Get Epic! A Digital Library

     Epic! is a digital library geared towards kids 12 years old and under. Once logged in students have access to about 35,000 books, videos, quizzes and more. This tech tool can be easily navigated. Once logged in, you simple type in the book or type of book you are looking for and options will appear. There are audio books, Read-to-Me books, and digital books. The book selection spans through all genres, as well. 

     For educators, this tool is free! You simply create an account and sign in. Once you have signed in, you are able to add your students individually by clicking on Roster (at the top) and typing in their names. This allows students to access their own profile at school and at home. To allow home access, you go to the Roster and beside each student name you click Enable Home Access. It will send an email link to each student, but you will have to type in each parent/guardians email. 

     To log on at school, students open the app and click on their teachers name. Then they click on their name, which will take them to their own profile. From there, students can search for books, read assigned books, take quizzes, and watch videos.

     Epic!, also, allows you to assign books to your students based on topic, genre, or reading level. For example, if they were learning about Martin Luther King Jr. you could search those key words, and it will show you all related books and videos. Once you click on and open a book, you click on the plus sign to add it to a collection. To assign the collection to your students, you click on your Roster, click on certain students or all and then click assign collection. From there, it allows you to choose which collection you want to assign. When your students click on their profile, it will direct them to read the books you selected for them first. Also, you can create assessments (multiple choice or short answer) that they have to complete once they finish the book. There are, also, many collections and quizzes that have already been created, which you can assign. 

     Also, when students enter Epic! for the first time, it will have them take a survey about their favorite topics, subjects, and types of books. Once it collects this information, on their home page it will make suggestions for books that the student may be interested in. 

    
     Epic! is a wonderful tech resource that encourages independent reading time. I highly recommend this tech tool!

6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2018

     I don't consider myself a pro at using technology, but I am always looking for new things to incorporate in instruction. Cult of Pedagogy blog posted "6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2018" by Jennifer Gonzalez. I had previously read her article titled "6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2019" and was very impressed. I decided to look back a little further and see what technology she recommended in past year. Her 2018 article explained 6 tech tools and the benefits of using them in the classroom. Here are the tech tools she mentioned:

1. Flipgrid- an app that allows you to pose a question and your students can respond in a video format. Students can also watch and comment on their peers videos. It is a great way to start a conversation about a specific topic, especially if you have students who struggle with speaking in front of others. This app helps students find their voice and get into deeper conversations.
2. InsertLearning- this tool allows you to take any webpage and turn it into a lesson. If you found an article you wanted your students to read, you can insert questions and videos right into the article. You can choose to add multiple choice or open ended questions. Once an insertlearning lesson is created you can share it with your students through google docs and their responses will be sent to you. This tool is an extension you can easily add to your chrome browser. 
3. Book Creator- this tool allows students to create, publish, and share books online. Students can choose the layout they want (ex. comic book style), and customize everything from the font to the graphics. When the book is published online, the pages turn like a real book and the audio and video play inside the app. This tool can be used with any content area, as a way for students to synthesize and apply what they have learned about a specific topic. 
4. NewsuemED- this tool provides access to a collection of primary sources, news articles, and lessons. When you find an article you would like your students to see, you simply share it with them using a URL that lasts for two weeks, but can be renewed. If you find a lesson, handouts are available to be printed.
5. AutoDraw- this tool uses AI to guess what you are trying to draw by pulling up professionally drawn images that it thinks you are trying to draw. Once you see an image that matches yours you can add color and resize it. Gonzalez describes it educational value as being a way for students to use images to remember information, or as a preferred activities for early finishers.
6. Sway- this tool allows you to create dynamic presentations, similar to powerpoint and Prezi, but stepped up a notch. You can add content from within the app. It also has a selection of images, so that you don't have to worry about copyright laws. 

