The Solar Walk

The Solar System  video slideshow at animoto.com.

The Solar System Walk

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Field Experience

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Website

I created this website to help fourth-grade students meet their Ohio curriculum requirements for history. It is intended to supplement their studies about Ohio’s prehistoric peoples, frontier wars, canals and inventors. The site includes original content, links to additional material and gives students the opportunity to interact by posting their own comments and creating their own pages that could contain puzzles, games and other material.

I built the site using iWeb on a Mac, which was pretty easy to use. I like the blog feature for students to "think" and respond, and then be able to read other students' responses. It is a big job to do all parts of a website by yourself. I found adding the content to be challenging. I think this is because I don't teach regularly and was concentrating on the technology aspects of the website. I feel proud to have accomplished this!

video assignment

This video shows current and past uses of Fortier Park in Olmsted Falls. It would be good for the fourth grade achievement goal relating to Ohio History, as the stone quarry remains are highlighted from the 1800s. The music used was "Break Up the Concrete" by The Pretenders, "California Dreaming" by The Mamas and the Papas, and "Ancient Paths" by Rivers of Living Water. Students would enjoy making their own videos, possibly when they go on the walking tour of Olmsted Falls.
The video was made by me, Kim Burnell, and my family were the people in it, although they may have appeared random...Thanks to John, Evan & Julia Burnell. Thanks also to Ozzie the dog who walks this park daily. I need to add these credits to the video!

Google Earth Assignment Idea

             This activity can be used to introduce students to each other. The students need to select 3 places they have been or would like to go. This will give their classmates insight into what places interest them, or places where they have actually gone. Maybe they have been to some of the same places? This will help the students relate to each other more. The students are to create a Google Earth Tour with the 3 stops. There should be a link at each stop, with a question to answer. The example below shows 3 places where I have been and my question for each link is "What is an interesting fact about this place?" This should be a fun, reminiscing/sharing activity. I enjoyed revisiting the places I have been (and would like to go again).
Favorite Place tour.kmz

A Screencast overview of the website "Storybird"

I made this screencast which can be demonstrated to students as an example for creating their own screencast.  Their assignment would be to choose a website and then make a simple and short screencast giving an overview of how to use the site.   This assignment is for students in grade 4 and above.   I feel this will give the students quite a feeling of accomplishment and will introduce the viewers to new websites.  I enjoyed doing this.

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c6XbDw65E