What happened today?

We have a Halloween tradition that started about four years ago that involves a pumpkin and a good imagination! Students at Oaktree Elementary get to participate in a pumpkin decorating contest. We have had very creative entries every year. This year the pumpkins were decorated with the classroom wagon, too.

Our student council is always looking for ways to make our school an engaging place to be. This is just one of many things our awesome student council does, but it seems to be the students’  favorite! It also shows what a wonderful staff we have. Our crazy contests are always met with great, enthusiastic staff members. This allows our student council to feel empowered! They know they make a difference in our school!

Please take a look at our creations for this year, and please let us know if you have other ideas we could incorporate into our school community!

Personalize your own scrapbook design

Another year is finished. I have my room cleaned and packed up…a feat most think I will never finish on time, but I did with fifteen minutes to spare! The room is silent and I reflected on the wonderful year I had. I was able to teach these 29 students for 9 months and I hope they know how much they all taught me. I was taught to be more patient, that if a student wants to have a messy desk even after we clean desks on Friday to let it go…it is not worth the battle. I have learned that students love to create and I have learned that this group were scientists (they begged to have a science fair…and we did!). I learned many things this year, and for that I am grateful.

My goals for this year were the following:

1. Integrate technology when I can.

2. Make my students’ passion drive what we do.

3. Have a cleaner room….to make my principal happy.

4. Make learning has hands on and engaging as I can.

These goals are not really in the correct order, but that is how they are listed in my notebook. I sat down to write how I did  on each goal and I found examples for each of these goals that made me feel I have made progress on these goals, but I will still have these goals next year and I bet the year after that. My mantra is if I think I have nothing to change about my teaching, then it is time to retire….at the rate I am going I will not retire until I am physically or mentally unable to do so….there is always room for improvement!

I feel I made progress with all of these goals except for number 3. I tried to have a cleaner room and I even had a vacuum cleaner and a broom in my room to help with the mess we create… we failed miserably! I have learned that when you give the students ownership and let them create…it gets messy! My students know that it was OUR classroom not My classroom. They know where to get things in my desk, they know where the creativity box is housed and that they can use all the publishing tools available to them, no need to ask, just create. I have had to take the teasing and disdain from several people about my classroom and it bothers me, so every year I try to make it cleaner and I am beginning to resent that this is the only thing some people focus on. We have a messy room, but we have a great time learning and for that I will not apologize! I make sure the floor is picked up so the custodians can vacuum, but the tables are covered with a myriad of projects. Our Webkinz zoo takes up a whole table and to some observers that may look like boxes, but you ask my students and they will say, “That is our habitat!” This year long project is wonderful because it incorporates social studies, science, reading, writing and students are working in cooperative groups. All that learning that takes place makes some people cringe because there are boxes- decorated by 8 year olds. Our publishing center has many books on the table drying, our science table is covered with whatever science experiment a child has wanted to try and their desks, well they vary depending on the child and I believe that is how it should be. I have also had people tell me I need to get rid of some of my books because I have too many. I just shake my head at that statement…you can never have too many books!

I am tired of defending myself to people and quite honestly I think people that have really clean rooms are not letting their students explore, yet I do not go in their room and make statements like, “You’re room gives me a headache!” or “How can you stand this?!” Quite frankly…I am thinking the same things about the sterile environments that many hold as a standard all educators should strive to be. If I was a teacher that lost all her papers and never could find things you may have an argument, but that is not the case. I lose some things, everybody does, but I have several people come to me for something that was misplaced. So please, if you are only going to concentrate on the cleanliness of a room…just walk on by. If you want to see some really cool things can do if you let them explore, then come on in! We would love to show you how fun learning can and should be!

I am moving number number 4 to the top and number 3 to the bottom…it is still there because I will never please anyone with that goal so it is there. I will try, but I will not let it take too much instructional time or squelch creativity! I make DVD’s at the end of the year that showcase all the learning that took place this year. I made each child 3 DVD’s full of memories of learning that took place this year. One parent called me to thank me and said, “I see why it was so messy, but boy did my kid love school this year!” That is what it is all about!

Here is an example of the science activities we did for our Earth Science Unit. Messy, yes, but very engaging and the class average on the test was a 93%! Worth every bit of teasing about the room!

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We have a tradition at Goodrich that has been in place for a very long time. We have what we call a “Field Day” where we spend the day at the high school track participating in running, field and class events. It is always in June, and we spend the entire day outside. I was lucky to participate in field days when I went to Goodrich, and as a kid it was something we looked forward to all year. I am pleased to say I still look forward to field days even more now that I have the honor of  being a teacher in this district.

Our physical education teacher, Mr. Adams, plans the day for us. Mr. Adams is beloved and we couldn’t have the day without him. I have a soft spot for this man because he was both my softball coach and basketball coach when I went to Goodrich. He was always tough on us, but we all knew he was pushing us to be better.  He has a way of caring about kids and having very high expectations for them at the same time. We have several successful athletes in our district and I believe Mr. Adams has a huge part in helping these kids find their passion for sports. We all have our tasks, but without Mr. Adams we would not have the wonderful day of physical activity. I think it is important day for all students for several reasons.

The main reason I love this day is we get to see our kids in a different environment. Often kids that may struggle in the classroom shine on field day, and we get to see them in their element. I think it is also a good thing that some students do struggle that normally ace everything in the classroom. I think it is a great lesson for students to learn that we are all good at somethings and we all have things we need to work on. The important lesson is that we need to persevere and work through it.

Another reason why I think this is important is that it gets kids moving and highlights physical activity. Keeping healthy and active is a life lesson and this day is all about keeping active. I applaud Mr. Adams for organizing all the different events so that strength, skill and quickness all matter.

Our PTO plans the class events so that students are having fun, but still racing against other classrooms. This is also important because we can model good sportsmanship. We race against other classrooms and it is very important that we help kids learn to be good sports. I find that in the course of the day we all win and lose at something. Learning to cope with both respectfully is a skill that has to be modeled.

I also love the sense of community field days brings to our district! The parents come out in record numbers to support their children. The day ends with the relay race. Being chosen to run in the relay race is an honor and something a child will never forget. We end with the fifth graders…their last hurrah before they go to the middle school. There is a great atmosphere that shows one of the reasons why Goodrich is such a great district to live in. It was true when my parents sent seven of their children through and it is still true today! We are a small school, and we live in a small town. This may be why we are such a close-knit community. I am grateful for the support of the community at all the events we have at Oaktree, and we have a lot events that involve our awesome school.

It makes me proud to chant with my fellow Martians…”We are the Martians, the mighty, mighty Martians!”

Thanks for another great year Mr. Adams! We are lucky to have you!

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One of my favorite projects I have my students do is “Mission Egg Drop” to conclude our unit on physics. It is a great problem solving activity and I love how much the parents get into this project. It is a fun activity, but there is a lot of application of science skills used to create these capsules of awesomeness! The objective of the mission is simple; create a capsule that will keep the egg from breaking.

The slide show illustrates how creative the students and parents are, but my favorite thing is seeing the excitement on the face of each child. Learning should be fun, and I am on a never-ending search to find ways to make my students enjoy what they learn. I wish you could hear the students…they cheered on each other hoping that the egg did not break. After each drop everyone gathered around the capsule and the creator to see if the mission succeeded…it was a great sight to see. The fruits of all this cooperative learning is having a class that acts like a family, and we truly do treat other like we are a huge family! It has been a great year and this was a nice way to help things wind down for the summer.

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It was this time last year that one of my friends on Twitter shared pictures from an amazing day he had at his school in Alberta, Canada. I remember seeing the pictures and saying to myself that I wanted to do that next year. I was not alone. Many have taken to the idea that Groege Couros has shared and have implemented Identity Day at their school. I have read blog posts, watched George do a presentations on the impact the day had on his staff and students. I have also seen many educators from all over the globe take part in Identity Day! Reading all of these reflections still did not prepare me for the powerful impact the day would have on our class.

