ChatterKid App

When I stumbled upon this cool app, I couldn't wait to share it with my teachers and students!

The app is called Chatter Kid, and I can think of so many possibilities for students to use this cool tool!

Since most of my students are in the middle of a biography unit right now, I asked several classroom teachers if they would be willing to try this new idea with their kids.  With such wonderful staffs at both of my elementary schools, they were all "game" to give it a try!  

This is SO important! As a Library Goddess, if you are worried about trying something new because it might flop, you'll never TRULY be a Library Goddess!

Here is what we had our students do:

1. Students had already read a biography of a famous person, so they simply brought their biography books with them to Information Literacy class.  It was great to see so many books FULL of Post-It notes to show just how much kids were thinking as they were reading!

2. I gave students a sheet of paper to write on. You can download it here. Students used the time in class to write about their famous person. I told them they would only have 30 second of recording time, so they had to really edit their writing and practice their reading.

3. After practicing their readings, students used their iPads (we are a one-to-one district) to do a Google Images search for a picture of their famous person. They saved this photo to their camera roll on their iPad.

4. Students opened the ChatterKid app and uploaded the picture, drew a line where the mouth was, and recorded what they wrote!

5. Students exported the video to their camera roll, and emailed me the video.  All videos -- which export as Quick Time movies, were uploaded to library's wiki. You can see many of them here, or you can play the one below.

Kids LOVED this project! I had several kids stay in from recess so they could make some more videos "just for fun!"  

The classroom teachers and I were able to complete this project in one, 45-minute class period -- even better!

Download ChatterKid today, and see what you and YOUR students can come up with today!
     

-- Jenn McMahon, Library Goddess

Mission Accomplished!

Mission Accomplished!

Even this techie girl -- this self-proclaimed geek -- still enjoys one, very old, very low-tech vice.  I love, love, love to read books.  And when I say that I love to read books, I DON'T mean on a Kindle, Nook, iPad, or other electronic device.

This techie loves the old-fashioned feel of paper between her hands.  

Yup -- I love "real" books.

For the last four years, my new year's resolution has been to read at least 52 books in a year -- averaging about one book per week.  Now, since I often read story books to my students and to my own children, those don't count.  The books I use to reach my goal have to be novels or books longer than 100 pages.

I've NEVER met my goal -- until this year. I hit December and realized I was only four books away from reaching my goal! I couldn't believe it.  To help motivate myself, I told as many people as I could about my goal. I wanted them to keep me on track and encourage me. 

It worked!

Many people ask me how I keep track of the books I read. I use a social networking app called Goodreads.  It's a great place to keep track of the books you read, want to read, are currently reading, and more.  There is also a "social" aspect to it in that you can become friends with people from around the world and see what they are reading as well.  I love this site.  Not only does it give me a quick and easy way to track what I'm reading, but I can get all sorts of ideas for new books to read by looking at what my friends are reading. The app itself will even make book suggestions for me based on the books I've already read.

For parents who read this blog, you do you have to be 13 or older to be a member of the site/app.  Members can read and write book reviews -- which are not filtered.  It's quite rare that I come across an "offensive" book review; however, I needed to put that disclaimer out there.

Hmmmm . . .  this blog post started out as one that spoke to my "non-techie" side, but I still had to squeeze some tech into this one, didn't I?

What is YOUR new year's resolution? How do you keep motivated to accomplish your goals?

Interested in the list of books I read during 2014?  My list is HERE.

Image from: http://sarahockwell-smith.com/2013/12/31/six-new-years-resolutions-every-parent-should-make/

National Week of Code: Coding at Roosevelt, Alliance Charter, and Tullar Elementary Schools

Coding at Roosevelt, Alliance Charter, and Tullar Elementary Schools

I love to see my students get excited about new things.  Even better, I love to see them "think" they won't be able to do something and then rock it! 

This week and next week, students at my three schools will be celebrating the National Week of Code. Computer programming/coding has come a LOOOOOONG way since I was a student. in the 1970's 1980's 1990s. Many thanks to the parent volunteers to who helped students get started.

Many of my students asked if they could continue to code at home. Below are the websites and apps we used -- although there are a TON more out there!

Free iPad Apps:

Kodable

Lightbot

Hopscotch

Coding Websites for Kids (and Grown Up, Too!)

This is as basic, beginners website -- perfect weather you are 8 or 80. Okay, to be honest, it's perfect whether you are 4 or 94!

