Do you Osmo?

So to say I've taken a blogging break is a bit of an understatement. That's not to say I haven't been blog stalking or IG stalking. I just needed a break from the posting. I've had a very nice relaxing start to my summer break. This in spite of three days tech professional development and today's 3hr training on our new teacher evaluation system. Le sigh.

Like many of you I've been looking into new and exciting things to incorporate into my classroom for next year. Truthfully I do this as much for me as I do the kiddos. Because let's face it...I could get tired with the same content every year. Luckily each batch of kids is different so they learn differently as a group (and certainly individually) but I find new ways to present the material or tweak what has worked in the past.

Last school year our school was fortunate to get a cart of iPads. The downside is that it's one cart for the school and we must share. That said...we're teachers and we're great at sharing. However, I'm a tech glutton and I want my hands on them!! lol There weren't really many k-2 apps on them when school ended and I had a very busy and stressful end of the school year so I didn't get to utilize them.

Well that's gonna change my friends in the 2015-2016 (wow...really....how old am I?!) school year. The tech professional development, playing around on the one existing classroom iPad I had, and oddly Facebook have given me some ideas.

Just for now I'm going to share the one I found on Facebook. I kept getting ads for this device called Osmo. I had no idea what this thing was but after SEVERAL ads on the sidebar and in my newsfeed I had to check it out. So there ya' go. Advertising worked.

Targeted Facebook advertising....

So when you buy your Osmo you get a stand, a mirrored piece that goes on top of the iPad camera, and it comes with 4 games, and he pieces you'll need for three of those games.

Masterpiece-You can take a picture and it'll help you draw it and it records you while you draw. (Educationally there are many ways you could incorporate this including but not limited to drawing)

Words-You get sets of letters and create words. You can play this against an opponent, too. I watched a YouTube video of this and the kids were racing to spell words and search for the letters so it's great for letter recognition as well as spelling.

Tangram-Well...exactly what it says, lol. It comes with the pieces and the more you're able to complete the more complex the images get.

Newton-You have to draw or use manipulative to make the balls hit a target. This one is actually not easy to explain but it screamed STEM to me.

I wanted to know more so I went to good 'ol YouTube. This is a video of kids doing a review and playing the games. Don't let the timestamp turn you off. It was fun to watch.

Well I was sooooo intrigued by this thing that I took it to DonorsChoose. I submitted it and it got approved and posted in just a few days. I got an email today saying that my project had been fully funded!!! My DonorsChoose project asked for 3 Osmo devices. I'll have to have our Tech people install the apps but I cannot wait until school starts (gasp!) and these come in the mail.

No, I was not paid or bribed to post this. However, if for some reason the nice people at Osmo see this I'd be more than happy to discuss this! (wink wink, lol)

They have a cool thing going on that if you buy one on their site they'll give a free one to your child's school. I thought that was neat.

Celebrity Crush

My first week is over. Well, okay it was only 3 days with students but I set an alarm for 5 days in a row so that counts for something.

I'm reflecting on my week, thinking about next week, and trying to stay awake so I don't wake up too early. I want to share pictures and stories from my first week but I'm tired.

This is 3 years old but I don't get tired of watching his segments from the DC march in 2011. I didn't need another reason to crush on Matt Damon but here it is ladies.




And with that, goodnight.

Microsoft Time Saver

Hey! I am linking up with Blog Hoppin to share a time saver I learned this year. Keep reading if you make anything on Microsoft products.

Don't forget about my giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

D5 Station Rotation Update!

Hello everyone!! Last year I posted a video about how I automated the transition process of D5. Here is the original link . I decided that I didn't want to manually switch groups after each time segment or move clips, or anything else once one part was finished. I also like trying to use computer stuff. :D

(this video took several attempts and I still cut my name off!!!! At least no pups barked during the making of this video)

Here is my new video with a cuter PowerPoint

Link to updated PowerPoint Here is GingerSnaps' blog
Link to her D5 product that I showed in the video (and used)
**This products requires PowerPoint to work**

Throwback Thursday

Today I'll be linking up with Cara over at The First Grade Parade. She has such a great idea to get the blog ideas flowing. You find an old post (maybe it was real popular, maybe there's a freebie, maybe you were a newbie and not a lot of people saw it, maybe you just plain like it)

Last summer I really picked up blogging steam. For a few weeks in a row (before 5 for Friday took over my blogging Fridays) I'd blog about some of my favorite pins.

click here to link up

Here's my Throwback for Thursday!

**Click link to go to source of pin**
1. Using Unifix cubes to teach coin value
Such a neat visual and kiddos should be able to count by 5s by the time you introduce money.


2. Sight Word Uno
I love all things Uno! This was great. To beat it all, it's FREE!
 
3. Flip Chute!!!
This is so neat you really need to watch the video to understand. Soooo many possibilities.
 

4. Labeling your stuff!
Every year I have my teacher supplies for the kiddos to borrow. They're kept in a special place and I often spend the time to write BC somewhere on the item. We all know that that Sharpie does eventually wipe off though...sigh. So not only does that happen but there will be those times that the kiddos get out their crayon box and you revert to being a 7yr old and in your head you say, "Hey, those are my scissors!" Well, why not use some jazzy duct tape. No disputing that.

