#GAfE4Littles

Recently, I was fortunate enough to stumble across a blog by a very talented elementary teacher, named Christine Pinto.   Christine’s site, called #GAfE4Littles,  is a treasure trove of Google Apps for Eduation resources geared towards lower el teachers to use with their students.  On her site, Christine shares tips on getting your class started on Chromebooks as well as ready-to-use templates you can download and use in your Google Classroom RIGHT NOW!  Check it out here:

Model Google Classroom for elementary teachers

So if students in K-2 classes are willing and able to use our technology, why wouldn’t we give them that opportunity?  In order to make it easier on teachers to use Google Classroom with their lower el students, I have been focusing on adding lower el resources to the model Google Classroom.  These resources are there for your taking, to be used in your own Google Classroom course!  Many of them came from websites like Christine Pinto’s site, while others are developed by myself and other teachers around the district. The goal of creating and gathering these activities is for teachers to have a place to look for inspiration when using Google Classroom.  If you haven’t already joined the model classroom, the join code is 2znhyk.

Don’t forget about iLearn (Moodle)!

Many elementary teachers are very comfortable with Google Classroom, therefore they never explore the options that iLearn (Moodle) has to offer.  While iLearn may have a bit of a learning curve, it is also very powerful.  With the options for grading available through iLearn, teachers can provide real-time grading results immediately to students and have the grades automatically uploaded to MiStar!

With the increasing interest in iLearn for elementary teachers, I have begun building modules for teachers to use right within their own iLearn course.  For a sneak peek at the Lorax unit, click here.

In addition to the literature units, we are working to develop modules that can be used across the board with lower elementary students.  One is the Frayer Model, and another is Fictional Text Features.  Check them out by clicking on the links.

If you are interested in any of the activities mentioned above, or if you would like help setting up a Google Classroom or iLearn course, contact a Tech Coach today!