Creepy, Crawly, Insect Unit

I love working with my kiddos during our insect unit! Although many children have an initial fear of insects, it is amazing to see the changes in their responses after learning more about them.

I haven't posted much lately because of my graduate program, but fortunately, I am completing a program that allows me to create usable and beneficial units in my classroom. The insect unit below is a sample I created for a language arts and math/science lesson that is enhanced with technology. I have included my insect unit Symbaloo which has several links to games and resources.

Insect Lesson Plan (utilizing iPads, My Story app)

Math/Science Lesson Resources (reviews of simulation sites and insect links)

Symbaloo Insect Page

I have borrowed so many wonderful ideas over the last year, I hope someone can utilize these! 

Video in the Classroom

I love opening a unit or making a point clearer by utilizing video in instruction. In most of our school's this can be difficult with tight filter restrictions. However, I have found four fabulous sites that are often unblocked and full of videos. If you have more, feel free to share!

NeoK12 has an expansive list of videos and resources.

Who could forget the good ol' standby. The number of videos has jumped dramatically over the last few years. 

This site also includes professional development videos. 

This is one of my new favorite sites. So much information, organized and ready. Note that YouTube videos are integrated and may be blocked. 

Internet Safety in the Elementary Classroom: A Teacher's Guide

Overview
Many parents have chosen to filter their child's internet access at home. They may do this by utilizing the settings options on their computer or selecting specific tools that their child can use. They also provide supervision. Teachers are charged with providing the same safety. The only difference is that we provide supervision for up to 30 students at once. What can teachers do to maintain a safe, web 2.0 classroom as well as a technologically advanced setting?

Filtering Tools
Schools provide firewall and filter servers that will block a lot of inappropriate content. Each school should also have a policy or set of procedures that teachers can utilize to unblock certain items. Check with your school's administration and technology committee on the official policy of your building. Become familiar with which sites need to be blocked and those that can be opened for use in the classroom. You can also let the powers that be know about inappropriate content that has found its' way through your system.

Know Your Resources
There are a lot of resources and alternatives that can provide you with the same learning experiences but in a safe setting. For example, if your students are too young to utilize Facebook, join Edmodo or ScuttlePad. If YouTube is blocked, utilize SchoolTube or TeacherTube. Wordpress and Blogger are often not accessible, however Edublogs and KidBlog are usually open to students. If you can find a blocked resource, there is usually a safer version for student use. The same goes for web-surfing. There are numerous child-safe browsers available, including iPad applications.

Monitor
Parents and teachers monitor children in un-safe situations everyday. My children are watched very closely on field trips to ensure safety. I would also provide supervision while children are on a virtual fieldtrip or exploring the internet. Children should be monitored while accessing resources online.


Resources for Teachers
•    Social Networking

1. Edmodo
2. ScuttlePad

•    Video

1. SchoolTube
2. TeacherTube

•    Blogging

1. Edublog
2. KidBlog

•    Web Browsers

1. Kidoz
2. MyKidsBrowser
3. SurfBalance

Resources

• Education World: Getting Started on the Internet: Safe Surfing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr073.shtml
• Education World: Social Networking Tips for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech256.shtml
• Education World: The Internet Safety Debate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr070.shtml
• Education World: Using Technology In The Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/archives/technology.shtml
• Need to Know: Internet Safety in the Classroom : Internet Safety. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.surfnetkids.com/go/safety/57/need-to-know-internet-safety-in-the-classroom/
• Privacy Playground. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/games/privacy_playground/
• Social Networking for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-lists/social-networking-kids
• Social Networking: TheirSpace | Edutopia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.edutopia.org/whats-next-2007-school-social-networking
• TeachersFirst’s Internet Safety Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.teachersfirst.com/spectopics/safety.cfm
• Webonauts Internet Academy | PBS KIDS GO! (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://pbskids.org/webonauts/

Reading "Tricks" in Kindergarten-Primary

As a part of my EDTECH program at Boise State, I was to create a lesson that shows how to properly utilize PowerPoint. I immediately had some negative feelings. I have seen so many "bad" presentations over the years; I started feeling the same way towards the tool itself. I had to force myself to sit back and think of how I could successfully utilize this application.

I realized that PowerPoint (or Google Presentation) could be used successfully. It can be a good medium for collecting your lesson resources, such as images, video, data, and main points.

I have created a lesson(s) on "Reading Tricks" to be utilized in the kindergarten or primary classroom. There are videos and games linked together for learning digraphs and other reading "tricks".

