Hi All! This week on the IC blog we are going to be talking JamBOARD! JamBoard is new to our Google Suite! What is a JamBoard? A JamBoard is an interactive whiteboard that works like a Google Doc. If you can run a google doc then you can run a JamBoard! Your students can work independently or can collaborate with each other on the same JAM! You can find it under your "Waffle."
Another Tutorial!
Turn a Google Slide into an image to upload into Jamboard!
Or download it from the app store on your ipad!
A How to VIDEO!
I love the idea of students being able to work collaboratively on Jams!
You can even generate a sharable code!
Students can download their word as an image or a PDF.
The app on the ipad is AWESOME! Check out how you can use Google Docs with the app!
With our Google Math Slides, teachers can pull in certain slides for students to work on independently or in groups! It would work well with making words or other worksheets that you want students to complete.
Or just use it during large group just like you would use dry erase boards and markers.
Welcome Q4, we've been waiting for you! This week let's talk about 3 Rules for SPARKING Curiosity! If we can get our students curious about a topic then the learning naturally comes. I LOVE this Ted Talk from chemisty teacher, Ramsey Musallam.
His rules are simple!:
Rule #1: Curiosity Comes First -Allow Students to ask hard questions -Questions are windows to great instruction Rule #2: Embrace the Mess -Don't fear Trial and Error -Learning can be UGLY Rule #3: Practice Reflection -Gather information needed to design and refine -Revise, Revise, Revise because each case is different Did you know your BRAIN LOVES Curiosity?
NPR confirms that Dopamine is created when students' curiosity is spiked. Curiosity drives learning! Click here to read more about Curiosity and the Brain!
Here is a great article that gives us 10 Strategies to Promote Curiosity from Teach Thought!
We already do so many of these things naturally as teachers such as: Think Alouds Self Directed Learning Making Connections Curiosity is the vessel that teachers deliver instruction through. Let's work to add more to our lessons to BOOST Curiosity!
NCties was awesome this year and I learned so much! I can't wait to share it all with you. This week, I am going to start with a new tech tool called Auto Draw! It is so simple to use. It has shareable links and the ability to download work. It is a perfect fit for 1:1 technology classrooms! Check out this video!
I love that it is totally FREE and you don't need to download anything at all! My first thought was math! I created this simple concept circle for friends of 10. Students can type in equations or use drawings/shapes to represent ways to make ten.
Then I thought of writing! Students can create illustrations and write sentences to match their words!
Other Ideas: Making Words Handwriting Word Problems Fact Families Fact Triangles Diagrams Drawing Visualizations Check out this blog about adding a stylist to your Auto Draw lessons!
I LOVE that is works on all devices, laptops & Ipads!
Does vocabulary support comprehension? Sure it does and it is so important for our developing readers to have multiple interactions with vocabulary words! The Key Classroom has a good chart to walk you through what teachers should know about teaching vocabulary!
This is video explains the different tiers of vocabulary and why explicit vocabulary instruction is essential to a balanced reading program.
Check out these 10 games from The Not So Wimpy Teacher to help your students get that "practice" in with vocabulary words. Many of these would work great in centers or partner groups!
I also LOVE the "Parrot Strategy from The Candy Class on TPT. Check out this freebie and be sure to visit her store for other great products!
We are Teachers has a spot on post about how to support ELL learners with vocabulary that would also be very beneficial to add to your daily lessons! The strategies and activities hit lots of different learning styles!
Be sure to stop by The Reading and Writing Haven! These strategies are awesome! So many simple ways to get your students to dig deep into vocabulary! Myth #3 is my favorite to bust!
Do you have a word wall????? If the answer is no, please consider adding one to your classroom! It is a simple way to bring vocabulary into your lessons! Grab this FREE one from Especially Education to get you started!
Hi All! Today I wanted to spend some time talking about one of my favorite things! How our brains learn! I am totally not an expert but the idea of how learning takes place is so interesting. Have you ever asked your students to keep their eyes up front? Have you ever explicitly taught them why you want them to do this? It is a total game changer! Teach your students that when you are presenting a lesson you are attempting to place new learning in their brains through their eyes and other senses! Seriously-You will have their attention!
