1. Digital Badges
{Digital Badges are online tools used to give recognition for student achievement without giving a test of a grade. With Digital badges, students can be recognize for all types of skills, not just knowledge of content. Digital badges are a part of microlearning, where instead of giving information as a whole, learning is dispersed in smaller chunks. A digital badge is a visual tool that others (teachers, parents, administrators) can see and is clickable. When a digital badge is clicked on, viewers can have access to the user who earned it, the standard the work required, as well as the student work that was done to earn the badge. There are a lot of different websites and apps that can be used to create digital badges, including, attached below are links to two different Digital Badge Sites. For these websites, teachers create their own class account, where each student has his or her own private account. The teacher can add badges to each student’s account for a number of different achievements. Only users who have accounts and the correct account information are able to access the badges, at least for these specific resources. There are advantages and disadvantages to using digital badges. An advantage is that these badges are individualized and personalized. Each student is able to collect his or her own badges, which allows students to feel special. Personalizing the badges also allows the badges to help students in areas teachers wants them to work on. Maybe one student needs to practice washing his hands after he goes to the bathroom while another student needs to practice number writing. With digital badges, each child can be encouraged and recognized in areas that suit him or her! With that being said, the personalization of digital badges is also a disadvantage. While it is important to make each child feel special and recognized for the work they do, it can also take away the importance of accomplishment. We live in a world where students get trophies for playing in the baseball game, not winning. Giving every child recognize takes away the power of competition and the drive students should have in order to be successful. If a student know she is going to get a badge for just trying, why should she try and do her best? Digital badges promote participation and effort, but not best effort and best work. Still, digital badges are an excellent way to make everyone involved (students, parents, teachers, etc.) of a child’s progress in school. Below are the links to two different Digital Badge sites that can be used by teachers and students; the first is for a website named Class Badges and the second is for a website named Badgr. Both require different logins for teachers and students.
2. Toontastic
Toontastic is a storytelling app that allows students to create stories or sequence of events. There are 3 different levels to choose from when using Toontastic: Short Story, Classic Story, and Science Report. In Short Story, students create a story with a beginning, middle and end. With Classic Story, students create setup, conflict, challenge, climax, and resolution. When working in the Science Report, students create a question, hypothesis, experiment, result, and conclusion. In each scenario, students choose a setting and a character or characters. They also have the option of drawing and creating their own settings and characters. Once the characters and settings are selected, students are able to record. When recording, students can move their characters around while simultaneously completing a narration with an audio recording. To test out Toontastic, I had one of my students work with it. She is a 6-year-old kindergartener. I monitor her as she worked through it, but for the most part she completed it on her own. She chose the Short Story, and so far has only finished the beginning part. She voluntarily chose to draw her own settings and characters. She even learned how to edit characters that come with the app- changing their colors and names. Once she started recording, she again figured out on her own that she could move the characters around while recording, to go along with her narration. Toontastic is a great app, that really gives students a lot of creative freedom. The setup and how to work through the app is not extremely clear, especially for younger students. But that being said, once someone has worked with it for a few minutes, it is easy to navigate. There are some limitations when recording as well. When recording, the characters and the story only stay in one scene. If not using a proper recording microphone, the audio recording picks up all kinds of background noise, making it difficult to hear. Toontastic has the creative feature of a science report section. Students could conduct their own experiment, record the whole process and then share it with their classmates or even use the footage at a science fair! Toontastic is very individualistic; it could be a collaborative tool, but it does not offer anything that makes people believe it is a collaborative tool. Toontastic is a great new tool that I really enjoyed working with. It is a tool I plan on incorporating in upcoming writing or PYP units. What is really great about toontastic is that is allows students to create and share their learning in a fun, animated way regardless of the subject.
