tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52119470786907089392024-03-12T17:01:33.380-06:00Learning Outside the Box..... and sometimes the box isn't even in sight! This is a snapshot of stories, teaching strategies, useful classroom technology, and ideas for teaching - all inspired by working with children with LD, ADHD, and social skills challenges.CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-78765234063727373862012-04-02T11:54:00.003-06:002012-04-02T11:57:31.106-06:00Things to Ponder...<div style="text-align: center;">
Wow, it has been AGES since my last post - and now that I am on spring break I have finally had a chance to breathe and get back into the swing of things. We had an interesting PD day before we left for break, as my school is changing their strategic plan and wanted to get some input from the staff as to the direction the school should be headed (whether or not our input is valued... we shall see!) There was a question they asked that got me thinking - "What will education look like in the future, 20-30 years down the road?". </div>
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The first thing that came to mind was this: </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zDZFcDGpL4U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
And I got excited - maybe change is on it's way? The second thing I thought about was this article: <br />
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<span id="goog_520571682"></span><a href="http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/sweden-debuts-first-classroom-less-school/21558" target="_blank">Sweden debuts first classroom-less school</a></h1>
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<a href="http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/sweden-debuts-first-classroom-less-school/21558" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYvUjuPeLDduEYLY20v7EA0VnHNqZZxaST7M_A6G-pxc_R54rkbzTLw0xMqzRV9me5ndYewNkrSZp2Ol8PMDIjtBY3ykM2yQzQoXohSG10fT__10HC2NxXN8vylRtw57DUEpN4SapbMm0/s320/classroom+less.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And, maybe standardized assessments will soon disappear?!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M2P1UfLvGdT0hOqosDelRqN6FlUVLiRtAygoeXMJkiyydxHfFlhq1sbuuJ2tBFZvtii6rMAPYy1DoYJLo69M7_87N2hzfMZM-lARy5yLXADQhkF4djeR12y7ZaUvXussv97kfs3UW5EW/s1600/standardize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M2P1UfLvGdT0hOqosDelRqN6FlUVLiRtAygoeXMJkiyydxHfFlhq1sbuuJ2tBFZvtii6rMAPYy1DoYJLo69M7_87N2hzfMZM-lARy5yLXADQhkF4djeR12y7ZaUvXussv97kfs3UW5EW/s400/standardize.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And then I thought - who am I kidding? The are so many different people involved in education... how do we even make a dent in order to bring about change? And DO we need to change the paradigms of education? If it were up to me, I would say YES - change is <i>GOOD</i>. <i>But how do we change so that everyone is happy and has their needs met? Seems impossible. </i>Now this would be, some might argue, a good place to give up on the thought. But, instead I think of my little ones that I have taught over my short teaching career so far. If I can bring a sense of fairness, community, and true learning into the 4 walls of my classroom, I know that I have had a positive impact, even if it is on a small scale. Truth is, we can't change education overnight. Over time? Maybe. As long as we are there for each other, there for our kids, and do what we believe to be right each day, we can't go wrong. It is exciting to know that we, as teachers, play such an important role every day - and I think we can all agree that no 2 days are ever the same! I do think that change is on its way, but in what exact direction will education be steered? </div>
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Anyway, these are just my thoughts for the day. I would love to hear what you think! </div>
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Hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break! </div>
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~ChristineCKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-88758186040821647222012-03-02T14:14:00.000-07:002012-03-02T14:17:51.693-07:00Made by the kiddos - PPT to a movie, so EASY!<div style="text-align: center;">
So, I learned a new task the other week - how to turn a Power Point presentation into a movie! It is so super easy, and is great because many students (at least div 2 & up) are able to navigate through Power Point already, so they can easily make movies without learning a new type of program. My gr 4 kids each created a slide to help spread the word to the world about how important our water is to us. I then compiled all the slides into one Power Point, and voila, turned it into a movie to be uploaded to YouTube (scroll down to see how!). My kids are SO excited, and keep checking to see how many hits they have, and if they have gained any new comments - so if you have a second, click on the picture to check it out!!</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFHdo-m2eeQ" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW05LDlW5U-aE2AnphTo1SiJwSS3b2NT-2LipPCJyW6R9xnV_fOrUgFAmmG1uBXwEGPvcw13ejTlo9_qB8BiEYNAWvPHsG2uSUn8EydRNYzF3Bf0o6y-NTkQRA_JSyzY5SX0N1sBaxBZmr/s320/WATER.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have PPT 2010, so I only know how to work specifically with this version of Power Point, although I am sure it is similar on other versions. For the Mac users out there - I'm completely incompetent when it comes to Mac computers (maybe you can teach me a thing or 2?!)</div>
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Here is how to make your Power Point into a movie (the movie will include all transitions, special effects, and sound clips!):</div>
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When you are happy with your Power Point presentation & have saved it normally, click SAVE AS. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8_jttrkWvOtCaKSFTc2c_OVN5OLM8EBHLkHoeTgRod9KhtDP9r9jIA67scJ99lW9s9z5zQVOxPXKnJfVwEO06XYhfbmPiwZImD2vnKLB3yG0jNYp5RqaIwaMdtm7A0yF36YPS-dl5ISv/s1600/save_as.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8_jttrkWvOtCaKSFTc2c_OVN5OLM8EBHLkHoeTgRod9KhtDP9r9jIA67scJ99lW9s9z5zQVOxPXKnJfVwEO06XYhfbmPiwZImD2vnKLB3yG0jNYp5RqaIwaMdtm7A0yF36YPS-dl5ISv/s320/save_as.png" width="152" /> </a></div>
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Then, where it says "Save as type:" select "WINDOWS MEDIA VIDEO"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pcR6-FVQ_AxpeAHYrbnuofqerixRtKD5tAqNZ-fN9DxRPnOey-42wYmJ1TaMkjSQIGxN4wi0IU7kAClU0ETa9bT95BR04jX6WI7RmHIpfJW0l39xbOGomgrfs1NBW86Mo2G9L5HhALyF/s1600/media_video_file.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pcR6-FVQ_AxpeAHYrbnuofqerixRtKD5tAqNZ-fN9DxRPnOey-42wYmJ1TaMkjSQIGxN4wi0IU7kAClU0ETa9bT95BR04jX6WI7RmHIpfJW0l39xbOGomgrfs1NBW86Mo2G9L5HhALyF/s400/media_video_file.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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It will take a few minutes to save, but before you know it, it will be a windows media file and will play in any media program and can be uploaded to YouTube. It's that easy!!</div>