Check out this video & share it with your class! It tells all about the brain and how it works. I found that when students understand how learning takes place they are more focused on how they learn best. Which is so empowering!
I always asked my class this question: How do you get information into your brain? The answers are always comical! I explained it to them in a very simple way: Learning gets into your brain through your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin. I told my students all about how I created lessons for them with this in mind. Such as... Eyes: video, anchor charts, illustrations & presentations Ears: music, chants & call and response Nose: smells & meditation Mouth: call and response, turn and talk, teaching with food! Skin: hands-on lessons like playdough, shaving cream, & STEM These are just some examples of ways we can teach to the senses & the brain!
I also made sure to share that when you first learn something it is placed in your prefrontal cortex. Then the work begins! In order to get new learning to your Hippocampus (Your Brain's Filing Cabinet), you must PRACTICE it! When we practice we create connections within our brain. Each time we practice the connection becomes stronger. Practicing new learning in a variety of ways can help make that connection even stronger!
This "practice" is why spiraling within our lessons is so important. Each week we have a focus skill/standard. This skill/standard is what we build our lesson around and what we use to choose text or activities to support the lesson. In order to support those neurological connections made in previous lessons, we must spiral old learning in too! Helping students make connections to past learning and our focus standard is essential!
Welcome to the blog this week! I wanted to share an experiment that I did with Good Morning!
I have bus duty every morning and then hall duty after that. I spend much of my morning wishing students a good morning and to have a good day. I am sad to report that many times I don't even get eye contact back from them.
My Experiment:
So, I took the opportunity this week, along with Mrs. Blaney, to model how to respond to someone saying "Good Morning" with the first and 2nd graders in the gym before school. It only took a few minutes. It was fun and the kids enjoyed it.
After, I headed back out to the hall to monitor.
When the bell rang something AMAZING happened!!!!!! As the students exited the gym, they walked by with smiles and even said good morning to me! There were hugs and an instant change in their moods. Mrs. Melton was down the hall and I could hear them greeting her too!
Then, it happened again the next day!
So what did I learn? Taking just a small amount of time to reinforce manners can make a HUGE difference in how our students start the day and how they respond to the world around them.
The time I took wasn't even instructional time!
I know on top of all of the curriculum we have to teach it is hard to think about adding one more thing to our plates but I really do believe that taking a small part of our morning meeting and modeling how our students respond when someone says "good morning" or "have a good day" can have a huge impact on our school culture.
The New York Post has a good article about The Magic Words Every Parent Needs to Teach. I really liked the paragraph about how teaching children to say hello or to respond to a hello is not for the adult but to teach the children that other people have feelings and needs too.
Children need to learn that there is a big world out there with lots of people. That adults are not here to do ONLY for them. That they can do for themselves and for others too!
I encourage you to take just a moment and point out this simple idea and do some modeling with your students.
Here is a video to get you started!
I am sure you all have seen this one! I LOVE it and I know several of you have added in some ways to greet each other during morning meeting:)
Changing how our students respond to ALL the adults at PVES can change how they respond to the world around them!
This week on the blog, I would like to focus on the world of gifted education. While I am in no way an expert on this topic, I definitely encountered these types of students in my classrooms. Did you know that it is estimated that students who are gifted and highly talented encompass 5 to 15% of the school-age population? These advanced students can have increased capabilities in academics, creativity, music, dance, art, and/or leadership. (www.education.udel.edu) I have had several teachers this year searching for resources for students in their current classrooms so I thought this would be a great way to put a collection of resources together for all of you. The Difference between BRIGHT and GIFTED?
We are Teachers has some awesome tips, tricks, and ideas for supporting the gifted learner in your classroom. Check their post out below!
50 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Gifted Learners
Miss Giraffe's Class has a great post about differentiating work for our gifted learners. I love the part about allowing them to learn new and funky things like sign language!
I really like the idea of using an interest survey with students. This is a simple way to extend learning in your classroom for all your students. Check out a few free surveys below! Fun for Kinders & Hardcore Teacher Resouces!
Our Patriot Block is a great time to check in with students on their interest surveys and allow them to have some choice and voice in a research project or creative piece!
