Welcome to my summer series...

App-time at Naptime

Let's talk
Educreations

Educreations is another one of my favorite apps that we use in Kindergarten because there are just SO many great things to use it for! Once the kiddos get the hang of it, the app is very simple to use and extremely versatile. And, it's FREE

My best friend's mom says, "If it's free, it's me" and I just love that saying.

I borrowed the list of features since they are already nicely listed in the app store on iTunes

One of the ways we like to use Educreations is to practice story retelling. Initially, we imported photos of the story retelling cards that accompany our core reading program. We had students create projects in which they imported each of those 4 pictures and then retold the stories using the pictures of the retelling cards as visual prompts. They can create a separate page for each image. This is a great way to ensure that each child practices story retelling and because students can save their work, teachers have the opportunity to listen to each child's work.

Are you interested yet?

The main screen looks like this...

You press anywhere on the screen and you can add text by typing. Typically, I don't have my kiddos type on this app, but it's easy to do.

By touching the icon with the mountain you can add pictures from various sources. We typically use photos from the camera roll on the iPad and access whatever album relates to the project. Just like I do with Pic Collage projects, I create albums that contain photos students can access for each project that we do. If students will be retelling a story, I might import photos of the retelling cards. Or, I might have them draw a picture that goes along with the story we read, save their picture to their camera roll, and then import their own drawing.

Once a photo is imported, students can make annotations using the drawing tool. They can choose from a variety of colors and can use either a finger or a stylus tool to write/draw with. I made a little example below with a photo of our newest addition. 

Students can also press the record button and record a description, explanation, story etc. that goes with their image. I often provide students with sentence frames in order to support my ELL students. 

For example, in science we learn about motion/speed. Students accessed an album with photos of different things that go including a jet, a race car, a van, a skateboard, a shopping cart, and a ducky pull toy.

Students had to import two photos on each page and complete the sentence frame: 

A ______ is faster than a _______.

By touching the triangle on the bottom right, they could access additional pages and could record for as many pairs as time allowed. 

I also created albums with all of the 2D and 3D shapes we learn in Kindergarten. For the 2D shapes, they imported one photo onto each page and recorded using the sentence frame: This is a _______.
For the 3D shapes they used the sentence frame A _______ is an example of a _________. (a soccer ball is an example of a sphere). 

The record function is continuous, so students should stop and then start recording again when they are ready to speak. The drawback to that function is that if they mess up, they either have to correct themselves and move forward or delete the recording and start all over again. 

I originally heard about this app being use in middle school for vocabulary practice. The teacher created an album with images that went along with vocabulary words/concepts. Students had to import the photos one at a time, type/write the vocabulary word that matched the image, and then record the definition. I love that we can also find great ways to use it in Kindergarten because there's a big difference in the skill set between those two groups of students. 

In order to have easy access to students' work, I created a single account in Educreations. When students save their work, all of the projects are saved on my account. That required logging each individual iPad onto my account initially, but once I did that students stay logged in. I can view all of their projects on either my iPad or my computer, which is really convenient. I love to listen to what they have to say and I love that I can listen to every single student. 

If you have any questions about Educreations, please ask in the comments! 

Or, if you have any ideas about how you might use it please comment as well!!

Bloom's Taxonomy

I remember learning about Bloom's Taxonomy in my teacher prep program, but it's not necessarily something I think about each time I plan a lesson.

I think these visuals are great for making sure that when I do my lesson planning I am engaging myself in all of the different levels of Blooms. I typed Bloom's Taxonomy into a google images search and there are tons of related visuals. 

These are my three favorites.

http://www.curriculet.com/blog/38-question-starters-based-blooms-taxonomy/

The visual above is very simple and would be a great addition to my teacher planbook. I like how this particular visual is narrow at the bottom and wider at the top, reminding me to call upon students to engage in the levels at the top more than the levels at the bottom. 

http://www.magicalmaths.org/what-is-blooms-taxonomy/

 I also really like this visual because it includes specific verbs and question starters that can be used with all of the levels. I really think I may start printing things like this and create an inspiration page in my planbook next school year.

http://edublog.amdsb.ca/star/ipad-apps/

By far, my favorite is this wheel of apps that relate to all of Bloom's stages. It's a pretty cluttered visual, but I LOVE the concept. This wheel includes action verbs, suggested activities, and suggested apps for all the levels of Blooms. I have not fully digested the contents of this wheel, but I would be interested to make my own version based on the apps that we use in Kindergarten. That just may be a another summer project! I am not very visually creative, but using this as a template, I could probably design a Kindergarten version. 

