Sweet in Second

This week I'm blogging about movement, mindfulness, and incorporating those things into academics. GoNoodle is a free resource for all of those things for anyone in a K-5 classroom. If you are an elementary teacher looking to incorporate movement into your learning or even just a few brain breaks throughout the day, you should definitely check it out!  WHAT IS GONOODLE? GoNoodle is a FREE online resource for teachers in the K-5 classroom. It provides short, interactive videos that get kids up and moving throughout the school day. Activities range anywhere from 1 minute to 15 minutes, depending on what you are wanting your students to do. You can find anything from calming videos that simply teach your students to breathe to intense workout videos that get students up and alert for the day.  WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES CAN YOU DO? There are several "channels" on GoNoodle that allow teachers and students to have choice in what kind of activity they want to engag...

This week on  Erin's blog , she is talking about paper circuits. As a second grade teacher, this is something I haven't explored but would be great for upper elementary or secondary classrooms. Paper circuits are a fun addition to any STEM or Makerspace in a classroom. Getting Started Erin suggests starting with a kit like the  Chibitronics  one linked in her original blog. This kit comes with materials and their site has templates and lesson plans to go along with it. You can also purchase the kit on  Amazon . If you are already familiar with paper circuits you can order materials in bulk. You can also try snap circuits, squishy circuits, conductive ink/paint, and conductive thread. She also linked this  Makerspace  site about setting up makerspaces for paper circuits which might be useful. Project Ideas There are lots of fun ideas for paper circuits! Light up cards, posters, robots, pop up books pages, and more! Check out her page for some gr...

This week on Erin's blog , we are looking at using technology as a tool to create successful parent relationships. I had not heard of the tool she discusses in this blog post so it was a good read for me.  #1 Use ClassTag This is a website/app that supports parent communication in various ways like messaging, newsletters, schedules, meetings, and volunteers.  #2 Share Photos and Videos You can easily share photos and quick videos directly in ClassTag for parents to see throughout the day.  #3 Allow Parents to Access Student Digital Portfolios Though students cannot create a portfolio within the ClassTag app (although you CAN do that in Classdojo! See my previous blog post), you can send announcements to parents in ClassTag to remind them to check out other apps you may be using with your class.  #4 Be Consistent Parents appreciate consistency in communication and ClassTag makes this easy with "auto" features for different things like newslett...

This week I'm talking about an app that does it all...behavior management, photo/video sharing, and parent communication. Class Dojo is a great way to motivate students, as well as keep parents in the loop.  I originally stated using Classdojo for behavior management. With Dojo, teachers can assign each student their own avatar to which they are assigned points. Teachers can use both positive and "needs work" points for student behavior. One of the features I like most is that you can create your own skills for awarding or deducting points. This makes the point system more relevant to your students and can allow for differentiated skills based on your students needs.  Here are some examples from my own classroom: Not only does Dojo keep track of students points, it also generates pie charts based on students behavior feedback and can be emailed and shared with parents daily, weekly, monthly, or by using set dates.  Another way you can use Dojo is by...

This week we are looking at Erin's blog on recording tips for the classroom. With JCPS pushing for the new digital backpacks, being able to record in the classroom is becoming more and more important. This can be difficult when your classroom holds 24-30 (noisy) students at a time!  Here are a few tips Erin gives for recording successfully! #1 Set a Designated Recording Spot #2  Use a Tent, Box, File Folder, or Partition to Separate Students Here is a picture of how I do this in my own classroom #3 Check that the Mic is On/Allowed I have run into this several times with my own students using different apps. It is a quick fix and something you can train a student to do but making sure the mic is already enabled can help you avoid interruptions. #4 Display Recording Tips She has some premade posters in her TPT store linked here . #5 Have Students Write a Brief Script or Notes This helps to avoid students taking an unnecessary amount of time using device...

This week I am going to tell you all about a resource I simply couldn't live without in my classroom. If you've never heard of EPIC! books... click this link now and sign your class up for this amazing and FREE resource! Epic! provides THOUSANDS of top-notch, quality children's books to students at no cost for educators.  I discovered Epic almost four years ago and never looked back. Not only did it increase my classroom library by over 35,000 books, it also increased my kids reading engagement by leaps and bounds. Even my most reluctant readers will beg to pick up an iPad or a Chromebook so they can hop on Epic and read a book.  Many times educators are turned off when it comes to online resources for books because they end up being random books that we've never heard of. When it comes to the library of books provided by Epic, students will find their favorites, such as: Magic School Bus Whatever After Big Nate Pete the Cat National Geographic Kids ...

This week, my blogger hasn't posted anything new so I decided to go back and check out some of her old stuff. I think this blog  is a great one for anyone thinking about or currently using technology in the classroom! In this blog, Erin talks about 9 things you should consider if you have students using technology in your classroom. Whether you're 1:1 or only have a few devices, her tips are really useful!  Here are some things she suggests... #1 How will you store your devices?  In my own classroom, I have an iPad cart, but that has not always been the case. It was frustrating having iPads connected to random outlets around the room! Having a designated area helps with routines and procedures as well.  #2 How to keep devices clean? This has definitely been a concern for me because, let's face it, 2nd graders pick their noses and cough and sneeze all over everything!                        ...