I Can't Possibly Choose a Best Part of Today! ...Library Mouse, Cameras, Books, Glue, Highlighting, Pinterest...

Wow. I love my job.

Having said that, probably the best part of my day was the minute I got home and sat on the couch. Bliss. Tired feet. Tired everything. Love my kids and husband. Totally time to relax!

But besides THAT...

Best parts of the day:

1. This morning we sang our "Good Morning" song, and for the first time, I broke out the transparent plastic pieces to highlight words. Omiword. It was love at first sight. My darling students LOVED using them to highlight high frequency words.



2. During the first week of school, I read Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk, and my class really enjoyed it. Today, we re-read. I told students ahead of time that I wanted them to listen very carefully for important ideas and details, so they paid attention well. I stopped several times while reading to ask students what they noticed about the story. I gave them time to discuss with partners, share with the whole group, and we created this chart.



My students noticed many other things. Each time a child raised a hand to share, I praised them for thinking and participating. But I actually only wrote down what I wanted to. I really wanted to highlight traits and events that made Sam a reader and a writer. My class loved hearing the story again!

3. Every Friday, my students choose new books to keep in their book boxes for the week. With some classes, book chooseing can be a little ... ahem... busy? I don't want to say "chaotic," because I am a teacher, and I pride myself on the order that I am able to maintain in my room.  But some classes I've had in the past have had some difficulty with choosing those new books, and honestly, that time of the week often felt like chaos. Shhh. Don't tell.

Man, this class has GOT IT. It was a total delight to watch them put last week's books back in the correct place, help each other find where books belong, choose new books... Unbelievably fun.

4. We had our group time. While three other groups were busy with various jobs, I worked with a small group. I always teach my students to use all the classroom tools at the beginning of the year. Last week, I taught them how to use scissors (lots of reminders about safety), staplers, and scotch tape. After my demo, some discussion, and some "guided practice," I put out a tub full of paper, and let them go wild with the staplers and tape. They loved it.



This week, my lesson was on hole punches and "teeny tiny dots of glue." I showed the students how to use regular hole punches and craft punches, we had a serious discussion about "teeny tiny dots of glue," and then I let them experiment again. It was awesome...peaceful...endearing...adorable. Those little children punched and punched and punched and then glued everything to make pictures or designs of some kind. Some students did so much punching that there wasn't time for glue, so I just offered them Ziploc bags so they could save "the little holes" and take them home. How cute is that? Imagine a bunch of 4-5-6 year olds carrying little bags full of the stuff you usually clean out of the 3-hole punch and throw away! I swear, they are unbelievably cute, and they're not even trying!

5. Early last week, we interviewed the principal. Students thought of questions they wanted to ask, we walked to the principal's office, squeezed the whole group in and interviewed her. I sent two students with my "mini iPad minis" (older iPhone models, no longer in service) and they were our official photographers. It turns out that it was a good thing I took a couple of pictures while we were in the principal's office. My "photographers" got lots of pictures of each other, the carpet, some of the wall, etc.







Ha ha ha! Classic! That's our principal in the red shirt!

But it was an important job, and each student did end up getting a few decent shots.

So out of that experience grew the idea for children to just play with the cameras during our Choice Time. I really want to use the cameras so that children can record their learning and share with others. And obviously some practice was in order. So I added "Cameras" as an option. WOW.  In three days this week, my class took a total of 671 pictures!

OH YEAH! That's enthusiasm!

And though the pictures varied in quality, I observed the very beginnings of claymation ideas, movie-making, interviewing skills, storytelling, and documentation. Here's a sample:











And there are hundreds of cool pictures that they took of each other. Yes, lots of stuck out tongues and goofy faces, and some silly "self-portraits." But we are on our way! One student switched to video mode, and walked around asking other students to explain what they were doing!

