Digital Arts Menu for Kinesthetic, Physical Learners

Maybe they're not ADD.  Maybe they just need to move to learn - and can't move when they're nailed to their desks.

FLICKR photo assignment--

Send students out onto the campus with digital cameras to photograph things around a theme. (See this flickr example of spelling with photos of letters from Flickr.) Flickr is a site with excellent photography and creative uses of photography.   Post the student photos to Flickr account for discussion/classroom use.  *Other ideas for using flickr--have students photograph shapes, colors, "math problems in real life," architecture, newspaper headlines, rocks, plants, etc.

Podcasting interviews

a. Send students out to conduct interviews on specific topics.    Use audio devices(like the Olympus ws-100) to record.  If you like, these can be converted to podcasts later.  (See below for instructions)

b.  Download podcasts relating to subject area via ITunes, and allow students to listen while doing something else. 

Podcasts can be found on the Itunes store for free, under the heading "Podcasts."   Click on the subheading "education" to see a list.   (If you have iPods for campus, use these in classroom for students to study vocabulary, foreign languages, listen to "books" that are free podcasts, etc..

Some basic instructions here on podcasting for beginners;   More detailed information on a variety of tools here.

Data collecting via Google Spreadsheets

Send students into the building to collect data relating to the subject of study.   (examples:  how many healthy vs. unhealthy snacks in vending machines, trees near the school, architectural features in the school building, students wearing a red shirt, pieces of trash on the ground, number of computers in building, examples of geometry in real life).     Use Google Spreadsheets for documenting the data collection, across class periods.

GPS, CellPhones, and Other Mobile Handheld Devices for Kinesthetic Learners

Fascinating article at eSchool News: 

"Researchers at Harvard, MIT, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison have developed a project that uses "augmented reality" to teach students math and literacy skills. The project involves teams of students gathering data on handheld computers to explain why aliens have landed, and in the process students "interview" virtual characters they encounter at certain GPS hot spots. The researchers say the project holds great potential for engaging students and teaching high-level skills."