April Showers bring May Flowers

If you’re like me – you’re wrapping up your Spring Break.  Or maybe, you’re just about to begin.  Or, maybe, you’re like some of my Georgia friends and Spring Break was week ago – before Spring had even started.  No matter your finishing point on the break scale, you may be searching for new and fun ideas to keep your students engaged these last few weeks of the year.  Testing is about to begin for upper grades.  Class schedules will be altered.  Recess plans may have to move from outdoors to indoors because of noise.  I’ve been using Google, Pinterest, and blogs to find creative ways to enhance our last nine weeks of school.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

http://www.education.com/activity/kindergarten/science/

I also blogged about other fun experiments a couple of years ago: https://withliteracyinmind.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/snippets-2/

If you have them – iPAD PROJECTS

http://iteachwithipads.net/2015/03/31/building-early-literacy-skills-with-ipads/

https://withliteracyinmind.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/kindergarten-and-the-writing-process/

http://barrowmediacenter.com/tag/kindergarten/

SHOW and TELL

This one is pretty self explanatory – create a schedule and fill some time blocks with Show and Tell.  The kids have been sneaking toys to school anyway! (Well, mine have!)

GUEST READERS
(featured below, my hubby)

Again, create a schedule for parents, community members, or even other teachers.  My kids love being read to and when someone else comes in – it is extra special. You can easily create a google doc that can be emailed out for sign up.

RECYCLED CRAFTS/ MAKER SPACE

I automatically save tissue boxes, shoe boxes, and toilet paper rolls.  Let’s put these items to great use!  The Pinterest board below has so many great ideas.

https://www.pinterest.com/susanmomof5/kids-crafts-recycled-materials/

Aren’t sure what a maker space is?

http://kindergartenmakerspace.blogspot.com/

NATURE WALKS

We have a green way near our school as well as plenty of trees.  If you have the beauty of nature around you – and the parental permission necessary – take your kiddos for a hike.  Document your walk with iPads or other hand-helds, pictures, or science journals.

GO NOODLE

It’s FREE, engaging, and FUN!
https://www.gonoodle.com/

HAPPY SPRING!

The New AR

In the beginning of my teaching career (not that long ago), the acronym AR was not my favorite thing.  It was associated with Accelerated Reader – and probably still is for some.  Hearing someone speak about AR used to elicit feelings of annoyance and often resulted in me hopping on a soapbox (which I am trying desparately not to get on now).
Recently, I have been reconditioning my brain to associate AR with Augmented Reality. My reaction is the complete opposite of what is used to be.  Augmented Reality makes me excited!  Excited for where technology can lead us – especially in the field of education. Excited for the possibilities AR gives our students to learn in different ways.

If someone asked me six months ago about AR, I wouldn’t have been able to explain it.  I’m still not so sure I can do so correctly now.  Simply put, most of us use some form of AR everyday and we don’t even realize it.  If you scan a QR code, check in with FourSquare, or workout using wiiFit – you’re using AR.  AR takes our reality and enhances it (augments it) to give us the information we need, shows us more than we are able to see at once, or lets our friends know what we are up to.

How does AR impact education? In any way we want! While attending iSummit last month, I sat in on a session all about Augmented Reality and how teachers are using it with their students.  To say I was blown away would be an understatement.  I was energized and motivated to begin exploring and creating foundations to use these apps and websites in my classroom.  From enhancing field trips to creating scavenger hunts for test review to manipulating the Mars Rover – the possibilities are astounding.

Here are some user friendly apps that I have been testing out the past few weeks:

My class began getting to know Chromville at the end of the school year.  They enjoyed creating their 3D world and then writing about it.  After coloring a world downloaded from the website, students then open the app, select the appropriate world, and their coloring comes to life!  It does take a little practice to manipulate the character on screen – for example, it is easier for the students to put their paper on the floor and stand over it to get a good scan. The camera feature is easy to see and for students to use.

 Spacecraft 3D brings Nasa to the palm of your hand!  After downloading and printing the marker, students can manipulate a 3D version of the Mars Rover, Voyager, or 14 other spacecraft.  Using the animation features, you can rotate the craft, move parts, etc.  By shifting the angle of your iPad, you also shift the way you see the craft.  I took screen shots of my rover, but within the app settings you can select the camera. I love that the marker target image is a sand sample taken by one of the spacecraft.

