tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21355476588538778702024-03-05T07:37:48.649-08:00Stacie's STEM ClassroomStaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-81601881854883308222015-02-24T04:56:00.003-08:002015-02-24T04:56:57.994-08:00Time FillersGood Morning and Happy Tuesday!!!<br />
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This is a quick post about a few games I came across and have begun making to use as time fillers in my STEM classroom. <br />
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<b>Math Taboo</b><br />
Roots of the Equation published an <a href="https://rootsoftheequation.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/algebra-taboo/" target="_blank">Algebra Math Taboo </a>game that is perfect for a middle school or high school classroom! Of course you can make your own cards to supplement this <a href="https://rootsoftheequation.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/math-taboo.pdf" target="_blank">set</a>. This is so easy to print, cut, bag, and then pass out to early finishers or on days when there is extra time in class or a shortened class period. I just finished printing my sets and plan on using this as early as next week with my students.<br />
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<b>Quick Six</b><br />
Ellen McHenry published a game called <a href="http://www.ellenjmchenry.com/homeschool-freedownloads/chemistry-games/quicksix.php" target="_blank">Quick Six</a> that is played with the periodic table of elements. I do not expect my students to know or understand the periodic table and they are not taught it until high school, but this is a great game to begin introducing them to it and how to find information about the elements. I just printed out my game card <a href="http://www.ellenjmchenry.com/homeschool-freedownloads/chemistry-games/documents/QuickSix_12_11_000.pdf" target="_blank">set </a>and a <a href="http://elements.wlonk.com/Elements_Pics+Words_11x8.5.pdf" target="_blank">periodic table </a>that is kid friendly (I have yet to use it to play the game to see if it will suit the needs of the game). I can't wait to have all of the pieces laminated and play with my students!<br />
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I find games like these as well as Math 24, tangrams, math battleship, etc. are great to add to a sub binder or sub tub. Once the games are explained to your students and they have had a class period to play, a sub can pass out the materials and allow the kids to play. With a little one at home, I have fallen back on my emergency sub plans in my sub binder a number of times. I will be adding these games to the other activities I have outlined in my sub binder.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-74019148977059194632014-09-24T04:58:00.001-07:002014-09-24T04:58:13.738-07:00STEM KitsHappy Wednesday Morning!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_5AdDW7hZWjh6Oe4nC4gdXH1GbSWNQhlRN3Xd48GXb3xnYmJOXFJfvDndHRjkzMVc24_NH_4MtuccM0cbkDzk5gB-S3Ygu9TUFHyLJliLciHIO3Bs_gwWJWtS041xqoiSTIEjhExbRYA/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_5AdDW7hZWjh6Oe4nC4gdXH1GbSWNQhlRN3Xd48GXb3xnYmJOXFJfvDndHRjkzMVc24_NH_4MtuccM0cbkDzk5gB-S3Ygu9TUFHyLJliLciHIO3Bs_gwWJWtS041xqoiSTIEjhExbRYA/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>While searching for goodies to add to the Halloween bags I make for the neighborhood kids I stumbled across some INCREDIBLE STEM kits at Five Below! In addition to K'NEX helicopter kits (for $5 each) they had solar robot kits and DIY motor kits (race cars and motorcycles) all for $5 each. The solar kits are a bit complicated and appear to be more time consuming. They have very small parts and will require significantly more focus and patience than the DIY motor kits. The directions are also black and white pictures that are small and do not have any written instructions included. What I love about the motor kits is that they come with all the pieces and tools! I won't have to buy a class set of screwdrivers and wrenches for the students to use when building. In addition, the parts list and directions are colored photos. I feel as though written directions could be valuable and the screws could be better labeled, but all in all, the better quality photos make for easier to understand instructions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJUEUkR8CsnlMa7nAO9WcsRWmuBDHeJ5nC6h4rfCX4W4NJ0Jv8i0IM26FOX46aqLZAx4lbWULUu5YFKTiU2eMGI0FXso-Om9LPPfwNhVm7NBYkXveM4jqas_xc20P7BvLz4Kh_ly0yoQ1/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJUEUkR8CsnlMa7nAO9WcsRWmuBDHeJ5nC6h4rfCX4W4NJ0Jv8i0IM26FOX46aqLZAx4lbWULUu5YFKTiU2eMGI0FXso-Om9LPPfwNhVm7NBYkXveM4jqas_xc20P7BvLz4Kh_ly0yoQ1/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>These kits are low priced and perfect for after school clubs or enrichment activities. Most parents are OK with contributing $5 towards a project the students will be able to keep. These kits come in a lot cheaper than on-site field trips too. Most on-site field trips do NOT allow you to keep the project either. I plan on purchasing 10 to 12 of the DIY motor kits to use with my middle school gifted group later in October.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3aZG5NKAFwhmS0w1YhME_73MiGAbJxL_CJJ-3Q4kabzwqAxyikpAwi87oXhqV2HCiVQI5AhUYnLI6w4PKbTlTLbRjgb59QL_xNwk1_NdtxStIGl9kw47usLUSA0NorRCAwNFjHCgJ57N/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3aZG5NKAFwhmS0w1YhME_73MiGAbJxL_CJJ-3Q4kabzwqAxyikpAwi87oXhqV2HCiVQI5AhUYnLI6w4PKbTlTLbRjgb59QL_xNwk1_NdtxStIGl9kw47usLUSA0NorRCAwNFjHCgJ57N/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
My husband and I started the DIY Race Car kit and the DIY Motorcycle kit last night. My husband made it thorough step A before calling it quits and claiming his fingers were a bit too big. I made it halfway through my project in about an hour before taking a break for the night. I look forward to finishing it tonight (and then finishing his) so that I can race them at home and display them in my classroom to build interest in both at home educational activities and my gifted day.<br />
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All in all these were a great find for middle and high school students. I can't wait to post how the projects turn out later in October! <br />
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<br />Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-11670477987363479512014-09-03T11:37:00.001-07:002014-09-03T11:37:55.891-07:00Engineering is ElementaryI hope everyone is settling into the school year smoothly. Despite returning after a long (7 month) maternity leave, I am transitioning smoothly. This is just a quick post to share a wonderful resource!<br />
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EIE is another FANTASTIC resource for teachers trying to infuse STEM into their regular classroom as well as develop STEM-based after school programs. While not every resource is free on this website, they do offer a number of units and lessons free for teachers to download. Lessons and units are available for grades 1 through 8. I just finished downloading (in exchange for my email and school information) the unit "Here Comes The Sun." This is a unit that I hope to use pieces of during my Green Building and Sustainability unit. My Discovery Education account expires in October and I will need to find an alternative activity to the "Keep it Cool" lab on the Discovery Education website. Hopefully this packet helps. Have a WONDERFUL Wednesday!!!Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-5472855782250482252014-08-15T10:45:00.000-07:002014-08-15T10:45:47.656-07:00No More Boring Back to School NightAs I return to the classroom after over eight months off (maternity leave was WONDERFUL!) I am reevaluating my Back to School Night presentation.<br />
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For my 1st year teaching STEM I created a brochure and had example units I may do with the students. I spent most of my time explaining the course and what STEM meant to parents and students. After spending a GLORIOUS week in Washington D.C. with some awesome fellows at the Siemens STEM Institute, I was inspired to create a very exciting movie to show parents highlighting student projects from the previous year. This year... I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I knew I was done with the boring, done with the talking, and done with "the norm."<br />
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After a few weeks of tweaking my Back to School night handout and making sure all of my contact information and policies were updated, I decided that parents needed a real taste of my class. So, with the 10 minutes I have with each parent group, I began planning a STEM activity. Granted 10 minutes is not nearly enough time to use the Engineering Design Process or reflect on the results of the activity, it is just enough time to give parents and students a taste of what to expect in my class.<br />
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Without an activity in mind I began listing what I hoped to gain from this different Back to School Night experience. First, I wanted to do something in groups since the students are always working in groups. Next, I knew it had to be hands on. Everyone loves to build and create so I made that a priority. Lastly I determined I needed to make sure math was in the mix. My class is technically called Applications of Mathematics, so I wanted parents (and students) to see that there is a bit of math in everything.<br />
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Enter...<br />
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<b>THE PAPER AIRPLANE!</b><br />
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I know I can not do an entire challenge in 10 minutes or collect the data that would make this a valuable learning experience. However, I felt that the paper airplane was an easy enough activity to complete in the limited time and allow for some data collection. I am working under the assumption that my parents and students know how to fold a paper airplane. My plan is to give parents and students about five minutes to create their planes and NOT fly them. Groups will then line up at the bottom of my measuring tape and fly them one at a time. On the board I will document the distance. At the end of the night I will post outside of my classroom the name of the winning group with the winning paper airplane. <b> </b>In theory, this should work. I can not wait to attempt this activity with the parents and students on Tuesday night. I will be sure to post an update as soon as I can about the results of my new approach to Back to School Night.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-31699122591846225342014-08-15T09:11:00.000-07:002014-08-15T09:11:02.756-07:00Elementary STEM ProgramA teacher recently reached out to me asking for help in revamping their her after school STEM program for 4th and 5th grade above-average learners. Her goal for this particular program is to create an environment that will extend thinking and promote a true STEM environment. The budget for supplies appears to be minimal, but they have access to a computer lab. At this time the students meet twice a week for about an hour. Last year the students participated in projects that were based on real-world problems. For example, one of the projects was to research a food additive and examine the harmful effects, find alternatives, and create a tri-fold sharing what they discovered. To me it sounds like this school has the right idea and definitely headed in the right direction for creating authentic STEM experiences for their students.<br />
