Kristin Annab

"If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn." -Ignacio Estradas

Fill Up Your Toolbox

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Bookmarklets

 Quietube.com is a unique site that allows its users to be able to watch online videos on a blank background without distracting adds or inappropriate comments and visuals popping up.  I had never used this site or even knew it existed.  After sampling a video I feel this is an excellent tool for educators to use as a way to show YouTube videos in the classroom.  I will definitely use this site whenever I show media to my students that I am obtaining from the internet.  I love the safety it provides for viewers.

URL Shortners

The bit.ly website allows its users to take a long URL and shorten it.  What is the value in doing this?  When someone is tweeting a URL and they only have 140 spaces it is beneficial to use a shortened URL so there is room to tweet a short message along with the URL.  It also simply makes URL’s more manageable.  My first attempt with shortening a URL was with tinyurl.com.  I entered my blog’s URL which is 23 characters long.  Interestingly enough, the new URL was 26 characters long.  It actually made it longer.  So after the first attempt did not go as planned, I created a bit.ly account to try shortening the same URL.  This time it shortened it.  Then it gave me the option to customize the URL to make it easier to remember and to communicate to others.  The new customized URL is listed below.  I thought this was a great feature because a person will remember a URL easier if they created it rather than a computer generated one.  I can see myself using this in the classroom when sending sites home for suggested use by students.  If the link is long, I will shorten it and send the shortened version to the parents.

MY BLOG: bit.ly/kannab

QR CODES

QR codes are square barcodes that link to a website on the internet.  Individuals can use a QR Reader on their smartphone to scan a barcode which once scanned will lead the user directly to the linked website.  Delivr.com is a site that allows anyone to create a barcode out of a URL.  The barcode below is a link to the website of the school I will be teaching at in the fall.  I decided to include it on the flyer I am going to use at the beginning of the year to introduce myself to parents  This way, the parents have easy access to the school’s website.  Additionally, QR codes can be a really fun addition to a classroom.  As a first grade teacher, the children often learn at stations.  I am looking forward to providing QR stations.  Each station will have QR codes that link to different themed websites.  For example, one station can lead the students to math practice games while another one can lead to spelling practice games.  Providing QR stations for students will allow the students to engage in their own learning while having fun solving the mystery of where the QR code is going to take them.   First graders will love this!

 

flyer 3

 

 

 

 

Kristin Annab

Welcome to my blog! I am a passionate educator who loves teaching children the joy of learning. While working toward my degree in education, I worked as a preschool teacher, where I learned the importance of patience and caring when teaching children. Once I graduated with a degree in special ed, I then continued my career in education working as a 1st grade teacher for 12 years. Most recently I returned to the early childhood education realm, as director of a preschool and infant center. Now, my journey has led me back to the first grade classroom. In preparation, I am working on receiving my master's degree in education.

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