 

 Shape Quest by PBS Kids offers 3 games (2 non AR).  To play the AR game, you need to download the game board marker (black and white or color).  Once users open the app and aim the camera at the game board, their game begins!  I found this a little more difficult to maneuver, but I’m also sure my students would have any easier time with it.  Students are able to use shape knowledge and their bodies to work through levels of the game.

 

Perhaps the AR app/website combo I am most excited about is Aris. Using the website, the creator can drop pins on the map of a specific location (school, field trip destination, classroom) and add fun facts, videos, or trivia questions.  When students/users open the app and begin the project, they are notified when they arrive at a destination that has been pinned.  They are then able to scan the QR code (or other marker) and learn more.

 

Imagine scavenger hunts around campus to review content, book trailers on a library tour, welcome videos from school staff for visitors – – – if you can dream it up and find a map, you can create it!  It is advised that you practice the project first to make sure characters/pins are dropped in the exact place.

To learn more – surf on over to  arisgames.org for demos, to play projects that are already created, or to create your own.

 

Additonal Resources:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/augmented-reality-new-dimensions-learning-drew-minock

http://www.twoguysandsomeipads.com/p/meaningful-integration.html

http://www.kleinspiration.com/2013/05/using-augmented-reality-via-aurasma-in.html

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/32-augmented-reality-apps-for-the-classroom-from-edshelf/

Digital Literacy

 

As years go by, buzz words and terms come and go.  Currently – I feel inundated with 21st century learner, 21st century skills, and digital age. While attending iSummit earlier this month, I participated in a session about Digital Literacy led by Angela Maiers (see more love for her here). At the crux of her presentation is that literacy (of all types) is a HUMAN RIGHT. Devastatingly – a human right that is still not afforded to all.  To be literate means you have lifetime membership to the “reading club”.  You have access to resources, ideas, and even joys that nonmembers do not. There is confidence and POWER in literacy.  With our membership, comes responsibility – to members and nonmembers alike.

With Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, et al our world feels in some ways more intimate.  We share everything, at times too much, and we get responses instantly. We get feedback – instantly. We become validated – instantly. We are insulted – instantly.  We are heartbroken – instantly. We realize the pros and cons of having an audience to our writing – instantly.

Friends of mine poke fun at me for correcting myself in the comments section of a Facebook post for a grammar error.  They wonder why I type out every single word in a text – refusing (for the most part) to use the lingo.  I do not speak BRB, TTYL, LOL, SMH, TY, IKR, ICYMI, YW… At times, I have to ask what an abbreviation means.

 

Why am I this way?  Am I an officer of grammar law? Not really.  Am I snobby?  I try not to be. Am I just a little crazy? Most definitely.  Mainly, though, I feel a writer’s responsibility when putting  my words into the world through media. People are reading what you say – even strangers.  Haven’t you seen the fun Buzzfeed has with texts, comments, and posts?

 

Part of being literate in the 21st century means you are able to learn, process, share/teach others, and – if necessary – relearn and unlearn.  When you blog, you’re speaking to more people than you imagine.  Blogs are not just online diaries to unload your thoughts.  After you unload your thoughts – someone reads them.  That someone may have a comment for you.  Then, it becomes your turn in the conversation again. Our members of the “club” need to understand this.

Since blogging, tweeting, and commenting are becoming the new form of written expression, we as teachers have a responsibility to create opportunities for students to practice these skills OFFLINE first.  Essentially, they are prewriting. Pretty sure they fits in a standard somewhere!

Resources for building skills offline:

http://purposedriventeaching.net/2013/09/29/connecting-your-students-with-authors-with-twitter/

http://www.teacherstechworkshop.com/2013/08/6-amazing-facebook-templates-to-use.html

http://conversationsinliteracy.blogspot.com/2014/02/twitter-tweets-graffiti.html

http://langwitches.org/blog/2010/04/11/skype-jobs-for-students/

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2014/03/pinterest-inspired-project-and-hallway-display

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/526147168938992093/

Happy Blogging-Tweeting-Chatting-Hashtagging-Commenting-Pinning!

Kindergarten and the Writing Process

“Writing might be magical, but it’s not magic. It’s a process, a rational series of decisions and steps that every writer makes and takes, no matter what the length, the deadline, even the genre.” – Donald Murray

Say what you will about Lucy Calkins – especially since her mass marketed writing program has been released.  I hold firm to her (and my) foundational beliefs about the writing process.  All children can be writers. We meet writers where they are, capture them with great literature, and inspire them to find the writer within.

