Rockin' Robin TWEET TWEET- Technology Tuesday

Good Morning!
It is Technology Tuesday, and I believe today we are chatting about Twitter!   I actually signed up for Twitter many years ago when my girls signed up.  Mostly, I used my account for following others and hearing about what was going on in their lives.  It seemed silly to do little updates about an everyday life American...but it was interesting hearing about a "star's" life or what was new going on in the world.  I didn't tweet.  I just followed tweets!  (Does that make me a Twitter stalker?)

Since then, Twitter has blown up, and my sweet daughter, Kelci, a social media guru, told me the benefits of using it in my classroom.  Also, we heard about it a lot at DENapalooza and our great technology person, Ashleigh, gave me a few tips.

So, when my parents came for open house last week, I gave them my info and told them how to follow me with Wallace updates.  My hashtags will be #throughfirstgradeeyes.  For now, I will probably use it just to give my families brief updates of what is going on in the classroom and to learn about great things going on in the education world.  Let's see where it goes from there....TWEET TWEET Rockin' Robin....doo ta doo...  :)  (imagine a whistle here.)

Happy Technology Tuesday!  Have you thought about great apps you enjoy or cool technology  and want to share?  Post it here!

:) Marie

It's All About Community!

I love starting a new year. It brings fresh starts and fresh eyes and ways of seeing things differently. 
Every year, I work incredibly hard to build community.  I tell the kids they now have two families, one at home and one here at school.  They are surprised at first and a little disbelieving.  But I am convinced that if a child feels happy and safe and loved, they can accomplish great things and will be willing to try most anything!  This sense of family brings unity to our day...it begins our journey of learning empathy and sympathy

This year, I'm working harder than ever to move slower into curriculum.  As always, I've turned to my favorite books like The Responsive Classroom.  I adore this curriculum because it builds community with successful steps.  We write a morning message every day (which I've always done because the kids adore it.)  In this case, I write a morning message with my class pets (more about that here.)  The kids can hardly wait to see Stanley's paw print on a message. These class pets are just as much a part of our community as the kids.  (It's magic.)

In addition, we learn every morning how to greet each other, how to act with each other, how to see the best in everyone.  I don't stop there.  I add elements of Peace Builders and other curriculums which build self esteem and self confidence. 

In these first days, we concentrate on creating rules for the classroom and for outside. 
Before kids are allowed to use playground equipment, they are taught how to play games with each other, making sure kids aren't left out and that they are playing fair and by the rules.  What I love about this set-up is that kids are taught success right away.

Here are a couple of the games for big groups:
octopus              fish gobbler  (this one has several P.E. games)

Next week I will bring out playground equipment and teach them more games involving balls and jump ropes.  It will be such fun!            

I know there is so much more to community building than I can write on this page, so I will continue our discussion further later on down the line.

These first days are so important.  In the end, just like the old mantra, "go slow to go fast."  Spending time to invest in the kids and community now, ensures they will be more responsive when it comes time to do more academic things.  I love my school family.  These steps also allow me to have something to look forward to every day.

Cheers!

Remind 101 for Tech Tuesday

It's Tech Tuesday and time for another wonderful tech tip.  This week we start school, and I found the most awesome tool,  that makes sending and receiving messages quick and safe.  Remind101 -  There is a great youtube video that explains the purpose of this wonderful app.

For the last nine years or so, I've sent email reminders for upcoming events or projects or any communication I needed to send out massively.  It was my attempt to save on paper and to efficiently send out a note to all my parents and also making sure that notes got home for those little cherubs that had difficulty getting them home.  Until the last 4 years or so, this wasn't a tool I could use for the majority of my class.  With the explosion of cell phones and more and more people with access to cell phones versus a home phone, this app is helpful to send out those very quick reminders and there's no exchange of personal information.  The phone numbers are private for all parties.

On parent night, each of my parents will receive a notice of how to sign up for this service.  It's so simple!  Parents text in a special code and it goes directly to the teacher to know they've signed up, and they're set up in the class. 

What are  your apps for the week?  Have you tried this app?  If so, in what ways has it worked for you?  I'm hoping to return to this post later and let you know some tips and tricks that might work better for you.

Enjoy!   Happy apping!

