Here is my question:
With all the Web 2.0 tools and technology out there, how do you know which sites are the best ones to use with your students? I teach 1st grade. Are there Web 2.0 tools that are age appropropriate and user friendly for 1st graders?
The problem with 1st grade technology skills is that so much is dependant on reading ability. I think that almost all of them can be used by the younger students, it is just a matter of adaptation - that's where you will find out just how good a teacher you really are! For myself with the younger students, for now anyway, I work on the skills they will need later for those other technologies. I use "Living Books" with my PreK thru 1st to help build their hand-eye coordination. I also do keyboarding with them and the sites we use are online. At the beginning of every school year I go more gray as I tackle teaching them how to open the internet, type an address into the address box, and log in. I forbid any of my students to use shortcuts when typing in addresses (no "click to the links" action) until they are in 5th or 6th grade and I know they can do it the other way. By the end of October they can almost all get into the sites without any prompting from me. The teachers have told me that they really appreciate this headache on my part because it really makes their life easier when they go to use SuccessMaker, Study Island, and other forums which require logins and passwords. Hope something here helps you. Good Luck! - D
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Hi Tricia,
Very good question! I have several actual sites that I found for my teachers of the younger students such as www.starfall.com, but am just starting the quest of finding web 2.0 stuff for them to use (part of my job as the Tech Coordinator of my school). As I come across some, I will send them your way. I do agree with D// that many, such as bubbl.us ca be used with the little guys, with teacher moderation.
I will let you know when I find anything,
Tari
Hi Tricia, The first thing I did after reading your question was to do a Google search: "Top Web 2.0 tools for the first grade". I found the following site looked interesting "at a quick glance". -Donna E.-
Week in the Classroom "Using Web 2.0 Tools in a Grade One Classroom" (video format)
http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=39
Hi Tricia,
I'm so out of touch with first grade. I bet that something like Slideshare would be easy to use with them.
Donna B.
Tricia,
I believe the best way to do this is to look at the site and sometimes contact the site administrator or company involved and see if they are a valid site.
Scott
Tricia-
You do have a bigger challenge working with first grade. I have a SmartBoard in my classroom and this lets us work as a class within websites. I haven't tried anything beyond exploring but I do have music software programs (Groovy Music) that we work together as a class. I would like to find user friendly ways for those primary grade levels also. Maybe by the end of this class we will!
Mary
