by Krissy.Venosdale | Aug 25, 2012 | Reflect
Maybe it’s the mathematical part of my brain, but I’ve always thought inspiration was just like a line. Point A to Point B. I read something, it inspires me. The end. Today, I get a tweet from the fabulous BuistBunch. It seems Mr. Buist has created a wall of the posters I give away on this blog and his students have created their first Animoto videos about the quotes.
Okay, I get inspired by a quote or a photo or something someone else says. I make a poster. Mr. Buist hangs it on his wall. He inspires his kids to create videos and take their first try at using Animoto. You can see their great creations here. I watch said videos and get inspired.
It’s not Point A to Point B. It’s some kind of amazing circle that keeps spinning.
A circle that every single day I’m grateful to be a part of.
To the Buist Bunch, thank you, beyond words for inspiring ME with your videos. You guys ROCK!
by Krissy.Venosdale | Aug 25, 2012 | Reflect
My summer ended with intense jet lag in which I seemingly woke up with a glue gun in my hand, muttering “Let’s do this!” It was just days before Open House and it was time to get the room set up. I’m a firm believer that a classroom does not have to be expensive to set up. Rather, it’s about using what you have, repurposing what other’s are throwing out, and putting your heart (and creativity!) into creating a unqiue space that will say to your students “Learning happens here!”
This year, I really wanted a classroom theme that was all about learning. I also wanted it to be all about creativity! I thought of the movie “Wizard of Oz” and realized how Dorothy’s journey is *just* like the journey we take as we learn. There are struggles, collaboration, successes, challenges, and in the end, you discover something about yourself. Here is a tour of our classroom this year. This is our 3rd and 4th grade class. I’ll be sharing my 5th and 6th grade class next week!
The door to learning…
Our movie poster, just for fun.
“Creativity is contagious… pass it on.” I love picking up these little unfinished wood items at Hobby Lobby when they are 50% off. A quick paint and then you can print out any quote to decoupage on. Cheap and easy!
A view from the door….
A kid’s eye view…. I recently moved my desk to the new spot you see. I don’t really use it, so it will be a recording station when kids are creating audio. I have created a large cardboard “cubby” to make a “studio” to cover the sides when we need it. Kids *love* to sit in the “big chair”.
Our forest of technology… remember how Dorothy struggled to navigate her way through the forest? My goal is for students to learn to choose their tech tools. The apples contain the names of various tools we’ll explore first quarter. [NOTE: I realize there’s some irony that the tech tools are on Apples hanging over PC’s.]
These cans are now in their 6th year of use. Every year, I recover them. They are metal auto-paint cans and super sturdy. The plates are from the summer clearance so students can easily clear the tables when needed.
Your brain… there is no app for that!
All the “signposts” to learning in our classroom.
Dream big! The Emerald City is made of cardboard, wrapping paper, and Christmas lights. The poppies are scrapbook paper! The letters were just printed out on my laser printer onto colored cardstock.
A view from “Collaboration Corner”.
“Somewhere over the rainbow…”
I laminated large sheets of yellow paper to make giant BRICKs. [Brainstorm, Reflect, Imagine, Collaborate, KeepLearning] A theme that is going to carry over into our notebooks, too.
A free table got a fresh coat of red paint for our phone area. I’m searching thrift stores for the perfect stuffed chair to sit by this table. Haven’t found it yet… but I will.
I almost threw this file folder organizer out… until I realized it holds are tablets perfectly for charging. Please excuse the Keeper of Technology Monkey posing nearby.
Our SMARTBoard area.
I’m going to have students add quotes to our canvases once the year gets underway. For now, they are just colorful rainbows for the wall.
This is Collaboration Corner. This low ‘coffee table’ is perfect to gather around, the back of the grey shelves are magnetic to post chart paper, ideas, and more. I also have clipboard kids can use to move around the room. Sitting in a desk is never the only option. I’m going to add a few floor pillows and stools to this corner, too.
We love to work with the lights off. The lamps and extra lighting make it cozy. If you read my blog last year, you may have noticed I repurposed the tornado from “Brainstorm!”
There’s no place like learning! But, there is one MAJOR thing missing in this classroom…. KIDS! Next Monday will be my first day of class and I will meet a new group of third graders that I will be lucky enough to work with for the next four years. Can’t wait for Monday to get here!
A few more photos and downloadable versions of the posters are available on Flickr. You are welcomed to use the posters in your classroom if you get the urge to go to Oz!
by Krissy.Venosdale | Aug 23, 2012 | Reflect
Do you have an Interactive Whiteboard on your classroom wall? Is it a great way for kids to collaborate and engage or is it just an electrified whiteboard where you deliver notes. There’s a huge difference. When I first got my SMARTBoard I was excited, thrilled, overjoyed. It was *mine* (said just like a two-year old who grabs their favorite blankie from you). But, since then, I’ve realized, it’s not mine at all. It’s theirs. Here are five ways to turn the Interactive Whiteboard over to the kids starting tomorrow.
1.) Highlighting. Do you have a student that struggles when reading? Encourage him or partner groups to highlight key words in a passage to improve comprehension. This allows him to stand in front of the board, read, touch the words, and manipulate the highlighter. It makes reading active.
2.) Draw It: Kids LOVE to draw! Make it meaningful by asking them to create a graphic representation of a math problem they’re working on, to draw a comic strip, or to illustrate words they are learning.
3.) Math Manipulatives: A great collection called the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives can provide hands on for kids to demonstrate and figure out math!
4.) Backchannel: Why not host a backchannel in your classroom using “Today’s Meet.” As kids use tablets or desktop computers around the room, the backchannel displays their comments on research, a video they’ve watched, or a discussion they are having. If you are short on computers or tablets, a wireless keyboard could serve as a station for kids to post! If Today’s Meet is blocked in your school, you can also try Wallwisher.com.
5.) Games: Check out some interactive games, like this KooshBall Activity, from SMARTExchange. What if you had some probing questions stocked in the “spots” to tap and kids could choose a question and have a partner discussion on their questions? It could simply be a station they visit in your classroom.
I like to think of the SMARTBoard as a giant iPad on the wall. It’s biggest strength is it’s ability to interact, and if we spend all of our time in front of it talking, it’s no longer interactive!
by Krissy.Venosdale | Aug 22, 2012 | Reflect
I learned to teach lessons with anticipatory set and closure. I now believe in wide open inquiry based learning that has no closure.
I learned to lay down the rules the second the bell rang and keep from smiling for a few days, to show them who’s in charge. I now like to get to know my kids, smile A LOT, connect, and build norms together.
I learned how to be the “expert” in the room. I now make it quite clear that I don’t know everything.
I learned that I was the ultimate deliverer of all information. I now understand that the only thing I need to deliver are poking and prodding questions that send their thoughts into overdrive.
I learned that technology integration was about me telling them to open Microsoft Word and type. I now know that it’s not just about knowing how to use a tool, but helping them understand when to decide use it.
I learned that my ability to control my students and keep them quiet was so important for learning. I now think that learning is not this way or that way. It’s alive. It’s anything but controlled or quiet.
I learned that test scores and grades would tell me about a child. I now know that it’s about connections, conversations, and listening to their thoughts.
I learned that being a classroom manager was the most important aspect of my job. Nope. I don’t want to manage them. I’m not their boss. They are perfectly capable of managing themselves. I’m their teacher. I just want to inspire them.
