The Scoop on: Using Twitter in your Classroom

I'll be honest-I was never a fan of using Twitter. I thought it was just another form of seeing what everyone was eating for dinner and what they were doing this very moment...wasn't Facebook enough for news like that?  After using it in my graduate technology class, however, I have a new appreciation of this form of social media. As I fumbled in navigating and "following" people (both ones I know and celebrities), businesses, fellow teachers, and educational companies, I began to brainstorm on how to push this even further as my own world of Education was quickly broadening from this tool.   In really digging in to how to use this tool for the classroom, I was amazed at the list of possibilities I had created after spending a few weeks awkwardly using my own Twitter account.  For older students, linking what they are learning in class with a social media forum they're already using on a daily basis is a great way to tap into their world.  Twitter is a great platform for educating and connecting with your students and exposing them to the world around them.  Here are my ideas for using Twitter in the classroom in areas of Communication & Classwork, Exploration, and Inspiration. 

Communication & Classwork

• Bulletin Board-Post breaking news and updates about your class.
• Reminders-Post homework and attendance reminders.
• Follow-up-Students can keep up with what they have missed.
• Parental Involvement-Parents can also "Follow" your class, so they are aware of important reminders and classwork.
• Bonus Points- Create opportunities for extra credit.  Tweet simple assignments or information and offer bonus points for those who have stayed "in the know" via Twitter.

Exploration

• Tweet articles pertaining to the lesson you are teaching.  Students can expand what they're learning in class with current articles, videos, and websites about the subject at hand.
• Students can Tweet and reply to what they're reading and learning in class.
• Encourage students to follow professionals in industries they're interested in...who do they admire, what companies do they like, what motivates them?
• Students can collaborate with other students in the class by using hash tags and re-tweets for what they're studying.

Inspiration

• Post inspirational quotes for your students.
• Use Twitter during field trips to track where your students are and what they're learning.

If you're wondering if Twitter will help boost student buy-in in your classroom, take a peek at the video below where high school students participated in a study on measuring student engagement using Twitter.  By hearing from students who use Twitter in their classrooms in this video, you can see how Twitter allows you to aid your new students in new ways.  

I would love to know what ways you use Twitter in your classrooms!  How do you motivate your students to participate in this area of your classroom experience?

References:

[Twitter photo]. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from: http://www.alavena.cl/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/twitter7.jpg

[Twitter video]. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVOY2x81_bg#t=320

The Scoop on: Storia

I mentioned in my last post how I have fallen in love with the Scholastic for Teachers website!  While surfing their site this month, I learned about a new e-reading application to use in the classroom called, "Storia".  This program was created by Scholastic with a goal to help students become star readers!  It can be used with PCs, iPads, and Android devices.  Before I begin to tell you some of the specific features Storia has to offer, I would like to share with you this video about Storia in the Classroom:

Did that spark your interest?  What I like about Storia is that it can be used in so many different ways with or without teacher input.  It can easily become part of your regular reading instruction and is geared for readers in grades K-8th.  This app can be used in your classroom for: whole-class reading, partner-reading, small groups, and for independent reading (Zimmerman and Tomasello, 2013).

Your students have many opportunities to explore and practice reading with Storia.  Independently, their reading experience can become a very personal one, as they can go at their own pace with stories of their choosing.  There are also enough "shelves" in the Storia program, so each child can have their own bookshelf that holds the stories their have completed.  With so many e-books available, creating your classroom's own library would be easy to do!

Built into most e-books for Storia are enrichment activities that allow students to gain further understanding of the story and extra practice in sequencing, decoding, and answering general questions.  Teachers can use the Notes section for writing prompts and short questions that will help build comprehension skills.  Also included in Storia's e-books are Reading Inventories to help teachers measure comprehension.  Of course, improvement of reading fluency in your classroom can also be measured through sharing exercises where students work with peers in genuine conversations about what they're reading. 

My school does not have tablets for our students.  However, I am excited to use this application with my computer and my projector.  Using my screen,  I can project the stories for the entire class to see. I can utilize this program for whole-class reading to build fluency and then go forward with the enrichment activities included in each e-story.  Another good thing to remember about Storia, is that students can use it at home, too!  This is especially useful for English Language Learners and reluctant readers.  Students that fall into these categories can use the "Read to Me" function of Storia.