3. KomaKoma
KomaKoma is a video recording app that allows students to create stop-motion videos. Students use four basic buttons to control and record the videos. There are different settings options that change the speed of each shot, the direction of the shot, the time of each shot as well as a time lapse. All videos recorded on KomaKoma are automatically saved. KomaKoma is a creative new way for students to record different projects; it also allows students to get experience with a different type of recording, stop-motion. With KomaKoma, students have a chance to collaborate; one student can record the project, while the other one is in charge of moving the pieces between each shot. KomaKoma offers a lot of creative freedom, but is limited in its editing and recording options. KomaKoma only allows use for the back-facing camera, not the front-facing camera. The 4 main controls are difficult to use at first, and take some time to understand; there is no clear direction or instruction on how to use them. With this app, students have the possibility of recording all different kinds of content: they could record a number story that others need to record in class or a video of a science experiment they did at home. While KomaKoma gives students a lot of freedom and a new type of media to work with, it is limited in advanced qualities for students who are past the basics.
4. Musical Me!
Musical Me! Is an application meant for PreSchool and Kindergarten aged students. In Musical Me!, students are exposed to different musical components through online play. The different areas that are covered are: Dance, Rhythm, Memory & Pattern, Note Reading, and Instruments. Students use a little mouse to move throughout the game, going from one activity to the next. Musical Me! Offers a variety of activities, but they are always in the same order. For example, if you want to play the Note Reading Game, you first have to go through the dance, rhythm and memory games. Most of the games use predetermined songs. There is actually a lot of songs to choose from, the songs include: Yankee Doodle, She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain, Skip to My Lou, The Muffin Man, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Pop Goes the Weasel, The Farmer in the Dell, Happy Birthday, Five Little Ducks, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Wheels on the bus, Old MacDonald, Row Your Boat, and Do Re Mi. For each activity, the player taps different animals or items to follow along with the song. The only musical creativity offered is through the Note Reading and Instruments games. When first in the note reading game, students have a chance to move music notes up and down about 2-3 bars of sheet music. They can then play what they created. But if they decide to play a already loaded song, such as Mary Had A Little Lamb, they are unable to go back to the creative piece. With the Instruments activity, students can pick between 6 different non- traditional instruments and then play along with a selected song. Students can play their instrument at whatever tempo and in whatever order they like; they are layering a song with different melodies and instruments. Musical Me! Is a nice tool for early exposure to musical concepts. But, the range of content and abilities is limited, making the use of the app limited. Musical Me! Is a wonderful starter app that allows students to get a nice introduction to music in all different forms.
5. Dash & Dot
|
Dash & Dot are two Robots that are used with children to practice coding. Dash and Dot communicate and work together, they even talk with each other! Dash is a mobile robot, where as Dot is stationary. Both robots are controlled through apps that can be accessed through an iPad or a tablet. There are a variety of apps that can be used with Dash & Dot, including: Go for Dash & Dot Robots, Xylo for Dash & Dot Robots, Path for Dash and Dot Robots, Blockly for Dash and Dot Robots, and Wonder for Dash & Dot Robots. Through each app, students use sequences and patterns to make Dash or Dot complete a task. These robots are a great, interactive way to allow students to start coding. Having Dash and Dot communicate and work together is a nice example for students on how to work with each other. When playing with Dash and Dot, students find it more enjoyable to work together, building a strong sense of collaboration. Like any robots, Dash and Dot can sometimes have a mind of their own. If Dash and Dot are in the same room charging, they may suddenly start talking to each other and they won’t stop! Sometimes, they also do not want to turn off. Even if you press the power button, Dash & Dot will suddenly turn back on! Neil Bennett (2017) says, “[Children] may find learning and coding with something that physically responds more interesting than working purely in an app.” Bennett also notes the side effects of using Dash and Dot; be aware of the space and surface in which Dash and Dot are being used, as both can cause malfunctions. Dash and Dot are great resources to use, especially if you are in a pre-school/kindergarten environment and are just trying to introduce the basics of coding.
