Link to Growth Plan

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13f3V0oU4PysA_1KGU0e5xyJScnksN5jnjwRhtuArO1A/edit?usp=sharing

Prezi Link -Reflecting on Technology

http://prezi.com/n5verqdv67v3/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Parent Communication

Home & School Communication Tool -Seesaw

Two apps from Seesaw Learning Inc. Right side-Educator App, Left side-Parent Download

Students use IPADS to scan this QR code to begin their portfolio in SeeSaw

Some typical items we might add to Seesaw from reading tutorial to share with parents 

Nonsense word hunt and build 

Fluency game-spin the dreidel and add the punctuation, read expressively!

Syllabication strategy /counting syllables 

Classroom Management for Small Group and Individual Instruction

When you work 1:1 or 1:2 or 3 with students all day, classroom management looks very different than when you are in a classroom with 20 or more students. I rarely have to deal with circumstances being too loud, or any real behavior issues, because I am working side by side with each student in close proximity and engagement. What I tend to use most to manage transitions between student tutorials and groups is a visual executive function strategy called Get Ready, Do, Done, (demonstrated above in Youtube video) which outlines our tasks/goals for the lesson and circles back to see if we have met our goals. Within this strategy I use a visual time timer, so that students can see how much time we have remaining to complete their tasks or objectives.

I also use various apps that I have discovered in class, so that I can break up groupings. If I want to work 1:1, for example with a student, listening to him read, taking a running record, or checking in on comprehension, yet have a group of 2 or 3 students in my room, I often have the other students log on to Google Classroom, access Quizlet to work on vocabulary, or go onto Vocabulary Spelling City to access their account and work on spelling or vocabulary assignments. When behavior expectations have been met for several days in a row, I will create a Kahoot (game show format-dashboard pictured below) and we will challenge each other in teams, to answer questions about our current reading book, or even Wilson reading skills. The students can share the results with me and they can be uploaded to my drive for me to look at and assess later.

Kahoot Results can be uploaded into my drive 

Troubleshooting Common Problems on Promethean and Smart Boards

Promethean Boards:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6s6m1H65Wncdm85RFpQUWVaY2s/view?usp=sharing


Smart Boards:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6s6m1H65WncazItSHAtdzRZdUU/view?usp=sharing

Troubleshooting the calendar feature on Google Classroom

For troubleshooting needs I often start with Google Help Forum. I wanted to know how to input more than just assignment due dates in my Google Classroom calendar. I wanted to be able to add school meetings, field trips etc. Also, how to share the calendar with other teachers. I find the Google Help Forum to be a great place to start.

https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/7184151?hl=en&ref_topic=6163300

Google Classroom Home Page

This is a screen shot of the home screen for the Google Classroom I created. I only work with a few students a day, but I am excited that we are all quickly connected through this platform. I have linked and added the Quizlets that we create and use in class, so they can be revisited for practice. The students no longer have to log into Quizlet, they can go right to Google Classroom and get right on!
I also have begun to add a few assignments through Formative and these are available here as well.
Link to Google Classroom:
https://classroom.google.com/c/ODExNjI0OTI4

New to Google Clasroom? Set up Support Link

https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6020279?hl=en

Formative-A new way to track and assess student learning

Check out this youtube video on how to get started!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFiQhikysqw

I have just begun to experiment with Formative and have posted a few assignments to try this out. What excites me about the potential of formative is the opportunity to see the students working "live". As a teacher, this allows you to see what is going well (mastery of a taught skill) and also to see where skills are breaking down and need to be retaught. Formative offers great potential for both pre and post assessing students within a unit. A quick skills check in the form of a drawn and labeled math problem at the start of a unit, shows the teacher where to concentrate energy, correct misconceptions and even differentiate instruction groups based on errors or understanding of the concept.

Here's a peek at one ELA assignment I made for a student to answer:

Student Response to Question 4: (Screen Shot from Formative)

Google Maps and Virtual Field Trips with Skype in the Classroom

I was really excited to find out about Skype virtual field trips to the National Parks as I thought about how to connect my students to the greater world and to concepts they are learning. 

We recently learned about Wolverines and how scientists study and track them to learn more about these elusive animals with GPS tracking. We used Google maps and satellites to look at the mountainous terrain where the wolverines live in Wyoming and Colorado. They loved seeing the mountains up close and could understand why it was hard for the scientists to find the wolverines in that vast and harsh environment. (vocab words :)) 

https://goo.gl/maps/LmixWkQKD3q

Skype in the classroom getting started    (link to Microsoft in Education-Skype)

PebbleGo- A Student Research Tool

Student Research on PebbleGo

The Dashboard Is Neatly Organized and Child Friendly

Once logged in, the student has a good array of options to listen to, in this case, they can search famous people by topic, athlete, explorer, etc....

There are also games to challenge children and reinforce learning. This is a match game where a picture of a famous person would appear and the occupation would appear on the other side of the flip cards, when they are a match, the student clicks "match" in the center.

One feature I liked was the highlighted reading (Short sample below). As a reading specialist, I like to have the children track along with their eyes as the text is being read. This is a nice multi-sensory feature that supports emerging and struggling readers .

Audio Highlight Reading

Custom Search Engine-Endangered Animals Research

The custom search is designed to search specific sites that you have linked, to guide students right to reputable sources. This is safer and more efficient for young children who have not been taught about domains and valid sources.