Seesaw!!

Seesaw has become my best friend as an educator!

During our Reader Workshop unit this month, we were focusing on fables. My students learned how to use Green Screen to create a short movie on a few fables we studied. We used the Doink app that is real easy to use. First, students worked on the Readers Theater script before we made the movie. We used props to display the characters in the fables and used images of the setting to make it seem realistic. Here is a pic of students using the green screen. 

The students worked so well together. 

This video is of Country Mouse City Mouse. Students has a blast learning how to use Green Screen with props to create this fable. 

There was two groups working on fables with Readers Theater. The second group did The Fox and The Crow. Below you will see the short movie.

I think for our first time being movie makers, we did a fabulous job! The students really enjoyed getting to create them.

Seesaw allows you to add almost anything into the app or website. It creates a digital portfolio for my students and I can use it as a fast assessment tool. It has become one of the best ways that I can assess my students and also share their work with parents. Students love to share their work with others and this is a great method that allows the teacher to authorize before it is shared. 

Spring Has Sprung

It is that time of year again for everything to start blooming and that brings on seasonal allergies. I love to see all of the pretty colors this time of year but the pollen does not agree with me. With that being said, I will take allergy medicine and enjoy the beauty around me.

I have been busy taking care of my daughter who has dislocated and broken both bones in her leg. This has given me a new understanding of how much we take for granted. She has to depend on my help for everything. She has been a trooper through this accident. I am proud of her strength and courage. While she is on recovery, she is completing the 2nd half of her last semester online at WCU. She will graduate this May with a degree in Biology.

This time away from my classroom has allowed me to create some new items. I have created Compound Word Puzzles.

You can check it out and see if you would like to use it in your classroom. 

Compound words are hard for some students to grasp. SO this is a great way to practice. 

Hope the seasonal allergies are not too rough for you. Enjoy your day and come back to my blog again.

Using Technology to Create an ePortfolio

In my classroom this year, we are excited to be using a new program called Seesaw. It is amazing!

 This has become my favorite technology piece this year. My students can access it with a QR code that they scan with ipad or chromebook to add their technology piece into their very own ePortfolio.

Then I have the ability to see their work and approve it. Parents can have access to their child's ePortfolio with a sign in access that I give them. Students are able to create with ipads and chromebooks and save their work into Seesaw. I have all of their work coming into one place and I can assess their work and provide feedback.

I can also post student work on my blog page, twitter and other social media platforms. Students enjoy getting to add pieces of technology into their ePortfolio. Parents have loved getting to see the work that their child is producing.

If you have never tried Seesaw. Then I highly recommend that you give it a try. If you use Seesaw, share ideas and success stories that you are having.

Summer Is Coming To An End

It is hard to believe that summer has almost come to an end. When we begin our summer break, we have a list of all the things we would like to accomplish before we go back to school. Of course, I never get to my list. I am lucky to get a few items checked off.

My List:

Remodel home office
Lose weight
Exercise
Make tons of items for TpT
Organize my entire house
Purchase apartment items for my college student
Complete more classes from my Grad School
Travel
Tour colleges with high school daughter
Read
Catch up on my scrapbooking
Create with my Cricut machine

These are only a few items from my list. I did get some of them marked off but some I totally missed by a long shot!


Now it is the last day of July and August brings the end of summer and back to thinking about school, our classroom setup and preparing for our students. I was trying to not think about school this year at all during the summer like I have in the past to have time to recharge. But then we go into a store and there it is BTS products. It comes sooner and sooner each year. Don't get me wrong, I love being a teacher but we need our summer to get energized for another year of school.

With all the Back To School sales starting up. Be sure to check out the TpT BTS sale that will be going on August 1 & August 2. This is a great time to stock up on some great products. You can check out my TpT store and use the code below to get the discount. My entire store is 20% off.

Wishing everyone a great new school year.

ArtBots

During a recent lesson, we were learning about vibration. We created ArtBots!! During a Professional Development session at NCCAT. I learned about using Artbots in the classroom. Students had to use the parts to assemble their ArtBot and make it move and create art.

The images and video below shows the Artbots in action. The students had a blast getting their ArtBots to work. The Bots have markers attached to the bottom that would draw as the ArtBot vibrations moved it across the paper. Some moved in circles while others moved diagonally or sideways.

Students had to record the steps and the materials needed to create the ArtBot and complete a self-assessment.

ArtBot Video

Students will use their art piece to work on a creative writing piece.



 

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.