The past few months have taken some unexpected turns. What I thought I knew would happen was not what transpired. I thought I would be maintaining this blog as well as another while going on speaking engagements because of my first book, as well as, have my second book finished by now. Ha!
I have gotten the opportunity to share my experience but on a more personal level. I also had many "do nothing"' week nights and weekends. Looking back, a very needed break. Over the past few years, I have written a book and gotten my Bachelors and Masters degrees. Which is a lot in itself but like most women, I did this on top of obligations as a wife, mother, and active member of my church family. I NEEDED the break!
Break is over and I am ready to work. I have just finished my first in a series of picture books and began the research for the book I thought would be complete. Whenever and however the speaking engagements and publishing opportunities come, they come. As they come, I will be ready. It is still my goal to help as many new teachers and struggling students as possible. Can't wait - next chapter starts now!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
New Year to Engage and Raise Expectations
A new school year is upon us. The truth be told, most of us have been back in our classrooms for weeks preparing for this day. We have a new opportunity to impact students and give them an opportunity to experience learning in a way that is fresh and exciting. Personally, I have spent many hours on websites like Pinterest and Learnist, seeking out ideas that I can bring to my classroom.
Ready or not we must give our students the tools to be successful. First and foremost, we must ENGAGE our students. Engaged students means less time correcting behaviors and more time learning and growing. Engaged students are interested in topics that they have never heard of or thought about, because it was presented in a way that drew them. Engagement should not only get students excited but teachers.
Lets make sure we are assessing our students as we go. Monitoring progress is a great thing when used properly. Exit tickets, a few questions to check understanding will be very helpful in driving the direction of your instruction. It will give you an opportunity to make adjustments as you go instead of waiting for the big test at the end.
Lastly, whatever happened with students last school year was last year!!! See them for the potential that is inside of them and not for what you read in their file. All students deserve a chance and ALL students can learn. Let your students know that you are different. You do not see them as a problem but a possibility. Encourage them to go beyond their usual. Expect more and you will get more!
I wish each of you the best school year!
Ready or not we must give our students the tools to be successful. First and foremost, we must ENGAGE our students. Engaged students means less time correcting behaviors and more time learning and growing. Engaged students are interested in topics that they have never heard of or thought about, because it was presented in a way that drew them. Engagement should not only get students excited but teachers.
Lets make sure we are assessing our students as we go. Monitoring progress is a great thing when used properly. Exit tickets, a few questions to check understanding will be very helpful in driving the direction of your instruction. It will give you an opportunity to make adjustments as you go instead of waiting for the big test at the end.
Lastly, whatever happened with students last school year was last year!!! See them for the potential that is inside of them and not for what you read in their file. All students deserve a chance and ALL students can learn. Let your students know that you are different. You do not see them as a problem but a possibility. Encourage them to go beyond their usual. Expect more and you will get more!
I wish each of you the best school year!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Worth Every Penny But Be Wise
Recently, I purchased supplies for the upcoming school year for my children and myself. It amazes me each year how much we as a household spend before clothes, shoes, and school fees. This year, I was reminded that I spend much more on my classroom and the students that I teach each year than I do on my own children.
After thinking about how much I spend outside of my household on students who may not otherwise be able to get supplies, I realized just how much of my household budget I use to ensure that all of my "children" are well supplied. I feel that it is a necessity for the learning process. You cannot make a cake without all of the right ingredients and you cannot not teach effectively when students are distracted by what they do not have.
Thinking on this took me back to a conference I attended earlier this summer where two speakers shared, that much to their husbands disapproval, they purchased gift cards for students to culminate a project. Many teachers share this practice especially if you work in a school where parents struggle to put food on their tables, food is the priority over supplies.
Typically I have three big spending seasons: the fall at the start of school, right before winter break, and at the end of the school year. I spend several hundred dollars (in the past thousands) every year on supplies, teaching tools, subscriptions, books, gifts, incentives, paying for fields trips, and other things for students within my school environment.
