Catching Up

I'm a little behind in my posts, but considering I've almost posted as much in a couple of weeks as I have for the life-time of the blog, I'm not that behind!

Last week for most of my classes was a continuation of the pirate theme.

Kindergarten - I introduced using a mouse.  It is kind of funny how mouse skills are something that our incoming students don't have.  It used to be rare for me to have a student that didn't know how to use a mouse.  Now with all of the touch screens, I find most of the incoming kindergartners don't know how to use a mouse.  This is something that I teach in our prekindergarten program, so those students are usually ready to go.  We used the Mouse and Pointer exercises from ABCmouse.com.  I showed the students how to hold a mouse and we previewed just the beginning of the game on the projector in the library side of my space.  I had the computers ready to go to the point that they only needed to chose if they were left or right handed (I did review for the students those that were left handed).  When they finished the tutorial, they could play other games on ABCmouse.  While they were working (and in between reopening closed browsers and showing them how to maximize their windows) I checked in the library books.  I had students that were able to check out a book (they had returned their previous book) check out and then go back to the computers until our time was up. 

1st Grade - Last week some students were sad that they didn't have time to go to all of the centers they wanted.  To give more time for pirate fun, I did a short pirate themed read aloud and had the same centers out as last week.

2nd Grade - We started a project using Word 2013.  We started with a discussion on how computers can't do anything unless someone has programmed the computer.  We call these programs, software or apps.  Then I go old school on them and explain if I wanted to have a nice polished looking report when I was their age, I had to use a typewriter with only 2 fonts, no colors or different sizes.  Now they can use a word processor and have fun fonts, colors, and pictures!  I have a list of sentences for the students to fill in about things that they like or didn't like.  I walked them through opening Word, starting their writing and saving their work.

3rd Grade - They were to work on their pirate stories.  Once they had a paragraph they could change the font.

4th Grade - They continued their Pirate Amazing Race activity.  Winning teams were given an eraser with a map of the world on it (an Oriental Trading Company product).  I don't usually give many prizes to avoid the "what do we get" mentality.  I did have one student ask what the other students would win.  My favorite response is, "Did you enjoy the activity?  Did you practice using library resources?  Would you have rather done a worksheet?  Wonderful, you all won not having to do a worksheet and I won because I don't have to grade anything!"

5th Grade - You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned what I have been doing with the fifth graders.  I am experimenting with them by following a genius hour type of arrangement.  I have a lot to share on that topic and will be writing a blog post soon about how the process has been going so far.

Pre-K - I also haven't been posting what I have been doing with them.  Maybe soon.  I'm just impressed that I've kept up this much!

More Talk Like a Pirate Day

4th Grade

I had so much fun with this activity, and I think the kids did as well.  I found a pirate themed task card set on using reference sources on Teachers Pay Teachers by Teaches Third in Georgia. 

I was going to have the students do the task cards, but I wasn't sure how I would have them go about doing it.  My thought was to have the cards throughout the library.  Students would find them and answer the questions.  I wasn't really happy with that, but then I remembered that I had previously purchased a library game called the Amazing Race.  Just like the TV show the kids have to complete various challenges before moving on and getting a new challenge.  I found that the challenges in the game didn't work well with the resources we have in the library, so I never used it.  I decided to merge the two concepts. Unfortunately this idea came to me an hour before the classes were to arrive. 

I quickly got to work modifying my original plan.  I used the task cards as is, but divided them into four groups.  Luckily there were 4 questions for each reference source.  I divided the cards so that each group would have to answer a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and online question (the set does come with map questions, but I decided not to use those as we haven't spent time working with maps yet).  Borrowing an idea from The Amazing Race game, I had the students work together to create some things.  I mixed up the order for the different groups so they weren't all trying to use the same resource at once.  The challenges that involved making something were put in between the task cards. Click here for the Google Doc of the challenges I created.

When the classes arrived, I announced that I was a Pirate Captain, but all my crew had to walk the plank.  I was holding auditions for a new crew.  I randomly divided them into four groups.  At each table there was a bucket of supplies.  The buckets held 10 popsicle sticks, 10 strings of yarn about 2' long, glue, scissors, markers, colored pencils and paper.  They were given a passport to keep track of their challenges.  The master for this came from the Amazing Race game due to the last minute change-up.  In the future I would probably either remake the passport (and remove the picture of an airplane) or create some type of a treasure map that they use. 

The students were given a few minutes to see what supplies they had and to come up with a team name.  When they reported their team name to me, they were given their first challenge.  After each challenge, they had to report back to me with all of their team.  They either turned in their answer or showed what they made.  I gave the a sticker for their passport and their next challenge.  We didn't finish the game, so it will carry over into next week.  They are given 1 point for each correct answer (I did not check their answers as they turned them in).  Bonus points were given for the most creative raft, rope, flag.  First place finisher received 4 points, second place 3 points, and so on. 

Things I learned

Have a set of cards for each class rather than sharing.  Since we didn't finish in once class period, I had to make notes of which task each group still needed to do since I couldn't just put their remaining tasks in their bucket.  Which leads me to.....

Keep the standard supplies separate from each teams "consumables."  My fourth grade classes are back to back.  It was a little challenging to reset the game for the next class.  I did pause the game with 15 minutes left so they could check out.  I used that time to start resetting, but as I was explaining the game to the next class; I was talking while distributing supplies.

