-the featured topics. The variety of topics included in each database is extensive. The topics address many of the Kindergarten science and social studies standards, including needs vs wants and living vs non-living. I'm also a sort of dinosaur geek so I LOVE that that's there as well!
-the appropriateness for my Kinderkiddos. At Pebble Go I don't need to worry about external ads or my students learning things that they shouldn't be (ummm hello not everyone needs to know the mating rituals of a praying mantis!) Each topic highlights basic information with easy to understand text and clear images. There are videos that go along with many of the topics as well, providing my students with an extra layer of learning and engagement.
-the ease of use. I love that there is a read aloud button for everything. In order to maximize their learning about non-fiction topics my students must have access to speakable text. While we are working hard on our decoding and sight word acquisition, reading this type of material is difficult for even my highest of readers. Pebble Go allows my beginning readers to access meaty informational text by providing easy to use read to me features. And if students don't know a word they can click on it to have a kid friendly definition pop up (that has the read to me function as well) Another great feature is the automatic text highlighting,which is reinforcing their reading and tracking skills while providing quality materials.
-the motivation it provides. By allowing my students free access to high quality informational text I'm encouraging a variety of literacy and science skills. They are active researchers, engaging themselves in a world that can take them to so many places, and encourage them to go even further! Most of my students have never heard about ocean animals other than what is in Nemo. Now they can develop their sense of exploration and curiosity with many features of an ocean habitat. They are spending time researching and building their knowledge base about a part of his world that I wouldn't normally be able to take them to. They feel like experts and that does wonders for setting them up with academic confidence and success.
-the multi device capability. Pebble Go works on desktops, Chromebooks and iOS devices. As far as I can tell all components of the website will work well, including the videos. I like this as my students can log in with whatever device they have at home to keep on learning!
-the ease of adaptation into multiple standards. Using Pebble Go as a starting point for many classroom projects allows me to incorporate a variety of writing, speaking and listening standards along with the social studies & science standards that are naturally apart of the website. For example, we are discussing our social studies standard of needs vs wants right now. I created a writing page for my students to use as they accessed the Pebble Go databases. Students are applying what they are hearing and seeing by making text to world and text to self connections. After students completed their projects, we worked on our speaking standards when we shared our findings with the group. We made great connections to each other and the scientific process when we discovered that most of us located the same ideas for needs. Then we utilized our comparing and contrasting strategies to study what everyone recorded for their wants. It was easy for me to see what level my students are at in the Blooms Taxonomy scale, as some recalled information from the website while others applied what they heard to their own lives. By adding this simple writing prompt my students were engaged researchers gaining knowledge about not only social studies, but about the many similarities and differences that make up our classroom. I've posted some of their finished work in the pics (notice the reoccurring Frozen image in the wants section) and just click on the writing page below for your free copy! Feel free to just print and log in to Pebble Go (they offer a free trial) to try it for yourselves! I don't think you'll be disappointed!
I'm in the process of creating a writing sheet for Holidays Around the World and adapting my Arctic Animal research project as well. I'll be sure to post what we will be doing with that as I plan on incorporating some different apps as well to take our presentations to the next level! Be sure to follow my blog or on Twitter @teachernorman to make sure you don't miss anything!
PS I am in no way, shape or form affiliated with Pebble Go. They didn't compensate or pay me to write this. This is just the ramblings of a Kindergarten teacher who likes to shout from the rooftops when I find something that I think can benefit my students. That said, if you or someone you know works for Capstone feel free to pass along my info and hook a teacher up!
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