1 Second Everyday

As the school year is about to begin for me I plan on making a video journal of sorts capturing one second of each day using the app http://1secondeveryday.com/. It is a simple and easy way to capture just one second of the day and then compile those seconds into a short video recap of our week, month, learning topic, or entire school year. I plan on using it to recap our entire school year. The app is just $0.99. I plan on having students handle the taping every day. The student who has been assigned the iPad job for the day will be responsible for not only plugging in the iPads at the end of the day, but also videoing using the app each day. I am excited to see how this project turns out and excited to share with students and parents as the year progresses.

Back to School Decorating with a Purpose

Yesterday was the first day I was able to get into my room and get some work done. I unpacked about 60 boxes and got my room back to normal. I still have a little bit more to do, but that will happen later this week. Inspired by things I saw on Pinterest I created 2 things that I really like. The first is a language arts focus wall that I put on one section of my white board. The other is a door decoration about being yourself. Below are pictures and PDF files of them if you want them!
Focus Wall - https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxOiAHva3B1hUXZDX3lwN29qbkE/edit?usp=sharing
BE - https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxOiAHva3B1hUmYzdzhZSk94MUk/edit?usp=sharing
BE Quotes - https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxOiAHva3B1hdDJuWnlHaDg5TTg/edit?usp=sharing

Easy Homework Blog

In the past I have done a homework blog where I typed in the assignments every night. It worked, but it was not as easy as I would have liked. So, this year I decided to make it more efficient for me realizing that I was writing it on the assignment notebook board and then typing it into my blog. I decided that my homework blog would just be a picture of my assignment notebook board...easy! To do this I created a blog on Blogger. Then, I installed the Blogger app on my phone. Each day I will open the Blogger app and just take a picture of the assignment notebook board and upload it. Then, each day the parents will see exactly what was for homework.

This is the view from the Blogger app on iPhone - it is just so easy with the camera/pic insert right there!

Does your classroom library need some help?

Last summer I brought home my whole classroom library to weed through old books, organize, and catalogue them. I could not believe just how many books I had and how tired I was of having books go missing when kids borrowed them and never returned them. In the past I had used the pocket in the book with an index card in it with the title written on it. When kids checked out a book they were supposed to take the index card with the title on it and then put it in a pocket chart by their name. Well this system worked for the kids who were avid readers and cared. For the rest...it seemed to be optional and so did returning the books. So, last summer I discovered http://classroom.booksource.com/ on the web and the Classroom Organizer app https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/classroom-organizer/id476668797?mt=8. This site and app revolutionized my classroom library, how kids check out books, how they return them, and gave me a way to make them accountable.

Once you set up your account online and download the app it is all so simple. You simply scan the ISBN number on the back of the book with your smart phone or you can enter it in on the web, and it will catalogue the book for you. You can put a location where the book should be found and returned to. You can even set it up so that when students return books they give a summary and rating! Kids can check out and return books by using the app on an iPad, iPhone or a computer. It really makes your classroom library like a real library and they seem to take it more seriously. After a year of using the Classroom Organizer/Classroom Booksource I only had 2 books not returned, but over 500 books circulated. Try it out for yourself and enjoy!

QR Codes and Back to School

Last year I started out the year with two QR Code activities that my students really enjoyed. The first was a ticket to 6th grade and it had a QR Code on it. When students scanned the QR Code they found out where their desk was. They really enjoyed this new way to find their seats! The second activity had students create their own QR Codes that when scanned told others about them. It was a QR Code get to know you activity. These activities got kids ready to use QR Coded for the rest of the year in 6th grade. I am going to use them again this year, and you can too!

Below are links in Google Drive. You can make a copy of them and use as you see fit for your class and your students.

QR Code Tickets To Your Seat

 https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxOiAHva3B1hTDBfbDF6N0xKVm8/edit?usp=sharing


QR Code Get To Know you activity

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XJTttksBsFTYnb71vfcNBeGoE66l51kEWK1BPTfKehE/edit?usp=sharing


Check out this cool QR Code generator I ran across yesterday.  http://qrphoria.com/
I have not used it with kids, but I made some cool looking codes with it yesterday while playing with it.