The not fun part is when the writing process gets “put upon” students.  It is presented as a series of “must do” steps just to feel that a piece is complete. It can be daunting and disheartening, especially to our youngest writers.

So how do we present these steps to our emerging readers and writers?  I prefer to model the different phases of the process.  You will not see a step by step guide to the process in my classroom.  There is not a poster of the process as a cycle (which is my preference – a piece of writing can always be returned to if the writer chooses).  I teach five and six year olds and the walls of our classroom are filled with anchor charts they have created. You may see a check list of things to remember.  You may see rubric of what our “best work” should look like.  But you will not see “THE WRITING PROCESS” laid out on our walls.

Throughout the year, we build on our writing.  We begin with labeling, progress to simple sentences, and finally (hopefully) we write multiple sentences with details.  We emphasize adding details – both to our drawings and our writing.  We use graphic organizers (brainstorming), 4 squares (rough drafts), iPad apps and paper (publishing).  We read our writing out loud – to a friend, to a teacher, to ourselves.  We check our sight words with the word wall.  We ask each other questions (editing/revising).

The last two weeks, we have been exploring the ocean and all it offers.  My students this year are very interested in animals and habitats.  We started a project this week that allows us to put two of our favorite things together – research and the iPad.  Using the “plan” below, students began researching an ocean animal of their choice.

oceananimalproject

Students used library books, Pebble Go, Brainpop Jr, and other sources (each other) for research.  I modeled adding information to the plan after reading or listening to research.  We learn early on that copying every word from a book or the computer is a big NO NO.  We learn that we must use words from our own heads, not another author’s words.  If we write it, we need to be able to read it!  Not to mention that whole plagiarism thing!

Once the plan was complete, they showed a teacher what they had.  We had conferences about how to use the information in the best way. They could choose an app to make their project or actual paper.  Many students chose to create a paper book about their animal.  Either way, what they produced what meaningful to them – and they learned about the writing process along the way.

Here are some examples, still works in progress:

This student opted to leave his planning page in his book.  He thought it would make a great table of contents!

These are writings that I know the students will return to again and again as they learn more.  They have asked to not take them home yet – just in case! Wonderful authors in the making!

B “LOOM”ing with Connected Learning

Recently, a mentor posted on Facebook about the Banding Together project (here is his blog post from today).  I have been looking for more opportunities to incorporate service learning into the classroom.  Today, we had a “Project Friday”.  During the project portions of our daily rotations, students created bracelets and rings using rainbow looms brought in by students.  We also made necklaces with beads or created toys with craft sticks.  All of these items will be sent to students in India.

To preface the lesson, I asked if anyone had ever heard of India.  Hands were raised, but no one knew where it was.  They all knew it was a different place from year.  A global view, geographically speaking, is a difficult concept for kindergarteners to grasp.  It all just seems far fetched that there are imaginary lines that divide continents, countries, and states.

We have become very interested in maps lately, so I went to National Geographic Kids to find a friendly link for us to research.  This site did not disappoint.  We saw a map, photos, and a video.  We also read information together.  A student asked how the items would get to India and so we learned about US Postal Airplanes, lay overs for long flights, and the oceans between our two countries.

From that mini lesson, we set to work!  Students worked collaboratively using the looms.  They showed such patience with each other.  If a student said, “I want to keep this!” Another quickly reminded her, “These aren’t for us!”  Such big hearts inside such little bodies.

After lunch, we read a popular trickster tale, Monkey.  We compared the monkey to the fox in Gingerbread Boy.  We wondered if students heard Monkey more than Gingerbread Boy since India is a different country.  A student asked if we could Skype with a class there.  That led to a lesson on time zones!  Which was a great connection to our previous lessons on Earth and the sun.

Here are some of our creations from today:

 

 

How are you connecting your students learning?

“Spacing” Out With Blokify

Spatial thinking is often an intelligence (literacy) we neglect to address in our schools. It is one of those things we consider ourselves to just not be so great at – “I’m not that great with depth perception” (guilty) or “Geometry and measurement has never really been my strong suit”.

This week, after reading a post by a mentor of mine, I suggested to a colleague we download the app Blokify for our student iPads. It is addicting to the children, especially if they have played Minecraft before, and it is addicting in a good way. The level of engagement is outstanding.

Blokify offers two modes for users to create 3D images. Images can be built according to a pattern, or using free play. Hints are given for the pattern, telling the user where to place blocks and of which type. The less hints used, the more diamonds one can earn. The diamonds can be used to “buy” additional types of blocks or worlds to create with. All in one app, my students are building, creating, collaborating, visualizing, and problem solving. It requires a level of spatial reasoning that can be difficult for our kindergarten minds at first – as this is a developing intelligence. Together, students and teachers, we are learning through trial and error and perseverance to become more skilled.

