Learning About Butterflies, Pumpkins and Bats with Technology

Wow, it is hard to believe that it is already the end of October. Where did September go? Being busy learning about life cycle with technology has been at the top of our list in my classroom. We have been using chromebooks, ipads, QR codes, Discovery Education, Blendspace and nonfiction text to increase our knowledge. Students have worked really hard to use their technologically skills to research about the life cycles of butterflies, pumpkins and bats.

Students enjoy using chromebooks with Google Classroom with a Blendspace lesson. Using Blendspace has been a great way to add STEM activities. Here is a picture of students fully engaged in STEM learning.

Here you will see them working and sharing their excitement about seeing a butterfly coming out of its chrysalis. Seeing the butterflies in action taught the students more than just seeing an image in a text. 

Students would learn songs about the life cycle of a butterfly to learn each stage. Then they applied their new understanding to create an Appsmashing activity with Piccollage and Popplet with Chatterpix to tell about the life cycle stages.

Students loved using their new findings to create using ipads. We love using Appsmashing techniques to show what we learned.

Students also work with STEM in Technology Stations. This is a time that students can focus in on one area of content that we are working on. Students use technology to acquire new information that can then be applied in their writing. Students also record their new information in a class blog post.

Below you will see that students still love to use post-it notes to record their new learning. Here is a picture of their information on our classroom bat.

We discussed the new finding with a class discussion with their work buddy. Students learn from each other by sharing their new understanding as a class. We talk to our buddy and share out to class what their buddy learned. 

Come back soon and see more of how we use technology in our classroom.

A New School Year Has Begun!

It is always fun, exciting, and nervous at the same time, when a new school year begins. Will I have my room ready in time? Will Open House be a success? Will my students be excited to be in my class? Will I meet the needs of each students in my class? These are questions that run through your mind as you prepare for a new school year.

This year my school has a SUPER HERO theme. SO my grade level did this for our doors. Each teacher has a different color background on their door.

My students will be the SUPER HEROES in TRAINING in my room. Each day will be full of training experiences to prepare them to launch into 3rd grade next year. We will be using technology to enhance our curriculum and learning in a variety of ways.

Here you will see that my room is setup for the first day of school. I am always so excite to see my students on the first day and to welcome them into our classroom community. Each student has a WELCOME pack for 2nd grade. I always begin with my desk in this arrangement so students can get to know each other. Then desk arrangements are changed as needed throughout the year.

Below you can see my new Job Board with the cutest kiddos from Little Lucky Learners. I love having a picture to represent the kid instead of just a name. Students has a job for the week. This is a part of building our community in our classroom. Students are held accountable for their job. We work together to keep the class neat and orderly.

Here is one picture of my students working hard. They have been some SUPER HEROES with Mclass testing that started on the first day of school. Learning classroom rules and procedures has been the main focus here for the first 2 weeks of school.

Come back soon to see what exciting things we will be doing with ipads and chrome books. I am ready to have a SUCCESSFUL year with this group of SUPER SECOND GRADERS!!!!!

Getting Ready For Back To School Blog Hop & Giveaway!!!

It is so hard to believe that summer break is quickly coming to an end. I have to officially return to work on August 17th for teacher work days. Then student return on August 24th. You always think that you have all this time during the summer but you blink and time is now ending. I have been to several PDs this summer and have more to  come.

Be sure to enter to win TPT items from my store. Join in on the fun to get awesome resources for your classroom to make this a GREAT year. A great group of educators with fabulous giveaways in this blog hop.

Summer Camp took place in my classroom this year again. So my room is still waiting for the flooring crew to coming and wax my floors. I always start freaking out when I am ready to work in my room and the floor is not even waxed yet. You can get a look at my room below with it being emptied out and packed up.

Most of mine belongings are stacked outside my classroom in the hallway.

SO now I have to wait until the end of the week before the floors are ready. 

Now since BTS is coming full speed ahead. I would like to give you a heads up on a great giveaway and blog hop. Be sure to check out all of the goodies that are in this giveaway!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Hop & Giveaway

Best to all for your new school year and check back soon to see my classroom reveal with new shiny floors and room ready for students!!!

Summer Break Has Begun!

My 12th year of teaching is now in the books. I have enjoyed this group of kids. I am now excited to enjoy the summer and begin to work on my TpT store that I have neglected all year not to mention my blog. I plan to update and create new products and share my reflection of the past school year.

Below you will see a link to follow my blog on Bloglovin. I would love for you to follow and I would love to follow other educators. Come back to see new ideas and information about my classroom, training and planning I will be doing.

Enjoy your summer.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Using Google Classroom

Using Google Classroom has become one of my favorite ways to use technology with my students. Google Classroom is a great way to share assignments with your students. My school is completely Google with email and Drive, so we are using Chromebooks that allow students to login with their Google accounts and begin learning.

I use Google Classroom with Blendspace and Thinglink. Depending on what we are currently working on in our curriculum. I mostly use it with Science and Social Studies. We are learning about Matter and Landforms. I can easily find lesson or even create lessons on Blendspace or Thinglink and add the assignments into Google Classroom.

Here is a Thinglink that I created on Plant Life Cycles. My students have really enjoyed getting to learn about Plants by using this awesome site. All you do is insert an image and you add tags on the picture that has videos, websites, articles, songs, books and more. Students work their way through each tag on the image and begin to learn. You insert a quiz or assign a journal or activity to complete the lesson.

Google Classroom

Blendspace

Thinglink

Would love to hear of ways that you use these with technology in your classroom. I highly recommend that you go and check these. We use them almost every day in my classroom.