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Soshiku

In an effort to clear out some bookmarks (I am up to about 890) I am going to do a marathon of posts today.  I don’t usually like to load you up with too many in one day because I know how busy you teachers are, and I want you to have time to really look at the cool tool I have found.  My hope is that with the 3 day weekend you will get a chance to shuffle through these!   What it is: Soshiku is a web tool for students that helps them manage their assignments.  Soshiku keeps track of when assignments are due and can notify them by email or SMS.  With each assignment students can save notes, manage tasks, attach files, and share messages with assignment partners.  Soshiku is perfect for partnered assignments because it gives students a place to share files, chat, and more.     How to integrate Soshiku into the classroom:  I think that organization is one of those important life skills that we don’t teach enough of in schools.  Introduce your students to Soshiku as a method of school orginization.  The email and text messaging features to notify them when assignments are due will appeal to your students.  If you have younger students, secondary elementary or middle school, encourage parents to be there Soshiku partner to help them keep track of assignments.     Tips: Use a day in the computer lab to sign students up for Soshiku and teach them how to enter assignments, add notes, attach files, and share messages with a partner.  Your students are on their way to a more organized school life!   Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Soshiku in your classroom.

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The Literacy Shed: a treasure trove of ideas

Posted by admin | Posted in Analyze, Art, Character Education, Create, Evaluate, inspiration, Interactive Whiteboard, Language Arts, Middle/High School, Primary Elementary, Secondary Elementary, Teacher Resources, video, Websites | Posted on 25-06-2012

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What it is:  The Literacy Shed is a fantastic blog/site I learned about on Twitter from @missmac100, thanks Carol! The Literacy Shed is maintained by primary teacher Rob Smith and is packed full of teaching ideas all related to literacy.  The site is separated into “sheds,” each with a different genre.  There are short films images and book suggestions that are each accompanied by a teaching idea that includes discussion questions and writing prompts.  The Literacy Shed has plenty of ideas to keep you going all year long!   This truly is a treasure trove that will keep you coming back again and again. You will find the following “sheds” on the Literacy Shed:

  • Fantasy
  • Ghostly
  • Other Cultures
  • Inspiration
  • Moral
  • Picture Book
  • Great Animation
  • Love
  • Inventors
  • Fairytales
  • Reading
  • Poetry
  • Adventure
  • Mystery
  • Film Trailer
  • Fun
  • Lighthouse
  • Flying Books
  • Resource
  • Non-literacy
  • Weblinks

How to integrate The Literacy Shed into the classroom: The Literacy Shed is a great one-stop-shop for inspiration and ideas to improve literacy and critical thinking in your classroom.  The ideas can be used with a variety of age groups, different ages will pick up on different themes and discussions using the same videos/images/books.  Students will become familiar with a variety of genres and become comfortable with the characteristics of each.

There is something here for every classroom and unit.  As I said, it is a treasure trove of resources!  Use the ideas in the Literacy Shed to spark meaningful discussions and writing direction for your students.  I always like to start with discussion and end with a written reflection because it gives students the opportunity to listen to other ideas, and then solidify their own ideas and reflections in writing.

Tips: You can follow the Literacy Shed on Twitter: @redgierob

Please leave a comment and share how you are using The Literacy Shed in  your classroom!

Comments (2)

Carol @missmac100 said on 26-06-2012

I am glad you like this as much as I do. I am amazed at the video clips. They are the perfect length to get students thinking so the time will be spent on the thinking rather than the media. It is open-ended enough to meet all levels of students. I can see every child finding an entry to begin talking, writing or creating. :)

Michele S. said on 26-06-2012

I appreciate the time you put into your post about The Literacy Shed. After reading your description, I was very interesed in how I could use this site in my classroom. After viewing the site, I agree with you in regards to The Literacy Shed being for everyone. I look forward to trying it with my class this coming school year.

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