6. After school my new teacher friend, Gwen, came to my room to work on pairing up my students with her fifth graders for some buddy activities.  I met Gwen on my first day at my new school... the day I was moving and unpacking. She spotted me walking toward the staff room, jumped out of her chair and raced toward me. She threw her arms around me even before asking, "Are you the new K-1 teacher? Bless you!" When I asked her name, she said, "It doesn't matter! You don't have time! Go work on your room!" She popped her head into my room later that day to ask if I needed any copies made (Isn't she AWESOME?!), but hadn't been over to visit since, and my room has changed a lot! When she walked in the room, she looked around and said, "I want to pin everything in your room!" Totally made my day, because Gwen's a Pinterest pro and teaching champ herself! Thank you, Gwen!

And now it's the weekend! I really do love my job, just need a little recovery time! What was the best part of your day or week? Please share!

What's Making You Feel Excited About Starting a New School Year?

I'm starting my year with some big changes! There will be lots of little changes, because there always are when you work with children! It's the big changes that have my attention this summer. I've been thinking and planning and discussing, and now I'm starting to feel excited!

1. Technology

Finally! I will have modern, working computers right in my classroom! And because of that, things like digital cameras and videos will be much easier to integrate into lessons. I've got all kinds of things planned, beginning with how to use each tool in the classroom. The real goal is for students to learn some new ways to connect with others inside the classroom, around our school, and beyond. Twitter? Yes, it's on my list. Skype? You bet. YouTube and a class blog? Yes, yes, of course!

2. Classroom

"I had all the desks moved out."

When I said those words to a colleague, she was beyond stunned. I wish I had a picture of her expression. O.M.G.

Early in the summer, I saw my new classroom for the first time. It was very similar to my old classroom. But the orientation was just a little different. The new/old rooms weren't mirror images. A few things were the same, but other, major things were different (like the location of the door, sink, a few cupboards.) Where would I put my cubbies? There wasn't really a logical place near the door. Where would my teaching easel go? And how would I arrange all those desks?

Soon after seeing my room, I started thinking about Genius Hour and the spaces I wanted available to students. And then I realized that those awesome new iMacs would need a home, and then there was a giant furniture snowball of information in my head. And it made me dizzy. So I laid down and closed my eyes, but all I could see was a room full of desks. Thirty desks.

The thing is, when I started thinking about why my students needed desks, I couldn't really come up with any good reasons. A place to put their crayons? A place to keep a notebook? Somewhere to sit? Yes, but I was quickly able to think of alternatives for all of those uses. I thought back to last year... what did we use the desks for that was so critical? The only thing I could come up with was that they were a place to keep children contained. "Please go to your desks."  Was this just a case of continuing to do something because that's the way we've always done it? Maybe.

So I started making lists and sketches and jotting down ideas. Pro: storage, a place for everyone, work space, order. Con: makes the room crowded, difficult to change students to a new work space, kids get territorial. My students spend a good part of every day doing things that don't require that they're anchored to a desk. I use a workshop model for reading, writing and math, and students often work on the floor, in a beanbag chair or on a small rug. What if the desks weren't there at all? What would it be like, I tried to imagine. I thought of a friend's art studio and the Montessori school where I worked in college and the Exploratorium.

And then a few weeks later, I saw Alice's post. This is a high school classroom, but wow! Her room has some great collaborative spaces, it's totally set up for conversations, and it looks so warm and happy. Her video made me think of a Starbucks. And you know how much work gets done there! Alice's video nudged me over the edge.

So my room doesn't have thirty desks anymore. I'm still arranging everything and I will share pictures next week.

3. Genius Hour

Talk about a perfect fit! Genius Hour will work great in the physical classroom and with access to technology. I am eager to get started with my students! Two books I plan to read with them right away: Big Plans by Bob Shea and Lane Smith, and Swimmy by Leo Lionni. I want students to think big! They can change the world! And Swimmy is a lovely little book for discussing collaboration.



What new things are you trying this year? Any great new books you have found that you love? What's getting you excited about going back to school?