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So, moving forward, here were a few suggestions for projects that I came up with to help this teacher continue to extend her students' thinking through STEM-based projects.<br />
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<b>Paper Plate Marble Track</b><br />
This idea came from a project I saw on Pinterest and felt could be adapted for a STEM classroom. My students LOVE to build stuff! Anything! As long as they get to create, they are happy. So, when I am looking at projects for my own STEM classroom I try to incorporate as much hands-on building as possible. <b> </b><br />
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<a href="http://frugalfun4boys.com/2012/09/05/paper-plate-marble-track/" target="_blank">FrugalFun4Boys</a> posted this idea as a fun and inexpensive activity to do inside during the looooooong winter months. When I saw it I thought "WOW! This looks like fun and I can definitely add some math and science to this to make it an authentic learning experience for students." Let's break this down... The construction of the marble track itself covers the 'E' (engineering) and videos, articles, and simulations on roller coasters would cover the 'T' (technology). After a three second Goggle search of "roller coast simulator" I found student friendly resources on <a href="http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/mck05_int_rollercoaster/" target="_blank">PBSLearning</a> and <a href="http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmsc/activities/simulations/gr4/unitf.html" target="_blank">Eduplace</a>. The students can easily make marks on their roller coasters and measure distances to determine the speed of their marble at various points along their ride to cover the 'S' (science). While that also covers the 'M' (math), I feel that more math could be added by having the students "purchase" their supplies from the teacher. As the students bring in or select supplies from the classroom stock, they must complete a cost sheet. When the students are finished with their roller coasters they would be able to present a total project cost analysis based on supplies used (and wasted) during construction. The teacher could also challenge the students even more by giving them a budget.<br />
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<b>Newspaper Construction</b><br />
<b> </b>This was an activity I had my long-term substitute recently do with my elementary and middle school gifted students. My elementary students used newspaper and tape to create a table that could hold books. My middle school students used newspaper and tape to construct a bridge spanning a predetermined distance and could hold a predetermined weight. I am not sure how everything turned out (I did not receive any feedback from the students or substitute), but the activity was fun and easy to plan.<br />
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I adapted the elementary activity from the <a href="http://www-tc.pbskids.org/designsquad/pdf/parentseducators/DS_Act_Guide_PaperTable.pdf" target="_blank">Design Squad's Paper Table</a> activity and the middle school activity from the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/educator/act_cha_ho.html" target="_blank">PBS Building Big Educator's Guide</a> (the website was not the easiest to navigate, but if you spend enough time clicking links, you should find instructions and handouts.) There are TONS of newspaper building challenges for students. These were just the two that I chose to adapt for my classroom. <br />
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This activity is a great use of the Engineering Design Process (EDP). As the students build, encounter problems, adapt, and build again, they are cycling through the EDP. It is important that students in a STEM environment are familiar with the EDP. So with this particular activity, the 'E' would be the introduction or use of the EDP as well as the construction of the table or bridge. For the 'M' the students will need to know how much weight their structure can hold and whether or not it will span the measurement requirements. To incorporate 'T' I use the application Bridge Builder on the iPads for students to experiment with how bridges work and what shapes are the strongest. I am sure there are similar programs and simulations available online for students to use on a computer. Lastly, for the 'S' the students are applying scientific principles, generating questions, and testing hypotheses. Could the science be strengthened for this activity, Absolutely! Post any and all suggestion you have! <br />
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<b>Paper Airplanes</b><br />
<b> </b>What kid doesn't LOVE making (and flying) paper airplanes?!?!? I think this is fantastic project for a group of elementary school students. If I were to use this activity with students I would start by having the students all make the same three airplanes. These could be any three patterns selected by the teacher. In addition, the teacher would provide the same paper to all of the students and do a brief presentation on how to fold paper and read the directions. The student groups would take their three airplanes and test them. All of the data (measurements) and observations should be recorded. Next, the teacher could show a video on "professional" paper airplanes to inspire the students. With this inspiration, the students would use the computers to research different styles of paper airplane, folding techniques, paper suggestions, etc. to determine what they feel would be the ultimate paper airplane. Lastly, the students would create their paper airplane, test it privately and remake the same model again if need be (precision is everything, so students should have the opportunity to refold if necessary), and then fly them as a class. With all of the collected data the students should be able to produce a graph and lab report explaining their findings. I find (personally) that in cases like this there is always a group that "fails." I explain to the group that it is NOT a failure to have a paper airplane that did not fly at all. Something was still learned and data was still collected.<br />
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So, the STEM breakdown... 'S' for the lab report, 'T' for the video and research component (hey, why not introduce Google Docs and have the students compile their group research there), 'E' folding the paper airplanes, 'M' data, data, data, and graphing!<br />
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<b>QR Codes </b><br />
As an Instructional Technology Specialist, I could not let the opportunity pass to suggest a truly technology-based activity. A teacher in a neighboring school district worked with a group of students recently to create QR codes to use around the school to help bilingual students and parents. I thought this was an AMAZING use of technology! HIGH FIVE!!! So, my suggestion for the after school STEM club was to do the same, but for teachers, parents, and students to use. QR codes could be generated for teacher websites, homework help websites, the school website, etc. This could be a wonderful back-to-school night tool. Parents (and students) could scan QR codes as they are entering teachers' classrooms for contact information and the course syllabus. While this may be a little bit advanced for elementary students who do not have smart phones or are not permitted to use them at school, it could still be a fun project and great for teachers and parents.<br />
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These were just a few of the suggestions I had for relatively easy and low-cost STEM activities that could be used at the elementary level. If you have any other suggested activities or resources, please post below! I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC start to their school year! Here's to 2014-2015!!!<br />
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-80011415906190942672014-06-21T11:33:00.000-07:002014-06-21T11:33:13.748-07:00Siemens STEM Academy: Guest BloggerSorry I have been MIA for the last year. I have had a lot on my plate. My husband and I found out we were expecting in May of 2013 and I was sick straight through until the end of my pregnancy. Mason Justin was born on January 17th and has been a wonderful handful. As summer starts and my maternity leave comes to an end in August, I am hoping to get back to my blog. In the mean time, check out my post at the Siemens STEM Academy where I am one of the guest bloggers!<br />
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<a href="http://stem.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?event=showBlogPost&c=&postid=2143" target="_blank">STEM Centers: Allowing Students to Direct Their Learning</a>Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-71452524777980696002013-07-10T07:33:00.001-07:002013-07-10T07:33:58.773-07:00Educational Applications in the ClassroomFor this entire course we have spent a significant amount of time exploring and researching applications for mobile devices that can be used in the classroom in varying capacities. Our assignments for this week included selecting ten mobile learning applications for our students and the. Creating a lesson plan or presentation explaining how we would implement at least two applications in the classroom. After significant research I decided to create a lesson plan using the application STEM Curiosity School and Google Drive. The idea is that I (the teacher) would supply the kids with the materials necessary for any of the seven lab assignments. The students would select which lab assignment they would like to complete in their small groups using the STEM Curiosity School application. As they work, they would all access a shared Jigsaw worksheet in Google Drive. In my classroom I like to give the students as much choice as possible so that they take ownership of their learning. <div><br></div><div>I have always been a supporter of an increase in the amount of technology integrated in the classroom. One way to increase technology use is to put the devices (mobile or otherwise) in the hands of students as often as possible. Through this class I have gained insight on different ways I can use my iPads on a more regular (and structured) basis with my students. I loved that the final project provided me with the opportunity to create a lesson plan that I can use in my classroom that will use my iPads in a more structured manner. If I were to tweak this course, it would be to add more assignments or discussions like the final project. While the application of the week discussion was valuable, it would be nice to know how everyone would use or could use some of the apps in the classroom. Same with the assignments of top applications. I would add a section for us to note how an application could be used in the classroom. All in all i found this to be a valuable course and I look forward to applying what I have learned in y classroom during the 2013-2014 school year. </div><div><br></div><div>PS: This blog post was done on my phone from the BWI tarmac. My plane was SIGNIFICANTLY delayed and I figured what better use of my time and mobile device! I apologize for any typos since they are hard to locate and correct. </div>Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-21974265549571927362013-07-05T04:57:00.002-07:002013-07-05T04:57:27.514-07:00Are There Educational Appls For My Learners?<span>This week in my graduate course we are exploring applications that can be used in the classroom with students. At this time I have downloaded a number of applications to my student iPads for my students to use and explore, but I have yet to create any significant lessons or activities around any particular application. My hope is that at the end of this assignment I will have a few ideas of how I can do just that and a list of ten easy to integrate and use STEM applications for iPads (and middle school students). </span><br />
