Buzzing with Honeybees and Tech Trip to Washington D.C.!

HEY LADIES!!!

It's Friday!  IT'S Friday!  IT'S FRIDAY!!

Yesterday we are all a buzz with dehydrated honey bees!  In our science kit (Plant Kit) we learned about the role and the important part the bee plays in pollination!  We also learned about the different roles the worker bees have, what the queen bee does, and the job of the drone.  Next we all got a dehydrated bee (on a stick), a magnifying glass, and our science journals to draw what we saw.  "Their hairy.  I see 5 eyes.  Look at the wings."  I must admit I thought a few of us would be squeamish and hesitant, but we buzzed right in!  To conclude our lesson, we also watched bee dances on You Tube!

We also got to Skype a parent who was in Washington D.C.  Do you recognize the building in the back?

Buzzing smiles,

Make An Online Comic!

JACKPOT!  I hit the online jackpot-ok..some of you probably have been on this site, but for those of you who haven't you can enjoy the wealth with me :-)

Go ahead and try this out:  Make beliefs comix

If you didn't yet..what are you waiting for??  (For those of you who did, how did your comic turn out?)

You get to choose how many frames you want, the color of the background, characters in your comic, and what type and how many speech bubbles you want.  PLUS, you can print it or email it.  HOW COOL IS THAT?  Oops, forgot you can choose from a variety of scenes, have students produce a comic together, and perhaps even make an entire comic book!!!

I am eager to try this with my Multi-agers...now what should be the focus of our first comic?

Smiles,

Tech Seminiar-WeVideo

Saturday is here- can I toot the weather's horn-it's a sunny and balmy 20 degrees!  Are your feet freezing yet from just reading that?  Well, earlier this week it was 30 below with the wind chill.  But, in Wisconsin the weather changes quicker than I can tie my shoelaces sometimes!  Tomorrow's forecast- freezing rain!

Yesterday our teachers attended a tech seminar!  I signed up for Wevideo and Screencast-O-Matic (Screencast-O-Matic in a future post)!  I left both presentations eager to try both of these tools!  Have you heard or do you use either one....if you are laughing at me and thinking, geez Rosie it's about time you have your feet in tech land...then I am jealous of your tech knowledge!

Part One:  WeVideo!  We accessed it through a new tab in Google Chrome and then in Google Web Store.  Just type in WeVideo for Google Drive.  Once you found it you can download it or launch the App.  If you have Google Drive it is very easy to load and navigate.  You can make a Storyboard or Timeline of your videos from InstaGram, Flickr, FB, Google Drive, etc.   Once you have your video made you can publish it via Google Chrome or You Tube.  Here is a link to WeVideo on YouTube:  click here

I look forward to editing my videos with WeVideo, but even better-sharing them with you!

Smiles and be well!

Me Poem

Hello!  Is it hold on to your locks windy by you?  The windows are rattling in my apartment!  Thank goodness for the blessings of shelter!!

Today in tech lab we typed Me Poems!  We are working hard to learn Word tools and applications- Word Art, changing font size and color, adding clip art, borders, backgrounds, and using home row to try to type the words!

A few of us finished one of our first projects, a ME Poem!  Here are three samples!

The instructions:

• Title
• First line:  name
• Second line:  1 word that either describes me or indicates a passion of mine
• Third line:  the above but with 2 words
• Fourth line:  the above but with 3 words
• Last line:  Last name

I am so proud of there work!  They have progressed beautifully!
Smiles and happy 1st week of Advent!

Double A's-ABCYA and Adventures to Fitness!

Today we used the Smart Board for a variety of purposes and activities.  (we don't have one in our classroom :-( so when we use it, it's a special treat).  First, we went on one of our FAVORITE sites-  Abcya  !  We  practiced our math skills and used our math strategies on the Smart Board.  We used a blank hundred's chart to try to place numbers on it correctly (using our understanding on place value, ordering of numbers, and sequencing-trying to meet a few Common Core Math Standards. 

 We also practiced our sight words by playing a came where we raced 3 other kittens to get to the finish line before they did! 

WE TRIED OUR BEST and earned a trophy.  The support and encouragement on this game shook the walls!!!  I think I can put this under Favorites!  Again, this game supports the Common Core Standard on fluently reading grade level sight words!

Finally, we went to Adventurestofitness  to learn about the Himalaya Mountains.  First, of all, if you have never used Adventures to Fitness, it is almost like you whole curriculum on one sight-standards from all curricular areas are woven into physical fitness adventures!            