     Out of all of these tech tools, I would love to try Book Creator. I love the idea of my students creating their own book. I feel like it would motivate them to write and to love reading. My younger students may have trouble navigating this on their own, so I feel like it would be most beneficial for to create it as a class. If you want to check out this article yourself the link is: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/6-tech-tools-2018/

Keep Parents in the Loop with ClassTag from Cult of Pedagogy

     I'm currently on the market for a new teacher-parent messaging app. I have been using Remind for 3 years now, but just found out that Verizon users will now be charged when they receive a message. That's just not going to work for me. I want a communication app that is hassle free and costs nothing for someone to join. While perusing the blogs on Cult of Pedagogy I noticed the article, "Keep Parents in the Loop with ClassTag" by Jennifer Gonzalez.

     First, ClassTag is free for everyone! All users, whether you have IOS or andriod, has access to this communication platform. Also, it can be downloaded on any device. ClassTag allows for quick and efficient communication with parents/guardians. You can create announcements for upcoming events within the classroom and school. Parents/guardians can receive these announcements through the ClassTag platform, text, or email. 

   

     ClassTag, also, allows for teachers to request volunteers for upcoming events, such as a class party or field trip. You title the event, input the day and time, and how many volunteers are needed. The request is sent out to all parents/guardians and they are able to sign up through ClassTag. Teachers are notified when a volunteer spot is claimed. Also, this platform allows teachers to make requests for donated items. If you need some snacks for a Halloween party, you simply start an item request, type it the item name, the quantity, and the due date and time. ClassTag will show which items have been taken care of and which still need to be claimed. It will send reminders about unfilled volunteer and item requests to parents who have not signed up yet. Also, it will remind parents about the volunteer and item requests two days before the event. Pretty simple and efficient!

     Parent-Teacher Conferences can be scheduled on ClassTag as well. You set the dates and times and parents can claim a slot that works best for them. It will continuously update as time slots are filled. Once conference day rolls around, ClassTag will send the parents a reminder of their date and time. 

     The final component of ClassTag that makes it very unique, is it allows you to get to know the parents/guardians better. When they sign up for ClassTag, they have the opportunity to list things that they are interested in, such as hobbies and sports. This is put into a word cloud that allows you to see which parents are interested in what. This feature allows you to invite specific parents in to share what they know with students. Also, it allows you to see the level of engagement among parents. ClassTag will show you exactly who is viewing and/or responding to announcements. 

     Here is a tutorial on ClassTag! Click on the video to see how to set it up!

     

Mouse and Keyboarding Practice

     iPad's and tablets have pretty much become a staple in many households, especially if you have children. You can see kids on tablets out at restaurants, which just goes to show how much a part of daily life they are. What was so funny to me, was that when my Kindergartners first walked into my classroom, they were amazed by the desktop computers. They had never seen a computer with a mouse and keyboard before! That amazed me because when I was their age, the first piece of technology I ever used was a desktop computer, with dial-up internet. It just goes to show how the times and technology have changed!

    

      Fast forward about a month after the beginning of the year, and my students are in the computer lab about to take MAP for the first time. I review how you have to click on the speakers to hear, and the blue "next" button to go to the next question. The test starts, and I see most of my kids trying to touch the monitor of the desktop computers, like it was a touchscreen. I stop everyone and tell them they have to use the mouse, which I'm holding up to show them. Then, the next thing I see is half of them picking the mouse up and touching the screen with it. It was a hilarious mess! I told my teammates about it and they had similar problems. 

    

      I didn't even think about how my students had probably never used a mouse before. In hindsight this is what I could have done (and will do next year): discuss with our computer teacher that they need to learn how to use a keyboard and mouse at the beginning of the year, and have them practice their keyboard and mouse skills using computer games.

     The computer games to help younger students practice keyboarding and mouse skills can be found on abcya.com.

     The specific games are "Take a Trip! Jr." and "Ghost Typing Jr." Take a Trip! Jr. helps students work on mouse control. 

     They have to click on a car and drag it to the finish line. The levels get continually harder as they have to move the car around obstacles. It helps them to learn to click and drag the mouse to move it where you want it to go. 

