#2GETHERWEAREBETTER Linky My Schedule

I love the idea of this LINKY and have found so much great information just browsing through all the other schedules in this LINKY. #togetherwearebetter

I teach kindergarten at a Title 1 school in Georgia. I have 17 students in my class and I have a paraprofessional. Yes, I know I am spoiled and will never have this small of a class ever again! 

Here is a very basic look at my schedule.

Here are some details for each part of my day. 

Yes, students start to arrive at 7:15 and at 7:15 I am most likely drinking an Iced Caramel Machiatto from Starbucks (again, yes I realize I am spoiled....) and waiting for it to kick in while smiling and greeting each student as they walk in the classroom.

Students immediately take their folders out of their bookbags, put their bookbags in their cubbies, make their lunch choice and their free center choice (they go there in the afternoon, but I have them make their choice in the morning) and then they go to breakfast if they did not eat at home. 

Others are completing morning work which is usually some kind of review that I have noticed my students need and they are also responded to a picture of the day by writing and drawing a picture. Once they complete their morning work students can get an iPad or get on a laptop and go to one of many choices posted in the classroom while using the devices. 

Here are some examples of the Picture of the Day photographs I often project onto our whiteboard to increase knowledge and vocabulary on this topic. 

ANIMAL Parents and Babies

Animal Similarities and Differences

PLANTS

You can see on the back of the cubbies (that I sponge painted purple) I have a pocket chart hanging. It has laminated cards with student names/numbers on the front and then a magnet is on the back of each card. The board next to it is magnetic and it is separated into lunch choices 1,2,3 and the bottom is where students place their card if they brought their lunch from home. Removing their card from the pocket chart is also I way for me to see easily to complete attendance of who is here and who is not. I will have to take a better picture after Spring Break, this is just one I had on my computer. 

 Computers and iPads for after morning work:

This is the chart I use for students to make their Free Center choice in the morning. I have adapted it and added many centers with photographs of specific things I have and I use photographs of students instead of what it shows in this picture. I bought my chart at reallygoodstuff.com, but I just looked an I don't see it there anymore. :( I love this chart, it is one designed by Debbie Diller - she is so good!!

For Morning Meeting we greet each other with many random fun greetings I've come up with or seen others use and then we very briefly look at calendar, the date, and upcoming events for the month.

Writing is my absolute favorite part of the day! I enjoy seeing how students express themselves during writing. They each want to tell you something and talk to you. Writing time gives them a way to tell talk to you and it lets you get to know your students a little better each and every day by reading their thoughts on paper. 

I love using technology to publish writing as well. I have written blog posts about using blabberize, voki, and morpho to publish writing. So fun!

One very important thing for writing in kindergarten is having a Word Wall with words that are visible from all parts of the classroom! They must be able to see the words you are asking them to write!!! 

We use F and P (Fountas and Pinnell) to guide our Phonics mini lessons and then include these along with other resources in our Literacy Centers. During this time my para monitors students working at centers, while I call groups that are ability grouped based on their running record level to come to my kidney shaped table for guided reading. 

I use lots of guided reading tools and I have students write about the stories we read in Reading Logs (a notebook) after enjoying a story.

Guided Reading Tools:

We work on Science for one or two weeks and then we work on Social Studies for one or two weeks and rotate them out. We also try to integrate Science/S.S. into literacy centers and writing when possible. 

Number Talks!! So important and so quick. We use subitizing cards, ten frames and rekenreks during this time. I have the perfect Rekenrek Task Cards for number talks. 

For Whole Group Math, we usually introduce a new concept and use the Georgia Frameworks, or a game, and also use Van De Walle. 

Yum!

Fun!

I have my Math groups ability grouped based on assessments and have each station differentiated for the different groups. 

I color code folders within tubs to differentiate activities. 

I mentioned Debbie Diller earlier and seriously, if you have not read her math stations, literacy stations and even her room organization books- you should! I actually just let another teacher at my school borrow them all for Spring Break! :)

I try to come up with things that are very relevant and interesting for students during this time. I like to have new choices for students as the year goes on. 

We recently turned kitchen/house keeping into an ice cream shop and students LOVE IT!

We have computer/library every other week.

Wednesdays we do not have a special and I usually plan a craft for students to complete during this time.

Sadly, we have music and art every other week :( 

Bring back the arts!!

And that' it folks! 

Thanks for joining us for a day!

Tech Tip Tuesday- QR Codes!

I am linking up with Techie Turtle Teacher for Tech Tip Tuesday to talk about QR Codes!

I love using QR Codes for math stations, literacy centers, listening centers, and even during writing for research.

Yes, you have to have a tablet, iPad, iPod, or phone with a camera in order to use QR Codes. I have written many DonorsChoose projects to get the ones I use in my classroom, but you may want to consider sending a letter home to parents to donate old phones, etc. that have a camera capability that you could use in your class. You know everyone has to have the next "new" thing when it comes out and they may have their old phone of device lying around. Smart phones are basically small computers and can do many things.
Look how this school system posted about a Smartphone Giveback Program.


Now, let's talk about how I make QR Codes. I use QRStuff.com and this site is super easy to use and FREE!

On the site you have many options to choose from.

I usually use either plain text or website url depending on what I am want my students to accomplish with the QR Codes.

I use the plain text option for quick answers to questions that they will solve and then use the QR Code to check their answer.
I use the website url if I want students to view a specific website. I always use safeshare.tv before creating a link for students to view youtube videos etc. Safeshare will allow you to view the site without commercials. There is nothing worse than when you are trying to watch an educational video and suddenly a beer commercial pops up on the screen! ugh! So, as a side note, safeshare.tv is also great to use when you are just viewing videos projected up on the screen for the whole class not just for qrcodes. :)

My most recent products and uses of the QR Codes have been this set of QR Codes for Researching Zoo Animals! This is perfect for the little ones and allows for "guided" instead of letting them loose on the entire internet, the QRCodes take them to specific videos about the animal they are researching When I introduced these QRCodes and this activity I first modeled how to find the QR Code Reader App on the iPad (I use i-nigma) and then we talked about while listening and watching the video you can pause the video to take notes and write down interesting facts you learned. They really enjoyed this activity! I am now on my way to making more sets with different topics we can research!

The link to the product is HERE!

Here are some other ways I use QR Codes in my class:

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

Five for Friday- 3/20

Five for Friday- 3/20

 

Do you GoNoodle? We had some rainy days and we enjoyed indoor recess with GoNoodle. My students thought the Chillax video was hilarious!

Animal Research with QR Codes! Such a success! 

The paper in the pic was just a rough draft, I have since made a more "presentable" Zoo Animal Edition in my TPT Store HERE

STEM Challenge: Create a bridge a Troll (toilet paper roll they decorated) can fit under and 3 Billy Goats (the three cubes) can balance on. We had lots of fun with this today. I also had students retell the story using these props after creating the bridge. 

New Picture of the Day Product where students can compare similarities and differences of animals in real photographs. HERE

Setting up for our Monday PL day with another school. We have another school coming over to see some math and literacy center/stations. As a grade level we tried to pull all kinds of things to share.

So much info in one place!!

Literacy Centers:

Recognizing Letters

Beginning Sounds

Sight Words 

 CVC

 Changing Letters to Make New Words

It looks like I didn't take pics of the writing center ideas...sorry. 

Math Read Alouds

 Math Centers/Stations:

Counting On/Number Sense

 Geometry

 Technology

Addition/Subtraction

 Measurement

Now to make some kind of list of activities/links for these teachers to take with them. Looks like I will be busy this weekend!