I literally have a small store in my attic space. My husband thinks I am crazy and cannot understand why I need so much. Over the years, my spending has decreased because some things are reusable and I have learned to make other things instead of buying them.
I have found that teachers need to communicate because we are great resources for one another. Someone may have figured out how to create a useful teaching tool instead of buying it. We do not need to reinvent the wheel especially if you are a teacher that feels that you are not creative, it is nice to be able to tap into the ideas of teachers that are.
One such resource is Pinterest. It is free and it allows you to post your ideas as well as useful websites to your "board" and see other post on teacher's boards of their favorite websites and ideas for a variety of topics in addition to education.
If there is an item that interest you on Pinterest you can share that item by repinning it to your board and/or select that you like the item. Personally, I have found many ideas that led me to create my own posters, notebooks, and bulletin boards. I also take pleasure in being able to help teachers by presenting something they may not have thought of or presenting an idea that I was exposed to at a professional development.
Our students are worth every penny that we spend but lets be smart about what is available to us. Use your resources, some of the best ideas may come from a social/professional sharing site like Pinterest.
After thinking about how much I spend outside of my household on students who may not otherwise be able to get supplies, I realized just how much of my household budget I use to ensure that all of my "children" are well supplied. I feel that it is a necessity for the learning process. You cannot make a cake without all of the right ingredients and you cannot not teach effectively when students are distracted by what they do not have.
Thinking on this took me back to a conference I attended earlier this summer where two speakers shared, that much to their husbands disapproval, they purchased gift cards for students to culminate a project. Many teachers share this practice especially if you work in a school where parents struggle to put food on their tables, food is the priority over supplies.
Typically I have three big spending seasons: the fall at the start of school, right before winter break, and at the end of the school year. I spend several hundred dollars (in the past thousands) every year on supplies, teaching tools, subscriptions, books, gifts, incentives, paying for fields trips, and other things for students within my school environment.
I literally have a small store in my attic space. My husband thinks I am crazy and cannot understand why I need so much. Over the years, my spending has decreased because some things are reusable and I have learned to make other things instead of buying them.
I have found that teachers need to communicate because we are great resources for one another. Someone may have figured out how to create a useful teaching tool instead of buying it. We do not need to reinvent the wheel especially if you are a teacher that feels that you are not creative, it is nice to be able to tap into the ideas of teachers that are.
One such resource is Pinterest. It is free and it allows you to post your ideas as well as useful websites to your "board" and see other post on teacher's boards of their favorite websites and ideas for a variety of topics in addition to education.
If there is an item that interest you on Pinterest you can share that item by repinning it to your board and/or select that you like the item. Personally, I have found many ideas that led me to create my own posters, notebooks, and bulletin boards. I also take pleasure in being able to help teachers by presenting something they may not have thought of or presenting an idea that I was exposed to at a professional development.
Our students are worth every penny that we spend but lets be smart about what is available to us. Use your resources, some of the best ideas may come from a social/professional sharing site like Pinterest.
Monday, August 6, 2012
ShowMe App Review
ShowMe is an online learning community that offers it users an opportunity to collaborate and learn from one another using a mixture of podcasting and a whiteboard application. In fact I planned to write this blog on Sketchcasting, but as I was going through some of my apps on my iPad and opened up the ShowMe application.
The ShowMe application has everything you need to create a Sketchcast in one place. With a Sketchcast you would need a microphone, screencaster (program to record what is on your screen), drawing program, and a place to upload your video. The ShowMe app includes all of those things and you are only required to select "Create New ShowMe."
This application is great for parents who help with homework and do not know how to convey a topic or is looking for a strategy to help their child learn a certain topic. It is great for teachers who are looking for new ways to teach a certain topic to meet the needs of their diverse learners, teachers who want to reinforce what has already been taught or teachers who want to share with other educators what has worked for their students.
In addition, it is great for peer tutoring. First and foremost, it utilizes technology which our students love. They are able to create "Show Mes" and use them to explain different concepts in their own words with pictures that have meaning to them.
