Technology: Good or Bad

     In our time, whenever anything changes we all look at the down falls. It was done with many changes through the years, through the decades. Outside of the educational world it happened to The Beatles and it happened to Elvis. It happened to TV when it took over for radio.There were flocks of people that did not want to hear change.The way we are doing things is the best way and all change is bad. Teachers already have so much to do, learning clever ways to use technology is overwhelming. Technology is bad.

     Technology is the reason we can share and use each others ideas so easily. It is the technological era and we can type this stuff up and share it in the matter of a seconds. We are able to type a few words into a search and find out what other teachers are doing. We can write blogs, follow blogs, follow people on Facebook and enjoy pinning on Pinterest. We Twitter and Instagram. When it comes to sharing information among adults, teachers embrace technology. Technology is good.

        We still have teachers that do not see that everyone can benefit from technology in education. To a point, I can understand. Looking for ways to use technology to these teachers is like swimming in the ocean without a life jacket. There is so much, yet so little. Their administrators want them to use technology and they feel the pressure to use it, yet so much is thrown at them at one time, it feels like there is nothing they can use. They feel uncomfortable with technology and using it always seems foreign. Even if technology seems clever to teachers that are reluctant to use it, they feel like it is a waste of the students time. They feel there are more relevant things a student should be doing with their day. There just is no time to learn about all of the new things that are out their for teachers and students to do. There is no time to introduce these things to students. There are just too many things teachers and students already have to do.Technology is bad.

     There are so many things to learn and share with our students. Students can learn to read, do math, and use writing to explain their thinking in a variety of disciplines. They can even learn to code. Students can research and share their findings with photography, videos, blogs and a multitude of websites that offer many different ways for them to share their thinking and show their creativity. They can use games to build their learning and acknowledge and recognize their own growth by advancing levels. Technology is good.

     We see some people living the change by way of obsession. They seem to never go outside or do anything that does not involve technology. Although we can never know what other people are doing 24 hours a day, we decide that they do for 24 hours what we witness for 15 or 20 minutes. Thus, technology is bad. Someone is interested in hiking, technology is bad.Some are interested in cooking, technology is bad. Some are interested in reading, or biking, or walking and technology is bad. This discourages our technological growth in the educational profession.Technology is bad.

     Teachers can read the thoughts and ideas of other teachers who have explored other websites and apps and use their experiences to choose websites and apps that meet their needs. Teachers can adjust the learning experiences on these websites and apps to be certain student practice what they need. Not only can they provide practice and opportunities of exploration, they can also apply strategies for intervention.. Gathering data and progress monitoring the students that need intervention and providing easy to read charts, graphs and grade books. Having a wealth of reference materials and information to provide to administration and parents at the stroke of a fingertip. Technology is good.

     Growing pains are painful. Admitting change happens and will always happen is hard. Learn about the change anyway. Maybe, just maybe, we can find something admirable about the change. You can not find the good if you do not know what is happening. Do not limit yourself to the opinions of others. Find out for yourself if there is anything that can benefit you and your students in technology. Find out for yourself how you feel about the changes. Sometimes it seems easier to adopt the ideas and feelings of others. Chances are you are learning many new things anyway, technology is just one of them. In the end, it will save you time.Technology is here to stay. Not anywhere in history, has any society ever developed something new and then decided to abandon that growth and go backward.

     Do not be discouraged by the change, embrace the change. Grow with the change. Become one with the change.

Math Day

Math Day 2015

      Every year on the day that some schools are celebrating Valentine's Day, my school is celebrating Math Day. many of the teachers focus on Valentine's day and graph color and do "Valentine" math. It actually makes it possible for us to celebrate all day instead of being limited to a small time frame  of a party.

       I enjoy this very much. It means that the whole entire day can be devoted to anything involving math. We do pass out Valentines during non instructional times, but we fill the day with many hands on activities. Since I teach second grade, it take s the children quite a while to do some things. Last year I drove myself crazy trying to do a million things. this year I was more realistic. We did two STEM activities, measured ingredients for "snow" and had a guest reader.

     It sounds small, but I have found that when my students are doing stem activities, they need more time. I really focus on them creating, and being able to use non standard materials to create. This has been a great challenge for my students this year.  I have several students who are very intimidated making and creating things from scratch. A few of them actually get very upset before they get started. It is for this reason I focus on their creations and not so much recording data. They made great strides towards becoming great problem solvers and adventurous creators.