 Kitten Hop

100 Number Grid

 

ReadWriteThink- A Must Visit and Bookmark Site!

It is the 15th of July- yep it still is after I double check the calendar; I am not sure why this summer is moving by exceptionally fast.  Is it for you?
Today I'd like to share with you a must visit site:  readwritethink student-interactives My 2nd graders love this site and tomorrow I will be showing it to my summer school Tech Buddy students!  The link above will bring you to the student interactive portion of the site.  It has numerous A+ interactives for students to complete!  Also a bonus, the grades that the interactives are intended for are also posted next to the activity!  That will save you time when you are scrolling through the activities and trying to decide which interactives are best suited for your students!  A little side note, on the top of the Student Interactive page, make sure to click on All Student Interactives to get the entire list of activities!
Here are a couple of our favorites:

Make an Acrostic Poem!

Make a comic!

  







They could also make a timeline CLICK HERE TO MAKE A TIMELINE

ENJOY this site; please let me know what activities you enjoy or play to use with your students!

A Sunday Common Core Sweet Surprise!

I thought today's Church service and a Heritage Players Performance at Heritage Hill State Park (in Green Bay, WI) were two amazing gifts and blessings.  But, then I came home and stumbled upon a third surprise (Yippee).  Another website that is loaded with many fun, interactive and engaging games that will meet many of the Math Common Core Standards!  (I forgot that I already had this site on my website, so it was like visiting with a friend one has not seen in ages-pure sweetness).  Here is the link to another Awesome Site 
Here are a few games that would definitely assist in practicing the 2nd Grade Common Core Standards (place value in particular):  Place the Penguin  and  Lifeguards and Scooter .  I hope they add a little sweetness to your day too!   
 

Math Games that Match Common Core State Standards!

I think I found a Common Core Math Game Jackpot!  These games will add a "wealth" of added practice, fun, enhancement, and learning opportunities for my students!  What I really like (double..ok triple like) is that all the games are directly correlated with the Common Core Standards and are very "addictive" and fun to play!  On these three games: SumSense Addition and SumSense Subtraction  and  SpeedGrid Addition one can set a timer and the amount of problems one wants to do,  All of these games can be played on  the SmartBoard!   These two I know for sure I am going to class hits:  I'm Thinking of a Number and Add Two Dice.  (I can see my students' faces bursting with excitement already!)

Here is the link for K-2 Number Resources.   Here are the two other links that are "Gold Links"

Domino Sort!

K-5 Measurement and K-5 Geometry

I have already played about 15 of the games; I still have many more awaiting me to click on them.  But, the movie, Madagascar 3 is calling my name!

Happy 4th of July!!!

Time Problems

Teacher Tipster and Common Core

HAPPY MONDAY and JULY 2nd! (yes, already...yikes).  Yet again I am starting another "work" (it's never work for me...it's a calling and passion)  week searching for Common Core resources, tools, ideas, tips, sites, etc.  I came upon, Teacher Tipster on YouTube.  Do you use Teacher Tipster?  What are your thoughts on his videos?  I have watched three so far:  3 D Shapes and Skip Counting by 2 and the 3rd Odd and Even.  I do a similar chant/song for even and odd numbers :  1, 3, 5, 7,  9 odd numbers are fine; 0,2, 4, 6, 8 even numbers are great!  My 2nd Graders pick up that jingle immediately and use it to assist in understanding if a number is even or odd.  Please let me know if you use Teacher Tipster and/or if you have other songs/videos by him you would recommend!  SMILES!

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Trucker Buddy!!

Are you looking for authentic writing ideas or for a penpal?  How about a Trucker Buddy?  I have had a Trucker Buddy write to my class.  My students were able to track were he went and we plotted his routes on a map!  We also learned about transporting goods, geography and hot trucking places/diners/stop, safe ways to handle shipping goods, and where goods are shipped and why!  My 2nd Graders were able to learn about semis and the challenges one is faced when driving a semi!  Our Trucker Buddy was going to bring the semi to school, but ended up with truck issues the day of his visit :(   He did send us pencils, postcards, and minitrucks!  IT WAS A TRUCKING WRITING EXPERIENCE!!!!  This year I plan to sign up again and blog about our experiences and travels with our Trucker Buddy!  Perhaps I will even invite our entire school to sign up; wow, would that be a HAUL!!!  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

                     Here is a video testimonal about the Trucker Buddy Program