iTunes U Course

Man, this summer is just flying by!  So many teachers, including myself, have so many projects or PD that they are doing over the summer, which means we never truly go on "vacation".  I have been super busy this summer working with my school district on publishing PD courses for teachers in iTunes U.  The whole process has been challenging, eye-opening, fun, and rewarding.

The goal for the iTunes U courses are to give teachers in our district different examples on how to incorporate technology into their classrooms.  Each course is filled with lesson plans, student exemplars, testimonials, and more!  So far, our district has published a handful of courses, but the plan is to have around 70 before the start of the new school year.  This, to me, is such an AMAZING thing because teachers are sharing and collaborating with one another at a district level.

My course is pretty fabulous and it focuses on assessment.  Have you heard of the online assessment tool called Kahoot?  Well, if you haven't it is pretty amazing!  Teachers are constantly assessing their students.  In this "data driven" day and age, teachers are looking for instant feedback to drive there instruction and make their lessons more meaningful.  However, we all know that assessments can be daunting and overwhelming to students.  Kahoot makes assessing students more fun!  It is a student response system for creating and administering game-like quizzes.

Kahoot has a ton to offer and because of this my course focuses on a few smaller components.  The components that are covered in my course are: ways to access resources available through the Kahoot website, using Kahoot to assess sight words in a kindergarten classroom, and incorporating Kahoot in a collaborative assessment setting.

Here is a SNEAK PEEK of my class playing a collaborative Kahoot with another class in our district!

Check out my course and share with friends!!  Here is the link:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/online-assessment-tool-kahoot/id1017904773

Also, visit the Kahoot website for more information @ getkahoot.com

The Periscope Craze

There is a PERISCOPE craze going on!  Periscope is an online LIVE broadcasting system that a ton of teachers have hopped onto!  What are teachers talking about?  Some teachers are talking about the following:

• Lesson ideas
• Classroom themes
• Get to know you sessions
• Periscope tips
• Blog and teaching tips
• Store Hauls--like Target, Walmart, and more!
• Q & A Sessions

The list of ideas goes on and on!  I am LOVIN' Periscope!  If you are a teacher and aren't on yet, you need to be.  I jumped on the bandwagon and started 'scoping' too.  At first, I was a little nervous and the camera was even shaking, but, as time went on, I started to become more comfortable in front of the camera and even started to get some followers.  I appreciate those of you who are following me and who are consistently coming to my chat sessions!  

In the spirit of Sheila Jane Teaching's link up I am going to share with you three people that I follow on Periscope.  These people are some of my favorite ones to follow because they post things that I can relate to.  Here they are:

Second Grade Sizzle is part of the #secondgradetribe and she is doing AMAZING things on Periscope!  She has started something called Tech Tips Tuesday and will be sharing different techie tips with all of you.  Today, she did a broadcast on APP smashing.  I loved it!  

Blog: http://sellingthesizzle42.blogspot.com

TCHR888 is a kindergarten teacher in my home state of NM!  #NMblogger  She has been doing some really cool broadcasts on kinder reading strategies and website finds.  If you haven't checked her out, especially if you teach kinder, you need to do it now!

Blog: http://tchr888mrsbryant.blogspot.com

Suzy was one of the first to hop onto Periscope!  She was doing some broadcasts live from the TPT conference in Vegas just last week.  She has a FABULOUS TPT store and I know that her broadcasts will be great!  

Blog: http://onthegoteachermama.blogspot.com

So, there you have it!  Periscope is THE BOMB!  I am slightly addicted and it is starting to take over my life.  If you haven't checked out some of my broadcasts please do.  I usually do one each day.  

Periscope tip for new watchers: Broadcasts are only LIVE for 24 hours, which means you need to watch the broadcast within 24 hours from when it was completed in order to view it.  

Five for Friday

Man, this week has flown by!  To end the week, I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her weekly link up called Five for Friday.  I'm kind of excited about this because I always see my favorite bloggers participating, so I'm happy to join in on the fun.  

