1.  With Earth Day being April 22nd, specials teachers in our school collaborate on a unit focusing on protecting our environment.  In the computer lab we use the Internet to find information about how to make better choices to positively affect our world.  One site that students enjoy using is Eekoworld, which is found on PBS Kids.  This site has videos for students to watch about our environment, recycling, plants, and animals, along with interactive activities inside the EekoHouse and building an EekoCreature.


2.  Use this link http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/ to go to the Eekoworld site.

3. Watch two of the videos from the following: The Environment, Garbage & Recycling, Air & Water, Plants & Animals, or The Future.  The information gained from viewing the videos will be useful when completing the next activity.

4.  After viewing the videos, click on the EekoHouse button.

5.  Watch the instructional video to learn how to complete the activity.

6.  You will make your way through the EekoHouse making choices that will affect the World Health Score.  The program will inform you if you made the correct choice.  There will be an explanation as to whether your choice was right or wrong.  As you make your way around the house be sure to stop in all rooms as well as outside.  

 7. When you see something that needs to be addressed move your pointer to the location.  The hand will point to the item.

 8.  Click to hear the scenario.

 9.  You will be given two options. 

    Click on the option that is best for our environment.

10. Continue to work your way through the house making good environmental choices.

11.  Be sure to complete all rooms before your 10 minute time limit expires.  You will be given results as to how your choices affected the world health score.

12.  At the end of class you will discuss with a partner the effects of the choices you made on the world health score.

PBS Interactive. (2007). Eekoworld: PBS kids go. Retrieved April 20, 2013 from http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/index.html?load=eekocreature 

When teaching and assessing more than 480 students, kindergarten through second grade, I am always looking for ways to be more efficient.  One way is through the use of Socrative!

Socrative.com. (2013). Socrative: Student response system. Retrieved March 24, 2013 from http://www.socrative.com/

Socrative is a smart student response system that allows teachers to design and deliver assessments to students. Teachers can share assessments with others, which would be great for common assessments. It can be used to assess students through multiple choice, true/false, or short answer. Socrative runs on desktops/laptops or as an app on mobile devices.
 

Socrative Homepage

Teacher Options

When having students log in from a desktop.  They will first click Student Log In from the Socrative website.  Then they will enter the teacher specific Room number.  Students cannot enter a room unless the teacher has started a quiz.  This prevents students from accessing your assessments.

 

Once logged in, students will enter their name so that the report will allow you to see the individual responses.

Multiple choice item...

Short answer...

As students respond the teacher can view the number of students who selected each response and/or read the responses.  At this point you do not know which answers belong to which student.  A report can be downloaded into Excel with the students' responses at the conclusion of the assessment.