      

Ghost Typing Jr. helps younger students practice keyboarding. The game helps students practice remembering where each key is and helps them to gain typing speed. 

     During the game, each ghost has a letter on it. Students must type that letter as fast as they can before the ghost gets closer. If the ghost gets to close then you lose a life. 

     If you have kiddos that need mouse and keyboarding practice these games would be great for them. It's also fun for them to learn within a game format. I know, I will definitely be using them next year! Also, they are free!

6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2019

     The education blog that peaked my interest was "Cult of Pedagogy", due to the variety of content that it provided. This blog has three main sections, which include Instruction, Classroom Management, and Technology. All of which, I determined could be beneficial for me to learn more about. I decided to start with a post about technology titled, "6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2019", by Jennifer Gonzalez (2019). I found this article to be very insightful and it introduced me to apps/programs that I had never heard of before. All of the apps/programs provide could be used to enhance lesson plans by making them more engaging for students or to make the task of teaching easier. The apps/programs mentioned were: Equity Maps, Prowritingaid, Google Tour Creator, Great Big Story, and GeoGuesser. 

     The apps that I could see myself using with my kindergarten kiddos the most, would be Google Tour Creator and (maybe) Great Big Story. I feel like I could adjust these the easiest or rework them more successfully to fit my young students. Let's start by talking about...Google Tour Creator!

     Tour Creator is, sort of, a spin-off of Google Expedition. Expedition allows students to take 3D tour of hundreds of places around the world. Tour Creator allows you to create your own 3D tours of any place that you choose. You simply go to https://vr.google.com/tourcreator/ and start a new tour. From there you type in a destination (just like in Google Maps) and click "add scene". It allows you to add a description to the scene, as well. To add a scene you, again, click "add scene". I could definitely see myself using this with my younger students, especially when we get into learning about communities. It would be wonderful for them to see important places around their own community, which is Louisville. This program allows for students to see what they are learning and become more immersed in the content. I will definitely be using this program with my kids!

     The other app/program that I could see myself using in my classroom is Great Big Story. 

     Great Big Story is  website that helps students discover the magic in the world through short video clips about various subjects. Great Big Story's mission statement is,

 “We believe there is magic in the world and it’s our mission in life to help you discover it. We search for stories showing a sense of optimism for the world…because goodness can grow through the smallest cracks in the sidewalk.”

     The message of hope and positivity that this site sends is very refreshing and something that students should be exposed to more. Unfortunately, much of what is heard on the news is negative, but this site finds the small things in life that are worth celebrating and focuses on them. There are main tabs on the site, which organize the video clips based on subject. The main tabs are: human condition, frontiers, planet earth, flavors (all about food 😃), and origins. There is, also, a search tab to make finding videos on specific topics easier. This site may be a bit advanced for my students, but the content that is provides is so interesting, so I think that my kids would still enjoy watching their videos. I could easily stop and discuss the video at different points to clarify.

     In my classroom, the read aloud for this week is The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. In the story the main character, Peter, sees older boys having a snow ball fight and wants to join them. As a class, we talked about making connections to the story. Many students talked about how they've had a snowball fight with their siblings, just like in the book. If I had known about Great Big Story earlier, I would have shown them a video that I found about a town that has a snowball fight tournament each year. It would have been a great way to incorporate diversity and talk about traditions that people in other countries have. Like mentioned, it doesn't have kid friendly graphics like BrainPop Jr. has that make it seem more "kid friendly", but the content that is has is wonderful. Great Big Story can make students realize that the world is a big place and it has so many magical things happening. 

     If either of these two app/programs interest you or you would like to read Jennifer Gonzalez's blog post yourself, the link will be below 😊

6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2019 URL: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/ed-tech-tools-2019/

Lexia Core Five Reading

     Reading has been a focus of improvement for my school since I started working there two years ago. To address the needs of our students and help them improve upon phonological awareness and phonics skills, my school purchased a Lexia Reading Core 5 license for each student last year. 

