A Chance to Share

I have to say I love what I do. Each year I get the chance to impact a child's life with lifelong skills like adding and subtracting, discovering a favorite book, or watching their eyes go big with a science experiment. One of my favorite things is technology. I LOVE my Promethean ActivBoard and my teaching has changed over the last 7 years with the interactivity of my students. I believe I am a better teacher with it. Along comes Apple and the iTouches and iPad and I want my students to experience the future. Problem is there is a shortage on funds. Thanks to my fabulous hubby I get an iPad and then there are the parents with some iTouches...firsties love it! Of course, we love the apps but then there is SonicPics, taking pictures and recording video, writing stories, creating ePub books, reading QR codes, using Edmodo and the many features...and with 1st graders! At the last School Board meeting a group of teachers were on the agenda to share Project TIDES. My friend Steve Waterman headed a $730,000 project that changed our district, teachers, and children. Some of his project teachers shared their learning and then children talked to the Board about how the technology helps to enhance their learning. Then my friend Robert Miller shared his class website his "flipped classroom." Truly a pioneer he introduced us to something new and exciting that I am sure we will hear more about in the future. The student from his class was so excited to share what happens behind the scenes and the knowledge he has gained in class.

Next was our turn. My sister-in-law and I addressed the Board to share how we use technology to enhance our curriculum. I thought I would bring my own children and two first graders to walk around and share our accomplishments. It was such a highlight to see them interact with the Superintendent and School Board members. I have to say they seemed pretty impressed with our first graders and what they demonstrated so effortlessly. I was so proud! Thank you to Kaile, Carson, Cate, Andrew, their families, Steve, Robert, Cassy, the Superintendent, School Board members and our principal, Mrs. Russell for the chance to share.

50 days smarter...

This is my 5th year teaching 1st grade and I LOVE it!  One of my favorite days is the 50th day of school.  Each year we celebrate with a sock hop and this year it was even more fabulous than last year.  Make sure to check out the iMovie I made to show off all the fun.  We celebrated all day long.  We talked about things from the 50s and today.  It was cute because the kids didn't even know what a record was and few had seen a jukebox.  We counted by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s and talked about numbers greater than or less than 50.  You should see how they made 50.  We played games and watched an I Love Lucy episode.  They didn't even know who Lucy was?!  The chocolate factory worker one is a classic and I am so glad I got to show them TV before it was color.  We danced to the chicken dance, blew bubbles, and even a hula hooping contest.  It was great fun and definitely a day to remember!  I can't wait to see what we are doing on the 100th day...

Fall Centers

Good thing we had an extra day off for Veteran's Day so I can catch up with my postings and movies.  We enjoyed some Fall Centers on October 31, 2011.  We measured pumpkins, graphed Boo Mallows, sorted pumpkin facts, and practiced blowing spiders across the glitter web.  It was great fun and we practiced our math!  Surprise we had 2 pumpkins that weighed exactly the same.  It was cute to see the kids take out the seeds and then we even had to count those!  I took them home to roast and came back the next day with yummy roasted pumpkin seeds.  I was surprised to see so many that had not tried them before.  Make sure to check out the movie to see how much fun we had.

Another Sonic Pic-Bears on Ice

While working on main idea and details we read Bears on Ice during our guided reading groups.  We learned some details about polar bears and wanted to share.

Our Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

We were so excited for our 1st field trip!  We went to the Pumpkin Patch.  It was a beautiful day and we had the best time ever.  Each child wrote about the trip.  Our final copies are hanging outside our classroom with a pumpkin art project.  I took the stories and typed them, while adding pictures of my firsties, and published our 1st ePub book.  I can't wait to show the class the book on the iTouches. Parents I emailed the book to you to add to your iTunes library.  Here is a copy to enjoy.

Trip to the pumpkin patch

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Family Pumpkins 2011

Each year I send home white paper pumpkins for the families to decorate.  Each year I am even more impressed than the last.  This year is no exception!  I love these family pumpkins.  I am impressed with the creativity and time families put into making these unique pumpkins.  You should have heard them talk about their families making the pumpkins.  This year's families, I am hoping to post on Edmodo the explanations and will let you know when I get them on.  I can't wait for the next family project. 

OREO Project 2011

Each year we participate in Junietech.com OREO project.  We love it! Each child is asked to stack OREO cookies and they get 1 practice.  A class average is calculated and we email that number in and compare to all the other participants around the world.  Our class average was 14.  David stacked the most with 18 while Brady got 23 on his practice stack and 17 on his recorded attempt. More pictures are on the way since we used the cookies to make sculptures...Check back soon.