Our Identity Day took place on June third. It was the only assignment all year that was turned in on time by every single student. The students walked into the room excited to share what they had created. I loved seeing kids connect on this level. They were learning about each other. I had several gymnasts, motor-cross enthusiasts, animal lovers and we were even treated to a piano recital preview. It was a great day to be in room 300! We were all learning more about each other and we found out that we have a lot in common with each other. Since my class was the only class in the school to do this, we did get to share our paragraphs with each other. We put our desks in a circle and we watched and listened to each student. I did not make anyone present that did not want to, but most chose to share their passion with the rest of their friends. The students kept saying that this was the best day ever! My students loved learning about each other and they also thought it was cool that I brought in my own stuff to share.

As I reflect on the day I wonder if next year this would not be a good way to kick off the year. We learned so much about each other that it may be something to think about. I do think the reason many students felt comfortable sharing their passion is because we have been together for eight months. We do A LOT of work in groups, and it is my goal that we see each other as a team so we develop a relationship with each other. Relationships are the most important thing to build in my room. I believe we have to not only connect with our students, but we need to find a way to have our students connect with each other. That is where we build acceptance of others and that is what will help with all the bullying that takes place in our schools.

Identity Day shows how powerful social media is and how it can create the change in education we so desperately need. Thank you George Couros for always sharing your thoughts on education. You along with all my Twitter friends have made me a better teacher this year, and I am sure the learning will continue. Thanks for sharing the idea of Identity Day with our Twitter Family. If you have not tried to have an Identity Day of your own, I encourage you to do so next year.

This slideshow does not show the love and acceptance that filled our room that day, but it does show the cool projects and the tarantulas that paid a visit to our room!

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I have a new tool that I am using in my classroom called Prezi. I like this tool because I think it has a lot of potential for use in the classroom.  I am a firm believer that students need to create things in order to fully understand concepts. This is the core of my teaching. I am constantly looking for ways for my students to create things using the new knowledge they have just investigated. I say investigated because I also believe that students learn best when they discover the lesson on their own. This is why there is not a day that goes by that we are not doing an investigation in our room. Whether it is looking for punctuation marks to see why they are used, or a typical science experiment, I believe students need to find the answers themselves. I also think the conversations that take place are key to help us all come to a better understanding of the concept, but more  importantly of each other.

I believe that the paper pencil activities have their place, but I do not believe that answering questions on a worksheet is the best use of time in my classroom. That is why I started to look at my study guides in a different light. Why do we spend so much time having students copy the answers so they have it…anyone can copy, but that does not increase their knowledge or synthesize what they already know. There has to be a better use of instructional time. Last year I started giving the students the study guide and then a few days later  I would give them my study guide with my notes. I thought this was an improvement, and I am no longer spending time droning on about the answers. I also free up a lot of instructional time that allows  us to do more experiments. My problem with the answer key is that even though the answers are “right” or what I think they should be, there is no thinking taking place. There is also no conversations to help students that just might not get it to have it explained another way. At home, in the middle of studying for the test, students have a sheet that tells them the answer, but nothing is explained. That bothers me!

I am a person that loves to play with any Web 2.0 thing out there. I play with it to see if it is something that will engage my students, something that will help them create , something that deepens their understanding , and finally how  easy is it to use. While I am playing with Prezi I see the YouTube feature and a light clicks on for me. There are lots of videos of experiments that people do or Bill Nye snippets that could help explain a concept to a child. If I am not at their house helping them study, why not have Bill Nye the Science Guy there to give them another look or another idea to help these concepts make sense? So this is why I am now using Prezi to create my study guides.

I am interested in knowing if you and your child found the Prezi helped your child prepare for the test better than the old answer key. Please let me know! I always love your input!

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We are very lucky to have a group of therapy dogs visit our classroom. The dogs and their owners volunteer their time to allow my students to read to them. Being able to read to Annie, Maggie or Lily is a treat for every child. The dogs are the ultimate reading buddy! No matter how the child reads their reading buddy enjoys the attention. My struggling readers get the same kisses and nudges the “better” readers do. This is a huge confidence builder for every reader! There is no questioning or assessing how fluent the reader is…it is reading at its best! This is for pure enjoyment, which is a grade level expectation in the state of Michigan.

Reading should be an enjoyable experience, and these amazing therapy dogs and their wonderful owners make it the best part of the day. I am so grateful for the experience you allow my third graders to have. The effect you have had on my students is not something I can measure on a test , but I know that it has made a HUGE impact on my students! When I have a student that would hide under the table during reading workshop in September run up to me and beg to be the first to read…you have given that child something he will have for life…a love of reading!

You can see the joy in the faces of each child! We love to have you visit and we look forward to reading more books to you in 2011!  We are so grateful for the time you spend with us! It truly is priceless!

Recently one of my students wrote a blog post thanking me for always doing fun stuff. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated that post. When you see the smiles in the videos you realize that school is a fun place to be. I do get a lot of people that question why my students are playing games or working in groups. I think these videos show why…they are engaged learners! Having students engaged in the learning process is overlooked by many people.

There is a push to practice skills over and over again so that we can do well on tests. My concern is not that the child does well on the test, but that the child truly understands a concept. I have found that worksheets do not accomplish this goal for many students. Many students need to have many different experiences before the concept is understood. I believe that if  the child understands the concept…the tests scores will come. When students love going to school, then I feel I have done my job. If students are bored, then I have more work to do.

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I was out yesterday at a SMART Board conference. I am excited to start using the ideas I obtained from the training as soon as I can get the technology in my room! Today we worked on place value, played each other’s place value bingo games and we had a long music class to get us ready for the concert. Mrs. Janetsky sent home the lyrics for the students to practice. She told them they needed LOTS of practice! We also watched a movie on fossil fuels. which is on their next science test. The test will be the 16th of December. I will send a study guide home on Monday. We also chose new jobs for the month of December. Students decided to keep the same spelling words. They all think life has been crazy lately and said they needed more time. I agreed with them! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am thankful I have all of you in my life! Your kids are awesome!!

We were very busy today working on a project to help us learn how to use a calendar with more accuracy. We also worked on regrouping with addition using Base 10 Blocks and color coded sticky notes. We used yellow  for the ones place, blue for the tens place and green for the hundreds. We did start investigating multiplication, too. We played a game called “Circles and Stars”. This is a great game to show that multiplication deals with groups of things. We started our unit on Earth Science. We investigated water erosion today. We were able to watch it melt away the sugar cubes. Please remember they have a new blue folder, and you can keep the green folder home.
Spelling words and a newsletter went home today!

We worked on regrouping with subtraction today. We used operation boards and really worked on what happens when we have to borrow or regroup to subtract to avoid getting a negative number. We also had a lab today that investigated wind erosion. This lab let the kids see how the greater the wind the more erosion occurs. We did another lab in class to help us understand how we effect our environment. We had a mock oil spill and we used a variety things to clean it up. We used vegetable oil and not the real stuff, but students were able to see how hard it is to clean up and how it effects the animals. We also worked with short a sounds as we worked with Twizzlers to practice our cursive.

We worked on making rectangles again with interlocking cubes. This time we rolled dice and made our own rectangles. We found that some multiplication problems make squares, so we are trying to figure out why. We think it has something to do with multiplying the same number twice, but we want to try more to make sure! In science we looked at crystals and worked on sedimentation. We learned that pebbles settle very quickly and not far behind is sand. Soil took forever to settle and we think it is because of the organic matter in the soil. We looked at quartz crystals and salt crystals. We learned that crystals have certain shapes that repeat in a pattern. We get to grow some when we come back from vacation! We learned about what maps have in social studies. We learned that every map has a title, key, symbols, a scale, compass rose and labels. We made our own map of the classroom. We finished Sadako’s story and we looked up on the Internet a real picture of her and of the two statues there are of her. There is one in Seattle, Washington and one in Hiroshima, Japan. We took a test over the story. We walked through the test and talked about what type of question they were. We found some questions you can find the answer right in the book, but many we had to think beyond the text and make a reference. We read another memoir by Patricia Polacco called Uncle Vova’s Tree. It was a great story about family traditions at Christmas, and we talked about writing stories about our Christmas traditions in our families.