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<span>During the 2012 - 2013 school year I used the iPads with my students as much as I could, which was still not as frequently as they should have been used. First, I did not have an Apple ID or the ability to download applications until January (half way through the school year). Second, I was limited on time when it came to exploring and previewing applications for the classroom (content and safety) and then cloning my iPads (we are talking at least 8 hours of work.) So ultimately I found a few applications that I felt were appropriate for my classroom, cloned the iPads, and then created an opportunity for the students to explore and play. During the second semester I created rotating STEM centers for my students to participate in when we were between units. These centers (<a href="http://staciesstemclassroom.blogspot.com/2013/02/kindergarten-days.html" target="_blank">click here</a> to read all about them in a previous post) allow the students the opportunity to explore ANYTHING related to STEM. For the Game On! center the students can sign out an iPad and play/explore with any of the applications on the iPad. Normally I like to have more structure to an activity, but by allowing the students the freedom on the iPads I was able to observe what they used the most and what they liked about the different applications. This way I will be able to determine what I can turn into a lesson activity and what I may want to remove all together from my iPads. </span><br />
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<span>As for my thoughts on iPads in the classroom...</span><br />
<span>I recently took a class called iPads in Education and read a variety of interesting articles (they were not journals and were not based on research). Many of these articles slammed the iPad as a classroom tool, labeling it as a distraction from learning. One article in particular compared it to a hammer. They said that the iPad is no more valuable than a hammer (a very expensive hammer). To that I responded with my students' thoughts. I asked my students (since we were learning about simple machines) if they would rather look at a picture of a hammer or be given one and sent out to fix some things in the courtyard and report back on what worked and didn't work with a hammer. My 7th graders immediately wanted the hammers. Now if I were just laying the hammers on the tables for the students to pick up and look at (a visual aid) or allowing them to hit stuff with no educational meaning, then they serve little purpose. Just like an iPad is not serving a significant purpose in a classroom where it is used only to search the Internet. However, when a teacher uses the iPad to ENGAGE learners with MEANINGFUL activities and CONTENT driven by the Common Core, the iPad becomes a very valuable tool. While technology will continue to change and the needs of our students will adjust, in today's classroom there is definitely room for the iPad. Anytime our students are actively engaged in important content and taking ownership of their learning, it is a very good day! </span>Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-13888382712791034172013-06-29T08:53:00.002-07:002013-06-29T09:00:21.186-07:00Productivity Applications<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Saturday morning!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week in my mobile technology course we focused on productivity applications for mobile devices. Since I have iPads and use iPads in my classroom, I stuck with applications for the iPad/iPhone. I believe that iPads need to be equipped with productivity applications in order to be as valuable as possible for the classroom. Games and interactive applications are great, but in education, sometimes you need presentation and word processing tools. Our assignment this wee was to pull together our top 5 productivity applications. I am not sure about the rest of you, but this changes on a regular basis for me depending on the needs of my classroom or updated applications. I HATE to be repetitive, but I feel in order to properly address this week's topics I need to post my top 5 applications. Below is the assignment I turned in followed by a little bit of additional reflection. I have included a few examples of how I would or have used the applications selected in my classroom.</span><br />
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Stacie’s Top 5 Productivity Applications</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Name of the App: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=8">Pages</a><br />
Type of Productivity: Word
Processing<br />
Cost of App: $9.99
(student edition/school discount - $4.99)<br />
Description of App: Pages is a word
processing application made by Apple specifically for the Apple iPad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Justification: I chose Pages as one of my top productivity
applications because of ease of use on the iPad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After experimenting with GoogleDrive (which
has the potential to become VERY awesome) and CloudOn, I found Pages to be the
easiest to use in terms of text manipulation and image upload.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Documents created in Pages can be emailed or
saved to a WebDAV drive (file storage) which allows teachers to collect
assignments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many ways to
convert .pages documents to .doc or I can collect and read student assignments
on my iPad (so I am on the go.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall,
when I am typing an assignment or preparing anything in a word document, I do
not want the majority of my time spent fighting with the formatting and
selecting a font.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have the same
expectation for my students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Pages
application fits the needs of my classroom and the assignments I assign my
students.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">---------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Name of the App: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/prezi-for-ipad/id407759942?mt=8">Prezi</a><br />
Type of Productivity: Presentation<br />
Cost of App: FREE<br />
Description of App: Prezi is a
non-linear presentation tool that can be accessed and used from multiple mobile
devices as well as the computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
creating a Prezi account all of your devices have access to all of your
presentations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Justification: While I was not blown away with the Prezi
application for the iPad in terms of creating a presentation, I do adore this
productivity application in the sense that I can access my presentations on any
of my devices without any problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have shown the same Prezi from my computer, iPhone, and iPad without any
problems in the flow or formatting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is by far one of the most valuable features of the Prezi applications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I have mentioned before, downloading my
Prezis to my phone has been a lifesaver when the Internet suddenly goes down in
my class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the iPad application
allows you to create or edit presentations, if I find an error in a
presentation while I am presenting or information needs to be updated, I can do
it without interruption or stopping at home/school to update from a
computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I demonstrated this mobile
technology while presenting at a symposium in May – my Prezi was shared from my
iPad.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">--------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Name of the App: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qrafter-qr-code-barcode-reader/id416098700?mt=8">Qrafter</a><br />
Type of Productivity: QR
Codes<br />
Cost of App: FREE/$2.99<br />
Description of App: Qrafter is a QR
code reader that allows the user to save QR code images with text and
notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also scans the website
associated with the QR code for problematic content.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Justification: Qrafter is a great application for
organizing QR codes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have used other
scanners in the past, but none have done such a thorough job of organizing the
site content, user notes, and the QR code in one place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an application that I would recommend
in a 1:1 setting for students or for teacher use when there is only one iPad in
the classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a 1:1 setting students
can scan QR codes, organize the information, and then access it whenever they
want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is great for study guides,
helpful websites, and assignments shared in GoogleDocs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the teacher’s iPad, he/she can do the same
(organize codes) but can pull them up at any time to display on the SMART Board
for students to scan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my opinion,
most QR codes look the same, so by having them organized with words and user
notes, it makes accessing codes much easier!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">---------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Name of the Bookmark: <a href="http://www.dotepub.com/">dotepub</a><br />
Type of Productivity: Converts
any webpage to an e-book<br />
Cost of Bookmark: FREE<br />
Description of App: Dotepub is a
website with code to save on your iPad that allows the user to turn any website
into an e-book accessible through the iBooks application.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Justification: While this is not an application, it is a
VERY handy productivity tool for the iPad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By following the directions on the website and installing the bookmark,
I can turn any webpage into an e-book that I can access through iBooks without
Internet or 4G connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an
educator, I found this to be very valuable in the classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I teach a number of intriguing adult topics
like clean energy, sustainability, restaurant management, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With adult topics come adult advertisements
on websites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By converting websites with
ads to e-books, none of the ads or images were saved, just the content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have done this for a number of websites and
created articles the students can read in the Reading Nook station or during
activity rotations for a unit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
also used it for articles I find interesting and want to be able to read later
when I won’t have access to the Internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">---------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Name of the App: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imovie/id377298193?mt=8">iMovie</a> <br />
Type of Productivity: Digital
Movie Creation<br />
Cost of App: $4.99<br />
Description of App: iMovie allows