Happy Wednesday!

 

Talk Blocks

When I ordered the Talk Points I talked about in my last post, I also ordered a set of five Talk Blocks!



The Talk Blocks are pretty much the same idea as the Talk Points.  You can record messages on them and play them back later. But there are a few differences:

1. While the Talk Points hold a ten-second message, the Talk Blocks hold a thirty-second message.

2. Talk Blocks are more expensive.

3. Talk points are cylindrical, and the Talk Blocks are a square shape.

4. The Talk Blocks have a clear, removable cover. Big deal, you say? Well, you can remove the cover and place a picture under it. Or a word. Or a drawing. You know, each Talk Block can be personalized in some way.

So I have a couple of ideas to use right away. You knew I did, right?

My first idea is to use the Talk Blocks for book recommendations. Each week five students (five because I have five Talk Blocks, but I'm hoping to get a class set at some point!) would get turns to recommend books. Each student would choose a favorite book, write something about it, and then record himself reading it. The written piece might include elements from recent reading comprehension lessons, if applicable. It could be along the lines of the children's recommendations in Reading Rainbow episodes. After the students have completed  their recommendations, each Talk Block, along with a copy of the book being recommended could be placed in a central area to be shared with other students.

Another thought I had was to use them for science and art. We do lots and lots of animal studies in my class. A student could research an animal, complete a writing piece, and record himself or herself reading it. The Talk Block could be placed with student- created diagrams and maps related to the animal, as well as texts, and the class could take a gallery walk!  Other students could view the diagram and push the Talk Block to learn more about the animal.

I'm so pleased to have two interesting new technology toys tools to use with my first graders when school starts.

Need some Talk Blocks of your own? Click HERE.

Talk Points

I'm so, so excited about my new Talk Points!

One day, I was exploring all over the web and I came across these little gems. I saw this picture on Amazon and read the descriptions.



Talk Points are little recordable devices. There's a switch on the back that you flip to record a message. Then move the switch to "play" and press the button to hear your message. I saw them and thought that they would be so useful at literacy centers. Sometimes when the activity is new, students need a reminder about what to do, even if I've already given directions. If I had Talk Points, I thought, students could press the button, hear the directions again, and get on with their work.

I began reading reviews... and honestly, they were mixed. Some people said that the Talk Points were really useful for classrooms, that children thought they were fun and engaging, and they were easy to use. A few people said that they were great for giving students directions. Others complained that it was too easy to erase the recorded messages on the Talk Points, that they were not made well, or that students played with them rather than using them for their intended purpose. A few reviews said that the time limit, ten seconds, wasn't long enough to be useful. (I got out my iPhone stopwatch and recorded myself giving a few different directions that I might use for literacy centers. I figured that if I was going to need more than ten seconds, then perhaps I need to teach the center better to start with.)  So those negative reviews sounded more like management issues than product issues to me, and I decided to order the Talk Blocks, anyway.

Of course, that two-day, Amazon Prime shipping was a little to slow for me. Haha. I was so excited thinking about the possibilities that every time I heard a truck drive by I nearly ran out to the front porch!

And two days later...  they arrived, right on schedule! Here's a photo to show their size.



I unwrapped them immediately and began trying them out!

Though I haven't used them with students, yet, I think they are going to be just exactly what I wanted! No, the sound quality isn't nearly as good as the Bose speakers in my car. And no, ten seconds isn't even close to an entire lesson. But for a quick review of instructions (for students who can't read instructions!) they will be great.

I had another thought, as well. The set I got has five Talk Points, all different colors. I was thinking that I could record a different math problem into each one, and put all five at a math center. Students could listen to the problem, discuss with a partner, listen again to clarify and solve together!

I just know I'm going to come up with tons of ways to use these! I can't wait to try them out with my students!