References: Bennett, N. (2017, Oct., 6) Dash Robot Review. Retrieved from https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/accessories/dash-robot-review-3665000/ |
|
| img_2123.mov |
6. ClassTag
ClassTag is a great way to communicate with parents! It is a website-and-app that has it all. As a teacher, you can post upcoming events, make an announcement, request volunteers, create a group checklist of needed items for the classroom, and (my personal favorite) schedule Parent-Teacher Conferences. When signing up for Parent-Teacher Conferences, parents are able to see what times have already been selected and what times are still available, creating no confusion about times. If families want to switch times, they just have to deselect the time they chose and re-select the new time. There are even directory and photo sections. The photos can be broken down into general class photos, and specific event photos. You can create more than one class, being able to work with multiple classes at a time. There is also a function called Marketplace that seems to connect your classroom to stores such as Walmart and Petco. With these stores, the class gets cashback when someone from the class shops there. Announcements made through ClassTag can be sent as emails or as text messages. ClassTag is a great resource for elementary teachers; it offers all the necessary communication for important events that go on in school. ClassTag also has a personal inbox to receive messages. ClassTag is a nice tool that I wish I knew about at the beginning of the year. In one school year, we can have up to 16 events- which need volunteers- and 3 different conferences. Having this resource would have been a great place to keep track of all the logistics, and it is something I would like to try and use next school year. The downside to ClassTag is that it does a lot of similar functions to other sites such as Google Classroom or PowerLearning, without offering any other benefits. So if you already use another platform, this will not add anything to your digital repertoire. Another setback is ClassTag is not connected to any other platform, such as Google, which would allow for easier access when parents are looking for it. Overall, ClassTag is an excellent resource for elementary teachers and parents, especially if your school does not already have a digital platform for communication. Click on the button below to explore more of ClassTag!
7. Flocabulary
Flocabulary is a website that combines rap, hip-hop, and musical stylings with academic content to create educational videos. With Flocabulary, all content is covered; they have videos for Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Life Skills, Vocabulary, and Current Events. When you select a video, you can watch the video, or select the lyrics. If you select the lyrics, the video goes away, but the audio is still there. When watching the video, the lyrics are still written across the screen, so they can be heard and read. You can also select the discuss option: in this option the video will periodically pause and ask a discussion question that you can ask your class. There are a lot of different options for videos. There are ones that just be viewed, ones for vocabulary, quizzes, and there is even a create your own video option! The videos are great, and while there is a create option, most of the content found on Flocabulary is translational; it is for student intake. The videos are good for a topic introduction, deeper learning, or review, but it is all still consumption. Another catch with Flocabulary is cost. In order to access the sight, you need to sign-up with a package. There is an individual, school wide, and district wide package. Flocabulary promotes the School wide package as the most sensible. If you are able to get your school on board, the school wide package is the best option. Music and rhythm has been proven to increase student memory and improve test scores. In the age of Hamilton, Flocabulary proves that anything can be more interesting in rap!
8. PenPal Schools
PenPal Schools is a website that allows students to team up with other students from around the world on specific projects. With PenPal Schools, teachers sign up and create a class. Then, student receive the class code to join the pre-selected project. Teachers can choose from a variety of projects that cover all different content. One unifying theme that can be found throughout each project is world-wide connectedness; with each project there is a global unifying theme. Before selecting a project, teachers are able to preview the project. When previewing the project, you can see the syllabus (explaining the overall goal and the outline for the project), how long each project is (range is 1-6 weeks), the age range for the project (youngest age is 8), and possible match days for the project. Match days are the days when students are assigned their PenPals they will be working with during the project. Teachers do not have to worry about matching their students with penpals, the website does that for them. But teachers are able to check-in, seeing everything their students post, comment and work on and leave comments on their work! As an IB teacher, I appreciate this tool. It can make any project have global components, which is a main goal of the IB: students taking what they learned and using it on a global stage. That is exactly what happens at PenPals. For example, there is a whole project based on multiplication and division. When working in the IB, I find math some of the hardest content to connect with the transdisciplinary themes. But PenPals makes it possible! Another good quality of PenPals is security. Students fill out a questionnaire when they first login with their class code, so they can be matched on the selected match day. With this form, no personal information is asked for including: last name, email or photo. PenPal lets students choose from different avatars! While PenPal Schools is a great tool, it still has its setbacks. For one, it is more of an add-on tool, as opposed to supplemental. Teachers are not able to create their own projects, only choose from those that are provided. This makes it hard to make sure there is the exact right project they need for their class. PenPal Schools is also a big commitment. Students are required to login at least once a week during the project, and if they do not they could lose their PenPal! Some projects are 6 weeks long, which along with all the other school work students have to do can be a lot, especially for 3rd and 4th grade students. Even with these concerns, PenPal Schools is a great way for students to connect with each other all across the world. Through PenPal Schools students are able to learn academics and empathy and the power of coming together.
