Technology Academy: April 2014

Friday, April 25, 2014

Living History Museum

Our fifth grade classrooms staged a Living History Museum for our school and many visitors from the community. Among the Living Museum you could find Neil Armstrong, Anne Frank, King Tut, Dr. Seuss, Helen Keller, and many, many more!

Students took on the role of their famous person by dressing up in costumes, using makeup, and even talking like that person during their presentations. They shared an online timeline of their life, a digital 3D popup book with information, and many other props with their visitors.

These links will lead you to examples of our Zooburst 3D popup books.

http://www.zooburst.com/book/zb01_5333078581ea7 -Albert Einstein by Destiny

http://www.zooburst.com/book/zb01_5333086a78884- Jim Henson by Coleman

http://www.zooburst.com/book/zb01_53397a66d4458 -Ben Franklin by Jonah

Monday, April 14, 2014

Trend Alert: 6 Messaging Apps That Let Teens Share (Iffy) Secrets-From Common Sense Media

This article was recently published on the Common Sense Media website. Parents should be aware there are more ways of sharing information online besides Facebook and Instagram. New messaging and chat apps are constantly popping up all the time. Parents should be aware what apps their child is using and most importantly what they are sharing with others.

(Excerpt from article)
Snapchat: A messaging app that lets users put a time limit on the pictures and videos they send before they disappear.
Burn Note: A texting-only app that erases messages after a set period of time. Messages are stored until first view and then deleted.
Whisper: A social "confessional" app that allows users to post whatever's on their mind. Users type a confession, add a background image, and share it with the Whisper community. It’s intended for users age 17 and older.
Secret - Speak Freely: A social-media app that's designed to let people voice whatever's on their minds anonymously.
Ask.fm: A social site that lets kids ask questions and answer those posted by other users -- sometimes anonymously.
Omegle: An anonymous chat client through which users discuss anything they'd like. Its conversations are filled with lewd language and references to sexual content, drugs and alcohol, and violence.

Check out this article from Common Sense Media to learn more about what you should be cautious of your child is using one of these apps.
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/trend-alert-6-messaging-apps-that-let-teens-share-iffy-secrets?utm_source=2014_04_08_Educator_Newsletter_1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly

Friday, April 4, 2014

MyOn Reader March Challenge

Our elementary students have been hard at work, reading their digital libraries on My On Reader. My On Reader is a new program at Bon Air this year that allows our students to access high-interest books digitally on their device. Teachers can also suggest books for students based on their appropriate reading level. Students see which books their friends are reading and the top-ranked books in the school. My On Reader includes books on a variety of topics and genres including graphic novels, science and math topics, sports, health and fiction and nonfiction texts. Students can listen to all the books in audio version or choose to read the book silently on their own.

You can access My On Reader at www.myon.com and enter your child's username and password. Books are available for any student who has WiFi access.

During the month of March the elementary students challenged each other to spend the most time reading on My On. Students in the class who read the most overall time earned a popcorn party and a Bon Air bumper sticker. The top 5 readers in grades K-5 earned a set of Bon Air earbuds. Congratulations to the top classes and readers below!