 

Finding Technology Where I Thought There Was None

When teachers talk about their amazing tech tools, it used to make me feel a little jealous. A whole class set of iPads? I wish! But after going on a treasure hunt in my own house, I am feeling excited and lucky. I have more than I thought I had!

Of course, I still have a few items on my wish list. I'd love love love to have a few iPads or e-readers for students to use. And I found a little gadget today called a Boogie Board.

 



The "Rip" model allows students to make sketches on the pad, and then save their work as a PDF. Aaaaaaagh! Fun! Want!

But I'm still feeling pretty happy! Look what I found!



Let's see... what have we here? First, that's a third generation iPod nano in the top left. Funny, that iPod just "appeared" at our house a few years ago. Someone left it at some point, but we can't figure out who it was! We've asked everyone we know, but there have been times when lots of kids are coming and going, and I'm guessing that it belonged to a teenager. One of life's mysteries. Thank you to it's original owner... I'm taking it to school!

Next, in the top middle is a Nikon CoolPix camera that one of my daughters got for Christmas a few years ago. She loved that camera and has taken very good care of it. But now she has an iPhone, which is super convenient... and the camera doesn't get used. Isn't she sweet to donate ithe camera to my classroom?!

In the top right, an "OLD" iPhone. It's actually an iPhone 4, so not completely ancient... I'm going to load stories and Reading Rainbow episodes onto it and let my first graders enjoy it! Of course, it can also be used for still photography and video recording.

Bottom left: Check it out!...a near-antique! ...Kids, that's an iPod. When it was purchased, that's the only name it had. Now it's referred to as a Classic. Purchase date was 2006, and my husband used this during his very long commute on the train. He watched movies and listened to music and frankly, we were all a little amazed. You can hear the hard drive spinning away... Gone is my husband's long commute, and with it his need for this iPod. It's mine now! My students can use it to watch Reading Rainbow or listen to reading.

That camera in the middle of the bottom row is a Flip Video. It's a great little camera, and the students will be using it in a completely "hands-on" way.

And finally, my iPod nano. I've been running with this little gem for years now. And I love it. But my wonderful husband upgraded it for my birthday last week. The addition of the radio on my new iPod is a treat. Now I can tune in to television shows at the gym! So the old nano goes straight to my classroom, too.

Look around your house! See what you can find!

 

 

Technology in First Grade on the First Day

Did I mention that the day I spent at Google was inspiring? No? Well, I've been thinking of everything school and Google and technology and collaboration and creativity ever since... and while I can't give Google credit for all my ideas... that day made a difference for me.

I had an extremely hard year last year. I had unbelievable challenges. The population at my school is not a particularly easy one anyway, but last year was extra special, if you know what I mean. It was one of *those* years. Times a hundred. Or maybe a thousand. Egad. I worked way, way too hard. I'm feeling the need for a margarita just writing about it!

When school ended, I didn't feel relieved right away. My husband jokes that I was experiencing a little Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Whatever it was, it took a few weeks for it to sink in--- That. Year. Finally. Ended. Soon after that, I let a few thoughts about next year sneak into my brain. And when I went to the Google Geo Teachers Institute, I admit my expectations were low. Heck, I was still trying to forget last year, and I wasn't ready in the least to begin thinking about next year. But then I met some talented teachers and learned about some amazing tools and I got all excited.

Last year, the technology in my room was limited to the four iPods my students use to listen to stories. I take that back. I also had a MacBook Pro (district issue!), a LCD projector and document camera, and my own iPhone. I used the camera on my phone every single day for both still shots and video. And the document camera, LCD and MacBook got quite a bit of use. But I didn't have a lot in terms of "hands on" technology tools for my students.

Our school had two beautiful computer labs.