users to create and edit movies or movie trailers and has templates that users
can use for their films.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Justification: This is an application that I have recently
begun finding value in as I spend more and more time playing with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have just finished creating a Back to
School night trailer introducing my class to the incoming students and
parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can also see students using
the iPads to document (in pictures) their progress through an assignment or
project and then creating a movie trailer as their culminating activity to share
with the class what they were able to accomplish and learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not done anything with the full movie
aspect of the application, just the movie trailer part and what I have done I
LOVE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also incredibly easy to use
and does not require any of the movie editing skills Window MovieMaker does
(which is easy to use, but can still be tough when you start to layer
things.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My students can pull photos
from the photo stream stick them in the movie trailer template they have chosen
and have a video by the end of my 47 minute class period.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">---------------------------------------------------------</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am a CRAZY multitasker and adore finding more and more ways to do at least two things at one time. My husband considers this a flaw, especially when he wants to sit down and watch a movie with me and I HAVE to be doing something else (like cutting out lamination or planning our weekly menu) at the same time. All of the applications above make my life easier and/or more mobile. I love that I can convert all of my graduate reading articles and journals to e-books to read while I am waiting for the oil to be changed in my car or the at the doctor's office. Pages has allowed me to complete assignments while in the car so that I can submit them as soon as I can connect to the Internet. In the classroom, I am far more organized and can provide my students with the same flexibility. This summer I am drafting a BYOD (bring your own device) plan for my classroom in hopes of allowing my students to bring in their mobile devices. Through the use of productivity applications like the ones above, my students will be able to work on the go. I have a number of students who end up "stuck" at the little league fields because of a siblings game for four or more hours in one night. If the student has not taken their books along because they did not expect to be there all night, they can now do their work on the go and submit it as soon as they have service/Internet. I can think of a number of parents that would appreciate this option as well.</span></div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-23031418433982524232013-06-23T14:14:00.000-07:002013-06-23T14:14:29.833-07:00Mobile PresentationsWhen it comes to large scale projects and assignments, I tend to favor a computer. I feel that a larger monitor set at eye level and a full keyboard with mouse is much easier to see/use when manipulating text in a document or pictures in a presentation. This past week I was without my computer and my patience was truly tested...<br />
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This week's creation assignment was to create a mobile presentation with at least five images. Seeing that I did not have my computer, I was left to create my presentation using my iPad. At the start of the week I was very excited to do this since I had not done what I would consider a quality presentation on my iPad yet. After reviewing the tools Dr. McCullough suggested, I chose Prezi. Prezi (on the computer) is something that I am familiar with and my students like using. Since I have an educational account I figured I would download the application for the iPad and give it a whirl. I have presented Prezi's from my phone via my SMART Board (when the internet is down) but I have never created a presentation using the application.<br />
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First I took pictures using my iPad of Smith Mountain Lake (my family and I were on vacation). I then used an application I downloaded called PicShop to edit my photos. I believe the application was originally $4.99 but I was able to download it for free a month or so ago when AppsGoneFree (another free application) posted that it was free for a day. While I have taken many pictures with my iPad, I have never used a photo editing application prior to this assignment on my iPad. (I was a fan of Picnik when I completed my M.S. at Wilkes.) In my presentation you can see how I adjust the color and frames around many of my pictures. The kids use these types of tools when posting to Instagram and appreciate having these applications available. I have BookCreator on all of my student iPads and plan on adding PicShop so that the kids can tweak their photos for their creations.<br />
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As for image hosting sites, a long time ago I created a Flickr account to upload photos. However, I see little to no value in sharing my photos or storing my photos on an image hosting site (I prefer an external hard drive.) I am very particular about my privacy and do not like the idea of my vacation photos being uploaded to a website. Even with secure settings, accounts are "hacked" and photos "borrowed" or used in an inappropriate manner. The only place I currently share some of my photos is Facebook (and I share very few photos outside of my dogs.)<br />
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Back to my presentation, I have had many experiences creating presentations on my iPad with Keynote, Educreations, ExplainEverything, ShowMe, iMove, Animoto, and HaikuDeck. Since I had not created a Prezi on my iPad, I chose to try that application. I was able to complete 95% of the presentation before becoming so frustrated I had to pull it up on the computer to finish the presentation. I struggled with positioning and sizing the images and text so that it was appropriate for the presentation and editing the path. As for presenting a Prezi on a mobile device, I can speak from experience when I say that it is a piece of cake! I love that I can have access my Prezis on my computer, tablets, and phones. As I mentioned before, the wireless internet is frequently down in my hallway. By having the Prezi application on my phone I can use my 4G to present my Prezi to my students on the SMART board. My kids get a kick out of it when I have to "ghetto rig" my SMART Board for the day's lesson with old speakers I plug into my phone and the long cable I use to connect my phone to the SMART Board. <br />
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All in all, I highly recommend the integration of what I refer to as creation applications for students. As a STEM teacher I strive to provide my students with opportunities to produce their own unique projects. In order to do that they need a variety of tools available. If I were to assign this creation assignment to my own students I would make a handful or presentation and photo editing applications available to them so that they could explore and find what works best for what they are trying to create.<br />
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To see my Prezi on Smith Mountain Lake, click <a href="http://prezi.com/pfe2epnkgsu-/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy" target="_blank">HERE</a>! (I just couldn't stretch it to ten full slides...sorry to disappoint!)Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-13748186765233427052013-06-16T17:06:00.000-07:002013-06-16T17:17:04.277-07:00To Blog or Not to BlogThis blog post will differ greatly from my usual content since I will be using my blog for a very fascinating graduate course I am taking this summer on mobile technology. To start, I will note that I am writing this particular post on my iPhone in a vehicle with my husband as we are on the go. I am using the FREE Blogger application to check, manage, and post to my blogs. The Blogger application is incredibly easy to use and very simple. I don't know about you, but when it comes to my productivity applications I like them SIMPLE! (Below is a screen shot of the Blogger iPhone application after the user has logged in and selected the blog they would like to manage. It was incredibly easy putting this picture in this blog post as well!)<br>
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I have used (and still have) a blog through WordPress. While I found it to be a very nice blogging option, I always return to Blogger. I find Blogger VERY easy to use and I love that it is linked to my Google account. Anytime I can minimize passwords, accounts, and links I do. In addition, I am comfortable with the layout and options Blogger offers. It is easy for me to adjust my background and customize different parts of the blog. I even linked up Google Reader so that my favorite educational blogs appear on the right side of my blog. (Of course I will need to change this soon since Google Reader will be leaving soon...) </div>
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This blog is traditionally used for me to post all of the interesting things I do and find for a middle school classroom. It started as Stacie's Acute Math Blog (I taught 6th grade math...do you get it?!?!) When I was hired by the Greencastle-Antrim School District I became a 7th grade STEM teacher so I adjusted the name of my blog. I usually post the activities and units I have created for my classroom as well as links to fantastic STEM resources (that are usually FREE!).<br>
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So, this week's question is "who are you?"<br>
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Well, my name is Stacie and I am currently a 7th grade teacher in south-central Pennsylvania. I have two Rottweilers that keep me very busy and a loving husband. This summer I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend the Siemen's STEM Institute. This is an opportunity awarded to only 50 educators across the nation (3 from Pennsylvania). Prior to teaching I attended Shippensburg University and obtained a B.S. in Elementary Education with a minor in reading and a mathematics concentration. At the end of my first year of teaching I began my M.S. in Instructional Media through Wilkes University which I completed in a little less of a year. Currently I am wrapping up my Instructional Technology Specialist Certificate program at Clarion University. </div><div><br></div><div>As for my experience with mobile devices, I would say that I am very experienced. I have three iPads, multiple laptops, an iPhone, and another tablet device. I use all of my devices without much frustration and for a variety of reasons. This past May I took a course with a friend on iPads in the classroom which helped expand my knowledge base of creation applications. In my classroom I have ten iPads to use with my students and an Apple TV attached to my SMART Board so that I can project (through AirPlay) my iPad or any student iPad. One of the reasons I chose to take this particular course was to continue to expand my knowledge of how I can use my iPads in the classroom and get the most from the devices. An iPad should not be put in front of students to entertain them, but to enhance instruction and motivate students to learn. (The other reason I am taking this course is because it is the only one offered to fulfill my final ITSC course requirements.) I am REALLY looking forward to this course as well as blogging about what I learn on my classroom blog! I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC week!!!</div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-26244694850221064732013-05-02T05:01:00.001-07:002013-05-02T05:01:07.532-07:00Paper ScienceWhile reading through the foldables my students submitted last week after the rotating STEM centers (aka Kindergarten Days), many requested a science experiment station. This is something I have been trying to add, but have struggle to find quick and inexpensive experiments the students can complete in small groups or independently in 15 minutes or less.<br />
