Classroom Blog and Website Creation Tools

Lesson Idea Name: Nature Collection

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): Kindergarten
Content Standard Addressed: SKE2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to describe the physical
attributes of earth materials (soil, rocks, water, and air).

Technology Standard Addressed: 4. Innovative Designer

Selected Technology Tool:

☒ Blog ☐ Wiki ☐ Other: Website Creation Tool (list):

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): http://kendleflint.edublogs.org/

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): There is a transcript available on my classroom blog that students can
benefit from if they have an auditory impairment. These students can read the transcript while collecting the
same information. A great feature about this video is that since it is online, students can watch the video as
many times as they want, until they understand the lesson and feel confident about the information that is
being presented. This is great in the way that it does not take away any valuable teaching in class.

Lesson idea implementation: This is an introduction to our unit of learning the physical attributes that are
considered Earth materials. The students will first listen to the audio file on my blog and then complete the
task that I challenge them to do. The students will bring in a sample of dirt and rock for the class to observe.
As a class, we will then discuss and compare the texture, color, shape, and smell of these materials. This
lesson will take only one school day, but during the rest of the week, we will elaborate on this idea of Earth
materials. At the end of the week, students will be given a sample of each object and they will be instructed
to describe the sample. This will confirm that students were comprehending the information being given to
them.

To extend student learning in this activity, they will be asked to create a story that uses and/or mentions at
least 3 of Earth materials. Students are asked to describe the materials that they pick. I can record students’
stories and upload them onto the classroom blog. Students can get onto the blog and listen to their friends’
stories too! This way, their work is easily accessible and available for whatever the case may be.
Importance of technology: Technology is extremely important for students when working on this project
because they will need to know how to navigate the classroom blog in order to access their audio files of their
stories. The idea could be done without technology, but it does overall enhance their creativity and allows
them to have fun while they work.

Internet Safety and Student Privacy: In our classroom, we always go over the internet safety rules before
using the internet, so the students will always be reminded of this. Students know that they are only to be on
the classroom blog website, nothing else. Teachers must always monitor computer screens to make sure that
our students are on task and doing things correctly.

Summer 2017_SJB
 Classroom Blog and Website Creation Tools

Reflective Practice: This is a great activity for students in the way that it allows them to take prior knowledge
and turn it into a work of art; a story. Technology integrated into this lesson will overall benefit children by
acting as a collaborative resource that students can use. iMovie would be another technology tool to use for
this assignment, although kindergarteners may be too young for that just yet.

Summer 2017_SJB