The Earth, Santa, Blogging and Coding

Kindergarten has been learning that the Earth is full of places that look nothing like Selah. We live on the North American Continent and Selah is a speck on the planet Earth.

First and Second Graders have electronically participated in Macy's Believe Campaign.  For each letter submitted, Macy's is donating $1 to the Make a Wish Foundation.

We continue to blog in 3rd & 4th grade.  Our volunteers have been regularly commenting on posts giving the kids an authentic audience. Safety and appropriate uses for a blog are part of technology classes.  We need more adults to read and comment on these posts.  This is perfect for the newly retired.  Sign up today!

Our writing training this week has helped me to focus on the type of writing I'm asking kids to do. I will be far more intentional about making a plan and identifying the form (narrative, expository or opinion) of writing we use on the computer.

During intervention this week, I had the opportunity to participate in a program called an Hour of Code. Students were able to program characters from Frozen and Angry Birds.  Students enjoyed this so much, I may try this with regular classes. After all, computer programming takes a lot of higher level thinking and is helping society move toward the 21st Century.

Best EdTEch of 2014

Common Sense Media 
Best EdTech of 2014

What's New in our Woods

Kindergarten and First Grade both got to take a look at Google Maps.  We found Lince Elementary using the satellite, map and street views. Some students found their homes.  It was very exciting!  We got to zoom in and zoom out, but we still working on the concept of planet earth being broken up into continents and countries, etc.

Kinder has also taken a little walk through the forest this week.  We discussed how virtual tours can let us learn outside our classroom walls, but it's not quite like using all of your senses.  After all, we can't smell or feel the forest through a computer!

First Graders continue to write short letters with Kidpix.  We've also added a few Internet vocabulary words to our bank of knowledge.  Words include: tab, window, browser, Google Chrome vs. Firefox, home button, back button and homepage.

Second Graders are now moving faster through the letter writing process on Word Publishing view.  We've added clipart and can now grab a photo out of a folder sitting on our desktops.  I throw a lot of directions at them, they are very patient as I learn what is too much instruction.

Last, but TRULY THE BEST lessons these past few weeks have been about digital citizenship and starting our own student blogs with 3rd and 4th grade.  I've always had the hardest time with the quietest kids.   Blogging has always surprised me with how much those kids have to say.

We've already had a few lessons about what is appropriate and what is not appropriate online.  The students and I agree that it's nice to have a safe place to learn about being online.  We are allowed to make mistakes and safely talk about how we should respond to others thoughts even if we disagree.

I encourage all our 3rd and 4th Grade student parents and or grandparents to get in on this opportunity to see what your child has to say.  See how their writing skills grow. Give me a call if you are interested in learning more.

Veteran's Day Video

WIN time padlet-will post when complete

Looks something like this:

Oh the Horror! part 2

K-2 kids are letter writing.  I need to remember that creation is difficult because student skills and self confidence run at such a wide range.  One student might take the activity and make it their own and then some.  While another student struggles with identifying letters. Some students want so badly to "finish" their letters in the allotted 45 minutes that they end up crying.  I need to parcel these lessons out so kids can feel good about the part of the process that they are in.  This has not been a stellar week, but there has been a lot of learning going on!

Kindergarten trying to convey a message using letters and pictures.

2nd Graders trying to organize their writing with a thought and supporting detail.

Oh the Horror!

While taking the 3rd and 4th graders to internet safety today, I tried to illicit responses from students using technology INSTEAD of having an only 'me talking at them' teaching strategy (which is the ol' standby I fall into without forethought).

Today's presentation delivery was horrible and fantastic at the same time!
Horrible-the answers were short, not on topic, not clearly written, not good examples of writing conventions, etc...
Fantastic-we have a baseline of skills, kids were excited to have a voice...they couldn't wait to write & read (which is the whole point-right?), and we can draw from this experience, talk about conventions and communicating meaning to others.

TodaysMeet.com is the limited time chatroom I used for this activity.

This is not how I want kids to write, but now we have a starting point.

Cyber Savvy Tip #1

I love my new position as a 21st Century Skills teacher.  As a parent, however, I've run into a few problems caused by the lack of awareness of how 21st Century tools are being used by our students when they are not monitored.  Information, whether delivered through technology, books, news, movies, you name it, will be misused.  There is no stopping the speed and validity of information in this century.  Educating yourself and your child is vital for their safety.  Hopefully, you'll find these cyber savvy tips helpful.

If your children have a smartphone, tablet or access to the internet,  it's time for a checkup.  These are just a few of the social media apps that kids are using.

