Audio Poetry Gallery & QR Code Countdown to Summer!

Happy Saturday!  Linking up with Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturday...

Audio Poetry Gallery

My kids love anything that has to do with scanning QR Codes, and they REALLY got into poetry this year.  Back in April, we were working on reading poetry with fluency according to punctuation and organization and with expression appropriate to the poem's content.  We also used our school's iPads to record our readings.  Their readings were fabulous, and I was trying to come up with a creative way they could share them beyond just our classroom.  The Audio Poetry Gallery was born!  Students self-selected poems of interest, practiced reading multiple times with and without a partner, and recorded their poems using a free iPad app.  Students also created illustrations to accompany their poems, showing the picture they saw in their minds when reading the poem.  Feel free to download the student guide sheets here!

Some logistics for the teacher: I had my students email their recording files to me, and I saved them to my Google Drive.  Then I created a link to share their audio in Google Drive, copied and pasted each link into QR Code Generator, and saved each code to a folder.  Finally, I inserted each code into a Publisher document (can do in this in any word processing program), sized to fit the gallery sheet, and printed the codes for the kids to cut out and glue on their gallery sheets.

The best part was the sharing!  All of the classes in our building were invited to come and listen in our gallery.  My second graders buddied up with kindergarteners to assist them, and the rest of the classes were free to visit any time they like.  They just needed to bring iPads and headphones!

Forgot to mention the standards addressed with this project, if you were wondering: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.5 and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.10. 

Countdown to Summer with QR Codes!

Courtney saw a great idea online--using QR codes for a countdown to summer.  Since we have a Muppet them, I created character countdown cards with QR codes.  Courtney created bees and hives to go along with their classroom bee theme.  The kids are super-charged about scanning a code each day! Only two codes left to scan...

Here are some of the incentives Courtney and I included: root beer floats, no shoes in the classroom, listen to music while we work, extra recess, hat day, Storyline Online, make a key chain/bag pull, make a snack recipe (tripling recipe--great math connection), scratch art, reading outside, bring a game to play day, watching a movie and popcorn (last day), etc.

Check out other great ideas to Spark Student Motivation at Head Over Heels for Teaching!

Have a superb end to your year!

Fabulous Finds, Traits Tuesday Linky, and Spark Student Motivation Saturdays...

Mornin'!  A few things to share...

Fabulous Finds Friday, a bit late.

Engage New York

Courtney discovered this fabulous site with oodles of resources for building Math and ELA concepts. I have linked to the Second Grade Math and the Second Grade ELA skill units.  Check out the any resources on their site.

K-2 Informational Text Resource

The Everything Guide to Informational Text K-2: Best Texts, Best Practices by Kathy A. Barclay and Laura D. Stewart was recently shared with our staff by our district media specialist.  I ordered a copy and read it in a flash.  What does it have to offer?  Some highlights---The Common Core and Informational Texts, Intentional Teaching and Differentiation, Choosing Stellar Texts, Comprehension Strategies, Lesson Design, and Informational Texts in Units of Study.  To view more complete overview of this resource, click here.  I especially appreciated the annotated bibliography of texts. Worth the money!

Story Cove

In looking for texts and resources for exploring folktales and fables with second graders, I stumbled upon a series of texts and soon discovered there was also a website.  Story Cove's Folktales from Around the Globe is a site full of resources for teachers and online books and activities for kids. There is a fee for subscribing, but much is included and you can preview a book and its resources.  The individual books are also available at amazon.com at reasonable prices. Books and animations run on iPads as well. Check it out!

Feel free to share your fabulous finds by adding your link. Don't have a blog, please share in a comment!

Hop on Board--Traits Tuesday Linky

We are rekindling our Traits Tuesday Linky this May! Click our logo to learn all about it! Simply, share your writing ideas, resources, mentor texts, successes, student work, and MORE related to helping your students become authors.  ANYTHING GOES!  We would love for you to hop on board---we all have a school year full of goodies to share!  Don't have a blog, you can share in a comment!  Stop back this coming Tuesday, May 6th to join in the sharing! 

Spark Student Motivation Saturdays: Cootie Catchers!

 

OK, I am no spring chicken and I'm not a senior citizen, but I bet people of all ages have heard or seen a cootie catcher (Chinese fortune teller).  My second graders have, and they LOVE them!  I just recently started providing some math cootie catchers for my students to enjoy.  I found some on Super Teacher Worksheets, BUT they are EVERYWHERE!!  It's obvious why these little buggers are motivating!  Click on this sample I found online.  I know no pics are necessary, but I did decide to order this gem, The KLUTZ Cootie Catcher Book, for some last day of school fun!