Feel free to utilize this file in your classroom. There are alternate links under most videos for the school without YouTube access. Gotta love SchoolTube!

iPad Applications

Part of my technology integration program is researching instructional software tools. I chose to complete this project with the iPad in mind. If you are interested, feel to check it out. There are links to several resources on iPad applications within the presentation.

There are various types of instructional software. I noted applications for drill-and-practice, tutorials, simulations, games, and problem solving. Each lists 2-3 applications that fit these needs in the kindergarten classroom.

iPad in Kindergarten: Book Creator and My Story

I have been formulating many plans since our school purchased iPads. I have many ideas but the one that I am most excited about is Book Creator and My Story.

My kiddos master 34 quick words each year. We play several games and journal with these words each day. One idea I have that combines this effort with iPad use is Book Creator. The students will be creating year-long portfolio that can then be exported in ePub format. I am choosing Book Creator for this activity because of the picture import option.

Another application that I am looking forward to using is My Story.

For a cheap price, students can color, type, and record audio for their own books.

What I like most about this app is the simplicity. There is not a lot of button pushing for the five year-olds and directions are picture based.






Enjoy!

I Love Technology

Today, I am attending an iPad workshop. I hope to learn a lot. That is fitting, since the entire focus is about teachers and their role in the classroom. Our speaker, who is an employee of Apple, is discussing the changes in education in relation to technology. Minus the Apple focus, I am really enjoying the information.

In the classroom, I am trying to become a facilitator and not a dictator. I am trying to be a resource rather than the one and only source of on knowledge. I am also trying to show the students how I am a life-long learner and proud of it. Information is right at their fingertips all of the time. I love technology.

I hope for teachable moments. Whether it be explaining to my kids why I would be gone today (I will be learning) or answering a question by providing access to where they can find the answer, I become excited and feel a love of learning. I love technology.

I am posting during a presentation. I am relating what I am hearing to my field, life, and experiences. I will be able to provide an overall review of the presentation because of the connections I am making. I love technology.

I hope teachers are able to make learning relavant and meaningful for my children. My children could have an education full of excitement. They could leave school full of enthusiasm and curiosity. I love technology.

However, none of this could happen without teachers who are prepared to integrate technology in their classrooms. Teachers who are life-long learners that will spark student interest and create students of life. I love teachers.

Technology may be taking over our classrooms. I look at this as a positive side to an ever-changing face of education. However, teachers are needed to guide students in their learning and be one of their many resources.

President's Day/Patriotism

I am working towards my Masters in Educational Technology at Boise State University. One of my first courses provided experiences in virtual field trips. I have created a virtual field trip that celebrates our country and fits well with president's day.

My virtual field trip of Washington D.C. includes information, videos, audio clips, and various links. I designed it with young children in mind. It can be completed as a whole group under guidance of the teacher for early childhood. Or, if you work with older student buddies, they could complete it together.

The home page provides directions and miscellanious resources.  

There is a page about the United States Capital.

The page on the White House links to a tour of the rooms.

The Washington Monument page provides basic information about its' damage and repairs. 

The page on the Lincoln Memorial includes audio and a picture slideshow.

I hope that others can find this page useful. It is wonderful to be a part of a professional program that encourages weekly creation of useful, technology, tools. 

Enjoy!

Word Family Freebie!

Thanks so much for a great 6 months in Blog land! I have downloaded numerous resources, followed several hundred Blogs and TpT stores, and gained countless ideas. I am so thankful.

In celebration for this and my first 100 followers, I would like to offer one of my TpT items for free. I hope teachers and students enjoy it.

Please post about the give away,  grab my button, or follow my TpT store. Also, leave a comment if you would like me to follow you. I am always looking for new Blogs to add to my Reader.

Here's to a wonderful 2012!

Randi

Hop Over to the Clutter-Free Classroom!

What a great idea brewing; The Clutter-Free Classroom Project. Throughout the next year, teachers will be collaborating and sharing wonderful ideas on various organizational topics. As a self-proclaimed neat-freak, this is a great idea!

I look forward to some wonderful ideas from a great Blog:)

Thanks for the Liebster Blog Award

It was wonderful to see that Jenny over at 

Mrs. Futch's Class

has awarded me the Liebster Blog Award:)

I really appreciate this and I look forward to passing on this award.

Here are the details of the award:

The goal of this award is to spotlight up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers. 

The rules are:

{1} Copy and paste the award on your blog.

{2} Thank the giver and link back to them.

3} Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, here are my 5 picks:

Tech for Kinders

Preschool Superstars

Podcasting in the Kindergarten Classroom

Teachers want to help their students become life-long learners. Part of this task, is showing students that they are their first teacher. When I first asked my class who was their #1 teacher, they all said, "Mrs. Lembke". It is a shock to them to hear that I am not. I decided to use Podcasting as one of the means to showing students how they control their learning.

Each week, the students will be sharing their goals and activities in the classroom with their families. I will be helping the kids with the topics and comments for the first month or so, but I look forward to turning this activity over to them in the future.

I have embedded one of our first Podcasts; how we were preparing for our holiday program.

Please share any ideas for future topics. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Hoppy learning!

Randi

New Banner

I was visiting blog land this morning and I realized that I needed to spice up my own blog. The graphics on a teacher blog are very important. It is sort of like a first impression; appealing graphics entice the reader to stay.
I have used Adobe Fireworks before, however my experience is limited. I decided to create a new banner on my own as best I could.
Thanks to everyone who provides inspiration by applying colorful, fun, inviting graphics on their blogs!

Sunshine Award 2011

Thanks so much to Marlana at Lil' Country Kindergarten for the adding me to her list of blogs.

Rules for accepting this award:

1.  Thank the person who gave this award and write a post!

2.  Answer the questions.

3.  Pass the award to 10-12 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs, and let them know!

What is my....

• Favorite animal?  Dogs: We have four!

• Favorite color?  Green: Just check my blog!
• Favorite number?  26: Our anniversary
• Favorite drink?  Carbonated Water, Diet Coke
• Facebook or Twitter?  Facebook
• Passion?  Family, Friends, and Teaching
• Giving or getting presents?  Definitely Giving
• Favorite day?  Friday: Everyone is so happy and excited
• Favorite flower?  Hydrangeas

It was hard to narrow it down, but here are some of my favs:
http://barrowshodgepodge.blogspot.comhttp://imbloghoppin.blogspot.comhttp://larremoreteachertips.blogspot.comhttp://clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.comhttp://fabulousinfirst.blogspot.comhttp://frogsinfirst.blogspot.comhttp://kinderpond.blogspot.com

Fun with ebooks!

Viewing my Google Reader account each day in the summer months took a lot of time. I found so many wonderful things! It is interesting to see the changes in our blogging habits when the school year starts. I am reading a lot less and posting only once a month. It is a bittersweet change!

One item that I had found in a previous blog post was a link to Flipsnack. My kindergarten students were just starting a unit on change. We were discussing the past, present, and future. I had a difficult time finding resources. So, we decided to create our own book for this unit. Creating the book in a digital format was a great way to show how times have changed.

I have heard of the kiddos using iPads to create the illustrations. I wanted to give my kids a little more drawing room, so I had them create the drawings on our SMARTBoard. Each student illustrated a page. We had written the text together as part of our group work. All that was left was to upload the PDF version of the document. 

We had a great time. I hope you enjoy our ebook and have the opportunity to create one with your group. It is a lot of fun!

Plagiarism in the Elementary Classroom

I have begun my second masters degree program. I am attending Boise State University and working towards a technology integration masters. My first course has covered various topics, including plagiarism. Being a kindergarten teacher, I have not given much thought to the students' side of this subject. I use clipart that is free for educational purposes and site the resources when necessary. However, students should be taught about plagiarism from an early age.

Since kindergarten students cannot/should not navigate through the internet on their own, I decided to gear my recent plagiarism topic towards upper elementary age students. I have created a short movie about plagiarism in the classroom. Feel free to view it if you feel it may be of interest to your class.

This is an important topic, even for young students. Let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas!

I Like to Keep Things Simple...Namely Jobs and Centers

I dislike clutter. This can relate to my house and classroom appearance as well as my schedule. I do not expect that others would feel the same way. To each his/her own!

One item in my classroom that is 'clutter free' is my job chart...I don't have one! We spend the first month of school learning routines and jobs that need completing each day. Students volunteer for these jobs. They are also rewarded when they complete a job without being asked to do so. If I find that a student has not been volunteering, I will meet with them to discuss why. I have a busy life (as we all do) and feel that letting go of a circulating job chart is one way I can de-clutter my life.

Another area of my classroom that I keep simple is centers/stations. My center routine is simple: students need to complete one blue-bin activity (there are several in each center) before moving on to a choice activity. In my opinion, centers are practice activities that should give students ownership and choice. By not assigning centers, my students can choose their center based on likes/dislikes as well as learning style and ability. I work with individual students as well as small groups during this time, based on formative assessments and student need. This informal style allows me to evaluate which centers children like and which were not a big hit. I find this feedback from the kids to be very important. If there is an activity of importance that I would like all students to complete, I would do this whole-group or in small groups.

