So, I'm on a teacher training course at the minute and I'm due back in scnool in the near future. Rather than using my windows laptop I'd rather like to use my iBook with iWeb to let the kids (year 5 - 9/10 years old) keep blogs. However I have a rather dire lack of any child friendly software for it. Can anyone give me some suggestions, from a teaching standpoint, of what I may find useful to have around?
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Educational Software for in School
- Thread starter LastLine
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LastLine said:
There's tons of free sites online for people to create blogs. I would be afraid to allow 9-10 year old kids to create one, however, unless you kept it intranet. Most sites require the kids be 13 to create an account.
From all appearances, iWeb looks to be pretty user-friendly.
First of All, make sure the school will allow it. I think usually a school district will allow children to be on a website, as long as their full last name isn't mentioned (just first name and initial).
As for the software:
Aren't you set with iWeb? You could have them type their entries in MS Word, and then you could update them with iWeb (just copy and paste).
As for the software:
Aren't you set with iWeb? You could have them type their entries in MS Word, and then you could update them with iWeb (just copy and paste).
Are you teaching or are you student teaching? If you're student teaching, make sure you don't do anything that'll get under the district's skin -- your cooperating teacher has enough problems!
Does your district use course-management software (i.e. Blackboard, WebCT or ANGEL)? If so, you could have students blog, gather work and converse in discussion forums all within the auspices of an online class (and behind a password). I believe all three companies now offer e-portfolio software as well.
If you really do want your kids publishing to the big, mean world, I don't see any age requirements in the terms of service at Blogger.
The overanxious IT guy in me says: "What a great chance to introduce these young minds to web design! Get everybody using Mozilla Composer!"
The burnt, frustrated teacher in me says: "God. I admire your gusto, but my kids are 18 and still can't spell 'won't.'"
I had a prospective teacher visiting the classroom the other day, and while I was helping a student with a worksheet, I overheard this conversation:
"Yo. How you spell 'won't'? W-o-u-n-t?"
"Nah. W-o-n-t. Won't."
"For real? I'm gonna ask that white woman."
So it goes.
Does your district use course-management software (i.e. Blackboard, WebCT or ANGEL)? If so, you could have students blog, gather work and converse in discussion forums all within the auspices of an online class (and behind a password). I believe all three companies now offer e-portfolio software as well.
If you really do want your kids publishing to the big, mean world, I don't see any age requirements in the terms of service at Blogger.
The overanxious IT guy in me says: "What a great chance to introduce these young minds to web design! Get everybody using Mozilla Composer!"
The burnt, frustrated teacher in me says: "God. I admire your gusto, but my kids are 18 and still can't spell 'won't.'"
I had a prospective teacher visiting the classroom the other day, and while I was helping a student with a worksheet, I overheard this conversation:
"Yo. How you spell 'won't'? W-o-u-n-t?"
"Nah. W-o-n-t. Won't."
"For real? I'm gonna ask that white woman."
So it goes.
Hm, see I like iWeb's blogging abilities, hence why I'll be using my iBook rather than my Windows Tablet (with the school running a Windows Network it would be the obvious choice). I'm more concerned about general maths, literacy, science type software right now, something that I will have easy access to for my windows machine, but not a Mac. Does that make sense? 
Hm, nothing specific of yet as I have to change the software as I move schools each year (with me being a student teacher)
I mean one that I do use is Textease, a real child friendly office application, word processing, spreadsheets etc. along with a screen turtle program. Also like having a few basic games around that would help basic maths learning.
I mean one that I do use is Textease, a real child friendly office application, word processing, spreadsheets etc. along with a screen turtle program. Also like having a few basic games around that would help basic maths learning.
If these kids are in the 5th grade, they need to learn to use MS Office. Most software you'll need will probably be available for both Mac of PC.