Adding Kidblog to your devices

Last week I made the decision to switch from Edublogs to Kidblog. I'm really happy with the decision. Kidblog is a much better platform to work with especially younger students. Here's how to add it to your devices.
You can also get to it from this blog, go to Favourite Links and click on 'Student Blogs' it will take you to the main page of the blog. If you decide to add this blog to your child's device here's how to do it.

1. Go to App Store and find Kidblog; it looks like this: It's also free.

2. Download the App and then open it up.
3. You'll get a screen that looks like this:

4. My kidblog.org url is MsBrownsClass1314 (not bold) you need to type it in just as you see it or it won't link to our class blog and the kids won't be able to add to their blog.

5. Once they can open the blog they will see a screen which looks like this:

• They add the title and then type in the body just like they would if they were on Edublogs. This blog allows them to log out and back in again on our class devices. It's a much easier site for the kids to work with. Good luck with downloading. If you have any questions please just ask. 

Switching Blog Sites

I've finally made an executive decision. I'm switching our blog site. I've had nothing but problems with the Edublogs site. I'm finding it too difficult for the kids to navigate around, the iPad app keeps crashing and half the time it doesn't load all of their posts properly. I spend more time, trouble shooting than I do helping students with their writing. Today was the final straw. Edublogs made changes to their iPad app (Yah!!! Was what I was thinking) but as it turns out, it was a huge HAY!!!! 

It appears I've got to individually load 19 blogs on all of my devices. Right now we're borrowing 6 iPads from a friend and to do this 8 times, it just plain RIDICULOUS. I've got better things to do with my time. 

So I'm going back to Kidblogs. It's still operated by the same company but it's a much easier blog to use for the students than Edublogs. You can still download the app for free. I'll show you how to do this tomorrow and to get the students logged on. If you want to download the app onto your personal devices then I can help them get logged on in the next couple of days. 

Here's the link to the students' blog site. 

http://kidblog.org/MsBrownsClass1314/

Best of luck. Let's hope this works better than the other one. 

Grade 2 At A Glance

Parents if you are wondering about what or why things are taught in school, the government of Alberta has put out A Child's Learning: A Parent Resource to help you understand what we are trying to accomplish. This link above takes you to a general page. You are welcome to explore other grades but here is the link to grade 2. It's a pdf file so it might be difficult to view on your phone. 

Here is a visual I use to help me in my planning and thinking about curriculum.

I've linked it to the Alberta Education website if you wanted more information. I hope this helps to clarify or maybe give you more insight into what you're child should be learning in school. 

All Aboard Inquiry Project

Starting next week, we'll start to get serious about our All Aboard/Canoe project. I've had to make several adjustments to the investigation but I'm happy I did because it's going to be a new experience for the students. 

Inquiry means - a close examination of a matter in a search for information or truth, basically it means coming to conclusions yourself by examining several factors, images, ideas, and resources. The students will be inquiring about; how waterways in Canada shaped various communities? This project will look at the various communities in Canada and how boat transportation in early settlements shaped each community.  

Our investigation will be an inquiry into the availability and accessibility of Canadian waterways, and how individuals, along with good and services, would have been able to move about different communities in Canada by way of boat. As well we will look at how the waterways and transportation of goods and people shaped the communities the students will look at. As we investigate, the students will uncover why the canoe have become a wonder of Canada? 

This graphic shows all of the sites which are safe for students to search. They will be using these images and information to help them answer important questions. 
They will use their blogs to write journal entries as to what they've learned and discovered. Please check them regularly to give them feedback and quality comments on what they've written.

I've Unleashed the Monsters

Well I've unleashed the texting monsters. They were so excited to know how to text me information. I've had them add my contact information to their list of contacts so it's easier for them to send me video or images. 

I also had a talk with them about what's appropriate and not appropriate to send to their teacher and to someone else. 

Some of the students did not have iMessage set up. It's a simple thing to do and it doesn't cost you anything because Apple is genius, yes I just said that, sorry Blackberry or Android users. iMessage is used over wi-fi so anytime the students send me something it's through iMessage and not normal texting, unless you had a texting plan which I'm sure you don't. If you could set this up on their devices then it's an easy way for them to send me images or video they might take in the classroom.

They also used voice memos today. The iPads/mini's don't have this app and it's not one you can get in the App Store. You can get others just not the Apple version. You don't need to have this app, it's just a fun way to record voices. 

Have fun.