Here's another iPad version of Blooms

http://langwitches.org/blog/2012/03/31/ipad-apps-and-blooms-taxonomy/

I am interested to check out some of these apps. We no longer have funds to purchase apps because our iPad grant officially ended with the culmination of the school year, so I will probably be hunting for more free apps this year.  That being said, quality apps are usually worth the money, so I wouldn't rule out an app just because it wasn't free! The only ones out of these apps I have used in Kinder are Popplet, Pages, and iBooks, but I use Goodreads, Skype, and Wunderlist myself. It's always fun

Is Bloom's on your mind when you plan your lessons?
Do you find it easy to incorporate the higher levels in your lessons?

App-time at Naptime: Pic Collage

Welcome to my new summer series...

App-time at Naptime.

Since I never got around to posting about how we use iPads in our Kindergarten classrooms at my school, I thought maybe a summer series about apps and how we use them would be fun to do.  I only have time to write when both my girls are napping so the name App-time at Naptime seems appropriate. 

Let's talk 

Pic Collage

Pic Collage is one of my favorite apps in Kindergarten because it is really easy to use, very intuitive, and it's FREE! I think the kiddos could figure it out even without directions, but of course I structure the introduction carefully because there are certain functions that I don't use and don't want the kids messing with. I never let kids "just explore" apps on their own because typically I use them in a very purposeful way as part of instruction and don't want my students having the mentality that they can just play around with apps. I always give a clear purpose and specific directions and slowly walk the kiddos through the various steps of using a new app before I have them use it independently. And typically, since it's Kindergarten,  I review a lot and give specific instructions for each project so they are reminded of the DOs and DON'Ts.

I took a bunch of screenshots to explain how Pic Collage works.

Simply tap the screen to create a new project. If you're working on a project you already saved, you can just swipe to view all of the projects that are saved in the app and tap when you find the one you want. 

When you start, you see this screen that shows the basic directions/functions. 

The plus at the bottom brings up a menu where you can take a photo, add photos from your device, search the web for photos, add video, add text, or add stickers. Typically, I have my students either add photos from their device (I create specific albums containing a variety of photos that go along with whatever their project will be about) or sometimes they are in charge of using the camera on their iPad to take their own photos. 

I do not have them search the web ever and I do not have them use the stickers. I feel stickers don't add to the quality of the work and they are distracting. The kids LOVE the stickers and I know this because they use them in extended day during their reading intervention time, but in choose not to introduce them in my classroom given the amount of time I have in half day Kinder. 

When they click on add photos they will see a screen that shows the various albums on their iPad. This is a shot of my own personal iPad, but if it were a school one, there would be an albums relating to various topics we've studied such as trees, frogs, fish, 3D shapes, 2D shapes, winter activities, pets etc. I usually create albums based on the weekly reading themes we study particularly if we are reading non-fiction stories on a particular topic.

When you click to add text, there are a variety of different fonts to choose from as well as font colors and background colors. I always let my students choose any font, color, and background they want for their name. I always ask that their writing be in the "Avant Garde" font because the letters look like how we write our letters and I ask that they select black for the font color without a background color. When we are using our iPads for writing practice, I want the typed writing to look as similar to actual writing as possible. I don't want it to be fancy or scripty and I don't want the kiddos getting distracted by all the choices. Sometimes kiddos take 10 minutes to complete their name, which is a good indicator that they enjoy making their own choices, but that it's important to set limits on choice making in the interest of time. 

I typically don't introduce apps like this until the kiddos are pretty solid in their writing skills, but the app is very versatile so Kindergartners could easily use one-word labels with pictures as opposed to complete sentences or phrases. 

Here are a few examples of projects my kiddos created this year. 

Assignment: Import 3 photos from the fish photo album and write 3 facts about fish. We did this during our focus on informative writing. 

