Thoughts from Third: An Introductory Website

I'm a little hesitant to post the link for my website, considering that many of my colleagues have created some pretty fantastic examples that they've already put to work in their classroom.  My website is a very rudimentary start at a future classroom "hub," complete with access to daily homework assignments, pictures, blog posts, policies and procedures, and helpful links for students and parents.  

If it sounds daunting to you, trust me, the feeling's mutual.  Hence, my website is still a work in progress.  I don't know where exactly I'll be teaching next year, so I used this website a s a general template for information I might want to include.  I plan to expand upon it further in my next class, Computers in the Classroom.  Depending on how ambitious I feel, I may even want to try out a Google Site, considering that West Hartford supports Google apps.  If only there were more hours on the day!  

Nevertheless, maintaining a weekly [professional] blog and website are two tasks on my teacher "bucket list," so it's time to make those dreams a reality. 

Introducing the Newest Contestants on Cupcake Wars!

Just try to keep yourself from drooling when you take a peak at my little one's tasty submissions for The Food Network's sinfully delicious show, Cupcake Wars!  We've been hard at work since mid March, trying to sneak in any time we can find in the "kitchen."  How I wish I could actually bring my little one's cupcake creations to fruition :)  For now, we'll just have to settle on our crafty representations.  Or, maybe I'll just have to sneak in a special treat. Shhh!

Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress. I intended to have each student supply at least one comment for a peer's cupcake, but time has gotten the best of us.  Not to worry!  We will revisit our Voice Thread ASAP, and practice how to give appropriate feedback, such as providing a compliment, asking a question, or offering constructive feedback (i.e. a suggestion).

For now, I am thrilled that we've completed at least the initial phase of this digitally based project.  Anything involving food (and sweet treats, at that!) gives my littles the perfect opportunity to try their hand at descriptive writing, chock full of sensory details. With all of this CMT testing, complete with structured narrative writing, they need an opportunity to spice things up a bit!  You'll notice that some of us will benefit from a review of transition words and sensory vocabulary.  Yep, that's on the agenda too :)

Lucky for us teachers, instruction and assessment go hand-in-hand, with one driving the other.  

Final Reflections

I can't believe that another semester has come to an end.  I went ahead and designed another Popplet (I can't seem to get enough of 'em!) to take stock of all the projects, applications, and concepts we've discussed to date.  And, let me assure you, I've done and learned a LOT!  From creating Wikis to crafting a digital story, this course has challenged me to experiment with new technologies in purposeful ways.  Again, it's not about simply using the tools.

The goal of these applications is to further drive instruction, to challenge our kiddos to think independently and creatively, to take ownership for their learning, to enable choice, to prepare our students for a digitally based world that relies on successful collaboration, innovation, and communication.    

My Love Affair With Popplet

Y'all best be popping on over to Popplet because I can't think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from this snazzy, super easy graphic organizing application.  I started this blog by admitting that I am a self-professed organizing junkie. Did I mention that I want my little guys to be equally as organized?  (We even have a desk fairy, table fairy, and  a bin fairy who comes for surprise visits and leaves treats for those who keep their areas extra tidy!)  You can imagine, then, that I like to present notes in an equally as organized fashion :)

My kiddos have been hard at work learning about animal adaptations. However, there is SO much vocabulary that comes with this unit, and I find that simply copying definitions from the board leaves my little ones with fragmented bits of knowledge.  What's the solution to my predicament, you wonder?  Well, let me introduce you to Popplet.  Take a peak at my animal adaptations themed web.  At first glance, it does look overwhelming.  Yep, there's a whole web of lines connecting boxes, terms, definitions, and visuals.  The beauty of this application is that I can zoom in and out depending on the areas I want to focus on.  We're tackling animal families this week, so I can steer my students over to that particular section.

My absolute favorite part of this application is that it is so darn easy to use! Anyone ever try Kidspiration?  I thought I liked it.  Hate to break it to you, but Popplet puts that program to shame...the navigation on this application is easier (almost has a Prezi type feel), making adjustments to the web is far simpler, and the look is uber sophisticated.  The drawback is that a free version only gets you 5 popplets.  I may have to look into investing a few dollars into this handy app!

Avatars and Adaptations...Shark Attack!

Check out this simple Voki with a scary looking shark, yet a surprisingly cheerful voice, ready to share the definition of "adaptation."  Can you imagine the kiddos trying their hand at these handy Vokis?  Sure, the ones I've produced are sweet and to the point, but isn't that the goal?!  This is a tool that gives children a voice in the classroom, while demonstrating their understanding of content/skills in a creative and succinct manner.  I can only imagine the inevitable squeals of delight...

