Tech Tip Tuesday- Twitter as PL!

Tech Tip Tuesday- Twitter as PL

If you are an educator and you are not on Twitter, you should truly consider trying it out. It is such a great place for Professional Learning while still in your PJ's and sitting on your comfy couch at home. No better Professional Learning than that. I really think the PL for Teacher Work Days should be conducted on Twitter, then everyone gets a chance to speak and learn at their own pace. 

I really enjoy using Twitter, because you can "follow" educational authors and companies that interest you and you will see the most current things they have to offer. You can also speak your own mind easily and share ideas with other educators around the globe. Twitter has opened the door for all kinds of learning and growing between educators.

Some Educators/Companies I follow include: Dave Burgess, Google, Google Drive, GoNoodle, Popplet, Plickers, QRStuff, edutopia, ClassDojo, TPT, Mo Willems, ISTE, WeAreTeachers, AdoptAClassroom, DonorsChoose, Edmodo, Kid President, National Geographic, RemindHQ, Arne Duncan, NEA, National Science Foundation, Roald Dahl, Jerry Spinelli, Kahoot. 

I also follow friends and teachers at my own school as well as my county's Assistant Superintendent and our English Language Arts Coordinator for the county. Twitter gives you the opportunity to feel and be involved with your county/community. 

Twitter is FREE Professional Development you merely have to join in on a conversation. I admit you could "lurk" (watch the twitter conversation, not introduce yourself and not join in on the convo) and you would also gain valuable information. I started out that way, but it is way more fun to join the convo and network yourself. It is very rewarding to share your thoughts and ideas and then have other educators "favorite" your ideas and notions. Once you start, you just can't stop. Don't be afraid to "favorite" other educator's experiences, opinions, and perceptions they tweet about as well.

I will say that when I engage in a specific "chat" and I want to follow along with the conversation easily, I use tweetdeck on my computer. You can then search a specific hashtag and only tweets with that hashtag will show up for you to view. It is easier to follow along that way. 

Here is what tweetdeck.com looks like on the computer,

My twitter name is @CasedillaCrumbs I use it for personal and professional things on twitter, I know many people have two accounts and you may prefer it that way as well. 

The main Twitter Chats that I currently have my phone alarm set for are Sunday's #TPTChat at 8:00 EST and Thursday's #gaed - Georgia Education, but we recently had the superintendent of a school in New Jersey join in on the chat, so I don't think you should feel that you can't join in. 

Lastly, let's discuss HASHTAGS!

They are extremely powerful for getting your message seen by many eyes, but also just have fun with them. I think hashtags are so fun and will often have my sense of humor shown through hashtags, because why not? It's fun and I enjoy it. #dontbetooserious #hashtagsarefun #hashtag #dontbealurker

Do you have certain Twitter Chats that you enjoy?

What is your favorite hashtag?

ICYMI in March

ICYMI- In Case You Missed It!
I am linking up with Techie Turtle Teacher to showcase my latest products created in March.

If you click the photos they will take you to the products and give you more info!

Animal Research with QR Codes

Picture of the Day Animal Similarities and Differences

Picture of the Day Plants Similarities and Differences

Addition Subtraction, Multiplication, and Alphabet Egg Hunt

 

Rabbit Hop Clip Art

I'd love to hear your thoughts on my newest products!

#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!

Five For Friday! 4/3

Five For Friday 4/3

First off, let's all take a look at what I looked like when I left school this afternoon....

Now we can see what my week before Spring Break looked like....

EGG HUNT
We had an Addition Subtraction Egg Hunt!
My FREEBIE of math problems for the egg hunt is above, just click on the cover of the product.

My students made "Easter Egg Baskets" from K-Cup boxes that I saved up over time. We cut the top off of the boxes and let them paint the box. We then poked holes in the side and attached some ribbon for a handle. We also added their names to the boxes that I printed out on colored paper with Mod Podge.

These are small baskets, but should be perfect for our class egg hunt.

We water color painted flowers and wrote sight words on them to create a "Sight Word Garden" for the hallway.

We have been discussing synonyms and we want to start using more interesting words while writing so this is just the beginning of our Wall Thesaurus.
I love that one student came up with "itty bitty" for little and he was adamant that it should go on the thesaurus because his grandmother says it all the time instead of saying little.

For April Fools Day, Koo Koo Kangaroo added a new video on GoNoodle called Just Kidding. The kids loved this new video and laughed the whole time. 

We ended the week with a Field Trip to the PAC (Performance Arts Center) to see one of the high schools in our county perform The Wizard of Oz. It was really great and the perfect way to end the week before Spring Break!

I hope you enjoyed our randomness from the week!