Rules!  I had one group in the first class that sailed through and finished with plenty of time for checkout.  For the dictionary and thesaurus cards, they were able to answer the questions without looking anything up.  That pretty much defeats the purpose of the game which is to use reference sources.  For the second group I added that they had to include the page number where the information came from; they couldn't just answer the question. 

What about a tie!  There was a tie in one of the classes.  As a tie breaker, the groups had to write and perform a sea chantey.  As luck would have it, our music teacher had stopped in so she helped judge the competition.  

Disclaimer

You may look at this and think how on earth could you possibly do this in one or even two library sessions.  I am very lucky and see my kids for double the amount of the other specials teachers. That means for 2nd-5th grade I see them for 50 minutes.  K-1st grade is 40 minutes.  PreK follows their own rules.  For now I see them for 30 minutes.  When we start using the computer lab (after fall MAP testing) it will be 45 minutes.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

I used to post a calendar with all the crazy holidays on it.  I had a lot of fun, but a few years ago I lost my hallway spot (lesson learned - don't wait too long to put up your bulletin boards if they are in a shared area!)  Anyway, one of my favorite holidays for obvious reasons, was Talk Like a Pirate Day.  This year it snuck up on me and I had all of my lesson plans worked out for the week, but once I realized my oversight I quickly switched things up a little bit.  I really wished I would have taken some pictures, but the kids kept me hopping.

Kindergarten

In kindergarten we are still practicing with our shelf markers and the whole check out system. Because of that, I haven't started centers with them yet.

We read How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long.  Before letting the students loose on the stacks we reviewed using shelf markers and did the Shelf Marker Bookie Lookie.  Since I work alone, I do self-checkout.  At this point my kinders aren't ready for that, so I limit them to only checking out from the picture book section which is near the check out computer.  This allows me to help out both with finding a book and checking it out.  After they are done checking out I gave them the choice of drawing their own treasure map or coloring in a treasure map.  Both of which I found online for free.  I'll have to come back and put the links to the 2 printables.  Of course, reading their book or looking at magazines is almost always a choice for after checkout.

1st Grade

We read How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long also.  Since we have very few new students in the 1st grade, they were familiar with self-checkout and centers (and we have been using them since the very beginning of the school year).   I still keep a close eye on the circulation computer, but I can roam a bit more.  After the story, students were able to check out and then chose a center to go to. 

Keyboard Center:  I have four keyboards with the cords cut off.  At this point they can "type" the alphabet, friends and family names, spelling words, or I have cards on various themes.  I had pirate themed words for them to use. 

Listening Center:  I have 4 iPads that I use in the listening center. I have either purchased or created QR codes that link to youtube videos (via safeshare.tv) of books being read.  Of course, I found pirate stories for this center.

Roll and Color: For this center, the students rolled the die and colored in the named item on the sheet.  This was a free download from Teachers Pay Teachers created by Schoolhouse Talk.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pirate-Themed-Roll-and-Color-Pages-880146

A Parrot for a Pirate:  This was another free center created by Activity Tailor on Teachers Pay Teachers.  The sheet has 6 parrots.  Each parrot is assigned a number from 1-6 and there are 5 squares below each one.  The students take turn rolling the dice and coloring in one of the squares.  When all 5 are colored in that parrot is the winner.

 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Parrot-for-a-Pirate-a-FREE-open-ended-worksheet-activity-1439742

2nd Grade

I didn't have a read aloud for this group.  Every once in awhile, usually when there is a focus that I want to highlight, we will do a center rotation.  I don't have a story or lesson, instead I divide the time up into 4 chunks and the students rotate between 4 centers.  I used the same centers as first grade with one exception.  Roll and Color was replaced by book checkout and a Mimio game.  I had originally wanted to do an alphabetizing Mimio game, but I didn't get it done in time (at least to my liking).  Instead I did a word search utilizing ABCya's Word Search Creator.  I used pirate words from the keyboard center.  I really like that you can reset the game (scramble the letters) without having to retype the words. 

3rd Grade

I had planned on starting a review/introduction to Microsoft Word.  Our students used it some last year, but we did receive new computers with Windows 8.1 in the lab, so things looked a little different to begin with, and a lot of time passed since they last used it.  Instead of doing the writing prompt I had originally picked out, they were asked to write about being a pirate.  I gave them copies of a pirate name generator (with a few tweaks - I replaced bloody and wench as options).  They could use that to find their pirate name or make up a name of their own.  This week, they just worked on finding Word and getting started. 

Oops...I did it again!

I keep coming back to the blog thinking that I will actually be updating regularly.  I mentally write blog posts, but usually at times I can't actually write and post them.  When I do have the availability to blog I either procrastinate (big problem for me in a lot of instances) or I beat myself up for not being perfect.  I have several blog posts that I've started but never published because of this.  I worry that because I'm an educator my spelling and grammar has to be perfect.  I don't want to get nasty comments mocking me for making mistakes like I've seen elsewhere on the internet.  But that is something I have to get over.  I am human.  I make mistakes, even when I proof read. 

So this is another fresh start.  I am almost finished with my masters in education with an emphasis on educational technology.  All along I have been planning on blogging about how my classes have impacted my teaching, but teaching, parenting, taking classes, and having something of a personal life came first.  This semester I am doing my capstone project and then I am DONE!  As I work on that project, I want to consistently blog about the project and what is going on in my classroom (the library and computer lab).