Okay, I'm not so sure about "beautiful," but I was really pretty thrilled when I first saw them. Brand new iMacs! There were thirty computers in each one, so during my lab time (every day for 30-40 minutes) my students each had an iMac to use. However, they had limited choices for how they used those computers. Wait. Who am I kidding?! Their choices were so limited that THERE WAS NO CHOICE. Two days a week, students used an online math program. Bleh. Three days a week, they used an online program with a reading emphasis. The math program was somewhat engaging, and the students liked it better than the reading program. The reading program caused many children to throw tantrums and refuse to participate. Honestly, I can't blame them. It was as close to a drill and kill phonics ditto on a computer that I've ever seen. But even worse than a ditto, if students missed any questions on a level, they had to re-do all the "activities" on that level. And there wasn't any teaching happening in this program. Omg. I could go on for hours. The kids hated it and I hated it, and despite the "research" praising the program and outlining all the magical things it could do, it just didn't work for my students.

Every day, I thought about those instructional minutes. Thirty to forty minutes per day were dedicated to those two programs (mandatory, with each students' minutes monitored by the district,) and yet I felt like I never had enough time to teach everything I felt I needed to. I started to share my feelings, and explain the reasons why I thought the time was not well spent. Every child, no matter his reading/math levels, was required to be "on" that computer for  the prescribed number of minutes every day. I just didn't see the point. They weren't engaged, it wasn't good instruction, and at least twenty students asked to use the bathroom during the computer lab time every single day. That was telling!

Thankfully, I was heard. At the end of the year, the decision was made to break up the computer labs and distribute the computers among all the classrooms. Yahoo! So now I can add "four iMacs" to my classroom technology inventory. And although I probably won't be able to completely wiggle out of having to use those online math and reading programs (it will likely be required for some students), I have bigger plans for  those iMacs!

And so... some of my plans for incorporating technology on the first day of school:

1. I am going to teach a quick lesson on how to use Photo Booth on the iMacs, and on the very first day, I will have students record themselves talking about... themselves! I plan to put all those recordings together into a little show about our class. Students can learn about each other when they watch it, and you can bet I'll have some writing activities to follow up the viewing! (Likely they won't watch it the first day, but probably a couple of days later.)

2.  I'll be using my iPhone... to take pictures and video of students on the first day. I always send a note home with students during the first week. Last year, my notes looked like this:



I had ordered those post cards from Vistaprint several years ago. This year, I'm going to create my own cards and I'm planning to include a photo of each child. I will also be taking video to use in my Back to School Night presentation.

2. While scrounging around home for any technology bits to take to school (more on that later), I found the Flip Video camera that I got for free a few years ago. All I had to do was attend a workshop to learn to use it, and it was mine! I know that there are better versions. I got my Flip Video about four years ago. But it takes decent video and it is simple enough for a first grader to use successfully.



And those first graders are going to use it a lot this year. I want students to take videos of each other, and we are going to start the first day. Our first project is going to be a presentation about the rules. After I teach procedures to the students, I am going to have one student record while the other students practice and demonstrate. Behavior is a gigantic issue at my school! Last year some of us were on a committee to help establish new procedures based on PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.) I will review those procedures from last year, have students record each other, and we will compile to create a group project. And I know I can find a way to share that project with the other classes at our school. Bazinga!

4. And my last bit of technology for the first day... my students will be taking lots of digital pictures! I know, I know, my plans are pretty heavy on the visual technology side. But we have to start somewhere, right? I want students to have practice using the digital cameras I have (old cameras my children and friends of mine used before we all had iPhones!) First they need to know how to use the cameras, and then later they can do great things with the pictures!

I'm actually getting excited about going back to school! I can wait to share lots of technology tools with my first graders, and watch them use them in meaningful ways!

Listen to Reading

I remember spending hours on the couch snuggled up with blankets and a cat or two, reading with my children. I have so many fond memories of reading them the same book, over and over.  With my daughter, Alexandra, that favorite book was Red Is Best by Kathy Stinson. For Cameron, it was a little board book called This Is Me by Lenore Blegvad.



He loved that book, and I  loved it, too. "This is my bed. This is my light. These are my kisses and this is goodnight." It was so worn and falling apart by the time he was three that I bought a second copy. It's a treasure.