Lexia is a program that focuses on phonological awareness and phonics, while still remaining engaging for the student. Once a student successfully completes a certain number of levels, they are taken to a game. As stated on the Lexia Learning website,

"As elementary students move through the levels of the program, they are engaged and motivated by activities that take students on a journey around the world. Each level of the program represents a different area of the world and introduces new characters that are representative of each region. Within each level, students have the opportunity to decide which skills and activities they want to work on. This allows the students to be self-directed in their learning as they move through the program and their journey around the world."

     Through Lexia Reading Core 5, students are able to receive specific interventions that they need and students who are performing above grade level are able to receive enrichment activities. For teachers, Lexia gives a daily report of what skills the student has mastered and which ones the student needs to be retaught in. To aid in reteaching, Lexia gives suggestions for lessons and activities that can be printed out and used, with no preparation needed. It, also, tells you the amount of minutes that the student should be on Lexia each week to continue to progress and improve. 
     Due to the expense of Lexia Reading Core 5, my school was only able to purchase licenses for our Tier 3 students this year. Lexia is used as an intervention at my school, not a replacement for instruction. My students this year, and in past years, have enjoyed doing Lexia. For many it became a good motivator. They worked hard and strove to reach the highest level they could. Many even wanted to do Lexia at home, so I sent home their usernames and passwords. Lexia is a great intervention for students who need more practice in phonological awareness and phonics skills. I really like using it with my students! If you and/or your school is looking for a program to help with reading skills, Lexia is worth checking out!

100th Day of School Celebration!

100th Day of School Activities

Congratulations! You have almost made it to the 100th day of school! I'm sure watching your students grow and improve has been amazing. In Kindergarten, it is exciting to see how much your students learn and grow within a year. You take many of them from knowing nothing to being able to write, read, add, and subtract within a year. The 100th day of school, specifically, is a huge milestone, especially for younger students. In Kindergarten, the 100th day is filled with themed activities and games to celebrate your students' hard work so far. Here are some activities that you and your students can do to celebrate the 100th day:

1. 100th Day Banner (To set the stage😄) 
   

                                                  (Picture Credit to Differentiated Kindergarten)
2. A Special Treat for the Kids

                                                    (Picture Credit to laugheatlearn.com)

3. 100th Day Stations

     All of these stations do require specific materials and pre-planning. 

• 100 Cup Structure- Students stack 100 cups as high as they can without it falling down. Dixie cups are inexpensive and easy for the students to build with.
• Build 100 Legos- This station can be independent or collaborative. Students can work together to build a structure with 100 Lego's or you can put 100 Lego's in crayon boxes, so students can build individually.
• 100 Gumballs- Students get a picture of a gum ball machine and use bingo daubers to put 100 gums balls in the machine.
• 100 Beads Necklace- Students use string and beads to create a necklace. Students use a mat to count out 100 beads by tens and then string them on.
• 100 Marshmallows Build- Students use marshmallows and tooth picks to create structures. The goal is to create a structure the reaches as high as it can go, using 100 marshmallows. 

4. 100th Day Crafts/Artwork

(Picture Credit to One Giggle)

This 100th day craft is adorable and allows for students to use their imagination. There is no limit to the creativity that this craft allows. Each student gets the number 100 and can use/position the numbers to create their own picture. Students can draw their picture using the number 100 and then color or paint it. 

This hand print quilt allows student to practice counting to 100 by 5's and create a small piece of a larger work. Each student gets small square to trace their hand on (some kiddos may need help with this 😊). Once their hand is traced they can color or it paint it any way that they want. Then the individual hands will be glued on bulletin board paper to create a large hand print quilt. Students will count aloud to 100 by 5's and you will write each number that they say next to the hand prints. 

These are just a few ideas to help you and your students celebrate the 100th day of school. I hope your 100th day of school is filled with excitement and the rest of your year goes great!