We tried making our rectangles out of blocks and then we cut them out of graph paper. We called the game “Rolling for Rectangles”. We  looked at three different crystals under the hand-held microscopes and saw that sugar, salt, and Epsom salts have very different crystal shapes. We also made a flip book that shows all the features the Earth has. We had a guest reader come in today. Mrs. Jackson, who is a board member, came it to read holiday stories to us. We had a great time listening to her read. We also had Skylar’s dogs pay a visit. There are very pretty dogs. We found out about Skylar’s family and we read her favorite book and her parent’s poem to her. We also caught up and read Halle’s poem and favorite book! We did the snow dance before we left!

Welcome back! We had a very busy day! We started the day using Hershey Bars to make area models of multiplication problems. It was a yummy math activity. Students are starting to be interested in division as we delve deeper into multiplication. We also had rock samples and we put them into categories. This is a precursor for our lab we have tomorrow investigating the properties of rocks. We also reviewed maps and what features they have. We did so our holiday party today since the snow day took it away from them. We turned it into a science extravaganza! We made models of the Earth’s layers by making a yummy treat with different foods for each layer. We also had sediment cupcakes that had several types of cakes as layers. We added frosting and sprinkles to finish off the top layer of the crust and then we took a “soil sample” using a straw. We made crystals and painted with a crystal solution, and we made rocks out of clay. In our fake clay rocks we put a water balloon in the middle. We made a hypothesis on whether our ‘rocks’ will break open or stay the same if they spend the night in the freezer! Thanks to all the parents that sent in food! We ate to our heart’s content.

Today we continued to investigate the area models of mutiplication, but today we used chewing gum. We had to do a lot of thinking to figure out how many pieces there were at each table, in the class, and we made lots or rectangular arrays using the sticks of gum. Today we looked at rocks through the eyes of a geologist. We tested the hardness, luster, streak patters and cleavage or fracture of each rock. We will continue this in science lab on Monday. We also investigated how the tectonic plates move. We took graham crackers and frosting and practiced how the plates move by pulling them apart, pushing them together, and sliding them against each other. Students could see that mountains formed in the frosting. We also cut apart the continents and put them together like they were along time ago. We started reading a biography of Harriet Tubman. Students have a journal they are working on that will help us keep track of the interesting things we learn about her. We also investigated another memoir by Patricia Polacco. Students began writing their rough drafts of their own memoirs.

We started our “Bead Factory Math”. This is a unit that involves problem solving using multiplication, algebra and money skills. Students have beads to make bracelets that are a certain value. Today’s value was sixty cents. We started a strategy page to keep track of the different strategies students used. Our clay rocks from Tuesday finally dried so we could compare them to real rocks and make another prediction on whether this rock would break apart or not. We put them in the freezer and we will check on them tomorrow. We read another chapter of Harriet Tubman and we are very upset that she is a slave and we cannot believe how she was treated. She was only 6 years old when she was taken away from her parents to work. We continued to work on our memoirs.

We had another bead factory math session where we recorded the amount we spent on each bead color.  Students had more strategies today. We had some use a 2 cent bead with a 5 cent bead to make it easier to add up the total cost of the bead, and others used the 10 cent beads in the same manner. We looked at our clay rocks we had in the freezer and we were shocked that they all broke open. We found out that water can cause a lot of weathering to take place and we found out that this is one reason we have potholes. We were paid today and the store was open with lots of new items! We did our cursive in shaving cream today and we cleaned our desks inside and out. We took our spelling tests and chose new words for next week. We also worked on our memoirs. We had a Bridges to the future note go home today as well as our weekly progress report and our corrected papers! We do have an extension on the due date of the commercial we are making! It is not due until the 23rd now!

We continued with our bead math activity. We had to use more colors this time and try to record our data in a more organized fashion. We also finished our lab on rock properties. We researched what exactly are our Webkinz. We decided we needed to decide exactly which animal it is to better understand them. We are also checking out at least 3 websites to find out what our animal truly eats! Harriet Tubman really has a tough life! Today we read that she was hit in the head with a two pound weight! She almost died, but her mother, Rit, nursed her back to health again! We brought home a homework assignment to create a map of our bedroom, our newsletter, and our new spelling words for the week!

We had our last bead math activity and we were limited on the numbers and colors of beads we could use. We did keep the last bracelet we made. We looked into what sedimentary rocks are. We had cupcakes that were in layers last week and we took a core sample. Today we looked at core samples made our of  paper and figured out how old they were. We learned that sedimentary rocks are formed by layers of sediment resting on each other and the pressure causes them to squeeze together. We read another chapter of Harriet Tubman and found out the reason her last name is Tubman is because she married a man named John Tubman, but he wasn’t nice to her either! We have been reading Patricia Polacco books and studying how a memoir is written. We read about her brother today and yesterday and that inspired some of us to write about our family!

We used a new set of blocks today that are different colors and lengths. Each length and color means a certain number and we will be using these for multiplication. Today the students were able to explore with the blocks and figure out the value of each block. We  made sugar crystals solution today and we set up our growing lab. We also looked at the three types of rock in science lab. We learned that sedimentary rocks can turn into metamorphic and igneous rocks. We learned that rocks have a cycle like many other things. We  learned that each type of rock is formed a different way. We wached 3 different short film strips about the rock cycle to see if we could understand what was happening…Miss Alford is trying to see if she can come up with something better since we are all a little “vexed” as Patricia Polacco would say! We read another chapter of Harriet Tubman, and boy are we scared! She ran away! She isn’t past the Mason-Dixon line, so she isn’t free yet! Jack is really worried she will have one of her sleeping spells and be caught….we will see! We read another memoir and we worked on ours.

We used the blocks today to build a design and figure out the value of our design using multiplication. Miss Alford had an “inspired idea” as Patricia Polacco would say! We recreated the rock cycle using marshmallows, chocolate chips, and caramels. First we squeezed them together to form a sedimentary rock, then we added more pressure and heat to make a metamorphic rock . To make the two types of igneous rocks we used a crock pot as our volcano and melted the 3 layers. We took some and cooled it right away in cold water and then we let the rest cool slowly. We went to computers and did more research on our Webkinz! We found out that the monkey isn’t a monkey at all…it is an orangutan! Harriet Tubman is finally free, but it was a scary journey! She just crossed the line and she wants to go back to free the other people in her family. We read a memoir by a different author today. We talked about our strategies we are using to write our own memoirs. Elana is using dates and time to keep her on track, Drew is using the web he always uses, Cole P. decided to use a historical event and how his family reacted to it, Anna is making a list of events, Noah is asking his parents to share stories with him and he and Taylor are trying to create snapshots of the people in their memoir. Larissa is really trying hard to add lots of details. Daddy Daughter Dance invitations went home today! It is February 7th!

Welcome back! We played some catch up today. Students were informed that this is the last week of the marking period, and we cleaned desks looking for any missing work. Progress reports went home today, along with their Friday Folder, Monday folder, ideas for the Celebration of Writing Event , and directions for the reading project for this month. We played a game using the colored blocks we have been using. This game is called “How Long, How Many” and it has the students creating rectangle arrays for multiplication. We watched the inauguration and we discussed what President Obama wants for our country. We then created a page in a book telling the president how we plan to make America a better place! I am confident we are in good shape for the future! They had awesome ideas!! We took our spelling test and created new words for this week, which were sent home.

We had many mid-term assessments this week. We had a math test that tested over all the concepts taught so far, a spelling test to see what level in spelling your child is currently at and a narrative writing piece. We had a math menu kids could choose what multiplication games they wanted to play. We are wrapping up multiplication and beginning division next week. We learned about earthquakes in science and how the plates move. We also looked at some sand samples and created our own brochure about different sands in the United States. Harriet Tubman continues to amaze us with her courage. We are finishing up our memoirs and getting ready to move onto a new genre study.

We worked on logic today in math. This is a tough concept  for many. We used arrays and apples to create Saduko type puzzles for the kids. We had pretzels to share evenly today. We found that sometimes we have “leftovers” and cannot share all of the the pieces. We watched the DVD Planet Earth on Mountains and we learned about how the plates move and mountains can disappear and form. In this DVD the kids were able to see erosion and the rock cycle. We also did an experiment with a Dorito chip. We pretended the Dorito was a “boulder” and we put it through the process of erosion. We read about Harriet Tubman and we found our she was a spy, a nurse and a leader in the Civil War. We looked at different nonfiction books and found that they all seem to have a table of contents, an index and glossaries.

