Appy Hour and More...

Happy November!

Sheesh...can hardly believe it's turkey time!

I just wanted to share a little app that a friend of mine told me about that I just LOVE!  Are you a stick picker?  I didn't used to be.  I always try to alternate when I call on my kiddos...boy, girl, boy, girl...I still do that sometimes, but I try to play it fair and pick sticks.  I have three cups of sticks scattered around the room. Of course, I can never find a cup when I need it.

This is one helpful little app..

Click the picture to check it out for yourself - it's only $2.99...not too shabby...

 

I like the question stems too...you can customize them based on your students' abilities - a great way to differentiate.

 

Another great app that is really growing on me is the Confer app.  I've been playing around with it and really started to like it today.  It's a simple way to organize your conferring notes during workshop.  You can set up different groups so you can easily organize your notes for whatever subject areas you might want.  So far, I've been keeping notes during reader's and writer's workshop.  The app has a lot of features that I haven't had the time to play with - but it has so many capabilities.  It was 10 bucks...but honestly SOOOOO worth it.  I've tried so many different ways to keep track of my conferring notes and I really think this one is going to be "it"!

 



We had a slow start this year with writer's workshop. Building our writing stamina has proven to be tricky business.  They'd start off strong and then peter out after about 10 minutes.  FINALLY, it seems that we have picked up steam.  Lightbulbs are going on left and right!

Today, the day after Halloween, I was just getting started with my mini-lesson. I looked out at the crowd and they were all crashing hard from their sugar buzz's...HA!  My lesson about staying close-in when ending your story was going to go over like a fart in church.  I knew I had to think fast on my feet....

My bin of stuffed buddies caught my eye.  I grabbed the frog {he jumps} and frantically grabbed a cute pink flamingo.  They stand on one leg and stay put for long periods of time...right?  I think so. I didn't do my research beforehand, it was on a whim...remember?

Do you remember this post/book about using concrete objects to solidify concepts? I've been all about that this year and have come up with some good ones on my own.  We've used rubber bands to remind ourselves to s t r e t c h out words when we write - listening for and writing down all of those sounds we hear.  We've used magnifying glasses to help us ZOOM in on one small moment ...writing all those details we remember to help us stretch out our stories.  And today....

When I described that frog endings JUMP away from the topic...like "...and then I went home", I threw the frog to the other side of the classroom.  That woke them up!  I took the leg of the flamingo and sort of pulled it up and had him stand there, still as a statue on that one leg.  He stayed put. Just like our flamingo endings should...close-in. 

When a teacher-friend came into my classroom at the end of workshop I asked the kiddos to explain "frog endings" and "flamingo endings" to her and I tell you...I have never seen so many kids raise their hands.  It really was mighty cool.  Now to see them apply what they learned.  We'll get there...

Have a great weekend!

Writing and a Freebie

Honestly, I thought about not blogging until I could give myself an attitude adjustment...but I just can't seem to whip myself into shape. Maybe I need you all to give me a "swift kick in the pants" as my Dad used to say.

I've had to close down shop in the classroom this week, and I *hate* doing that.  I have soooooo much I want and need to teach, yet assessments {the whole dang slew of 'em} are breathing down my neck.  Seems like I asked the kids to "get out their blockers" at least 10 times this week.  Poor things. 

And I'm grouchy.

I do have to brag though - my group this year is so darn tootin' sweet so it basically took 8 days to finish up all my F & P/Fountas and Pinnell {or Effin' P as most of us call them} assessments. I was able to do two during Daily 5 and two during writer's workshop each day.  My little babycakes were so on target; they made it easy this time around.  One kid did fall asleep in Yertle...but hey, at least he wasn't bugging anybody and could you blame him?!?

On top of assessments, after school, school-life has been nutty too.

I know a lot of you are already hot and heavy into the Common Core - we're on our way in Michigan.  Our district is doing a lot to get ready for the adoption and are doing a pretty good job at giving us the skinny.  I'm on the District ELA Common Core committee and was so impressed with the writing program our ISD {Intermediate School District} is developing.  Several of the teachers at our ELA core meeting are piloting units and shared some of their goodies.  One was this awesome paper that I tweaked {of course} and wanted to share with you.