This app helps with the different learning styles as well. This application allows the students to hear (auditory) , and see (visual) what you are trying to convey. Furthermore, if you assign a topic that you want your students to convey it gives those tactile/kinetic learners hands on experience.
This is a great application for classroom activities as well as homework refreshers or assignments. I have included a link to a short ShowMe video that I put together to demonstrate its usefulness.
ShowME Video
The ShowMe application has everything you need to create a Sketchcast in one place. With a Sketchcast you would need a microphone, screencaster (program to record what is on your screen), drawing program, and a place to upload your video. The ShowMe app includes all of those things and you are only required to select "Create New ShowMe."
This application is great for parents who help with homework and do not know how to convey a topic or is looking for a strategy to help their child learn a certain topic. It is great for teachers who are looking for new ways to teach a certain topic to meet the needs of their diverse learners, teachers who want to reinforce what has already been taught or teachers who want to share with other educators what has worked for their students.
In addition, it is great for peer tutoring. First and foremost, it utilizes technology which our students love. They are able to create "Show Mes" and use them to explain different concepts in their own words with pictures that have meaning to them.
This app helps with the different learning styles as well. This application allows the students to hear (auditory) , and see (visual) what you are trying to convey. Furthermore, if you assign a topic that you want your students to convey it gives those tactile/kinetic learners hands on experience.
This is a great application for classroom activities as well as homework refreshers or assignments. I have included a link to a short ShowMe video that I put together to demonstrate its usefulness.
ShowME Video
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Class Dojo Review
It is hard to teach when your students are out of control and are
disruptive to the classroom environment. You can spend more time disciplining
students than you do teaching. This is unfair to the rest of your
students who need you to dedicate as much time as possible to their
academic success.
Personally, I feel that you must have an arsenal of techniques and strategies to effectively manage your classroom. If you have been teaching for any time, you know that what works one day can be a disaster the next.
If you have a tried and true strategy that has less than desirable results or you may want to start your new school year off with something new, it may be time to add Classdojo to your arsenal.
Classdojo uses technology to track a student's behavior. For those of us who love to implement technology in our classrooms, this is another way to engage the students in their learning environment. You can assign each student an avatar and administer either a reward or consequence from your computer, smartboard, or even more convenient your cellphone.
Students are able to monitor their status as they go through the day. As students see their results on the screen it prompts them to correct any unwanted behavior or continue in a good behavior that has been recognized. No student wants to be last or have points deducted on a video game and they are not going to want to have a less the stellar review projected on a board.
Classdojo is just one more tool that can effectively help you manage your classroom. With a few short signup steps, you will be on your way to a more tech savvy way to give your students the most productive classroom experience.
Personally, I feel that you must have an arsenal of techniques and strategies to effectively manage your classroom. If you have been teaching for any time, you know that what works one day can be a disaster the next.
If you have a tried and true strategy that has less than desirable results or you may want to start your new school year off with something new, it may be time to add Classdojo to your arsenal.
Classdojo uses technology to track a student's behavior. For those of us who love to implement technology in our classrooms, this is another way to engage the students in their learning environment. You can assign each student an avatar and administer either a reward or consequence from your computer, smartboard, or even more convenient your cellphone.
Students are able to monitor their status as they go through the day. As students see their results on the screen it prompts them to correct any unwanted behavior or continue in a good behavior that has been recognized. No student wants to be last or have points deducted on a video game and they are not going to want to have a less the stellar review projected on a board.
Classdojo is just one more tool that can effectively help you manage your classroom. With a few short signup steps, you will be on your way to a more tech savvy way to give your students the most productive classroom experience.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
TourWrist Review
Last week I attended the Virginia Department of Education's From Vision to Practice Conference. During a session facilitated by iSchool Initiatives, a wonderful group of young people from Kennesaw State University, who are touring the country demonstrating how ipad apps can be used in the classroom, introduced us to the app TourWrist.
The TourWrist app is, in my opinion, a great app for two reasons. First, the app allows students to view other parts of the world. They can see landmarks, schools, businesses, entertainment, and other points of interest, all without leaving the classroom. It exposes them to elements beyond their community, circle of friends, and imagination. It shows them things that they may not see in everyday life and sets up discussions or comparisons of elements that are typical everywhere and elements that are not.
