Too cool for Middle School:

4 interactive tools for the classroom

Caroline Dollins, M.A.T.

Introduction

• B.A in English from JMU

• M.A.T in Secondary Education from JMU

• Currently working on Library Science endorsement at ODU

• Recent hire at Coronado High School

Meet the tools…

Thinglink

How can I incorporate Thinglink into the curriculum?

Standard Instructional Idea

English6.6 b)  Use prior knowledge and build additional background knowledge as context for new learning.

(Teacher) Use Thinglink to share information about specific place or time period

Social Studies WHI.3  The student will demonstrate knowledge of ancient river valley civilizations . . .

(Student) Create Thinglink to share information with classmates about assigned civilization

MathematicsG.13  The student will use formulas for surface area and volume of three-dimensional objects to solve real-world problems.

(Student) Create Thinglink that shows real-world applications

Science LS.2  The student will investigate and understand that all living things are composed of cells.

(Teacher) Create Thinglinks that compare/contrast animal cells and plant cells

What’s great and not-so great about Thinglink?

AND

Blabberize

EXAMPLE

How can I incorporate blabberize into the curriculum?

Standard Instructional IdeaEnglish7.5 a)  Describe the elements of narrative structure including setting, character development, plot structure, theme, and conflict.

(Students) Create Blabberize explaining character motivation, thoughts, emotions, etc.

Social Studies USII.3 c) [describe] the legacies of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and Frederick Douglass.

(Students) Create Blabberize giving the biography or explaining the political perspective of historical figure

Math7.4  The student will solve single-step and multistep practical problems, using proportional reasoning.

(Students) Create Blabberize giving step-by-step explanation of how to solve a problem(s)

ScienceLS.8 The student will investigate… a) the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in food webs;

(Students) Create Blabberize using image of animal/plant that describes its place in the food chain

What’s great and not-so great about Blabberize?

AND

Piktochart

How can I incorporate Piktochart into the curriculum?

Standard Instructional IdeaEnglish8.3 The student will analyze, develop, and produce creative or informational media messages.

(Students) Create a Piktochart infographic that serves as a public service announcement

Social Studies CE.1 f) identify a problem, weigh the expected costs and benefits and possible consequences of proposed solutions, and recommend solutions, using a decision-making model

(Students) Create a Piktochart infographic that outlines a problem in the community and proposes a solution (i.e. infrastructure of the local highway system)

Mathematics 7.12  The student will represent relationships with tables, graphs, rules, and words.

(Students) Create a Piktochart infographic expressing the cause and effect relationship of hours spent on extracurricular activities and academic performance

Science ES.1  The student will plan and conduct investigations in whichc)  scales, diagrams, charts, graphs, tables, imagery, models, and profiles are constructed and interpreted

(Students) Create a piktochart infographic that expresses the results of a student-developed experiment measuring the pollution level of a nearby waterway

What’s Great and not-so great about Piktochart?

AND

Booktrack classroom

Watch Video

Open Clipart Vectors. Heaphones. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/p-159569/?no_redirect CC0

How can I incorporate booktrack into the curriculum?

Standard Instructional Ideas

English7.7 The student will write in a variety of forms with an emphasis on exposition, narration, and persuasion.

(Student) Compose a narrative story using auditory elements to engage readers

Social Studies WHI.9  The student will demonstrate knowledge of Western Europe during the Middle Ages from about 500 to 1000 A.D. (C.E.) . . .

(Student) Compose a narrative describing life in the Middle Ages using audio elements that relate to the time period

Mathematics 7.9  The student will investigate and describe the difference between the experimental probability and theoretical probability of an event.

(Student) Compose a narrative explaining the probability of an event and select an accompanying soundtrack (i.e. the probability of winning a carnival game)

Science LS.4  The student will investigate and understand how organisms can be classifiedd)  the characteristics that define a species.

(Teacher) Create an auditory guide of the distinct calls made by various bird species

What’s great and not-so great about booktrack?

AND

Any questions?

?

References Blabberize. (2010). Retrieved from http://blabberize.com

Booktrack Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.booktrackclassroom.com/content/intro

Piktochart. (2015). Retrieved from http://piktochart.com

Thinglink. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.thinglink.com

Virginia Department of Education. (2012). Mathematics Standards of Learning. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/mathematics/

Virginia Department of Education. (2012). Standards of Learning Documents for English. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/

Virginia Department of Education. (2012). Standards of Learning Documents for History & Social Science. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/history_socialscience/

Virginia Department of Education. (2012). Standards of Learning Documents for Science. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/