with the information, so not only are you reading about it but you are seeing it as well and getting a visual perspective!

To incorporate this website into my class I would have the students pair up with a partner to search through and complete this site. After they have gone through, read and listened about all the various news broadcasts and information, I would then have them read through the field guide and choose a topic that they want to do their own news broadcast on. They could choose anything from killer whales to salmon and plankton. After they chose a topic, they would return to their desks and with the teachers help I would help them write up a short news script about the topic they chose where each of them gets a turn to talk. Once all of the students have completed this step, I would then have them create a podcast news broadcast, where we would add in fun music as well and they could broadcast their information to the rest of the students. If my class had our own classroom web page, I would post these podcasts up on the web for the parents/guardians to listen to, so they can see what their child is working on and learning about in class!

After completing this task, I would then have my students revisit the site and just play around. If you click on the on/off button the television it takes you to another world on the site where you can click to various areas and learn more about the ocean! It makes you almost feel like you are a character of the site which engages the students more into its content. I feel that this site would benefit my students learning because not only are they learning about oceans and the animals that live in it and some issues such as pollution, but they actually get to make their own news broadcast about it using podcasts which reveals them to even more use of technology. By using the podcasts to wrap up this lesson plan, they are having the ability to collaborate information that they learned from the site and create it into a final presentation. Also, the site makes the student feel like a character as they have to proceed through all of the news broadcasts and can click on links to other areas about oceans, it even takes you to a small town and you can ride an airplane too!

Basketball Math

Here is a great site that deals with the subject area of math at the grade three level of numbers and operations including addition and subtraction. On the left hand column of this site there is a table of contents listed with addition and subtraction at the top of the list. Once you click on one of the areas listed in the table of contents a math question suddenly pops up for you to solve. Once you are finished answering the question you press enter and then head onto the next one. If you get the question wrong, they give the correct answer and allow you to try again. It gives you a variety of questions whichs makes the site engaging and educational for your students within the math subject area. You can also click on the start button at the bottom of the page which allows for you to practice a variety of math questions and everytime you get an answer correct the basketball player on the screen gets to take a shot at the basket and makes it!

I would use this math website in my class for my students to further practice this math skills in relation to addition and subtraction. A lot of students often get bored of using flash cards or completing math work sheets at their desks. So why not make practicing math skills fun and exciting by allowing your students to access this site. Instead of assigning a math assignment or making my students to flash cards with a partner I would have them access this website with a partner instead. I would have them first start off with addition in the left hand column of the table of contents and then move onto their subtraction later on. When one of the partners gets a question wrong, the partners then have the ability to work together and collaborate ideas to what they feel the right answer may be. As a teacher it is difficult for you to be by your students side 24/7 assisting them, but if you allow your students to work in partners then that gives you a bit of a break because they are working together and helping one another!

I feel that this website would benefit my students learning because it is a fun and different way for them to practice their math skills. It is also fun because seeing as this math is related to the sport of basketball, everytime you get an answer correct the person on the screen with the basketball shoots a basket and makes it! This allows your students to see how they are progressing and succeeding in this area and they have something to work towards on the website which allows for them to concentrate and try hard. Overall, I could definately see myself using this website in my future classroom through the use of technology. A lot of students tend to struggle with the subject area of math, but if I can make it fun and educational hopefully my students will have the potential to succeed to their fullest!

Sound

Here is a great interactive site that deals with sound at the grade three science level. It provides a variety of sounds such as insects, birds, reptiles, water, weather and human sounds as well. By clicking on the various links under the category of sounds it then gives you a list to choose from under that category. For example, if you click on insect sounds it takes you to a list including crickes, grasshoppers, night insects, etc. Not only is there a link to each one of their sounds, but a small description of that insect for the student to read about and further learn about that specific insect. This is a great website to be used within the subject area of sound, because not only are you listening to sounds you may hear everyday, but ones that are more abnormal that are harder to recognize making the site challening and fun!

I would incorporate this site into my class by first giving an introductory lesson to my students at their desks on the concept of sound. I would bring in tape recordings of different sounds including weather, insects and animals. We would then listen to the sounds and would match a picture of that specific sound to the tape recording. After completing this lesson with the class, I would then have my students access this site to further learn about various sounds and recognizing abormal ones too! I would have the students work in pairs for this lesson on the website, and would allow them to choose any category they wanted to listen to the various sounds. They could work as a pair to collaborate their ideas and perspectives on the sound playing so that they can realize which sound goes with which link. To wrap up this lesson, I would have the students return to the main page and look at the nature photos taken for fun, and check out some other links on the website. I don't want to completely guide my students to the proper areas on the site, but I want for them to have the freedom and choice to look at what else the site may offer as well in relation to educational material.

This site would benefit the learning of my students because through the prior class lesson with pictures and then eventually accessing the site to sounds, they are learning about sounds through both listening and seeing. By providing these various sources for the students to learn through they have the ability to reach their fullest learning potential and hopefully become engaged into the material. It is fun when you are out camping or out of the city, you can hear so many different sounds, as well as in storms and various weather seasons. Through this site the students have the ability to appreciate the uniqueness of these sounds and can then reference and recognize these sounds in the future!

Children's Online Storybooks

Here is a great website that deals with English Language arts in relation to the topic of reading at the grade three level. This site is an online storybook, where instead of going to the library to always choose out books to read, you can instead access this website to choose online books to read which includes sounds and illustrations! There is a variety to choose, and when the student are finished reading the first page, there are page numbers displayed at the bottom of the page so they can easily click to the next page to continue reading. It is important for students to learn how to access and sign out books from the library. However, by providing a variety of reading tools for them hopefully they become more engaged in the reading, and by being able to learn this task online it is new and exciting for the students as well!

I would incorporate this website into my lesson plans by using it with "reading buddies." Instead of always sending my students and their reading buddies to the library to pick out a book to read together, I would once and a while take them to the computer lab to access this site and read online. By allowing your students and reading buddies to access this site it is allowing for them to read out loud, read along with another person and also buddy reading. This is covering three main components of the reading topic in English Language arts at the grade three level. I remember being a reading buddy when I was in grade 7 and 8 at my brand new school, and because of the new technology our school had, we were able to take our reading buddies onto the computer and perform similar tasks online. It was much more enjoyable and exciting, it was nice to be provided with a variety because then our younger reading buddy didn't get bored!

