Kindergarten Collaboration

Kindergarteners using technology- who would have thought!? Well, I designed a literacy lesson that allowed my students to work in small groups and use technology to create a big book of their own. During shared reading we have been exploring the series of BIG BOOKS by Colin Hawkins. Students showed interest in creating their own books, so I figured- let's turn this into an extended lesson that integrates many early literacy elements. Here is a very brief description of the activities that culminated into a wonderful product of student learning:
1. Students create vocabulary list for their chosen word family and brainstrom story element ideas.
2. Students work together through the writing process as they write, revise and edit sentences.
3. Students add detailed illustrations and practice fluency as the record their narrations for their story.
 Here is the "-at" Team's BIG BOOK:

Here is the "-ug" Team's BIG BOOK

Little Literacy Learners

So I decided to try and create a mini website for my kindergarteners to use. As mentioned before, there are no computers in my classroom- so I try to bring in my iPad as much as possible. Check out what I am attempting to create....

                                                         Little Literacy Learners

So, after I begn creating this site I ran into another site that does just what I want- and even better. Here;s the link to that site. This site has games, stories, songs for all ages and grade levels. Tons of digital stories for commonly used books as well. KinderSite

Weebly Stage 1

So I had alot of trouble thinking of how to implement a weebly at my school. I thought about how I could do it with my kindergarteners, but there is a huge road block....

THERE ARE NO COMPUTERS IN MY CLASSROOM. We do not even have a computer lab. Also, not all my students have computers at home, so I would not want to make it an at-home project because everyone could not participate.

I know... it's awful. I have had to bring in my own iPAD and laptop to show my students the Animoto and digital story I created.

So, I thought of another idea... I will create a weebly for our PTIC committe (parent teacher involvement). I am in charge of emailing PTIC members to organize meetings and events. Wouldn't it be much easier to hae a website they can go to, get information, and share their own ideas for events and school activities.

My weebly has JUST been created... But I'd love advice on how to format it, especially since this is my first weebly. Let me know your thoughts/suggestions..... Thanks!      Mount Olive PTIC Website

Diigo for Kindergarten

I have shaped my Diigo library into a useful tool that I will be able to keep and expand upon throughout my teaching career. My Diigo would be useful for other kindergarten teachers and those looking for early literacy ideas. Here are the tags you will find in my Diigo:
       * sight words                         * guided reading    
       * smartboard                         * reading workshop
       * kindergarten                       * early literacy
       * printables                           * technology
       * writing workshop               * resources
                                     * blogs

Digital Story Done!

Check out what it's like to be young again! Watch my digital story about our kindergarten class.

I can't wait to show my students the final product- they'll love it! Also, the parents will enjoy seeing this during orientation.

"A Day in the Life of a Mount Olive Kindergartener!"

Thank you to my fellow grad students for their input on my rough draft. I listened to all your suggestions and it definately improved my video.

Creating Classroom Communication

Here is my first attempt at creating a GOOGLE FORM.... it was very easy! I thought this would be a great form that any teacher can put into their classroom webpage.

This form is geared towards a kindergarten classroom where the family members come in and drop off/ pick up the students.

Do you think you could use this in your classroom? What changes or add-ons can you suggest?

Diigo... Where'd You Go?

I have been having problems with Diigo. In the beginning it was easy (isn't it always?). With a few simple steps, I was able to add Diigo to my toolbar. I clicked away, adding sites here and there. I especially liked blogs created by fellow kindergarten teachers. I continued for about two weeks. Then, while reviewing Diigo in my EDUC519 course, I realized I had been doing it wrong. I had been clicking the Diigo button when I was on a site I liked. But I was unaware of the following steps regarding labeling and saving.....All of my sites were gone... or never there to begin with.


So, here is my new Diigo account. It is slowly growing again. Hopefully it will help out teachers who are looking to find more creative ideas for their classrooms, or in search of educational information. Enjoy!

