Technology Question/Input

Hello!  Beth and I were asked to put together a list of teacher websites/blogs and different technology that we use in our classroom.  On our first teacher day back, we rotate every ten minutes to different stations and we are going to be one of the stations this year!  That got us thinking about how to make this the most effective and beneficial for the teachers.  My question to you is:

What kind of technology do you love to use in your classroom or do you have a really good website that you can't live without?

It would be great to get as many comments as we can on here so we can ALL benefit from the variety of resources out there.  Our goal is to do a once a month training on a different component of technology for our teachers.  We will post anything that we come up with!

Hope everyone is having a great summer - amazing how fast it is flying by!

BIG 600 Follower Giveaway from Reading Toward the Stars!!

Congratulations to Andrea Crawford from Reading Toward the Stars!  She has reached 600 followers and is celebrating with a huge SUMMER GIVEAWAY!  Emily and I know how hard it is to get started in this blogging world so we are super excited for her.

Andrea graciously let us join her giveaway and we couldn't be more thrilled.  She has also given us lots of tips to help us get our blog noticed.  Thanks, Andrea!!

Here's the link for her 600 Follower Summer Giveaway! 

 

 

Just click the button to take you to the big Giveaway!

Debbie Diller Workshop!

Emily and I got to attend a Debbie Diller Literacy Stations Workshop today.  After reading many of her books, it was great to see and hear her in person.  Here are some ideas I especially liked:

1.  Take digital photos of kids using stations.  Send to parents as a way to show them what kids are doing during Literacy Station Time.
2.  Take one station at a time and highlight it in your classroom blog or newsletter.
3.  Have students take notes while watching a video because it's usually easier with a video than a book.
4.  Have a testing station-I especially liked the Question Maker Station for this.  Students read test passages together and answer questions about it.  Next, they write their own questions.  Your advanced learners can not only write their own questions but create the answer list too.
5.  Use a Research Station.  I know my kids would love, love, love this!!
6.  Use a Science Station with topics related to science and math.  Love a way to incorporate STEM ideas here!
7.  Debbie suggested using Community Journals in stations as a way for students to record their thinking. 
8.  Use audio in your Fluency Stations.  Tape record students and let them listen to themselves read.  I have Flip Cameras that I think I might use for this. She also recommended having a fluency rubric in this station for students to assess themselves.
9.  Create "I Can" statements with students not FOR students. (I'm so guilty of the FOR thing!!)
10.  Assign "Station Inspectors" jobs.  Your two "Station Inspector" students evaluate stations after they have been used and report their findings to the class. 

I am going to be evaluating my Lit Stations to decide what changes I want to make for next year.  What works for you?  Tell me your favorite station that you use in your classroom!  What changes will you be making in your Lit Stations???? 

How Do You Control Noise Level in your Classroom?

As another year has ended, I take a look back and ask myself what things I could have done better or changed to make things run a little more smoothly.  I always struggle with noise level and what is appropriate.  I know that I am more accepting of noise than some other people but I also know that there is a time and place for it to be quiet in my classroom.  I really worked hard this year on my expectations for Lit Stations and also the noise level associated with that.  This morning, I came across an adorable sound check visual that I think I will be making this summer.  Thank you so much to Totally Terrific in Texas for this great idea.  Head over to her blog to get this freebie!!

Click on the picture to be taken to Totally Terrific in Texas' blog for this great resource!

Winner of our Rafflecopter Giveaway

Congratulations to Leigh Langton from The Applicious Teacher!
She won two sets of our DIFFERENTIATED CORE CARDS!  You can follow her blog at:  http://theappliciousteacher.blogspot.com/.  Thanks to all who participated!
 

Using Our New Differentiated Core Cards

 I promised to tell you how our newest product worked in the classroom.  I was a little worried that there might be mass chaos, but luckily, the activity went smoothly.  First, I grouped my students in three levels (approximately a 3rd grade level, 4th grade level, and a 5th grade reading level).  I cut apart the Response Sheets and passed one out to each student according to their level.  Do you see the big apple below? That picture identifies the level. (In this case, the lower level)  My Core Cards were in three areas of my classroom and the students went to the cards that matched their apple symbol.  Easy as pie! 

Next, students completed all 12 of the Core Cards and self-checked them with one of the five answer keys available at their area.  If they missed any, they had to go back and reread the card and correct their answer.  (Notice how the apples on the Core Cards match the apples on the Response Sheet?!!!)

Finally, students took one of the Exit Slips (available in a pile after the answer keys) and went back to their desk to complete it. (Key an eye on the apple--it's the same as the before!)  Now, I can check for mastery all at three different levels!

I have to say this activity couldn't have gone any smoother.  I gathered my students together and asked them what they thought about it.  Were they too hard, too easy, just right?  Were there any problems?  Guess what?  They said they were ok--not too easy and yet some were challenging!  Just what a teacher wants!!  I caught a few of my students traveling to another group because they thought they were supposed to do all three groups but, if only, they had listened better. 

So Emily and I are hard at work creating more Differentiated Core Cards.  We already have a set of context clues in our TpT store.  What strategy should we add next?


 

End of the Year - Teachers Pay Teachers Sale

We are having a sale to end the school year!  Please take a look at our Teachers Pay Teachers store and check out all of our items!