We worked with squares today and created all the rectangular arrays that we could think of for the number 24. We learned two interesting things! One, the perimeters are different, but the area is the same in each rectangle. Secondly we learned that 5, 7, and 9 are numbers we could not use to make rectangles for 24. We also shared blocks this morning and we are finding that we have to make sure everyone has an equal amount. We could not split these “leftovers” up, so sometimes you just have pieces that do not fit! We played jeopardy in science lab, and the questions were tough. We watched the Planet Earth DVD on Caves and saw a lot of erosion and crystals. We also read a book by Patricia Polacco called Pink and Say. We practiced writing for the MEAP test using this book with our Harriet Tubman book. We found that writing a reading response piece has several parts to it. We also received our NHS Buddy letters today! We are writing back to them and we get to meet them in the spring. The kids think this is soooooo cool! Lunch notices were sent home if you owed money.

Today we had cookies to share. This time we were asked to explain what strategies we used. We also had a sheet called “Missing Stars” where students had to fill in the missing stars. We are slowly moving into division. Mrs. Swaisgood was here and she helped us set up our crystal gardens. We made an alum solution, an epsom salt solution and a table salt solution. We want to see if what types of crystals will grow and which solution grows the fastest. We used Google Earth to visit places all around the world to see what the weather was like….a lot warmer than here for the most part! We finished Harriet Tubman today and we created a timeline of the most important events of her life. We started a new book called The Cay. This book takes place during WWII just like Number the Stars. We have already made many text-to-text connections.
We took our sugar crystals home today. We were told not to eat them!

We went back in time today! Morgan and her grandfather taught us about colonial times. We were able to play some of the games, see the clothes they wore, and the things they used to groom with. We were also lucky to see a real military uniform that would have been worn during the Revolutionary War. We learned that they brushed their teeth with ash, and that they had to dry, salt or pickle their food to preserve it. We learned about how the war was fought and how people lived back then. We learned about what school was like and that women actually went with their men to war. It was a very interesting day! We also saw that our crystals are already growing! We watched a movie that reviewed everything we have learned in science. We did get to share a snack again. Today we has marshmallows and chocolate chips.

We spent the day learning about slavery and the Underground Railroad We read actual accounts from a book written by a slave about the food they had, the clothes they wore and how they were treated. We then used the SMART Board to look up lots of maps of the Under Ground Railroad to see which routed they took. After doing that research we created our own escape plan! We looked up the states we would be traveling through, what time of the year our group wanted to escape, the mode of transportation they would use, disguises and code words. We also calculated how many miles they traveled and tried to figure about how long it would take to get there. Unfortunately we waited a long time for our field trip and they had to cancel it, but hopefully we will be able to do this soon! We did take our spelling tests from Friday and we do not have words for this week. We also looked at a non-fiction book and discussed the features the author used. Many finished their memoirs. The Alford’s Articles was sent home, but there is no News in a Nutshell this week.

Today was our science extravaganza day. We did science experiments all day to help us review for the test. We used a mound of dirt and experimented with water, wind and erosion that is created by a glacier. We made a sedimentary sandwich and each layer was a different layer of rock and we then folded the sandwich to make a “fault line”. We worked with moving plates using chocolate chip cookies, frosting and graham crackers. The graham crackers were the oceanic crust and the cookie was the continental crust. We showed the way plates move, how mountains and volcanoes form, and what makes an earthquake. We then made sedimentary rocks using Rice Krispie Treats, M&M’s and toffee chips. We then added heat and pressure and turned them into metamorphic rocks. We went over the rock cycle and what minerals and rocks are used for. We ended the day by observing our crystals.

We used Starburst to measure with today. We measured width, length, perimeter and area of valentines.We are finding that the perimeter and the length are really not connected. We started our new unit on sound. We found that things that are a higher pitch move faster and have a smaller wave them lower pitch items. We took the science test today over the geosphere. We had the bank and store today to make up for last week and take care of this week. We also revamped our Webkinz habitat. We noticed after our research that many things needed to be changed on our habitats. We also created a menu for the animals so we could feed them what they would eat in a zoo.

We used conversation hearts in math today. We used them to estimate, learn about range, mean mode and median, graphing and investigating fractions. We used the hearts for division problems, too. We made kazoos to investigate our sound unit. This was fun! We made Valentine picture frames for our parents, and we opened the Valentine you made your child. They were all very touched. Thanks for taking the time to do that! Papers went home today, but no progress reports. Emily made a visit to our room today! Enjoy the long weekend!

We worked on division today. First we share a snack of Mini M&M’s and then we read a book called The Doorbell Rang. This is a story about dividing 12 cookies between their friends. We then created our own story using cookies. We worked on sorting words and started to be on the look out for long a words. We went over our escape routes that we created using the Underground Railroad. We then went on our virtual field trip to visit a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad. The kids were able to ask her questions and show her their escape routes. When we got back to class we learned about the Underground Railroad in Michigan and we found that we had places people used to escape. Green folders went home today with the Alford’s Articles for this week and instructions for the biography reading project.

We shared another snack today and we created another division story using cookies. Yesterday we had 12 cookies and today we had 24 cookies. We also learned about matter and energy. We did 2 experiments today…we had to play catch up. We learned that matter is anything that takes up space (has volume) and has mass. We learned that light and sound are not matter but they are energy and energy can make things do work. We then used slat to see the vibrations made by a pie plate. We learned that the harder we hit the pie pan the more energy we made. We continued looking at nonfiction text today. We found that sometimes nonfiction texts want to compare and contrast things and sometimes they are explaining a topic. We found another feature in our information test today! We discovered some authors use charts to show the reader data. We finished learning about the Underground Railroad in Michigan and learned that Detroit was a stop that even Frederick Douglass visited. We also found out that Detroit had the first African American church in Michigan and it was a “depot” on the Underground Railroad. Two notes went home today! One reminding students to bring a sack lunch tomorrow and a yellow note with information on the P.T.O. reading Fun Night that will be held the 27th of February!

Field Trip!!!! We went tot he Sloan Museum today and learned lots of cool things about the pioneers in Michigan!! We made a cornhusk doll and a candle. We went with Mr. Bruce and we were able to estimate how big the wagons were back then. We made butter…it was better than the butter we made in the beginning of the year! He had people use these combs they used to prepare the wool for sewing. Jack and Morgan were able to see what pulling a wagon on the roads was like back then….not easy!

We worked on division using cookies again. We were paid today and had the store and the bank. We have been working on nonfiction features in reading and we went on a nonfiction feature scavenger hunt. We also looked at more nonfiction writing to get ideas for our own nonfiction stories. We cleaned our desks and we have progress reports that came home today!

We started division with leftovers! We used a box of raisins and we practiced our range, mean, mode, median and plot graphs, too. In science we learned about loud and soft sounds. We learned that it takes a lot more energy to make a loud sound. We had long a word sorts today. We looked at all the different ways we could make the long a sound and added to our lists. We are still working on finding long a words in the books we read. We went to computers and worked on a cool website practicing our subtraction with an application called “Diffies”. We looked into nonfiction features again and this time we found a feature in a book we are reading to share with the rest of the class. We added quite a few to our list! We started to decide on what we want to research for our nonfiction writing piece. We learned how to take notes- not write the entire sentence. We took home our Alford’s Articles, a parent note about the PTO Reading Night and there is a new “News in a Nutshell” to check out on the web.

We continued with investigation leftovers. This time we had a big box of raisins to share with our partner. We found that dividing with large numbers is difficult! We need lots of practice with this! We did an experiment with loud and soft sounds. We had different items in eggs that we had to figure out what was in the egg. Seth thought it would be a great idea if everyone took an egg home to make a “mystery sound” for, so everyone has an egg that they have until Friday to add a sound to. I am excited to see what they come up with! We started taking notes for our nonfiction writing piece. We also read more of “The Cay”.  Timothy and Phillip finally found land, but Phillip is not a happy camper because there is no water, food or people!

