Back to School!

We're back to school today, and it's so great to see the kids back and excited about all our new techie endeavors at Holy Trinity.

I would like to share two resources from the amazing Common Sense Media :

The Back to School guide:

Parents Top 12 Back-to-School Tech Questions:

I'm happy to answer any questions about the HTS tech program for you.  You can always reach me on mbmorell@htsdc.org.

Oxford Owl Learning

Apologies for neglecting the blog for a couple of weeks! Catherine and I spent several days last week at Harvard attending an "iPad in the Classroom" workshop sponsored by EdTech Teacher - which was amazing.  We're still processing all that we learned and how best to share it with our teachers and students!  Look for blog posts in the coming weeks based on the workshop :)

Meanwhile, I discovered the Oxford Owl Learning website earlier this week from one of my favorite blogs: iLearn Technology.

Oxford Owl has over 250 free eBooks available online, designed for children up to age 11 develop their reading skills.  Audio is provided for each book (a wonderful feature!), and the books have activities that focus on reading comprehension and story recall.  The site also has tips for parents and teachers, printables and online games.  Sadly, these books do not yet work on iPads...

The Maths section (as they call it in the UK) is designed for children up to age 7 to develop math skills:

Explore and Enjoy!  Mrs. Morell

Hundreds of Ideas for Summer Fun - Part One

Once again, I've been wandering through Pinterest, and have found several great blog links, lists and ideas to share to inspire summer fun ... and learning!

100 Things to Do This Summer from Honest to Nod - The Land of Nod blog:

10 Mostly Offbeat Ways Teens can Learn Something this Summer from the Washington Post:

Amazing Apps for Every Grade Level at Holy Trinity School

During the 2012-13 school year, as we piloted using iPads in every classroom at HTS, our teachers and students sampled hundreds of Apps.  Many were fantastic, others not so much :)  At the end of the school year, it was time to clean house, so the teachers were asked which Apps they would like to keep for the 2013-14 school year.  The incredibly organized Mr. Clark has spend the past few weeks getting all the iPads updated for the next school year, and we thought our school community might enjoy taking a peek at the Apps that have made the cut.  Keep in mind our list will evolve a bit as the summer progresses...
PreK-K iPads

• Addition Wiz Free**
• All About Letters Interactive Activities
• Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic HD
• Bob Books #2 - Reading Magic HD
• Cimo Spelling (Sight Words)*
• Don't Let the Pigeon Run this App*
• Elmo Loves ABCs for iPad
• Fish School HD - by Duck Duck Moose
• Freefall Spelling
• I Like Books - 37 Picture Books for Kids in 1 App
• Kids Learning to Read - Little Reader 3 Letter Words*
• Letter Writer Oceans (Preschool ABC's)
• Little Solver - Preschool Logic Game
• Math with Mouse
• Monkey Math School Sunshine
• Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
• Montessori Numberland HD
• Musical Paint
• Park Math HD - by Duck Duck Moose*
• Raz-Kids**
• Scribble my Story - A Fingerprint Network App**
• Skitch**
• Starfall ABCs
• Starfall Learn to Read*
• TeachMe: Kindergarten
• TeachMe: Toddler
• Word Magic*

The Amazing TED and TED Ed

I am a bit obsessed with TED Talks - and the TED Ed website.  I have been known to lose track of space and time while surfing through lists of videos, feeling alternately inspired and completely inadequate.  My Upper School students are familiar with the  TED Ed "playlists" of my faves for them to peruse during tech class if they have finished a project or test early.  If you have a tween or teenager  complaining about being bored, I would highly recommend sending them a link to TED Ed to wander through... new videos are added every week.

I stumbled across this cool infographic from OnlineClasses.org, which explains the phenomenon...

I have found it to be a bit overwhelming to try to figure out the best talks to watch from the hundreds available, so often turn to lists of favorites from various websites to guide me.  Many of my favorites can be found on these lists:

From the Under30ceo blog... 25 Amazing Inspiring and Unique TED Talks you must watch

TED Talks Education

TED Weekends from the Huffington Post

Do you have a favorite TED Talk?  Share it below...

National Geographic Asks: What's the Big Idea?

I spent part of my childhood overseas, so have been fascinated by geography and travel from a very young age.  It should come as no surprise then that one of the many blogs I follow is the wonderful National Geographic Education Blog.  A few days ago, they unveiled a program to help families and educators prepare for summer.  From creating a family tree to constructing a compost pile, National Geographic has put together a host of cool projects. As they say, we all know that the end of the school year doesn't mean the end of educating!