I feel that this site would benefit my students because it is able to cover three main components of the English Language Arts Evergreen Curriculum guide. This includes as I mentioned before reading out loud, reading along with another person and buddy reading. It is always great to use reading buddies in your classroom, because the older students get to be role models and almost like teachers, and the younger ones get extra assistance on their reading skills and are able to progress to the next reading level. By allowing this site to be used within this area, it is allowing your students to accomplish their reading goals through a technological tool. So, not only are they practicing their reading skills and working with a partner, but they are also becoming more comfortable on using the computers and getting a feel for what resources are provided online for reading. This is definately a site that children could access at home as well for extra reading practice with their parents/guardians. So, as a teacher I would be sure to send this site home in the next parents/guardian newsletter!

Chicken Stacker

Here is a fun and interactive site based on the subject of English Language Arts at the grade one level dealing with communication. This is a great site for your students to access as it is a fun and educational game where you must listen and select the word with the proper vowel sounds such as a, e, i, o, u. It is called the "Chicken Stacker" because each try you have with connecting a vowel sound to a word, the word is displayed on an egg, and each word you choose right, you then stack a chicken and once you stack 5 in a row you can move onto a next level or a different vowel sound. The helpful component of this site is if you choose the wrong word, it explains why that word does not match the proper vowel sound so your students can learn from their mistakes and move onto the next try! For example, if you are looking for the "a" sound and choose the word rot, it then explains to you why that word does not contain the "a" sound and it also plays the sound on the computer so not only are you reading about it but you are listening to the vowel sound as well! It has great sound effects even such as the chickens that you must stack always make a fun chirping sound, and once you have guessed the right words that contain the proper vowel sound an egg cracks open with a baby chicken inside! You can make the speed go slow or fast, a level that is easy or hard, and you always get a re-try on connecting a word to a vowel sound so you can learn from your mistakes and continue progressing!

I would incorporate this site into my classroom by first giving a brief overview lesson to my students about all the various vowel sounds, and using words as examples. Such as for the sound of "a" I would use examples such as cat, sat, rag, which shows that the "a" sound can be a short sound or a long sound as well. After we have practiced this as a class and the students have a basis of knowledge within this area, I would then have them access this website of the "Chicken Stacker" to listen and communicate more through learning about the various vowel sounds. Instead of using flash cards to test their skills with the vowel sounds, I would have them access this site so they are provided with a variety of learning tools in hope that they can excel to their highest potential. I would monitor to see how my students were progressing, and if some were excelling at a high rate, I would have them move onto the hard level to challenge their skills even greater. To wrap up this lesson, I would have my students return to their desks where I would hand out a short exam on vowel sounds in order to test their knowledge on how they progressed through the class lesson at their desks and also at the computer.

I feel this site would be beneficial to my students because it is almost as though there is a teacher within the site. As a teacher, you cannot be by everyone of your students sides explaining to them what they did wrong for every question, but by the site providing guidance and assistance if the student answers one of the questions wrong, it then explains to them what they did wrong, and gives them examples of correct answers. This way they can learn from their mistakes and try again! It is also a kid friendly site due to the bright colors, animals and sounds. Also, by supplying both reading and listening skills within this site, it provides a variety of topic areas within the classroom. The students can listen on the speakers what kind of sound the word makes, and then use that sound for future reference!

Arithmetic Four

Here is a great website that deals with math at the grade four level dealing with whole numbers and multiplication! I would first have my students access this website on the main page by starting off with level one and checking off the box of "Whole Number Multiplication" and then press the start button at the bottom to start practicing their math skills! This is a great site because it allows for two players to play at a time against one another allowing for a competitive and challenging atmosphere. For each question you get 20 seconds to answer, and if you answer it correct, you get to choose a column on the board where your "connect four" piece will go. Once one player gets four dots in a row, they win!

I would incorporate this website into my classroom by instead of using math flash cards at their desks or a math work sheet I would have my students access this site with a partner. I would choose the partners, in hope for them to be around the same level allowing for the site and skill practice to be both beneficial and educational. I would closely monitor the skill tests on this site, and once the partners have completed one level I would then have them move on the next to challenge them more greatly. Math is a subject that I constantly struggled with growing up, so I feel that as a future teacher by incorporating fun and interactive math websites such as these it allows for the subject area to be fun and exciting for the students to learn from!

This site would be beneficial to my students because not only can they access within the classroom, but if their parents/guardians are feeling that their child needs extra math practice at home they can allow them to access this site as well! By allowing the students to work in partners during this math skills practice, they learn off one another's knowledge about the subject area and ask their partner if they are stuck on a specific question; allowing them to work together as a team. Also, by the site providing various levels, those that are struggling with math can start off at an easy level, and those that are excelling can begin at a higher level so it is suitable for all learning levels. It not only contains the area of whole numbers and multiplcation, but at the grade four level they can also practice their division, addition and subtraction all on this one website!

Measurement of Time

Here is a great site that deals with the measurement of time at the grade three level in the subject area of math. This site deals with converting weeks to days, converting days to hours, converting hours to minutes, minutes to seconds, etc. And it also deals with adding hours such as one hour or half an hour. This is a website that allows for your students to practice their math skills, as at the bottom of each link, there is a practice section where you can practice your math skills. It also gives you hints and tips on how to solve for the problem. For example, when converting days from weeks they give the tip to multiply the number of weeks by 7. Hopefully, after enough practice the students won't need those tips it will just come automatically, but it is still there for them to reference to it if they are stuck on a specific question!

I would incorporate this website about time into my class by first giving a few introductory lessons at the students desks about the measurement of time. We would look at our class clock and use that for an example, and would work on math sheets at our desks to practice our time skills. However, instead of making them constantly be at their desk working on math, why not get them onto the computers playing math skill games! This way, there is a variety of methods provided to the students for them to practice their math skills, so hopefully they don't get bored and frustrated! To wrap up the lesson I would not only have them access one area of the time measurement website but several areas so they can cover all of the skills that we practiced in class. I would use this site as a math centre, instead of having them work on math sheets at their desks I would have them access this site to practice their skills and I would closely monitor them to see what level they were at and the progress they had made within this math lesson.

