Fond Farewell

Surprisingly I am really sad writing this. Not so much because I will never Blog again, but because of the wonderful relationships that I have made during the many classes that have been taken. This most recent class was one that several of us worried about, but it was so helpful for me because there were actually some tools that I have learned to use that can be used with the primary grades. When I took my webcam to school and did a little sample with my class they were so excited and then when they saw how it recorded their silly actions they were really surprised. My mind quickly started to think of all the different ways that we could use the programs that I learned during the course to further enhance the lessons in my classroom. Thank you each and every one of you that helped me through the readings. With my vision the way it is the large amount of reading had me a bit worried, but you all helped me so much. May you all have a wonderful holiday and a very prosperous New Year along with much joy!



Susan 

Back to SMART

Good Afternoon!
So I was piddeling around during a moment of free time in class and went to http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0
It has tons of resources that you can search through.  lesson plans, images, web pages and more.  It is vast so be prepared.  I have created a folder on my h drive within my districts site that I am going to store some of the contect which I download from there.  I figure at the end of this first year or half a year I will creat topics in several folders and place the discoveries that I have made.  This will be so much more helpful next year because then I just have to pull up the topic and go from there.
I guess it is this initial learning that is so difficult.  Given time to explore and discover would be so much more helpful than jumping in and out all the time, but we do what time will allow.

I have to Blog about this...

OK, this has nothing to do with the SMART things that I am working on, but I wanted to let  you all know that today, my instructor responded to my twitter comments from last night.  Anyway, when she did it sent a little bird to my phone, to let me know that I had a response.  That was so cool.  I just had to tell you all.  It is the little things like this that I LOVE about technology!

The Board Won't MOVE!

OK, so today we were told where our new SMART Boards would be placed and what we could do with them.  I was kind of ok with it, but several teachers were not happy.  I should start off with we are in a school that is well over 60 years old.  (They refer to the basement as the dungeon if that gives you any ideas).  Anyway, I have chalkboards that are sunk into the walls so they can't be removed, but lucky for me there was a magnetic white board so I could use that.  I had my wonderful father rig up the board over my coat closet so I would also still have my chalkboard.  Our phonics program is completely magnetic so I needed a white board separate from my chalk board.  Anyway now my chalkboard will be covered about 80% by my SMART Board in January.  Not too bad, but I do put a lot of notes and things on the chalkboard.
I feel worry for my team because they only use their chalkboard with a white board over it and now that will be taken over by the SMART Board.  As a result they will have to rearrange their room so that they can use another wall for their phonics program.  I know this has little to do with what I have been testing with my Smart Software, but just imagine what you would do if someone came into your room tomorrow and told you that the front of your classroom would no long be available as the front of your classroom.  Think about what you would have to rearrange and adjust.  For me, just a tiny bit, but for others tons.  Just some things to think about if you ever want something new in your room, always remember something is going to have to be moved or leave.  :)

A few SMART tid-bits...

As you may know there is a section within the Smart Software called Gallery.  Inside that there is a tremendous amount of already created tools that you can use.  I can't wait to actually get my Smart Board so that I can use the clock because using the old Judy Clock to teach time takes all my hands.  With the Smart tool of the clock you can just tap and move the hands.  Lucky for me I don't teach time until February so that will give me a month to work out the kinks of using the clock and moving the hands since our students only have to learn the hour and half hour.
If you don't have a Smart Board you can still use some of the software if you have a projector in your room.  Another thing that I told one of my friends in another school district is that if your school has a projector you could sign it out for use in your room and then hook it up to your own laptop or classroom computer and work with it from there.  It does limit your movement around the room, but at least you will be able to use some of the tools and create a little more interest with your students.  Just a few little ideas.

Back to work

OK, I decided to take 2 whole days off and get to know my family again.  We have had a great time, but now it is back to work.  I have to get things ready for the next 3 weeks of lessons, plus work on my evaluation (got to keep my job) and I am hoping to impress with some Smart techniques.  The only problem with doing things before the holidays is that sometimes the principals get pulled into something else and have to change the date on you.  I fear that I have to go to school tomorrow to get ready for the next 3 weeks.  Plus work on my graduate stuff.  I think I have aged 20 years since I started classes.  It will all be worth it though.  Actually it already is!  :)

New SMART Feature I learned...

Ok, here is a neat little trick that I learned. It is called the Random Group picker (it is really in the generator area of your SMART files). If you go to Gallery Essentials then Lesson Activity Toolkit then down to tools it is in that file.


What is does is after you put all your students names in the spaces it will randomly put your students into groups. So if your students think that you are always picking the same groups you can show them this way and see the outcome of the group project. There is a lot of “generator” programs so you can use this feature in a lot of ways. When you need to call on students you can use the name generator. When I used this I had more students following along with our story because they didn’t know if their name was going to pop up. Again that was with 1st grade students. I am not sure I would use the random group generator for lessons because I need to make sure there is someone that can do what is asked in each group, but for more creative projects where they don’t have to read or write I think this is great.

Well, Well, Well...

That was not a productive week for me in the area of learning more SMART techniques.  I had a few lessons that I was going to try out with my class, but 4 assemblies and a field trip moved up a week as well as 3 team meetings that just had to meet were about all that my free time to set things up could allow.  I thought I could get some things done the week before Thanksgiving as far as lessons, but that was not the case this past week.  Looking at December is not much better, but I am going to try to get my Photostory in that week before Winter Break.  That would at least give them some interesting comments around the dinner table.
OH, speaking of which.  I used the Science Blog that I posted on the TIE Student Links, and two of my students went home and told their parents that we did a neat heating experiment with boiling water and the parents came up to school furious that I would allow that many students to work with heating elements and boiling water.  It all worked out and the parents laughed about it, but again more time wasted and nerves rattled.  The eyes of a 6 year old is so different from an adults!  Have a great weekend!