Today, we shared a Skype session with another kindergarten class with the creator of the app. Jen was incredibly helpful and patient with our questions, answering each one. We learned about improvements that are upcoming for the app (as it is very new) and how images created in the app can be produced with a 3D printer. In our classroom, we know to ask 3 friends before coming to the teacher. Each person is an expert at something. It was amazing to be able to communicate with the ultimate expert of Blokify and ask for more information.

What does building with 3D blocks have to do with good ole “traditional” literacy – the reading and writing of it all? Well, more than you may think. Increasing spatial intelligence can have an impact on reading and reasoning skills.

In my own research this week, I discovered a plethora of knowledge regarding spatial intelligence and children. On the parentingscience website, Gwen Dewar, Ph.D. writes about the importance of spatial intelligence and improving these skills within children. Evidence from studies suggests that simple practice with spatial activities heightens one’s abilities in later spatial tasks. This training also closes gender gaps that are often seen between men and women performing the same spatial exercise. Students who have a foundational knowledge of spatial vocabulary perform even better. Familiarity with shape and position words increases understanding of spatial relationships, which then in turn increases a student’s ability to visualize, manipulate, and problem solve efficiently. In a 2011 study, students who heard more spatial vocabulary, used more spatial vocabulary and scored higher on tests. We all know how a child’s working vocabulary directly impacts reading ability and in turn writing ability. My personal belief regarding this research is that the skills students build upon – problem solving, visualizing, and perseverance – have the greatest impact. Our struggling readers and writers often give up at the first hint of a challenge. By cultivating confidence, we can help all students succeed.

So if you are looking for a way to address multiple intelligences, increase engagement, collaboration and problem solving; I highly recommend Blokify. It is a free app available in the iTunes App Store.

Explain Yourself!

Today, we were on a shortened schedule due to bad weather approaching.  Living in Charleston, we barely see freezing temperatures, let alone ice, sleet, and/or snow.  Today was a perfect day for trying something new!  We already could feel the excitement of pending snow and many of our friends were absent today. We had many questions about why we were leaving early, which led to questions like “What is sleet?”.  Whatever we did yesterday and were going to continue today moved to the back burner.  We quickly went to our friends Annie and Moby (Brainpop Jr) to learn more.

After learning about winter, temperature, and the water cycle, we discovered our questions still weren’t completely answered.  We discussed what other “friends” we had that could help us answer our questions.  We use Pebble Go Animals a lot in our class – which led to it being our next stop on the quest for answers.  We used Pebble Go Earth and Space to find our answers.

After all of our researching, we had about an hour before our lunch time. Earlier, I was in my friend’s class and she was using today as an opportunity to experiment with the app Explain Everything.

Taking her lead, I also took advantage of having a smaller group.  Explain Everything is a wonderful app to demonstrate knowledge after a unit is over.  And if you have those two (or three or seven) that LOVE to talk about all that they know – this app is a life saver!  A student iPad was connected to the Smartboard so I could model using the app.  My mini lesson began by asking what is means to explain something and what types of things needed to be explained.  The students suggested tying shoes, riding a bike, playing a game, doing a flip, etc. I chose to explain making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  As a group, we talked through what is needed and the steps you take.  After talking it out with them, I recorded how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Today was just a practice, so it was not content specific.  Perhaps we could have explained what sleet is or how snow is made because of our earlier research, but I wanted them to feel more comfortable with the app first.  All 14 of my lovelies went off to their own spaces and started thinking.  Before beginning to record, they needed to practice talking through what they were going to explain with me or with my assistant.  They then found a quiet place to begin recording.

Here is a couple of their explanations:

Emma Explains Donuts

 

Marc Explains Backflips

 

Now – to tie this in with literacy – it is doubly beneficial.  Students can write a script out of what they want to say, being sure to include all important details.  Or, Explain Everything becomes like a “rough draft” to help them get their ideas out before writing.  I encourage you to use the app in both ways.  Many reluctant writers can talk their way through a story or text but struggle to write the words down.  Explain Everything costs 2.99 in the app store, but Educreations and ShowMe are similar apps that are free.

Happy Explaining!

Literacy – it’s APPtastic!