I feel that this site would benefit my students learning because it is a challenging and fun site for them to practice their math skills. As I mentioned before, by providing a variety of methods for them to practice their math skills whether it is through flash cards, a math work sheet at their desk or practicing them on this website, they hopefully will not get bored because there are so many ways they can practice their skills! Math is a subject that I was not too fond of growing up, however I think that if my teacher would have provided fun and educational sites such as these for us to use for math I would have been much more engaged and excited about learning the material. By allowing my students to access and practice their skills on this site, not only are they enhancing their knowledge about the measurement of time, but they are also getting more comfortable with the use of computers and other forms of technology at the grade three level!

"On Your Guard" - Safety

I remember learning a lot about safety growing up in both the classroom environment and at home. My family and I planned a fire escape plan incase of a fire, and I was always forced to wear my helmet when riding my bike! As much as I hated it sometimes and was embarassed I know that my parents were just concerned for my safety. Here is a website about safety geared towards the grade one level of health education. This is a great site that provides links to areas such as how to wear a helmet properly, and aso what safety gear to wear when you are rollerblading or on your scooter! It also provides some great games to get kids familiar with dangerous items in the house such as the stove, an electricity plug, etc. Students also get the chance to be part of the "kids safety club" and help the goat and other animal friends get to the park by either skateboarding, rollerblading or biking where they must help them find safety gear to wear on their trip!

I would use this website in my classroom by first allowing my students to access it and become familiar with some safety gear they can use. As a teacher, I would bring some of my own safety gear from home such as knee pads, elbow pads, a helmet, etc. so my students would have the chance to try everything on, especially the helmet! It is so common for students to wear their helmet the wrong way, so by allowing my students to have the chance to put it on correctly from what they learn from the site, they can then use what they learned in class the next time they are rollerblading or riding their bike! Also, the site displays a house which includes area that may be unsafe such as the stove, electric plug in, etc. Simply areas that students and children should be aware of within their environment. I would take my class around the school and we would find areas that we should be cautious of as well, such as the stove in the staff room, electric cords, and many more. If they become familiar with these sourroundings they know what to be cautious of when sourrounded by something unsafe!

I feel that this site would benefit my students by allowing them to become familiar with safety. I like how the site not only focusses on safety gear, but also appliances and objects that may be unsafe to touch such as chemical or fire. It is a great site to introduce my grade one students to the safety area, and they can apply what they learn in class at home as well. The site is also very kid friendly for the grade one level as it provides music, bright and fun colors, and also uses animals as their main characters within the site. I can definately see my students enjoying this site and enhancing their knowledge on kids safety!

Food For Thought

Child obesity has increased in rates so much in the past decade that I feel as future teachers it is part of our job to educate our students about healthy eating and exercise. Here is a great website that deals with actual fast food restaurants where there food items are listed with the calorie intake, fat intake, sugar intake, etc. This site deals with the subject matter of health at the grade two level which deals with nutrition and a healthy body. By allowing your students to search around this site they are learning about food choices they should make when visiting a restaurant. Also, one of the main questions on the site is to choose which meal is healthy, a Wendy's Grilled Chicken Sandwich or a McDonald's Garden Salad with ranch dressing.

To incorporate this site into my class through a lesson plan I would have my students read through the introduction page about nurition and healthy choices that you can make. Through this they would read about fats, carbohydrates, protein, calories etc. which are all areas you should look into when buying food at the grocery store or ordering a meal at a restaurant. I would then have them click on the link to "which meal is healthier" in the left hand column. Through the nutrition information they already know they would choose which one they feel is a healthier choice and why. When you click on the answer you choose between the grilled chicken sandwhich or garden salad with ranch dressing and it displays the calorie intake, total fat, saturated fats, carbohydrates and protein. The students would read through these facts, and learn more about why the grilled sandwich is healthier.

To wrap up the lesson I would have my students choose one out of the various choices of restuarants listed in the left hand corner. Through the list of foods displayed on the link for each restaurant, they would choose the ones they feel are the healthiest and make a "healthy choice" menu for the restaurant. They would return to their desks to complete this, where beside each food choice they would display a picture of the food product, what it contains and some nutrition facts about it... such as it only has 200 calories! They would list a maximum of three food items, and when completed would then present it to the class and share information about the foods they chose and why they feel they are healthy. The menu's would then be displayed on the bulletin board for other students from the school to view and learn about some healthy choices they too can make when visiting these restaurants!

I feel that this site would benefit my students learning about nutrition and healthy food choices because it is something they can relate to. Almost all children have been to some sort of fast food restaurant atleast once, and it is often difficult on choosing a healthy meal. By accessing this site and creating a healthy menu themselves; for further use they will be able to go to a restaurant and know what to look for in a healthy meal. Also, through this website they learn about calorie intake, fats, carbohydrates, protein etc. and also about the food pyramid! By allowing the students to make a presentation to the class about a specific restaurant, the students have the ability to learn about not just one restaurant and what healthy choices they can make at it but they learn about a variety of healthy choices at resaurants! Child obesity is such a huge factor in today's society and fast food restaurants play a large role within this area. By educating our students about healthy choices and a proper meal intake we can benefit our students by allowing them to learn the facts and knowledge about these areas and guide them inmaking healthier food choices for the future!

Growing Plants

Here is a great website that can be used for a grade one level in relation to the subject area of science about plants! Through this site your students can learn about the process of photosynthesis because the game in which you play on the site allows you to help your plant grow! In the game you use sunlight, air, water, soil, etc. It is your job as the student to help the plant grow to it's fullest potential by making sure it is cared and nurtured for in the proper form.

I would incorporate this site into my classroom by first giving a brief overview lesson about how we can grow plants; whether it is at home or at school. I would ask for examples from the students such as if they grow a garden at home with their family in their backyard, or if they have potted plants throughout their house. All of these are great examples that the students can relate to because almost all of them should have some sort of plant life at home, even the grass in their front yard would work! I would then have them access this site to try out the game for a few tries, I would ask for them to share what they feel is needed in order to make a plant grow and stay healthy from what they learned from the site.

