Daily 5

This book is an easy read, and cannot be more appropriate for a literacy workshop model. Daily 5 is my first graders' favorite time of the day! I've never been able to spend so much time working with my guided reading groups, and had such little maintenance for the workshop "station" or student choice activities. I cannot recommend this book enough!  Click here to go to "the sisters'" website to learn more about the Daily 5.

Santa Writing Idea

Really cute writing idea for the holidays!

Source: lh3.ggpht.com via SassySites on Pinterest

2 GREAT Websites 4 Learning!

I've been introduced to 2 FABULOUS websites that will be great for students to learn independently on.  Could be great for centers/stations/Daily 5/Tabor Math rotations, etc.  They can also access them at home.  

StudyLadder - You create a class, and then assign tasks.  Each student has their own account and login with an avatar they can edit to look like themselves.  They work to earn rewards and can able to spend them on things online.

DoveWhisper.com - The Dovewhisper Computer Centers were created as an effort to assist teachers in both incorporating technology and enriching their curricula. It is my hope that you and your students will find this site most beneficial and enriching.

Check them out!!! :)

Wikispaces Help

Wikispaces is a GREAT way to collaborate, and/or share information.  Wikispaces created this document to help people.  It is a "to the point" training for wikispaces.

http://help.wikispaces.com/file/view/Wikispaces+training+camp.pdf

 

Check out my class wiki for ideas about using Wikispaces with your class: http://colwell2011-12.wikispaces.com/ 

Great ipad app!

I found a GREAT app if you are using ipads in the classroom!

Check out PaperDesk.  Click here: for the link to the itunes page.  You can take a picture of a student's writing, or work sample, and insert it into a page where you can type and take notes about what that child did.  You can then email yourself, or the parents the page to see.  Great for monitoring progress!  The free version/Lite, works the same, but it has a limit to how many pages you can keep at the same time.

Graphic Organizers Galore!

Follow the link to a collection of websites with TONS of graphic organizers for all ages.  Some are interactive to use online, and some are printable.  Enjoy!

Delicious Paragraphs

Interactive Burger Paragraph Writer
Follow the link above, and you and your students can type their sentences on the burger.  You can use it for paragraphs, or beginning, middle, and end with events in the middle, or an essay like the example shows.  The way to a kid's heart is sometimes through their stomach!... or is that men?!  Anh, one in the same.  :)

Monster Mania!

In case your school is like mine, and many children don't celebrate, or cannot be a part of Halloween celebrations, why not have fun using monsters as a theme for a unit of literacy.  Our grade level is reading the book, I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll.

We are planning to have students create their own monsters on this website called Monster Maker.

Then, the students will use their monsters to write descriptive stories.

Here is another lesson plan idea from...

 

Or, check out these sites for more ways to use the book I Need My Monster...

http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/literacy/lit_site/html/fiction/my_monster/index.htm
http://www.flashlightpress.com/I_Need_My_Monster_Activity_Guide.html
http://www.flashlightpress.com/Make_a_Monster.html
http://www.flashlightpress.com/Activity_Guides.html

(Thank you to my teammate Donna, for finding these resources!)

The Whiteboard Blog

Great website with ideas for using your SMARTboard/interactive whiteboard!
Click here to go to The Whiteboard Blog.

Web 2.0 Tools

Awesome Wiki with examples and explanations of how to use different Web 2.0 tools.

Click here to go to Perk Up Projects wiki

Great resources for K-2, especially for literacy.

http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/

Online Conference Sign-up

Every year, after the first 9 weeks grading period, we schedule parent-teacher conferences with every child's parents to go over the first report card.  It's always somewhat of a paperwork mess sending notes back and forth between the parents to schedule these conferences. 

Click here to go to SignUp Genius's website

This year, I tried something new!  I LOVE it!  SignUp Genius is a way to create an online sign-up schedule.  You can email the parents in your class an invite to view your event. They click on the time they want to sign up for, and enter their email address.  It'll show up on the scheduling page for all parents to see which time slots are taken and which ones are still available.  Then, you can schedule the website to email the parents a reminder before the event.  All for my favorite price... FREE! :)