Here are some pics from our Math Day!

Do You Want to Build A Snowman?- Wordless Wednesday

Do You Want to Build A Snowman?

Yes, yes we do!

Christmas Fun

Some Last Day Before Christmas Break Fun

     The last day before Christmas break was a little relaxing, a little like a zoo, and a lot of fun. We Started our day finishing a Christmas Carol book. Every year I give the children a book full of songs, and include a Table of contents, index and glossary. The students will fill in all of the information and freely choose the words that go in the glossary and the index from the songs in the book. Then we went to a Christmas Extravaganza where we watched dancing, singing, jump roping and teachers leading this variety of performers. It is a great show. Then on to specials (music, art and PE). Afterwards we followed along in our books to a Christmas CD that matches. Every year I give the students a cd that matches their book. then we all had pizza lunch in the room and watched a 

Christmas movie. After that we began reading plays. Their homework the last week before Christmas was to read their parts nightly and we would make videos they could share with their families over Christmas break. We did not have time to make props or costumes (which I would usually make out of paper) and many children were absent, so we were very relaxed in our performances. All of the students say they enjoy doing plays, some of them love it. I call it a reading fluency activity. We share our fun:

Christmas Story Time with Hagan's Heroes

High School Helpers

Does anyone else have high school helpers?

In our county the high school has a program that allows and encourages (maybe even requires),

that high school students come and help elementary teachers. I was fortunate enough to have two helpers this semester. Both girls helped me make Jeopardy games using power points, make videos, paper slide videos, and Telegami videos. I must admit I did not really understand how to play or make Jeopardy games. One of my helpers came during our specials time and we sat down together and she helped me understand how the game was played and how to enter the various content that I needed to enter. One of the students helped me make videos and upload them to You tube. She also helped me turn videos upside right when they came out sideways. I have NO idea how that happened!

They cut out scoots and task cards before and after laminating and packaged them for use. they also added to the general pleasantness in our room. they spoke with children and helped them finish assignments and even get along with one another.

My students loved having them come and even if they were just in the room, the students were happy they were here with us.

I loved having them and I am very grateful for all that they did for me and my students.

Today was their last day for this semester. Next semester I may or may not be fortunate enough to have helpers. But, I think we gave them a great send off. We made them each a Epsom Salt Luminary and this video starring my magnificent students.

Thank you!

Wordless Wednesday! We made Snow! Ok, except for those words!

A Reading Extravaganza

A Reading Extravaganza

What is a Reading Extravaganza?

         The first ingredient is a group of second graders. OK, any grade can have a Reading Extravaganza. It takes a group of students, pajamas, blankets, some stuffed animals and in our case, some guest readers. 

     My guest readers were some of the finest teachers to ever walk the halls of  my school. They are retired now and were generous enough to come and allow us to enjoy their reading. Each  one said "anytime" when they were thanked. I hope they really meant it because they will be invited back!

        It was a day of reading. Our first guest reader read Santa Cows , and The Grinch That Stole Christmas. Afterwards, we did a Grinchy craft. We used a green, red and a small piece of yellow construction paper, glue, and a few cotton balls. First we folded the green construction paper in half and tore the shape of a half heart on the unfolded side. Then we tore a triangle out of the red piece. Next, we turned the green heart upside down and put the triangle on top to make it look like a hat and glued the two pieces together. We then lined the hat with cotton and gave it a cotton ball tip. We tore the yellow to make eyes and glued them under the hat. We added pupils and eyelashes and a smile. We had some of the best looking Grinches in the history of Grinchness.

     Then our next guest reader read two Jan Brett books, The Gingerbread Baby and Gingerbread Friends. Afterwards we did a beginning middle and end activity and the students were able to choose the story they wanted to retell. I love activities that allow the students to create and free draw.

     We had another guest read The Gingerbread Girl and There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell. Our time ran straight into our final guest reader that read Jan Brett's Home For Christmas. 

     After that we spent some time reading silently and independently.

      In my book it was the best day ever! My students did remarkably well with all of the guests we had and our grade level is considering starting a trend. A Reading Extravaganza for every holiday and even Dr. Suess' birthday. I even had a chance to have the students start making their parent's Christmas presents. I encourage everyone to have a Reading Extravaganza!