Changes...

As you can already see, I took some time to change some the appearance of my blog. I was getting bored with the template and settings. I decided upon this green/blue outdoor background, as I am hoping for an early spring. Perhaps it is already here???? I changed the font to "Susan Francisco." I have never used or seen this font before, but I like the style, so here it is. What do you think?

Setting Goals

As referenced in my last blog entry, I began the lesson "Talk is Cheap" with my students. My apprehension was alleviated today when I saw students develop and write appropriate learning goals for themselves. We spent Tuesday watching the movie "The Tortoise and the Hare" from the Discovery Streaming videos. After the students had a firm grip on the main parts of the movie, we spent Wednesday digging deeper into the tortoise's and hare's goals. The students soon realized that, though the tortoise and hare had the same goal, the plans to meet the goal were vastly different. Today, the students spent time differentiating between positive steps or negative steps to goal setting. This was documented on the lesson's accompanying worksheet. At the end of the lesson, each student composed a learning goal and identified one strategy to help them achieve that goal. For instance, one student said, "I will use the rule keep my hands, feet and other objects to yourself." He identified a strategy for achieving that goal as "I will keep my hands to myself during lunch." It was gratifying to see students think about areas of weakness and to apply specific strategies for improvement. I'm so proud of them and I am delighted to hang their work in the hallways for everyone to see.

February is Almost Over

I cannot believe next week is the last full week of February! Granted we had some days off due to snow and President's Day, there are only 7 days of school left in the month. Assessments, grades, checking papers and lesson planning are at the top of my agenda. Next week, I plan to facilitate the "Talk is Cheap" Lessons. One of the steps in Assessment for Learning include identifying and setting goals. I feel this lesson will clearly explain the goal setting process. To incorporate technology, I plan on using either a Discovery Education or Youtube video to show the story of "The Tortoise and the Hare."

First day of the week and tomorrow is the last...

What a strange week. After two snow days, school reconvened today. With the option to celebrate Valentine's Day today or tomorrow, some students ended the day in a festive and sugary way! I took the opportunity to squeeze as much academics in today, as tomorrow is the last day of the week for students. A teacher in-service on Friday and President's Day on Monday leaves us with little time to squeeze in the important stuff. However, I did have time to incorporate a new lesson nouns and verbs. Students supplied a short list of nouns and verbs, which I entered into the Notebook software for the SMARTBoard. The students composed sentences using the nouns and verbs (which are movable on the SMARTBoard) while supplying other words with the SMARTBOARD markers. It was a short lesson, which incorporated spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization and handwriting.

Tomorrow, we will party:)

Snow day?

The winter, if you would like to call it so, has been unbelievably mild. With an impending snowstorm on its way, many students (and teachers) have begun thinking sbout staying home from school. In my mind, lessons are being shifted around, just in case. With Valentine's Day parties and a teacher in-service this week, instructional time is already minimized. No worries though, taking tome to adjust is an inevitable part of teaching. I am planning to incorporate some educational and fun online activities for the kids in celebration of Valentine's Day:

http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/valentines/games/match_up/valentinematch.htm

http://www.billybear4kids.com/games/online/search/valentines.html

http://pbskids.org/vday/

Academics will fall into place, as they always do.  The kids, I'm sure, will not mind a break from the usual:)

Behold the Power of the iPad

Student misbehavior has been on the rise in the last two weeks. I have been seeking alternatives for rewarding positive behavior. A co-teacher has a few iPads for students in her classroom and has been kind enough to share. Students who achieve daily behavior goals and complete classroom work are given a short period of time at the end of the day to use the iPad. The iPads are loaded with educational applications, which stimulate thinking and keep the students engaged. Many of my students enjoy the interactive nature and touch screen. The application ABC Tracer teaches students the alphabet song, letter/number identification, proper handwriting techniques, phonemic awareness, alphabetical order and sight words. ABC Tracer offers immediate feedback regarding handwriting strokes. Correct strokes are reinforced with a green line and bell-like sound while incorrect strokes are negatively reinforced with a red line and a squeeking noise. The quiz section prompts students to find the picture which begins with a specific letter. Correct answers are awarded with applause and an incorrect answer elicits an "uh oh."

I love the iPad, as it helps support educational goals and affords me time to check my e-mail, plan lessons and catch my breath. Behold the power of the iPad!

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, I decided to post pictures of the graphing project my students completed last week. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, our classroom assistant was talented and willing to construct a cardboard stadium replica for the graph. The students took the time to color the team helmet of their choice and placed it on the field. After all of the students placed their votes on the field, they each took part in answering the questions listed in the rubric. It was definitely a fun and unique way to incorporate current events into our classroom.

Distance Learning

What a wonderful convenience distance learning has become. I am typing this in my hotel room in St. Louis and enjoying the experience of contributing to the blog away from home or work. While some have valid arguements regarding online learning, I enjoy the convenience, portability and flexibility. Quite honestly, online learning has afforded me the luxury of completing my Master's Degree. Parenting and a full-time job limits the hours of available time for attending traditional seated courses. While I have taken three seated courses, the remainder were all online. Completing assignments late in the night or early in the morning are norms.

Life happens...

...went home sick today from work. I'm at home and have plans to get some rest. Barring any unforseen circumstances, I will be back tomorrow. Stay tuned for those pictures.

Swamped...

It will be my mission tomorrow to take photographs of the latest classroom projects. Overloaded with IEP tasks, observations, regular duties and teaching, I keep forgetting to snap a few photos here and there.

Student behavior has been on an upswing this week and assignment completion has also increased.Therefore, I had time to squeeze in a social skills lesson on emotions/feelings today. Using this site, students matched facial expressions to a corresponding emotion. Students continued by playing an online feelings game. The students continued to apply their knowledge during independent practice. The worksheet, which also encompassed the mathematical concept of symmetry, prompted students to complete the other half of a "happy face."