Assignment: Build 2 towers of different sizes with unifix cubes and take a photo of the towers side by side. Label towers using the vocabulary words "short" and "tall." We did this during our math unit on measurement. This is an example of a project where students took their own photos.  

Funny sidebar...we did another project similar to this one on weight. I was very pregnant at the time and one student asked if he could take my photo for one of his examples. Sure enough I was the "heavy" example. Thanks...

Assignment: Import 3 photos from the trees album and write three facts about trees. We also did this one during our unit on informative writing.

Assignment: Import 3 photos from the winter activities album and write three things you enjoy doing in the winter. This project went along with one of our reading units on seasons. 

These are all examples from my stronger writers from various points in the year. Not all kiddos produce work like this, but everyone is engaged during these projects. They like using real photographs and being able to choose which ones they want for their projects. Since importing photos is a quick process, they spend more time focused on writing than on making a drawing to go with their writing. Also, for kiddos who are still acquiring English, using photos gives them specific images/ideas to look at while they think of what to write. The photos are great prompts to support those kiddos and help them build language as they practice writing. 

Although I typically use photos with Pic Collage, students could draw a picture with another app (we use Sketchio, but I've heard it doesn't work well with the new iOS updates). Students can save their drawing to their camera roll and import their own work rather than photos. 

One of my students' very favorite Pic Collage projects was a Friend Collage. I import and album that contains a photo of each child. They get to create a collage that shows their friends' photos and label the photos with their friends' names. That is a great project to do when the kiddos are just learning how to use the app. They think it's a lot of fun and the writing part is not too difficult. It also encourages social interactions because they can go ask a friend how to spell his/her name if they are not sure. 

As students become more competent in their writing skills they can move from one-word labels, to phrases, to full sentences, to paragraphs. Older students can use the app as well with higher expectations for their writing output. 

Another great thing about Pic Collage is that my students email me their projects at the end of the lesson and then I can view them all from my computer and easily forward the projects to their parents. There are other options to post to social media sites, but I don't use those. The process of teaching them how to send emails is very tedious at first and a very long lesson in itself, but once they get the hang of it, they can quickly do that step when it's time to cleanup. I also rely heavily on students helping other students and they enjoy having that role. 

Stay tuned for the next installment of App-time at Naptime where I will focus on Educreations. 

The Power of Stories

My mom always read to my brother and me when we were little. I know she firmly believed that reading to her kids would help us become smart kids and now that I am a parent I completely agree.

And, now, this article indicates that pediatricians are confirming the importance of reading and recommend reading to children from the time they are born. I always joke that Baby Sneaker is so smart because she did Kindergarten twice while she was in my belly. Clearly, this news is not new to us, but I think it's great if pediatricians encourage parents to read to their young children. 

NPR also covered this topic yesterday in talking with Professor Susan Neuman who is an expert in literacy development from New York University.

Now that Baby Sneaker is 2, she truly understands stories and loves to read. She is constantly bringing me books and asking me to read to her and I LOVE that. She loves to hear the same stories over and over and amazes us by filling in the missing words when we stop short and let her finish the sentences. Her vocabulary is incredible and she sometimes acts out events that happen in her stories when she is doing imaginative play. She even pretends to read the stories to her stuffed animals. 

Check her out...

Blue Hat, Green Hat

We are participating in the summer reading program through the library and she loves to put stickers on her reading chart for every 15 minutes we spend reading together. Each night before bed, both Mr. Sneaker and I read stories to her.

 Her current favorites are:

I think one of the most rewarding parts of being a Kindergarten teacher is seeing children enjoy stories and grow into readers. My class this year would beg me to read more whenever I did read alouds. Not the stories from the reading programs, but the stories that I picked out of my own personal collection. 

Sadly, some kids don't get read to at home. It's hard for me to imagine, but for some of the kiddos in our classrooms, the stories we read at school are the only stories they hear. Not only were they not read to as babies, but they weren't read to as toddlers or preschoolers either. Maybe a book here and there, but their parents don't build reading into their daily routine in order to establish an appreciation for books and stories and reading. When we read big books, we are supposedly recreating the experience of lap reading, but do we really achieve that? When I read to Baby Sneaker she interrupts all the time to ask "what's that?" as she points to various things in the illustrations. She repeats some of the words and tells me what comes next. I don't admonish her for interrupting because it's only her little voice and it's just the two of us. That's not the same experience kiddos have in my class when I am reading to 28 children at once. 

