Get Fit!

I was recently asked about some of the apps I use for running and fitness trackers.  A student overheard the conversation and got involved wanting to know more about them.  Long story short, here's a list of some that I use and some that I would be willing to try out. I'm thinking that these could easily be adapted for use in the classroom. 

MapMyRun-- Map out your route, track your activity, keep a log of food and you can even share with friends.  You'll find both a web and app version along with MapMyWalk, MapMyRide etc.,  personally I don't think it would matter which one you use, as you can change your activity that you are doing.  I use this one to track every walk and run and to even map out a new route. 


Moves-- Is an App to track your movement.  I first used this to keep track of the number of steps I was taking in a day. (my phone is generally in my pocket.)  It will also give you a breakdown of calories burned for each activity.  It's available from both Google Play and the App store.  
Classroom use: Students could keep track of the number of steps they take in a day at school. This could be used for creating charts and analyzing data. Do we walk more on different days of the week? How many steps from our classroom to the computer lab? 



Couch to 5K --  There are a number of free versions available and paid ones.  I started out using Active's free version and then upgraded to the $1.99 so that I could change some of the settings to my own liking.  Having Johnny Dead as my trainer telling me to run was more motivating than just the standard voice of Constance. Either way the Couch to 5K app will get you moving from the couch to 5K ready in 9 weeks.   Available from both Google Play and the App store.


For Kids:

NFL Play 60 -- This app is amazingly fun! You actually have to run, jump, and make quick turns to get through the games! This endless runner game has you exercise while having a blast collecting coins throughout the game that will help you unlock new characters and NFL team gear!Available from Google Play and the App Store. 

Stop, Breathe and Think-- Available as an app or on the web.  A tool to help with meditation and to work on breathing.  Rated 4 Stars from Common Sense Media. 
Classroom use: Any and all classes when you just need a moment to relax and refocus. This may come in handy since testing season is upon us.

And one that I'm tempted to try out but haven't yet, (it costs $3.99) is  Zombies, Run!  With this app you listen to a story and there are certain times you have to run to complete quests as zombies snarl at your heal. Sounds like a fun way to get a run in to me. 

There are many more apps out there, but these are just a few.  And don't get me wrong, I don't always use an app. Someday's you do need to just log off, unplug and go run.

We Give Books

Welcome back! It's hard to believe that the first full week of school is almost under our belts! With that being said, I've got a pretty cool site to share with you.

Source: http://www.wegivebooks.org/

Geared more towards grades K-5, We Give Books is site where you can read books online or download them to your e-reader. And the best part FREE! All you have to do is sign-up for an account, which consists of an email address and user name. When you visit the We Give Books site, click on the Read link which is at the top of the page almost to the middle.  Once here you can search or scroll through the available books.  There are classics such as the The Little Engine that Could.  Others include Llama Llama Misses Momma and History Dudes.  

Source: http://www.wegivebooks.org/books/goodnight-ipad

A new title that I came across was Goodnight iPad. Based off of  Goodnight Moon, this is a cute rendition of "unplugging" at night.  I urge you to take a look at the site and sign up. You could easily read this story with your class using your Interactive Whiteboard. 

Iditarod 2013

Iditarod 2013 starts in t- 4 days 23 hours and counting. On March 2,  mushers and their dogs will start the 1, 150 mile race. The Iditarod trail was historically used as a mail, supply, and gold route from coastal towns such as Seward and Knick to the interior mining camps of Flat, Ophir, and Ruby. The trail continued to the west coast communities of Unalakleet, Elim, Golovin, White Mountain, and Nome.

The Iditarod trail became famous in 1925, when a diphtheria epidemic threatened the community of Nome. A dog sled relay transported life-saving serum from Anchorage to Nome.

Why teach about the Iditarod?

Even if you aren’t in Alaska, the Iditarod makes a great lesson! Teaching about the race is an opportunity to incorporate geography lessons, map skills, science concepts, and literacy skills into a real-world context. And there’s no denying the appeal of hundreds of hard-working, lovable dogs to children and adults! 

Additionally, the common practice of having each student follow a musher through the race provides invaluable practice in reading  texts (newspaper accounts) and using the real-time data available online.

Incorporating the Iditarod race can meet standards in a variety of content areas. 

The official Iditarod web site offers many resources for educators, including lesson plans and activities.

Other sites:

 Scholastic’s Iditarod web page includes many articles and interactive features.

