Great websites for computer stations

While working with schools in Indiana, we brainstormed a list of some good websites to use at computer stations for literacy. Here are a few to get you started. Please add to the list!

• www.freerice.com (good for upper grades vocabulary, grammar, and world geography- 10 grains of rice are donated to fight world hunger for each correct answer)
• www.spaghettibookclub.org(book reviews for and by children)
• www.spellingcity.com(spelling games can be generated using your own words)
• www.newton.k12.in.us (elementary computer lab- choose grade level)
• www.kizclub.org(good for drama station)
• http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/PhotoStory/default.mspx(free download of Photo Story 3 where kids can write a story and add photos, music, etc. to tell it)
• www.audacity.com (free download for having kids record themselves reading at the computer- good for fluency)

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Computers are “closed”

Recently when I visited a kindergarten classroom, I learned that computers were “closed” during math stations. The reason was that the teacher could not find free high quality math work for children to use at the computer station.

Upon searching I came upon a few sites that we really liked, so we bookmarked three counting games in “Favorites” and put them in a folder marked “Math.”

 

To help children easily access the games we wanted them to play during math, we taught them how to find and open this folder. Their teacher modeled this using her Smart Board (lucky girl!). Then we wrote simple picture directions together so they could do this on their own.

 

We also added the password they’d need on a post-it note stuck to the computer (just in case the computers froze and they needed to restart them). Then we had two students model for the rest of the class how to open the favorites file and choose a math game.

 

The children were so excited and so independent. Now they can return to one of their favorite math stations… the computer station is open again!

Teacher models how to open Favorites files for math

Two kids model how to open the bookmarked files

Computer directions made with the class and provide support so students can do this independently

Children work on their own at the computer during math stations

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