Learn Like a Pirate~Chapter 2

Time for Chapter 2 with The Primary Gal!

This chapter is all about the concerns teachers will have about implementing a student-led classroom.

As I was reading it, I was thinking that my mind was being read! I definitely had some concerns, and while I didn't have all the concerns that were listed in the book, I did have some.

Here were some of the concerns I had:

One of my major concerns was giving up so much control/choice to my students-and it looks like a lot of others had the same concern! This was the first one addressed :)

But the best part is that teachers still have (what I call) veto power over student choice. That made me feel better, that I'll have the final say.

The next one was letting the students make mistakes. I do point out my mistakes to the students, to help them realize that everyone makes mistakes (and sometimes they catch them before me!),  but I sometimes find it hard not to get involved when I see the students make a mistake-I need to take a step back so they can struggle through on their own. They'll be better for it!

With everything else that we have to do, this will require some planning. There may be more time spent initially, but I believe the time put in at the beginning will pay off towards the end-just like anything we do!

You don't have to jump in whole hog-take a step at a time. I often forget towards the end of the year, how long it took for us to get to the point where the kids are super independent. Just like with learning a new skill, we do a little at a time before we're super good at it!

I would have thought that giving the students more choice and freedom would have led to more disruptions-but I was wrong there too! Students actually more engaged and less disruptive. School has become fun again, and they have some power-so power struggles should (hopefully) diminish.

I also had some concerns about the shyer students, who would probably not be as willing to try and be a leader. As someone who is introverted (but not necessarily shy-and there is a difference), I expend most of my energy at school. I can only encourage students to try and take risks-they'll more than likely be happy about it in the end! (Like going to a blogger meet-up-they're a lot of fun!)

Above all, we have to remember that the kids are there to learn and have fun! So if it gets a little noisy, that's ok! :)

Paul also lists the benefits of a student-led classroom-which I love!

Looking at the benefits, it makes so much sense to try and switch-and if it doesn't work, it shows our students that it is important to take risks, and that not all of them pan out.

 This chapter definitely helped ally my concerns-and I loved the benefits the students got from it!

(Especially where it fits with Danielson-since that's our eval model and worth 80% of my 'effectiveness' rating...)

I'm definitely excited to keep reading, and see where this takes us!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

Summer Reading

Even though I have 9.5  (+4 PD) days left until 'summer', I'm already thinking (and reading!) books for next year!

(End of June seems to be really productive for me school-wise-maybe because I have it fresh in my mind what I want to fix and the possibilities are endless?)

On that note, I'm linking up with Adventures of Room 129 for her summer reading linky!
Now, you can bet that I'll be downing the romance novels like candy. :)

So I thought I would focus on my professional reading instead!

First up is Learn Like a Pirate. The Primary Gal has a book study on this that I'm doing-I love reading different perspectives!

It was a nice, easy read, with some very interesting ideas about doing a student-led classroom. I enjoyed it (and took lots of notes!). I'll definitely be trying to incorporate some of the strategies next year!

I'll also be trying out Academic Conversations on for size!

I'm very interested in having more classroom discussions-and more thoughtful ones at that! I'm hoping this will be a good starting point!

I'll also be doing a reread of Guided Math, which I read for the first time 3 summers ago-and have a series of blog posts because it was a book study with Primary Inspired!

I'm not happy with the way my math block is running (and part of that was learning a new program this year), and don't feel like I'm reaching all the needs of my students.

I'm hoping to do an overhaul for next year, and I think rereading this will help me refocus on what I want to accomplish!

I'm sure that they'll be more books in there-after all, I'm a voracious reader (and wonder why some authors can't write faster so I can have new books! ;)-but those are the three I'm hoping to spend the most time with this summer!

What are you reading?

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

The One iPad Class ~ Library Apps

I've discovered a few apps that have helped make my library life easier.

Now, I'm going to start with book leveling, since I don't have students check out books-but I do have some apps for that too! (Fifth in the Middle also has a great post on this)

{FREE} Scholastic Book Wizard (just like the website) lets you scan books and add them into your library.

When it works, it will pull up the book with the different levels and description.

But a lot of times, I get this message instead...

