March Madness Classroom Resources

 Check out these cool March Madness resources AND a cool YouTube trick that gets rid of commercials and comments. Whaaatttt???? Go to the Virtual Viking Weekly Update for more info.

Happy New Year!

 Get kids writing with this cute Bitmoji New Year scene and writing prompt.

Preview pic below. Get the whole thing at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Holiday Classroom Bitmoji Background

 It's animated and plays music! Add your own bitmoji and voila! DONE! Get the editable Google Slide here.

Google Slides - The Master of Disguise

I'm so excited to present today at the @SCMSummit today! Google Slides really are my most favorite Google App. They masquerade as newsletters, digital portfolios, close reads, and video editors! Wow! Check out my presentation at bit.ly/googleslidesindisguise and get some free templates to try!

Turn Paper Assignments into PDFs - with your Phone!

In these days of E-Learning, if you have an old paper document that you want to turn into a PDF, try using your phone to scan it.

Did you know that your Iphone (and andriod) can scan using the NOTES app?
Click here to find out how.

End of Quarter Hyperdoc Reflection

Getting students to reflect upon their learning is so important. Try these hyperdocs to get them started on the process. I put my students' requirements in, but it would be easy for you to add your own.

Tech or Treat! & Happy Hyperdocs!

No Tricks - All Treats! AVID Focused Notes with Google Slides

Teaching students how to take notes is difficult. Reading to find the right information in a text is a difficult strategy and students have to practice it. Whether you call this "annotating a text," a "close read," "active reading," or "focused notes," students need to practice it.

I love this ready made slide that helps teachers quickly implement and teach the strategy in class. Check it out HERE.

Squibler.io for Quick Writes

Writing is a skill that all students need, but often don't practice enough.  Recently my school has been focusing on QUICK WRITES as a strategy for getting students to write more often in class.  Quick Writes work because they are a fast method of formative assessment that help kids write with better fluency on topics they are learning about.

What is a Quick Write?

The idea is to have students write without stopping for 2-3 short minutes on either a given topic or a topic of their choice. The problem? Lots of students won't write for the entire 2-3 minutes.  They will say they are "thinking," which very well may be true...but that means that they are not writing for the entire 2-3 minutes.

A great way to have kids complete quick writes and force them NOT TO STOP writing is to use Squibler.io. This site helps them keep writing WITHOUT stopping! What happens if they stop? The writing deletes! No more having students "thinking" during a 2-3 minute quick write.

See my video below with an explanation of how it works!

Easy-Peasy!!! 

It's Constitution Day!

There are so many reasons to love hyperdocs, but one of the best reasons of all is that all of a teacher's content for the lesson is in ONE SPOT, which makes "I can't find it" excuses disappear.

I love this hyperdoc created for Constitution Day. In South Carolina teachers are required to teach students the importance of the Constitution on September 17th. Make your life easy and try this already made hyperdoc.

Find more on any topic at the hyperdocs.co.

Easy-Peasy Digital Breakouts

I'm so excited that I was able to present Easy-Peasy Digital Breakouts at the SC Midlands Summit this year. If you haven't gone to the @SCMSummit yet, next year you must go! Lots of great tech integration sessions for all levels of teachers. And if you haven't tried digital breakouts or scavenger hunts with your students, check this out. It'll be a great option for next school year.

Digital breakouts seem to be getting more and more popular. It's very clear that students are more engaged when they are working to beat the clock and each other. Often times though, the reality is that they take TOO MUCH TIME to create!

Time is something that no teacher EVER has...

Does this look familiar????

Well, guess what?!? Problem solved...In October the Flippity Add-On for Google Sheets came out with a new Scavenger Hunt Feature.  It is SO SO easy and fun to use!  Check HERE for my Easy Peasy Tutorial or see below for a quick video tutorial.

You are definitely going to want to try this! It's a TIME SAVER & your students will LOVE IT!!!

Using a Mantra to Power Through the Stress

It's that time of year when the stress is overwhelming and the end is in sight. I read an article this week that addresses ways to deal with mental stress through the use of a mantra, something I've tried before, but this particular mantra, really spoke to me. Check out the article by Ephrat Livni here, and remember, you got this. 😉

Mom's Fridge Rubric

Everyone loves it when their mom is proud enough to post their work on the fridge in the kitchen. Check out this awesome Mom's Fridge Rubric for judging the aesthetic quality of a student project. Nothing puts it in perspective like the ultimate acclamation - THE FRIDGE!