Fly on over to Head Over Heels for Teaching to discover more motivational ideas!

Have a splendid weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up

Spark Student Motivation Saturday -- Fun with QR Codes!

Linking up today with Head Over Heels for Teaching's Spark Student Motivation Saturday Linky...

Fun with QR Codes

Both Courtney's and my kids love QR codes! What a simple means of motivating students and providing opportunities to self-correct.

The students in the pic above are working with super hero themed inference cards created by Fun in Fifth Grade.

I have also purchased some QR code products from Caitlin Kramer.

AND I have created some myself!

Monster 2-Digit Missing Addend & Sums with QR Codes

Whacky Watches: Telling Time to 5 Minutes with QR Codes

Whacky Watches: Telling Time to the Minute with QR Codes

 

The latest sets I have made are informational text QR code task cards--similar to those I purchased from Caitlin Kramer, but tailored to our explorations.  These are not posted for free or for sale because I scanned some wonderful new informational texts that just arrived in our library.  I thought the QR cards would also spark some interest in these new texts come library day...

If you have never used QR code activities with your kids, I encourage you to try some.  Lots of goodies available out there, and they are super easy to make.  I used QR Code Generator.

As the school year nears an end, I find myself reflecting back on a year, that at times seemed long and came with its challenges, to relish in my students' accomplishments.  They have come so far! So I share this quote with you all...

Don't forget to fly on over to Head Over Heels for Teaching to read more motivational ideas!

Wishing you the best for a Happy Easter!!

Math Centers Linky Party & Student Motivation Saturday

Linking up with Easy Teaching Tools for a three-part Math Centers Linky Party.  Although, I am getting in on this one a bit late...

Math Centers Linky Party

Part 1 -- Topic: Setting Up Math Centers

My kids love math workstations/centers! I have used the same organizational system the last two years, and it works fabulously!

Iris' six-drawer storage systems from Office Max are perfect for math workstations, among other things.  I simply used a utility knife to cut off the little nubs on the sides of the drawers that prevent the drawers from sliding out, as I wanted the drawers to be removable.  Then, I numbered them from 1-12. 

Each of the twelve drawers houses a workstation.  I change workstations out depending on target skills, concepts for review, and/or season/holidays.  

Directing students to particular workstations is a snap with this equally as simple name and number system located on our magnetic white board.  When it's time for workstations, students get the correct drawer, gather any needed materials (stored in tubs above the drawers for easy access), and get to work in a location of choice. Students may also be directed to me for small group work.

At times, I cycle students through the stations, so the next time we meet they move on to the next station.  This system also provides for differentiation, as I switch out centers in drawers and assign stations based on individual students' needs at times.

Why not stop over to Easy Teaching Tools to learn about more ideas for setting up math workstations? :0)

Student Motivation Courtesy of Smile Makers

I know I used to get excited about stickers when I was a kid, but my kids have topped my excitement 10 fold.  I know stickers are a simple and obvious means of student motivation, but whatever works!!  

Recently I was at the dentist's office for my six month cleaning when I noticed his rolls of 2 inch square stickers for little patients.  After gazing upon them when I entered and as I was leaving, I kindly asked if I could snag one from my grandson--the pterodactyl. Yes!  In light of my students' excitement over stickers, I looked on the back to see if there was any order information. I thought they would get a charge out of these jumbo delights. :0)  They were made by Smile Makers, so I hopped online, went a bit crazy, and purchase just a few--HA!  

These goodies hang on dowel rods from command hooks for all the kids to see.  At the end of each week, if students maintain excellent conduct and effort as outlined on our responsibility sheet, they get to choose two stickers.  Needless to say, they look forward to the end of the day on Friday. The Fruit Ninja scratch and sniff, Muppet, and rainbow dolphin/unicorn stickers are favorites.

If you have never checked out Smile Makers online, it's a must!

Fly on over to Head Over Heels for Teaching for Student Motivation Saturday!

Have a happy weekend!

Spark Student Motivation & Day Six of A Week of Chillin' Giveaways!

Linking up today with Joanne at Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturday...

You will also want to get in on the end her and Fourth Grade Flipper's New Year's Celebration--awesome giveaways!

Weighing in today with a SUPER simple tool for motivation--the EASY button!

My kids love the EASY button--they love when I press it and they love to press it.  Although, the easy button gets used in spurts...because we all forget about it a bit, but there are times like these when we remind ourselves that it is there... 