What frustrates me about this is that the majority of the books that I buy are from Scholastic-and not listed in the wizard. 

After I scan (and actually get a book), I add it to my library. When I access it, it looks like

One that I really  like is
{$3.99} Literacy Leveler. Now, you can get it in a bundle with the classroom checkout app (and save a dollar). I only purchased the leveler, as the kids are free to take and return as many books as they like in my class.

When you scan a book, it looks like this:

If the book is not in the app, then

I have found that the number of books it doesn't know is way less than book wizard-I don't get that message very often.

Usually, I get

Sometimes it will have the DRA and GRL level filled in as well. If I need to add it to my library, I hit the "Add to My Library" in the corner. It will be blue if I need to add it. I do wish that is was bigger or in a better place-sometimes I forget to hit it.

When I access my library, this beauty pops up

I love that I can see the covers of the books.

It's also cool because it has this handy dandy chart built right into the app

This gives me a nice range for things.

One classroom checkout app that I have found is
{FREE} BookSource. This is also a web-based service, and you need to sign up through the internet before you download the app.

I use this one mostly to keep track of what books I have.

It scans super easy, and pretty much has every book that I've scanned.

Definitely not all of my library-in fact, these are just the fantasy-myth and fairy tales books I have!

The really cool thing is that I can assign genres, collect information on the condition of the book, students can review it and more-all from when they check the book in and out of the app.

Right now, I'm just starting to sort into genres. A summer project will be to scan all my books-maybe I'll start a checkout system next year (dependent on if I get some class iPads!)

Another app I found was Level It Books {$3.99}. I did not purchase it because it did not have the greatest reviews when I was looking at it, and I figured between the Scholastic Book Wizard and Literacy Leveler (which had better reviews, and that's why I purchased that one), I would be covered for most of my books.

Now I just have to go through all of my old books! :)

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

Construction Completed

My classroom is mostly done-it just needs a few more details!

You can see 2012 and 2013 here.
Ready for some picture overload? :)

View from the door, standing on my tiptoes and raising the camera high above me!

Turn left...

Desk/work area

Around the mailboxes and attendance

Fiction Library and Focus Wall

Other corner (with a whiteboard in the middle that I forgot to take a picture of!)

Whole Group and Small Group area

Along the wall

Ready for some students!

Writing Workstation

Show How You Know and Vocab section

My area

Whole group (projector broken :( ) SMART Board area

Student Supplies -the math boxes and chair will find a new home!

Along the other wall now

Nonfiction library on bottom, Math and Science above

ELA Resources

ELA, Writing Portfolios, SS and Tissues!

Closets and then out the door!

I hope you enjoyed the view!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

Wild Selections

Ready for some Wild Reading?

Brought to you by:
Here's some wild selections!

I think I would like to try the 40 book challenge this year (put into that third section of their notebooks with the trackers and refection). I might guide their independent reading selections with some genre requirements, but it will definitely be to choose what you would like.

Has anyone else do the 40 book challenge with their class? How did go? Any suggestions?

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

PS. I've just recently noticed some trouble with Yahoo! disappearing the blogger comments I get emailed to me.  If you've commented on my last few posts and I haven't replied (and you're not a no-reply blogger), I'm sorry! Yahoo! thinks I don't need to see your comments-which is unfortunate to them! I happen to think that all your comments are important. I've switched over to gmail, so hopefully this won't happen again!

Wild Readers~Chapter 1

Ready for some Wild Reading?

Brought to you by:
My thoughts on Chapter 1!

And my Literacy Block:

 *EEKK- Elbow Elbow Knee Knee-Fancy way of saying partner reading :)

I'm definitely a wild reader (or a voracious one, as I prefer).

I'm thinking about how I can have my students be wild readers with a basal (that I really should follow, even though it's awful...), as well as meeting all their needs.

Right now, I only have 16 (I know!), but that will almost certainly change before school starts, and I'll be getting any new ones, as I have the lowest numbers. That will help with meeting their needs (although I'll be all by my lonesome next year, as I have no LC kids-bummer!)

It will be interesting to see how the class is, as of right now their reading levels span from O to V! I hope I can encourage some wild reading for each of them!

Are you a wild reader?

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn