I Heart Vista Print!

I recently searched for bucket filler ideas and came across a blog called 3rd grade thoughts. She used business cards and turned them into bucket filler cards for students to fill out! So genius! Plus they are having a 50% off sale until Aug.5th! GO!GO! Naturally, I added way more stuff to my cart, sadly the shipping was over $13 plus tax :( but you can only apply one promo code per order so it was cheaper for me to use the "ITSBACK" code to get 50% off my items. Here is what I got...can you see a theme here??HooooHoooo

500 business cards/bucket filler cards for $10!

I added on a window decal that says "second grade scholars" for my front window, a key chain with my name on it, in case it gets left behind in the lounge (just in case), a large "car" magnet that says "learning objectives/ I can" and a window decal (that will be a cling on sticker) to place on my white board that reads "today is..."

I wonder what other cute ideas there are for using business cards....punch cards? behavior cards? homework passes?....endless!!!

SHOP NOW! use my link http://vistaprint.tellapal.com/a/clk/1hWMS5

DIY Calming Glitter Bottle

I saw a great idea on Pinterest a while ago about calming glitter jars being used in the classroom. I have not used it in the classroom yet, but here's what I'm thinking...
Students who are upset (not violently) can go to an area of the classroom away from the other students. The area can have a stuffed animal, journal, timer, stress ball, and or the calming jar. I looked around my house for a jar or container that had a flat top so it could be turned over and low and behold I found the Starbucks iced coffee bottle. Here is what I used and did:

Need:

A sturdy bottle with a flat top 
bottle of glitter glue (color of your choice) I had a bottle of black glitter glue
loose glitter (color of your choice) I had pink 
rubbing alcohol (for sticky bottle label removal)
hot water
decorative tape (mine was Scotch Expressions tape from Office Depot)
super glue

Steps:

1. First I removed the labels from the jar and soaked it in a hot water/rubbing alcohol bath, after it was soaking about an hour or so I used a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol to remove the rest of the sticky reside. 

2. Then I got some hot water (from my Keurig) and put it into the jar (this will keep the glitter glue from clumping up). I left a little space at the top so I could stir.

3. Here comes the fun part...pour in desired amount of loose glitter and then the whole bottle of glitter glue. 

4. Stir, stir, stir (I used a skewer stick to stir up the glitter glue and break up the pieces.

5. Then I shook the bottle (don't forget to put the lid on). Then topped it off with a bit more water.

6. Once it cooled down I used superglue around the top part of the lid to seal the lid on tight!

7. Once the glue is dry I used Scotch Expressions tape or you could use washi or duct tape to hide the lid. 

8. I am thinking of decorating the lid with some glue on jewels or rhinestones to hide the Starbucks logo...

Enjoy!! Tag me with your IG pics with my name so I can see what yours look like! @mrsspeed951

*Teacher Worthy App.*

Teachers will love this app. for their phone! It helps solve the problem of the missing book. Many times students ask their teacher to borrow a classroom book to take home. I have had this happen several times right when we are packing up and getting ready to walk out the door. I quickly agree to let the student borrow it without keeping track which book was borrowed by which student. Teachers can now use this app to scan, take a picture, search an online catalog, etc. to keep track of the book and person who borrowed it! Genius!
* Free version had ads
*Pro version is ad free $3.99

BooksApp - Catalog, organize and keep track of your books with your iPhone or iPod touch

Learn About Butterflies

Theme 8: Week:2- First Grade: Butterfly

Glogster: All about butterflies (Time lapse video, OW/OU words/ Vocabulary, Spelling, The Hungry Caterpillar Story, and the audio of "Butterfly")






Butterfly Craft Ideas
Monarch Butterfly Video
Order A Butterfly Kit
Butterfly Books

Why my school should adopt Brain Pop!

Brain Pop adoption

View more presentations from Katie Speed

I created this for my Walden University class as part of a plan to get a school to adopt a new technology.

Read my Wordle

My first Prezi! Ta Da!

This is a presentation for my EDU 6715 class at Walden University
It explains Online Learning in K-12 Schools, using Moodle

Online Learning in K-12 Schools on Prezi

Get $ back for school shopping!

eBates has been growing in popularity and I keep hearing about it. So I signed up for free today; basically you go to their site ebates.com and click the store you want to shop at. For teachers and parents buying back to school supplies this is a great website! Some stores include:  Walmart, Circuit City, Apple, Dell, HP, Staples, Office Depot, Sears, Jc Penny, Barnes and Nobel and Old Navy (to name a few), then you get a percentage back of what you spent online at that store. The percentage can then be added onto a gift card of your choice! Your going to shop online anyway, might as well get paid for it!

Beginning of School Student Survey

GAME Plan Reflection

       When I first started my GAME plan it was easy to make goals, but harder to accomplish them in a timely manner. I feel like obtaining my goals is not something I can accomplish completely in a school year. My plan is to gradually grow and work on my goals in small ways so I do not feel overwhelmed. My goal that I feel was most accomplished and easy was to have students explore in real-world issues and solving problems using digital tools and resources. I have found that my students relate closer to events and problems that are happening to their age group, in their community, and in their school. I understand that a more world based outlook is important and can provide various learning opportunities, and I plan to incorporate this in the future. 

While setting goals for my game plan one important one is to be a life-long learner in the field of education. One way I have accomplished this goal is by signing up for on-line education conferences, subscribing to education resources magazines/journals, and by visiting my colleagues classroom’s for ideas and teaching strategies. In the form of technology, I am able to subscribe to various education blogs from around the world to see what other teachers and students are doing and see how we can learn from each other. 

In the area of technology I have found a teacher at my school that is very skilled at integrating technology and has his own website for educators. I plan to visit his classroom during technology integrated lessons and learn all that I can about problems that arise, the student’s reactions/interest level, and how to find technology resources. I plan to continue to refer back to my GAME plan throughout the year and assess myself in my progress. I am sure new goals will arise, and I am excited to one day look back on my plan to see what I have accomplished. 

GAME plan week 6

After reviewing my goals for my GAME plan in week 1, I have been reflecting on what I have learned so far from my course work to help me with obtaining my goals. One goal and concern I had was to promote and model digital etiquette. I have learned in my course readings and assignments that many digital tools are available to students and teachers to help promote this concern. For example some resources for email etiquette include:

http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit/6237, and a quiz students can take on email etiquette: http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=do-you-know-email-etiquette


I have also found a variety of resources in our text book, our videos, and from my classmates. I am discovering a variety of digital tools that I have never heard of from our class resources and classmates. My bookmarks are getting pretty full of all the resources. 


I do feel comfortable to begin a new goal in order to grow as a professional: NETS-T performance indicator #5: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. One way I have been working towards this goal is to research professional conferences and meetings for educators from around the world to gain knowledge from other educators. An online conference is held each year called the "K-12 Conference" http://k12online.ning.com/. What I like about this resources is that if you missed the conference from the previous year it is all available for you to view online...they call it the conference that keeps going. My next idea is to join an educational organization where I can obtain the latest news and ideas in education. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions for any? 

GAME plan progress Week 5

“Collaboration is a key component of project based learning environments, as it allows student to draw on each other’s perspectives and talents in order to more effectively devise solutions for the problems at hand” (Ertmer & Simons, p. 43, 2006). I have learned that asking students to collaboratively work together and share ideas is easier said than done. In order for their service learning project I will need my students to work together, solve problems effectively, divide responsibilities between each other, and give  each other positive feedback. One way to accomplish this collaborative classroom culture I plan to do a series of collaborative activities throughout the year to foster this type of behavior. A few ideas are to have students participate in group work, projects, and team building games. To help guide my students in learning how to collaborate with their peers successfully I will model the correct behavior and praise students who are exhibiting the desired behavior. Even if a teacher possessed the best lesson plan or project it does them no good if their students can not work together and know how to take on those roles in small groups that are needed. 

Reference

Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved fromhttp://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ijpbl.

GAME plan revision

As I reviewed my GAME plan and suggestions from my peers, I have decided to make a few changes and modify my plan. I currently work in a resource class where students come for a short time in small groups to work on specific skills. I think for my goal of having my students connect with others from around the world, instead of using Skype, it would be more time efficient and technology friendly to use e-pals for communication. For Skype I would need to coordinate the time that my students would connect with other students and the time zone issue would also be tricky to set up. My classroom is unique because I teach various grades and the students do not stay the whole day so my time frame with each grade level is limited. Students will be able to check their e-Pals messages from their home classroom and at home if available. This will save time for instruction and discussion while they are in my classroom. Students will also need a lesson on e-mail etiquette since many of them many have never used e-mail before and have only had experience in writing letters. I will need to warn them that e-mail and text messages are to be looked at differently. 

GAME plan week 2

Resources needed to carry out my GAME plan:

Students will need Internet access and a computer camera in order to use Skype and other video software to enhance their learning. A microphone and headset is also required for students to provide a supplemental resource for students to record their voices into the computer and hear themselves in order to improve their speaking fluency  and oral reading skills. 

Students must have basic computer skills and have been exposed to Internet, email, and video chat etiquette. I need to obtain information on how to teach students to use this Internet etiquette and safety in their daily lives and in school. My plan is to assess the level of etiquette that my students already possess. The following website contains a quiz on netiquette that I would have my students take: http://www.bucks.edu/online/dlresources/etiquette.htm. After reading the results I can assess my classroom and see what they need improvement in. 

GAME plan Week 1

As a professional educator it is important to continue my education and grow to become the best educator for my students. It is important for teachers to set goals and have a plan on how they will reach those goals. My goals are as follows:     

GAME plan goal #1 :

ISTE: 1.a. Engage students in exploring real world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. 

