Project Ideas and Examples
The key to success is to start with your curriculum and integrate technology only when it makes sense. Never start with the technology tool because it will only lead to a lack of connection. Look at your common core curriculum or NWEA assessment results and see what the educational goal is first.
The key to success is to start with your curriculum and integrate technology only when it makes sense. Never start with the technology tool because it will only lead to a lack of connection. Look at your common core curriculum or NWEA assessment results and see what the educational goal is first.
The ABC's of Technology
A |
Artsonia
This is an online digital art museum that HCS takes part in. Take pictures of the wonderful artwork done in class and upload to Artsonia. This is also a site to find some wonderful art ideas. |
Apps
Some of my favorite apps to appsmash with: iPhone ColorPencil PicCollage Tellagami BeFunky |
Audio Presentation
Collaborate using Google Presentation and the research tool on one project. Use Vocaroo.com to add audio and add QR codes to scan when presenting to ensure your voice is just the way you want it. 6th Grade Oral Presentation |
B |
Book/Movie Trailers
Read a book, develop a plan and find or take pictures or video. Mix together using a program like iMovie to trim photos, add video and end with recording your own sound. Click here to view some student developed iMovies. Biography
Use the app PicCollage to create a poetry poster on any particular topic including biographies. 4th Grade Biographies |
Brochures
Develop a new brochure using Word or PowerPoint for a business in the town. This helps make a community connection. Blogs
Blogs help students with reflection and understanding of material. If you want to take it a step further add a video blog to the mix. |
Book Covers
Use Word or PowerPoint and add text boxes and import pictures and writing to design your own project. If you have a project the kids do by hand try to see if they can design on the computer. Click below to see an example.
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C |
Cameras
Use any camera you have and try to take at least one picture a day. You could do a day in the life of a ___________. You could also take one picture a week of each of the kids and at the end of the year put them all together to show how much they have grown. I can see a lot of wonderful writing going along with this. How about recording each of the seasons. Take a picture in the same place monthly and develop your own calendar. The options are endless. |
Clipart
Students love clipart and they can use the drawing tools supplied in the word programs to design their own. |
D |
Digital Books
Take pictures, use your own clipart or use a site like search.creative commons, and place them together to share. Do individually or in a group. |
Digital Microscopes
They are portable and can go out into the woods to collect samples. Then bring them back and set them up to your projector or board and see all the wonderful things in nature. |
Data Collection
Go on a scavenger hunt and record your findings. Share results in a spreadsheet and even graph. |
E |
ePals
This is an online collaboration location for teachers and students to do global projects together.
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F |
Forms
You can develop a survey form through your Google Drive or try out the online site Survey Monkey.
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G |
Global Connections
Find a friend and come up with a project to do together. Read a book to another class, have a student share a project or even connect with many using weather to record and share information. |
Google Map Tours
Design your own. This takes time and you need to know what you looking to see but the benefits far out way the time. Check out some custom Google Maps here. |
Geometry
Use the iPads to capture shapes or letters around the school and spell out works that relate to a topic and then measure the angles of the letters. |
H |
Horizon Report
Click here to view the 2014 Horizon Report to see the many upcoming trends in educational technology.
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I |
iMovie/Movie Maker
Make movies around any topic. They can do something as simple as a stop motion video showing the steps of a process or a detailed movie revolving around a multi-step culminating project. See some examples below.
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J |
Just Dance
Integrate a little Physical Education and technology by using the Wii and dance.
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K |
Kindles
Digital reading is always a beneficial way to read a story. Check out a book on a Kindle in the library.
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L |
Links
Check out all the wonderful teachers and all their terrific websites. |
M |
Monster Writing
The first step is to draw a monster. Then the students write descriptive paragraphs explaining how to "draw" their monster. The next step is to have a classmate, or anyone around the world, draw the monster using the description your wrote. I have in the past set up a wiki page with links to the kids writing and they each numbered their monster. Friends from around the world then drew the monster and numbered it with the correct number. They then e-mailed or mailed the pictures back to me and I uploaded the pictures to the site alongside the original. The original should only be posted after an determined amount of time. |
Make Movies
Use the iPads, cameras, phones or iPods to capture a short clip of your students doing something wonderful. You can even use this as an assessment tool.
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N |
Newspaper
Have the students develop the newsletter for the week. Allow them to add information to it daily and change the fonts and colors. |
O |
Open Clipart
Visit Openclipart and see all the wonderful images that can be used in your projects.
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P |
PortaPortal
Use this free site and free guest access to bookmark the sites you want the students to go to for information. |
Postcards
Draw the cover using an app on the iPad or a drawing tool on the computer like Tux Paint. Then place into a PowerPoint slide. Choose another slide and write your message and address. Next, rotate on slide to be upside down and print double sided. |
Photobooth
Students love to take selfies and then upload the pictures and add words to them. This is a terrific way to develop comics and use expression in the classroom. |
Q |
QR Codes
Design a wonderful project and add a qr code to it for people to listen to the story. You have to go to a site like Vocaroo first and record your voice and then get the url from there. Students love this! Voice recordings can be saved in Google Drive just like Video clips. Just remember to share anyone with a link before you upload to your project. |
S |
Scavenger Hunt
Use predetermined questions and place around the room and have the students work in groups or alone and go on an internet scavenger hunt. |
T |
Thesaurus Game
Use the device and make a game around your subject area that challenges students to come up with different words. Twitter
Develop a class twitter account that can be accessed by the teacher and have students come up with what they would like to tweet. Works well when on a class trip or field trip. Great communication tool with community. Tellagami App
Tellagami is a free app for the iPads that can record audio and make a Mii talk your voice. See a sample below.
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Timelines
Use powerpoint and text boxes to make an extended timeline. Tessellations
Use the drawing tool and design an image that can be repeated. For example, draw a line and copy it. Then draw another line and copy it and place them together. Group them and then have them repeat. Thank You Cards
You can use PowerPoint and overlay many images to make a cover for a card. |
Trading Cards
Go to bighugelabs and see all the wonderful things this site offers. T-Shirts for a cause
Students draw a picture or find a picture on line use search.creativecommons.org or openclipart.org and add it to the center of the PowerPoint. Then add writing making sure everything is centered. Print out and cut the image out like a t-shirt. I think this could be done with many different things. Apples, numbers, rockets, or any motivation topic. The students just need to know where to place the information on the paper. |
U |
Understand Copyright
When you understand copyright you realize that you need to give credit when credit is due!
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V |
Voice Recording
Use the Voice Memo app on the iPods and record students reading and they can listen to their own fluency. Save the recordings in a folder and share with parents and students later in the year to show off their improvements. |
Video
How to videos, record experiments or field trips, share video with another class around the world something you have done. There are a vast amount of things you can do with a video. |
W |
Webquest
Use the site Zunal and develop your own webquest or design one using Google Sites. Link out to the specific pages you want your students to go to with all the directions there. Upload PDF's and worksheets right to the site. |
X |
X Marks the Spot
"Never give less than you want from your students. They can be challenged, lets do it!" Leanne Chauvette
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Y |
Youblisher
Have you wanted to make a PDF into a digital book? The Youblisher site allows you to do this for free. Check out a few samples below.
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Z |
Zunal
This site is a free place to make a webquest.
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