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Enter Paper Science!<br />
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I stumbled across this <b>FANTASTIC </b>resource this morning while searching for new activities for my STEM centers. Steven Moje has written a 49 page book that is available in PDF form for FREE! His book, <a href="http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/paperscience1.pdf" target="_blank"><i>100 Science Experiments with Paper</i></a>, is full of quick and easy (INEXPENSIVE) science experiments the kids can complete on their own. I can not wait to print, bind, and debut this book with the kids the next time I complete my rotating centers! The kids are going to be so excited! I may also pair this book with a few paper airplane books and general lab sheets to help guide learning. Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-89618971112202636602013-05-01T07:32:00.001-07:002013-05-01T07:32:24.179-07:00Siemens STEM Institute 2013I guess it is safe to share that I have been selected to attend the Siemens STEM Institute this summer. This is an all-expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. to learn from the best of the best! You can check out the other fellows by visiting the <a href="http://www.siemensstemacademy.com/index.cfm?event=showContent&id=73" target="_blank">Siemens STEM Institute 2013 Program Fellows</a> page. The week is full of fun trips, speakers, and activities that will build my content knowledge and resource library. I am absolutely PUMPED to be going and cannot wait to bag my bags and get down there. Everyday I look through the program materials I have been sent so far and try to contain my excitement. I hope to be able to bring my experiences back to my classroom and become an even better STEM teacher for my students. Since my class is all out the real-world and the real-world is constantly changing, I need to make sure that I am changing with it! I will also be blogging about my activities (and hopefully tweeting) the entire week. Stay tuned...Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-65763655709256443022013-04-18T04:20:00.000-07:002013-04-18T04:20:09.172-07:00Donors Choose: Providing Students with Real-World Experiences in STEM! It's about time I post a new project to Donors Choose. I have settled into my new position and identified a few needs in terms of supplies and materials for my classroom. Donors Choose is a fantastic website that I have <a href="http://staciesstemclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/05/donorschooseorg.html" target="_blank">blogged about before</a>. Teachers can create an account and then create a project asking donors to support their classroom. This year I have decided to compile a list of STEM books to enhance my instruction, a few teacher resources for labs and activities that provide real-world experiences, and some lab materials that include solar panels. My kids are absolutely ecstatic for this project since they picked most of the materials themselves. Please take the time to look over my project and consider donating just a few dollars. Until April 24th, donors can enter the code <b>INSPIRE </b>and Donors Choose will <u>DOUBLE </u>your donation. Thanks for all you do!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/stacie.shaner" target="_blank">Providing Students with Real-World Experiences in STEM!</a></b></div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-46640993427682733232013-04-17T11:30:00.003-07:002014-01-10T12:06:24.746-08:00Kindergarten Days (continued)...Last month I was able to conduct my rotating STEM centers in class over the course of two days. I still need a new name for these "Kindergarten Days", but so far they are wildly popular with the kids! The students can not wait to do them again next week.<br />
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Ultimately I decided to go with 6 stations with a max of 5 students at each station. I did not make students rotate the first time, but when I do the centers again I will not permit students to stay at the "Game On!" station for more than one rotation. Over the course of two days I introduced the centers and then allowed the students to participate. On the first day I walked through the centers, explained the directions, and showed them examples of the activities. With the last twelve minutes of that class period the students did a "tasting" of the stations and were able to spend two minutes at each station looking through the materials and activities. The second day the students were able to come to class, pick a station (based on grades this time) and begin working almost immediately for a total of 40 minutes with the centers. My phone went off every 12 or so minutes for the kids who wanted to rotate.<br />
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I had to rearrange my desks to accommodate all of the computers (and cords), iPads, activities, and students. This is the arrangement I settled on and it worked very well. (I took this from my substitute binder - STEM Center Direction sheet.) I was able to bring in two power strips and plug in all of the laptops without creating a safety hazard!<br />
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I tucked the Reading Nook back in a corner with carpet squares, extra chairs, and the dying plants (I do NOT have a green thumb). The chalkboard was used as a parking lot for the students to write questions on as they read about STEM related topics. (After the centers were completed and cleaned up, I left the chalkboard out and worked through the student's questions answering them or printing out additional resources.)<br />
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I am currently using all of the centers I noted in my first post. In addition, I plan on providing more structure to my Game On! station. The kids love to play the BridgeBuilder and TinkerBox apps I have on the iPads, but I would like to provide a bit more depth to their "play" time. I am undecided how to go about doing this at this time. Still thinking...<br />
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Not everyone has the privilege of participating in my centers. The centers are a reward for students that have completed all of their work for my class. Students that owe work sit at a table near my desk (tucked in a corner of my room) and work with me on make-up assignments. Since the students really enjoy the centers, I have had fewer problems with work being turned in. In order to assess the students on these days I have them carry a half sheet of paper folded into three sections. Every time the alarm on my phone goes off a new question is posted on the board for them to think about and then answer in that time period. This acts as their "Ticket Out The Door" on center days. For the first trial run I accepted any response. Next week when I do the centers again I will provide the students with examples of quality responses and grade the foldables based on quality.<br />
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Shoot me any questions/comments you have and watch my TPT store for a FREE STEM Centers pack in the near future!<br />
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<br />Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-32652226206285531762013-02-25T10:11:00.002-08:002013-02-25T10:11:08.256-08:00~ Kindergarten Days ~So, I need to come up with a better name for what I have created...feel free to send or post suggestions!<br />
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In lieu of catch-up (ketchup) days, I will now have kindergarten days. At the end of each of my units I try to give students that were absent during a project, groups that have fallen behind, and students that do not complete work at home the opportunity to make-up the assignments in class. In most cases this is close to half of my students. On these catch-up days I work with students that have fallen behind and allow students that have turned in their assignments the opportunity to play computer games aligned with the unit we are wrapping up or the unit we will be starting. While this has worked well for me, I don't like it anymore. So, in place of catch-up days, I am creating kindergarten days. <br />
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On these kindergarten days I will set my classroom up like an old kindergarten classroom. I will have a reading nook, artists corner, research lab, K'NEX construction, gaming center, and writing workshop. (I have additional ideas but they are still a work in progress...) At these centers the students will be given a number of different choices of activities that I have connected to STEM. Students that have completed their work will be permitted to participate while students that are behind will have to work quietly. I am hoping that this will motivate students to complete their work on time. Below are the centers that I feel are ready for implementation in the classroom for my first kindergarten day...<br />
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<b>Reading Nook</b></div>
Students at this center will be given a number of books and articles (on iPads) to read about topics we have studied in class, broader STEM-related issues, and STEM-related careers. The books I mentioned in my previous post will be checked out of the Literacy Center's library and laid out for students that just want to read. Articles will be selected and downloaded to the iPad and applications like Science360 and National Geographic, will also be utilized.<br />
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<b>Artists' Corner</b></div>
This was a difficult center for me to develop independently, so I turned to our AWESOME art teacher for ideas. At this station I will provide students with the following activities:<br />
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<li>Junkyard Creations - the students will use a laminated drawing (done by the art teacher) of a junkyard or home full of broken bits and pieces to create their own original design. Students will only be permitted to use items from the drawing in their creation of a robot, vehicle, or device.</li>
<li>Blueprints - the students will have prompts asking them to redesign our classroom or school and create a blueprint drawn as close to scale as possible. There will be no limitations on students, desk space, or accessories for the space.</li>
<li>DaVinci - the students will view sketches of parts of DaVinci's inventions and build off of what he started with, identifying the purpose of his invention and name. The students will be expected to continue the sketch series.</li>
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<b>Research Lab</b></div>
In the research lab, students will be given the opportunity and freedom to research extension topics related to previous and future units. For example, a number of students were disappointed that I did not allow for time to research and discuss different currencies of different nations during our money management unit. These students could spend their time researching currency and exchange rates in small groups (if multiple students are interested) or independently. My hope is to have safe websites linked up to my wikispace for students to explore so that students are not relying on Goggle to filter inappropriate material.<br />