Let’s say you’re a parent, or a teacher, or a tutor, and you find yourself in possession of an iPad, or 5, or 10, or 25… How can you use the device as a learning tool rather than a technologically savvy, highly entertaining babysitter?

I have been spending the last eighteen months answering this question. My school is an Apple Distinguished School – we are considered a model for other schools in the country (and world) for our 1:1 iPad use in the classroom.  Coming in to this technologically rich environment has been a blessing – albeit intimidating.  Luckily, I have my rock start mentor and an ever-growing PLN on twitter to guide my way. It probably took until Christmas last school year for me to adjust to and feel confident enough in my own skills/management of the devices to venture out and try projects. I jumped right in, with both feet, but it took some time to get comfortable and swim in the deep end of app-smashing, creation, and personalized learning.

Here is a list of my class’ favorite apps and how we use them:

Endless Alphabet teaches students letter sounds, spelling, and vocabulary within context.  They are able to learn new words in a fun way – with precious little monsters – and then transfer them to conversation or writing.  We were fortunate enough to catch this app when it was free.  Cost:  $5.99

Our district uses the Houghton Mifflin reading series Journeys.  With our adoption, we purchased access codes for the leveled readers.  The app itself is free and downloads a sampling of readers from levels A – Z.  We use the app during the reading center or Read to Self time.  The students like having voice and choice when choosing leveled books.  With the kindergarten access code, we receive books leveled A-F.  If a book is too difficult, there is a read to me option.  Students are able to hear fluently read text, reread a text from guided reading groups, or explore new books on their independent level.  Cost:  Free, but need access code

Grandpa’s Workshop was another great free find.  This app combines math with real world experiences in a woodworking shop.  I was actually quite surprised by the different skills combined within this app – beginning fractions (with guidance), counting, comparing/contrasting, and measuring.  Grandpa is encouraging and entertaining – he dances and students can give him a high five for a job well done.  Interspersed throughout are videos of real world projects where students learn about building projects and what is needed.  The carry over of knowledge from this app is great.  Many students write about Grandpa’s Workshop and use what they have learned in small group math lessons.  Cost:$1.99

There are several different magnetic letter apps available ranging from free to $8.99.  The differences in prices have to do more so with added shapes/stencils/backgrounds than with actual content.  Don’t get me wrong, the shapes, etc. are fun for creativity – but our main use for this app is word work activities.  In the beginning of the year, the students use this app to practice spelling their names, recognizing letters or numbers, and also letter sounds.  We use the app in small groups at least once a week.  As we move forward with our sight words, we use the app to practice spelling those as well.  Students can take a screen shot of what they have done and save it to their camera roll for later use.  Cost:  Free (for a lite version)

When our iPads were taken and wiped clean by the district, we knew that we absolutely had to have this app on our list of the first apps to be reloaded.  With Montessori Crosswords, students learn that words are made up of sounds and practice dragging sounds into boxes.  They then move on to spelling words with long vowels or blends.  As the difficulty increases, the students solve actual crosswords within the app.  To personalize for students, the settings can be adapted to particular sound categories for students to work on.  Cost:  $2.99

As with Montessori Crosswords, you get a lot of bang for your buck with Montessori Numbers.  Students can begin with basic number sense skills such as recognition and tracing.  As levels increase, the skills become more difficult ranging from algebraic reasoning to place value.  Students are able to customize difficulty for themselves, or it can be adjusted by the teacher.  Many students in my class are adept at increasing their own difficulty and challenging themselves – which is wonderful!  Cost: $2.99

I like Books combines 37 different emergent reader texts into one app.  You can download some of the individual books for free, but with this app they are kept all in one place.  Although the text is emergent, the content connects to the real world.  Students/parents/teachers can record the story in their own voice and then listen to it.  Each book is interactive – and you have the ability to customize the interactive features.    Images are professionally taken photographs – reinforcing a text feature of nonfiction books.  These books are wonderful for ESL learners as the text can be altered and recorded in any language.  Cost:$1.99 (for 37 books)

Number Pieces Basic is an app we are just now beginning to use regularly.  Students are able to manipulate numbers using base ten blocks.  They can write on the screen, break numbers apart, and solve number equations with multidigit numbers.  Screen shots can be taken to save work of a student.  The app is great to use for a quick assessment of place value.  Cost: Free

Pocket Charts Pro combines both reading/phonics and math skills.  The app has 20 different pocket charts to choose from.  Skills range from letter recognition to rhyming words, number recognition to adding/subtracting.  The app is wonderful for self guided practice.  I introduce the app in small groups and then they are free to choose which activity when in the app.  Cost:  $4.99

Phonics awareness provides a platform for students to practice working with words.  They can segment or blend words as well as practice syllables.  This app has a first grade edition as well.  A voice prompt guides the students through each activity.  Many students enjoy separating the bugs and chopping them apart!  There is also a carry over to small groups with the app, remediation or acceleration of skills.  Cost:  Free

These are some of our favorite apps for small groups and independent practice.  Check back again soon for a post all about our favorite creation apps!  Literacy — it’s APPtastic!