9. Show Me
Show Me is an app that acts as an interactive whiteboard and video recording tutorial all in one! With Show Me, teachers (and students!) can make videos of different content, showing their work, thought process, etc. When you sign up for Show Me, you get the free subscription with limited features; if you sign up for a paid subscription you get all the features offered through the Show Me App. When working in Show Me, you can create your own project using typed text, pictures and a marker. You are also able to work through multiple slides at once, essentially creating a slideshow presentation.. You can also record yourself, but it is not mandatory. This is nice, because you can plan out your work first, and then record when you are ready and know your plan of action. Show Me has another option called groups. You can create your own group- which is essentially a class- or join a pre-existing group. As a teacher, you could create the group and then have students sign-up and join your group. Another feature is Explore. In explore, you can search different videos that other users have made. Explore is nice, because you are able to break down the videos by category, subject and even standard to find the specific video you are looking for. If you want to go a step further, you can use Courses. Courses is an option where other users have created content and they put together all of their videos that relate to the same topic. For example, there is a whole course devoted to division with different videos on how to divide. Show Me is promoted as tutorial or introduction tool, mainly for high school students. However, I think it is a tool that can be used in other ways, with younger students. It is a great collaboration tool; students can work together to create a group or class resource on a topic, such as writing a book. Each student could write a “page” of an online book, record and narrate their writing and add it all together. It can also be used as an assessment, where students complete a task and have to show their thought process, such as math problems. Then student can either just submit it to the teacher, or present it to the class. One final way Show Me could be used is with parents. Teachers could share the videos with parents and students at home to help them study and review for an upcoming test. With Show Me, there are a lot of limitations with the free subscription. You are not able to save and store that much, basically working on one project at a time. Also, Show Me is only available as an app, which makes it very limiting in accessibility, especially if students do not have their own devices such as phones, iPads or tablets. Exporting and sharing files created on Show Me can be difficult. It is able to be figured out, but takes a minute to understand and is not easily available. One nice aspect of Show Me is that is connects directly to Google Classroom and Google Drive, but only if you buy the Premium (paid) version. Show Me is a great, collaborative tool that can allow students to move from the Translational stage to the Transformational and even the Transcendent stages of technology use.
10. GoNoodle
GoNoodle.com is a website that houses a ton of fun and engaging videos for kids. The videos found on GoNoodle range in topics from Curriculum- which includes Math, Science, Social Studies, Health Education, Music Education and even reading practice- Mindfulness, Sensory & Motor Skills, School Life- Holidays, Indoor Recess, Class Routines- and Movement- Dance, Brain Breaks, Workouts, Etc. The videos are also broken up by channels, with each channel having many videos that cover a variety of content. Depending on the video, length can range from about 2 minutes- up to 16 minutes. To be a part of GoNoodle, you must have an account. Once you create an account, you get to choose an avatar, who grows and earns boosts for every video you watch. They are video trackers! I use GoNoodle with my kids for quick Brain Breaks as well as Mindfulness. We put on a GoNoodle Mindfulness video everyday after recess to help us calm back down and focus on learning. On the GoNoodle Page there is a favorite option to save videos that you or your students really enjoy. GoNoodle is free to sign-up, but there is also a paid version. GoNoodle Plus is the paid version, where you have access to more videos. Exploring GoNoodle, I found that there are not a lot of academic videos, for areas such as math, reading and science. There are a few available free videos, but the rest are only available with GoNoodle Plus. The majority of the videos are active dance videos that get kids moving, or Mindfulness videos to calm students down. Videos are also hard to share. If you find a video you like, you can share the link with someone, but it is only available for 15 days. It would be a nice option to have kids upload their own videos, and make GoNoodle more of a sharing video platform. GoNoodle is not the most academically rigorous or even creative thinking tool. It is designed to get kids to focus on their bodies and how they move. With the wide variety of videos, GoNoodle really gets kids, and teachers, moving!