As a class, we would even grow some of our own plants in the classroom and make a fun expiriment out of it! We would place one plant in a cupboard which was still being watered regularly however it would not be exposed to any sunlight. We would also put a plant in the windowsill where it would be watered regularaly and exposed to sunlight and finally, we would put a plant in the fridge. By allowing the children to see what various locations a plant can be located in and in which area it best grows in they learn about the process of photosynthesis. In conclusion to this activity, we would discover that the plant in the sunlight grew the best and that you must have all of the proper areas covered of maintaining and caring for a plant in order for it to grow and stay healthy!

I feel this site would benefit my students learning because it is a simple and easy task for them to follow along. It allows for them to learn through a hands on experience about the process of photosynthesis and it allows for them to learn from their mistakes. If they don't keep watering the plant, they begin to realize it eventually stops growing and dies. I feel this site is a great way to guide students into learning more about plants as it provides the base information about growing plants. I feel that by incorporating an expiriment in with this site about plants and by allowing the students to apply what they learned from the site to the expiriment they are enhancing and progressing their knowledge about plants. This is even a great site I could see many students using at home in their spare time; it is fun and colorful which allows for the students to not even realize they are learning, they simply just love playing the game!

Tic Tac Toe Math Squares

By incorporating math with a fun game or activity often it allows for the students to axcel and progress at their learning level while not even realizing they are learning because they are enjoying it so much! That is what this website I located provides for the grade four level of math dealing with the sub-topic of division with whole numbers. It is a great site with a variety of math levels and sub-topics; such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc. However, for this lesson plan I would have my students click on the link to division to practice their division skills and challenge themselves to a higher level! The website records your wins, loses, and ties which allows for the game to be competitive and allows for the students to hopefully want to achieve a win and focus more on the game and math division skills!

I would incorporate this website into my classroom by using it as a math center. Often, teachers provide a time period once or several times in a week where they have centers that deals with a variety of subjects such as language arts, science, math, reading, etc. Instead of using math flash cards or math work sheets at the desk you could allow for your students to access this website on the computers within your class or in the computer lab to complete the center. The division level is at made for a medium math level, making it challening and enjoyable for your grade four students. As a teacher you could make tic tac toe math sheets that the students could take home as extra math practice or even send home the website in a parents/guardians newsletter so that the children could access it at home as well. I remember growing up and practicing on countless math flash cards at home with my parents, but if there would have been a site such as the tic tac toe one provided in my past learning, I think I would have enjoyed math much more!

The students would benefit from using this site because they are using a mental calculation method. The students can bring a pencil and paper to the computer if need be, but the point of this site is for them to use the skills they have already developed in their mind and apply it to the tic tac toe division game. It allows for them to recognize and solve a variety of problems involving division and they can apply various strategies to the division problems infront of them. Because it is a kid friendly site and is interactive and colorful, children are drawn to it and hopefully it will enhance their learning abilities and make them want to return for more math practice on the tic tac toe web site for math skills!

Using Seusville With your Students!

Being able to write your own story using proper words and spelling is a main component that children must learn in the primary grades. The site of Seusville would be geared towards a grade two level within the subject of language arts and the topic of writing. I would have my students access the site to the storymaker link and allow them to have the chance to create their own story! A lot of beginner writing is done within students personal journals, or language arts portfolios. Within the writing topic they must learn about stages of writing such as pre-writing, drafting, editing, publishing, etc. However, as a future teacher and through past experience I feel that you should allow your students to have the freedom to write creatively and spontaneously as well. You should not put the pressure on them everytime and say this writing piece you are beginning right now will be published, marked, and posted on the bulletin board for everyone to see. You want the students to have the chance to work on several writing drafts, and then allow them the free choice to publish the ones they feel could be the most successful, and by using Seusville it is a great way to get your students thinking and to bring out their creative side!

Within Seusville of the storybook maker, you as the student choose the characters, scenes, music, story title, and text for your story. This is almost like a pre-writing stage because you are starting off with the basis of your story at the beginning by choosing your characters and title, and eventually you have the chance to write your own text. Because this is writing where children have the freedom and choice on the computer to write about what they want, they are able to be creative because there are no set guidelines or rules. I would have my students access the site and begin to make their story, and eventually begin to work with pairs by collaborating ideas together and sharing stories with one another. I even made a few stories myself on this site and it was great being able to brainstorm ideas of what you wanted the characters to say and what type of story line you wanted to use. I also liked adding in the music and backdrops because it made the story more colorful and fun, and I feel that young students would feel the same way!

To finish up this activity on the computers, I would have my students return to their desk, and in their learning logs I would have them create a story on paper much like they did on the computer. They would draw three scenes with charactes included, and then writing at the bottom of what the characters were saying. Then, in groups everyone would have the chance to share the story that they created, perhaps it could be incorporated into centers by the sharing of their stories in the learning logs.

I feel that this site would benefit my students ability of writing, because it gives them the perspective of the first stages of creating a story. You must choose a title, characters, a story line, etc. The music and backdrops are just extra added fun within the site, but the main component is to allow them to brainstorm ideas for their own story to create instead of always reading others that have already been created. By working in pairs on the computers, it allows for the students to collaborate ideas together and learn from one others creativity and use that for further writing tasks within the classroom. I also think that by having them create their own story on paper, they can use ideas from the story on Seusville and what they learned within the site and incorporate it into the new story that they are creating. In this format, they are then relating technology to classoom acitivites and lessons!

Using Web 2.0 within your classroom!

I feel that one of the most beneficial sources of Web 2.0 that I could use within my classroom is blogging. It is a great way to get your students onto the computer and allow for them to practice their computer skills while learning about a specific subject and topic at the same time. Also, as a teacher if you suscribe to RSS and suscribe to your students blogging page you will then be notified when their page is updated so you can monitor their progress within the classroom. I feel that through using blogging just in our ECMP class, after the first few times I posted a blog I began to feel very comfortable using it, and can definately see me using this within my clasroom as a future teacher. By using blogging within your classroom it would benefit your students by learning more about modern forms of technology. It is a different form of learning due to the fact that it is more hands on; by providing a variety of learning approaches within the classroom every student has the chance to succeed to their highest potential!