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<b>K'NEX Construction</b></div>
Since I have four Engineering Design Marvels and four Bridge Building kits, and the students LOVE the K'NEX, I thought a K'NEX center was absolutely necessary. For this center students may work together on one of the structures outlined in the instruction booklet or create their own. If students chose to create their own structure they will need to spend part of their time brainstorming and planning their design.<br />
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<b>Gaming Center</b></div>
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For this center students will be allowed to play any of the games I have linked to on my <a href="http://mrsshaner.wikispaces.com/" target="_blank">wikispace</a>. All of the games are aligned to the Pennsylvania State Standards and/or my curriculum. A popular game last marking period was the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcone/wallaceandgromit/wallaces-workshop/" target="_blank">Wallace and Gromit test lab</a>. Now students will be given the opportunity to play the game for more than the 20 minutes I provide in our regular class. In addition to the computers I will also have iPads with appropriate games related to STEM topics for the students to play with. This may have to become two separate stations. </div>
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<b>Writing Workshop</b></div>
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Students that select the writing center will be given the opportunity to complete a number of activities. So far this center is still a work in progress, but the writing ideas I have so far...</div>
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<li>ABC's of STEM - I found this fantastic ABC book that students can make using vocabulary words from STEM. Students can start their book and work on it throughout the marking period or each time we have our kindergarten days.</li>
<li>Acrostic Poem - Students can use this time to create an acrostic poem using a vocabulary word/word wall word from one of our units.</li>
<li>Journals - The Literacy Coach suggested making little journals and allowing the students simply the opportunity to reflect or journal on what we have done in STEM. I would like to give this a bit more structure, so I may have an envelope full of suggested STEM prompts that students could write about. (Maybe a paragraph explaining a real-world issue and then the opportunity to react to it?)</li>
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I would love to know what other centers I could incorporate into my kindergarten days. I have some board games as well as folder centers geared towards the use of math in real-world situations that I may integrate into my rotations. I was also tossing around the idea of a puzzle station where kids could do logic puzzles, tangrams, and sudoku puzzles. As soon as I have everything created and finalized I will post materials and pictures! </div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-59374060539007416592013-01-30T04:59:00.000-08:002013-01-30T04:59:11.321-08:00What does a STEM Classroom Look Like? (cont.)I posted back in November my ramblings on what a STEM classroom should look like. Over the last two months I have thought about this a lot and I have begun making subtle changes in my classroom and in my plans. On January 22nd I received a new group of students. (I teach one group of 7th graders the first half of the year and the second group the second half of the year.) So over break I reflected A LOT! I revamped my Money Management unit and found new games and activities for the kids as well as restructured my general approach to lessons.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Learning Centers</b></h3>
I have always loved a centers-based approach to learning. That is one of the primary things I miss about teaching elementary school. There are TONS of resources for creating primary and elementary learning centers, but few on middle level and high school centers. In the past I have always tried my best to integrate rotating centers in the classroom, but at times found it easier just to have all of my students working on the same game or activity. This mind set was changed when I met with the literacy coach in my building for my wind energy unit. She supported my passion for learning centers and offered a number of suggestions. First, she suggested taking the packet of information I had planned to give to the kids and breaking it down into four centers. Students would rotate through four centers in the course of two days. Since my classroom layout lent itself for this, I gave it a whirl. I took her suggestion for creating a puzzle at one station and reading to the students at another. I then found a video very similar to the other article for the students to watch in place of reading. For the last station the students looked at different forms of persuasive media and discussed what they saw in their groups. This was what I did the first time around and I plan on making many changes the second time around. Since this unit I have introduced the stamp. As students complete centers and have them checked by me, they earn a stamp. The kids love this and it makes grading the packets when they are collected much easier. <br />
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As a whole the centers are FANTASTIC! They take a lot of time to plan and set up for - making packets with questions that correspond to the games the students play, charts for documenting data or progress, reading comprehension keys for highlighting articles... - but in the end they are worth it. I am promoting significantly more self-exploration in students and allowing them to figure things out for themselves. The students all enjoy the centers, especially the fact that they are 20 minutes long. If a student doesn't care for a particular activity, they know they will be rotating to a new one shortly. (I usually try to have online games at two of the stations opposite each other so that each day each group has the opportunity to play a game.)<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Library</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I mentioned previously, I feel I need a STEM library. Over the last two weeks a lot has developed on the STEM library front. First, money was "found" in the library budget for science texts to be purchased. Each grade was "assigned" $660 to use to buy book collections to be kept in the library and used by teachers in science class. I am part of the 7th grade science team/department so while working on our list of book sets we wanted, I added a few STEM sets and then we hung around until all of the grades submitted their requests. Our patience paid off, not all of the grades "spent" their money! So, we absorbed their extra funds and my STEM book sets were purchased. YIPPIE! My plan is to have books for EVERY unit I teach so that I can incorporate them into my learning centers. In addition, while meeting with the literacy coach in my building, she shared two texts that she had available for me to borrow and use in my classroom. For each of the books (one on money and another on inventions/inventors) she would be able to gather multiple copies so I could use them at a center or as an entire class. Next year I hope to continue to build my library with resources the kids can use.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Assessment Portfolios</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwpexRjyEbCuatVqfAoqEZqvZ8yH09GVaj0Ebf1EiC87uh_iHRKq4j8XU4SnF9-uMPTpd93JB8rScn5l-MLO0_8N4v0Ja13dxLbGwtbFaIwAzQvMeefiAWW2mizyoutkQdh9dgB5g5rm1/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffpQVheUD24KPK_Ptmq4L33PfyBhrW1nWPOYETKtFbbf8OdQexpl7EFINanaI6cy3lvpSf5zPTQ2qX8gRNDZoRn1y5SAum-LSZB2x8MGFCyQTc4oOwfLYE12np633-xcKT78iok1A5t7n/s1600/photo(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffpQVheUD24KPK_Ptmq4L33PfyBhrW1nWPOYETKtFbbf8OdQexpl7EFINanaI6cy3lvpSf5zPTQ2qX8gRNDZoRn1y5SAum-LSZB2x8MGFCyQTc4oOwfLYE12np633-xcKT78iok1A5t7n/s320/photo(2).JPG" width="320" /></a>For the second half of the year I have created assessment portfolios for each of my students. MANY of my students are not sharing their rubrics with their parents and this is leading to a number of parent phone calls. Parents are not understanding their child's grade because my feedback is not being shared with parents. To solve this break down in communication, I created assessment portfolios to file all of the students' graded papers and rubrics. From this point forth I will pass back papers and/or conference with student groups and then collect them and file them in the portfolios. This way if a parent requests a meeting or calls in confused I have the rubric to refer to and can make copies to send home. If this goes well, I think I may laminate a set of 250 manilla folders so that I can simply erase the students names when I am finished each semester and reuse the folders.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<br />Supplies </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwpexRjyEbCuatVqfAoqEZqvZ8yH09GVaj0Ebf1EiC87uh_iHRKq4j8XU4SnF9-uMPTpd93JB8rScn5l-MLO0_8N4v0Ja13dxLbGwtbFaIwAzQvMeefiAWW2mizyoutkQdh9dgB5g5rm1/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwpexRjyEbCuatVqfAoqEZqvZ8yH09GVaj0Ebf1EiC87uh_iHRKq4j8XU4SnF9-uMPTpd93JB8rScn5l-MLO0_8N4v0Ja13dxLbGwtbFaIwAzQvMeefiAWW2mizyoutkQdh9dgB5g5rm1/s200/photo%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc5c63NhBW-tZoU1xiU1bgNpgZflVF3PeLsPEjaCQgwmZAeNc2qV1qB-CYZ1Hjj49RQhVSNQ4_Gs4CmX7kx43HXcG42R6HP2oYYyj3KQPFyvvgFVFe-pM-2nEd-HbAMvnKXGhkRAgd960/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc5c63NhBW-tZoU1xiU1bgNpgZflVF3PeLsPEjaCQgwmZAeNc2qV1qB-CYZ1Hjj49RQhVSNQ4_Gs4CmX7kx43HXcG42R6HP2oYYyj3KQPFyvvgFVFe-pM-2nEd-HbAMvnKXGhkRAgd960/s200/photo.JPG" width="200" /></a>I want students to have the freedom to experiment and in order to do that I feel I need a variety of supplies available to students. So, sitting out in the "student center" I have crayons, markers, colored pencils, and scissors. I also have colored bins with colored paper and scraps of paper from other projects. Tucked away I have recyclable materials for students to use, masking tape, rulers, string, and paint. These supplies have come in handy with other projects, but shouldn't be left out because I teach 7th graders. :) On each table group I have a colored basket with Post-it notes (for tweeting), highlighters, extra pencils and pens, glue sticks, and markers. My goal in providing a variety of resources, even if they are just art supplies, is to promote creativity and self-exploration. More recently I have begun creating resource folders for different units. In these folders I include helpful or informative information for students to refer to if they are stuck or do not understand a topic of study. For my Scratch unit, these folders had the "Getting Started" guide and the "User Guide" for Scratch. Students constantly used this resource. I made it available online as well, but the majority of students much preferred using the folder. I will be creating resource folders for many of my other units as well. (Just spit-balling...for my Restaurant Creation project I would include a guide to using Audacity and Paint as well as review information on scale. Loving this!)</div>