11. ClassroomScreen
ClassroomScreen is a web-based tool that has all the essential widgets a classroom teacher would need. The widgets that are included are: Random Name Picker & Dice, Sound level, QR Code, Drawing full screen, drawing smaller screen, text box, work symbols, traffic light, timer and clock. There are also two options for personalization, language and background image. ClassroomScreen works like this, you click on which widget you want, and it pops up on the screen ready for you to use. Users are able to click on multiple widgets at the same time, and even use multiples of a certain type of widget (e.i. 3 timers running at once). Each widget has its own personalizations as well. For example, when choosing a background, you can upload a personal photo from your device. In the random name picker, you type in students names and save the names for later use. In the full screen drawing option, you can choose from a variety of different backgrounds, working with whatever subject you are teaching; lined paper for writing, graph paper for math, etc. And in the timer widget, you can choose from different noises to play when the timer is complete. What is nice about ClassroomScreen it is is very visual. All four of the options (silence, whisper, ask a neighbor, and work together) found in the work symbols are visual pictures. ClassroomScreen really requires students to be paying attention, without talking or distracting others. Another benefit of ClassroomScreen is that is can be used with multiple groups at once. The screen can be divided into multiple sections using the drawing tool. Then, when properly labeled, each group can be given a specific task(s). By displaying the tasks on the screen, the students become more responsible and do not rely on the teacher to contain all the information. ClassroomScreen is offered in both a desktop web version and iPad App version. In the desktop web version, you are able to save name list and upload photos into a text box, but in the iPad App version, you are not able to do those things. The drawing tool is also difficult to use when working on an IPad or tablet; it does not move and draw as easily as one would expect. What is really nice about ClassroomScreen is that it is forever free! There is no subscription or payment required to get all the services. ClassroomScreen is an extremely simple tool, but in the right classroom is can be extremely effective. I imagine that when paired with another tool, such as a Mimio and a projector, it can be a pretty impressive interactive whiteboard. It is a tool that is better suited in an older classroom, where students work more independently. It can be used in an elementary classroom, but due to is simplicity and options of widgets, I think it would do better in a middle school or high school classroom. ClassroomScreen is a free, simple tool that is a great way to keep lots of students on task!
12. Storyline Online
Storyline Online is a website that houses lots of different children’s books. When you select a book, a video comes up to watch and, “read” the book. When the video plays, it is narrated by an actor. As the actor narrates and reads the story, images from the book move across the screen. Storyline Online turns memorable children’s book into little movies, making each story enjoyable for kids to watch. Attached to each story is activity guides. There are activity guides for teachers to use in school and for parents to use at home. The activity guides for teachers provides all the necessary information including the grade levels, the aligned standards, and the subject and objectives for each activity. For the parent activity guides, it provides the length time the activity should take, the prep time, materials needed, and step-by-step directions. In both the parent and teacher activity guides, they cover activities in all areas from reading and writing to cooking and physical education. As a kindergarten teacher, I use Storyline Online in my classroom and encourage parents to use it at home. It allows the students to start reading independently, even if they are not doing the reading themselves. It is also a fun way to show kids the different forms stories can be told in. Storyline Online is a great resource, but it is very translational. While there are activities that go along with the stories, the act of reading a book becomes automated when it gets turned into a video. The stories that are provided on Storyline Online are great, but it is not clear how often new videos are added, and upon doing some research I discovered some videos that were extremely old. Storyline Online is a fun alternative tool for reading whether it is in school or on the go at home!