I feel that blogging can be incorporated into any subject matter really, and it not only has to be used within the classroom but you can encourage your students to blog at home too! One idea for using blogging within my classroom would be instead of getting your students to use their personal journals or learning logs everytime at their desks, allow for your students to have the chance to acccess their blogging page and post whatever they were going to say in the journal up onto the web! I also feel that you could use blogging as a center within your classroom. Instead of always making a center for journal writing, allow for your students to have a center of using blogging as their journal entry.

In grade three science in the topic of the solar system you could get your students to do a blogging post about their favorite planet within the solar system. They would post fun facts about the planet, why they chose it, what they found interesting about it, etc. By allowing them to work on the computers it is a responsibility to the students and hopefully they embrace that and rise to the challenge. Also, they could put links into their blog to pictures of their planet on sites such as Flickr and also to various fact sites and interactive solar system sites that they were given to by the teacher to search through for information!

Grade Five Math - Problem Solving and Data Management

I found a website that deals with starting your own business through a lemonade stand! Most children including myself have put out a lemonade stand or two on our driveway in hope to make some money! Some questions and concerns that come into mind with a lemonade stand is how much should we price the drink at? What recipe will we use, and how much of ice, sugar, lemons and cups will we need? All of these questions are incorporated into the lemonade stand website which deals with a grade five level of problem solving and data management. After a few rounds of this game I myself became addicted due to how exciting and challening it was, so I feel that my students will hopefully feel the same way and welcome the challenge that the site provides!

I would incorporate this website into my classroom by first having a class discussion of perhaps students that would eventually one day like to create their own business when they get older. What situations would they have to deal with and focus on? Such as the money intake and outake, how much to spend on the supplies you need for your business, who you are going to hire, etc. I want for my students to take all of these ideas into consideration before accessing this site in hope to allow them to be more successful while playing the game. They would then access the site and play a few rounds getting the feel for what ideas and questions a business brings about. For a lesson plan activity related to the site I would pair up my students for them to create their own business. They would be responsible for making up a name for their business and create a fun and welcoming sign. Also, they would have to list what they would be selling, what the prices are, what supplies they would need, how to get your customers attention and make your business successful such as coupons and advertisement, etc. I think that by working with pairs in this lesson activity the students can brainstorm ideas together using a think/pair/share idea and can build on one anothers creativity and skills.

I felt this is a great site to allow students to understand money value, organization, customer service, etc. By having the lemonade stand open on rainy days they realize that with running a business not everyday is going to be successful. They also learn about how much ingredients and supplies they need to buy because sometimes you run out of your supplies such as ice and then you don't have as many satisfied customers. It also teaches them money management, you don't want for your lemonade stand to go bankrupt, so you must find out how much your supplies cost and how much you can afford to buy without running out of money. There is also another link on this site to a coffee shop which is even more challenging by opening up your own coffee shop, making the recipes and buying supplies. I would allow my students to access the coffee shop link once they have practiced at the lemonade stand.

Grade One English Language Arts - Listening

Growing up I always had a difficult time completing listening tests which were recorded tapes and we had to jot down answers from what was said on the tape onto a piece of paper which was then graded. I was never quick enough to catch on and I remember always making one of my main goals at report card time to listen more attentivaly. However, with todays technology we can use a different method for listening skills which is through the computer by allowing students to access a site which challenges and tests them on their listening skills in a fun and interactive way. I was able to locate a website that deals with a grade one level of listening skills in the subject of english language arts. It uses a world blender method where the fun cartoon blender sounds out a word and then it is your job as the student to choose the beginning sound of the word and the ending sound out of a variety of choices and then put them in the blender! When you press the big red "go" button the cartoon blends it up and tells you if you are right. To end the activity it even allows you to print off the words you sounded out and created so you can use them for future reference.

I would incorporate this website into my classroom by allowing it to prepare them for an actual listening exam by practicing on the site. I would have them access it first and play a few rounds as each time they answer correctly it goes up a level. This is a great site for teachers also because you can use the teacher control panel which is where you get your students to first enter in their name on the computer before they begin the activity and then once they have completed it their score will appear on a printed sheet at the end so you can see what level your students are at. I would also send this website home in a parents/guardian newsletter so the parents/guardians can check it out themselves and get their child to use it at home to practice their listening skills even more! I would also allow for my students to work in pairs for a portion of this website activity because then they are working together and building on one another's listening skills and learning ability.

This site of the word blender would enhance my students learning because it is challening, kid friendly and by working with the fun cartoon blender I can definately see my future students just loving this site! The site also deals with consonants and word clusters and it also covers the area of medial short and long vowel sounds. I feel this is a fun and educational way to get your students to practice their listening skills rather than just making them listening to a boring recording tape and jotting down the answers. I feel this site is just as challening and still beneficial to their learning abilities, and I plan to use it in my future classroom!

Grade Four Science - Predicting Weather

Weather various all around the world, however here in Saskatchewan we are known for our cold winters, hot summers, and overall we have a TON of wind! This website that I discoverd is a great interactive website for a grade four level in science which covers the topic of learning about weather. The website contains a link to weather safety, games, stories, activities and also weather ingredients! This is a great website to get your students interested in the aspect of weather and allow them to learn hands on about what safety precautions to take when a storm is coming!

I would use this website in my classroom by allowing my students to access the links to the weather safety. Many times there will be a storm of lightning or a blizzard, and I want my students to know the precautions to take when something like that occurs. For example, when at the beach in the summer and you see big dark clouds coming and it begins to get very windy and you can see lighting in the distance, it is best to leave the water and beach to and get yourself to a safe and dry area! I would also get my students to click on the links to the various types of weather to they can read about how it impacts our lives and how storms such as these actually form! I think it would be great for the students to learn about specific weather tools as well, I would put a thermometer in the classroom so we could see the temperature inside. And after a few days we would put it outside to see how much the temperature changes! Through the website I would get for my students to classify which storms occur in which seasons of the year. For example, lightning storms often only occur in the spring, summer and fall.

