Elementary Classroom
Using Technology in the
Elementary Kids and ‘The Cloud’
Did you realize that you probably use cloud computing on a fairly regular basis if your students use online programs? You are working with ‘cloud computers’ every time you log into a site that has saved your previous work. These sites tend to have almost unlimited storage so all your students can save their work via the Internet, are always backed up so you won’t lose your data (or scores), and are accessible from your classroom, computer lab, or home. Think Animoto, VoiceThread, Glogster. Cool idea, huh? This month, you’ll learn about several free online programs that reside ‘in the cloud’.
I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful Math facts practice web site called CarrotSticks at
http://www.carrotsticks.com – an online multiplayer game for 1st
-5th graders (although my 6th graders beg to play!). Teachers can register a class and get the
for-fee version for free. Kids get to create their own avatar and then practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts to earn carrots on their own or they can compete in real- time matches with other students. No personal info is shared and students can’t chat, so it’s completely safe. This is also an ‘assistive’ web site – as students answer math facts, the program adjusts to their speed and accuracy, so it finds each student’s personal math level. Each problem category is divided into 25 levels so there is plenty of math to practice. And the best part is that kids LOVE to practice their math facts. They don’t even realize how much they are learning! There is no ability to gather student scores here – it is strictly math drill, but kids will be happy to share their level and how many carrots they have with you if you ask nicely.
Are you familiar with Kerpoof at
http://www.kerpoof.com? Very teacher-friendly, the For Educators icon (an apple) gives ideas for using Kerpoof, lesson plans, state and national standards, and tutorials. By creating your own (free) teacher account, you can sign up all of your classes. You decide whether you’d like to allow your students to chat or be able to post to a message board – you can monitor messages and delete inappropriate remarks. Kerpoof has a well-written teacher guide that will take you through the program step by step.
Kids love the creativity of Kerpoof. They can make a movie, a card, a drawing, a picture, or a story. Spell a Picture for the younger set is a hoot – choose a background (e.g. a farm) and spell out something that you would see on a farm. If you type or click on a C, several pictures of things that start with C will pop up. Type in an O and the pictures will change to things that start with CO. Add a W and the pictures will change once again, with animated arrows pointing to all pictures of a COW. Very cool! Make a Picture gives you background choices, and quite a few images to add to your picture. Something new they’ve
12 | Fall 2011 | MACULJOURNAL
By Marilyn Western
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