A Digital Day

I am creating a digital story for my classroom. I wanted to make something that could be used more than once, so I decided on
 " A Day in the Life of a Mount Olive     Kindergartener." 
 I can use this digital story during orientation for the parents and then during the first days of school for the students. It can also be edited to update pictures and present again at the end of the year for graduation. 

A few slides need to be added. It is missing slides for the classroom door, name cards, math, guided reading, read aloud, parent pick up, and a goodbye slide.

                                        It's almost complete!  Check out what I have so far:

Hip-Hop-Hooray for Animoto

It's finished! My first Animoto is complete. It is different from my original idea for three reasons:

1) My orginial concept of "Kindergarten Rules" is still in the works, but I did not feel like it was long enough to produce yet.
2) My classroom students have decided they would like to learn about planes and trains and automobiles; so a "Transportation Study" is in full effect. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce new transportation vocabulary to them.
3) Searching for the perfect musical accompaniment.


What were my road blocks on this Animoto journey? Well trying to find a different mode of transportation for each letter in the alphabet... not easy. I resorted to using some other forms of vehicle-vocab to fill in the harder letters; such as O, U, E, K, N, Q, V and X.

I decided to look for a hip-hop song because I think my students would get excited and move to the beat while learning! I purposly looked for an instrumental-only song so the words/lyrics would not distract them. Also, I want them to be able to call out the names of the differents forms of transportation while the Animoto is playing- making it more fun and interactive.


Here is it.... Enjoy!

(If Animoto does not play, click here Transportation Animoto.)

Any more suggestions for letters O, U, E, K, N, Q, V and/or X???

My Problems = Your Benefit

I will share a couple of the issues I encountered with Animoto. Hopefully you will read this BEFORE you start Anomoto-ing. It may save you some time... and sanity.

ANIMOTO ALERT: Do NOT click "produce" button until you are 200% sure you are in love with the final product. This is why my newest Animoto is now titled: Copy Of Transportation. I forgot to add a title slide, so I had to go back and fix it- inerasable damage.

ANIMOTO TIP: Some teachers may believe the songs in their Animotos are distracting to the students. Loud singing and fast tempo lyrics may take the focus away from the student's learning. Search YouTube for hundreds of songs with and without lyrics. Go to this  Online Video Converter website to copy the hyperlink of the video. It will download to your computer, then you can upload it into your Animoto- and it's FREE!

Please share any other tips & alerts that may help future Animoto creators...

S.O.S. for RSS

RSS is a new concept for me. I tend to make alot of lists and carry around post-it notes. I am slowy changing my ways, and RRS can help. This is a easy-read webpages that details what RRS is.

Here is a great site for TEACHERS to "subscribe" to in your Google Reader, or whichever RRS floats your boat. It has RSS subscription links to hundreds of educational webpages, news links, and other great informational sites. Enjoy!

Animoto's Making Me Cry!

I came across an Animoto that brought tears to my eyes. It inspired me to develop another great Animoto for my classroom (after I finish my first one of course)!

I would love to have my kindergarten students write sentences about their grandparents, choosing one grandparent, or as many as they would like. Possibly using sentence starters like:
My grandma is funny when _________________.
My favorite place to go with my grandfather is _______________.
My grandmother's favorite food is___________.

For the photographs, I think I would have a classroom throw-away camera that I would make available for students to take home. Or have parents email me the pictures.
What an amazing keep sake this would be for them to reflect upon as they get older! I want to make one myslef with my Grandma.

My Grandma and her twin sister just turned 85. She has recently ditched the New England weather and is living it up in Curacao for the next 2 months. You go Grandma!

Attempting Animoto: Teaching a Teacher

And it begins..... my first attempt at creating an educational video for my classroom. Can you believe that I have never heard of an Animoto!? Animoto's are everywhere; on Facebook, on Pinterest, on YouTube , even on Twitter! Heck, these little videos have more friends than I do! So it seems that I must jump on the band-wagon and check it out.
Just like teachers must do in preparation of a lesson, some brainstorming must be done. I must assess my current skills and plan how bring myself to the next level. Therefore, diving right into Animoto is out of the question. I must provide myself with the proper learning tools so I can succeed in my task.