We had a guest teacher today! We love having Mrs. Tallman visit! We worked hard today I am sure!

I am so blessed to have the class I have! GREAT report form the guest teacher! I was at a technology conference and picked up some way cool ideas I cannot wait to share with the kids! We read a story called The One Hundred Hungary Ants  and we looked at the division problems that were in the book. We used the SMART Board to create more division problems. We also looked at the patterns in the multiples of different numbers to see how that could help us with division! We made a model of the ear and learned what the parts are. We acted out what happens to the ear as a sound enters. We started our research for our nonfiction writing. We had 2 guest authors come in and share their pieces previous years so students could see what their nonfiction pieces looked like! We Started  our “Alfie Awards” today! We picked the best nonfiction feature, and the best author or book awards. We also continued our reading and research we were doing during computer lab.

Three notes went home today! One was a health alert….we have pink eye in our room, one it to warn parents about what is happening in other distrcits and the last note was a reminder about the PTO Family Fun Night!

We celebrated Jack’s and Bailey’s birthdays today, so we had lots of yummy snacks! We made a good-bye shirt and book for Bailey because today is his last day! We worked with division and remainders today. We investigated how sound does travel into our ears…again! We had the bank and store today. We picked our favorite book or author today and created an award for it. Midterm progress reports went home today along with all our corrected work!

We kicked off March is Reading Month with wearing shirts with words today! We read a book called A Remainder of One today and we acted out the division with blocks. We also started to see how long division works. We watched Bill Nye the Science Guy in lab today. The movie was over sound. We also did a little experiment in class with large and small objects. We learned that the size of the object did effect the type of sound it made. We looked at several different types of maps and we looked at how Michigan is shaped and its landforms. We started to investigate long e sounds and we are on the hunt for words that begin with long e. We worked on researching our nonfiction books, and we created an award for our favorite character. Today I sent home an “Alford’s Articles” home today!

Today we looked at division in a new light. We looked at problems that have remainders, but we had to figure out what to do with the remainders. We did an experiment with our ears to see how we can hear better if we cup our ears. We also acted out how the parts of the ear work so we can hear! We visited the book fair and saw some cool things! We used dough and made a relief map of Michigan. It was interesting to see how the students see our great state. I am taking them home to bake them! Hopefully in a couple of days we can paint them! Nonfiction continues to rule our language arts time! We found some knew features that we might include in our own writing! We also did word sorts with the long e sound and found that there are words with the vowel team ea in them where it makes a short e sound….weird!

Whew! It has been a while since I updated the blog! We have been trying to upload a podcast with no success. I am sorry that I haven’t put an update in awhile, but the podcast was taking most of my time!We did finish up division and we started taking timed multiplication fact tests. The kids are actually having fun with these! I tell them to take their time and the only thing I want for them is to improve each time they take the test! Students have also been conducting investigations on sound. We are learning about how it travels in waves and in all directions, that there are different pitches, and that there are ways we measure sound. We have also been learning about how our ears and brain work together so we can hear a sound! We painted our Michigan relief maps we have created with clay and  we are looking into how these hills formed. Many students are finished with their nonfiction books, but they want to write another one! We are reading in groups looking at nonfiction features and learning about a topic. We are creating posters that we will use to teach the rest of the class about the topic we are reading about!

I was out today for SMART Board training. Students did have spelling words that should have made its way home and an Alford’s Articles. We did go over the study guide for the sound unit and we decided the test should be postponed until the 26th! We all felt we needed more time:)

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! The kids were dressed in green today! We worked with pattern blocks to learn about fractions. We also cut up fake cookies to see what a fraction in and how we write them. In science we used the SMART Board to do some review for the sound test. We are looking into traditional literature and we were reading a parody- a book that makes fun of a fairly tale. Students are working on their nonfiction books and they are doing a great job on them. We played boggle with our partners and Chris and Dan came in to play word games. Grandma Pat came in to read Megan’s favorite book because she is our MVP this week!

We worked with pattern blocks again today to investigate fractions. We started our unit on light and found out that there are objects that are opaque, translucent, and transparent. We took the sound tubes out and played with them. We found the faster they go the higher the pitch. We continued to look at traditional literature. We read a legend today and we noticed it was different from the fairy tales. We also worked on our nonfiction books. We looked into long i words. We had a note that went home today warning parents about another stranger danger report!

Today we used tangrams to investigate fractions. We used “thumper tubes” to study sound. Students tried to play popular songs with them first and tomorrow we will try to make our own music. We watched The Magic School Bus and the Sound Museum. This was a great review for our sound unit. We wrote in our journals and many are publishing a second nonfiction book. We read another legend and we are starting to see a pattern with the legends. Our Nonfiction groups got together and many finished their posters today!

We celebrated the first day of spring with cinnamon rolls. They were yummy! We worked on our math using tangrams. We also conducted an experiment using chopped up cookies as rocks and cookies and cream ice cream as a glacier. We studied how rocks from the Upper Peninsula ended up in the lower peninsula. We had bank and store today. We took our spelling test and chose new word for next week. We are still stiking with words that have the long i sound. An order form for Spirit Wear went home today, progress reports went home, all the sound science papers should be in the backpack with all the other work, and I send some notes to help you study for the sound test.

We used Hershey Candy bars to investigate fractions. We learned what equivalent fractions are. We made drawings of all the fractions we could find. We went to science lab and we learned that light has many colors. We see white light and really it is red, orange, yellow, green. blue indigo and violet. We learned that the primary colors of light are red, green and blue. Megan brought her dog Tank in for a visit. That is an appropriate name for the dog. It is huge!!!! The nonfiction reading groups finished thier posters. We are working on traditional literature. We are reading legends, fables, fairy tales, and folktales. We are trying to find the differences between them. The vowel teams we are working on this week are not true vowel sounds. We are looking at the oy and oi sounds and the ue and ew sounds that we call the “refrigerator vowel sounds”. We also have the “band aid vowel sound” that you hear in the word ouch. We are on a scavenger hunt for words with these sounds. Spelling words and the Alford’s Articles went home today.

Today we investigated fractions by sharing “brownies” with people. We also culminated our sound unit by making instruments. Boy did we have fun. Each child had to explain what was making the sound and many found several ways to make different sounds on the same instrument. We talked about the different pitches we heard in the same instrument. We decided that size is not the only thing that can change the pitch! We think that what the object is made out of effects the pitch, too! What great scientists I have this year!! We continued on the vowel sound search. We were perplexed to see that that ou team can make a short u sound like in trouble. Weird! We are trying to figure out how that happened and if there are more words like that. We read another legend. We are pretty sure that legends are stories that explains how something came to be like an island, flowers or the sun. We are looking at these folktales to see what we would like to write for our very own folktale.

We made our own fraction bars today by folding and cutting our paper. We then tried to see how many different ways we could make one whole. Interesting combinations were found! We will be using these for some of our fraction games. We also got a pizza box we had to fold and make into the box to house all of our cool manipulatives. We get to take all these games home at the end of the year! In science we looked into shadows. We learned that a shadow gets larger when the light source is closer. We also learned that a shadow can change by the angle and the position of the light. They are always black, even when we shine a red light on it. We reviewed for the sound test that is tomorrow. We knew many of the answers and Miss Alford said if we get a class average of an A we get Jets Pizza….so study!!! We worked on our books and read more folktales.

Today was wear your Pj’s and Read Day. We had the bank and the store as well. We did clean desks and the weekly progress report was sent home today!

Today we used Dot Candies to investigate fractions. We learned also figured out the range, mean, mode and median of the boxes we had in our classroom. We were amazed that they were all 6! It is not often the data is this easy to work with. In science we looked into how light can reflect and refract. We used our Michigan relief maps and added the great lakes and the Underground Railroad Routes. We continued to investigate folktales and fairy tales. Today we looked at another version of Cinderella. We then listed the items we needed to have to make it a Cinderella story. We worked on creating our own version of this tale. Some interesting ideas were shared. The weekely newsletter “Alford’s Articles” was sent home along with spelling words for this week. There was a note sent home aboutcool ideas you can do inthe summer through Genesee Parks and Rec.