13. Class Climate
Class Climate is a website that is used to gage the overall mood and attitude of a class. Class Climate is an extremely simple digital tool. To start, a teacher must create a login. Once the login is created, the teacher then creates a class. After the class is created, a class code will generate, which can then be shared with the students. The students will receive the class code, and that accompanied by their own personal login, will allow them to access Class Climate, and specifically their teacher’s created class. When participating in class climate, there are specific steps students need to take. First, students are asked, “How do you feel?” They select their emotion, along with a certain emoji. The emotions to choose from are: Calm, Excited, Silly, Annoyed, Frustrated, and Stressed. Once their emotion is selected, students then choose their happiness level; they can select from these levels: Very Happy, Happy, Okay, Been Better, and Terrible. Again, whatever happy level they choose, the appropriate emoji is attached. Finally, they are asked to enter their name and then any additional comments they would like to add. Once the data is added, the teacher is the only one to have access to all the student responses. While this is a simple tool, it can be very effective for both teachers and students. It allows students to express their feelings, without having to publicly share or place a note in a public space for everyone to see. For teachers, it allows them to see and understand where their students are in relation to school and life. The class code requires that each student have a device, or at least access to a device. For older students, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a common practice now, but for lower grades it can be trickier. For elementary students, they could use a computer lab or even a set of class iPads to access Class Climate. What is nice about Class Climate is that it can be freely used; it can be used yearly, monthly, weekly, daily, etc. As a teacher of young students, I would use this at the beginning and end of the weeks. This would allow me to see where all my kids are at at the start of the week, which would guide what work we did and how much. Checking in at the end of the week would allow me to see how their week went and what, if any, needs to be changed for the next week. Class Climate is a good option to use around testing time, especially if administering big standardized tests. It is also a nice tool to use for projects; teachers can check-in with students at different points of the project to see how they are doing. Class Climate is a simple tool, but might be too simple. The choices of emotions are limited; there is not sad or angry option, which are emotions students feel frequently in school. While their is a comment section, there is not a requirement to fill it out. So a student could select frustrated, but then not explain why. And while yes, the teacher could ask that student to explain their frustration in person, it might be to difficult for her to vocalize out loud. Without any explanation, teachers are limited in their support. Overall, Class Climate is a nice, simple check-in tool that can be used for all ages, from Kinder to College.
14. Storybird
Storybird is a website that allows students create their own literature. Students select pre-provided art and then create their own story; they can create a picture book/short story, a long form (chapter) story, or poetry. When working in Storybird, students must create an account, but it is free. Once they have finished creating, they can save their work as a draft and then publish it. When publishing a story, students can make their work private- where it is only shared with the author’s family and friends on storybird- or publicly. Teachers on Storybird can create a class with a specific class code; if students are apart of that class, when they share their work privately it will be shared with their class as well. What students can create is somewhat limited. Students are only able to select from art provided by Storybird, they are not able to upload their own pictures. When working in poetry, authors can only choose from pre-provided words. They word build, as oppose to the short and chapter stories where they type up their own words. If a teacher provides an assignment, there is a little more freedom. For their created classes, teachers can provide assignments and grade them. When creating an assignment, teachers can provide a specific type of media (video, picture, website, etc.) to use or upload their own personal art. Teachers also select the type of work they want the students to complete. Whatever students create on Storybird can also be purchased. The purchasing process can be tied to a fundraising option. To fundraise, students first create their stories. Then, teachers turn on the fundraiser options and setup the dates for the fundraiser to run. Once the fundraiser is setup, parents can login to Storybird and read and purchase their child’s story. The school only receives 30% of the profit though. Along with creating, there is a lot of exploring options in Storybird. Under the Read tab, users can read stories created by other people; they can read short and chapter stories as well as poetry. After reading a story, users have the option of purchasing that story. There are also many How-To books that help authors learn how to write in different styles, such as writing Fairy Tales or writing with Onomatopoeias. While limited in its functions, Storybird is a great creative writing tool that can be used with all ages. The publishing and fundraising components give students a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing their work will be out in the world and they can actually get paid for it! Storybird is a tool that provides a visual spark students need to create wonderful literature!