If you do Lucy Calkins you're familiar with Small Moments {personal narratives}. At some point, early on in the program, Lucy has you make booklets for the kids to write their stories in.  I kid you not, I have tried implementing these booklets and they send me over the edge every year.  Basically, I find putting them together to be time consuming and most of all I find them to be a waste of paper.  The kids will write one sentence on each page of the booklet {if that, especially early on} and leave the rest.  Maybe I don't give them enough time - maybe I jump ship too soon, who knows?  This year I didn't even try them.  I just have the kids write their stories and then staple at the end.

What I do like about the thought process behind the three/four page booklets is it gives them a good sense of beginning, middle and end.  When I saw this paper I got goosebumps {doesn't take much, does it?}.  I was like "Where have you been all my life?!?"

Clipart: MelonHeadz and Cre8tive Hands.  Numbers: 3AM Teacher

Sorry it's in three different documents - my computer wasn't being very friendly this week either! Grrr! 

I started using this new paper right away this week and I have got to tell you - it's awesome.  So, like always, I have the kids tell their stories across their hands to their partners.  Beginning is their thumb, next three fingers their middle, and their pinky is where they wrap it all up - the end.  I have a poster of this but I want to make it cuter before I share.  Basically, the icons on each page match what's on the poster {one icon on each finger}. 

I put the paper in three different trays and the kids come up and grab which page they need whenever they need it {I like for them to get up every now and then during writing - keeps 'em focused longer}.  The first page is for your beginning where the two icons; one of a house and the other of a person remind you to include who, what and where.  On the 2nd page {and possibly third, fourth, etc. depending on how detailed they are - this why there are no page numbers} are numbers reminding them to include at least three events/details} and the last page has a gift and heart...wrap it up/heart of the story {if retelling}. This paper makes me happy.

Wanna know something else that makes me happy?  My boys are going to their cousins' house tomorrow for a sleepover and hubby and I are getting some much needed us time.  What should we do? Go see a movie?  Go out to dinner? Both?  You know what we'll end up doing?  Grabbing a quick bite to eat and running errands.  Why we always end up walking the aisles of Target or Walmart is beyond me!?!

Happy weekend!

Holly

Tiny Topics *Freebie*

You know what sorta stinks?  You southern state gals do everything first.  Yup, you get to do all the fun stuff before me - and by the time I get to it, you're all like "Hello, been there done that".  Tomorrow is our 100th Day of School!!!!!  Can I hear a "YEEHAW" and a "WHOO HOOO"?  Probably not, because most of you are still recovering from yours and you're probably all thinkin' "Thank goodness THAT'S done!"

So, instead of chatting up the 100th Day I'll talk about Tiny Topics.  You know me, I'm an on a whim kinda girl, don't get me wrong, I plan my whole week ahead {Those of you who go out two weeks, or even a month...say whu?}usually on Friday.  I even try to pull everything I'll need and put it  in the appropriate bins.  But sometimes, an idea pops in the 'ol noggin, and I can't stop myself.

Today was one of those days.  I planned on talking to the kids about our mentor author, Angela Johnson {Lucy Calkins, Author's as Mentors}.  I thought I'd have them write any "little seed ideas" that they might think of on a piece of paper and store it safely in their writing folder but then I remembered the little teeny tiny notebooks from Oriental Trading I found in my classroom a couple of months ago.

I quick hopped on the computer {just seconds before picking my wild ones up from lunch} and created these.

Actually, mine weren't this cute - I made these once I got home. Print on 1" x 2 5/8" address labels.

The notebooks are plain white so the kids decorated them.

Little seed ideas are kept in here - rather than BIG watermelon topics.

We practiced writing simple words or phrases to help us remember our tiny topics.

Keeping it handy - never know when a tiny topic might pop in your mind! Look how organized this little guy's desk is!!!

This little guy wanted to keep his in his pencil box...

I was just kidding before, I actually LIKE that you girlies do everything first...then I get to do all your super cool stuff!!!!  Like my sweet 100th day door sign that I made today with butcher paper.  {Wish I could remember who I stole that idea from!} 

Sweet dreams!

Holly