Here is my 10-step plan on how I will develop my own Animoto for my kindergarten classroom:
1) Learn what an Animoto is through books or internet.
2) Browse through various Animotos about kindergarten.
3) Download proper Animoto tools and necessities. Which ones cost MONEY and which ones are FREE?
4) Brainstorm ideas for classroom Aninmoto.
5) Start the creation process.  Tips to help create Animotos.
6) Share with colleagues and collect feedback.
7) Apply necessary tweaks.
8) Present to kindergarten class!
9) Observe their response and listen to their feedback.
10) Attempt Animoto again...?!?

I have currently completed steps 1 through 4 and have decided what my Animoto will be about....THE CLASSROOM RULES. I thought this would be a great idea because it is a video that I can use throughout the year to introduce and reiterate expected behaviors. I can even replace photographs with student work, pictures and writing as the year moves along. 

Here is an Animoto I enjoyed, it shows how student work can be effective and engaging:

Too Much Technology Too Soon?

                                                                                          

Debbie-Downer Alert:

If you have not read my introduction- I am a kindergarten teacher. Working with students at the lower elementary level makes me look at blogging slightly different then a high school teacher possibly would. There are some skills that young children must be immersed in that technology just can not provide. Don't get me wrong, I think technology should be used often in the classroom, not only is it a life-skill it is a national standard. Educator and Professor Judy Arzt details the importance of blogging and other uses of technology in the classroom. In her article, Online Collaborative Inquiry, the National Council of Teachers of English states that technology has, "increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twentieth-firstcentury demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies.” However,  I believe there are just some things that should be taught the good old fashioned way...
"Are you my Friend?"
Students in early elementary are still developing their abilities to communicate appropriately and interact socially with their peers and others. There is a constant focus on problem-solving techniques and communication. We want children to stand up in front of a large group and express their thoughts and ideas. These children are learning to stand up for themselves and others.  
"Kelso" promotes problem solving techniques through communication:

Educators want students to be proud of their accomplishments and hold responsibility with their work - not possibly stand behind a pseudonym as suggested by Richardson in his book about using blogs and other technologies in the classroom. Richardson believes wikis are a great idea for educators and students alike. Comments and posts can be seen without knowing who the author. This, he believes, will help those who may be too shy to still fully participate. As an early elementary educator, I do not think wikis have a place in the classroom.
 Arzt's IRA article also discusses things that educators need to be mindful of when using technology in the classroom. Internet/Online bullying is a major concern. If students are allowed to post and comment under fake names or even anonymously- that can lead to unwanted behaviors.
It's That Time of Year Again.... Assessments
I know no one likes to talk about assessments... but there are some early literacy assessments that early educators must complete several times throughout the year, that just possibly could not be done through technology. The skills needed for the student to complete these assessments are not learned while they are creating, updating and browsing blogs. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of blogging in the early elementary classrooms. I just do not think it is realistic to incorporate it throughout all learning areas, and still find time to teach the skills needed to succeed in required assessments. I find I am not the only teacher who shares these concerns. Rosina, a CT 4th grade teacher poses the question on her educational blog... "how does blogging fit into a teacher's day??"
        Two early literacy assessments that have to be completed twice, if not three times a year are; Concepts About Print, writing samples and authentic assessments.
        Another idea to consider is diagnosing developmental issues or learning impairments through early detection in young children's writing skills. If the majority of classwork is done with technology and through blogging, it make take a bit longer to notice these early signs.

 This writing can be seen as typical for a kindergartener. However, with spell check on computers- if this was the handwriting of a first grader- early signs of developmental concerns such as dyslexia could overlooked for too long.  

Do you Know the New Classroom Lingo?

