Do you know about the AR BookFinder? You can use this link to check reading levels and point values of Accelerated Reader books. The link is found on my webpage under Library/Storytime links or click here www.arbookfind.com. You can use it to check your own books at home. Find out if they are on AR and then find out if the book is in your reading level. You can also read a summary of the book and find other books that are similar. You can use the collections search to find award winning books. Check out the AR BookFinder today!

Scholastic BookFlix

   

One of our favorite "free choice" activities for the lower grades is a database called "BookFlix." This Scholastic website gives students access to hundreds of stories and informational selections. According to the Michigan eLibrary, "BookFlix is the #1 online resource that pairs classic Weston Woods video storybooks with related nonfiction eBooks to build a love of reading and learning." There are many categories to choose from! Students choose a Fact/Fiction pair. Then they listen or use the read-along feature to enjoy the text. After the story, the child can choose from puzzlers, a meet the author feature, and links to additional websites about the topics. This is a great way to help students understand the difference between fact and fiction, to improve listening skills, and to learn through grade-appropriate vocabulary.

   



   

    Students can visit my webpage in order to find a link to BookFlix. Because this database is funded by the Michigan eLibrary, access is free at our school. If you would like to use BookFlix at home, it may be necessary to enter a Michigan driver's license number to prove residency. Once your home computer is recognized, your child can use BookFlix for a unlimited time! Parents may also want to visit the MeL website for other information. It can be found at www.mel.org. Kids will find a link to other Michigan eLibrary activities at www.mel.org/kids. Visit BookFlix...where stories and nonfiction connect!!

Keyboarding in the Elementary

     Keyboarding is an important skill for kids to learn. Whether they are typing a report, texting, or gaming, having general knowledge of the QWERTY keyboard is important. I start working with students on keyboarding as early as kindergarten. We start working on home row and using all of our fingers for typing in 3rd grade. By the time they reach middle school, keyboarding is a part of the computer curriculum. But kids are connected to technology at an early age, so it is important to be familiar at an early age. Our kindergartners start by identifying the letters on the keyboard. First graders work with other keys such as shift, the number pad, space bar, and back space. They also learn Microsoft Word and publish their first reports. Second graders start working on building confidence and speed with locations on the keyboard. The third, fourth, and fifth graders use a website called Dance Mat Typing. This program starts out by teaching home row, then each level adds a couple new letters and teaches which fingers should be used to type them. By the time they reach the final level, they can test themselves by attempting to increase speed and decrease errors. Who knows where keyboards will be in the future? It probably won't be too long until we use voice commands for everything, and keyboards will become obsolete. But like cursive writing, it will always be an important skill that students should master. 

Sumdog!!

     What is Sumdog? Only the greatest math game at Hanover-Horton! Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade have their own accounts set up to play math games against other students in their class, students around the world, or they may play against the computer. The games are leveled to their individual math skills, so as they master skills, the questions will get more complex. Playing the games will earn coins that students can then spend on clothes and other items for their "avatar." Each student also has a virtual house that can be decorated with items purchased in the store.
     When students come to technology special, the first question asked is, "Are we going to play Sumdog?" Sometimes we do, but we have so many other learning goals! We will be practicing keyboarding, learning Word, Excel, and Publisher. We will also be exploring Google, MeL databases, and other online resources. So no, we can't play Sumdog every time we come to the lab. But that is what makes the game so great...kids can play at home! Play the game online or download the free app to your iPad. Have fun practicing your math skills!!

A New Year!

     The start of school is always an exciting time! This year, all of the teachers were asked to create a short presentation for their webpages to give parents and students an overview of what is taught in their classes. I used an app called Tellagami to create a cartoon version of myself to share with my technology students.

When I showed it to my classes, I heard several times..."Can't you change the hair color?" "Why did you make your hair brown?" "Shouldn't your hair be gray?" Ahhh...out of the mouths of babes. 

     But it's the truth! My hair is turning gray. I am getting older. I have been at Hanover-Horton for a long time! I am starting my 28th year in the district. I have taught 7th and 8th grade math, 4th grade, storytime and technology. I was the district's media specialist for 11 years. I was a middle school track coach and a high school class advisor. So it is true. I am getting older! But one of the things I love most is seeing the children of my former students here at H-H. I've been in the area long enough that it truly feels like home. That is one of the main reasons that both of my sons graduated from Hanover-Horton. So let the gray hair grow! I'm happy to be where I belong...at Hanover-Horton. 

Logging in!

     One of the most rewarding  (yet exhausting) parts of being a technology teacher, is working with our kindergarten and young 5's classes. Many of them come to school without much computer experience. They may have played on a tablet, or on a parent's phone, but they don't have experience using a mouse. Students also must learn to log on using a rather complicated user name and password assigned by the district. They also learn to log off  the computers at the end of their computer time.
     Sometimes I forget how far they have come! But today, I saw them helping one another! That is is true sign that they have learned a new skill...when they can teach others. I hear them using words like: Shift, webpage and backspace. They know how to find my webpage from Hanover-Horton's homepage. Some can identify the different activities on my webpage by looking for the first letter. It's fun to hear them telling a friend, "Click on Funbrain! It starts with F!" Most kindergartners can log in without any assistance; some have even memorized the user name and password! How can you help at home?

1.  Allow your kindergartner to use the computer. If you set www.hanoverhorton.org as a favorite, they will be able to do the rest! Fifteen or twenty minutes of computer time can be a fun reward in the evening.
2. Encourage them to know their birthdays! Part of each student's username is the birthdate. 
3. Practice usernames and passwords at home!

       username: first 3 letters of last name, first 3 letters of first name, birth month, birth date, letter A
       password:  two capital H's, 100, library checkout number

Mine would look like this:

VinBel1009A

HH1001227