Education World also devotes an entire page to integrating the Iditarod across the curriculum. 

Technology Resources

The Iditarod web site also includes many technological features:

 Zuma’s Paw Prints is a student-friendly blog written from the perspective of four sled dogs: Zuma, Gypsy, Sanka, and Libby. 

The Iditarod Insider, requires a subscription and features videos, trail fly-bys, and updated race content. 

State of the Union 2013 Address

Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12th, at 9:00 p.m. ET, President Obama will deliver the State Of The Union address to Congress. I've highlighted the State Of The Union address before, (here) but I felt the need to blog about it again.  Typically the speech includes an optimistic outlook on all the opportunities for the coming year as well as a list of proposed legislation. It's expected that the 2013 address will focus on a push for new gun regulations and also climate change regulations. Of course the address isn't during school hours but you can watch it the next day via the official White House streaming feed.  Here you'll see TV shots along with supporting data, graphs, and charts making it more visual for students. Be sure to check out my post from last year, State of the Union 2012, for more resources and information. 

This year President Obama will also take part in a series of "Fireside Hangouts" - which is the 21st century take on FDR's famous radio addresses- to talk about his State of the Union Address. The virtual conversation will be hosted by Google, and the President will answer questions from Americans across the county about issues and policies from his speech. You can submit a question for the President and Vote on your favorites on the White House YouTube channel.  Then, be sure to watch the hangout live on Thursday, February 14th @ 4:50p.m. ET Whitehouse.gov, the White House Google+page, and YouTube.com/whitehouse. 

Everyone always says it but it's important more than ever to be aware of what's happening in our country. 

Bear Tracker

Polar Bear's Oh My!

 Polar Bears International is the site for  the conservation group  dedicated to saving polar bears.  There are numerous resources on the site that teachers and students can use to learn about these magnificent creatures.

But what I really want to tell you about is Bear Tracker which is part of the Polar Bears International site. Bear Tracker plots the journey of polar bears in the Hudson Bay and the Beaufort sea north of Alaska.  You can view the travels of a single bear or all.  Bear Tracker also offers you option to "play" the bears journey that has been recorded over time. It's a pretty cool site if you are studying polar bears. 

If you are looking for videos on polar bears or other animals, check out Explore.org, which has a wide array of videos and even live webcams.

Newspaper Map

Newspaper Map- Here's a cool site that has front pages of hundreds of newspapers from around the world displayed on a Google map.  Click on a pin to bring up the front page of a particular paper. From here you can access the paper's website. You are able to filter by region/location and even language. You can even translate! Pretty awesome.

Educational value: I'm thinking it's an easy way to view papers from around the world and do a little study on how a hot news topic is being covered that day in various places. This would also be a great opportunity for language teachers to be able to acces language specific papers for their students. What better way to learn about Spanish than to read a Spanish newspaper?!

Kindle Fire Education Apps

Regardless of which tablet you own, there are good apps available for use in the education setting. If money wasn't a factor I'd have some form of a tablet in the classroom for daily use. In fact in my ideal world, every student would have a tablet, but that's neither here nor there. For Christmas I received a Kindle Fire. Although a little disappointed at first it wasn't an iPad or Galaxy Tab, I've come to really like it.  My only complaint- I wish it had a camera. So I thought I would post some apps that I've found that you might like if you have a Fire of your own or have access to any type of tablet as these apps are (more than likely) available for other devices.  

50 States- Learn about each state with maps, total population, the state flower, largest city, etc. Even test yourself with a quiz. 

Pocket Penguins- Peek in on the penguins at the California Academy of Sciences with this cute app that lets you check out three different views (including underwater!) of their habitat. Not only is it interesting to see how the penguins live and behave, but the experience can also provide story starters. Have language arts students use this app to inspire creative writing.

NASA Nowt- The app includes breaking news from NASA, the image of the day, topical news updates, and the latest news from their missions- including the International Space Station. Use this app in science classes, current events and other discussions. 

Geo Quiz-  A challenge in categories such as: countries and flags, capital cities of the world, oceans/rivers/lakes, mountains and peaks, forests/deserts/plains, extremes, the big picture, the great explorers, climate change, and food.  There is also the option of mixing the categories into a random choice of 20 questions. The quizzes are difficult, but still lots can be learned.

 



I forgot to mention best of all these examples are all FREE.