Tech Goals

The school year has started and I'm really excited to try some new things in my classroom. After attending training and meetings this summer, I've decided to improve and enhance the way I use technology in my classroom. My goal is for my students and myself to use technology on a daily basis to enhance instruction and  for me to provide new and engaging ways for students to show what they've learned.  But it starts with me and I couldn't wait until the school year started so I created some resources this summer.

I used our Mimeo software to create slides that include almost everything we need for our morning routine (days of the week, months of the year, weather, counting to 20 and attendance). The music for each part is included in the slide as well.

I also used Mimeo to create a sorting slide for the students to use instead of them coming to a category board in the morning and putting cards on a chart. The slides will change as we move along in the year and  the skills we focus on change.

Another new idea I had was to use the video option on my Revolve and record clips introducing each new center to my students and showing them what the activity is and where it's located in the classroom. Each video I've made is 1-2 minutes long, they're easy to make, and it so much better than trying to take 16 students to that one area in the room and explaining the activity. The kids like watching the videos and most importantly, they know what to do at the center.

Here is an example of one of my center videos:

I'm excited to try out some more resources and to have my students begin learning about the options they have available to them. I'm hopeful for a fun, exciting, and engaging school year.

For Teachers and School Faculty and Staff

Monday is the first day of school in Baltimore County, where I teach. As teachers, counselors, administrators and other school faculty and staff, we have such a huge responsibility to not only do our jobs well, but to care for people well in the process. We spend more time with our students than their parents do, so it's really important that students feel like we truly do care about them and parents feel like we truly do care about their children. Did I mention that it's a huge responsibility? Well it is, as well as a beautiful burden. But if we take on that responsibility and burden, and do the best we can, day in and day out, the rewards can have an impact for generations to come.

The following is my prayer for all of us this school year :
-That we would create an environment in our classrooms and in our schools where students felt safe, heard, seen, important, and cared for and parents feel confident in the safety and care of their children

-That we would get to know each student and their strengths and weaknesses so we can customize learning to meet their individual, unique needs.

-That we would be kind, respectful teammates and colleagues to one another, being slower to speak and quicker to listen.

-That we would take whatever measures we need to take care of ourselves. We can't pour out to others if our well is empty.

May we walk into our schools on that first day confident in the abilities and knowledge that we have and inspired to make a difference in the lives of students each day.

Hello Summer Vacation!

My classroom as I left in on the last day of school

Hello summer vacation. You are very much welcomed after a long school year. In that year, there were many successes and many struggles, but by God's grace, I've made it to you. I am trying my hardest to enjoy each day with you. Sleeping in, spending time with family and friends, getting away with my husband. I must admit, however, there is a small piece of me that misses my normal school year routine. Yes, there are tough, challenging days and tough, challenging situations. But on a whole, I love what I do and have been blessed to be pretty successful at it.

Before you arrived, I went to two days of trainings where we learned about several different technological resources that are available to use our classrooms. I, then, spent two more days with my colleagues exploring many of these resources further and thinking of ways I could implement them in my kindergarten classroom. I have to be honest; I even went home a couple of those days to explore some of the resources even more on my own.

Summer vacation, I in no way want to rush you away. You are a gift. There were many summers where it wasn't an option for you to come for 6 weeks. I'm very grateful for your time. However, I have a passion for what I do and look forward to returning, refreshed and refocused. As a member of our school's teacher leadership core, the expectation is to try out these new technology resources and have our classrooms be models for using these new resources , as well as examples of an engaging learning environment and good teaching strategies. It's a little daunting and intimidating, but it's also exciting and a huge honor. In the meantime, summer vacation, I've still got plenty of time left to enjoy you and that's exactly what I plan on doing.

At the suggestion of a couple of my leadership core teammates, I'm going to blog my journey this year. The strategies that work well, the ones that don't work so well and all the fun resources I'm going to try out in my classroom. My experiences will be posted in my blog called 28th Grade: Lessons From The Classroom. I invited all of my educator friends and all of my friends that are interested in education or funny stories from my classroom, to check it out beginning later this summer.

Thanks for reading...take care!