So many of my students at school haven't had the experience my own children and I had. Lots of my students last year have parents who cannot read in English. Others have parents who work two or three jobs and just aren't there to read.

While it's obviously not a substitute, providing a time and resources for children to listen to reading gave my students a way to listen to stories... and for some students, it was the same story, over and over again!

A few years ago, I wrote a grant and got four iPod Nanos for my classroom. I loaded every recorded story I could find onto the iPods... some were from CDs I'd purchased, a couple were from iTunes, and some were free mp3s I found online. I had four iPods, so I made four totes of books. In each tote, I put a copy of every story on the iPod. And then I let the kids loose with them.

Oh my! They LOVED the iPods!

One student found his favorite book thanks to the iPods. Darling little "A," who is pretty tough on the outside, absolutely fell in love with Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. And Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes. And Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. If there were a "Pete the Cat learns Calculus while standing next to smelly garbage and juggling knives," he would love that, too. Pete just somehow spoke to "A."



Every change he got, "A" grabbed an iPod, and listened to one of the Pete the Cat stories. And after a few days, he was singing along. And magically, his reading skills improved dramatically over a month or two. Now, "A" is hooked. He's a reader for certain. I can't let the iPod take all the credit, but the opportunities "A" had to listen made a huge difference for him. I fully expect that he'll be back at the beginning of the year, asking if he can listen during recess or after school!

So yesterday, I got a new iPod for my birthday (THANK YOU KEN!) so I'm going to take my old iPod to school. It's a second generation... so it may not last forever! My students have been really careful with the other iPods, so I don't see why this one can't last a while longer. Of course, I'll erase all the Lady Gaga, ACDC, U2, Black Eyed Peas, and Wicked songs that were on my running playlist!

On that note, here's a tip for iPods in the classroom: Don't make playlists. I can't tell you how many times my students erased the playlists. It was unintentional, and it confused them! I showed the children how to go right to the "Music" section and match the file names with the book titles. My first graders were completely able to do this---even those who were not yet decoding proficiently.

Google Today!

How cute is this?!



When I saw this I was eager to mouse over it to see what the occasion was... and then I realized that I must have entered my birthday into my Google account! When I mouse over, it even says, "Happy Birthday, Melissa!" Haha! It's been such a Googly week for me! Love!

So I have just a few more weeks of summer ... and we all know that teachers do nothing all summer long besides sit by the pool, sleep late, eat bonbons, get our nails done... NOT! My life is nothing like that description, save the occasional pedicure! Instead, I've been reading, cutting out things I laminated at the end of the school year, reading professional books, connection with other teachers, planning for next year, etc. Sound familiar?! Yep, I thought it would.

Yesterday I spent some time working on plans for writing lessons for next year. I love Units of Study by Lucy Calkins, but I have supplemented over the last few years. And this summer, I decided to try to organize the supplemental lessons. So I did that, and I'll share soon.

I also shopped for more school supplies. A big-box store which shall remain unnamed had notebooks and crayons for 17 cents and 50 cents, respectively. It's not Target. Keep thinking...

And I spent some time organizing my iTunes. iTunes has been on my list for literally months. But I never found the time to organize playlists and import the educational CDs... Greg and Steve, Jim Valley, Kathleen Rushing, Charlotte Diamond. But since it's *summer* I somehow found the time. I created several playlists, including Calendar, Quiet Time, Writing, Rainy Day, and Content.

