Would You Rather?

I've been sharing an idea for the Writing Work Station for years! It's called WOULD YOU RATHER! You have a bunch of questions ready to go and students have to WRITE their answers- of course also taking into account the counter argument! THEN- when kids have mastered writing their answers- then they can write their OWN questions.

My favorite question ever written by kids was... "Would you rather cry Koolaid or sweat Nacho cheese?" Then the answer- and you can't make this stuff up- "I'd sweat Nacho cheese and just carry around a bag of chips so I'd never be hungry!"  Oh my!

Get your FREE copy of about 20 Would You Rather Questions here! Thanks to Ms. Matus and her students in Robinson Texas for writing these for all of us to use!

Cheers! Stay WARM out there Texas!

Melissa

Digital Work Board for Work Stations

Do you use a work board during Literacy Workstations? If you've been to our presentation on Work Stations you do!   

Lots of teachers use a pocket chart like this one below to help students become independent during rotation time.  A work board shows students they have work to do!  And it helps students who might be coming and going from your classroom during work stations get started independently.  With a work board, they don’t need your help to know where to go next or to know where they need to be!

If you want to use a pocket chart to organize, you can snag these FREE icons here.  There a set for K-2 AND 3-5.  (https://goo.gl/pL73nB) I still love the idea of a pocket chart.  It’s practical for most classrooms, but I do realize it is 2019!   Which means many of us do things that incorporate technology into our classrooms "these days".

Instead of a pocket chart, some teachers choose to display the rotations on their Smart Board each day. 

I suggest using google slides for this!  It’s just like a pocket chart but in digital form.  And if I need to tweak a station or two, I can access the document from anywhere! Let’s take a look at what a work board might look like in the digital world.

Notice it still has the student names at the top and two rotations.  Fountas and Pinnell say teachers should be pulling a MINIMUM of two guided reading groups a day - which is why you see two rotations on this chart.

Just like on the pocket chart, we still have our anchor stations with icons to help match students to the right station.  I like to change the background color to match the anchor stations for efficiency.  For example, at the word work station, I have a blue ‘word work’ label with the same icon to help students know where to sit around the room!  

Remember everyone's FIRST stop on your rotation is independent reading. The only time kids would not be independent reading every day is if you called them to the Guided Reading table!  That is reflected on the work board in the top row.  Need help organizing for independent reading like this? Check out this post! 

I’ve created this editable powerpoint for you to use if you want to try out displaying your work board next year! 

This is yours to use - so feel free to edit ‘student name’ to your own students!  You can also change out the graphics or tweak the anchor stations to fit your needs!

Click here to download.

Cheers!

Do You Ever Have Technology Problems?

Howdy! 

How are you utilizing technology in your classroom? 

Whether you have a classroom brimming with 28 iPads or you have two stone-age desktops, our job as teachers is to make sure students know how to best use the technology for learning during Literacy Work Stations or any other time of the day!

In their book Amplify, Katie Muhtaris and Kristin Ziemke say, ‘Using technology doesn’t mean that we throw out those strategies that we’ve found to be successful with students.  It’s not the tools - it’s what we do with them that counts.”

I couldn’t agree more!

When introducing technology in our classrooms, it is important to teach students digital citizenship, internet safety, and problem solving skills. 

And just like we do for EVERYTHING else at the beginning of the year, it is important to ‘train the troops’ when it comes to technology.  We spend countless minutes (hours?) practicing, modeling, and practicing some more... how to get from the rug to the desks, why shouldn’t we spend time practicing, modeling, and practicing again how to properly use the technology as well?  WE MUST!

If you have iPads (or tablets/devices) in your classroom, spend the first week or so with students practicing how to properly handle the technology.  

I like to get iPads in the hands of kids right away, BUT leave the device OFF!

First, we learn the handle and proper care.  And only when students have proven to me they can be responsible with the (oh-so-precious!) technology, can we turn it on!  

The first week or so of school is spent practicing how to carry the iPad from the desk to the carpet, how to practice ‘dark and down’ (a phrase I use when I need students attention on me instead of their device), and how to put away the iPads at the end of our learning time.  We go about our days, just like normal - with technology in our hands - but the technology isn’t ON just yet.  

My students need to prove they can be respectful of the technology before any on button is pushed!

Once students have the hang of how to properly handle the devices, we have a magical day of turning on the iPads.  (insert rainbow and unicorn emojis) 

JUST KIDDING.  It’s less ‘rainbows and unicorns’ and more ‘chicken with its’ head chopped off’.

You see, students are SMART when it comes to technology (way smarter than me), but sometimes the technology at school looks and acts a little different than the technology at home.  Which leaves students with a lot of questions - and needling a LOT of help. 

In order to save myself time later (and sanity now) I front load some problem-solving tips with my students.

We know that technology is technology.  Things will break, stop working, or just simply act funky.  It’s important for us to help students become independent with technology problem solving skills so that we can continue doing our thing at the guided reading table or whatever else may be happening! 

JUST like we used to teach our students what button to push at the listening center (cd player or tape player anyone?) we STILL need those charts but we need them to reflect the current technology.

I take time going over each ‘button’, modeling when or why you might need to push it and what to do if something doesn’t work. 

This saves me so much time (and headaches), if I teach these things up front.

I’ve included a free download for you to teach from in your classroom as well!

Click HERE to access the Technology Tips freebie!

Did I miss anything?  Are there other MUST TEACH buttons for your little techy learners? 

Feel free to add your ideas in the comments below!