Focus the Brain! - Idea #1

This past year, I did an extensive research project with my 4th grade students. I had done research of course in my previous years of teaching with index cards and folders. That was a nightmare! I wanted another way to take on the sometimes daunting task of 4th grade research. So I collaborated with my school librarian and come up with some ideas.

I am a very organized person who needs things tidy and neat. So, what we came up with was perfect. The librarian and I created a digital, internet-linked hotsheet. Because of all of the "mess" that kids can get themselves into on the Internet, I knew this hotsheet would be great. The basis of the hotsheet was to give the students specific websites to go to for finding facts, viewing videos, and playing games. Because these sites were specifically linked on the hotsheet, there was little if no room for students to stumble on an inapprporiate site. All of the links on our digital hotsheet were personally screened and evaluated.

The kids loved the novelty of it. They had never used one prior to this. After the Brain Research project, I used hotsheets for other projects. They weren't a novelty anymore, but at least now they knew what a digital hotsheet was and how to use it. They LOVED it!