By the site about "web weather for kids" it provides a variety of information that is interesting and educational to the students. I also feel that by getting my students to read about how weather effects us, how it forms and to classify which storms occur in which seasons they are learning about several aspects of weather. By not only focussing on one aspect with the site the children have a variety of components they can learn about which will hopefully allow for them to say focussed and intrigued about the information. To close this lesson I would get my grade four students to go home and watch the weather channel, and take a few jot notes about what type of weather is occuring in different cities, or different countries. What is our weather going to be like for the next week, etc. What child doesn't love to do homework by watching tv!

Grade Two Science - Dinosaurs

What young child is not interested and fascinated in learning about dinosaurs? This subject area is of the grade two science curriculum and I was able to discover a website called "The Dinosauria" that contains a brief summary on the lives of dinosours as well as contains links to various kinds of dinosaurs. On the main page of the site they contain headings such as "not everything big and dead is a dinosaur" and "not all dinosaurs are exctinct." I feel that these are all areas that students would be interested in learning more about, especially the part that dinosaurs are still not exctint today!

I would incorporate this website in my classroom by first giving a brief lesson at the desks to my students about dinosaurs. After this, I would then allow for them to access the computers and go to this website. I would allow them to freely click on the links and search through, however their final task would be to scroll down to the bottom of the page and and choose a link out of one of the five questions. For example, one of the questions is "what killed the dinosaurs?" I would pass out the students learning logs and they would jot down points to answer the question by accessing and reading the link. Once the students have completed this I would have them return to their desks and pair up with a partner who did a different question and they would share their answers with one another!

I feel that this website would benefit my students learning in the way that it allows for them to learn about the pre-historic times of our world, exctinction and fossils. And by the website including fun facts and pictures of dinosaurs it makes it more interesting and exciting for the students to learn. I really like how the website includes the questions at the bottom. These are questions that the students might wonder themselves after reading the information on the site, so by allowing them to read and access the links they are learning even more! I feel that by the site providing visual pictures of dinosaurs on the site the students are able to create a model image within their mind. I would also have the students create a picture of their own dinosaur they have created and make a fun and interesting name for it as well. They would list facts about where it lived, what it ate, etc. and they would then be posted on display for others to see and read about! This site and class lesson incorporated in with it is allowing for the students to use their imagination and use what they learned about dinosours from the site to complete the task at hand.

Grade Three Math - Numbers and Operations

Mathematics was a subject area that I struggled with through my primary years and still do today. I feel that by providing interesting and educational websites such as the ones I discovered entitled "Are You A Math Magician?" it allows for your students to see math as fun and exciting by getting them out of their desks and on the computers to practice their math skills! "Are You A Math Magician?" is based towards a grade three math level dealing with the area of numbers and operations. This website provides two levels of math such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. You can also mix the areas together, or practice all of your math skills at once!

I would incorporate this website into my classroom by making this website a center. Instead of doing a work sheet or flash cards at the desks for a math center, I would allow for my students to log onto the computers and access this website. Through past experience I can tell that students can get bored and frustrated with endless flash cards and math work sheets, but I feel that by allowing for the students to learn math in a new and exciting way hopefully it will allow for them to be challenged and also have fun all at the same time. I would monitor to see how my students were progressing on the website, and by my observations I would then mark down which areas of math that I as a teacher would need to focus on more with that specific child. In a way this website is a test for challening the students math skills, however because it is fun and child friendly they don't even realize it is a test!

The site tests you to see just how many questions you can answer correct within two and a half minutes which allows for the students to be challenged at their specific math level that they choose. This is definately a large benefit from this website, and it also is a benefit for the teacher because they can realize just what level their students' are at. I played around on this website for a while myself and found it really fun, so I can definately see my future students enjoying this website as well within the classroom! By getting the kids out of their desks by using centers and incorporating technology into it, it allows for the students learning abilities to enhance as well as their technology skills to improve!

Grade Two Science - Habitats

Learning about endangered species and animals habitats that they live in is an important area of subject within the grade two science curriculum. Here is a great interactive website by scholastic associated with "The Magic School Bus" which contains a link to a fun activity about animals and their habitats. With the link to animals habitats it provides a variety of animals and different homes, and it is your job as the student to match up the correct ones! Some other features of this website are fun science activities you can try at home and you can also play games such as a maze on the computer and print off coloring pages to color with at your desk!

I would incorporate this website into my classroom by first doing a mini lesson with my class about animals and their specific habitats. With this, I would also incorporate the aspect of hibernation and endangered animals as well. After completing this mini lesson at the students desk I would then allow for them to access the computers to this website of the magic school bus. I would then direct them to the link of the animals habitats and get them to try to complete the task. Once they have completed this a few times, I would then have them access other areas of the website such as perhaps printing off a coloring page to do at their desk or building the "monster bug." To wrap up this lesson on animals habitats, I would have the students return to their desks and have a class discussion on some other animals they know about their habitats, and perhaps some other endangered animals they are familiar with as well, like the bald eagle!

I feel that this website is a fun and exciting way to get kids to want to learn. It plays music, has fun games, and is also able to challenge students at the grade two level on their knowledge about animals habitats. I also like how once you have completed the task of finding the animals habitats, it then displays a fun fact at the top of the page about one of the specific animals you helped to find their habitat. For example, the site displays that the whooping cranes nest in a marshy area among tall grass and cattails that provide protection from predators. I feel that by allowing your students to have the access to computers and other sources of technology in the classroom it allows for them to become more comfortable with using them and it enhances their technology and learning skills as well!

Grade One Language Arts - Participating in shared and guided listening and speaking experiences

Not only is learning to read and write an essential at the grade one level, but having the ability to listen and speak is important as well. The website that I located that is connected to these two areas, for example when you click on the animals link it takes you to a site where there are several animals from dogs to fish and when you pull the curser over that specific animal it then makes a sound; the dog will bark, the cat will meow, etc. Also, when you go the link of songs and letters it displays the alphabet and when you pull the curser over the letter it sings a song, such as for "A" it sings angry alligator.

