How to connect your classroom using technology

1. Katherine Sokolowski

2. Contact Info…
Email: sokka@sages.us
Twitter: @katsok
Blog: http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/katsok

3. Plan for today
In this hour I’d like to:
Tell you why I think
students should connect
with people outside the
walls of your classroom.
Teach you an overview of
how I use: Skype, Padlet,
Blogs, and Twitter
Give you time to set up an
account and play around
with one of those options.

5. I began to wonder…
who was the audience
for my students?
Just me?
Classmates?
How could I open up
our classroom to the
world for them?

8. Getting Started…
• Download Skype to your machine
• Create an account
• Think about how you could use Skype…
• Connect with authors
• Search: Kate Messner Authors Who Skype
• Connect with other classrooms
• Mystery Skype
• World Read Aloud Day
• Dot Day
• Mock Caldecott
• Have relatives of your students (or you) Skype in to share with the
class.

9. Skyping with Classrooms…

10. And with authors…

11. Skype Tips…
• Have the students run the Skype visit
• Prepare questions ahead of time. Write them down.
• Bring a book to the carpet or spot you will Skype in case there are
technology issues.
• Have a conversation about active listening with the students.
• Discuss group rules. (Waving, using the restroom, etc.)

14. Getting Started…
• www.padlet.com
• Create an account
• Decide if you want the regular account or Backpack ($45 a year)
• Think about how you could use Padlet…
• Exit Slips
• Brainstorming
• Keeping track of students’ reading
• Visual posters

19. Getting Started…
• Decide what platform you will use - I currently use Kidblog
• Create an account if needed
• Decide on privacy
• What will the purpose of their blogs be
• Mine have evolved from reading spots to writing
• Teach them about blog etiquette and commenting

23. Getting Started…
• Create an account
• Will this be your account or your students? (I have one for my class, one
for myself)
• Sit back and watch for awhile. Connect when you are ready.
• Connect with authors
• Connect with other teachers and classrooms
• How do you introduce students to Twitter?
• What to do when things go south?

26. What would you like to try
out?
Set up a Skype account - www.skype.com
(only if you are ready to download it to your computer.)
Set up a Padlet account - www.padlet.com
I use Padlet Backpack ($45 per year)
Set up a Twitter account - www.twitter.com
(Don’t keep an egg as a profile pic. Create a bio.)
Set up Kidblog accounts www.kidblog.org ($29 per year)
Other options are: Weebly, Edmodo, Google?