 

#1--This week has been all about swim lessons!  Both of my kiddos are getting in some extra swim time at our local high school this summer.  My son is learning a lot about swim technique and the different types of strokes, where my daughter is learning how to swim through the water without floaties :).  They are both doing a great job and I am lucky that they love the water! The picture below is of them swimming in my grandfather's pool!  

#2--My kiddos have been dying to see the new Minion movie, and even though I'm not a huge minion fan, I gave in and took them to see it!  What is summer for, right?  To my surprise, it was really cute and my kiddos enjoyed watching it.  My daughter was so excited she kept randomly blurting out, "BAAAANNNNAA," in her best minion voice.  Four year-olds are entertaining!  

 

#3--One of my sweet cousins got married on Wednesday and we were so happy to be invited to join in on their special day.  It is always so much fun when my family can get together and celebrate special occasions such as this.  I can remember when I used to watch my cousin when he was little, and now he is married!  Geez, time sure does fly by doesn't it?  The picture below is of my daughter and my niece searching for Rollie Pollies during the "first dance".  They had a blast.  

  

#4--I am super jazzed because I participated in my first ever TWITTER educational chat yesterday.  The chat was #whatisschool and we talked a lot about innovative teaching.  A lot of the questions asked us to define innovation, describe our challenges, and discuss our rewards when being innovative.  One of my favorite photos from the chat session is posted below.  This is how I feel about teaching :).  I'm a risk-taker, I embrace the messy parts of teaching, and I'm not afraid to be different.  

 

#5--I am starting to have teacher nightmares!  Do you ever get those before you have to go back to school?  You know the ones where you have no idea what you are doing or all of your students cry on the first day?  Well...I've been having them!  I still have four weeks left of summer and I am having back to school nightmares!  What is going on?  What are some of you back to school or teacher nightmares?  

Well, that's my Five for Friday randomness!  Be on the lookout for a new blog post about my new iTunes U course :).  Also, if you are new to my blog stop by my Facebook page too by clicking my button on the top right corner of my page!  Have a  great weekend!

Weekly Summer Link Up: One Item That Means The World To Me

Hi everyone!  I am linking up with Miss Monica at I Heart Grade 3 for one of her weekly summer links ups.  This week the topic is One Item That Means the World to Me.

Being able to choose things that are important in my life isn't hard, but choosing one ITEM that I can't live without, that's challenging.  Even though it's a little difficult, I managed to choose one thing that I knew I couldn't live without....my E-READER!  For those of you who know me, and for those of you who don't, I love to read!  When I'm not hanging out with my family or doing things for school, you can find me huddled up next to my Nook reading away.  I read pretty much anything I can get my hands on, but I really love YA novels, especially Dystopian reads!  

When I was younger I hated reading.  I hated reading because I thought I wasn't good at it and I didn't like being told what to read.  One summer, while staying with my Ami (my grandma), she tasked me with reading for 30 minutes each day.  30 minutes seemed like such a looooong time, but like most challenges I was up for it.  I will never forget the one piece of advice she gave me, "Read what you want.  Don't read something you don't like.  Reading is reading, no matter what you are reading."  

That summer I started reading Archie Comics and my world opened up to the possibilities that literature could provide.  I will never forget those words of encouragement my Ami gave to me that one summer day, so much so, that I still pass it on to my own students.  During our Daily 5 time in class, my students have the opportunity to read independently or with a partner.  During that time they can choose to read whatever they want as long as they are engaged and reading.  I have had students bring in auto classifieds, comic books, scrapbooks (they create their own stories by "reading" the pictures), and more!  

Reading is reading, no matter what you are reading.

Blog Giveaway Winner and Tech Camp 2.0

Y'all--I had such a great blog launch last Friday and I wanted to say thank you to all that visited my blog and entered in the blog giveaway too!  On the day that my blog officially launched my family and I were on a road trip to Phoenix to soak up a little sunshine and lounge by the pool, hence why I've been MIA.  I was still able to contact the winner and I wanted to give her a quick shoutout: Chrissy L!  The Gleam app randomly chose the winner and I am so happy that my first giveaway was a success.  Congrats again Chrissy L and thanks for checking out my blog :).  

