iPads in the Classroom Presentation

It has been a great year thus far. Our building has made a lot of changes, including implementing a 1-to-1 iPad initiative. I have learned a lot, made many adjustments to my teaching style, and opened the classroom to a more student centered model. I have a long ways to go, as I am always learning and adapting.

I have wrapped up some of what I have learned this year and will be presenting at a multi-district workshop in our area. I would like to give attention to how we are organizing iPad integration as well as what we are using in the classroom that is working.

Feel free to take a look at the presentation below and use anything. Also, I would really enjoy some comments on additional apps or techniques if you have any to share.

App list:

http://tinyurl.com/abpm7lj

Presentation

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:)

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!

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! 

Thank you Pinterest!

 Such a simple idea but it looks so nice when completed! Thanks to Pinterest for all the idea sharing that makes our classrooms look so appealing with so little effort. For $5 I have a nice file bin for my student portfolios. It looks way better than my gray file crate! 

It's the little things that make great ideas!

I had purchased the magazine/file bins for $1 at Target. I love them, but I had a dilemma; I didn't want to tape labels to them and ruin the bins. I will be using them for students' journals, books, and leveled readers. So, I hot glued mini clothes pins to the back and will be putting frog name tags on those. Problem solved!

The Reading Library...Done!

I have finished sorting my classroom library and I am happy with the turnout. I purchased $1 bins from Dollar Tree and shelving from our local home improvement store. I have left one shelf empty for all the fabulous literacy centers that I have made from these fabulous blogs. Whew! I didn't realize how many books I had! 

I Love my Classroom!

I have had a blast with all my summer classroom projects. Thanks to everyone for the ideas. Here are some pics:) 

My frog welcome signs. I am a little obsessed!

I love the light. My five windows keep the kids energized! 

My reading center is almost complete. I need to fill it with fun games and activities before school. My favorite item is the new seats. I have seen people post about these before. I couldn't believe how easy it was to make them. It was less than $5 per seat. Woo hoo! 

 I have filled the large storage cabinet with games and activities from teacher blogs. Thanks so much! I was able to get them all organized in storage bins this summer. 

My fresh green wall and new plastic bins from Target are my favorites in this section. I will fill the aquarium with Dwarf African Frogs before September. They are simple to take care of and very active. They keep the kids entertained. 

Thanks for checking things out. I had a blast this last month getting ready. Thanks so much for all the great ideas! 

Laminating, Cutting, and Bagging

Thanks to all the fabulous blogs out there I have had a busy two days of laminating, cutting, and bagging games. I like using plastic bags over file folders because they store easier and hold up longer (in my classroom anyways). Thanks so much everyone! 

Back to school for me!

We have KinderCamp in less than a month so I began putting my room back together. I love my freshly painted, green wall and my new frog fabric for the bulletin board. I still have work to do but I feel like I have a great start!