Global Read Aloud 2018

This is my first year back in the classroom so I HAD to participate in the Global Read Aloud. The Global Read Aloud or GRA's goal is One Book to Connect the World. 

This year my class is reading Amal Unbound. We read a few chapters each day. Then my students use Flipgrid to create chapter summaries. We also use Flipgrid for our weekly discussion questions.

The GRA is not only a great way to keep your class excited about reading, but also to connect with classes from our the globe. This year classes are using Flipgrid, Padlet, and Skype to connect and discuss the book. It is so cool to see my students get excited about talking about a book.

If you missed out this year, don't worry just go to the GRA site, linked above and sign up to participate next year!

What I Love Series: Common Lit

Common Lit has been a great addition to our reading block. It helps align my curriculum to the standards and supports literacy.

Reason #1 Why I Love Common Lit

Common Lit is FREE. I have used other programs but to get all of the features, you must pay for them. Common Lit provides rigorous content at a price, that is just right!

Reason #2 I Love Common Lit

Common Lit allows me a chance to differentiate instruction. They have a Guided Reading mode which allows students to read a small chunk of the text, answer questions and get immediate feedback.

Reason #3 I Love Common Lit

The majority of my class have been labeled English Language Learners. Common Lit offers a read-aloud setting where the text is read to my students. This is extremely helpful when working with my ELL students so they do not get left behind.

Common Lit is a perfect fit for my 1:1 classroom. I simply assign text to my students based on their needs and can instantly check for understanding. This helps inform my small group instruction as well. This has been a great addition to my classroom. 

What I Love Series: Khan Academy

This is my first year using Khan Academy and I am loving it! We are using Khan Academy for math and it helps me provide a more personalized approach to math for my students. 

Reason #1 I Love Khan Academy

I love Khan Academy because it helps fill in the learning gaps for my students. I can use the data from lessons assigned to my students to create small groups for more personalized small group instruction. This helps me be more intentional in my instruction. 

Reason #2 I Love Khan Academy

Khan Academy allows my students to have a reteach opportunity if they did not quite understand the lesson before they get to the teacher table for small group instruction. It's almost like having two math teachers in the classroom with the video lessons and tutorials.

Reason #3 I Love Khan Academy

Khan Academy helps my students feel successful in math. Once a student watches the videos, then they can complete the exercises. If they do not get the correct answer, there is an opportunity to watch a video tutorial again or work with a peer tutor. Khan Academy sets my students up for success and it creates an environment where they can work together and help one another. 

Khan Academy has definitely changed the math environment in my class. My class has gone from dreading math time, to loving math time. I love where it fills in learning gaps and helps students feel successful. 

What I Love Series: ClassDojo

I love using ClassDojo. I started using it briefly in 2014. I first heard about it at EdCamp in 2014. I thought I'd try it out on my current 2nd-grade class and then stop using it. 

I started trying it out on my 2nd-grade class. I set up positive points and introduced it to my class. My idea was to use it for one week only and then never again. Well, that is NOT how it went! My class loved earning positive points. They loved sharing that information with their parents and needless to say, we never stopped using it. 

Then I became an instructional tech trainer and did not have a class to use it with anymore. I kept tabs on their awesome updates over the years and when I returned to the classroom this year, I knew I had to use it. 

Reason #1 Why I Love ClassDojo

We started the year by introducing the tools and the positive points. Then as we began the year talking about coping skills and growth mindset, the Big Idea lessons fit in perfectly. We learned more about mindset, perseverance, empathy, gratitude, and mindfulness.

Reason #2 Why I Love ClassDojo

Many of my parents speak Spanish, however with ClassDojo I can message parents and then it will translate the message for parents and vice versa for when they message me! It's a win-win!

Reason #3 I Love ClassDojo

The Class Story feature allows me to give parents a sneak peek into the daily happenings of our classroom. Parents have stated they feel more connected to our classroom because they can see what their child is doing and learning each day. 

ClassDojo is a great classroom tool and offers so many resources, from a getting started guide for teachers to guided PD resources for school staff. These are just a few reasons I love ClassDojo. 

Trying Something New Is Always A Risk

Trying something new is always a little scary. Yesterday I decided I wanted to create a paperless vocabulary lesson for today. I reviewed the graphic organizer provided by our curricular resources and then adapted it to Google Drawings. Then I inserted text boxes where I wanted students to respond. Finally, I created an assignment in Google Classroom and added the Google Drawing so each student would get their own copy. 

I began the lesson by stating this might not go as planned, but let's be flexible. My students are awesome and willing to try just about anything!

We opened up our story on our Chromebooks, read the passage and then identified multiple-meaning words. Next, the students opened their copy of the Google Drawings graphic organizer and started completing it. It worked like a charm! Success!!!

My students worked on their vocabulary words, used the online Webster Dictionary and talked with their table partners to complete the assignment.

I will definitely do this again.

Donors Choose Has Rocked My World

Donors Choose Has Rocked My World. When I left the classroom in 2014, Donors Choose was just taking off in Oklahoma. There were a few requests here or there but not many teachers were seizing the opportunity. 

I have known I will be returning to the classroom in August for a few months, so I decided to start working on requests for my classroom in June. I was amazed at how easy it was to complete a request. Then it was approved by the Donors Choose staff in one day. Then a few days later, my request was fully funded. 

This fueled my fire to try it again. So once again, I submitted a request and in two weeks, it was fully funded too! I have to applaud the power of social media. I share my projects on my Facebook page and have supportive family and friends who also share the project to their Facebook pages.

This year I am reimagining the classroom as we create a student-centered learning space. We are a 1:1 Chromebook classroom who is implementing flexible seating, project-based learning and other creative and innovating learning strategies to increase student engagement.

If you are a teacher, go to Donors Choose, create a project and start transforming your classroom.

If you would like to help fund my classroom, check out our Re-imagine the Classroom projects.