To keep up with free apps of the day, follow Technology in Education or My Hullabaloo on Facebook and Pinterest

Monster Mash (Wa ooh)

This post has been awaiting final touches for a few days now.  It’s been pushed to the side for other things, but after reading other posts by colleagues – I knew it was time to polish it off and get it out there!  Some days, you just need a few minutes to breathe – even if you have great ideas to get out.

I was talking about my topic with my mentor today.  She includes app smashing in many of her posts –  including some of our monster unit.
“It could be called Monster Smash!”  Great minds think alike – and I’m continuously thankful I get to put my head together with hers often.

During our Monster unit last week, we mashed a lot more things together than apps.  We mashed literacies, intelligences, experiences, strengths, and technologies.  This unit is always very popular.  We lead up to it by learning about nonfiction texts and some real life “monsters” such as bats, owls, and spiders.  We compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction, real and make believe.  We read wonderful stories, create anchor charts, and illustrate a monster poem. We discuss the parts of a book, make connections, and form opinions.

The first read aloud was the classic by Ed Emberley.  I borrowed an idea from a fellow K teacher to read the words and have students draw what they hear.  Many students recognized the book right away, but they continued to draw each part of the big green monster.  We used our iPads and the Drawing Pad app to create our monsters.  They then uploaded their monsters into Showbie and I created a class book using Book Creator.  Some students chose to draw their picture in Drawing Pad and then “smash” their picture into Pic Collage for typing about the monster.

       

    

        

There was an Old Monster is a great text to connect with others.

And Leonardo is just the best monster…

Our math target standard also fit in perfectly with monsters – shapes and sorting.  Using the smartboard, we created monsters from pattern blocks.  We talked about the attributes of the shapes we used, the color they were, and how we could sort the shapes into groups.  Cookie Monster helped us practice patterns online with this game.

Little minds were so creative during this unit.  Writing time was joyful, even for my most reluctant writers.  We wrote about monster lives, monster food, monster homes – pretty much anything monster.  To end our unit, we included some of our writing with a handmade monster.  Scissor skills are difficult for little hands.  The idea of cutting without lines excited some and intimidated others.  It was rewarding to watch them sigh with relief when hearing there was “no right way” to make their monster (a little sad too…).

My monster eats poopy diapers.

My monster eats fruit.

My monster eats bones.

My monster eats people.

My monster eats tires.

My monster is scary.

My monster is scary.

Happy Halloween!

Blogspiration: Linking learning

 

We all have students we wish we could help a little bit more each day. Those that need one on one time and we aren’t able to provide it everyday. If you’re like me, some days you leave school feeling a little defeated – by time constraints, lack of resources, lack of ideas, lack of personnel. You want to reach every child, every day. You hope that your passion for learning will seep into your students. That your encouragement to take charge of their own learning takes root. That they take a path of self discovery. And if you’re lucky, you get to hear all about it.

This year, a few of my students came to kindergarten absolutely ready to read. One student, Callie, was already reading. She has been following her second grade sister’s lead for some time now. In class, she asks just the right amount of questions to keep me on my toes and challenge her fellow students. She is a self motivator learner and helps her peers just because she wants to. More and more she has become a fellow facilitator of learning in our class.

As we work to create a student centered classroom, voice and choice are extremely important. I believe when a child feels invested and valued, more learning can take place. Also, more chances are taken and children feel comfortable stepping up to challenges. It is ok to not know. It is ok to ask someone else who might know. It is also ok to get excited about learning – and carry that learning over into other aspects of life. Learning at school should translate to home and vice versa. And when that happens, as a teacher, you feel lucky. You get to witness one of those moments.

Here is Callie’s moment, shared with me by her mom. Callie created a book, using Book Creator on her home iPad. Book creator has not been taught yet in my class – she is taking what her older sister has shown her and combined it with her own creativity and knowledge.

I’ve included screen shots of the book pages, all that’s missing is her sweet voice narrating.

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