We had just returned from 18 days of winter break, and we were reviewing a mental math addition strategy.  I was equally impressed with each group as we met--they were on fire after 18 days!  A quite perceptive girl in the last group commented, right when she got to the table, "I feel that this is getting a little easy for me."  Little did she know that her group would be moving on to applying the strategy to greater numbers... Anyway, I simply told the group I wanted each of them to prove they could still use the strategy (which I knew they could).  I started to hear, "That was easy!"  The easy button was not close by, so we all chimed in with a deep throated, "That was easy!"  Needless to say, this continued throughout our time together and the button has found a new home--at our small group table in the back of the room. :0)

Just a little something that helps remind students just how amazing they are!

Thanks to Joanne at Head Over Heels for Teaching for the opportunity to link up!   

AND it's Day Six of our A Week of Chillin' Giveaways!

Today's Giveaway:

Nonfiction Snowman Book Project with Glyph

 To learn more, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Enter to win one of two copies of Nonfiction Snowman Book Project with Glyph.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Potato Chip Champ -- A Champion in More Ways Than One!

Just read a post over at Digital: Divide & Conquer yesterday, and I loved how Matt used the work LINKTACULAR when he was linking up with several bloggers! So I will use his wonderful term and call today's post linktacular as well...

Linking up with Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturday, Collaboration Cuties for Must Read Mentor Texts, Principal's Principles for Motivation Monday and First Grade Buddies for Motivate Me Monday...

Here goes... This is a CHAMPION story in more ways than one!

At the beginning of September, Tara at 4th Grade Frolics shared a wonderful text she was using with her fourth graders--The Potato Chip Champ by Maria Dismondy.  I was immediately taken with the story and asked her if it would be appropriate for second graders.  Indeed, it was!  I hopped on amazon.com and ordered several copies so I could share it with my students...

The last couple of years, I have used A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon for a dual purpose--to teach students about character traits and as a character ed lesson about how important it is to be yourself and to like a person for who he/she is.

This all changed when I discovered The Potato Chip Champ by Marie Dismondy, a story of kindness and a perfect text for learning about character traits.  I read the text aloud to students (more than once), and then some students reread the story in smaller groups.  Let me say that the responses from students were heartfelt.  Many thoughtful comments were made throughout the read aloud and afterward.  When asked to share a lesson/moral that the author was teaching us, we heard--kindness rules all, it's about who you are, etc.

Tara at 4th Grade Frolics also shared Maria Dismondy's website in her post, so I went over and checked it out.  I found a wonderful unit created by Runde's Room to accompany the story.  I especially liked the potato chip bag activity that included a bag template and questions about the story printed on potato chips.  My kids LOVED this!  Not to mention, their responses to the questions were spot on! 

Students also generated a HUGE list of character traits that could be used to describe both characters, and they had to give evidence to back up their inferences before we would add a trait to the list.  Finally, students paired up, chose a character (Walter or Champ), chose four character traits to best describe the character, and came up with a reason to support each trait.  This was done in the form of a character web. Download a copy of the character web template here ! Template is for legal sized paper and frames clipart courtesy of KPM Doodles.

I cannot say enough how this story MOTIVATED my students. At times, I have overheard students talking about the story, now almost two weeks after reading it the first time.  When parent visitors came, the story was one of the first things they shared--in detail along with the lesson.  I have heard from many, "I LOVE that story!"  Even more importantly, I believe the story has motivated my students to show the kind of kindness that Walter showed in the story.  I think it is truly rare when one story is adored by all and creates such an excitement for reading... 

Looking for a story that will motivate your students--I believe this one will!

Well, it did not stop there! Champ is a lover of potato chips, and so is my class.  When I brought the bag of question chips out, many asked if they were real chips!  Regretfully, I had to answer with a "No" that was followed by a resounding "AAW." The weekend after reading the story, I was talking to my husband about it and decided to pick up some chips at Walmart during our Saturday errands.  It was an easy math connection--a potato chip taste test!

As you can imagine, the kids were PUMPED!  They tasted like real champs! We surveyed, collected data, and created a graph.  I will also post these templates for you to download when I return to school on Monday...

 

Wow! What a fabulous time had by ALL!  You MUST pick up this book, if you haven't already.  It has made an entrance into my top ten of all time. Thanks to Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for sharing, and a HUGE thank you goes out to Marie Dismondy!

Fly on over to these wonderful blogs to read more! Monday's linkups will be active tomorrow...

 

Smiles for a wonderful week!