I am so excited for next week as I will be attending another summer PD session with some of my favorite techie teachers in my district.  Last summer, one of my 2nd grade teammates and I had the opportunity to attend a technology camp offered by our school district and Apple.  After attending the week long session we were hooked on all things TECH!  We learned different ways to integrate technology into our classrooms that would be meaningful for our students.  Since then, both of us went on to become Apple Vanguard members and are currently pursuing certification to become Apple Vanguard coaches for our school district.

Next week we will have the opportunity to share some of our lighthouse lessons with others across the district and some of us are in the process of creating iTunes U course materials too!  I am going to be snapping some photos and keeping all of you in the loop as we delve into the possibilities that technology allows for educators, our students, and our classrooms.   Stay tuned!  

Blog Launch Giveaway

Yay!  It's finally here!  As you can see I have already starting blogging, but I wanted an official launch date to help me work out all the kinks (which I am still working on by the way).  For those of you who have hopped on over because someone shared the giveaway information, WELCOME!  Please start following my blog by clicking the follow button on the bottomish right column of the blog :)

As you follow my blog I promise to the following:

I promise to blog about the ups and sometimes downs of teaching.
I promise to share all of the really AMAZING things that my students are learning and doing!
                  and....
I promise to be honest.

Now...on to why you're REALLY HERE!  Included in the blog launch giveaway are some of my favorite things to have as a teacher.  I have included a chevron iPad case, because I just got one myself and I LOVE it!  There are two items from Target, which include a $10 gift card and a set of flair pens.  Target is the place to be for teachers and one of my favorite items to purchase from there are the flair pens.  Who doesn't love those awesomely colored pens!?  And last, but certainly not least, is a gorgeous custom cup (yes, you get to pick what it says, the colors, and all that jazz) from my dear friend Stacey's BRAND New shop Dream It Up Designs.

Thank you for stopping by my blog and I hope you continue to check in and see what I'm up to in my classroom!  I hope you are all having an amazing summer and good luck in the giveaway!

Blog Launch Giveaway

Heart Confessions: Summer Linky

I am loving all these summer link ups with my new blogging friends!  As a new blogger I am finding the blogging world a bit intimidating, but have a few veterans who are willing to help me out! One of my new blogger friends is Mrs. Bryant!  She is a NM blogger too and I am really happy that I was able to connect with her.  She started this totally awesome linky called Heart Confessions and I am jumping on the bandwagon to list some of my summer confessions for you :).

Heart Confession #1: I spend way too much time with my nose in my Kindle over the summer :).  Okay, that's kind of a lie...I spend way too much time with my nose in my Kindle ALWAYS!  I love to read! I read pretty much anything and enjoy when others make recommendations too!  I have a HUGE addiction to YA novels and am particularly fond of series such as Hunger Games, The Uglies, and the Maze Runner.  Dystopian Fiction much?  I think so!   

Heart Confession #2: I tend to get a bit obsessive when searching and creating things for my new classroom theme! I love to scavenger at garage sales, thrift stores, and vintage shops when looking for items/materials for my upcoming classroom theme.  I love THEMED CLASSROOMS!  Last year, my classroom was decked out in all things PIRATE.  My husband built an awesome pirate ship reading nook and we covered my reading crates with this amazing pirate fabric.  To me, having a theme in the class makes learning more interesting.  My students love to find stuff themed related too, whether it be picture books, stuffed animals, or rare finds such as PIRATE MAPS :).  Here is a SNEAK PEEK at a fabric swatch that is my inspiration for my new theme.  Any guesses as to what it is?  

Heart Confession #3: I cherish the memories I get to make with my own kiddos over the summer!  During the school year, our lives can be pretty hectic and we sometimes forget to slow down.  Over the summer we can take our time and really appreciate the little things.  I especially love the mornings that both of my kiddos climb into bed and snuggle with me.  We don't have to rush off anywhere and can just hang out!  This is my FAVORITE part of summer!! Spending time reconnecting with my littles and making lasting memories.  

Don't forget to hop on over to Mrs. Bryant's Blog!  Click her FAB button below :).