Miss Alford was at a technology conference. Our guest teacher was Mrs. Tallman!

Today we investigated fractions using Mike and Ike candy. We found out that there is about 10 in each box. We also tried to make one whole as many times as we could using pattern blocks. In science we investigated how the eye works and what the parts of the eye are. We started to investigate the Native Americans that lived in Michigan after the Hopewells. We also reviewed what we learned about the Hopewells and many thought it was cool that they were here before Christ was born and after he died. They disappeared in 400 A.D. We continued on our quest to research fables and fairy tales. We continue to write our own versions.

We used Cuisenaire Rods to investigate fractions. We found as many ways to make fractions as we could. Then we drew pictures of different fractions.  In science we investigated shadows. We made our silhouettes and we wrote clues to help people guess who they are. Native Americans of Michigan are still a topic we are working on. It appears there were several types. We used a Michigan map and mapped out a tribes movement. We also labeled the Great Lakes that surround Michigan. We read another parody of a folktale, but actually it incorporated 3 or 4 of them. The book was called Pig Pigger and Piggest. After reading this we decided to try to mesh other fairy tales together.

Today was the movie reward day. We did get our checks, clean our desks, and progress reports were sent home. We were able to go see Mr.Hemingway get dunked by lots of kids! Drew and Morgan from our class dunked him!

There was another letter warning us about stranger danger!!!!

SNOW DAY!!! I do not ever remember having a snow day in April! I guess Prince was right…”Sometimes it Snows in April.”

Today we made fraction bunnies out of biscuts! We used 4 whole biscuts to investigate halves and fourths. We made a model of the eye and labled all the parts and talked about how the eye works! We had Drew’s dad, Mr. Mallery, read Drew’s favorite book. We met some interesting people during our biography reports! The science study guide was sent home, along with another fun night for the kids that invloves High School Musical, and the Alford’s Articles for this week was sent home.

Today we used jellybeans to investigate many math concepts. We graphed, sorted, counted, added, divided, found the range, mean, mode and median and we also polled our classmates to see which one was their favorite. We also had several biography reports. We had Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, Jackie Robinson, Abbie Burress, Auntie Annie, Ruby Bridges, Angus Young. Nadia Comaneci, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Michael Jordon visit our room today!

Today we investigated fractions, graphing, range,mean, mode, mean and median with Skittles. We also used our Skittles to review division. We went to computers and we used Kerpoof. High School Musical star Giselle (not sure I spelled that correctly) visited our room today! We celebrated Drew’s birthday and Grandma Pat brought in an Easter treat!!! I hope everyone enjoys their Easter!

       Now that the school year is underway I finally have time do write my daily blogs. We have spent a lot of time with assessment and getting routines established. Using Snapgrades is wonderful, but I had to get used to the amount of time it takes to set everything up!

       We started blogging today in computer lab. The students are using blogs instead of a reading response journal. I like this for two reasons. One, if the student is only writing to me the whole year, they only get my point of view. This way the students get to see what other students think. Lastly I love the fact that kids LIKE to blog. Even reluctant writers will blog because they think it is cool.

    We are also getting close to the end of our plant unit. Today I passed out the labs I have corrected over the past 5 weeks. We put them in our folder so we can use them for studying.

       We also looked into Michigan’s vegetation and found some interesting patterns. The largest orchards on in the Lower Peninsula on the western side of the state. That the state and national forests are all north of us, and the only commercial forestry is in the Upper Peninsula.

     We have been reading Mike Thaler and investigating how he uses punctuation and plays on words. He makes up words or changes one word to make things funny. We also looked into David Shannon today and noticed he uses a lot of one word sentences. We found some of these are really a sentence called a command and that others are not complete sentences. Our word sorts this week center around the short u and long u sounds.

      Today we investigated calendars. We learned which months have 30 days, which months have 31 days and that February can have 28 or 29 days. We learned that plants have starch or stored food. Today we tested all the plant parts with iodine to find out how much starch each part has. We found that fruit, roots, and seeds all have starch. We learned that the smaller the seed the more starch it had. We decided that seeds probably need more starch for germination and the smaller the cotyledon, the more starch it would need. We compared our climate to the vegetation in Michigan. Today we had to write about what we learned about both Michigan’s vegetation and our climate.

     In the afternoon we played word study games and used our sand trays to write our words. We also added our spelling words to our Wiki pages. Some students still need to work on their Spelling Wiki Page tomorrow. We finished the Black Lagoon chapter book today. We worked on publishing our comic books and Black Lagoon books.

   We learned the difference between mass and weight today. We used a balance scale for the first time and we worked with different gram weights. We learned that to get the balance scale to balance is pretty tricky sometimes. We played a game that was a virtual green house today. We were able to pick different amounts of water, different amounts of sunlight and different types of soil. We tried many different combinations out and found that too much water is not good for plants. We also learned that sand is probably not the best soil. We learned about Michigan’s state symbols. Did you know that two of our state symbols were chosen by students? Pretty cool!

     Today is Mike Thaler’s birthday! We read his autobiography and we made him birthday cards. In the cards we asked him  questions about his writing. We played word study games and we had Mrs. Wallberg come into our room and read us a great book! This book was about being a bully and how it feels to be bullied! We all learned a lot! We are still publishing comic books! We also picked out our pumpkins for our math and science day with pumpkins!

Today was a great day for pumpkins! We weighed , measured, compared and even gave them a bath. We were shocked they floated! We also used place value to count the seeds! We put our seeds into groups of ten and then every time we were able to get 100 we put them in a baggy! One person had over 700 seeds!!! We used shapes to carve our faces, too. We found out that the scale we used today was different from the scale we used yesterday! We used a scale to measure weight. We found out that 1,000 gams=1kilogram and that 2 pounds is about 1 kilogram. We also learned that we can uses ounces to measure weight or capacity. We ended the day by starting our “Seed Adventure” stories. We are using a story board like Mike Thaler to create our tale of how a seeds turns into a plant and then back to a seed. Thank you Mrs. Swaisgood and Mrs. Braur for helping today…they got really messy, too!

     We started measuring the capacity of different containers. We used a new measurement tool called a graduated cylinder. We also talked about the many tools we have to measure the capacity of items such as measuring cups, beakers, and cups. We learned that capacity is how much something can hold and when we are measuring liquids with the metric system we use liters. Standard measurement is a little tougher because we can use many things such as ounces, cups, quarts, pints and teaspoons just to name a few. We learned in science about farms and we made a salad  with the different plant parts we learned about. In social studies we talked about how humans have changed the environment in Michigan and how we have had to make adaptations to live here. In computer lab we blogged with each other about David Shannon and Mike Thaler.

In the afternoon we took our spelling test. We missed last Friday due to the pumpkin math! We also did shaving cream spelling. We read another David Shannon book and talked about how he uses family members as his inspiration.

     We continued with our capacity measurement. Today we learned that liquids have two characteristics. One they can be poured and two they take the shape of the container you pour them into. We measured the capacity of 8 different containers using a graduated cylinder. We danced in gym! We went to library and we made a flip chart for the last three plant parts. Miss Alford passed out lab notes to help us with our plant study guides.

This afternoon we did the MEAP!

We spent this week working towards our virtual field trip to Flint. We are working with a second grade class in Flint to work on our measurement, collaboration, and writing skills. Each class built a monster. In our class we had 6 groups and each group built a part of the monster. Once we built the monster we had to write directions for the second graders in Flint to follow. We then were given directions for the second grade monster and we built it. As we were building the monster we started to think that maybe our directions were not as specific as we first thought! We also started to talk about our rainforest project we are doing with other 3rd graders across the county. We picked our jobs and we looked at our blog page we will be using. Students were also given their Wiki Account log-ins and passwords this week. We are starting our virtual zoo this week and students will need to use the Wiki pages to post information they have learned about during the research for the animal.