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Back to work! Have a fantastic week!!!Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-68773577440553465922013-01-10T11:24:00.001-08:002013-01-10T11:24:02.082-08:00SCRATCHChristmas and New Year's break did not go exactly as planned. The way the holidays fell this year made the break feel like there were few non-holiday/weekend days to make appointments and get work done around the house. My husband and I reconnected with some friends and our families over break as well. Unfortunately we received heart breaking news on New Year's Day. We were asked to come and say good bye to a very close friend that had recently suffered some complications from his cancer. On January 6th he passed away quietly while surrounded by friends and family. This has been a very difficult time for Eric and I. We were delayed in our return to school and are just now readjusting to our school routine.<br />
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Now that I am starting to settle back into my school routine, I felt I needed to blog about my latest STEM project - <a href="http://scratch.mit.edu/" target="_blank">SCRATCH</a>! My students have spent the last five days participating in mini-lessons that exposed them to how the different Scratch blocks work together to control a sprite. I used many of the lessons and instructional videos found on <a href="http://scratch.redware.com/" target="_blank">Redware's Scratch</a> website. (There was one video missing and it was the video on importing sounds and graphics, but I found it on YouTube!) We started with a brief vocabulary activity and then the video on creating sprites. I gave the students five points for each day they completed the daily goal. (Basically recreating the code from the instructional video.) On the second day the students watched the video on turtle graphics and programmed their sprite to draw a shape or design. Following turtle graphics the students completed importing sounds and graphics one day, sensing another, and then broadcasting last. When I asked the students how helpful the mini-lessons were they told me very because it showed them what some of the blocks meant. Most of my students met their goal just minutes after I told them to begin and then would spend the rest of the class period experimenting with the other blocks of code. The kids are REALLY enjoying all of the freedom with this unit.<br />
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If you haven't checked Scratch out yet, you HAVE to download this free program developed by MIT to play with. It would make a FANTASTIC middle school club. More on Scratch to come!Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-84267075712986364182012-12-18T04:19:00.000-08:002012-12-18T04:19:04.398-08:00Teacher Binder FINISHED!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsYqUDjR6OHmkJw6y8zD7y0_5nkF5-3fbFF0hm5orI68c51zchcTaeevCph5r4ahIotZh-M8ADtXwn6pwB8yTfXtl9usnr5Iy6fJPiyTHLs9Gg5Qm-NH8Kvrs3ORHKBsc6f2Nii3HTaV9/s1600/image(8).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsYqUDjR6OHmkJw6y8zD7y0_5nkF5-3fbFF0hm5orI68c51zchcTaeevCph5r4ahIotZh-M8ADtXwn6pwB8yTfXtl9usnr5Iy6fJPiyTHLs9Gg5Qm-NH8Kvrs3ORHKBsc6f2Nii3HTaV9/s200/image(8).jpeg" width="150" /></a>I have FINALLY finished creating and tweaking my Teacher Binder! Next year I may change things up a bit, but for now this works perfectly for me!<br />
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I started with a 3" white binder, 2 packs of colored plastic dividers, and a handful of page protectors. Then I downloaded some free binder covers from Teachers Pay Teachers to use for sections in my binder. (Sorry, I don't have the link and when I went back to look for them I could not find them.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcY_M4QSwpYUSOZ55vYoZBD1CO_ueJw8r2wnywVhNMoiYsob0WRdmAms_ATzsuurhKoGn5cFJ6fj-klqbOK3ow4fVQE3tlqCN_FquCJRqdqQG8NV9W4riqt1TovgaKGYjP1z0bUUTUgBV/s1600/image(7).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcY_M4QSwpYUSOZ55vYoZBD1CO_ueJw8r2wnywVhNMoiYsob0WRdmAms_ATzsuurhKoGn5cFJ6fj-klqbOK3ow4fVQE3tlqCN_FquCJRqdqQG8NV9W4riqt1TovgaKGYjP1z0bUUTUgBV/s200/image(7).jpeg" width="200" /></a>In the front of my binder I have a pencil case with my data highlighters, pens, pencils, flags, and extra Post-It notes. Behind the pencil case is a hole puncher for papers passed out at meetings that I would like to save or have to save. Then I put standard forms that I use on a daily basis in page protectors in front of my other binder sections. These forms include copying and laminating request forms, day-off request forms, behavior referral forms, and so on. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIF6RRFGfGPXWMXgOhXpzuwB3uA6pw4UwH4gtT0cdEIum8iE5M4udnPBifDeenvG3zOWLGSA0-u6_gO3aSAHydHo4m-8vqGMfyFXlqhxDreBktR0MrxX8MqekgRsmZUCN9ENlb-LX4PKw/s1600/image(5).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIF6RRFGfGPXWMXgOhXpzuwB3uA6pw4UwH4gtT0cdEIum8iE5M4udnPBifDeenvG3zOWLGSA0-u6_gO3aSAHydHo4m-8vqGMfyFXlqhxDreBktR0MrxX8MqekgRsmZUCN9ENlb-LX4PKw/s200/image(5).jpeg" width="200" /></a>Next, I have a section for meeting notes. Immediately behind this page protector is a spiral notebook for note taking and then five dividers for papers distributed during meetings. I have a divider for faculty meetings, department meetings, team meetings, technology meetings, and our union meetings. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9XISYe82yOUB8L5GgvJ5gmvs5VEsF8UmWVYznmcBsr_ICB7xDPU2mAJFsKYoC8nrFfZYsi6AM81upPxsqOo8732wPVjxFFLPYahvt-MvV1UhGfVQSIdctveu9yAAaeBo9Wl9YywH2-5s/s1600/image(3).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9XISYe82yOUB8L5GgvJ5gmvs5VEsF8UmWVYznmcBsr_ICB7xDPU2mAJFsKYoC8nrFfZYsi6AM81upPxsqOo8732wPVjxFFLPYahvt-MvV1UhGfVQSIdctveu9yAAaeBo9Wl9YywH2-5s/s200/image(3).jpeg" width="200" /></a>Following the meeting note section is a section for parent communication and eight dividers. the first divider is for my parent communication chart where I document all phone and most email conversations I have with parents. This is a really good habit to have in case there is a problem later with the student. After my communication chart I have a tab for each of the classes I teach and my study hall. In each section I have a class list with parent names and phone numbers for easy access when I need to call home. These charts were generated through PowerSchool, but you can make your own or have the students fill out an information sheet. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrN608oBnDB-eQ6YCeuaSGTNIWGReN9_5k_1Gi2dI-z-12BhbnaNcNBdVDSyG2lFmK1if2NCS3RHz8ViDz2tQfGplYRazvQTvv4LuaaqEa8CCOxMWbAUwg6ktlIOjiK9IcjwBVR2w1U9rF/s1600/image(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrN608oBnDB-eQ6YCeuaSGTNIWGReN9_5k_1Gi2dI-z-12BhbnaNcNBdVDSyG2lFmK1if2NCS3RHz8ViDz2tQfGplYRazvQTvv4LuaaqEa8CCOxMWbAUwg6ktlIOjiK9IcjwBVR2w1U9rF/s200/image(2).jpeg" width="150" /></a>Using the left over three tabs from my meeting note section, I have divided my student information section into three sections - gifted, learning support, and music. (The music department sends out a lot of class lists and lesson schedules.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPf0oOiF47oigy6JC_B_7u7P5eLfHAZk6eUilNLKUds0k4WRCyDRyl4saxvxSpv1Ch9agGejrvU9ZA8S9tfJXweq4sD8QPQtgOqeUnUg7g9PLtE8b6Y46E0zzuDHrKA2cmt2yfFTEtQCe/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPf0oOiF47oigy6JC_B_7u7P5eLfHAZk6eUilNLKUds0k4WRCyDRyl4saxvxSpv1Ch9agGejrvU9ZA8S9tfJXweq4sD8QPQtgOqeUnUg7g9PLtE8b6Y46E0zzuDHrKA2cmt2yfFTEtQCe/s200/image.jpeg" width="150" /></a>My last section is for Assessments and Data. In this section I have documentation from my data conferences with administration, PVASS reports, PSSA scores, and MAP data. I also have this years additions to the guidelines for administering the PSSA (Pennsylvania Standardized State Assessment.) the back of my binder has a few extra pocket protectors just in case there are additional forms I want to keep at my fingertips. <br />
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Please share your ideas for your teacher binder and how you have yours organized for ease of use. I am always looking for ways to make my life easier! Hopefully this has given you some ideas for your own teacher binder.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-54071205822470353672012-12-17T11:18:00.003-08:002012-12-17T11:18:49.732-08:00New TpT Unit - Green Building!<br />
I have posted my third item to my Teachers Pay Teachers store! This unit is my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/STEM-Green-Building-Unit" target="_blank">STEM: Green Building Unit </a>that I created back in September/October. The kids loved it, so I decided to clean it up a bit and post it for FREE! I think I am settled on just keeping everything in my store free. This unit encompasses A LOT! My administration advised me that my STEM course is suppose to be "a class of appetizers," meaning I am to introduce ideas and concepts but not dwell on them or expect mastery. I am slowly adjusting to this idea and I think that this unit is a great "appetizer" for transfer of heat, green building, environmental studies, and sustainable living. Please download this FREE unit and rate it in my TpT store. If you have any resources that you think would be helpful to me when I teach this unit in the spring, please comment below! I am always looking for new games and activities for me and my students.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-3182595598746729222012-11-28T07:45:00.001-08:002012-11-28T07:45:15.942-08:00K'NEX Classroom Challenge & eCYBERMISSIONBring it on!<br />
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Despite being an already overwhelmed teacher due to my new position, I have decided to participate in TWO different STEM challenges with my students after school and during our anchor (study hall) period. (My husband thinks I am officially crazy.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.knex.com/Educators/classroom_challenge_info.php" target="_blank">K'NEX Classroom Challenge</a><br />
For this challenge students in grades 7-9 will construct an athletic stadium model for the 2016 Olympic games in Brazil. Since I am limited in the number of K'NEX pieces I have in my classroom, I made up an application and asked interested students to complete it and return it to me before the thanksgiving break. (<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/16lSC4yLhd9mBzCcBsH85VyMWvRgWNtjH94dfwRAnfYM/edit" target="_blank">K'NEX Application</a>) I will be meeting with my team on Friday to register and work out any scheduling conflicts! I am excited to continue to post about my team's progress.<br />
<a href="https://www.ecybermission.com/public/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fDefault.aspx" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.ecybermission.com/public/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fDefault.aspx" target="_blank">eCYBERMISSION</a><br />
This FREE challenge is available to all students and sponsored by the Army. For my grade level, students select a community problem that falls into one of the seven different categories listed on their site (Clean Energy, Fitness & Health, Robotics, etc.). Students work in groups of three or four to develop a process for approaching their problem to find a solution. Students are judged on the steps they take to find a solution, not on whether or not a solution is actually found or implemented. For each team a teacher registers, he/she gets a free STEM research kit! I currently have two teams and I am excited to meet with these students on Monday to get them started!!!<br />