(I had pink duct tape on all of my dry erase markers, glue sticks, and scissors---it was bright pink so I knew who exactly had my materials and maybe needed to clean our their desk or get a note sent home about stocking supplies--2013)

5. Teacher Tipster.com---Chart Folders
These are so neat. I really hope you've checked out his videos. He has tons of ideas, especially if you're into musical teaching or attention grabbing strategies. Ever hear, "What do we do when we're done?" Well here's one idea you copy some things for the kiddos to work on...like math facts, handwriting, connect-the-dots, spelling, etch. You slide it into a sheet protector and put it in their binder (I use math binders so it'll be easy for me to integrate) and Poof! instant stuff to do when they're done.

Filling Word Art & Shapes

Hey everyone! Happy Thursday. :D Thank you for all of your well wishes. I'm starting to feel like a real person again. I am slowly joining the ranks of nose breather again. (Something I was starting to fear would never happen)

During this time I've have a lot of indoor time to myself. Instagram, blogs, FB, and and cable tv have been my friends. I've been going back and updating some early creations (oh.my.word.--I mean, I'm proud of my creations but not to toot my own horn but I'm way better a year later). I wanted to fancify (yeah, it's a word--just don't try to use it in Scrabble or Words with Friends) some of my products. It reminded me of something I saw on Pinterest and from Ashley Hughes from The School Supply Addict. 

Well, one thing lead to another and I decided to create this video to help some of you PowerPoint Mac users. (I tried making this video like 5x...dogs barked, emails popped up, I coughed...sigh. Hopefully it can help you)

What Teachers Make

Overall this has been a very good school year. It's been busy and I can't believe I only have about 14 days left. I feel like there is still so much to do.

This school year I was gifted with 16 great students that made listening to a day's full of reading tests entertaining.

It's teacher appreciation week and today I looked up a former teacher of mine. I looked for my 5th grade teacher on Facebook this evening. It was completely disrespectful to call a teacher by their first name and maybe even taboo as a child to even know your teacher's first name. (at least that's how it seemed when I was 11). But, I knew her name...and was unable to find her on fb. I googled my former elementary school and was looking at the teacher list. Name after name that didn't ring a bell...then...I saw it. I saw Ms. K's name. I immediately clicked on her email and thanked her. I thanked her for exposing me to things and teaching me things that will never appear on any standardized test or any set of standards. I have such great memories from that year.

Well, doing that reminded me of a poem I heard years ago. Many of you have probably seen it but it reaches me every time. I will warn you that it is not kid-safe.



Happy Teacher Appreciation Week.

5 for Ya'

Happy Friday to all and to all a good night.
1. I'm in loooove!
Okay okay not love...but we do have this thing going on. I had some awful allergy post-nasal drip (eww, I know!) This has been the only thing that has helped.

2. I'm famous
Okay okay...you got me again. I'm not famous. I work in a small community and the local paper got wind of my DonorsChoose projects. A few months ago I had a project fulfilled for some MP3 players (to use during listening to stories during D5) I have a current one going on too!
Here's a snippet from the digital issue.

3. Red Wigglers!
A rep from the water and conservation offices at the county I teach in contacted local schools and offered to teach a lesson entitled "Worms Eat My Garbage". We learned all about worms (red wigglers specifically) and compost. The presenter was great, came with a handout to do with the kids, talked scientifically but in an age appropriate manner, and left us a worm habitat. (Updates on what I'll end up doing with that, lol)

4. Standardized Testing
I don't even want to get into all the computer problems my state (and others) have had with computerized testing. I'm knee deep in DIBELs. Blech.

I'm tired of hearing about teaching strategies and ideas 'to pass the test' 'to prepare for the test'...what about preparing for life? (I'm not totally anti-testing...and I think some things that have been presented in order to do well on the test were good ideas...some of them...but I don't think that should be our end goal...a test...given over x amount of days that can assess a child's entire educational experience.

Amen

5. I had a lot of questions about HotDots last week. This is a quickie video of an overview:

Head on over to Doodle Bugs to check out the Five for Friday action!

Rotation Organization

I am building stamina with my firsties. I really wish I could say we were consistent and I did it daily...as the name suggests. We are up to 10 minutes in Read to Self and today we try for 9 or 10 in Read to Someone. (I'm pausing them at 10 for a while) I'm excited. They're really getting the procedures down and since we've started actual reading instruction and not just kindergarten review many of them are reading what they can. I will start rotations soon and I found some super cute rotation visuals for the kiddos for grouping. I found pocket chart inserts, clip chart posters, and a few other ideas. Well, these were cute...I even saved some and printed one of them. I practiced the other day with a few rotations to get them into the swing of things. It was difficult since they were back to back. I've since though of a few ideas to make them smoother. One of the ideas I thought of was a timed powerpoint. (This was totally my fave because I didn't have to watch a clock or set a timer) Watch the video below to see how I practiced rotations for our second go around. (I plan to make it pretty and add some cool effects soon...but for now...bare minimum)

Oh, and while I have you...have you used the Storia app?! Amaze. I'll post more about it later.

**I've uploaded the most bare bones template of this to my TpT store for free. Feel free to use it as a starting point. If you decide to do this please leave a comment here or on the YouTube video and a link for me to check it out!**