I would incorporate this website into my classroom by just simply listening to what it has to play, and play around with tazzle the tiger. I would make sure that they were listening very carefully to what all noises the animals make, and then once all the students returned to their desk I would have everyone share their favorite noise of the animal, and even discuss some noises animals make that were not on the website as well, this way they are thinking and broadening what they know already from the website by linking it to personal experiences. I would also have them access the coloring page and get them to print off their favorite picture to take back to their desk to color and reflect on what they learnt. I like how the pictures go through the alphabet and have a sentence to go with the picture. For example, for the letter "H" it says helping hand and then displays a picture of one person helping another.

I feel that this website would benefit my students speaking and listening skills in the way that by the site displaying the sounds and speaking of animals and the alphabet, students are able to recognize those sounds, and some students learn better by hearing rather than reading. So this website provides a variety of learning abilities to suite the students needs. By having "tazzle the tiger" it makes it a fun and accessible kids site and it makes it welcoming and friendly as well. Most students love animals, so why not incorporate that into their learning by connecting the alphabet with animals!

Grade Two Health - A Healthy Body

Staying active and eating healthy is such an important aspect of a childs life. Child obesity is increasing by the year due to poor education on healthy eating and also a low amount of physical activity. I feel that as future teachers it is our job to educate our students about these areas and begin to get them active and learn about healthy foods that they can eat! I was able to locate a website that deals with jumping rope, a very popular and fun way to get young kids active, and it also has links about the heart and circulatory system as well!

I would incorporate this website into my classroom in the way that I would not only associate it with the subject area of health but I would also link it to physical education as well. Before heading into the gym with my students I would allow for them to access this website and click on the link of jump rope skills to find three to four main ones they are interested in trying out in the gymnasium. After completing this task as a class we would go to the gym and would all try out our skipping rope skills and hopefully the students will enjoy it so much they will begin to use them when they are outside for recess, or at home in the driveway jumping rope as well. After we are finished in the gym, I would then have the students access the website once again however this time they would click on the links about why we should exercise and also the other link of exercise/fitness. This way the students can read and learn about why it is so important to keep active and exercise, and after we would then have a class discussion and as the teacher I would write some main points up on the board to discuss about as well.

I feel that this website would benefit my students learning in the way that it allows for them to have a hands on learning experience and try out jump rope themselves. I remember as a student I loved jump rope and I was even a part of a club. Every recess in the spring and fall we would skip rope as well, and while we were doing it I didn't even realize that I was exercising, I just thought it was fun! By educating my students about why it is so important to exercise and how it can benefit your body hopefully they will take what they learnt home and teach it to their friends and family as well. Such as when sitting around the supper table, they can discuss with their parents/guardians what they learnt about at school today and found out that it is really important to exercise no matter what age you are! By having a class discussion with the information the students discover off the website as well they are sharing ideas with one another and hopefully benefiting from one another's knowledge on how to keep active and stay healthy as well!

Grade Five Social Studies - Heritage

I am currently taking an indigenous studies course here at the University of Regina and it has made me come to realize how important it is to know about the people who first came here to Canada and the history of the aboriginal people. In grade five social studies, focussing on heritage is a huge area for this level. It focusses on topics such as Canada's first peoples, the connection between the explorers and fur traders, the wars and treaties, etc. I was able to locate a site that deals with the first peoples of Canada which were the indigenous people which includes inuit, first nations and metis. Each page has a list of information and facts about their heritage and development here in Canada, and after you are done looking at the facts and pictures, you click on the arrow in the right hand corner and it takes you onto the next page. This website deals with the population of indigenous people, names, their languages and culture, and their origins and beliefs. This is a great site for grade fives to use and it welcomes and engages them into the history of their country!

I would use this website in my classroom in the way that for the first few lessons of this topic I would show overheads, slides shows, videos, and explain the basics of Canada's history and about the indigenous peoples. After a brief overview, I would then allow the students to access the website and search around for some interesting facts they can find. There are three main topics: An aboriginal presence, an ancient bond with the land and arrival of strangers. I would allow the students to choose one out of those three topics, and then focus on one of the headings underneath it. They would take their learning logs with them to the computer and jot down some fun facts and information about that topic, and then pair up with a partner that didn't focus on the same topic and share what they learnt. After the students have completed this area of the task, I would then get them to return back to their desks and we could have a class discussion on what they learnt, and what they enjoyed about the website whether it was the facts, pictures, format, etc.

I realize that this isn't a huge interactive games website, however I feel it is appropiate for the grade five level and it is an easy read as well for them. This site would benefit my students learning abilities because it is very organized, which makes it easy to follow along and learn the information at a faster pace. The site also contains pictures of indigenous people in their headresses as well as just in their everyday clothing. I want for my students to realize that these are important people to our lives and also an important part of our Canadian history. I also feel that as a future teacher it is important to incorporate a variety of cultures and beliefs into the classroom, so by the students accessing this website they are learning about a culture that perhaps may not be their own.

Grade Four Social Studies - Identity

Learning about the province that you live in is so imporant at this level, and the topic of identity in grade four social studies focusses on Saskatchewan as a province and key facts that goes along with that. I was able to locate a website that deals with the important emblems of Saskatchewan such as the province flag, the western red lilly and the coat of arms. On this website provides a picture of the emblems as well as facts and information to go along with them. It shows all of the specific colors of the emblems as well which gives the students a true identity of what they all look like and can recognize them ouside of the classroom.

I would use this website in my classroom by first having a few lessons with the students about the history of our province and how it came to be. After the students would have a brief overview of the province, I would then get them to access this website to see what the emblems of Saskatchewan really look like and the meaning behind them. I would then have my students jot down facts and information about one of the emblems into their learning log journals, and then draw the picture to go along with the factual information. After they complete this, I would have the students return to their desks and we would discuss the province emblems as a class and I would elaborate further on them.

I feel this website would benefit my students learning in the way that by allowing them to actually see the emblems online and full of color they are getting a visual perspective of what they really look like. Also, by having a class discussion after accessing the website the students are sharing ideas and personal opinions and learning from one another as well. This website helps to involve and motivate students by using pictures and graphics; and many children find these areas to be interesting which allows them to learn and progress at a faster rate. By allowing the students to access and view the website it develops mental models of the emblem inside their head to increase the chance of them remembering it!

