Ok fine, I do. They would be crazy people while doing it. But if I could get them to do this while successfully answering questions, I think we would all be happier people. If I can get this to work out, I'll be sure to update on here.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Questions and Danswers...
I mean... I don't understand why I can't make my students answer every question like this every day.
Ok fine, I do. They would be crazy people while doing it. But if I could get them to do this while successfully answering questions, I think we would all be happier people. If I can get this to work out, I'll be sure to update on here.
Ok fine, I do. They would be crazy people while doing it. But if I could get them to do this while successfully answering questions, I think we would all be happier people. If I can get this to work out, I'll be sure to update on here.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Finally Friday #7 {STEAM Education}
A little late getting this up, but hey, it's still Friday, so it's all good. I also got a little carried away when I started listing all the websites I've been scouring... So here's your FF#7!! Fridays are busy but if you read this, you'll have something to talk about at happy hour.
I have read a lot this week about {STEAM Education}, so I decided to devote this week's Finally Friday to various articles (along with things I've pinned and an appy infographic) I've come across about it. They are all similar in that they are describing how it's a growing educational framework. I wouldn't say this is necessarily a new initiative, but there has been a bit of buzz around it in the past month. Here we go...full STEAM ahead!
It's about to get STEAMy...
I have read a lot this week about {STEAM Education}, so I decided to devote this week's Finally Friday to various articles (along with things I've pinned and an appy infographic) I've come across about it. They are all similar in that they are describing how it's a growing educational framework. I wouldn't say this is necessarily a new initiative, but there has been a bit of buzz around it in the past month. Here we go...full STEAM ahead!
First...what is {STEAM Education}?
Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Mathematics
The Christian Science Monitor
EdTech Magazine
If you're feeling Appy:
eSchool News
(also check out below for 60 STEAM Ed Apps)
This site from Education Closet's STEAM Portal is awesome...check it out!
{STEM to STEAM} from Rhode Island's University of Design is pushing this initiative.
US News
Here are the incredible things I've been pinning:
A collection of general school ideas.
Links for tools, ideas, tricks, information and resources to help you teach.
{All My Boards}
In case you want it all and you want it delivered. Here it is.
or check out my new {STEM/STEAM Board} that I started this week.
A weekly infographic to get you thinking.
We Are Teachers:
In case you want it all and you want it delivered. Here it is.
or check out my new {STEM/STEAM Board} that I started this week.
We Are Teachers:
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
It's the Thought that Counts: Best Gifts Ever
Happy Earth Day! I know I should do an earth friendly post... but I'm not. It's my birthday, so I decided to switch up the usual Earth Day post and do something different.
I love nothing better than a homemade gift from my students. Mostly because they are by far the funniest things ever created and even more amusing when I think that they made it thinking about how much I will love it.
In honor of my birthday I have compiled a few of my all time favorite handmade gifts from my students. Here they are...
First, this crown. Or really any handmade item that involves me wearing it all day and looking ridiculous.
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| Sculpture of my head. Need I say more? |
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| Hand painted unicorn. Every teacher needs one. |
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| How to Get a Guy: the complete guide to dating for single teachers. This was the subject of an entire slumber party. Hilarious... and awkward. |
Notes on papers...or other mediums. I consider any note written to me (one of these was on a test) to be a gift because they bring me so much laughter and joy. These are amazing. That is all.
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| Excuse me? |
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| Yes. All of them. |
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| I won't even comment on the "get married" note. Did you just define JK for me? Seriously? My generation invented JK. |
Pictures of me:
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| That was my exact outfit that day. Not creepy at all. |
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| Do I have a snout? Is my tongue out? Am I Betty Rubble? |
Happy (b)Earth Day!
Friday, April 18, 2014
Finally Friday #6
Here's your FF#6. Fridays are busy but if you read this, you'll have something to talk about at happy hour.
Education Weekly
Education Weekly's yearly report on school leaders who are doing great things. It's inspiring to see the projects that are in the works around the country.
CNN School of Thought
This focuses on one teacher's idea to pitch his social studies program in order to reach a broader audience, and ends with the idea that teachers are taking on a "teacherpreneur" role by taking charge of their own ability to create useful classroom resources.
Here are the incredible things I've been pinning:
A collection of general school ideas.
Links for tools, ideas, tricks, information and resources to help you teach.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
VIP Day
The one day every year when I'm like..."WHYYYY". VIP Day is 45 minutes of every year that I stress out about, because what do you do with 20 students and 40ish VIPs in one small classroom??
Even after 8 years, I'm still rushing around to find something to do for this special 30 minutes. (what, it's only 30 minutes??) How can 30 minutes be so stressful.
Last year my teaching partners and I decided to mix it up a bit and try something new. Instead of our usual brain teasers worksheet to work on and "stand and share" about your VIP, we decided to make things a little more...creative. We made hats. Hats!
First, I have students grouped so that I can leave supplies and directions for each small group. It really helps that the VIPs are there to help follow directions- and they each make one so that I can take adorable VIP Day pictures later. I pull out every random art supply I can find and stuff them in paper lunch bags to put at each table. That way they kids can just cram it all back in there and I'll shove it in the closet for next year. I'm not about to go through that art supply disaster!
I loved it! I was able to go around and take pictures of them with their hats and it gave everyone a chance to be silly together. It's so fun to have the students see their grandparents wear a silly hat.
Since I don't have pictures of my students to share with you... I went ahead and rocked the (plain) paper hat look. Let me take a #selfie....
The hat activity eats up most of the time, so I had them write one sentence about why their VIP was so important to them. I took all of them, plus a picture of each student from earlier in the year, and put them together on a scrolling PowerPoint presentation that played in the background.
Not every student knows who is showing up for them ahead of time, so I make a blank page with his/her picture and leave it for last minute adjustments the morning of the event. The final presentation looks something like this...but with pictures of students (and not Lego-Batman) and their names...but I did include my favorite VIP quote from this year's class.
What do you do on this hectic day??
Even after 8 years, I'm still rushing around to find something to do for this special 30 minutes. (what, it's only 30 minutes??) How can 30 minutes be so stressful.
Last year my teaching partners and I decided to mix it up a bit and try something new. Instead of our usual brain teasers worksheet to work on and "stand and share" about your VIP, we decided to make things a little more...creative. We made hats. Hats!
First, I have students grouped so that I can leave supplies and directions for each small group. It really helps that the VIPs are there to help follow directions- and they each make one so that I can take adorable VIP Day pictures later. I pull out every random art supply I can find and stuff them in paper lunch bags to put at each table. That way they kids can just cram it all back in there and I'll shove it in the closet for next year. I'm not about to go through that art supply disaster!
I loved it! I was able to go around and take pictures of them with their hats and it gave everyone a chance to be silly together. It's so fun to have the students see their grandparents wear a silly hat.
Since I don't have pictures of my students to share with you... I went ahead and rocked the (plain) paper hat look. Let me take a #selfie....
Not every student knows who is showing up for them ahead of time, so I make a blank page with his/her picture and leave it for last minute adjustments the morning of the event. The final presentation looks something like this...but with pictures of students (and not Lego-Batman) and their names...but I did include my favorite VIP quote from this year's class.
What do you do on this hectic day??
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