Let's Vocalize this Voki!

In prior classes, I'd seen several colleagues try out Voki, but I had no idea how to go about creating these neat little avatars. As always, it's not until I try something and realize that it is, in fact, easy-to-use, do I begin to envision the classroom possibilities.  Maybe you'd call me lazy, or just plain practical, but I can't sacrifice any more of my personal time than I already do.  (Sleep is mighty important!)

So, I created a *FREE* account with Voki (isn't "free" the golden word among educators), and started to play.  I customized the character, tweaked the color/ facial features, and added my own narration.  I'm introducing a new science unit on animal adaptations, so I'm sure that my kiddos will get a kick out of this bear posing the unit's overarching question, "How do plants and animals survive in their environment?"

Be on the look out for several more Vokis that I'm in the process of creating, each targeting a different vocabulary term that my littles will have to know.  Maybe, I'll try out one of the pre-programmed British or Australian accents.  I have a sneaking suspicion that these avatars will be more compelling than vocab written out on the SmartBoard.  Oh the beauty of technology...

Introducing Go Animate!

Chocolate Pie Pieces by jmlife on GoAnimate

Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate.

Familiar with Go Animate?  If not, I highly recommend signing up for a free account.  Upon logging in, I took a few minutes to watch a quick and simple tutorial, outlining some video design basics: character selection, setting, narration, gestures, facial expression, transitions, etc.  You want to know what's even better? If you don't want to worry about all of those decisions, Go Animate offers two different video making platforms:

1. Try out Quick Video if you're in a pinch for time.  Simply choose a theme and characters, select a setting, and type in your narration. Nope, you don't even have to record your voice.  Save yourself the cringe :)  The rest is all done for you!  I'd say this is like the animated companion to Animoto.  As always, you have a limited selection of templates to choose from with a free account.
• Note: I tried out this feature a few months back when Judy blogged about it in this post.  Literally, took 2-3 minutes to design a mini digital story.  Might be a powerful (yet easy!) way to introduce the art of digital storytelling to your kiddos.
2.  Full Video Maker boasts many more design features and lends itself to greater "artistic freedom," if you will.  I decided try this out when I designed the above video.  Still, so simple to use.  I'm all about functionality.  The interface is very intuitive -- the program held my hand walked me through each step of the design process.

If I haven't bored you already, please do take a peak at my short (and rather silly!) video introducing yet another fraction conundrum!  This Common Core math is tricky stuff, so we've been encouraged by the district to use technology as a means of hooking students' interests at the onset of a lesson, while setting a problem to guide our inquiry. It's all about application and analysis of those mathematical principles.  My video targets comparing fractions with different denominators, and the notion that  the more pieces you separate the whole into, the smaller each piece is. (Of course, I had to use the classic pie example in this video, particularly because I have a student who is a major pie aficionado.)  We'll see how the kiddos do with this problem!

Cupcake Wars: A Competition in Progress

I seem to have a thing for baked goods, or maybe just a really big sweet tooth.  I know, we're supposed  to encourage healthy, balanced eating in the classroom, but I've got to infuse a little sweetness into our day.  Plus, it's the perfect platform to discuss descriptive writing and sensory details.  No, I did not bring in cupcakes for my kiddos to sample :(  I try to stick to our healthy snack policy, but I may have to slightly bend the rules when it comes time to celebrate the culmination of this project.  Shhhh, don't tell!

I'm sure you're all wondering, What exactly is she doing for her literacy project? Well, I took some inspiration from The Food Network's hit show, "Cupcake Wars."  I already gave a shout out to TLC's "Cake Boss" in my digital story, so why not give some attention to one of my other guilty pleasures?!  The show is all about four different bakers competing to design the best tasting and most attractive cupcake.  They are provided with a theme and a list of required ingredients to work with.  After sharing several short clips from this series, I asked my kiddos to imagine themselves as bakers, faced with the task of designing a cupcake to fit a particular theme:

• Saint Patrick's Day (We started back in March, so the theme fit at the time!)
• Spring has Sprung!
• A 9 year-old's Birthday Party (I figured this would open up many possibilities...)