Grade Two English Language Arts - Reading and Responding

At the grade two level a main focus is allowing the students to read a few paragraphs and be able to realize what has occured during those few paragraphs and then respond to them. I was able to locate a website that deals with this area of learning and it is also fun and interactive for the students! Through this website you help the tiny animals solve mysteries and also there is a link to language and learning as well, so as a teacher I would have my students access the link to mysteries to solve and language and learning.

I would incorporate this website into my classroom by allowing the students to access the site and get them to first choose which animal they would like to learn with whether it would be bubble cats, mud ants, etc. I would allow for them the chance to help solve the mysteries by first reading the few paragraphs and then responding to the question. Also, the language and learning incorporates the same idea as well by the children reading the few paragraphs and then responding to the questions. I feel this is a great website to use because instead of always getting the students to be at their desks reading and responding I feel that by getting them active on the computers it engages their mind focus and allows them to be more successful and challenged through technology use.

This website would benefit the learning of my students in the way that it definately is a challening site for the students and there are several mysteries and language and learning activities for them to complete so there is always a variety and they are never getting bored. I feel that as a teacher I will still have my students be at their desks doing the same learning, but I feel that by having this variety by using the website as well the students see it as fun and exciting due to the animals and colors that they don't even realize they are learning while accessing the site! Not only are they focussing on their reading and responding skills but by getting the students on the computer more often they are also benefiting their technology skills and becoming more comfortable with the computer!

Grade Two Mathematics - Numbers and Operations

I chose to search for a site related to the topics of Numbers and Operations at the grade two level of mathematics. This website contains addtion, subtraction, multiplication and division, it is somewhat like flash cards except technology based on the computer! Each time you answer the math question correctly, the batter gets to swing at the ball and the more points you get in the baseball game that is being played on the computer; so essentially the more questions you answer correctly, the higher the baseball score!

I would use this website in my classroom when I am using centers. For example, in centers there is often a reading center, a math center, etc. Instead of getting the students to always work on a math work sheet during at their desks at these centers I would allow for them to go onto the computers and enter into this site to test their math skills. If they want to be more challenged after the first few rounds they can always choose a higher level as well so the students are constantly being challenged. I would make sure that after approximately 10 minutes the students would then switch centers to all of the kids would get a chance to test out the new math skills games. Also, perhaps I would not always use a math website during centers but a reading and writing web site as well, that way the children are always being exposed to a wide variety and are constantly being challenged!

This website would benefit learning within the classroom in the way that students are not only being exposed to more sources of technology but they are also being challenged at their math skills as well. Math is often not a popular subject, so I feel that it is the teachers job to make the subject fun and exciting to ensure that his/her students are constantly learning and being challenged. By using this website and seeing it is incorporated in with sports, I feel that a lot of students would enjoy it and find it fun and exciting. You can also play with two players at a time so that way the students are competing against one another and trying their very best! Again, with this website I feel I could definatly send the site home with parents/guardians so instead of always using flash cards at the kitchen table or math work sheets for homework sometimes I would get the students to log onto a website such as this at home to practice more math skills to enhance their learning ability!

Grade Two Health - Nutrition

I chose to look at a health education site for the grade two level to find a way to get students interactive on food and health nutrition! This site caught my eye because it contains a variety of fun games for the students to use such as "grab a grape" which is almost like a jeapordy form of game; you are able to pick categories and then choose the question from that category, and no matter if you get the answer right or wrong it always lists a description of the answer so you can learn more about that topic.

I would use this web site in my classroom by first spending a few lessons on the basics of health nurition such as the food groups, healthy exercise, etc as a class. After completing this in the classroom I would then allow my students to go onto the computers and access this website and test their knowledge on what they have learned in class so far. For example, one of the activities on the web site is to be a detective and find the missing nurtient. Through a series of statements you are to fill in the blanks by choosing a letter one at a time below eventually solving the mystery of which nutrient is missing! After the students have a chance to play the fun education games on the nutrition cafe site I would then guide them to the food glossary and et them to write approximately 4-5 definitions down in their health journal for further reference. After completing this, I would quiz the students as a class on questions such as, "What type of food can you eat to make sure you get your daily supply of vitamin C?" or "What can fun activities can you do at home with your friends and family to keep active?" or simply just asking the students what they feel a healthy meal contains. If I had a class website for blogging and updating parents/guardians with information at home I would make sure to post this website for the parents to use with their children more at home as well!

By using this website within the classroom it benefits the students learning by allowing them to use a more hands on learning approach and allowing them to actually seeing pictures and words of healthy nutrition, and interact with them. What child does not love playing computer games, so why not interact educational computer games such as the nutrition cafe into your classroom allowing the students to enhance and broaden the information they already have learnt in class. I played on this website for a while and I feel that the content that it contains for a grade two level is definately going to challenge them and make them think on what the answer is. This website also benefits the childs learning because for example when they are choosing to create their meal, it actually shows the portions of the meal they should be intaking for their age and it displays all of the nutrients they are getting in that meal and calories as well.

Grade Three Science - The Solar System

I chose to focus on a website that provided information about the solar system at the grade three science level. First I would let my students explore the site by searching on the left hand column through the various planets and clicking on each one and viewing the pictures and reading the information that goes along with it below. I would have each of my students choose one of the nine planets listed and jot down four interesting facts about that specific planet. Then, in groups of approximately four or five, the students would share their information with one another; somewhat like a think/pair/share idea. That way the children can discuss the information they came across and why they chose the planet they did and what they found interesting about it. There is also a games page on this website that contains word searches, crossword puzzles, etc. so I would also give my students the chance to play some games on this website while learning more about the solar system at the same time!

I think that this website would help improve my students learning about the solar system in the way that it is a friendly user website so it is easy to access and not complicated to find what you are looking for. It contains simple information and facts that is easily readable for a grade three level and it also contains great pictures and colors which also makes it kid friendly. I feel that by using the think/pair/share idea with this website on the solar system the students are sharing their knowledge with one another and enhancing that knowledge as well. I could definately see this being a website that the kids would want to even access at home to play more games on it and look at more pictrures rather than them just doing it all in the classroom!

Hi Everyone!

This is my first blog in my ECMP 355 class. I am excited to learn about different areas of technology that I can integrate into my classroom as a future teacher!