If you use this reading app in your classroom, I would love to hear how it is going!  If you're wanting to get started with Storia, click here to register for an account.

References: 

[Storia Logo]. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from: www.scholastic.com/storia

[Storia in the Classroom Video]. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from: http://teacher.scholastic.com/ereading-resources/video-how-to/

Zimmerman, A. & Tomasello, D., Scholastic Teachers. (2013, October). What is Storia?. Retrieved October 22, from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/introduction-using-storia-classroom

The Scoop on: Resources for New Teachers

If you are new to Education like me, you may be overwhelmed with all the information available to you on the internet.  Whether you have recently finished your own education centered around Teaching, or if you are making a career change (hello!), you may find yourself with the lingering question of "where does a new educator start once I get the job?"

I have gathered 4 of my favorite online tools that have helped me become confident and ready for my students in the classroom. Each resource has proved to hit on an attribute most needed in helping the school year not only run smoothly, but also help it to run along side the curriculum in preparing my students for the future.

1. Setting up your Room:

When you are ready to set up your classroom for the first time, you are probably boiling over with ideas!  Your goal should be to meet the needs of the teacher and meet the developmental needs of your students in your set-up (Smith 2013).  This is extremely important if your are teaching primary grades where children need to be able to move around the room throughout the day.  Making "areas" in your classroom will help students know the flow of your day and week and understand where to go for specific things: communication, schedule/calendar, homework, reading time, birthdays, math corner, etc.  Invest in storage containers that allow you to organize each month's activities, lesson plans, and materials for easy reference.  3 Teacher Chicks is a great blog to learn how to layout your classroom in creative and efficient ways.

2. Connect with other Teachers:

One of my most favorite places to go to for inspiration has been Scholastic for Teachers.  You can view blogs of teachers around the country for their perspective on what works and is not working in their classrooms.  In my school, we have only one of each grade.  Connecting with other First Grade teachers through their blogs has helped me gauge my own efforts in reaching my students, and help me problem solve situations I am experiencing. You can choose to "follow" specific teachers' blogs here or explore them all. I like to read what teachers are doing in their classrooms that are one grade higher and lower than my own for perspective on where my students should be.

3. Enhance the Curriculum:

Even if you are brand new to Teaching, you have heard the controversy to Common Core.  At the end of the day, it is up to you to ensure your students not only are ready for their EOGs, but are also more knowledgeable about a subject...and perhaps, enlightened?  The Common Core Conversation is a resource for teachers that is full of ways to build upon what you're already doing in the classroom.  By simply selecting your grade and subject, you have access to a large amount of information to reach your students in new ways.

4. Make It Yours:

You have set up your classroom, connected with other teachers, and elevated your curriculum. Now it is time to add the YOU to your classroom.  Pinterest is a place to visit when you are ready to add in that extra level of specialness to your classroom.Here, you can find ways of making your classroom speak and become the environment you truly envision for your students. On Pinterest, you can search for any topic (bulletin boards, classroom management ideas, lesson plan ideas, rewards, etc) and "pin" them to inspiration boards you create. You can save your idea boards and "follow" other teachers who are also registered. This is a great tool for connecting with other teachers,and getting inspired through images. It is a great way to organize your ideas in one place.

I would love to hear what resources have worked for you! What advice would you give brand new teachers?

References:
[Classroom photo]. Retrieved September 20, 2013, from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/2013/08/setting-my-classroom-0

Hoffmann, Amy, 3 Teacher Chicks. (2013, July 21). Classroom Setup Ideas. Retrieved September 22, 2013 from: http://3teacherchicks.blogspot.com/p/bloggerteacher-resources.html

[Pinterest logo]. Retrieved September 20, 2013 from: http://3teacherchicks.blogspot.com

Smith, Brian, Institution, Scholastic Teachers. (2013, August). Setting Up Your Classroom. Retrieved September 20, 2013, from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/2013/08/setting-my-classroom-0