Need Kindergarten Computer Lab Ideas

[Faith]

Hi All,

Thank you for all the great ideas I've collected since the beginning of this forum. I'm looking for new Kindergarten and/or first grade projects to do in the computer lab.  I've been working with Kid Pix and Kerpoof, but I'm open to suggestions that work with other software or Web 2.0 programs also.

Thank you in advance,

Faith

[Lori Vines]

How about joining the Tooth Tally Project? Lots of integration ideas.

[Faith]

Thank you. It looks like a great idea. I'll suggest to my teachers.

[Elaine Doolittle]

Although they are not projects, I feel that it is well worth the time for kindergartners to spend time on literacy sites such as http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.php, http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bll/index.htm, http://www.starfall.com/, http://www.storylineonline.net/, http://www.bemboszoo.com/, and http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/index.htm.

 

There are some good math activities for them here http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/

.

[Megan]

I love the Literarcy Center one!  Thanks!

[Jacqui Murray]

We do a lot in KidPix, but there are a few others. I use Google Earth to reinforce classroom learning whenever possible. For example, when the class is discussing American symbols (like the White House, the Statue of Liberty), we visit them with Google Earth. They're often in 3D which blows the kids away.

 

When the class is discussing shapes, we wander around the school finding squares and circles and triangles and then draw them (in KidPix) in situ. This only works if I have a few parent volunteers.

[Joe]

Feel free to browse and use any of the activities/projects on my site. Some are specific to our curriculum, but the seasonal projects can be used anywhere:

http://csstechnology.edublogs.org/

Click on Kindergarten and Grade 1 on the sidebar.

[Jacqui Murray]

Lots of nice activities on your blog, Joe. Thanks for sharing.

[Faith]

Thanx Joe, You've put many many dedicated hours into your job, and it shows! What a great resource. I look forward to browsing through all the projects! You can look through my website also. We're on the same page, but you;re more organized than I am. My website is an accumulation of 11 years. I have to reorganize. www.bzkids.org. Jacqui, I can always count on you for inspiration. Thanx for always contributing to a colleague in distress!! Have a good evening everyone!

[Lisa Freking]

Love your blog---these are great Joe---thanks for sharing!

[Sheila Connelly]

Something I do with my Kindergarten students at the beginning of the school year is I have them take pictures of each other with a digital camera (I use the Fischer Price Kid Tough digital camera). I then put a caption underneath their picture with their name and computer number. I print them off on card stock and laminate them and use them as tags for their computer. I have a velcro dot on the top of each monitor and I put velcro on the back of the tags. I put the tags on the computers so that the students know where they sit. The tag also helps if they do not know how to spell their name. I have a rotating job of "tag helper" and that Kindergartner collects the tags at the end of class.

[Kevin Jarrett]

Hi Faith,

 

This lesson involving digital cameras and PowerPoint was easy and fun:

 

Kindergarten Digital Camera Scavenger Hunt: A Look Back

http://www.ncs-tech.org/?p=6192

 

Hope this helps!

 

-kj-

 

p.s. and after five classes and 120+ kids, only one camera was dropped and broken! :) Fortunately it was very old and I got an identical replacement on ebay for next to nothing...

[Faith]

Hi Kevin,

 I'm an avid fan of yours, so I've already seen this lesson via your blog. I'm excited about trying it with my kindergarteners. Thanx for all of your inspiration always. I feel honored that you took the time to write to me directly in this forum. I'd like to share an activity that I did with my first graders, that you may like. We did "vodcast" book reviews, using Kidpix and the flipcams. I asked them questions and the answers formed their "report". You can view them here:http://bzkids.org/1st_grade_book_reviews  The kids had a lot of fun, and so did I.

All the best,

Faith