GAME plan goal #2:

ISTE: 4.c. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsive social interactions related to use of technology and information.

Action Plan

#1 In order to allow my students to solve real world problems I must give them the opportunity to connect with their community and other students from their community and around the world. I know that students work best as a team and I plan to give them more opportunities to work together and become learners through experience, not lecture. Using the Internet I can allow students to connect with students around the world to solve problems together. Programs such as e-pals or Skype can help students connect and share ideas and perspectives from other locations and backgrounds.

#2 In all my course readings one thing about how students learn best has always been told the same; students learn best by teaching and doing. In order to teach students how to use digital etiquette, I will have my students break up into teams-each group with a specialization (plagiarism, chat/email safety, website creditability, etc.). Students will learn about their topic and make a media presentation for the younger grades to teach them how to use digital etiquette. They will have the creativity to create a PowerPoint, video, song, slideshow, etc. to be presented to a classroom of a younger grade.

Monitoring my goals 

#1 In order for students to all stay on the right track I will be monitoring my student’s discussions with others and add suggestions. Students learn best when they are allowed to work creatively and guided instead of told what to do. I will allow my students to follow their instincts and use creativity in solving problems of their community while monitoring them for content and appropriateness. As stated in Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer (2009), the computer programs that students use is not the main focus in integrating technology into education, it is the quality of the conversation that occurs within students. 

#2 I will monitor students’ learning by taking anecdotal notes on discussions and progress being made while students are conducting their research and creating their media project. 

Evaluating my goals

#1 I will be evaluating students’ outcome by the way they solved their problem, worked with others, and the resources they used to reach their conclusion. I will evaluate how the use of technology helped students reach a conclusion and work with others. Did it enhance their learning? Did students use appropriate and safe methods while online? What ways did they use technology to solve their problem?

#2 I will evaluate the final product of each group and review before it is presented to other classrooms. I will evaluate if students were able to find helpful information, correct information, if they were able to present their findings in the media form, and if they will follow their own teachings in the future. 

References

Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc. Custom ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). NETS for teachers 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Geography lesson and Voki

Using Technology to Support Authentic Instruction

Lesson Plan

Title: Country Creativity Project

Standard: Fourth grade: 

History Social-Science:4.1.1 Explain and use the coordinate grid system of latitude and longitude to determine the absolute locations of places in California and on Earth.

English Language Arts:2.3 Write information reports:

a. Frame a central question about an issue or situation.

1. Include facts and details for focus. 
2. Draw from more than one source of information (e.g., speakers, books, newspapers,

other media sources).

Outcome: Students will...

1. Discover where major continents are located on the map
2. Where these continents are located in reference to longitude and latitude
3. The capitals of the country (longitude/latitude)
4. Present facts about the countries’ population, economy, culture, language(s), and name its bird and flower
5. Create a blog where they will post their findings in a research paper format 
6. Add their Voki character to blog
7. Add a song or video about their country to their blog 

Materials and Resources: 

Internet access

www.blogspot.com

www.Voki.com

http://www.abcya.com/childrens_latitude_and_longitude_practice.htm

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/

Notebook 

World map (per student)

Flashcards (7 per student)

Rubric (student-teacher created)

Procedures: Students will be placed into seven groups. Students will vote and decide what country they will research. They will conduct research using the National Geographic website for kids. Students will write down their required information on their flashcards. Students will write a draft of their findings in a notebook and have their peers review it. After the final review by the teacher students will create a group blog dedicated to their country and post their research paper on it separately. Students will then use Voki.com to create a character that will look similar to those people in their country. They will choose an appropriate background, clothing, voice, and overall look. They will then type in the name of their country, its bird and flower for the character to say. Their character will then be posted (shared) on their blog. 

Assessment: Students will use a rubric they created collaboratively in the beginning of the project with the teacher. Students will have a copy of the grading rubric while working on their project to make sure all requirements are met.

Attachments: 

Example of a Voki character: http://yungteach951.blogspot.com/2011/03/geography-lesson-and-voki.html

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Pirate Latitude and Longitude

ABCya! Latitude and Longitude Game

Students need practice learning Latitude and Longitude? Have them play this fun treasure search game!

Dinosaurs and God

Recently I was teaching in a second grade class and we were learning about fossils and paleontologists, we discussed how dinosaurs' bones were found and put back together like a puzzle. A young girl raises her hand eager to share something. I call on her and she tells me she knows how and why dinosaurs died. I ask her to explain and she continues.."God was mad that dinosaurs at all the people and he killed them all!" As I looked around the room I saw the confusion and surprise on the little student's faces. I didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise so before I could respond in a polite way another student chimes in and says "No! It's because the asteroid hit the Earth!" the little girl's face was priceless...she was so confused but stood by her story. This is one of those teaching times I had to write about....

Mouse Mischief Promotional Video - In a Real Classroom Setting!

Did You Know 4.0