Plickers

Today was a extra busy day. After helping an excited 5th grade class log into their GAFE accounts, experiment with Gmail and share documents, I headed over to another 5th grade class to try out a new site. I stumbled across Plickers yesterday and wanted to see if really was as easy as the video made it seem. I typed up some science questions to go with the Energy unit 5th graders are currently studying. Then I ventured over to the classroom of  my neighbor Mrs Friend. Doesn't she have the most perfect name for a teacher, Friend? And she lives up to her name, she is one of the most friendliest people I know. Anyway she agreed to let her class be guinea pigs and let me try this app/site out on them.  They had so much fun and it was super easy to use. I didn't have to walk around or hold a receiver in a strange angle so that every one's remote could reach the signal.  I just stood there with my phone as they held up their pieces of paper. I can't wait to try it out with more classes next week. Well I'm off to paint pumpkins and make BOO bags. When did Halloween become the new Christmas? I am doing just as many crafts this weekend to prepare for next week as I do in December. Bah Humbug!

If you show it, they will come... Right?

When I began my career as a CIT I thought "If I show these neat tools and lessons to the teachers they will bring their class." I mean it worked on me when I was in the classroom. All I had to do was see it at a collab meeting or at a staff development and I was there the next day doing it with my kids. Well it is not that easy. Teachers are A WHOLE LOT more busy than I ever was and some are just too intimidated. So if they can't come to me I could go to them. There is a kindergarten teacher who told me this year "Yes, please come to my class whenever you can." She's a dream!  So a couple of weeks ago I brought the iPod cart to her room during centers time. And she made me a center! There were 4 reluctant kindergartners selected to visit me. (It's hard to be up against housekeeping or play dough center. They are tough competition when it comes to kindergartners) But as soon as I rolled up the door to the cart, their eyes widen. They were so attentive and excited. By the time I left they were asking "When do you come back?" And when they see me in the hall I'm greeted with "Hi Mrs Polk! Are you coming today?"  All I did was use the app AR Flashcards (click the link to see it) but it was a good introductory lesson on how to use the devices and it got some learning in, letter/sound recognition. If you're on the fence about mobile devices almost anything with Augmented Reality is a sure winner.

10 Things About Me

I was supposed to start this blog years ago and so I have had a collection of "Things I am gonna post one day". This post is one of the things in that file. It was my part of a submission  to a link party held earlier this year but I never got around to joining the fun. I thought this would be a good way to introduce or reintroduce myself to readers.