Day 2 - Full Speed Ahead

Using the knowledge teachers and students have brought with them from past years, each class has swiftly moved ahead to create the first round of book reviews for the site. This will help us launch the site quickly and allow for additional features, as discussed at the planning session:

1. Hamlin - First grade students are using Keynote to create a sample book review. All students are working on a shared book, Miss Nelson is Missing, to learn the elements of a book review and practice using the various features of the application. This week students learned to use PhotoBooth to record short videos discussing features of the book. These videos will be added to the presentations. By next week, each student will have an individual book to begin working on.
2. Newman - Second grade students are working in small groups. Each group is creating a movie review using iMovie. Scripts are completed, images added, and students are working on recording voice and adding sound and music. This week we discussed copyright issues and learned how to cite sources for our movies.
3. Schembri/Kubinyi - The two third grade classes were combined for the first time. Students in the TAG class showed their partner class the elements of movie making and short samples of movies they made. Students then brainstormed lists of fiction and nonfiction topics and were divided into groups. By next visit, each group will select a specific book to review and the movie-making process will begin.
4. Amft - Fourth grade students have written book reviews, but are revising the text to make them more compelling to their prospective audience. In addition, students agreed that reading book reviews is less interesting than listening to them. Students were introduced to Garage Band and learned how to record their voices. Their book reviews will now become "scripts" for podcasts. 
5. Heinz/Maria - Fifth grade students have been working on finishing Keynote e-books that review favorite books. The TAG students have been teaching their skills to the new partner class, with great success. Most were almost done, but there were issues with voice recording not matching the visuals and final edits needed to be ironed out. 

Next week teachers are working on their own, as JDL will not be present.