Currently, we're in the midst of writing a detailed description of our cupcake.  Then, we're going to get crafty and design a visual representation of our tasty  oh-so-decadent treat.  Finally, I'm going to post our cupcakes onto Voice Thread, and let the kiddos narrate their cupcake creation, just as the contestants do on the show.  Yep, their peers will have a chance to respond!  I can't wait to share the finished product :)  Keep your fingers crossed for me that all goes well!


photo credit: yvestown via photopin cc

Literacy Centers in the Primary Grades: Make Way for Freebies!

Credit: Serenade to Second Grade

I had to share a little something I found during one of my all-to-frequent Pinterest sprees.  Yep, I can spend hours on this site, oogling at some pretty incredible classroom inspiration.  This handy find literally had me grinning from ear to ear...a blog post with *FREE* links to everything you might need to set-up literacy work stations in your classroom.  Head on over to Serenade to Second Grade to snatch all of these incredible resources.

My loyal readers out there know that I am a Daily 5 girl, but I am confident that most, if not all, of these materials can be adapted to fit the program's goals.  These centers are aligned to Harcourt's Story Town which is the program I use in my school, so I'm eager to try 'em out.

 In case you don't want to scour through all of her resources (even though they are BEAUTIFULLY organized), I figured that I'd include some of the highlights.

• Some adorable basket labels for each of the different centers (see picture to the left).  And, you'll find some more labels here. 
• Directions to Post at each center:
• Adventures in Vocabulary 
• Handwriting Heroes
• Jump into Writing
• Listening Center
• Nonfiction News
• Poetry Pals
• Post Office Center
• Reference Round-Up
• Word Detective

• Then, she includes all of the materials, or recommendations for materials, that she uses at each center. I'll let you pop on over to her blog post to read more :)  Yes, she goes through each of the previously aforementioned centers, step-by-step.  Do I hear some rejoicing?? 

You will find that many of the links included in her blog post are from this *FREE* and fabulous site, The Teaching Oasis.  Just to wet your palate a bit, here's a few more links to explore...

Reading Strategies:

• Fiction Reading Menus
• Nonfiction Reading Response Questions

Reading Skills:

• Reading Response Cards 
• Partner Response Questions

Seriously, you need to take some time to uncover all of the amazing freebies at The Teaching Oasis.  Did I mention that there are materials housed for every subject area as well!?  This sounds like a nice "I'll pin it/ Diigo it now, and explore more in the summer activity!"  

Swoon-Worthy Classroom Organization!

By now, you should have a pretty good understanding of my love for all things organized.  Since I've finally got a classroom to call my own, I've been busy tweaking various management systems to create an efficient, clutter-free classroom (Think - homework, daily lesson plans, homework collection, work supplies)

I couldn't resist sharing the following *FREE* resources that will enable some of my organizational visions to come to fruition.  And, they're adorable to boot!

Please check out these swoon-worthy Google Doc links, courtesy of First Grade Garden, hosting some pretty incredible labels to make clean-up a stream-lined process in your classroom.

1.  Art Supply Labels
2. Classroom Library Book Tub Labels
3. Monthly Supply Bin Labels
4. "Ketchup and Pickle" Schedule Cards - Or, "catch-up" time and "pick a quiet activity"

Don't ya just love Google Docs...I sure do!

photo credit: Rubbermaid Products via photopin cc

Got some Webspiration?

As I prepare to tackle my own website (Yep, I'm taking the plunge!) I thought it best to "borrow" some inspiration from several of my colleagues.  And, I couldn't resist snagging the equally as beautiful, luck enabling, springtime calling photograph included above.  I keep reminding myself that it's all about capturing those quiet, little moments, amidst all of the hustle and bustle that is my daily life!

To date, I've found Google Sites to be incredibly user-friendly, yet I'm not quite as impressed with the overall "look."  My friends and fellow teachers insist that Weebly is uber easy to use once you master the basics [I'll believe it when I see it!], offering an endless supply of goodies, like neat backgrounds, drop-down menus, and adorable fonts/titles/headers.  What can I say?  I like to go the extra mile and make things pretty :)

If you're looking for some inspiration, hop on over to Drama Academic to take a look at how one USJ graduate student designed a  website with a variety of science and social studies resources for teachers.  It's still a work in progress, but I'm loving the organization and drop-down menus.  I'd also recommend having a look see at Learn with Team Van Pelt, another USJ graduate student who is in the midst of creating an online portfolio and "portal" to house resources for parents.  Again, the layout is clean, simple, and professional.  

Yep, I'm swooning.  Luckily for me, teaching is all about stealing swapping ideas from fellow educators, so I hope to adapt some of these handy ideas in my upcoming website.  Stay tuned...  

photo credit: Tc Morgan via photopin cc