Let the Craziness Begin

So my lesson plans for 3 days are out the window!!!  So much for working with my Smart Slate or anything else.  We have had so many "unexpected" activities thrown at us and to top it off we are supposed to get our first snow today.  If you have ever been around little kids when the weather changes you know what that means for keep control.  I already have plans to come in on Saturday and just pretend to teach using my Slate so that I can show the kids.  I do have to say though.  A quiet way to get their attention is to use the SMART Dice.  You just type a number at the top and then keep clicking until that number appears.  They have to be in their seats with desks cleared before the dice come up that number.  Hint:  try to use 6, 7 or 8.  Those seem to come up the most when using 2 dice.
The primary grades will sit for awhile and watch that then when they think the number has popped up they look to see who didn't make it.  (No punishment, just a said face!)

One week to go...

I had a fairly productive weekend!  I think I have some Smart techniques that I am going to attempt with my class this week.  One is with rolling dice to help them add.  I am going to use the Smart Slate to use the Smart dice.  It is hard to create things at home and then try them out at school in the morning.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't so I have to have an alternate plan for the times things don't work, but at least I am plugging away.  I really can't wait for January (although I love Christmas) because I can see where having the board will be so much easier than being sure that I always have the Slate charged and making sure that my hand doesn't rest on the board when I am writing.  I will keep you posted how it goes.  Hopefully it will happen tomorrow!  :)

Podcast of Camping Lesson

Here is my podcast for my camping lesson.  I like that I can put this on my blog.  I didn't realize that was possible without a lot of clicking and changing.  This is for a unit that I will be doing in a few weeks with my class.  We will be having a campfire in the land behind our school (yes, it is owned by the school).  It is surprising how many children don't camp anymore or even travel much so I felt this would be a nice tie-in to the lesson with some extra information and pictures.  Enjoy!

Web help for Smart Boards...

Here is a link that has helps within it.

http://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Teachers+Hub/Getting+started/SBiW.htm

I like this link because you can look for the area that you are learning and just listen or watch the lesson in that one area.  I only had 3 days of working on it this week.  With the holidays approaching I am losing more and more time to other things.

http://www.rce.k12tn.net/SMARTBoard/SMART%20board%20tools.htm

The second sight I have listed also has some resources from Scholastic (one of my favorite places to find things, but it can get expensive.)

Finally, here is just a simple demo for beginning the use of a Smart Board including orienting it, which I hear is easier with the new boards that I am getting.  YEAH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqmrIqWQiAw&feature=related

Teaching myself

Today I have spent some time looking up tutorials on the Smart Board.  I did find out two things.  First, that there are some nice tutorials on how to begin using  a Smart Board on YouTube.  I love that because then I can use them in class since my school has YouTube access.  The second thing I have learned is that when people are giving tutorial videos they use this slow monotone voice that is dull and boring.  SO, for my project this week, I am going to try to use my funny, happy voice to go along with my pictures.  I have to say that I have caught myself using that wierd professor tone once or twice, but I have tried to change it with some more entertaining pictures.  These are probably things that only a primary teacher thinks about, but I know at my age I still like to be entertained.  That is also why I love, the Lee LeFever Common Craft videos.  They are awesome!

Making an Effort

OK, so this morning I tried to scan some papers to show my class on my projector and they never came over.  This will be another thing that I will add to my list of "How do you do this?"  I did use my Smart Slate and I just can't quite get a handle on how to use the pen.  No wonder my little 6year old students can't do it.  I will just keep plugging away at this and also try to scan another document tomorrow.

Getting ready for more technology...

Since my blogging is mostly about what I am finding and learning to make me a better teacher I thought I would start today with SMART Board technology.  I was very lucky this year because our principal has decided all by himself to give all the first grade teachers Smart Boards.  We will not be getting them until the holiday season or January at the latest, but I was able to add the Smart Technology to my computer, (thanks to the tech support people in my district).  Now I am going to attempt to teach myself how to make lessons that the students can manipulate when we get the board.

What Weekend?

Whew!  Ok, What a day and it's only 5pm.  I think I know why people need maids.  Chores are done and so is most of my grading of papers.  The family is just finishing up naps and then we are supposed to go look for some Christmas Decorations.  This was a very long week at school.  Although things should have been a bit easier with a new teacher the students were a little out of sorts and acting different.  I feel kind of bad for a few teachers.  They are young (teaching about 3 years) and there are 4 of them that are going to quit after 5 years so they can do something that does not have as much work.  I would love to tell them why not to do that, but since I did it and loved it at the time I can see why they want to get away.  Now that I am back I know I will never leave again, but sometimes it is good to try other things.  One of the other teachers just announced that she is going to Africa next year to teach.  She will be near the Congo (which scares me)!  She will make a huge hole in our team, but I think it is wonderful for her to have that experience.  Well, my next task is to get in to RSS.  After reading about the advantages I am a bit excited to create one, but having just read about only using RSS and not "doing" all the other things that I still have to do I will see very quickly what I want to keep up and what I don't when my graduate degree is finished.  Catch you soon!  Sue

Still Working hard...

Well, it has been a LLLLOOOONNNNNGGGG time since I have posted.  I can pretty much say that I am probably not a blogger.  Although I do like the idea of house a lot of ideas and websites on my blog now that I have had more time to find ones that are relevant to me and my students.  During my new graduate class I will try to update and improve my Blogging sight.  Please stay tuned for more (hopefully) exciting things. 

Will the real Monster please Stand UP...

My Visual of Susan's Monster!

Susan's Monster by Lisa