New Editing Computer

Wow, the technology is just running thick in the classroom. Arriving last week was a new Mac computer that has all the capabilities to edit videos and all sorts of video making activities. My job now is to be smart enough to work it and get the kids thinking in terms of how video fits into the curriculum. We have been videoing many activities in hopes of putting some of it on schooltube.com. Won't that be fun! It makes the kids think harder about planning out their projects and not just shooting from the hip. If you know anything about editing video, let us in on all the tricks.

Mrs. Cochran

Silverwood Adventure

On the 27th of May, we are heading to Silverwood Theme Park to present our play, Dinner at Eight, Dead by Nine, on the outdoor stage to anyone that will stop by and watch. We have been practicing outside on the cement slab while the little kids have been having recess to get us ready for the different outdoor setting and for a crowd that will be making noise and just walking through as the play goes on. We have tweeked a few spots, but for the main partit is just the same great play we did at the Dinner/Theater.

Many of the parents have chosen to go with us and we are glad for the bodies we know to accompany us. Now if we can just have the great weather to go with us. Wish us luck on our outing. We will be great no matter what...the kids have the play down perfect. Aren't they a great group of kids.

Mrs. Cochran

Tad Poles

Well, again I am on the adventure of turning frog eggs into frogs. It is my understanding from a few misadventures that they will not be frogs before the year is out.
Chase brought this gooey little accumulation of black dotted frogs to my room about a week ago and we excitedly found an aquarium to house them. Today we have a few hatching. Chase also informed me that we had a dragonfly something or other attached to one of the rocks and that this creature would eat the frog eggs and that I needed to immediately get rid of it. I can't even see it, but later I will attempt to find it and ...get rid of it somehow. He is such a smart kid, he makes me a life long learner. (Some of the things he lets me know about I think I could have lived without knowing.)

Be forwarned that all the kids will probably want to dredge the creeks for frog eggs. For some of you that will be exciting, but for those of you who don't think its o.k., good luck. Just a heads up that once they reach a certain tad pole stage they will eat each other unless you feed them something like fish food. I learned this the hard way.

Propagating Project

Today the kids and I started building the propagation terrarium. They haven't got the jist of storyboarding the process (kind of like following a recipe). Giving them lumber and a drill just makes them want to procede without looking at the plan. It is fun to watch their minds at work. Tomorrow we will video the process and procedure of the propagating stucture. My plan is start planting either Wednesday or Thursday. Then wish my brown thumb luck. Everything I have read says it will take a couple of weeks to get things to root. With school winding down, I hope it doesn't take any longer.

The next problem I need to solve for them is their fighting over who gets to run the video camera. Gee, they don't sound like normal kids. I want them all to get the chance to run the video camera, but am more excited to get it to down load and have them edit the taping. That will be a new adventure for everyone. (Big learning curve for me!) If you have any tricks up your sleeve on this, let me know. Usually they catch on to it before I do, thank goodness. (I'm not too proud to learn from my students. They have great ideas!)

Notestar.4teachers.org

I have found a new program to organize projects with subjects. It is called notestar. I am trying it out on a propagation project I have going with the 5-8 science kids. It has a place to define the project, assign different tasks and message with the kids along the way. It gives them a place to research and take notes and will help them bibliography along the way. This is a trial and error project for me and the kids will figure it out way before me. It is my goal to build a propagation terarium, create brochures, start plants, and document the whole process in a video put into schooltube.com. Wish us luck.

The builders team if Dustyn, Gracie, Tyson, and Keith.

The plant start team if Mekanzie, Sidney, Ethan, and Emma.

The brochure team is Nicole, Jon, Megan, Dan, and Garrett.

As I think into the project further I will give each student a rubrics for them to follow and think about their and other team members participation, work generated, and product output.

Good luck kids on this project.


Now go to notestar.4teachers.org and we will try to work through this new process.

More Spirit pictures

Didn't they take great pictures. I can't wait 'til tomorrow!

Ooops, I missed some of the finer looking groupies.

Spirit Week-Monday

Wow! A great bunch of cuties showed up for the opening day of spirit week. The goal was to dress up as someone of the opposite sex. They did a super job. Just look...