21st+Century+Skills+K-4

= 21st Century Skills, Technology and the K-4 Classroom = Created by ESU#3 for Training Resources

**Session Content:** This fast paced session will take 21st Century Skills to the next level--moving beyond knowledge of the skills to activities and resources that you can use in your classroom. Below are links to the ideas and tools shared that foster **21st century learning into the reading and writing curriculum.**

21st Century Language Arts Links & Resources:[[image:story-online.png width="214" height="156" align="right" caption="http://www.storylineonline.net/"]]
**Storyline Online:** @http://www.storylineonline.net/ Storyline Online is a streaming video site where members from the Screen Actor Guild read noted children's stories aloud. Each story is accompanied by activities and lesson ideas. Providing a multimedia experience for the children to participate in literature and see and hear the pages come alive with the voices of the trained actors is one that your students will enjoy. This site is worth a look if you have not seen it before. A few books are added periodically. At this writing, the featured book was the Polar Express (December 2010)

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 * **21st Century Skill:** Communication
 * **Curriculum Areas:** reading and activities that support reading

VocabGrabber allows the user/student to copy and paste text into an area on the screen and then sort the words by curricular area, frequency, familiarity, etc. Words can be selected from the sorted list for use with virtual thesaurus to look for synonyms and build meaning. Noted researcher, Robert Marzano emphasizes the importance of working with words, building student meaning and exploring words as steps in the development of reading vocabulary. This site is one you will want to put on your "radar."
 * VocabGrabber:** @http://www.visualthesaurus.com/vocabgrabber/
 * **21st Century Skill:** Communication
 * **Best Practice:** Marzano's Similarities and Differences, vocabulary development (steps 2, 4 & 5)
 * **Curriculum Areas:** writing word choice, reading vocabulary development


 * [[image:macaw.jpg width="160" height="160" align="left"]]Word Cloud Creators:** A unique way to look at words, vocabulary, word choice, content in text passages, etc is using a word cloud. A number of free tools are available to create a word cloud or word cluster using text that is either typed or copied and pasted to input at a web site for a word cloud/cluster. All of these tools would address the following:
 * **21st Century Skill:** Communication, Creativity & Innovation
 * **Best Practice:** Marzano--homework & practice, graphic representation
 * **Curriculum Areas:** writing word choice, reading vocabulary development


 * Here are a few of the more popular ones:**
 * **Wordle:**www.wordle.net Wordle is a word cloud generator. The more times that the word is included in the text, the larger it becomes in the word cloud that is created. Teachers have copied and pasted student text into Wordle to spotlight the frequently used words, they have also used Wordle as a tool to create a visual thesaurus of synonyms.
 * **Word It Out:**@http://worditout.com/ A very simple word cloud/word cluster creator. Some may prefer this simple tool to illustrate a word through the use of like words, definitions, etc.
 * **Image Chef--Word Mosaic:**@http://www.imagechef.com/ic/word_mosaic/ Rather than creating a word cloud--this tool creates a word cluster that can be put into a corresponding shape that fits with the word. Think about using the word/definition/shape to illustrate a word so that students will remember it.
 * **Here is a blog entry from and educator on the use of word clouds:**http://vocablog-plc.blogspot.com/

Starfall is a primary age web site for emerging readers and writers. Students get practice reading words and many games and activities related to reading and writing are available at this site. If this site hasn't been on your "radar" before and you are a primary K-1 teacher, you will want to take note of this site.
 * Starfall:** http://www.starfall.com/ [[image:starfall.jpg width="176" height="181" align="right"]]
 * **21st Century Skill:** Communication and Creativity
 * **Best Practice:** Marzano's vocabulary development Step 6--learning games and Step 4--activities that engage
 * **Curriculum Areas:** reading fluency and vocabulary development, writing practice

**Free Web 2.0 Tools for Writing Instruction that Address the 21st Century Skills of Communication, Collaboration & Creativity:**
 * **Wall Wisher:** http://www.wallwisher.com/ Collaborative on-line sticky notes for organizing thoughts, reminders, etc. Here are some ideas on how another educator is using Wall Wisher: @https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhn2vcv5_436f8kscmdc
 * **World Sift:** @http://www.wordsift.com/ Word Sift combines creating word clouds with a visual thesaurus and image generation.
 * **Big Huge Labs:** @http://www.bighugelabs.com/ At this site students (and you too!) can create a movie poster (think about a book poster for a great book students have read!), a motivational poster, etc. Check out "The Writer" link!
 * **BubblUs**: http://bubbl.us/ On-line brainstorming and graphic organizer
 * **Story Book Jumper:** @http://www.storyjumper.com/ Create a book on-line that can be viewed, printed or ordered by parents.
 * **Bit Strips** http://www.bitstrips.com
 * **Animoto** http://www.animoto.com (register as an educator for free benefits!)


 * Examples of Using Powerpoint for Books: **
 * Who Is She Example [|Who is She.ppt]
 * Lintor Publishing Company: http://www.lintorpublishing.com (for hard cover book bindings)


 * MS Word Examples: **
 * Jewel Case Template for Poetry: [|Poem for Jewel case2.doc] ~ [|Jewel Case Poem Template.dot]
 * Word Art for feedback [|word+art+comments.doc]
 * Tall Tale Example [|Tall-tale example.doc]
 * Scrabble Squares [|scrabble squares.doc]


 * =**Some of My Favorite Writing Sites**= || * **The Writing Fix Web Site:** http://writingfix.com/6_traits/idea_development.htm
 * **Read, Write and Think:** @http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/
 * **Story Mapping Assistance:**[| http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/storymap/]
 * **Punctuation Paintball Web Site:** http://www.iknowthat.com/com/L3?Area=Paintball&COOK
 * **Spelling City:** http://www.spellingcity.com ||