I have attached a picture of one of my kids with his blue-bin choice for the day (Froggy Football Writing). We complete reading and writing centers in the morning. In the afternoon, we have math and unit (science/social) centers. If a student seems to spend too much time in a particular center, I will find a way to get them to the other center(s). This is where I love student feedback. I ask for feedback weekly.

So take it or leave it! This is not a scenario for everyone. I like to let go of a few items in my day so that I can make time for others. We all have to keep our sanity!

Backgrounds are up!

I dislike boring, plain walls. However, I do not want to send the kiddos into overload by filling every available space. So, I decided to make some display backgrounds for one of my walls. I purchased cheap scrapbook paper and added a glitter border. I have heard of people using the cute, new, duct tape as a border but I couldn't find some I liked. I added a post it and laminated the product. The kids' names are written on the post-it section with a dry-erase marker for easy re-using and a small binder clip is at the top to clip in student work. Easy peasy!

TGIF: Free for All Friday!

I can't believe the end of teacher week is here! I am posting my 'Building Block Words' activity for free today. It is a Notebook file that allows children to build words out of 'lego' type pieces. You can find this activity and many more at my TpT store. Enjoy:)

Where it all Goes Down Wednesday!

Here is my third post from the link party over at Blog Hoppin'. 

Here is a quick look at my classroom. I can't wait to start looking at everyone's ideas. Touring rooms is one of my favorite things to do on blogs! 

Now I will be heading over to Blog Hoppin' to check out some classroom pics! 

Teacher Talk Tuesday

1. Don't forget why you became a teacher in the first place. When topics of standards, funding, and testing start to wear you down just take a break. Have a little playtime with your kiddos!
2. Prioritize: This will probably be on a lot of lists today. You have to be ready to put some things off. I like to keep a file (on my iPad with Evernote) of ideas or to do items. It can be refreshing to know that ideas are still there and you will get to them eventually. 
3. Practice, practice, practice! Kids need those routines. It not only helps them, but helps other teachers who will be with your kids. Practice those basics to song to make them more fun. 
4. Ask for help: I have asked my colleagues for help and built some good relationships because of my willingness to ask. Everyone has their strong areas of expertise and their not so strong. I know mine. This brings me to number five...
5. Know you limits. It is okay to not know everything and use resources. 
6. Keep the positive relationships in your building strong: Do not get involved in gossip or negative ideas. Surround yourself with positive people and show others that you are a positive person. 
7. Things will not always workout and schedules will change. Show your students that you are flexible to help build their sense of security with change. 
8. Family comes first: Don't forget to keep your home time your own. 
9. Keep up with new ideas through blogs, websites, forums, and courses. Never stop learning!
10. When anything starts to stress you and get your down, I find the best medicine is to play a game in the classroom. The kids cheer me up right away! 

Meet the Teacher Monday!

Thanks to I'mBlogHoppin for hosting a great linky party! I hope to participate all week:)

Tell us a little something about you...

My name is Randi Lembke and I began professional blogging this summer at HoppyKindergarten. I am a kindergarten teacher in Barnum, Minnesota (near Duluth). My husband, Evan, is also a teacher. We have been together for eleven years and have two awesome children. Annabel is 9 and Gus is 6. We also have four dogs and two cats that keep our home life busy...but we love it! 

How long have you been teaching?

This is my eleventh year teaching; and my eleventh year teaching kindergarten. It was my first job and I was so grateful for the opportunity to be in K. I fell in love with the kindergarten classroom while student teaching. I had the most amazing supervising teacher and I realized that kindergarten is a place where real learning is valued. The five and six year olds in my classroom keep it simple. What could be better than that?!

You might not know...

I not only love teaching in a classroom, I love learning in a classroom. I am going back for my second masters degree this Fall. My Boise State program focus is integrating technology and I am really pumped to get going. 

What are you looking most forward to this school year?

I am excited to meet a group of students who are new to the full-day/every-day experience. The parents and students are always surprised to see how fun and worth-while the experience can be. 

What do you need to improve?

I will be focusing more on differentiated instruction this year. I do a good job of providing materials for students who are below the benchmarks. However, I do not always have the best materials for those who are well above the benchmarks. I need to provide an education that is fun and leveled for all students. 

What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?

Honestly, the only thing that is an essential part of my classroom is technology in general. My computer, Smartboard, iPads, LeapPens, and MP3 players are a must. I cannot imagine the day without them!