Want to read something that actually makes you feel illiterate? For me, that is how I felt reading Blogs, Wikis,Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classroom by Will Richardson. Even the title scares me. I have dabbled in the world of Wikis while taking a technology course at USJ, but the technology was unavailable to me in the workplace, so I have forgotten all wiki-rules.
I am fully aware that students today are immersed in technology and the world-wide-web. Richardson discusses how today's student needs this interaction in order to stay excited, focused and relevant in the world we live in. Though books are still necessary in the learning process, the new literacies available to students must be utilized so they can learn and develop alongside the technological advances occurring as we speak. New literacies include anything from blogs and digital storytelling to Skipe and global interactions.

Decades ago, students from all around the world were interacting with technology.

As I mentioned earlier, I lost my knowledge of wikis due to the lack of technology available to me in my classroom. Even though NETS outlines specific standards for technology use in the education system, there is always going to be an unfair advantage to affluent communities. NETS for students is developed around already existing best practices of teaching, with technology operations and digital citizenship added. The essential conditions of these require digital resources to be available- this is not happening. NETS for teachers require there is a digital -age work place. I can tell you where I teach, this is not the case. Ok, I did forget to mention one factor... I teach in a private non-profit school. This is the reasoning that NETS has not been required in our curriculum. However, I do not think that fair. Technology should be required in all school systems no matter the socioeconomic circumstances. I know I'm dreaming, but what a wonderful world that would be!

I will end my post with a provoking thought I found on Richardson's blog:

The Future of Learning Is…

(from EduCon via Christian Long…more here)

…”asking better questions.” —Zac Chase
…”unlimited.” —Diana Laufenberg
…”self-organized.” —Will Richardson
…”unknown…and that’s ok.” —Jessica Ross
…”every classroom a Maker space.” —Jaymes Dec
…”There are multiple futures of learning. We all decide” —Rob Greco
…”fun, playful, always morphing and evolving.” —Ethan Bodnar
…”real work in a human context.” —Greg
…”them.” —Jeremy
…”communal.” —Chris Lehmann
…”close relationships between teachers and students.” —Lizzie
…”spontaneity.” —Ray
…”connecting the needs of our cities to our classrooms and the youth and multigenrational teams most apt to actually generate and implement innovative solutions.” —Alex Gilliam

You?

All About ME!

My name is Cassandra, I am a kindergarten teacher, and this is my first blog ever. I am not very knowledgeable about computers, creating websites, or using other technologies the Internet has to offer. I am re-starting my Master's program at  USJ and hope this course will help me learn new things about the computer and how to implement these exciting interactive ideas into my classroom curriculum. (That was my first hyper-link!) Since you have decided to read my blog, it is only fair I share a little about myself.... I took some time away from my Master to focus on some personal things.... I GOT MARRIED!



SOLD!

 We just moved into our new home in Glastonbury, CT and we spent several months renovating the entire house! I have found a love for decorating and design that I never knew I had. HGTV is constantly on our television, luckily it is an easy compromise. Cousins on Call is my favorite must-DVR show, I highly recommend it! 

 

The weekends that aren't spent at Home Depot we travel to our Vermont house. My husband has taught me, very patiently, how to ski. This has brought a new love for the winter season that I've never had before.  I grew up down South and use to run inside at the sight of the first snow flake. Now I love spending the cold weekends with friends atop snow covered mountains.

Last year I checked off an item on my bucket-list, run a half-marathon! I have caught the "running bug" and can't wait to get home after a long day of teaching and clear my mind outside in the fresh air. My best friend and I have decided to train together to help motivate each other. We are currently signed up for a 5k in March to support Sandy Hook and the Rock &Roll Marathon at Virginia Beach in September. 

Since jumping back into my Masters work, my husband has picked up some extra house chores. I can smell dinner cooking (surprisingly no burnt smells) so I will end my post here. Have a great night!

Have you checked off any items on your bucket-list?