Apr
13
The video below is from a webinar with Region 10 where I discuss virtual field trips. This is one topic in a series of hangouts I will be doing with Region 10. You can see the full schedule here and register for FREE (required for CPE credit.) I hope you enjoy the presentation and will check out the topics on the schedule.
Handouts and links mentioned in the presentation are below.
Presentation Slides
Mar
15
The video below is from a webinar with Region 10 where I discuss the basics of global collaboration in elementary. This is one topic in a series of hangouts I will be doing with Region 10. You can see the full schedule here and register for FREE (required for CPE credit.) I hope you enjoy the presentation and will check out the topics on the schedule.
Mar
6
(repost from last year)
My 17 things to do during winter break post was fairly popular so I decided to make a list for spring break also. The kids stay home for nine days (including the weekends) so here is a list of 9 things to do during the break…
1. Take pictures all week and create a spring break book to share with the class. You can print the pictures and make a paper book or use a computer or iPad to make the story. Here are great apps for storytelling if you want to make a digital copy.
2. Make a picture graph of food sorted by color. Look through magazines, find pictures online or color your own. After you finish the graph try one new food from each color group. (challenge: make a pie graph also)
3. Create a new animal. Use your imagination or combine features of your favorite animals. Draw this new animal in its habitat and write three interesting facts about the new animal. This website might help!
4. Have a picnic with your family. If possible find a fun park to visit but even a picnic in the backyard will work.
5. Research about another country. It can be a country important to your family or even a place you want to visit. Learn about their clothes, shelter, food, symbols, flag, and animals that live there.
6. Go fishing… or at least feed the fish and explore a pond, creek or lake.
7. Learn something new like… ride a bike, tie shoes, fold laundry, cook a meal, how to sew, how to draw or build something. Dont give up!
8. Plant something! Start a garden or even just a small pot of flowers and estimate how long until they start growing.
9. Record the temperature every hour for one day. You can look online or use a thermometer. How will you record the data? How did the temperature change during the day? Why did it change? This app is great for recording the weather.
Feb
19
Here is a list of my favorite posts on using Twitter in the primary grades. Please let me know of other posts I should add to the list!
We Should Be Doing More Than Teaching Digital Citizenship
So you want to tweet with kindergarten…
Using Twitter in the Primary Classroom
Using Blog and Twitter with Young Students: THIS is What it Looks Like
Guide to Twitter in the K-8 Classroom
Digital Citizenship Starts in Kindergarten
Kindergarten Class Tweets with Weather Experts
The Research Center: How Twitter Leads to Learning
and OF COURSE @cybraryman1 has a page dedicated to twitter
Nov
12
Here are a few things we did with pumpkins this year…
Growing seeds inside a pumpkin! Cut open the top and fill with soil. Water and watch them grow, it really does work. Make sure the pumpkin gets A LOT of sun. I also made a few small cuts on the bottom for water to drain. You might notice there is a grasshopper in the picture. That is because we put one of the pumpkins inside our terrarium. We are very curious to see if he eats the leaves or not. I love the wonder and excitement the terrarium brings to my room. We also have crickets, worms, snails and beetles in there currently. Special thanks to my teammates Carole and Jen for letting me include a pic of their pumpkin. Crazy how many plants are growing in it!
Giant pumpkin. We had a parent donate this 100 pound pumpkin! It was a prop for home living for several weeks and then we took it outside cut it open. We are also going to watch and see what happens to the pumpkin over time. Next year I am going to visit some of the pumpkin patches and stores to see if they would donate any leftover pumpkins for us to observe. All you need is a small patch of dirt or garden area.
And of course the kids explored pumpkins themselves! Read more about that project here.
Oct
29
Last year I started the interactive notebook mid year and it was a big success! If you want to know more about the interactive notebook please read about it here. I wanted to share how I started the notebook this year. Here are examples of the first entries…
We talk about balance and stability in the class meaning that it is a safe and fun environment for learning.
My class only one rule. We talk about expectations and being brave.
What is our mission in Kindergarten. The kids came up with their ideas and we worked together to create this video.
Learning about the pledge. They were asked to draw a symbol of our country.
Hand Washing System. The icons were mixed up on their side and they had to put them in the correct order.
School Leaders
Labeling the parts of a flashlight
“Needs and wants” lesson
Magnetic or Non-magnetic
Realistic drawings
Oil, water and honey experiment.
When should we call 911?
Bus safety
