Safeshare.tv

If you use YouTube videos in your classroom or school, no matter the age of students, I highly recommend running the videos through SafeShare.TV. This website will take out all advertisements and make the video "safe" for viewing. It seems these days that the majority of YouTube videos have a random advertisement at the beginning, and a lot of them are inappropriate for students. SafeShare.TV not only removes the beginning advertisement, but all popups, advertisements, and "related" videos around the videos are blocked. The picture below is a snapshot of what students will see when a video is played through SafeShare. Click here if you would like to watch Frozen's Let It Go through SafeShare. 

So how does it work? It's actually a very easy, user friendly, FREE site that anyone can use. No log in or registering is necessary. To begin, locate the YouTube video you would like to view. This can be done ahead of time, as SafeShare will provide you with a link that you can save, share via Facebook, Twitter, email, or attach to a QR code for scanning. So, after you have chosen the YouTube video, click on share under the video, and copy the link. For example...

Next, open SafeShare.tv and paste the link into the SafeShare box and click generate Safe Link. 

A safe link is now created for your video. At this point there are a few options. To directly view the video, click the red Take me to the safe view link and the video will begin playing. Or you may copy and paste the NEW YouTube link into your browser, a document, QR code generator, or anywhere you'd like the link to be. Finally, at the bottom you will notice it says customize video. This will allow you to change the background color of the viewing screen (right now it is black), change the video title, and how long you would like the video viewed. This would be used if you would like to play only a clip from a video, you can create a SafeShare link for only that portion of the video.

In my opinion, SafeShare is one of the best tools out there for protecting our students. There are a few things to consider though. Yes, this is a much safer way to utilize YouTube in your classroom, but keep in mind that as the video plays the YouTube link will still be present in the right hand corner and will take you back to YouTube if clicked. I have also found that most videos can be played full screen through this SafeShare link by clicking the full screen icon, however there are some that will not.

Now... this is my favorite part. How can this be used in our classrooms? I'm glad you asked! :) Here are just a few ideas for running YouTube videos through SafeShare...

1. Whole class viewings of YouTube videos
2. Whole school assemblies or pep rallies
3. Creating a QR code link to specific videos for students to view independently via iPads or other handheld devices
4. Professional Development sessions... although adults will not need "shielded" from advertisements, it would be great idea to have the distractions before and around the video taken out

Good luck and be safe out there!

Bookflix... how have I not known?

Do you know about Bookflix?? Why am I just now finding out about this fabulous FREE pre-k through 3rd grade resource?? At any rate, through a mass email from Scholastic I received the following email...

Bookflix has paired fiction and non-fiction texts in 8 different topics ranging from animals, people, music, science, celebrations, and more! The fiction text is an animated read-along of a book, while the non-fiction text is a digital book that has the option of being read aloud. In the top right hand corner of the homepage is a special section called "Resources". Included in these resources are instructions for using paired texts, classroom activities, and parent/child resources. In this area you can also search for specific paired texts by title, number of pages, Spanish versions, and reading levels.

One thing I love about this site is that it is very thorough, and yet not too overwhelming for young students with extra graphics and links. It is a very simple, yet engaging site. As I mentioned, Bookflix is FREE to all Ohio teachers, parents, and students. To receive a username and password, simply click here to make a request.

In the past two weeks I have used this resource in a few ways... at the Listen to Reading center, during our research portion of Writer's Workshop, and at the end of the day on the Promethean board. How can you see yourself using Bookflix???

P.S. Bookflix works perfectly on iPads, as other online reading sites with flash do not. :) Enjoy!

GoNoodle

Have you noodled lately?? One of our favorite new things every afternoon is giving our brains a break through GoNoodle. This is a fantastic brain break website that includes kids Zumba, popular songs with motions, track and field exercises, and cool down activities. Before I explain any further... watch the video below to get a taste of the wonder that is GoNoodle...

 Combination of Zumba and Yoga...

Everyone's favorite... I can't stop smiling every time they pick this one!

One reason GoNoodle is amazing is that it not only provides free brain breaks, but through a monster avatar, it tracks all student activity. After students complete 60 minutes of physical activity they get an award and their monster grows into an amazing creature. Wow! :) Seriously, my students beg for this every afternoon. We have been doing one fast song/exercise to get their blood flowing, and then choose a cool down activity to get them ready to learn for the rest of the afternoon. It is amazing for any elementary age.... try it tomorrow. You'll love it... trust me.