The Calendar playlist has all those days of the week, months of the year, counting, alphabet, phonics-kinds-of songs. It feels so good to have them all in one place where I will be able to find them easily. The Quiet Time list includes very calm and quiet and relaxing music like Classical lullabies, very mellow jazz, and Baroque music. The Writing playlist is a step up from quiet time. It's not quite so calm... some of the songs have lyrics, and the tempos are a bit more upbeat. Still, the music is meant to be in the background, so it's not too loud and crazy. The Rainy Day music list includes songs that are good for students to dance to (G-rated versions!) and movement albums. I put "Hand Jive" and "I Wanna be a Dog" (Charlotte Diamond---one of my favorites!) on that list, too. And lastly, the Content list has just what you'd expect... music with some content. That's where I put the nursery rhyme songs, Hap Palmer color and number songs, Schoolhouse Rock, and things like that. I'm so excited that I'll be able to access those songs quickly and easily this year! I should have done this a long time ago...

What are your favorite CDs/songs for your classroom? Anything you would put in the "must have" category? I'm always looking to add to my collection!

Technology Thoughts

Yikes! I can't stop thinking about my day at Google. It's going to have an effect on me for a long time. I met lots of inspirational and talented people and just got a million ideas. I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed... like I need to sit down and make a priority list. But I can't stop reading the tweets and blogs! And every time I read one, I think of more ideas and questions.

There are so many fabulous ways to get technology into our classrooms. Great ideas are everywhere, but it's challenging to use most of them with non-readers (or very beginning readers.) I don't have a class set of iPads, or I'd be thinking about some of the many apps and eReader applications. The iPods I've been using with my students have been exciting for them, but seem so dated... as if they're not really technology anymore at all!

 

[caption id="attachment_301" align="aligncenter" width="171"] Image from Bill Ferriter[/caption]

I'd like to have my students create with Wordle this year, but I'm a little concerned about the amount of support it will require.  Sometime this summer, four computers are supposed to be moved into my room (Where they will fit, I'm not sure!) and I'm hoping to use them with small groups so that each child has an instructional session once a week. I envision using Wordle at the beginning of the year for some autobiographical presentations. Later in the year, I think Wordle could be used as a tool for presenting students' responses to literature and as a way to highlight important concepts and vocabulary in science. Wordle seems like such a basic place to start. But we're talking first graders!  It will give my students some experience with computers that is not just the drill and kill language and math programs that my district loves. I want the children to begin to see that computers are tools for communication and creativity. They are a means to an end. Something like a Wordle should be taught as a tool for expression, and then used for expression/digital writing that is meaningful.

I created a set of Robot-Themed classroom labels and you can get them here.



 

MacBook Air, School Supplies and New Ladybug Labels

So it was an expensive day at the Apple Store. To quote Liz Lemon, "Blerg."

I spent HOURS trying to decide what kind of computer to buy. My trusty, white MacBook was definitely on its last leg after my *amazing* day at Google. Truthfully, I've had problems with my laptop for months. I knew it was coming.

I ended up getting a MacBook Air. I got the Apple discount for educators, and because they're doing a Back-to-School promotion, I got a $100 gift card good at the App Store or iTunes. Of course, I parted with a pile of cash at the same time...

So far, so good. It took all night to transfer everything from my old Mac (via Time Machine), but the MacBook Air is up and running now! Yahoo! So fast! So shiny!

More school supply sales are being advertised now. Crayons are on sale for 50 cents a box at a few different stores. I just can't remember if that's a good deal or not! What do you think? I'm still waiting for bargain composition books and spiral notebooks...

And the New Ladybug Labels... I updated a set I made several months ago. I added many classroom objects, numbers, colors and a student page. There are nameplates, too! Click below to get your own set!



 

 

 

Google Geo Teachers Institute

Wow! What a day I had yesterday...

A few months ago I heard about the Google Geo Teachers Institute. I was completely overwhelmed with other things, but I made the time to apply. Am I ever glad I did!

The Google Geo Teachers Institute was held at the Google West Campus in Mountain View, and it was a total treat from start to finish!



First of all, food is a big thing at Google. All the employees eat free in the many cafeterias... breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There were some "Google 15" jokes about the weight that new employees gain! And true to that, the day began with an amazing breakfast buffet. Why didn't I take pictures of it?!