I can't judge parents for not reading to their kids because I don't know what their situation is. Not all parents have the resources that I do to fill my child's bookshelves with books. Maybe they don't have a car and it's too far to walk to the library. Maybe they can't read in English. Maybe they can't read at all. But, I think it's great if pediatricians begin emphasizing the importance of reading from day 1 so that hopefully families who experience barriers can also share the special experience of reading with their children.

What are your favorite stories to read with your kids or your students? 
Were you read to as a child?

Kindergarten "Redshirting"

Let's talk "Redshirting"

I came across this article that discusses whether or not children with late birthdays should start Kindergarten when they are very much on the young side or be held out assuming they will be more ready for Kindergarten the following school year. 

The article refers to a phenomenon called "redshirting" 

Redshirting is the practice of postponing entrance into kindergarten of age-eligible children in order to allow extra time for socio-emotional, intellectual, or physical growth. This occurs most frequently where children's birthdays are so close to the cut-off dates that they are very likely to be among the youngest in their kindergarten class. 

Based on how rigorous Kindergarten has become, I can definitely sympathize with a parent who believes that their young child just isn't ready for the rigor that comes along with the very academic program. Yet, what about children who are ready for the academic rigor, but are not socially ready for school? If they do start Kindergarten when they are on the younger end of the spectrum, how will they fare in classrooms that spend a lot more time on academics than on helping students gain social skills, learn to regulate emotions, take turns, play well with others, and work cooperatively. I can't speak for all Kinder teachers, but in my half day classroom, we don't spend time on social skills to the extent that students need to learn and practice these social skills. Should they stay in preschool longer in order to have prolonged access to a more play focused environment? 

My niece is an example of a kiddo whose parents had to decide whether or not to send her to Kindergarten. I am not sure when the birthday cutoff is in their state, but her birthday is in January. She actually began full day Kindergarten as a four year old and was four for nearly half the year! Yet, given how smart she is (despite her young age she is already reading and writing), it would have seemed silly to keep her out another year. 

Personally, if I got my class list and saw that a child did not turn 5 until January, I would be very skeptical about that child's presence in my classroom. I would be extremely worried about behavior problems and immaturity. I wouldn't expect a four year old to be able to cooperate, share, and follow directions to the same extent that five and almost six year olds can. Yet, for my niece, none of those things were an issue. Clearly, this is a case by case issue and parents will likely know what choice will result in the best outcome for their particular children. 

I think the biggest problem is when parents decide to go ahead and send their young child to Kindergarten when the child truly is not ready. My colleague told me she was in the office earlier in the spring when a mother was registering her son at our school for Kindergarten. She overhead the mother tell the secretary that her son had been kicked out of Head Start due to his behavior and he is very hard to control. His Head Start teachers told the mother he is not ready for Kindergarten, yet she was there registering him. I am fearful of what it will be like to teach that child next year if he is in my class. With the possibility of having 27 other kids in the classroom, will I be able to give that child what he needs to thrive? In his particular case, I think he would have benefitted from more preschool experience before beginning Kindergarten. I wonder what factors made that mother decide to register for Kindergarten instead of listening to the advice of her son's teachers. 

In Oregon we now have a Kindergarten readiness assessment, yet this assessment is not given until the child has already started Kindergarten. Does that even make sense? What if I determine through my evaluation that a particular child was indeed not ready for Kindergarten? There's not turning back once they have registered and started the school year, so how does this assessment really help?

What do you think about Redshirting?

Should children who have late birthdays wait an additional year before starting Kindergarten? 

A few more articles on the subject of Redshirting in Kindergarten...

Youngest Kid, Smartest Kid

When Should Kids Start Kindergarten?

'Redshirting' in Kindergarten is Still Subject to Debate

"Academic Redshirting" in Kindergarten Prevalence, Patterns, and Implications

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

Some inspirations for the day...

I just may print these out and put them in my planner this year. <3 p="">