Today I learned the importance of creating a PLN-Professional Learning Network. I attended a virtual conference sponsored by Discovery Education and it was just what the doctor ordered! I often feel very isolated because I do not have a lot of collaboration in the school I teach in…they see me as a tech geek and I cannot convince them that using technology makes my job easier and more enjoyable, but the most important thing is that it engages your students!! So many resources were shown today. I have decided that Twitter is the greatest resource for ideas for teachers!  This site has everything you need to start using Twitter as a learning tool. Please visit: http://sites.google.com/site/edtechlearning/resources-1

I am finding that using a blog to conduct our class discussions is brilliant. My students beg to blog with each other about things and they are blogging from home…by choice! I am seeing improvements in editing because now they have an audience that is authentic and they reply to what is written. My students feel empowered as writers…they actually see themselves as writers now.My students are third graders and they can blog with the greatest of ease! Please consider using blogs if you do not already use them. you will find your kids more engaged as writers and communicators!

This is our blog page. Please feel free to respond to my students’ writing. http://responsetoreading.wordpress.com/

Personalize a free digital slideshow

Thanks to all the parents that attended the zoo field trip with us! We had a great time…as you can see here! Thanks for the great year! I appreciate all of the support through the year!

Thanks for the great year! I hope all of you have a safe and eventful summer! Please keep in touch with each other over the summer!

Blackboard is a wonderful tool to use. I have been training teachers how to use this great resource  for the last three years. Below are links to Jing Videos that explain how to do many of the things you need to know how to do to make the most out of Blackboard for you and your students. Please feel free to e-mail me at kalford87@gmail.com if you have any questions.

How to get started in Blackboard by creating buttons:

Button Video

How to create announcements and banners in Blackboard:

Announcement and Banners Video

How to add folders:

Folder Video

How to add items to your folders:

Adding to Folders Video

Assessments:

Creating Tests and Exporting Tests

Test Questions Multiple blanks, Essay, and Add A File

Test Questions continued

Last of the test questions

Surveys

Collaboration Session:
Working with Groups:

Group Video
Virtual Classrooms:

Virtual Classroom Video

Chats:
Chat Video

Discussion Boards:

Forums, Threads and Subscriptions

More Blackboard Tutorials to check out. Many are on You Tube, so if it is blocked at school, please check these out at home!

More Videos

Being an educator is one of the greatest blessings in my life. I absolutely love what I do. I am a giver and being a teacher I am asked to give a lot of myself, which I gladly do. Teachers give freely of themselves and sometimes I get run down. I  feel empty and need nourishment for my soul. It is a rare occurrence, in my life, that I just get to sit back and let people take care of me. The Reform Symposium allows me to do just that!  All the brilliance that exists in my personal learning network (PLN) is at my finger tips. I feel pampered! I am able to sit in my own home, wear my comfy clothes, wear no make-up and learn at my own pace.  That is such a wonderful gift! I do not have to pay to attend, fly to get there or beg for permission to go from my administration. I am able to catch those I did not make the live session,  and I can go back to watch all of them again. The amazing thing to me is the best professional development I am able to be a part of is the reform Symposium…and it’s FREE. I know my district has spent thousands on professional development that make me contemplate getting a root canal to avoid the boredom!

The Reform Symposium was food for the teacher’s soul because each session reached a different part of  a teacher’s soul that needs nurturing after the long, difficult school year!

The areas of the soul that are nurtured:

• Relationships keep us going, and I believe is most important! Connecting with people, all people, makes life worth living. Having ideas or strategies to connect with thestaff you work with , and most important,  bonding with your students is  the Identity Day presentation! You learn so much more about how to be the type of school we need to be for students!  The focus George Couros has on students is amazing, and he  is a role model for all educators.
• Many sessions nurture the creative part of my soul. I do many things in my classroom that the presenters share in these sessions, but I do not have a person that I can share ideas like this in my building. Seeing all of the different ways I can use these tools make my creative juices start to flow!  I use blogs with my kids, but Sue Waters opens a whole new world with her session Student Blogging.  Seeing other examples of book trailers in the session Creative Text Response by Judith Way has me seeing this in a whole new light! I have better ways to approach research in my classroom with the strategies Russ Goerend and Nate Kogan give in the session Research and its Movement from Analog
• The sessions even nurtures the tree hugger in me! Shelly Blake -Plock has a session called What We Do that shows we really can go paperless and be MORE effective! I am so impressed with what he does in his classroom and it makes me want to back to high school…really!
• Intellectual aspects of my soul are awakened  when I watch Kevin Cruetz and Higher Order Thinking/Technology Skills that shows how technology allows us to reach the higher orders of thinking of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The Nerdy teacher, Nicholas Provenzano,  relates teaching to movies in Everything I Learned about Tech Integration I Learned from Movies.  Tim Gwynn points out that we need to change how we teach because…This Ain’t Your Mother’s Classroom. Students roll in the classroom is not a passive one as Jerry  Swiatek shows that students can teach teachers.
• My need to have support and give support is illustrated very well by Tom Whitby as he explains how  to create a Personal Learning Network. I am able to cheer on one of my favorite Twitter Friends Joan Young and her friend Lisa Dabbs helping the new teacher survive the first years of teaching, gain many tips for helping teachers that are new to our profession, and learn a few tips for myself!
• My inner child comes alive when I watch how Maria Anderson supports my deep belief that playing is learning!
• Being involved in a worthy cause is a need we all feel. It gives us that feeling that we are doing what we can to make life better. The closing keynote is worth watching over and over again because Steve Anderson gets you fired up to do something. Stand up and try to make the reform in education mean something. He is the reason I wrote this blog. As you can see, by my past posts…a blogger I am not!

This is just the tip of the iceberg! I have many more to session to watch and learn from. Please take time to learn from theses amazing educators. The coolest thing is even after you watch these videos there is a wonderful place you can get even more support! Twitter allows teachers to share ideas, learn new tools, get help and my favorite thing about Twitter is you can ‘meet” the most amazing people! Please visit the Reform Symposium to see all that is has to offer. If you want education to change you have to be willing to help in the fight, and this symposium will give you the tools to do so!  As Steve Anderson says in his keynote “FIRE UP!”

My  favorite children’s author is Patricia Polacco. She has a way of inspiring me and my students to write. Her voice is so engaging and comforting.  My students beg to have me read her books! We read as many of her books that we can before my students publish their own family stories. I have every single book she has written. I really had a hard time choosing my favorite…until now!

Patricia Polacco ‘s new book  The Junkyard Wonders is a story that should be read by every educator. I believe that the teacher in this book is a role model for everyone that deals with children. She gets the most important lesson that all educators need to learn….the students need to come first.  Mrs. Peterson works on building relationships with her students. She creates teams that work together,  and the awesome effect is these kids  believe in themselves.

My favorite part of the book, that still brings tears to my eyes when I read it, happens after the kids are upset when the other kids say the kids in her class are from the “Junkyard” because they are different from the other kids.

“We’re all junkyard kids, even though you try to make us feel better about it. We’re throwaways,

junk, and everyone knows it.”

These kids know, no matter how wonderful this teacher is,  they still feel  that something is different about them. Then this amazing teacher says what I feel about my students:

” Oh, my dear, that’s where you are wrong,”

“Everyone of you is my wonder!…Don’t you realize what a junkyard really is?”…

“Oh, it is a place full of wondrous possibilities! What some see as bent and broken throwaways are actually amazing things waiting to be made into something new. Something unexpected. Something surprising.”

A junkyard has lots of possibilities, just like our students. This books shows us how to look beyond the labels, and look at ALL children as a “Junkyard Wonder” something unexpected, something surprising and a wonder to all of us! I love that her kids come first, even when the principal tries to ruin it…she does what any teacher that loves her students would do…she fights back for them. This book has inspired me to keep fighting for my students, to continue to put their needs first over the curriculum because as you find out in this book…put the kids first and the rest will fall into place!

Hello to all of  my new students and parents!

I hope you enjoyed your summer vacation. I am so excited to start the new year! We will be very busy this year. I know that many students and parents are a little worried about third grade because we are in a great, big, new place for you to explore! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have. I am always available to help in any way that I can! I have the gift of getting to spend  over 9 months with you, and I want you to feel comfortable for the entire journey!