Snapchat
Ask.fm
Kik
Whisper
Tinder
Instagram
Voxer
Yik Yak
Twitter
Facebook
Whatsapp
Vine
Viber
Timehop
*Rooms was launched today by Facebook

Parent information about some of these apps can be found here:

http://www.chicagonow.com/tween-us/posts-about-online-safety/

A few rules for your kiddo:
1. If you can't show it to your family, don't post it.
2. Your cyber friends should be the same friends you have in the physical world.
3. Devices can be requested by the parent at any time.

On a personal level, I use my cellphone company to turn off devices at a certain hour.  Only people listed as "trusted contacts" can get through.  Kids don't just read with flashlights anymore.  They are texting and surfing at all hours of the night.

**Websites linked are solely for awareness of digital safety issues.  They are not monitored or produced by this author.

School Board Listening To Me Ramble

Last night, I went to the school board for several reasons.  I thanked them for making technology one of our 6 priorities.  I see such a difference in our students abilities to manipulate programs.  I also put in my 2 cents about having a literature expert in the district so parents and students are better equipped  in making good choices for required outside reading.  Lastly I asked the board to consider who is responsible for providing digital safety courses for grades 8-12. I'm hoping they can identify a job position in the future that addresses the digital world on a yearly basis for all students.  As always, they were very gracious.

Sister Act

Lince is so fortunate to have these wonderful ladies!

That's a Wrap!

Kindergarten-In the Kidpix program we are wrapping up addition equations (using the text box on the toolbar) and adding pictures.  We insert stickers aka "images".  Then resize and flip them using the hot boxes.

First Grade-We started letter writing this week. Letters should be composed with an opening, body and formal closing with our name.  When text was complete, students could add 4 images.  We will repeat this lesson since formal Kidpix lessons were hit and miss last year.  We should be expecting a capital letter on student names from now on.

Second Grade-Students had lively discussions with me about the 4 rules of Internet Safety.
1.  Tell a trusted adult if you see anything that makes you feel awkward or scared on the Internet.
2.  Never meet anyone in person that you met online.
3.  Never share personal information online.
4.  Use good Netiquette.

Third Grade-Students had two sessions to complete saving their documents and illustrating multiplication equations using 2 of the 4 models presented in class.

Fourth Grade-Kids took a form letter that I wrote to a college asking for information and edited it to fit themselves.  They deleted, used control-click for spelling suggestions, learned keyboard shortcuts apple-C (copy) and apple-V (paste).  During conferences, we will make sure everyone had a chance to complete this task and stuff their own addressed envelopes.  All responses will come to Lince.

Is My Child's Identity Safe Online? FREE WEBINAR OCT 22nd

Sign up for the FREE WEBINAR from Netsmartzkids.org.   I use Netsmartzkids.org for safety classes in Grades K-2.

Is My Child's Identity Safe Online? Click Here FREE WEBINAR 

Grades 3 & 4 will have a combination of curriculum from Commonsensemedia.org.

BOOK FAIR IS COMING!!

Bookfair days/hours October 27^th-30^th

Monday 3:10pm -3:40pm

Tuesday 8:00am -3:30pm

Wednesday 8:00am -3:30pm

Thursday 8:00am -7:00pm

A Call for Military Personnel Photos

I am currently collecting pictures of any Veterans and active duty personnel for a slideshow to air at our Veteran's Day assembly.  Please send in digital pictures to: suzannecarney@selah.k12.wa.us or printed photo copies in an envelope addressed to Mrs. Carney @ RLE.  Be sure to list student names each Vet is associated with.  Photos may be used for a bulletin board and NOT returned. Send copies only please.  Photos due by November 7th.

Adventures in Technology

Kindergarten:

Students used the drawing tool to illustrate their equations.

Focus technology vocabulary:

-toolbars

-undo

-color palette

-drawing tool

-fill

-keyboard

-textbox

-hotbox

First Grade:

We use NetSmartzKids.org to talk in length about the 4 rules of online safety.

1.  If you see anything awkward or wrong on the internet-Tell a trusted adult.

2.  Never meed anyone in person that you met online.

3.  Never share personal information online.

4.  Always use good Netiquette.

Second Grade:

Last week, students created a Word Document to add a table and make a number puzzle.  This week, students are talking about safety online.

Third Grade:

Students save and use Microsoft Word to demonstrate what a multiplication equation looks like.  Illustrate 2 different strategies:  array, grouping model, tape diagram or number bond.

Fourth Grade:

Students are using the internet and our college symbaloo to find a mailing address for the college of your choice.  Pay particular attention to "contact" or "admissions" links.  Address an envelope with to and from information.  Save and use a Microsoft Word document to request information from that college.

More Friends

My Friends

Jeff Utecht in Yakima

Open social media to our schools AND have the conversations around appropriate use.  BettPride in Iowa has large monitor screens around the school with an open Twitter feed.  So cool!

