Day 39: Mackenzie, 2nd grade student

Using VoiceThread to Share Learning

Recently, Mackenzie, a 2nd grade student in Mrs. Potter's class, explored VoiceThread.  VoiceThread is a social way of sharing your thoughts and ideas with others.  

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/01/dozens-of-examples-of-voicethread-in.html#.UKFZLLDwsTY

"You can do this anywhere there is a computer," explains Mackenzie.  "I can see myself going to different schools' [VoiceThread sites] and talking to different students on their VoiceThread and making comments."

Mackenzie and her class learned how readers describe characters by thinking about the character's traits.  She also learned that it is important to include evidence from the text when she describes characters.

Take a look at the VoiceThread Mackenzie and her classmates put together.  Use the buttons on the bottom of the VoiceThread to navigate between threads.

Day 34: Amina, 2nd Grade Student

Learning from a Road Trip

This summer, Amina, a 2nd grade student in Mrs. Potter's class, traveled to Minneapolis, MN to visit family.

"We drove to Indiana, Chicago, Wisconsin, and then to Minnesota."

This was Amina's first time traveling to Minneapolis.  She traveled with her mom and her sister by car.  "It took us two days to get there.  We kept asking to stop because we were hungry or bored."  Along the way, Amina learned something about taking long road trips.  

She gets carsick.

"We stopped at McDonald's and I got some hot chocolate.  I drank it all, but then I started to feel sick to my stomach. I had to get sick in my cup."

After two long days, Amina finally made it to Minneapolis.  "We went to the Mall of America.  It was like going to King's Island. "  She rode some rides and had a great time.

Besides finding out she can get carsick, Amina learned a little more about the world around her.  Next summer, though, she hopes she gets to take a plane.