The fabulous Mr. Belcher, @mrnumerancer, math teacher extraordinaire at SVHS created this awesome rubric and let me share it with you. I think you could even modify this and create a wall-space in your classroom where the best of the best is posted and put that in the rubric criteria as well.

Is your student work #FridgeWorthy?
EASY-PEASY & CREATIVE!
Happy rubric making!

Happy "Don't Go to Work Unless It's FUN" Day!!!!

BALANCE LEARNING AND FUN

If your students aren't learning in FUN AND CREATIVE WAYS then you need to find ways to make it fun and creative.  TODAY is the perfect holiday to get them up, moving, learning, and having fun all at the same time!!!

GET KIDS UP & MOVING

Instead of having students read an article or chapter at their desk, try a 'Walk-About.' Photocopy the text they need to read. Divide it up and then tape it to the wall in different areas of your classroom. Even if it's the most "boring material," having students keep moving stimulates their brain, as noted in this 2017 Edweek article.

LET KIDS COLLABORATE

Put students into pairs, groups, or teams.  Students then 'walk-about' in their teams, read each section of the article or chapter, and summarize it.

GAMIFY YOUR ACTIVITIES

If you are worried about time, use a timer or music. Let students know that when the timer beeps or the music stops, they have to move on to the next station.  This will gamify the walk-about and will challenge students to "beat the clock" at each station.

CHALLENGE THEM

Use different summary techniques. Challenge students to use a 6-Word summary or an ABC summary so that they are forced to boil the material down to only what matters most.

GIVE KIDS CHOICE

Instead of having everyone write a summary of each section in a notebook, give them a choice. Maybe they want to use SeeSaw or Flipgrid to record their verbal or visual summary.  Maybe they want to draw a picture of their summary and then explain it. The choice is theirs!

REFLECT

At the end of the lesson, bring everyone back together to discuss and reflect. Have each group discuss a different section to put it all back together. Then use an exit strategy like sticky-notes on the board or a question posted in your Google Classroom for them to answer.

Easy-Peasy!

CONGRATULATIONS! You have just changed a boring reading assignment into an interactive, collaborative lesson, complete with gamification and technological integration - and it took NO TIME AT ALL.  It really is a FUN DAY at work!

Where did all the JOY go? How to build relationships and joy in your classroom in 5 minutes or less...

Being a student of the 80s and early 90s, my school experiences were exponentially different than the children in schools today. I don't think that students of my generation had nearly the worries that these new students have.  There were no social media issues, because it didn't exist, and there were no mass shooting drills and worries, and we certainly had way less testing and testing pressure on us.  We also were allowed to enjoy school.  There were pep rallies, school dances, and carnivals then.  These days we spend all our time starting from kindergarten on pressuring children to do their best on tests and showing them how to 'run, hide, and fight.' Pep rallies are eliminated because they interfere too much with test preparation and carnivals and festivals certainly would not be safe for our students.

Where did all the fun go? As teachers, we feel the immense pressures right along with our students.  That is why I believe it is our job to make sure that students still have the opportunity to find joy in school.

Is it really hurting our students to take 5 minutes to build classroom relationships? Resources like Edutopia's 5-minute film fest are a great way to build camaraderie and add joy to the classroom.  On this April Fool's Day take 5 minutes to create joy and conversation in your classroom using the April Fool's 5-minute film fest.  I love the math teacher at the end. Now that's creativity.  You can't tell me his students don't love him - and as a result - love math.

Check it out below. (Live Slide HERE.)

Live Slide HERE.

Hyperdocs & Noodletools - A Marriage Made in Heaven

There are so many reasons to love hyperdocs, but one of the best reasons of all is that all of a teacher's content for the lesson is in ONE SPOT, which makes "I can't find it" excuses disappear.

I love this hyperdoc created by the amazing @bartelliyo that incorporates, research, argumentative writing, and Noodletools!

