Classroom Activities This Week

This week we are having fun getting ready for our holiday break. We have been working on writing about our Holly Days!!! Here in picture you will see the holly leaves with students writing about their holiday with their families and their traditions. This is always a cute display that I have my students to create each year.

Next, my students did a GREAT job creating their winter snowman pictures. They are hanging in our hallway for all to see. Students will be writing a story in class to go along with their picture. 

I think they turned out fabulous. I love snowman. SO any chance I get to make something with them I do!!! This activity was in our ART center. My students always look forward to what I have each week for them to create in my ART center.

So being that I LOVE SNOWMAN. I have my door as one. A few years ago, I made my door into a snowman and the ladies on my grade level wanted one too. So this year this is my door. Each teacher on my grade level has one just like it in a different color.
Mine is LIME GREEN cause that is my favorite color.

Let me know what you think.

This is such a busy time for year. I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Technology In Our Classroom

My classroom is very lucky to have ipads, smartboard and laptops for students to integrate technology into our everyday learning. I love technology and use it in all aspects of my life. It is also used in many ways in my instruction with my students. Every day lessons I teach, I use some type of technology. It may be the smartboard lesson. We use many ipad apps for all subject areas. We use laptops and desktop computers in centers.

Here is a list of some of our FAVORITE APPS to use!

 Here is one that students made!

We love Sock Puppets. We used this app to tell about Helen Keller. You know technology and its quirks. It will not allow me to post students video. But here is a look at the app.

Students are using ipads daily in centers. Here you can see then using one of our fun apps Word Ball.

They have to build words as fast as they can before the letter balls disappear. We have even used this app with our 5th grade buddies that come to our class on Wednesdays.

   

Students have a blast with Rocket Speller to practice working with words.

                                  

                       

 Big Cat stories are AWESOME!!

We use them in our Listening Center. Students listen to the story being read to them. Then they read it them self and complete the Listening Center Sheet with comprehension questions about the story.

QR Codes are used through out our learning. We used them with Math, Reading, Science and Social Studies. Students love to scan the code and see what it contains. It maybe just to check their answers. To watch a short video segment on Plants and complete a comprehension activity. It can guide them to an app or website to go to for the lesson. QR Codes are a great way to get student active in their learning. This is the app that we use for it.

Students in my classroom love using the ipads. We use the Showme app to display how to work out math problems during math block. Students can show their thinking on ipad and share with the class. 

During our geometry unit we use the GEOBOARD APP instead of  geoboards.

Students really enjoyed using this app instead of the old geoboard with the bands that snap and break. They really understood how shapes are created with the bands and how a rectangle and square have right angles.

I hope I have given you some ideas and apps that you would like to try in your classroom. We are always working with apps to find the best ones. All the apps here are FREE!!!! I love to use the free apps, that way my students can use them at home also. 

Please leave a comment below with any apps that you love to use in your room. I am very interested to hear what works for your students. Share any lessons or activities that you do with the apps or technology in your classroom.

Our Elf Has Arrived!!!

Today, we were surprised by the arrival of our classroom elf. Students couldn't believe that we had been sent an elf from the North Pole. We got to decide as a class a name for our elf. Each student submitted a name and a reason why. Then as a class, we voted on a name. So the name of our elf is.........CHARLIE!!!!

The next day, Charlie the elf was in our highlighter tub with highlighters all over the floor and he left a note saying HI!!!! SO we are off to a great start with a naughty elf. 

Then today, we found him like this in our classroom. 

He had a fun time with my tape dispenser and was tangled up in the tape. But he did leave all of the students a candy cane. 

Wonder what he will be doing tomorrow?????

Check back to see Charlie the elf and what he is getting into.

Getting Back Into The Swing Of It

Hello fellow educators!!! Sorry it has been a while since I have made a post on my blog. It has been a crazy start to my school year. I had moved back to 2nd grade with a whole new classroom make over. To top that off, our grade level was flooded with 2nd graders. I have 25 kiddos and we just got another teacher to make our grade level have 6 teachers. So now after all of that I am with 21 kiddos now. Then this week I had a student to move. Now my roster is sitting at 20, WHEW!!!!!!!

Now, since we have settled into our new roster and getting the students that moved into the new teachers room placed and started. I now feel like I can begin my year. Wow, it to say the least. It has been an emotional ride. Having to let students from your room go it very hard. I had already became attached to them.

On to better things, my classroom is doing GREAT!!! I feel this is one of the best group of kids I have ever had. The students do a fabulous job or working together to build a real classroom community.

My students love using the ipads on daily basis. We use them with math, writing, reading, centers, whole groups, guided groups and this week we are having 5th grade buddies coming to work with us too.

Scootpad is a great app/website that my students use to work on reading and math. They can also access their account and practice at home. It will give me a message about the weekly progress made by my students. I suggest you go check it out and see if it may be something for your students. You can assign what grade level you need. It is Common Core aligned.  It is amazing how the kiddos love it.

Come back soon to check out all of the fun and amazing activities my students will be working on. I look forward to hearing your comments on your classroom. 

Getting Ready For First Day Of School

As many of you are doing as I am, getting your classroom ready for the first day of school. I always get excited at this time of year. Planning my classroom for my newest group of kiddos. This year is even more exciting since I got to move back to 2nd grade.

I will post a few pictures of my classroom and will display more as the days go and first day of school comes and goes.

Here are pictures of my classroom before I painted!!!!

 old paint and board

Now for a look at my room with a FRESH NEW PAINT JOB!!! I love the LIME GREEN board. Painting the classroom gives it new life. I love how it looks.

