Here is our WebQuest!

WebQuest Fun!!

What is a WebQuest?
It is a fun, interactive, and controled learning activity. The teacher creates a web based activity where the students are asked to research a few questions using resources the teacher has already pre-selected. Students usually work together in groups to accomplish each task assigned in the WebQuest and come out with a better understanding of the WebQuest's topic.


For our WebQuest we decided to present the topic "Do Aliens Exist". Our plan is to divide the students into two groups. One will support that aliens do exist and the other will support the idea that aliens do not exist. Each group will watch videos and read articles to find information to support their side. Then they will write up a speech defending their opinion. They will present their speech to a jury(parents and teachers) and then based on their performance, the jury will decide on the most convincing group.

For my students to learn more about WebQuests I'd have them look up these cool websites:
All About WebQuests
Bear Hunt
Water Cycle

Third and Final

Well, last week was my final week teaching Mr. Bunker's 4th grade class. It was so much fun! I'm really going to miss my students. The last week we taught they began using the Alpha Smarts. These are awesome! The students were able to type their reports on these keyboards that had a small screen on top. They could see about four lines at a time of what they were typing. These are nice because students can type at their own desks and they aren't distracted, like they would be at a computer, by all the games and internet axcess available to them. They were able to focus on what they were typing and get it done. Then when they were done they could hook their Alpha Smart to the printer and print off their report. Way cool!!!
It was fun, but I am excited to get back to class and see everyone again. Also, I can't wait to get through the next few weeks of final projects, tests, and portfolio assignments, and get into the Holidays!!! :) Wahoo!

Week 2

Our second week went well. We got to teach the students which was a lot of fun. We also got to attend the Northridge Orchestra concert. That was really something! I was amazed at how well these little elementary students could play. There were also a few girls who sang solos and they had beautiful voices!
I'm loving being in the fourth grade classroom!! I can't wait to be a teacher!

First week in the field

Christy and I are working with 4th graders in Mr. Bunkers class. It's been a lot of fun! Mr. Bunker has very good management skills and he is never demeaning to any of his students. He shows respect to them and in return they show him respect. Right now they are working on a research paper on Native American Indians. They have been writing down information on sticky notes and putting them in a little booklet under the correct label (dwellings, food, tribal government).
It's been a good experiences and I've been learning so much more in the actual classroom. And it beats college for sure! :)

Parental Drug Abuse

Click To Play

Digital Storytelling

Digital storytelling is a fun and creative way for students to do projects. They can do a book report, presentation, or a documentary on a certain subject. This way you can asses what students have learned, or read, and also allow them to use their creativity and personality in a fun and exciting way. Also, it brings technology into the classroom which is always a good thing since it's such a major part of our world today.

Not only can I have my students use it, but I can use digital storytelling in my lessons as well. If I am going to introduce a new topic I can show pictures with music and narration that can really interest the students. I can use this when teaching about the First Thanksgiving or Mountain Men. I could also use this to teach children about the harmful effects of smoking or doing drugs. It can be a very powerful way to portray a message.

On the right you'll find a few websites that I think would be helpful for my students to learn more about digital storytelling.

My lesson plan:



Hello class! Well this week we are going to get started on Digital Storytelling. In class we have been reading several stories (Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, Snow White, The Ginger Bread Man, and Beauty and the Beast). The last book we read was the Stinky Cheese Man. That book took several different stories and changed them up. We also read the Wolf's version of the Three Little Pigs.

Now, what I want you to do is get with a partner and as a partnership you will create a story like the last two we read. I want you to take a familiar fairytale or story and write it from a different perspective. You can tell the other side of the story. Or you can put characters from different stories together in a new one. You get to change it up however you like, and make a movie out of it.

First you need write a script and make a storyboard. I will give you copies of this in class, but it looks like this.

This is where you will draw a sketch of what picture you will put for each frame. Then you will write down the words you will be narrating for each frame from your script. You can also add the name of the music you will use for each picture.
This storyboard will help you while you are putting together your video on the computer. This will be your outline. You can always change it when you are working on the video. This is normal. You may want to change some pictures or words to make it fit better. That is perfectly normal.

The pictures that you choose, must go along with your script. You can take pictures with your camera, draw pictures and scan them onto the computer, you can find pictures online, and you can scan pictures from books. However, you must remember to reference where you get your pictures from during the credits part at the end of your movie.

Now, when creating a movie there are a few elements that you need to make sure your movie includes. I will be grading you on these so make sure include each element (I will also be giving you a copy of this in a hand out).

Components of Digital Storytelling

Point of View:

• · Who is telling the story?
• · What is their side?
• · Why are you telling this story?
• · Does it fit the audience?
• · Have you found your own connection to the story?

Make sure you have a key question that keeps the viewer’s attention and is answered at the end. This sets up tension and hooks the audience till the end.

Emotional Content:

• · Engage emotions.
• · Make it a tearful or a joyous ride.
• · Create a video that people can connect with.

Voice:

• · Personalize the story.
• · Make sure you have the script mostly memorized so it sounds more like reciting rather than reading.
• · Pick a good recording voice that fits the topic of your video.

Economy:

• · How many pictures do I really need?
• · How is the speed?
• · How is the timing?
• · Is it visually entertaining?
• · Your video should be about 2 to 3 minutes long.

Images:

• · Choose your images wisely.
• · Use only the pictures that add more to the video in quality, emotion, and getting your point across.
• · Do they make an impact on the viewer?
• · Viewers process images 60,000 times faster than narrative information.
• · They can vary in duration (3-5 seconds).

Music:

• · This should be the last thing that you grab.
• · Make sure it’s instrumentally, or has no words.
• · Make sure it is appropriate for the topic of your video

Sound:

• · Narration
• · Ambient sounds (gunshots, clock ticking, door slamming).

Pacing:

• · Rhythm of your story.
• · How fast or slow you go.
• · This makes the video run smoothly.

Don't worry about understanding everything right now. We are going to work on this together, and do a little each day. I am so excited for this project! We are going to have so much fun! At the end of this unit we will have a party. You can bring blankets, a pillow, and some treats to share with the whole class. We will then watch everyone's videos!! So start thinking of ideas of what you want your story to be about!!

P.S. To help you guys out I've posted some links to great sites, as well as a video that will help you in your process of digital storytelling.

It's Been a While!

Hello Class!
Well, the cold weather is finally here!!! There is snow in the mountains. My favorite thing to do in the winter is go downhill skiing. I go every year with my husband and his family to the Park City ski resort. We ski down steep hills, fresh powder, and go over jumps. It's so much fun! After skiing all morning and afternoon, we go home and enjoy a nice cup of hot cocoa and some homemade spicey chicken and rice soup. Yummm!!! What do you like to do? Write me a comment and tell me what your favorite thing to do in the fall or winter is. Give me lots of detail! :D

Welcome to 5th Grade!!

Hello Students!

Welcome to our class blog. I am so excited for this school year! We are going to have so much fun and will be learning a lot of exciting things.

To start off I'd like to tell you a little about me. My name is Mrs. Jensen. I love camping, hiking, biking, rollerblading, wake-surfing, and downhill snow skiing. My favorite color is blue. I enjoy going on vacations to the beach. I love to laugh! Some of my favorite foods are fajitas and ice cream. I hate mushrooms and meat loaf! yuck!

Well, that's about all I can think of right now. I'm excited to get to know each of you and what your likes and dislikes are. Please feel free to comment on our class blog and tell me a little about yourself.

I'll see you soon!!

Mrs. Jensen
This is me snowdog sledding in Juneau, Alaska!