Vocaroo

One of the coolest, easiest resources I stumbled on recently is Vocaroo. This website makes it incredibly easy to record anyone talking. As soon as the site is opened, simply click record, give permission to access your microphone, and viola! You are ready to record. After recording there are several options... share the a link through social media, embed the file, download as a media file, or my favorite - instantly create a QR code with the recording attached. There is no need to copy the link and paste in your favorite QR code creator. Nope... as soon as you have finished recording and have saved the file, click "QR Code"... and it's ready!

How can this tool be used?? For my first try at using this in my classroom, I asked several of my students to record themselves reading. Once we created the QR code, it was taped to the front of the book cover and placed in the listening center. Now during centers, students can choose a book with a code, scan the code, and listen to a friend read to them. So far they love it! And talk about adding to their motivation to read... now even struggling readers are practicing a book to record for the center. Check out an example below.

Could you see yourself using this tool? Here's a few ideas I've thought of... 

• Record yourself giving extra directions or background information for homework or assignments
• Record a reading of a textbook chapter in any subject for struggling readers
• Upload (yes you can also upload any file including songs) a file that students need to listen to activate prior knowledge
• Voice message to parents on a school or class newsletter
• Voice introduction on a blog or website 
• Record yourself or students reading sight words and attach to flashcards/word walls
• Support for ELL students
• Record students reading a research paper they have written and add the code to the display of the paper
• Science Fair poster pictures could be enhanced by a QR code student explanation
• Record students giving a book review that entices others to read (Thank you Mrs. Larrick! :) ) 

Feel free to leave a comment with an idea you have for this tool! :)

Flat Stanley Project and Facebook

If you have been in elementary education for very long you are probably familiar with the Flat Stanley Project. If not, let me fill you in. Flat Stanley is a popular children's book written by Jeff Brown. Stanley becomes flat when a bulletin board falls on him in the night. After going to the doctor, Stanley remains flat and gets to go on several very exciting adventures. One of his favorite adventures is being mailed in an envelope to California to his friend's house. After visiting California, Stanley travels back home in an envelope. Many, many teachers over the years have created their own paper Stanley's with their class and sent him through the mail around the world to friends, family members, or even pen-pal classes. Stanley's "hosts" are asked to take Stanley around their city or town, taking pictures and writing about Stanley's adventures. This is a fabulous way for students to "see" the world through Stanley's eyes. When I have completed this project in the past my students seems to lose interest and almost forget about Stanley while is gone for 2 -3 weeks. How could this be avoided?? Through social media and email of course! I created a Facebook page for our first grade project and sent instructions with Stanley for his "hosts" to post pictures of Stanley's adventures to our page or email them to me if they did not use Facebook. I was a little unsure of the amount of participation we would have during the project. I was however pleasantly surprised.... we had over 50 pictures, comments, and messages sent to us throughout a 10 day period. What a way for the students to stay engaged! In addition to viewing pictures of places Stanley was visiting, we were able to easily look the places up through Google Earth to have a small sense of the world around us. This is a VERY difficult concept for 6 and 7 year olds! However, through the tech integration, the students now have a much better grasp of our place in this world. If you are taking part in the Flat Stanley project in the future, I HIGHLY recommend putting together a Facebook page for your hosts to communicate with you. You won't regret it! :) Check out our page by clicking here.

Look at some of the cool places Stanley traveled...

Stanley in Game Creek, Alaska

Stanley getting ready to board a cruise in Florida. 

Stanley visiting the Freedom Tower in New York City. 

Stanley and all of his belongings. Each travel guide included a map, interesting facts about the state he was visiting, and a place for a letter to be written to us from Stanley's hosts. 

A Big Day...

Wow, it has been a big day... and a long time since I've written a post. :) My goal when I decided to begin a blog was to post tech ideas and thoughts a few times a week. Sadly this has not happened. Instead, life has happened. Between discussion board posts, projects, writing papers, building two websites, classroom work, meetings, my family (the list could go on and on really)... I have not been a "true" blogger. I really don't know if I ever will be a "true and faithful" blogger, but I sure am going to try harder to share simple ideas for tech integration! As I said, today has been a big day. Today, I turned in 4 papers, submitted my final portfolio for review, and received my cap and gown in the mail (27 days until graduation, but who's counting???). So, now that life will (hopefully) be slowing down, I'm excited to reflect through blogging on things I've been learning in my program and implementing in my classroom. Maybe, just maybe, I'll post some ideas tomorrow! :)