This is much better!!!!!

I use two shades of blue in my classroom. The front and back walls are the darker shade of blue with the two side walls being the lighter blue. I think it turned out great. Cant see in this picture but I even repainted the black baseboards too!!!

Here you will see some must haves I had to get for my room. I got the ORANGE lamp. Got the BLUE broom that matches one of the borders in my classroom and hallway. The chevron fabric is my curtains that I am putting in my classroom. My overall theme is the DOTS ON TURQUOISE!!!

Here is the start of my LIME GREEN bulletin board that I love!! I have my calendar on one side and the side you cant see has my Job chart. I will be adding my Daily 5 in the middle.

So there you can see that my room is coming along. I am very pleased with the progress. Come back to see more of my room and get some ideas for yours.

Before you go come check out this great FREEBIE at my TpT store.

I am using this for student to house their ipad work until completed to turn in. 

TPAK and Apptivities

Today in Pinnacle training, we were instructed on TPAK and Apptivities. Apptivity is a great way for integration of technology. Teacher will setup an Apptivity for students to create using apps that are suggested by the teacher. It is broken down by Brainstorming, Research, Interview, Compare and Organize and Share! It includes an app vault for students to use for the apptivity. This is for sure an exercise that I will be using in my classroom with our ipads.

TPAK is a great resource for educators to think about their instruction and using technology. By connecting Content, Pedagogy and Technology seamlessly into your teaching. It is easy to put technology into our day to day learning but the importance of using the technology. The outcome not the technology tool is at the front. Think back to the content that we are wanting our student to achieve then work on technology integration. I feel that this will make me think more about what I am doing and why.

Technology and Education

During my career as a teacher, I was chosen for our school districts Pinnacle (technology) program this past year. As being a pinnacle leader, we were given ipads to use in our classroom with our students. In my classroom I had 22 students with 6 ipads. Having the ipads opened up a new resource for my students to use in their learning and creativity.

Using apps with the ipads was a great way to meet the needs of my students. Students worked in groups, with a partner and alone on numerous apps and our classroom kidblog. The ipads were used every day by the students. Kidblog was a part of our morning work everyday. Using the ipads with STEM was very beneficial for my students to discover and share with each other.

In my room, our favorite app was Toontastic. My students had the most fun with this app. Students worked collaboratively in groups with a leader. The groups were assigned different tasks each time. My favorite activity was for them to create a script for a story layout about bullying. There is one of these videos displayed on a post here on my blog.

We also have lots of fun using QR codes. My students always enjoyed the excitement of what would be in the code. A video, a link, a picture or answer to a question.

My classroom loved using the ipads in their learning. Using technology is a major component of my teaching. We used our school computer labs to work on project based learning. Students research about a county they choose. Did a presentation and were evaluated by their peers. Students made a powerpoint Biography that was shared with the class. At the end of the school year, students had to CREATE a newspaper. We used Microsoft Publisher for this. They had to create the layout, theme or newspaper and complete a full page with head line, articles with photos and share with class. My students really got into this one. Most of the boys in my class did it on Minecraft.

I would love to hear about ways you integrated technology with your students and what apps, or programs you use. As I head tomorrow for my 2nd year of Pinnacle. I am excited to see what new resources we will have to use with our students this coming school year. Here is to a new year or endless opportunities to reach every student that enters our classrooms. Happy learning!!!!!!

Owlesome Words

Come check out this fun activity for students to work with words. It is a FREEBIE!!! This is the beginning of a huge pack that I will be creating for my 2nd grade students to use this year with spelling. I will be adding to this freebie and posting soon when it will be available. Please enjoy this freebie and I hope it is great for your students. It is quick and simple print out recording sheet, print cards cut and laminate. Ready to go center or activity for early finishers.

This FREEBIE is in my TpT store. You can see that I used the ever so popular OWLS!!! Hope you're enjoying summer.

Scoot Game

Come see my latest Scoot game. I love using scoot games in my classroom. This game is a fun way for students to practice reading number words and writing them as standard form.

Students will get behind a card with their recording sheet and when told to start look at card match number on sheet and record their answer. Teacher will then say SCOOT, student then scoots to the next card.

This will continue until all cards have been answered. Students will turn in sheet or can score sheet with teacher calling out answers. This is a good assessment for students and also having fun while doing it.

Summer Break

Well another successful school year has come and gone! This was my first year in 3rd Grade. As I entered this new year with new grade level and newly adopted Common Core curriculum, I was a bit worried about doing a good job. I am thankful for a great group of ladies on my grade level. We all worked hard together to design lesson plans. As I reflect, I feel that I did a great job with this new challenge.

Now, I am luck to say that I am moving back to my beloved 2nd grade. My comfort zone, my home, my love for teaching GRADE. I have taught 2nd grade for 6 years. 2nd grade is my favorite grade to teach. I have taught several different grade levels. I will be with a group of awesome ladies. I will be moving classrooms again. But I am happy to do it since I get to return to 2nd.

Summer break has finally begun for me!!! I will be relaxing around the pool soaking up some rays. Spending some much needed time with my girls. Although it is summer break my To Do List is already started for jobs needed around the house.

I know I"m supposed to rest but this is the time for me to begin thinking about the next school year  and changes that I want to make to my classroom, lessons, and find new ideas and activities. School is in my blood and I will always be planning. I feel that is what makes you an awesome teacher instead of just a good teacher.

I would love to hear of some ideas that you are planning in your classroom for the next school year. I will be painting my classroom and redecorating some with minor changes. Adding some new pops of color and flair. I will post pictures when it is all finished.
 HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!!