If you haven't checked out Noodletools yet, it is worth looking at. It will compile all of a student's research in one place and help them track sources, take notes, create outlines, collaborate with classmates, and format or print a works cited page!

Happy International Women's Day!

Do you need a 10-20 minute class activity today?

Here are three quick, easy-peasy resources for your classroom that you can start using immediately to keep kids reading, writing, and thinking while giving yourself some quiet time to catch up!

Check it out!!! Some of these will even grade themselves!!!! You can teach kids and look phenomenal without even trying!!!

RESOURCES TO GET YOU STARTED

9th-12th Grade Paired Texts for Women's History Month from Readworks.org

Podcasts from Listenwise on Women's History

Commonlit Texts with assessments on Women's History.

Digital Learning Day 2019

It's almost here! Digital Learning Day 2019 and here at The Valley we are ramping up!

I'm so lucky to work in a school with so many amazing things happening in classrooms! But sometimes getting teachers to feel comfortable sharing and showcasing their awesomeness is difficult.  So what will we be doing?

We will be awarding prizes to teachers for doing what they already do every day -- teaching amazing lessons using appropriately integrated technology!  Teachers who want to highlight their lesson with tech can add a pic and description to our school DL Day Padlet.  They can also tweet out a pic and small description using the hashtag #DLDay and @OfficialDLDay if they want. They must include me (@ACluttsSVHS)  and our school @SV_Vikings in their Tweet so I know they are participating and then they are then entered to win fabulous classroom prizes!

Who doesn't want to win dry erase cubes or foam dice to help gamify a lesson or two? These are easy and economical prizes that you can find on Amazon. Here are the Amazon links if you're interested: foam dice and whiteboard cubes.

Teachers will be entering all day on February 28th - Digital Learning Day. Check back to watch our progress!

Listening is a 21st Century Skill - We Need to Teach It

Good communication skills are one of the qualities that all employers want their workers to possess. Yet, teachers don't focus on listening skills as much as they should in classrooms. @thebalance rates being able to listen as number one on their communication list in the article Communication Skills for Workplace Success. 

So what should we do to help students with their listening skills? Practice listening. Teachers need to model good listening skills and then give students time to practice it. Without this essential skill, our students will continue to struggle with their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. 

A great resource for helping students listen is podcasts. My new favorite resource is https://listenwise.com/. This site offers tons of 3-6 minute stories for students grades 5-12. It's very teacher friendly and is searchable by grade level and topic.  They offer transcripts, lesson plan ideas, and quizzes with the premium price, but their basic site is free for teachers and makes a great additional resource for students. Podcasts can be pushed out through Google classroom too!

Podcast Graphic Organizer Preview

Try my Podcast Graphic Organizer - All ready for Google Classroom - just make a copy,  distribute, and get started today!Enjoy!

Below is a video that explains more about how to use the graphic organizer with listenwise.com or any podcast.

The Big Game is Almost Here!

Get your students interested in learning with this great list of sports-related videos from Edutopia. Pair it with an SOS Strategy from Discovery Education and you've got yourself a quick, fun, easy-peasy mini-lesson!!! What a great way to start a Friday!

Regardless of if you are a Rams or a Patriots fan, (or an angry Saints fan), or even if you are just in it for the commercials.... here are some interesting and fun videos on the science of sports. These are great classroom warm-ups or discussion starters for a Friday morning right before the big game!

Try This Strategy

1. Watch one of the videos on the list above.
2. Have students complete an AEIOU strategy chart.

A = Adjective

List a word or two that describes something you saw or learned.

E = Emotion

Describe how a particular part of the segment made you feel.

I = Interesting

Write something you found interesting about the content/topic.

O = Oh!

Describe something that caused you to say “Oh!”

U = Um?

Write a question about something you learned, or want to learn more about.

For more strategies like this go to discoveryeducation.com and search SOS strategies.

 

The Importance of Muhammad Ali & Other Interesting Black History Topics

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love ReadWorks and its simplicity for classroom teachers. It integrates with Google Classroom and questions are graded for you!  Here is a great collection of articles that relate to Black History Month. 

Did you know there was a Confederate commander who wanted to arm slaves?

Do your students know that Muhammad Ali was more than just a boxer? 

These are short, high-interest articles. Use one in class today!