If you are looking for something to do with your kids this summer, check out the Ideas for...

indoor family fun:

A Wander Through A Handful of Kids Literature Blogs

From the Collecting Children's Books Blog

I thought this blog entry would simply be revisiting a blog entry that I love from last year, but then I became completely lost on the Internet by a series of fierce wonderings (as Luke's 3rd grade teacher would say):

So, re-printed from last year, a  lovely blog post about starting a summer book club for your kids.  I found the blog "Dinner: A Love Story" a few weeks ago, and have been enchanted for a couple of reasons.  The first is that the blogger manages to prepare a home cooked meal for her family every single night of the week.  It's a dream of mine.  At the Morell home, we survive on Chipotle take out for days at a time.  The other reason I adore this blog is that the entire family loves children's books, and has a series of posts suggesting various wonderful titles (and several I'd like to try...)  Blogger Jenny Rosenstrach sets up a summer reading program for her kids - something I used to do when my kids were younger.  Like me, she uses shameless bribing (one summer, when Peter was in 2nd grade, he earned nearly 20 playmobil men).  So take a moment to check out the summer reading program, the book lists, and perhaps even the dinner suggestions too:

Dinner a Love Story Summer Reading:

This year, when I wandered back to see if Jenny had a new list of books for the summer (she does not), I discovered that she recommended a wonderful blog dedicated to children's literature:

Mrs. Little: An Obsession with Children's Books

With entry titles like: "If Amelia Bedelia was a Chanel Client", and "If your son sleeps with a light saber... " I was hooked.

So then I wondered what other Children's Literature blogs might be out there that I have been missing, and came across a fascinating article by Elizabeth Bird which appeared in the School Library Journal a few years ago.  Titled:  This Blog's for You: Ten of the best blogs for folks who take kids' lit seriously (but not too seriously).  I wandered through all ten, and have chosen three that I found to be fascinating... and hope you do too!  

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

I consider it fair to say that of all the children’s literary blogs, the most visually stunning (with consistently kicking content) is the product of Eisha Prather and Jules Danielson. They provide amazing interviews of up-and-coming authors and illustrators. - Elizabeth Bird

Educating Alice

A blog written by Monica Edinger, an educator at New York City’s Dalton School, this regularly updated site features whip-smart commentary and classroom experience regarding all aspects of children’s literature. - Elizabeth Bird

Collecting Children's Books

This may be the best-written children’s literary blog of all time. Librarian Peter Sieruta doesn’t just retell the history of children’s books—he brings it to life and makes it dance! - Elizabeth Bird

Time to stop wondering and wandering!  I have laundry (and reading!) to do...

Enjoy!

Mrs. Morell


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LearnZillion

Upper School Math Teacher and tech guru Polly Sileo recently attended a professional development conference, and discovered a cool new resource she would like to share with the HTS Community.


Learnzillion contains videos that review a range of math, grammar, phonics, reading and writing  topics that align with the new Common Core standards.  Our teachers recognize it will be a great resource to help prepare lessons and provide differentiation - to help struggling kids review,  or kids who need a challenge think about new concepts.  For parents or tutors, it could be a great resource for many of the same reasons.   This website is similar to Khan Academy,  but it is created by teachers and is more intentional, and far less procedural than KA.

I have provided a pair of screen shots to help give you a sense of what the lessons look like...

If the program sounds intriguing, you can read more it in the following news articles:

•  CNN Report
• EdSurge

Enjoy!

Mrs. Morell

KidsPost Summer Reading Club - Animal Adventures

Each summer, the Washington Post KidsPost sponsors a Summer Reading Club.  This year, the focus is on animal adventures.  You have to love a crew that wrote:  "We at KidsPost have been squirreling away (or gathering) books.  We've worked like dogs to find interesting titles.  And we've waited till now to let the cat out of the bag."   If you have a child who loves animals, you may want to check out wonderful list of titles, mostly with 8 to 12 year olds in mind:

• Survivors: The Empty City, by Erin Hunter
• Never Say Die, by Will Hobbs
• Pegasus: The Flame of Olympus, by Kate O'Hearn
• An Army of Frogs, By Trevor Pryce
• The Familiars, By Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson
• The Tale of Despereaux, By Kate DiCamillo
• The Cats of Tangelwood Forest, By Charles de Lint

Parents can register their children on the Washington Post, and any child who reads any or all of the titles on the list receives a bookmark (the program works on the honor system).

Learn more about the program by visiting:

KidsPost Summer Reading Program

Six Great Online Games for Summer Learning

Whenever I am feeling reasonably confident that I am an expert on the educational resources on the Internet, boom! someone sends me a link to a completely new website or idea that I have never heard of... it's so humbling.  

Today, Karen Robinson forwarded this article from the Mind/Shift website,  highlighting six games from PBS Learning Media involving such cool topics roller coasters, sugar, and secret missions...perfect summertime fare.  In some cases, you might need to set up an account on PBS, but that is easily accomplished:

• Amusement Park Physics (grades 9-12... but I suspect younger kids will be able to enjoy!)

18 Books that Will Inspire Your Kids - from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Today is my first official day of summer vacation... so much to read (and do), so little time!

A friend shared this intriguing list from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation yesterday...  I think I'll need to check out a couple of the titles to add to my own list, such as How to be an Everyday Philanthropist, and Design Revolution: 100 Products that Empower People.   I must say I've never come across Toilets of the World (from the 5th grade list) in a local bookshop, but it could be just the thing to engage a reluctant reader.

Take a peek and see if any of the titles appeal to the readers in your home:

http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2013/06/Summer-Reading-18-Books-That-Will-Inspire-Your-Kids

Just keep reading...

Mrs. Morell

Keeping Kids Engaged Through the Summer

Many of the Holy Trinity teachers turn to Edutopia for inspiration and great teaching ideas.  Today's newsletter focused on preventing the Summer Slide - with parents in mind.  Follow the link below to check out their fun and engaging activities to keep brains busy:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/resources-prevent-summer-slide-matt-davis