Monday, September 28, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
New App!
Ok, kids...here it is...the name of the app I showed you in class today...
Sketch Nation
This app is an easy way to CREATE YOUR OWN VIDEO GAME! I was so excited to share this with the students! Today's class was so worried they would not remember the name that I promised them I would post the name of the app so they could find it tonight! Other classes will see this app tomorrow!
We now have Sketch Nation working on our class iPads! Thanks, Zach!
Kids, get ready to create an awesome game!
We now have Sketch Nation working on our class iPads! Thanks, Zach!
Kids, get ready to create an awesome game!
Have a great time!
Create!
Play!
Revise...and play again!
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Dot Day 2015 ... SUCCESS!
International Dot Day 2015 was a total and complete success at AES! All of our students - over 900 - created some type of dot for our celebration! Our halls are filled with creativity! The students and teachers are dotted from head to toe...literally! There are kids with colored hairspray dots in their hair and polka dotted socks on their toes. What a fun day for all of us!
Many classes wrote ideas and thoughts about Vashti and her dot. Social Studies classes found dots on a map of Alabama. Some students created dots using "good junk"...some made a tree of dots....some bulletin boards showed photos of the kids and their dots. GREAT JOB to all the teachers and students who used creativity, kindness, and courage to make today great!
The photo above is of 4th grade GATE students with Mrs. Tara Wilson and a recycled bottle cap dot picture of a vase of flowers. All 4th grade GATE classes glued part of this picture. Just as the hot glue cooled, we took this picture to Mrs. Wilson to hang in her office. Mrs. Wilson is the special education coordinator for Albertville City Schools.
As a teacher I am always on the lookout for new apps and new technology. I was in search of a new way to create videos. I asked another teacher in another state if she had an idea..and instantly she sent me a new website to try. I have created a video which allows free slideshows to be made and shared. Also, in our professional development workshop prior to school starting, we learned about a website that has royalty free music - which is great! I found music on jamendo and I am able to use this jazz song from Slikk Tim called Bahia for free. I will continue to look for great ways to make videos for our blog...let's see how we like this one!
Enjoy this 6 minute slideshow of GATE kids creating their DOTS. Happy Dot Day, 2015!
Monday, September 14, 2015
International Dot Day...September 15th!
It's coming....one more day! All of AES will be participating in International Dot Day on September 15th. Every student in our school will hear the story, The Dot, written by Peter Reynolds. In this story, a very reluctant student named Vashti lacks confidence in her creativity and art. Her teacher proudly frames Vashti's dot and in turn Vashti gains confidence in herself and passes along that creativity and courage to a friend. It's a great story! All students will be creating dots in their class...that will be over 900 people creating dots at AES! WOW!
GATE students have been busy creating dots! We have created...
*Good Junk dots
*Watercolor Dots
*Pastel Dots
*Zentangle Dots
*Recycled Bottle Cap Dots
*Goals for 4th grade Photos Dots
*Tagxedo Dots
Each student will select their favorite DOT to be "framed" in the hall to show on DOT DAY! We hope that all students and teachers will dress head to toe in DOTS on Tuesday, September 15th! Happy Dot Day!
#acsdotday
#DotDay
#Makeyourmark
As I continue to experiment with new apps to make videos, I'll post them to see how they look on the blog. This one is all our Instagram pics in one slideshow. Enjoy!
http://replayapp.com/v/hjFJHD0zFC/
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Stick names add color to our classroom
Each year we start with an art activity for students to share their creativity and personality with their friends. These pieces of art will hang in our classroom from the ceiling all year giving the students a little ownership of room 408.k Students used a variety of colors and designs to decorate popsicle sticks then they were blue together to shape their names. The only rule was that each name had to have at least one DOT somewhere. I want the students to remember celebrating International Dot Day at AES 2015! Gracyn's name is full of color and DOTS! #DotDay #acsdotday #Makeyourmark
Brannon painted his name in his favorite team colors! Can you guess who he cheers for during football games?
Alexandra LOVES cats!!! If you look closely you will see that her name is painted to "look like an OCELOT!" Great idea!
I am experimenting with using Animoto to create videos. In the "free" Animoto only 30 second videos are made...so I'm going to create several really short videos to see how we like the look. Pardon our progress as we try different technology in class! :)
Group 1 Girls
Group 1 Boys
Group 2 Boys
Group 2 Girls
Group 3 Girls
Group 3 Boys
Off to a great start!
Fourth grade GATE has begun! It has been great to see all these "former 3rd grade students" who have grown up over the summer into my mature 4th grade GATE kiddos! Our first class felt like a family reunion, catching up with what all happened this summer! We have three groups of 4th grade GATE.
Do you have Instagram? AES GATE does! We started posting on day 1 of class this year! We will post one picture per class per day so that all our "Friends of GATE" can keep up with what's going on in class. Look for aesgate on Instagram to find us! Also, Miss Rogers' 3rd grade GATE class has an Instagram, too: aesgate3.
GATE is going GLOBAL this year! With Instagram being our first new step, we still will continue to update this blog AND we will be participating in TWO GLOBAL events! Our first event is coming right up - September 15th is International Dot Day! Please see the blog post that will be all about International Dot Day. Our 2nd major event will be the Global Cardboard Challenge around October 9th. I can't share any secrets about that day yet....but....if you want to watch the video on www.cainesarcade.com, you might find a "HINT" about what we will be tackling in September/October.
Later in the semester we will begin our research for our independent technology projects. Students, be thinking of what topic you would like to research, if you would like to work alone or in a group, and what type of technology project you want to create (brochure, video, podcast, website, etc.)
We are busy at work already and have lots in store for GATE kids this year! Welcome back to GATE! It's going to be a great year!
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