Activities 21, 22 and 23

Caldecott Award Winners


I watch YouTube quite a bit, both for personal and professional reasons. Every year we have a Red Clover Day at our school, organized by our wonderful librarian. The students are in vertical teams and they rotate through the rooms, where each teacher develops an activity around one of the books for the year. Last year I did Pale Male, and while the students were drawing and painting I played several YouTubes of the hawk flying around NYC. The students loved it, and it made them realize that the book really was about a real bird.

I also download and subscribe to podcasts, but I haven't made any yet. I viewed a number of podcasts made in elementary classrooms, collecting ideas for possible topics and tools to enhance the podcasts. I definitely want to do this with my class this coming year, probably starting with book reviews.


I really enjoyed doing the 23 Things, and loved the format. I was able to work at my own pace and during time blocks that worked for me. I liked the organization of the site, with clear steps and directions that reflected different learning styles. I was able to quickly scan information that I was already familiar with, or watch a video for things that were new to me. There were always numerous resources and other links for further exploration. Everything was clear, and it covered a wide range of sites and interests.
As is so often the case, time was the real factor in completing this. I have wanted to explore many of these technologies in the past, but just never seemed to have the time to do it. Being a classroom teacher, and having most of the summer free, it was the perfect time to explore. I feel that I do have a good understanding of everything that I did, and that I just need to continue to use and practice what I have learned. I really like the fact that the website will be there for me to use as a reference if I forget how to do things, or need additional resources and information.
I am excited about using many of these in my classroom, expanding on ones that I had already begun, and incorporating new ones. It is critical to keep up with new technologies that help differentiate learning and enhance the experiences of all students. Thank you so much for setting up this wonderful resource.