IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

Have you viewed the introductory slideshow, What is Kaleidoscope? It describes the vision we have for this online teaching and learning resource. See the show! At the end of the slideshow, remember to close the window. This page will be "waiting for you" in the background so you can finish reading the information.

The best advice we can give you before using Kaleidoscope is to visit FIRST AID to learn what needs to be tweaked, downloaded, or upgraded in order for this resource to operate as smoothly as possible. FIRST AID is located beside the Welcome sign at the bottom of TechKnow Park. There's even a fun page with "Tips for the Classroom Teacher." We can't possibly know the intricacies of your school's network or the setup of your computer, but chances are great that Kaleidoscope will load without any problems!If you don't feel comfortable with the technical information in FIRST AID, we suggest you ask the school or district technician for help.

• Visit the FIRST AID station. (Close the FIRST AID window when you're done. Remember that this page will remain in the background for you to continue.)
• View "Internet Tips for the Classroom Teacher."

Please consider Kaleidoscope a teaching and learning framework that you can adjust to fit the unique nature of your classroom and/or lab environment. This is not a large collection of lesson plans. Instead, "classroom-ready" material is laid out in a week-by-week format, ready to be used by your students and by you today! Many factors will play a key role in the success you experience with Kaleidoscope: your teaching style, your comfort level with technology, your students' ability levels, classroom management, and group dynamics. Expect to learn from mistakes and unexpected network glitches as you grow familiar with Kaleidoscope, molding it to fit your instructional environment.

Data taken from the N.C. End-of-Grade Reading and Mathematics Goal Summary Report played an important role in the development of teaching and learning strategies for Kaleidoscope. This resource is designed to give students maximal return for their time online, freeing you to focus on using technology to strengthen student performance in the areas where they consistently score low, year after year. Don't waste any more time staring at pages of hits from a search engine. Why? You'll be amazed by the answer!

You can rest assured that your students' Internet reading experiences will be supported by a solid foundation that includes:

• "Powerhouse" reading strategies to promote comprehension.
• Weekly opportunities to practice making inferences and to use language for critical analysis &  evaluation.
• Best practices and practical classroom applications from the field of brain research.

Every week, students will visit a different park attraction to learn a different set of skills, but the framework will remain consistent throughout the year. It is very important for you to understand the instructional design principles behind the weekly student pages. Make a commitment to embrace Internet-based instruction as another tool for engaged learning, exploration, and rich reading experiences. As you know, not everything will work the way you planned. Use your professional expertise and background knowledge of children to make smart instructional adjustments to this online resource. Make it work for you. Don't let technology take control. You do the steering!

BACK TO TOP    |   BACK TO TEACHER'S DESK

Step 1: What's Up? (PREREADING)

Take the first few minutes of class to read and discuss this step with your students. Feel free to shape it in a way that fits the nature of your classroom or simply use it "as is." This is a good time for students to make predictions, ask questions, and clarify vocabulary.

Consider this the pre-reading stage. It is designed to activate background knowledge, pique curiosity, and set the stage for learning. You will recognize the use of "powerhouse" reading comprehension strategies and End of Grade test question stems in this step. One new reading comprehension strategy will be featured every 6 weeks.

• Quick Tip for Computer Lab Users

Step 2: Let the Fun Begin (ENGAGEMENT)

Your role cannot be emphasized enough at this stage. Monitor the class while they read and explore Web sites during Step 2. Talk with your students, ask questions, and challenge them to question what they are reading online. Promote thinking and reasoning. Direct and re-direct. Attend to their need for clarification. Help them select important ideas and generate new questions. Confirm or refine their predictions from Step 1. Expand and challenge them. Learn with your students.

Encourage children to take notes and make inferences while reading online. You can print and duplicate the "Student Handout" from the Teacher's Desk. This handout is designed to help students make inferences, organize thoughts, and look for patterns in electronic text.

"The idea is to motivate students, but the emphasis on enjoyment as a facile substitute for engagement creates a culture in which students are not likely to challenge themselves or stretch their abilities. After all, if students are not shown the intrinsic rewards that come from working hard to understand a concept, they won't do it on their own."
-Nurturing the Life of the Mind, by Kathleen Vail, American School Board Journal

Time constraints, the ability levels of your students, and other factors will affect the amount of time allotted for Step 2. In general, allow at least 30 minutes per online visit for student engagement in this stage. There is enough information to allow students to revisit the same park attraction off and on during the same week. You are in control of adapting this resource to meet the needs or your students.

• See a handy "print and take" list of Internet Tips for Classroom Teachers.

Step 3: MUYOM (REFLECTION: "Make Up Your Own Mind")

Set aside the last 10 minutes of class for reflection, discussion, debate, and analysis of material. There is significant value in providing focused learning time in "chunks" (Step 2) followed by diffused activities like reflection, so students can process what they've learned (Step 3). This is critical to long term memory formation. Try not to skip it!

Expect to see activities that include small or large group discussions, debate, partnering, thinking maps, and more.

BACK TO TOP    |   BACK TO TEACHER'S DESK

TechKnow Disaster Preparedness Pages

Every week, under the Teacher's Desk, you will find Computer Skills mini-posters & activity sheets (TechKnow Disaster Preparedness Pages) that you can print ahead of time just in case the network crashes or equipment is unavailable. There is a different page to print each week. You will find a small skeleton key at the bottom of the mini-posters that require answer keys. Clicking on the skeleton key will open the answer key for that particular page. Click on the skeleton key graphic to view the Answer Key page now.

Hard Lessons about Linking

Since links change continuously, teachers should review appropriateness as it relates to district standards, curriculum, and classroom use.

We do our best to screen all links and select only those we designate "kidsafe" and appropriate. However, NCDPI has no control over the content found on links outside Kaleidoscope, so we are not always aware when this content changes. If you discover a link that contains inappropriate information, please contact us immediately.

If you encounter technical difficulty while visiting a third-party Web site, please direct your questions to that site's webmaster, not to the NC State Department of Public Instruction. In addition, please be aware that each of these linked sites maintains independent data collection, use policies, and procedures. If you visit a Web site outside Kaleidoscope, you should consult that site's privacy policy before providing it with any of your personal information.

Kaleidoscope and Copyright

Permission is granted to educators and school districts to create lessons and to print hard copies of materials on this Web site for the sole purpose of using the materials in the classroom as a teaching resource. Materials may be shared as long as the Web site address accompanies the material. No portion of the site may be whacked or republished on any Web site or in any other electronic format without express permission. All other duplications or uses are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Mass production of any Kaleidoscope resources or models for profit is prohibited.