Washington Library Media Association

I appreciate the opportunity to meet with my professional heroes. These people encourage and inspire me. Thank you WLMA!

No Teacher, Teacher!

30 minute Kindergarten classes worked through letter sounds and rhyming songs on Starfall.  More and more kids are used to touch screens.  We have to step back a little to keyboards and mice to move forward to communicating through and with a wider variety of technologies.  Fewer and fewer are struggling with picking up their mouse and moving it.

Next week, Kindergarten and First Grade will be learning the new help system.  No more, "Teacher, Teacher!"  In this room, we want students helping students as much as possible.

First graders should have come home with their first print out of the alphabet (complete with capital and lowercase letters).  Connecting the written word through pencils, tablets and keyboards are different experiences. One student could not believe that what he typed on his screen printed out across the room!

2nd-4th graders have new typing programs on their Symbaloo pages (TypingClub, DanceMat, and TypingWeb).  3rd and 4th graders are using TypingWeb that requires a username and password.  Those passwords will be available for parents during conferences.  Contact me if you would like them sooner.

1956 Selah Graduates Return

Original Poetry-I'm missing the library a little....

Getting Excited about Blogging!

I always use the inside-outside circle to encourage yakking and listening with each other because I can't listen to each one of their stories.  Hmmm....maybe when they start to blog I'll be able to communicate more on a personal level and see them as human beings! 

Week in Review

Kindergarten students are learning to log in and log out of our Kinder account in the computer labs.  We are using the Starfall website for learning letter names and sounds.  This website is pre-loaded onto our docks so students don't have to go too far to get to an activity appropriate for their dexterity level.  However, in the next two weeks, I anticipate teaching them to navigate through the RLE homepage to the Technology Resources page, students page and Kindergarten Symbaloo.  Symbaloo is a visual bookmarking page.  Try it out, it's free!

First Grade has been learning how to log in to our Easy CBM testing.  We worked through examples questions and how to answer them.  Teachers were noticing that students wanted to click and drag items when they should have been selecting radial dials.  We should have a more accurate view of what our students can do next year because lack of  "how" to take the test will not be a factor.  Students have also learned to navigate to their page on the Technology Resources page.

Second Grade has been working on Microsoft Word.  Students are learning how to: use keyboard shortcuts, click and drag to select, highlight, change font, color and size as well as look at zoom and the Print Layout view.  They are given a task, asked to print it then they can read eBooks or challenge their academic practice on the Technology Resources page.  Students will start TypingWeb next week.  They will have user names and passwords that can be used at school and home.

Third and Fourth Grade have both been practicing what 2nd grade is doing as well as how to save and retrieve documents from our student servers.  These skills allow students to learn how to use servers, saving and retrieving digital projects in our labs and homerooms.  This has proven to be harder for 3rd grade.  However, as society moves into the use of cloud servers like iCloud and Dropbox, it will put our students at an advantage to have this knowledge in their toolboxes.

Kindergarten 2nd Tech Session

Second class session in Kindergarten,  kids were asked to make Xs and Os.  I was checking on their comfortableness with using a mouse.  Several kids were asked to extend to playing tic-tac-toe.  While one student made gains just identifying that a click would make a mark on his screen, another drew a 3 dimensional object that I would have trouble doing without a model in front of me! 

Higher Education Unlocks Doors-Watch this video:

Talk early and talk often about higher education and our personal responsibilities to give back.  Watch this:

Billy Kenoi @ HPU 2014

I AM GOING TO COLLEGE

List of College Options

1st Week

First week of school reflection:

So far so good.  The change from library to technology has had it's benefits.

We worked on Word Processing for Grades 1-4 as I established the expectations.  It turns out setting standards of behavior is fast and easy when you know 98% of the kids.  Kindergarten will be my challenge.  They start tomorrow!

I'm trying a couple of new things this time around.  First, I'm setting up the class routine as a 10 minute model lesson, then participation time.  During the work, students will have a visual timer set up so they know they must focus.  They get about 5-7 minutes to compose then do a "walkabout" in the room to see what everyone else has been up to.  The stop and look has worked well to break up the stagnate sitting time.

Second, I'm trying to step out of the learning equation a little.  Kids are encouraged (almost required) to ask 3 people for help before they try to get assitance from me.  Once they've exhausted their help options, they grab a red flag and attach it to their computer to let me know I'm really, really needed. 

This procedure has freed me from the "teacher, teacher" call that I can't stand (makes me crazy).  It was also easier for the 1st graders than it was for 2nd-4th graders.  I wonder why that is? 

Next week we will continue working on Word Processing in 3rd and 4th.  They will learn how to save a document and retrieve it.  Organizing your digital world is a serious skill our kids will have to master.