Literacy Project

This lesson is part of a unit on personal narratives.  This lesson falls toward the very end of the unit. Students have written and been scored on a pre-assessment piece, reviewed the components of Writer’s Workshop, conferenced in small groups and with the teacher, collected and gathered ideas, reviewed the writing cycle, reviewed exemplar pieces, have access to and practice with their Writer’s Notebooks, and practiced organization and elaboration strategies.  The students selected for this activity are general education students.  Pre-assessment data collected determined that these students would benefit from this guided & independent practice that will highlight their strengths and provide opportunities for growth. The objectives of this lessons were to complete a personal narrative and to create a digital story as their published piece. We used iMovie to create this story. I guided the students with this process and assisted with timing. This story was written, illustrated and narrated by a student who shows some difficulty with writing concepts and skills. I found this lesson to be highly motivating and engaging. I plan to work with other students to publish their work in similar manners.

Web 2.0

Thank you EDUC 584 and Judy Arzt for assisting me throughout this process.  In addition to my growth, my students, their families, and the school community have greatly benefited from my interactions and work in this class.

MORE Digital Storytelling!

After reluctantly embracing this process, I am pleased to say that I have completed another digital story. My grade level colleagues and I were planning a math lesson that integrated the book, Two of Everything, by Lily Toy Hong.  The problem was that we only had one copy for 3 classes to share. And then, it struck me!  I could create a digital story for my peers to project in their classrooms!   In addition to this, I have posted the story on my classroom website for students and parents to access at home.  The second time around was much easier than the first...I hope you enjoy this!

Digital Storytelling

This is the first time that I have created a digital story.  I plan to use this as a way to introduce personal narratives to my class.  I will also provide a link to this on my website for parents to access.  In addition to students drafting a personal narrative, I plan to have an enrichment group use a digital storytelling tool to create their own project.

Diving Into Digital Storytelling

Third graders develop their writing skills by drafting and publishing personal narratives.  Instead of modeling my typical personal narrative, I've decided to take more of a risk and dive into the digital storytelling world.  By doing so, I hope to spark the interest of my students as they embark on their personal narrative journeys.  Stay tuned...a video will be posted soon!

Animoto: All Smiles In September

We all know how much children love to be the star of the show.  This year, I have decided to make a monthly video, or two, that will allow my students the opportunity to be on display!  I plan to share these chronicles with their parents and families to increase parental involvement and hold students accountable for their daily routines.  I'm hopeful that this will motivate my students to stay on task and communicate their tasks and assignments more clearly with their families.  I'm also hoping that the parents will leave positive feedback on our classroom blog.  Do you think this is a good idea? I hope you enjoy the show!

Blog Inspirations

The beginning phases of blogging can seem tedious and tireless.  There are blogs that astound me and some that overwhelm me.  However, reading other teachers blogs have inspired me and encouraged me to be more creative and dedicated to quality posts.  I've come across a few blogs that have really motivated me as I adjust to this process.  I hope you enjoy my top 2 highlights!

1.  Stephanie from Third Grade Thoughts has some wonderful ideas!  

2.  Adventures of Ms. Smith has ideas for teachers to try at home and in school.  

Check them out and let me know what you think.

Do Schools Enable Helicopter Parents?

Many teachers across the country will agree that helicopter parents are an issue in our nation's schools. Before reading the articles shared on parental involvement  and schools creating helicopter parents, I was under the impression that parents were solely to blame.  However, I am now changing my opinion based on the points brought up in the article that American schools may be enabling helicopter parents. What are your thoughts?

The Amazing Words of a Sandy Hook Mother

Not many will disagree that the tragedy that faced Sandy Hook Elementary School was by far one of the worst nightmares in US history.  The resilience and grace spoken by a mother of a victim have left me touched and speechless.  If you need to remind yourself of why you are a teacher, this letter may do the trick.  Let's honor the victims and support the positive message by sharing this message with as many educators as possible.

Why I am Blogging

Many of my colleagues have asked WHY I am blogging.  I have shared that although this is part of a classroom assignment, I am trying something new to challenge myself.  By opening my mind, I am hoping that others in my building will be open to the possibilities of technology.  I may not be an expert blogger but I know this is true, a week, month, or year from now, I will be able to look back on this post and realize the growth that I have made.  I will certainly look back with a reflective eye and know that by challenging myself to something new, I have shown that I am capable of adapting and making the change education needs.  In the near future, I will invite my colleagues to share their thoughts and post comments on my blog.  Perhaps the blogging effect will become contagious and staff will trickle their enthusiasm onto the student body.  I have also shared with my peers that a blog like this takes up a mere 10 minutes of my day.  I am using it as a time to reflect on my teaching practices, passions, and lessons learned.  After a long day, it can prove challenging to get to this...it has proven to be a fast way to keep track of my thoughts though!

And so the year begins...

10 years in the game... I have finally reached a milestone that I never thought I'd get to.  In the beginning, some days felt like an eternity, while other days passed with the blink of an eye.  What have I learned in these 10 years?  A LOT!  

10 Things I've learned Along the Way 

1. Third graders can do wonders for your self esteem.  They compliment you when you look like fifty miles of bad road and still appreciate your sense of humor!
2. Establishing a family like community will help every group of students, from the most challenging to the best blended groups...trust me, it works! 
3. No matter how much you plan out a lesson, something will always go differently than how you planned...instead of panicking in moments like these, embrace this time and relax! Let the students see how you handle situations like this, set a good example.  
4. Even when you are having a bad day, smile and allow yourself to get distracted by the innocence and beauty of children...it will make you feel better from the inside out.  
5. Having colleagues that you can share life with is magical.  It is a gift that you not only share with each other, you share it with your students as well.  Children need to see you interact supportively and lovingly with your peers...it improves the school climate.
6. Appreciate the support staff you have.  Say thank you to the custodian, secretary, nurse, etc., as often as you can.  They are the behind the scene crew that rarely get the recognition they deserve.
7. Complaining is not going to fix the problems of the world.  Instead of complaining, try to thoughtfully approach the problem with a more positive outlook.
8. Communicate openly and often with parents.  You probably see their child more often than they do.  
9. Wait 24 hours before responding to an email that infuriates you...think your response over and ask a friend to proof it before you hit send.  
10. If you ever stop learning from your students and peers, it is probably time to seek a new profession!  



First Day Jitter Fixers

The first day has come and gone. As usual, I am completely exhausted and drained! Although this task is always a daunting one, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly day one passed this year. I spent a lot of time with classroom routines but as suggested in this blog, I decided to change my routine this year.  I spent a lot of time getting to know my students! What do you spend more time on? Routines or getting to know your students?