January+12.+2010+-+Google+&+Thinkfinity


 * Today we learned about Thinkfinity and Google (many things we didn't know existed within Google).**


 * Our Action Plan for introducing these resources to our teachers follows...**

We will be presenting Thinkfinity and Google Scholar to our teachers at a technology fair-type academy in February. We will present various topics including: Thinkfinity, Google Scholar, Proscopes, ipods/itunes in the classroom and flip camcorders/imovie.

The academy will take place Thursday, February 4th from 3:00 - 7:00. We will present the same 25-minute session 6 different times throughout the academy.

This academy is optional but open to all teachers and teacher aides in the district. Our teachers are required to take 18 academy hours each school year so this is one of the courses they can choose to take.

Following our sessions, teachers will have the opportunity to suggest a full 3-hour academy on the topics of their choice. If teachers request a follow-up, in-depth session, we will prepare for and schedule it during the spring.


 * To see tutorials on some unknown Google tools, click here.

To see which Thinkfinity sites/activities were the Tech Wizards' favorites, click here or check out a few resources listed below.**


 * Acrostic Poems || In this interactive, students learn about acrostic poems and are guided through the process of creating an original acrostic poem. || 2nd - 8th || Language Arts/Literature || [] ||
 * Artificial Anatomy's Body Parts || Body Parts is an interactive that asks the user to identify body parts and where they belong on a 360 degree body. Anyone teaching/learning anatomy would find Body Parts helpful. || 6th - 12th || Science, Health/Phys. Ed. || [] ||
 * Clickety-Clack! Let's Keep Track! || Jump on board the savings train. Move your train along the track by making correct deposits and withdrawals from a savings account. || Grades 3-5 || Math, Business/Economics, Family Science || [] ||
 * The World of Haiku || Students explore the traditions and conventions of haiku, comparing this classic form of Japanese poetry to a related genre of Japanese visual art and composing haiku of their own. || Grades 6-8 || Language Arts/Literature, Music, Art || [] ||
 * Turtle Pond || Turle Pond is an interactive where students guide a turtle to a pond using computer commands. They improve their skills in estimating length and angle measurement as they enter a sequence of commands (distances and angles at which to turn) to help the turtle move toward the pond. The goal is to find the shortest path to the pond. || K-8 || Math || [] ||
 * Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of...You! || In this Xpeditions student activity, students design a museum exhibit focusing on their own lives. They explore the 2005-2007 King Tut exhibit titled "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" before designing their own exhibits. We especially liked the xtras and interactives such as: seeing what your name looks like in hieroglyphics, Egyptian mad libs and Tut's matching game. || 3rd - 8th || Social Studies || [] ||
 * What is Kala Telling You With His Body? || In this student interactive, from ARTSEDGE, students watch master storyteller Kala Jojo uses gesture and movement to create vivid pictures for his listeners. A series of video clips of the African-American storyteller demonstrate how movements can convey emotions. After studying the series of clips, students can test what they have learned with a short quiz. || 2nd - 5th || Music, Art || [] ||
 * Zap || Zap is an interactive assessment of the user's reaction time. We think it would be great for teachers who are discussing reaction time while driving distracted. || K-12 || Science, Health/Phys. Ed. || [] ||