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I am super pumped to get to work with these students! I have heard of a lot of different STEM challenges lately for students, but these two stood out as the most interesting and easy to manage (for me!) I urge you to check them out and take advantage of these opportunities!!!Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-72447430408439685242012-11-21T05:05:00.002-08:002012-11-21T05:05:19.191-08:00I DID IT!I posted my first item in my Teachers Pay Teachers store! Please check out my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/STEM-Inventions-Innovations-Unit" target="_blank">Inventions & Innovations Unit </a>and download it now for FREE! Please post feedback either in my store or on my blog after reviewing my unit! Have a fabulous holiday and make sure you watch my store for more goodies! (I have a feeling I will have most things for free or at the most $1.00!)Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-56189145376161660552012-11-20T07:43:00.002-08:002012-11-20T07:43:48.919-08:00Opening a Teachers Pay Teachers StoreHappy (Early) Thanksgiving!!!<br />
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I know I am a few days early, but I doubt with all of the holiday hustle and bustle I will be able to find time to post.<br />
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As I comb through the lessons, activities, games, and resources I have created over the last two months for my STEM class I began wondering if there would be value to opening a TPT store. I rarely find resources I can use anymore on TPT since I teach such a unique class. With this said, I have created a number of thematic units that encompass science, technology, engineering, and math that other teachers can use. Does anyone have any experience with TPT? What I can sell and is it worth the time? Should I use Teachers Notebook - a site that does not take a percentage of my sales? Can I post on both? Please post any information you might have on how to open a TPT store. Have a lovely Thanksgiving!!!Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-68994027444343926582012-11-13T13:43:00.003-08:002012-12-20T04:06:20.234-08:00What does a STEM classroom look like?As I complete my budget request for the 2012 - 2013 school year, I am thinking...<br />
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What does a STEM classroom look like? What does it have in it?<br />
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We all know what we would find if we walked into a literacy room. Comfortable places to read, visual reading cues for students and an overflowing library. You would see literacy journals and notebooks as well as examples of paired books. There would also be obvious evidence of guided reading and possibly Cafe.<br />
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In a math classroom (which I use to have) you would see my colorful bins of math manipulatives, a library with math fiction and non-fiction books, and calculators. I had containers of general school supplies as well. Reference charts and helpful information filled my walls.<br />
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But STEM?<br />
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What should that look like?<br />
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Well, starting with the units I currently plan on teaching (more to come) - money management, Rubik's cube, renewable energy (wind), green building, and restaurant design and management - I should have the supplies for those units. So, I have my K'NEX kits organized in Ziploc bags stored in their plastic bins, general classroom supplies for building projects tucked neatly away in drawers, and my Rubik's cubes in colorful bins. But what is next? In order for an inquiry approach to learning work, I need my classroom to promote open-ended exploration. Enter... THE STEM LIBRARY! <a href="http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_81226_-1_10001_10002" target="_blank">Scholastic</a> and Delta Education (<a href="http://www.deltaeducation.com/productdetail.aspx?Collection=N&prodID=10056&menuID=" target="_blank">Green Collars</a> and <a href="http://www.deltaeducation.com/productdetail.aspx?Collection=N&prodID=9040&menuID=" target="_blank">Mechanical Engineering</a>) offer some great STEM library starter kits. Continuing down this road, I decided an additional K'NEX kit may be the way to go. The Discover Controls K'NEX Education kit offers students the opportunity to play around with computer programming - something I am very familiar with! But will this be too much in the way of K'NEX? I do not want a K'NEX curriculum. So off to Amazon (my favorite place to shop and search for goodies)! I found a number of Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Force and Motion, etc. kits for sale, but are they meant for repeated use in the classroom? Will they survive the kids and me? Most of what I teach is computer based, so in addition to wanting a few laptops I am at a loss of what else would create a true STEM environment...unless that is what I am already doing?<br />
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Please post comments, suggestions, and links to resources that you have found helpful when teaching STEM (or any of the four subjects individually.) Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135547658853877870.post-90766348200868183372012-10-21T15:14:00.004-07:002012-10-21T15:14:55.838-07:00Vistaprint & Classroom Decor. UPDATE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80bjwRbTfzFID0t_gWTHuvCo4_RI5q8eVw71UbgmCHDEXXvAw936BTpkEUJUMagvH8C-j3XsuGD9bdV2XEjn17Ly3QFI7E-TKWWiLPIxib_sMX_fsy0VZIWmpfRShyphenhyphenZqAQ1BYnbingp2H/s1600/image%25286%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80bjwRbTfzFID0t_gWTHuvCo4_RI5q8eVw71UbgmCHDEXXvAw936BTpkEUJUMagvH8C-j3XsuGD9bdV2XEjn17Ly3QFI7E-TKWWiLPIxib_sMX_fsy0VZIWmpfRShyphenhyphenZqAQ1BYnbingp2H/s200/image%25286%2529.jpeg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdgY0gw5F2vJt9Zc_-4hYFfWXUSmTU7oceCMOXjGdimmDRAoAvteoCRuKZ7g5fLpXoPMm2LGQLDJbwKupAbMWrzYxxTRMcW9djh9gGUPRH5DuMA69NludZJeHTP5jeKgknoTgZuk9sB3I/s1600/image%25282%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdgY0gw5F2vJt9Zc_-4hYFfWXUSmTU7oceCMOXjGdimmDRAoAvteoCRuKZ7g5fLpXoPMm2LGQLDJbwKupAbMWrzYxxTRMcW9djh9gGUPRH5DuMA69NludZJeHTP5jeKgknoTgZuk9sB3I/s200/image%25282%2529.jpeg" width="150" /></a>I got my posters from Vistaprint and they look AWESOME! For one, they are HUGE! The large is way too big for my classroom, but I made room for them all over my classroom - inside and out. I had them laminated so that I could hot glue them to the wall. (The humidity in my room is unbelievable! Everything peels and/or falls off the wall.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5zY1AIrKbMLwdQn6XkM4NFd_8o4tmfXRXuX0BhJp8EvoVNdeKCccyg_1shmZNKAvIXgdXqF_NXr1rMrweDXfjNL8h45frcWJcJ-9802I2e8IKwTCp36SjFEp5au94ag4sYasKDzWf6TI/s1600/image%252813%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5zY1AIrKbMLwdQn6XkM4NFd_8o4tmfXRXuX0BhJp8EvoVNdeKCccyg_1shmZNKAvIXgdXqF_NXr1rMrweDXfjNL8h45frcWJcJ-9802I2e8IKwTCp36SjFEp5au94ag4sYasKDzWf6TI/s200/image%252813%2529.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ09v9xHFitScDVkgvdjeKbecVUeG70X2w5DZT0wOWjmViwA2m_lXAskTRP5ew3e4_wY-l5f-8PNRU7JX3rN2sCmtq5MmVXSRbqyyRob7Ffk9CabGGtzFxGdB_YCJ1r5CU_spnKX8fCyUy/s1600/image%25288%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ09v9xHFitScDVkgvdjeKbecVUeG70X2w5DZT0wOWjmViwA2m_lXAskTRP5ew3e4_wY-l5f-8PNRU7JX3rN2sCmtq5MmVXSRbqyyRob7Ffk9CabGGtzFxGdB_YCJ1r5CU_spnKX8fCyUy/s200/image%25288%2529.jpeg" width="200" /></a><br />
In addition to hanging my posters, my fun goodies arrived from Oriental
Trading and I was able to hang the striped & polka dot banners as
well as the apple shaped dry erase stickers. My pencils turned out
great too! So, banners, tissue paper decorations, patterned Duck tape,
and Dollar Tree wall stickers are helping me create the classroom
environment I am striving for. Next I plan to remove all of the
hardware from the cabinets in the back of the classroom and cover the
cabinets with black paper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEK-GaY8SxrLB2rnwA3H8TESqc-VKjeJ7bAbU2cSydbeAkZmYR4OHD0_AslsDwvyGm9eXdDYXFfJCeLjKqxmlHGcLJPBz9TbeTDciGSywsq-JQ7d546UuVZ2XUTGCvh4o48toHWqIw-mnB/s1600/image%252810%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEK-GaY8SxrLB2rnwA3H8TESqc-VKjeJ7bAbU2cSydbeAkZmYR4OHD0_AslsDwvyGm9eXdDYXFfJCeLjKqxmlHGcLJPBz9TbeTDciGSywsq-JQ7d546UuVZ2XUTGCvh4o48toHWqIw-mnB/s200/image%252810%2529.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Above the cabinets, I have my character pillars and school required posters on bullying and our vision statement. The posters had some water damage and I could not keep them on the wall, so I glued them to clean poster board, added colored Duck tape with a Chevron pattern, and had them laminated! They look a lot better and stand out against the plain walls. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvXpS-bCsvUPfZsHjkyGy2gFcrMqDMzOBNUvxxxyIp6dduHaDWq-uE3CV-lFSwX2SPXvG6nTEZ__K3fvSZIsz3GXMOByMGpCTPtXO8xXqYizLBJRRLzqh0fUzm1_QHv3f0X8KTJQe_ChH/s1600/image%25289%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvXpS-bCsvUPfZsHjkyGy2gFcrMqDMzOBNUvxxxyIp6dduHaDWq-uE3CV-lFSwX2SPXvG6nTEZ__K3fvSZIsz3GXMOByMGpCTPtXO8xXqYizLBJRRLzqh0fUzm1_QHv3f0X8KTJQe_ChH/s200/image%25289%2529.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI2PDssvG7yWvAeAXKdMc0qIxoy0ezHtLdVVvjlgyFF13bvxMFxzRfG8wnJ9SJTEHDFIFsKcdNKTatWHa9TVj4-zyrLHwc4D7n8Vc-jmEq7Rc42Qo36nVDMN9ZqrD4BfTTFlTu-cZiixs/s1600/image%25287%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI2PDssvG7yWvAeAXKdMc0qIxoy0ezHtLdVVvjlgyFF13bvxMFxzRfG8wnJ9SJTEHDFIFsKcdNKTatWHa9TVj4-zyrLHwc4D7n8Vc-jmEq7Rc42Qo36nVDMN9ZqrD4BfTTFlTu-cZiixs/s200/image%25287%2529.jpeg" width="150" /></a>Next, I had to decide on both a display for my Essential Questions and my tickets-out-the-door. So, I laminated some white paper and made day-of-the-week signs with my Cricut for my EQ display. It works really well, especially since I do not currently have a white board in my classroom. For my ticket-out-the-door I turned the side of one of the cabinets near the door (with the fire extinguisher) into a Twitter display. I have green and pink baskets at each table group with various supplies, including Post-it Notes. The students will "tweet" a response to the EQ for the day and post it according to their class period. I will be going over "tweeting" with the kids on Monday. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJAv2MARE8D0pAzQdr-492GdzJPLT1Pd5mZvvldIhViFDhSb81SFC2AulxXAE5s8Dlb6rFkAX9F1dVt2XBP6FDu0Gt_Kgs_40IA-FdIH6qgCiDDrzQ-Qo_BZ0CB6U8rHSLy00-8nOIcDy/s1600/image%252811%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJAv2MARE8D0pAzQdr-492GdzJPLT1Pd5mZvvldIhViFDhSb81SFC2AulxXAE5s8Dlb6rFkAX9F1dVt2XBP6FDu0Gt_Kgs_40IA-FdIH6qgCiDDrzQ-Qo_BZ0CB6U8rHSLy00-8nOIcDy/s200/image%252811%2529.jpeg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHu4ejAYTZmO00R96axffBdqoMM9sJAXOT12iO5c5tA2zwvXc7B_RUuFvd_6R7whJgrPW6EbRO90BUQbT6bxWjs03OAQyV_Jtw7bTNwYVK5YgrHdU2RrfJV1bzLfDOmAih3b4eMCKO9vf/s1600/image%252814%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHu4ejAYTZmO00R96axffBdqoMM9sJAXOT12iO5c5tA2zwvXc7B_RUuFvd_6R7whJgrPW6EbRO90BUQbT6bxWjs03OAQyV_Jtw7bTNwYVK5YgrHdU2RrfJV1bzLfDOmAih3b4eMCKO9vf/s200/image%252814%2529.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Things are slowly coming together. It is my first year in this position in a new school, so I am chugging along. I am sure I will be putting in countless hours over the summer putting all of the finishing touches on my classroom. My Word Wall is a little challenging to see, so I may be moving that to the cabinets after I cover them with black paper. I am still torn on what to put where, so PLEASE share thoughts and ideas!!!<br />
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<br />Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03938466023749000786noreply@blogger.com0