The apps that I could see myself using with my kindergarten kiddos the most, would be Google Tour Creator and (maybe) Great Big Story. I feel like I could adjust these the easiest or rework them more successfully to fit my young students. Let's start by talking about...Google Tour Creator!
Tour Creator is, sort of, a spin-off of Google Expedition. Expedition allows students to take 3D tour of hundreds of places around the world. Tour Creator allows you to create your own 3D tours of any place that you choose. You simply go to https://vr.google.com/tourcreator/ and start a new tour. From there you type in a destination (just like in Google Maps) and click "add scene". It allows you to add a description to the scene, as well. To add a scene you, again, click "add scene". I could definitely see myself using this with my younger students, especially when we get into learning about communities. It would be wonderful for them to see important places around their own community, which is Louisville. This program allows for students to see what they are learning and become more immersed in the content. I will definitely be using this program with my kids!
The other app/program that I could see myself using in my classroom is Great Big Story.
Great Big Story is website that helps students discover the magic in the world through short video clips about various subjects. Great Big Story's mission statement is,
The message of hope and positivity that this site sends is very refreshing and something that students should be exposed to more. Unfortunately, much of what is heard on the news is negative, but this site finds the small things in life that are worth celebrating and focuses on them. There are main tabs on the site, which organize the video clips based on subject. The main tabs are: human condition, frontiers, planet earth, flavors (all about food 😃), and origins. There is, also, a search tab to make finding videos on specific topics easier. This site may be a bit advanced for my students, but the content that is provides is so interesting, so I think that my kids would still enjoy watching their videos. I could easily stop and discuss the video at different points to clarify.
In my classroom, the read aloud for this week is The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. In the story the main character, Peter, sees older boys having a snow ball fight and wants to join them. As a class, we talked about making connections to the story. Many students talked about how they've had a snowball fight with their siblings, just like in the book. If I had known about Great Big Story earlier, I would have shown them a video that I found about a town that has a snowball fight tournament each year. It would have been a great way to incorporate diversity and talk about traditions that people in other countries have. Like mentioned, it doesn't have kid friendly graphics like BrainPop Jr. has that make it seem more "kid friendly", but the content that is has is wonderful. Great Big Story can make students realize that the world is a big place and it has so many magical things happening.
If either of these two app/programs interest you or you would like to read Jennifer Gonzalez's blog post yourself, the link will be below 😊
6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2019 URL: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/ed-tech-tools-2019/
The Great Big Story app is a new one for me. Obviously it has immediate connection to your classroom and teaching. Good post.
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I'm excited to use it regularly!
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ReplyDeleteI've seen videos from A Great Big Story before but I didn't realize that their platform was quite so big. I like starting my lessons with a video or visual when I can, because I think it really helps to engage my students. I will definitely be adding this to my list. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Maggie, I really like A Great Big Story. I teach kindergarten, so I might have to stop and discuss videos at certain points, but the concepts of the videos are so different and interesting that I think my kids would still enjoy them.
DeleteHi Megan! I am also following the Cult of Pedagogy blog this semester. I absolutely love her posts and podcasts and have been following her for a couple months now. This post was a great intro for us since it deals with technology tools! The two tools I thought would be most applicable in my classroom were EquityMaps and Great Big Story. In order for me to use Equity Maps, I know I will have to be intentional, but it is a great tool and I think it will be worth it. Like you, I think Great Big Story is a great way to inspire students and to help them know that the world is bigger than what they see each day. I love the connection you made between The Snowy Day and the snowball story on Great Big Story. It will be a great way for your students to apply their knowledge. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie! I'm now a huge fan of Cult of Pedagogy as well. I've spent so much time trying to get ideas from Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers, and never considered following a blog. I've already gotten so many great ideas to use! EquityMaps seems like a wonderful tool to encourage discussion and make sure that each student is engaged. I hope it goes well for you!
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