15. Reading Eggs & MathSeeds
Reading Eggs & Mathseeds are online programs that help students learn both their basic reading and math skills. Both Reading Eggs and Mathseeds are websites, but they also both have app extensions. The extensions include: Eggy Vocabulary, Egg Word Snap, Eggy Add to 20, and Eggy Count to 100. Reading Eggs itself is also an app, but Mathseeds is not. In any format, these applications help students from ages 2-12 learn their basic skills in fun, game-based ways. At my school, we use all of these applications, and the students are always excited to work with them! With Reading Eggs and Mathseeds, you need a login ID and password. But for the other programs, once you purchase the apps, you have access to them. In Reading Eggs and Mathseeds, students work through different levels based on their skills. All of their progress is tracked and can be accessed by parents and teachers, if they also have accounts. With Reading Eggs, there is a preliminary test students take to see what level they start at. This test is crucial, as not all kids will start at the first level and they should be starting at the level appropriate to their skill set. For each application, directions are given verbally along with written and picture directions. A benefit and setback of Reading Eggs and Mathseeds is that there is no negative notification. If a child selects the correct answer, there is a positive notification. But if a child selects the incorrect answer, there is no notification. While negative notifications are not great for self-esteem, the no notification does not help the child understand what she did wrong. Instead, students will keep doing the same action, not understanding why nothing is happening, and then get frustrated. No matter what app a child is working in, this type of notification system is the same. For each resource, there are different English Language options- Australian, British English, and American English. Reading Eggs and Mathseeds are Australian-based products, so the language automatically sets to an Australian accent. For second language learners, this type of English can be confusing, especially if they are not use to hearing it. But with a quick settings change, that problem can be fixed! The other apps have very limited options for games, and can become very repetitive for students, causing them to lose interest. Reading Eggs and Mathseeds, as the base for all these programs, offers more variety in their levels, holding student attention longer. All the components of Reading Eggs and Mathseeds can be expensive, so if using it in a school, it is best to get a deal for the whole school. Reading Eggs and Mathseeds are excellent resources to help young students learn their basic literacy and math skills. Reading Eggs and Mathseeds should not be used as the sole resource for reading and math, but should be use supplementally; and added support to other programs and resources. When kids have fun, they learn; and with Reading Eggs and Mathseeds, students have tons of fun and sometimes do not even realize they are learning!
16. BeeBots
BeeBots are robotic Bees that help the littlest learners with coding. Students use four arrow keys (front, back, left, right) on top of the BeeBots to navigate them around. A nice feature of Beebots is that students can program their robots freely, just moving around the room, or with a purpose using BeeBop mats or cards. While the BeeBots are easy to navigate, students need to remember to use three important buttons: the green go button, the blue erase button, and the blue pause button . Once students put the order of arrows in, they need to press the green go button in order for the BeeBot to start moving. If they do not, he will not move. On the other end of that, the BeeBot will not stop until the sequence is completed. The BeeBot can be temporarily stopped by pressing the blue pause button, but it will continue the sequence when it is unpaused. Also, if students do not hit the blue erase button, the BeeBot will remember previous sequences, which means he will complete older steps before the new ones. All of these functions are normal occurrences in the world of coding and programming, but they can be difficult for students to pick up on and understand, especially if they have never coded before. But with that being said, BeeBots are still an excellent resource to use with students! It is a great way to integrate coding and technology with other subjects, especially if you use a BeeBot mat or cards that have letters, numbers, and shapes! It is also a fun, hands-on way to introduce coding to preschool and kindergarten students, who might not be ready to work on a computer or a tablet. BeeBots are on the move, and you should catch them!
