Active Learning and Engagement Strategies

I was recently given the opportunity to review a copy of Active Learning and Engagement Strategies by Paula Rutherford from

Let me say, this book looks wonderful!  It is full of strategies and exemplars from previous books published from Just ASK Publications.  It is a quick and easy reference tool to use when you are designing lessons and want to select a strategy depending on your goal.  It has extensive self-assessment, guidelines for structuring small group work and setting up cooperative learning, an extensive array of products and perspectives to use in creating real-world assignments and assessments.  If you click on the picture of the book, you can see a 15 page sneak peak of what this book entails for teaching and learning in the 21st Century.

Common Core State Standards Pacing Guides

I apologize for my lack of blogging lately.  I have been busy with one thing after another.  One of those tasks was partaking in developing pacing guides for K-3 for my school district.  This was a huge project that involved over 30 people.  They are now live on our school district.  Take a look at them and let me know if you can use them too.

Click on the picture to see CCSS for ELA and Math K-3.

Besides working during my summer, I've also been busy with being a mommy!  We've been on the go with swim lessons, VBS, trips to the park, play dates, and pictures.  This little girl really keeps me on my toes!

I've also noticed that I have over 300 followers!  Thanks everyone for all of your support!  The blogging community is FABULOUS!!!!

It's Been A While...

So yes, I know I have been MIA!  Although we got out of school on May 23rd, I haven't had very many days off.  First I was involved on a district project for mapping CCSS.  Then I spent 4 days in training for Instruction for All Students.  It was an awesome workshop with Brenda Kaylor from Just Ask Publications.  She did an awesome job of tying in Project Based Learning, Assessment, and CCSS.  If you ever get a chance to attend one of their workshops, I highly recommend them.  At the training we mainly focused on this book:

There were many ideas from this book to have your class thinking outside the box and collaborating with each other through active learning strategies such as clock buddies, graffiti, 3, 2, 1, and ticket to leave.  It also had excellent ideas for planning CCSS units as well as formative and summative assessments.

Just Ask Publications also has many other books worth looking at.  Two books that I have worth mentioning are:

and

I actually won this one at the training and can't wait to read up on it this summer!

Lucky Math

Here's a quick Roll and Cover Game that I created to play during math stations this week that I wanted to share.

Click on the picture to download.

Well I'm off to do odds and ends.  We've had the cold here at our home this weekend and it seems like I'm a bit behind on getting things done.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Seuss Inspired Math

I have really been admiring all of the free graphics that The 3am Teacher has created.  I am her newest blog stalker!



Her Ding 1 and Ding 2 inspired me to make this Even and Odd Things math board game.

Click {HERE} to download!

I'm also linking up with Mrs. Bainbridge for her Seuss Linky Party.  

Go check it out and see all of the great Seuss themed activities everyone is making!

Even and Odd Game

Last November I remember downloading an even and odd game: Turkey Trot from Sunny Days in Second Grade.  I really liked this game.  It inspired me to make a Valentines version.  So here it is!

Click here to download!

Let me know what you think about the game.  I love comments!

100 Days!

Today was our 100th day of school.  We celebrated by doing these activities:

The first one I created from a Pinterest inspiration from Kinderpond.

 Click the picture to download flip a coin 100 times.

Kathy Law's 100 Color by Code

 Teaching Heart's 100th Day News

I also like to do a weekly focus poem.  Here is another website that has some great poems about 100 days.

Happy 100 Days of School!

Math Data

I've been thinking a lot about our Data Binders and how I want my kids to track how they are doing in math.  Today I created this multi-graphing page so that we can keep the majority of our math data on one page.  Here is what I came up with.

Click here to download

if you find it useful!

Even and Odd Street

I loved when I saw The Teacher Wife do her Even and Odd Street activity.  We have finally covered even and odd numbers in Math Investigations, and I just had to have my class do this fun activity too!  Here's our Even and Odd Street.

Thanks Lindsey for a great math activity!  My class loved making their even and odd houses!

Symmetrical Pumpkins

We are still studying about symmetry in math.  Today we focused on creating our own lines of symmetry.  I decided to have the kids make symmetrical Jack-o-Lanterns at the last minute.  It was a great activity and the kids loved learning about symmetry with the pumpkins.  Plus our bulletin board is up to date for our school's Spooky Trick or Treating Night.  Everyone was very proud of how they turned out!

This one was a 3D one!  Later lots of kids said, "Why didn't I think of that!"

Symmetry

In math we have been working on symmetry.  The other day my class made some symmetrical creations with a few drops of paint and a marker.  I think they turned out pretty cute!

Ghost Guy

Pumpkin Man!

Another cutie!

Harvest Carrot

Pig Math

Wow!  What a day!  We had our school's annual Jog-a-Thon today.  It was a huge success!  I ran 30 laps and am beat!  

My 2nd graders use Lory Evan's Pig Math to practice our facts daily.  They are loving it!  I recently saw that Lory had created a form to send home each week that included math and reading.  I decided that I needed to make my own to go in our Data Binders.  I wanted to share the form that I created which my 2nd graders will use to keep track of our timed math facts in our data binders.  The kids will highlight each level that they successfully complete.  

     

Station Rotations

Do you ever have one of those Ah Ha moments where you think, "Why didn't I do this in the first place?"  Lately I have been pondering my Station Rotations.  I have it set up in a pocket chart and it works okay, but if I get another student I won't have any more rows of pockets to add to my stations.  Plus, in October my class restroom is getting remodeled and some areas of the room will be off limits until the construction is complete.  So all weekend I kept thinking how nice it would be to make a rotation board to use with my Mimio.  I played around with a few things, then it hit me.  I could simply make a table in Word and each day I will change it by moving everyone down and copying the last two names at the bottom back up to the top.  It took me about 20 minutes, once I finally got my thoughts together and created a table for Reading and Math.  I will simply put it up with my InFocus Projector from my laptop so that everyone will be able to see the rotations clearly.

 On a side note, this weekend I also found a template for Homeworkopoly on the Mimio Website.  I will also have to move my current board for that during the construction and am seriously thinking of doing this game on my Mimio too.

Make Your Own Games

I see so many wonderful teachers creating their own games and I have often wondered how they do it.  I recently decided to google game board templates.  I was excited by what I found!  I found several templates that you can create in Word here.  I also found another link for blank ones here.  Now if only I can find the time to actually make some of my own game boards to go with our reading series!  So I am curious, if you make your own board games, what do you use to make them in?

Centers in a Bag

I recently came across a site called Centers in a Bag.  Lisa has all kinds of cute pre-made centers that you can purchase.  She is doing preorders until the end of the month for a great price.  Check out her site.  You might see something great to use in your classroom.

2nd Day in 2nd Grade

This is a great back to school activity that my team uses.  We downloaded it from Joanne Griffin.


2ndDayin2ndGrade

My 3rd grade friends also use Joanne Griffin's 3rd Day in 3rd Grade

Grandfather Tang's Story

I just came across this book that Just Love Teaching posted.  I plan to use this with my class this year!

Pattern Block Station

PreKinders.com has these really great patterns that I am going to use in my math stations.  Check it out!

Teacher Tipster

This guy is a first grade teacher and has some of the greatest videos!