This tool is also wonderful when used as a writing prompt. Students can write about what they have observed or what was missing or not a part of the shot. Students are visual and instead of writing a prompt on the board, they can view their prompt using the TourWrist app. They can create a story about a portion of what they saw. For example, one person viewed a tour which looked like some sort of costume party. They could write about one character at the party, the host of the party, or they could be creative and write a complete story around what they have viewed.
I would recommend that educators explore this app and find ways to incorporate it into their language arts and history lesson plans. It is a great way to incorporate technology that our students are already using and expanding their experience beyond the classroom.
The TourWrist app is, in my opinion, a great app for two reasons. First, the app allows students to view other parts of the world. They can see landmarks, schools, businesses, entertainment, and other points of interest, all without leaving the classroom. It exposes them to elements beyond their community, circle of friends, and imagination. It shows them things that they may not see in everyday life and sets up discussions or comparisons of elements that are typical everywhere and elements that are not.
This tool is also wonderful when used as a writing prompt. Students can write about what they have observed or what was missing or not a part of the shot. Students are visual and instead of writing a prompt on the board, they can view their prompt using the TourWrist app. They can create a story about a portion of what they saw. For example, one person viewed a tour which looked like some sort of costume party. They could write about one character at the party, the host of the party, or they could be creative and write a complete story around what they have viewed.
I would recommend that educators explore this app and find ways to incorporate it into their language arts and history lesson plans. It is a great way to incorporate technology that our students are already using and expanding their experience beyond the classroom.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Carrot Sticks and Gooru Math Websites
Carrotsticks.com
Carrot Sticks, a Mathematics based website for elementary students, grades 1 -5. Students can create their own characters and used them while practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. The site provides several levels of difficulty that students can advance through and allows teachers to track their progress. In addition teachers can differentiate according to the students' needs by starting them on a level that is conducive to the child's level of learning.
The site is free to teachers giving them unlimited access between 7am and 3pm and has very good rates for those that would like to subscribe.
This is a great website for the learner that has difficulty remembering basic math facts. This site provides rigorous practice in a format that students can relate to.
Goorulearning.org
Gooru, a Mathematics and Science based website for 5th - 12th grade students. It offers students and teachers a variety of featured resources to include a discussion board, videos, interactive activities, websites, and slides. It is also has digital textbooks, animation, a note taking tab as well as assessments for student learning. Teachers can setup their students by using the classroom feature.
The information presented is based on the Core Curriculum Standards as well as California Science Curriculum Standards.
For these and more math websites click on the link below.
http://www.pearltrees.com/switch2teach/mathematic-websites/id4553214
Please give readers your feedback on these websites or if you know of others send your suggestions to authorsmouthpiece@gmail.com or respond to this post.
Carrot Sticks, a Mathematics based website for elementary students, grades 1 -5. Students can create their own characters and used them while practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. The site provides several levels of difficulty that students can advance through and allows teachers to track their progress. In addition teachers can differentiate according to the students' needs by starting them on a level that is conducive to the child's level of learning.
The site is free to teachers giving them unlimited access between 7am and 3pm and has very good rates for those that would like to subscribe.
This is a great website for the learner that has difficulty remembering basic math facts. This site provides rigorous practice in a format that students can relate to.
Goorulearning.org
Gooru, a Mathematics and Science based website for 5th - 12th grade students. It offers students and teachers a variety of featured resources to include a discussion board, videos, interactive activities, websites, and slides. It is also has digital textbooks, animation, a note taking tab as well as assessments for student learning. Teachers can setup their students by using the classroom feature.
The information presented is based on the Core Curriculum Standards as well as California Science Curriculum Standards.
For these and more math websites click on the link below.
http://www.pearltrees.com/switch2teach/mathematic-websites/id4553214
Please give readers your feedback on these websites or if you know of others send your suggestions to authorsmouthpiece@gmail.com or respond to this post.
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