March Challenge 2014

 

Think About It Thursday - March 2014  

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This month's challenge will not be differentiated by grade level.  Any grade level is free to join as we explore how the digital age has changed some of the ways  we communicate. 


We'll focus on the how postcards have changed over time and then collaborate to see how fast we can receive a postcard from all 50 states.  

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Essential Question “What does a postcard communicate?”

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Our host this month is Mrs Jenn Button and her students from Founders Memorial School in Essex, VT.   Mrs. Button's students would like to collect a digital postcard from students in all 50 states.  We've designed a collaborative process where we can all work on this goal together.

Mrs. Button would like to invite you and her students in a challenge to collect a student-created electronic postcard from every state. We would love the digital postcards to include 3 important facts about your state and 2 about your town in the body of your postcard.

How can you and your students participate?  

1) You can make and send an electronic postcards to this special blog we have set up to host our collection of digital postcards from the 50 states.

2) You can forward this challenge to teachers and their students from other states who might want to contribute a post card.  

Teachers from classrooms who want to participate should  complete this form.

http://goo.gl/3JdHt6 .  

Upon completing this form, you will receive the instructions for adding your digital postcard to this collection.

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Here are some additional learning resources about postcards through the years.

History of a Postcard from the Smithsonian - for younger readers http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/postcard/chronology.htm

An in depth history of postcards

http://www.metropostcard.com/index.html

Google Draw Postcard Template    (Example)

http://goo.gl/ghX1RY

February Challenge 2014 - Think About Digital

This month's Think About IT Thursday is the same for all grade levels.  Think About ways you use Digital Tools to Learn.  We challenge you to Participate in Digital Learning Day and share your celebrate with your Vermont colleagues.

Let's Share and Celebrate Vermont's participation in

 Digital Learning Day 2014

Share your pictures, screenshots, participation events and more. 

Hangout out with the Agency of Education in two scheduled Google Events. 

Click here to learn more about how you can participate. 

December Challenge 2013 - Think About Code

Our December Think About IT Thursday has a special focus. Our goal is to get hundreds of Vermont classrooms joining in the an international event called HOUR OF CODE.  Our host this month have created a special age appropriate challenge especially designed for Vermont students!. We have created special website called THINK ABOUT CODE ~ Vermont  to host this month's challenges.

Whether you give one of these home-grown Think About Code Vermont challenges a try,   create your own Hour of Code learning tasks, or complete any of the other challenges and tutorials found on the official HOUR of Code site -  OUR CHALLENGE TO YOU is to  SHARE

SHARE pics, screenshots, links, files from your hour of code participation to the

Think About Code ~ Vermont Virtual Gallery

 using the directions found on the Share Tab of the THINK ABOUT CODE ~ Vermont Website.  

Click HERE to PARTICIPATE in ANY of our December challenges

Early Elementary I Can CODE a Dancing Sprite Host: Phyllis Tate and her 1st & 2nd grade students from Dorset School Learn more ...

Upper Elementary I Can CODE a Drawing Machine Host: Matt Allen and Grade 3 - 6 students from St. Albans City School Learn more ...

Middle School I Can CODE Motion & Collision Host:  Eli Rosenberg and his MIddle School students from Main Street School in Montpelier Learn more ...

High School I Can CODE Google AppsScript Host: Charlie MacFadyen and his HS students at Champlain Valley Union HS Learn more ...

Click HERE to HOST a Future prompt or mini projects

Safe and Friendly Virtual Handshakes

Think About It Thursday -Middle School

November 2013 Host 

Al Fletcher and his middle school students from Williston School District

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Think About It - Prompt
What’s in a Handshake?How do we shake hands and collaborate with others in a friendly and safe way?

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Learn More About

• Voice Thread   Virtual Handshake VoiceThread
  
  VoiceThread PD Resources
  VoiceThread Discount for Vermont Teachers
• Kidblog
  kidblog.org/78blue2013  kidblog.org/78gold2013 

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How do I participate


Sign up here to participate in this Think About IT Project.

Explore the student blog post of Mr. Fletcher's middle school school students about Creating and Collaborating with  Safe and Friendly Virtual handshakes kidblog.org/78blue2013  kidblog.org/78gold2013  on the following topics.

• PLATFORMS (What are some good apps or programs to use that are age appropriate for creating virtual handshakes?)
• RESOURCING (How do you make quality virtual handshakes and  link that are age appropriate?)
• SAFETY (What should you not do, or what should you be mindful of when ‘greeting’ others on the internet?)
• CULTURE (How do we show our culture and respect others in a virtual greeting?)
• HISTORY (How have handshakes changed over time? How are they different now?)

Create your own Safe and Friendly Virtual Handshake to share. If your virtual handshake tool gives you a link to share, use that link to share your handshake.  If you used an off line tool to create your virtual handshake,  upload it to Google Drive or Drop box and set the sharing permissions so that you get a link to share.

Share your virtual handshake with Mr. Fletcher’s class using  any one of the suggestions below:

1. Add a comment to this blogpost “Shake back”  by Mr. Fletcher’s students that includes a link to your virtual handshake.
   
2. Add a Comment  to the Shake Back slide of the Virtual Handshake VoiceThread and include a link to your virtual handshake in the comment.  If you add a link to a comment starting with the letters http://  it will automatically turn into a link.
3. Create a blogpost on your own blog that includes your Virtual Handshake and link that post to the Shake Back blogpost or VoiceThread slide above.
4. Create your own class virtual handshake voiceThread  where each student in your class adds a video, graphic, audio or link to a slide of their virtual handshake.  Make sure the voicethread is viewable.  Then add the link to your class  Virtual HandShake to this Shake Back blogpost or Shake Back VoiceThread slide.

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Click here  for ALL the details about how to participate in this Think About IT Thursday event.

National Novel Writing Month

Think About It Thursday -  Upper Elementary   

November 2013 Host
Project IGNITE librarian
Joyce Babbitt
Browns River Middle School

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Think About It - Prompt

It's National Novel Writing Month! 

How many words can YOU write in a month? 

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National Novel Writing Month Website

Young Writers Program

Learn more at: 

http:// ywp.nanowrimo.org

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Action Desired by Collaborators

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• Sign up  to be part of National Novel Writing Month  at http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/
• Add your NaNo name to this Think About It Thursday Google Form to get counted as a Vermont NaNo writer
  
  http://goo.gl/kYCk2Z
• Add  connecting.voices as a Buddy by searching for username connected.voices in the YWP Nano site
• Accept our Buddy Invitation 
• Join our Connected  Voices Classroom in the NaNo site
• Set a goal for how many words you will add to your novel this month
• Write Write Write
• Reach out for a Writing Boost by connecting with other classes from Vermont and beyond

Click here for more details ...

Middle School

All prompts and mini-projects will be designed for participation by students in grades 6 - 8.