Google Earth Outreach team members Tina Ornduff and Christiaan Adams started the day with presentations on mapping and all the interesting things you can see and do with Google Maps and Google Earth. Technology has made the world a much smaller place. Did you know that you can use Google Earth to go inside museums, view the surface of the moon and even go to Mars?! The more they spoke, the more ideas I had for applications in primary classrooms. I was typing notes from the presentation and notes from my head as fast as I could.

Next, we heard from Diane Main, who is a Google Certified Teacher. She got everyone's attention with her introduction, a rock song about Google and maps and teaching. Why didn't I record that?!

Diane had some fabulous ideas, and inspired many more in me. Two things I loved: One, the idea of creating timelines in Google Earth. Yep, I'll be spending some time exploring that idea this week. And two, she talked about creating a Google Tour from Flat Stanley activities, which got me thinking about some other books I own and use at school.

And my favorite quote from Diane: "We should totally make kids do that." This year, I will have four computers in my room, and I'm excited about getting my first graders involved with meaningful technology activities!

Next we heard from John Bailey (a real, live volcanologist!), Jerome Berg, Josh Williams, and  Cindy Lane. Even though most of the presentations were geared for teachers of students older than mine, I got something great from every single one. After more food, it was time to choose breakout sessions/tutorials/discussion groups. Allie Lieber, from Google Earth Outreach, taught her first session ever, and it was great. She is a born teacher! Her session was all about creating folders in Google Earth and inserting photos, video and text to create a story. So many options! LOVED it!



Mid-afternoon sometime, my laptop stopped working. I closed everything and restarted. And restarted again. And again. I couldn't run Google Earth (the whole point of my day!!) and eventually I couldn't even access Google Docs to continue taking notes. Thank goodness for the notebook and pen party favors! At the beginning of the day, when I saw the notebooks laid out on tables, I thought, "How archaic!" and I never imagined I'd really need one! Sad. A trip to the Apple Store is in my future.



Many thanks to Google and to the many teachers who presented, discussed, and shared ideas! What a wonderful day of learning! I'm exhausted, but inspired!

 

Summer At Last!

What a year! My class was incredibly challenging, but I love every one of those darling little children... and they accomplished a lot. One of the best things about teaching first grade is that students usually start the year not reading.... and finish the year reading! It's so much fun to watch them learn.

But now, it's summer. Can I hear an "Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh?" The routines at my house are more relaxed, and I'm already starting to catch up on projects that I just couldn't get around to during the school year. The clothes hampers are all empty, the freezer is full, the dog has been getting some long walks, and the stack of professional books on my nightstand has a "for fun" book on top! Yahoooo!

Of course, I brought home a few boxes of projects for the summer... some new units to create, laminated literacy and math materials to cut out, manipulatives to clean, files and binders to reorganize, CDs to load onto iTunes, books to repair, etc. The list is long, and I'm completely up for it!

This morning was my first real vacation day. I started the day with a walk to Starbuck's with my daughter and our pup. The weather in our area is usually pretty close to perfect, and today was no exception. We walked and sipped and chatted with neighbors and people we saw on the way, and when we got home I felt completely ready to get started on projects. Of course, I needed to make a list first, and decided to make it on my phone. And after a little exploring, I found a great app!

It's called abcNotes, and it's a way to organize notes and lists. I downloaded the free version first, but within ten minutes, I liked it enough to buy the full version for $2.99! It's very easy to use, and with the full version comes the option for 15 different desktops full of notes. You can choose different types and colors of notes and arrange them on each desktop, varying the size and font however you like.  I'm imagining workout notes and goals on one desktop, grocery lists on another, school tasks and ideas, and more...  I got started with just what I was hoping to accomplish today.I can tell already that this is an app that I will use a lot! I love to write things on my list, and cross them off as I complete each one! And though "sleep in" is at the top of my list, there are about a bazillion other projects that I plan to finish this summer. I'd better get right to work!