Code with the Angry Birds: Studio Code

Although this site is a little more complicated, students loved having Frozen's Anna 

Code with Anna and Elsa from Disney's Frozen

This is the most complicated coding websites students tried -- although most were still able to do it! What students enjoyed the most about this site was that once they programmed a Christmas tree light display, their display would ACTUALLY play on the Wisconsin State Tree at the White House!  Pretty cool!

Made with Code

See Our Students Coding! Look at the Joy!

Our new computer applications aren't always playing "nicely" with our new email program -- Google.  Last year, teachers were able to use Google Drive to share KidPix and Pages documents with their students.  This year, in order to do that, there is a bit of a work-around.

To be able to share/hand-out Pages and KidPix documents, you'll need your students to use their Google Drive Sync App.

The first thing they need to do is move anything you have shared with them into their "My Drive" folder.

Then, they'll need to set up their Google Drive Sync app on the laptop they usually use.  Video directions are below, but as always, if you need help, just say the word!

-- Your Library Goddess, Mrs. McMahon

Access Your Google Drive From Home

Calling all NJSD students!  Calling all NJSD parents!  

Do you need help getting to accessing your Google Drive from home?  It's really quite simple!  Below are step-by-step directions for you to follow.

1. Open up your favorite browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.)
2. Search for "njsd"
3. Click on Neenah Joint School District
4. In the top banner, hover over "For Students"
5. Click on "Google Apps Login"
6. Type in your email address (EXAMPLE: 12345@neenah.k12.wi.us) -- use your LUNCH NUMBER!
7. Type in your "super secret password"
8. You should be in!

If you prefer to watch it being done, there is a video below that shows you how to access your Drive account, too. 

And as always, if you need help, just let me know! You can contact me at jmcmahon@neenah.k12.wi.us

-- The Library Goddess

Google Drive Image From: https://www.google.com/search?q=Google+Drive+images&es_sm=119&biw=1001&bih=562&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=TcAgVKqQING1sQTa4IHQDA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#imgdii=_

Creating a Hand Out Folder Using Google Drive

It's pretty easy to create a hand out folder for your class.  Below is a video showing you step-by-step directions.

To make it even easier, I've created .txt files for you with your students' email addresses already typed up, so all you need to do is copy and paste.

Let me know if you need that file!

Of course, if you don't want to create a Hand Out folder you certainly don't have to. I have already created one for each grade level for Information Literacy -- we've had these for years.

And as always, if you need one-on-one help, just let me know! I'm always happy to help!

Jenn McMahon, Library Goddess

Getting Ready for a New School Year!: Setting Up a Homework Tub at Home

Okay, so I will quickly admit that this post has nothing to do with what most people would

consider technology; however, considering that at one point in time, pencils and pens, staplers, and binder clips were "new technology," I'm going to try to get away with this post.

I would encourage all teachers to share this post with parents at Back-to-School night as a way to show them how they can help their children be more organized when it comes to doing homework each night. I'll provide a shortened URL and QR code to make it REALLY easy to share. There will be a link for teachers to PRINT at the bottom of this blog post.

Both of my children know that the dining room table is the place to do homework.  In our dining room, I've always kept a "homework tub" with all the supplies they've needed to quickly get down to the business of doing their work. 

The contents of the tub have changed a bit over the years -- for instance in kindergarten, Margaret Alice's word flashcards were kept in the bin. When each of my kids were working on Rocket Math facts, math addition and subtraction flash cards were kept in the bin.  This year, I've added a ruler and stapler into the mix as these seemed to be items I kept running to the closet to grab last year.

This homework tub doesn't have to be expensive.  I found the container in the Target dollar bins a few years ago, but I've seen them elsewhere -- including Family Dollar. The school supplies I stock up on during August Back to School sales, so they also don't break the bank.   

The smaller containers are mason jars and old candle holders I had laying around the house. 

To keep the jars from sliding around as the kids push the homework tub back and forth across the table, I use putty on the bottoms of the jars. 

Finally, the bin itself is kept in a cupboard in the dining room. 

What exactly is included in this small homework tub:

• Colored pencils
• Markers
• Crayons
• Glue
• Glue sticks
• Small stapler
• Extra staples
• Ruler (it's rubber, so it bends to fit inside the tote)
• Scissors
• Highlighters
• Pencils
• Pens 
• Large eraser
• Post-it Notes

Teachers: Click on the link below to print a handout for Back-to-School night or to send home with students during the first few weeks of school.

Organizing a Homework Tub Handout

--Jenn McMahon, Library Goddess