New Running Record App! for Tech Tuesday (late)

You have to love Teacher Tipster.  First you love his awesome Youtube videos, and now he's making apps!   Have you gone to the Google Playstore and tried the Running Record  Toolbox App?
And yes, there's an android version for folks like me.  It has a WPM  stopwatch!  (for those of us who might lend out their stopwatch and not know where it is) .  The Running Record Calculator allows you to instantly do the math and finish up those records on the spot.  Lastly, it has a symbol Cheat Sheet and an Accuracy Table as quick reference guides.

                       Here is a YouTube video to explain the app more in depth. 

If you haven't had a check out some of Teacher Tipster's other videos, please do.  He has so many handy ideas from classroom management to activities for reading and math.  Mostly of them are simple to create or perform.

Happy record keeping!

Building Community

Every year, what is most important to me is building classroom community.  I want my kiddos to feel safe and happy and eager to learn.   This takes time and serious intentions and many valuable tools.

This summer I've been re-reading many of my favorite texts in order to remain true to what I know works for kids.  These great texts include Love and Logic and The Responsive Classroom.  I added a text from the Responsive Classroom called The First Six Weeks of School.


I also have a background in Peacebuilders, which reminds me that students need a sense of belonging and purpose.  We do a community circle several times a week where we do Praises and Prides.  First, we begin by making sure students remember to see the golden nuggets in others, but also to know that it's okay to find golden nuggets in ourselves.  Our society often places a judgement upon us remembering to notice good things in ourselves saying that we ate full off ourselves our that we are bragging... I happen to think it's healthy to feel good about yourself. You can't give what you don't have.  Many times in our life experience we are left alone to encourage ourselves, and if we don't know how to do it, our only recourse might be to get negative attention. When students learn to fill their own bucket, they are less spot to expect it from everyone else. ( more on this later)

Looking back, if I could narrow my focus, I would stay with the Responsive Classroom book, specifically the book, The First Six Weeks. 

What I love about Responsive classroom is that there is constant, daily reinforcement and practice of basic common courtesies...namely, greeting each other.  We begin from day 1, acknowledging each other in the classroom, making eye contact, being genuine in our care for others.  For many, this comes easily, for others, with tougher experiences and perhaps some trust issues, this might take longer.  I promise, with due diligence that even the toughest come around because you prove to them multiple times that you will be there to support them and build them up.  Oftentimes as classroom teachers, we worry about how we will get all that curriculum in and teach all that we are responsible for.  However, it is these initial beginnings of helping our students to feel physically and emotionally safe that allow that learning to happen.  Without it, the information ends up being a "fly by" and sometimes they get it and sometimes they don't.   This book assists teachers map out these routines throughout the six weeks with plenty of opportunity to practice for success and mastery, leaving an easier path for learning.

If you only add one thing this year, add a morning meeting or a morning greeting.  Students stand taller and open up more, just having been greeted that morning.  Also, it allows for time to practice routines successfully and purposefully.  Remember the first weeks are vital for year-long success. When the kids feel safe and know you love them, there is community, and with community, all things are possible.

As the year goes on, I will talk about these topics more in depth.  For now, there are a few quick start ups on YouTube under Responsive Classroom.

Happy trails, and may your school year be blessed. 

Tech Tuesday - Color Design Tool for Designing Class Space (web pages too!)

Happy Tech Tuesday all!  You're going to love this new tool  It goes hand in hand with Debbie Diller's Spaces and Places post that I wrote earlier about intentionally designing your classroom.

In the book, Debbie suggests that you choose two, at the most, three colors for your classroom so that your room is not only aesthetically pleasing, but comfortable and flowing.  Sometimes choosing just the right colors that are complementary can be a tedious process. 

Well, those wonderful engineers in our world have come up with a tool called:  Color Scheme Designer.  If you like just playing around with color, you can go straight to the web-site and start finding complementary colors.    Just click on the words highlighted above.

However, if you want to be even more intentional, there's a Youtube video that not only helps you understand how to use the tool, but gives you another tool, Color Pick, that allows you to pick an even more specific color  for your color palette and complementary palette.  I'm so excited to try it out.  Thank you to my colleague Kerry for helping us enjoy yet another great tool.

Here's a sneak peak of the palette I am choosing for my room this year: 

                                 http://colorschemedesigner.com/#3md1TsPQSw0w0

                                                       What do you think?

As always, do you have a special app you've found lately that you'd like to share?  Can't wait to hear about it!  If you've found it, and would like me to share with my audience, let me know.  I'm happy to do it.

Until next time, happy tool day!