Here is a little bit of information about me. I am a graduate from Goodrich High School. In fact, I attended Goodrich from K-12!! My parents still live in the old homestead that was actually built by Dr. Gale…sound familiar? Gale Road is named after this important man in our local history! I am the youngest of 7 children, so believe me, I know what it is like to be picked on. I went to the greatest university on the planet Earth. Needless to say I am a huge Michigan fan! One look in my classroom and you can tell I am passionate about my team, and I am just as passionate about teaching!  I love attending events my students participate in outside of school as well, so please do not hesitate to ask me to attend. Many parents send in a copy of their child’s sport schedules.  I treasure any time that I am getting to know my students! Seeing them shine in all areas is a great way to form a lasting bond! The only time I cannot make it is…you guessed it…during  Michigan home games!

Kindergarten at Reid Elementary

My goal is to keep you informed of everything that is going on in our room. You will find your child’s Blackboard Site to be very helpful! I will post the newsletters, kids projects, our weekly work on the SMART Board and tons of links for you and your child to investigate in each subject area. Your child’s Blackboard site is the first place I would check. I am not in charge of posting things to my website, so I have no control over when an item is posted, therefore it tends to be out of date! The second place I would check is our blogs. This is the blog I use to write and model for students. We have several blogs we comment or create posts for, and It would be great if you commented on our blogs! Kids love to see the comments!!! Knowing other people read their blog help students  become better writers because they now have an authentic audience.

Here are some videos to help you with Blackboard Site and the blogs:

How to log into Blackboard tutorial:  Click here

How to leave a comment on a blog tutorial: Click here

How to navigate the blackboard site: Click here

Thanks for visiting our blog! I hope you found some useful information!

Are you afraid of anything?  I am! I am deathly afraid of bats. I freak out when I see one outside, and usually head straight to the house when I see one.  I remember when I was little we had a lot of bats get in our old farm house, and I was always the one hiding under the first piece of furniture I could find screaming like I was in a horror movie! I recently had a bat in my house. I was hysterical! My heart rate started racing, my legs did not want to work and I could not think!  I got under the table…then it hit me. I have to get this bat out of my house. I started with a pep talk to myself, ” I am a science teacher, I have had several pythons draped around my neck, surely this little bat is nothing!” I thought I had convinced myself that I could do this and as soon as I crawled out from the table, there it was swooping towards me! I was a prisoner under my table! I could see my phone and was able to get in and out fast enough to get the phone to call my dad! After he stopped laughing he did come to help. He lives 7 minutes from my house, but I felt like it took him an hour!

As I sat under my table I started thinking about how everyone is afraid of something…maybe not as silly as my fear of bats, but we all have something that we are scared of.  I started thinking about kids, and how many of my students express that they are afraid of different things. Some children are afraid of what will happen when they get home, of school, being embarrassed, bullies, bugs…the list is goes on forever. As I sat there, shaking, I realized that I needed to be more compassionate when my students are scared of something.  I started thinking about the students that were afraid to write, speak in class, do math,  make friends or scared of their teacher. I thought about those teachers that say they want their kids to be afraid of them so they behave. Being afraid is a miserable feeling! I felt embarrassed that I could not handle this on my own, I felt like I was a failure and overwhelmed. I am sure students have these same emotions when they are afraid. How can anyone learn with all that going on in their head?

I have always concentrated on making my students feel safe the first few weeks of school. I want them to feel comfortable taking risks. I believe that getting to know each other the first weeks of school is crucial for a successful year. If I find out what students are afraid of I can help be there for them to help students feel supported. After the bat incident I realized this is even more important. I was having trouble breathing, so I am sure trying to learn something at this point would be next to impossible until the fear subsided.  I want my students to feel safe at school, so they can learn and be successful!

As much as I hate bats, I am glad this did happen. I can see that I need to really get to know my students. Maybe the reason a student is struggling has to do an emotion that is getting in the way of learning. If I do not take the time to find out what my students’ passions and fears are I may never find a way to engage them so they can learn.

As for the bats..humor helps me get through it! My family loves to tease me about my fear of bats. I even have a “Bat Motel” sign my sister put on my house…and I have slept with a tennis racket ever since!

Our school has a new principal! We are blessed to have a principal that loves to visit our classrooms. I think building a report with children is so important, especially for the principal. Students need to see the principal as an important part of our building , not just a person that sits in the office all day…and Mr. Ellis is just that type of principal!

Mr. Ellis asked if he could come in and read to the students,  of course we all invited him in. Watching him read the stories and interact with the kids was great…I got the feeling that this is the right fit for this principal and the kids LOVED it.

After he finished reading the book I asked him if he would mind if we took some measurements so we could make him some new clothes. I let the students decide which measurements we needed and they decided on the arm length, leg length, the chest and the hips…that was it. Part of me wanted to push for more measurements, but I wanted the students to have to think critically, so we wrote these measurements down. As they were taking the measurements, Mr. Ellis and I both knew that they were not correct, but again, I wanted the students to figure that out on their own. We thanked Mr. Ellis and after he left the room we started our creations.

I love this activity because students learn, in a meaningful way, what it means to create items using a scale. We have been looking at several maps of Michigan, so to help them understand what a scale was we started talking about our maps and I asked,”Is this how big Michigan is?”  It took a little discussion, but we finally agreed that Michigan was much larger than the maps we had. Many students started to see that these maps were all different sizes…after some searching one student found the map scale at the bottom of one of the maps…and the light bulbs came on! After learning about map scales I said that is what we are going to have to do to Mr. Ellis…we need to shrink his measurements.

As a class we decided that an easy way to “shrink” Mr. Ellis was to make all of the inches we measured into centimeters. Once we decided what our scale was going to be I brought out the scrapbook paper. This made their day! All the colors and patterns they could put together made them excited to create their new designs. I learned a lot by watching them measure. I also saw a lot of problem solving. The scrapbook pages were too short for some of the measurements (on purpose) so it was interesting to see how students solved this problem. What was wonderful was the kids started to realize that they needed more data…”How wide do we make the arms? How wide are his legs? How long is his shirt supposed to be? And my favorite…who measured the tie? It is only 3 centimeters according to our scale! That is when we stopped and had a discussion of what we could have done differently. It was an awesome discussion! Students started to talk about how they measured. If it was close they just went to the next number or if it wasn’t too far past the number they just rounded off. Students learned that we need to much more accurate in our measuring and many students shared their strategies of how they used their ruler.

Great learning took place that day! It continued after the creations were finished. As you can see they are all different sizes! We decided that if we were all accurate…they would not be so different!

Thank you Mr. Ellis for teaching my students the importance of measuring accurately and for being an awesome principal for our building!

Click on the link below to see our awesome creations!!
http://static.animoto.com/swf/w.swf?w=swf/vp1&e=1286314461&f=vZabmh7VnVvGjReAht1xXQ&d=143&m=a&r=w&i=m&options=

We are so blessed to have an awesome PTO in Goodrich. Our PTO works very hard to bring amazing programs to our school each year! This is my FAVORITE thing we do every year! I am an animal lover, and most students are, too. The people at Science Alive do an incredible job with the animals and the students. The presenters are so patient and knowledgeable. My students learn so much from them each time they visit our school.  We are impressed with the Science Alive team because they keep records on what animals we have seen and ones we have not, so it is never a repeat.

Thank you so much PTO for bringing this amazing program to us every year! We love it!!! We want to thank all of the parents that support the PTO. Without your generous support we would not have the opportunity to view such amazing things in our classroom! It is very cool!

This free slideshow created with Smilebox

I have had many educators ask me, “Why do you blog?” The reasons to blog are many, and the reason I blog changes with each post. The main reason I believe in blogging is that it gives children an authentic audience. I started this blog to communicate with parents, but now I use it as a way to model how and what we can blog about with my students. The list of blogs that are in this article written by Alexis Brett  is a great resource for educators to use.

When you look at the blogs on this list you will see what I mean about blogs being used for many things.  There are blogs that are a reflection of what we do as educators, blogs that are primarily written by children and blogs to share ideas. I think every educator needs to start using this valuable tool, and using this list is a great place to get ideas on how to use a blog!  This list is separated so that you can see what Kindergarten classrooms do …yes they can blog too, all the way up to high school and college. Please peruse this list and try to use blogging in your classroom! I have found that blogging is the best thing I have my students doing! They love to blog and they see themselves as writers!