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Let me know if you have any questions, or know of any other fun tips and tricks on the computer for presentations ;)</div>
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Have a great weekend!</div>
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~Christine</div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-88582662760523709842012-02-18T15:00:00.002-07:002012-02-18T15:00:26.270-07:00Simply for Your Enjoyment & Inspiration<div style="text-align: center;">
Here are a couple of funny, fabulous, motivational clips (in my opinion!). If you haven't seen them (or haven't seen them lately), enjoy!</div>
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Sir Ken Robinson - Multiple Intelligences</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KLi-vJSNP6U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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"The Nothing Box" - Men's brains VS Women's brains - funny!</div>
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part 1</div>
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part 2 (& better picture)</div>
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And finally, just something silly - yet funny & true </div>
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(Don't judge me for getting sucked into the fad of these videos! hehe)</div>
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Happy Long Weekend!</div>
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<br /></div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-8618728114050584222012-02-17T16:46:00.000-07:002012-02-17T17:01:53.651-07:00Social Skills, Class Meetings & Freebies!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9U1xeeory2TzYl4mh3SsupJKAt2DYz90q2thIqtGTMt1mGQETDWVdm7TEy3OCisesdqqkubQ9EBRLK5XXqLTiggaOY1GhNjwberBHUpCD8nU5I-RB_GINTGxBm0vDbhl_w3YhuesIStFg/s1600/solutions.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9U1xeeory2TzYl4mh3SsupJKAt2DYz90q2thIqtGTMt1mGQETDWVdm7TEy3OCisesdqqkubQ9EBRLK5XXqLTiggaOY1GhNjwberBHUpCD8nU5I-RB_GINTGxBm0vDbhl_w3YhuesIStFg/s320/solutions.png" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.wordle.net/" target="_blank">.</a>My very favourite part of being a classroom teacher is when we get together as a class, and have a class meeting. It is one thing that I will always do in my classroom, no mater what! We usually have our class meetings and social skills lessons together, at least once a week (plus the impromptu, emergency class meetings when something really big is going on between the kids - teachable moments are so important)! During one of my most successful class meetings, my kids and I came up with some problem solving strategies, and we made the poster above on <a href="http://www.wordle.net/">www.wordle.net</a> (if you haven't checked the Wordle site out, you will love it! Great for mother/father day gifts, projects, displays.. & more!)<br />
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I always tell the kids that in our classroom, we don't create problems, we solve problems. The best way to do that is by having a discussion, and agreeing on a solution that adresses everyone involved. Class meetings are perfect for this! It gives a chance for everyone to have a voice, and for kids to learn from each other. Also, I truly believe that academic learning can not take off to its full potential if students are worrying and obsessing over problems that are hanging over their heads. It is astonishing to see how the kids succeed academically after their social and emotional struggles begin to improve!<br />
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My class meetings work like this:</div>
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We all sit in a circle on the floor, including me. There are very important rules during a class meeting (which is always what our very FIRST class meeting is about) and it is amazing how the kids really take these rules to heart. I choose a stuffy, or another object to be our "talking tool"... and it gets passed around the circle, beginning with me asking a question about the topic that needs to be addressed. <b><span style="color: purple;"> </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Here are our class meeting rules:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;">1. Only the person holding the stuffed animal (or ball/stick/whatever you use) is allowed to speak.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">2. Everyone else shows listening skills to the person talking.</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">3. Everyone has the right to pass </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">4. We must all respect each other - everyone is safe to share what they need to in the circle</span>. </div>
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After a few times of over-accentuating bravery when students share embarrassing or difficult things with the class (because let's face it, that is tough to do - even most adults I know don't admit to their own true struggles!!), the kids begin to feel that they have a voice and are safe to talk with their peers and teacher. And, they all see that other kids are fighting the same battles as they are - from homework troubles, to bullies, to friendship challenges and more. <span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #741b47;">One last little gem that I like to use during class meetings is this: teach the kids how to say "yes" and "no" in sign language. Not only do they think it is super cool, but you can also ask them yes/no questions during meetings and they can answer & participate without talking or disruption ;)</span> </span><br />
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<i> I know that I am very lucky in the fact that our class sizes are small
(due to the high needs of the kids), and I appreciate that class
meetings may be daunting with a large class. Do you ever have class
meetings in a similar way, or do you have any new ideas to share that
have worked? I would love to hear from you!</i><br />
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In the meantime, here are some<b> freebies</b> on a few social skills lessons I do. <br />
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First, we have a class meeting about the topic, where kids can share experiences or ask questions.<br />
Then we discuss the steps to being successful in the skill. </div>
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Finally,
the kids copy the social skill steps off of the board into their own
social story (below). They draw their own picture for each step of the
social skill. Social stories are great - especially for those non-verbal
and 'literal' learners!</div>
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Below is a student sample, to give you an idea of the completed social story.<br />
Click on the sample to download some <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/createplaygrow/freebies/social-skills/socialskillsclassmeetings-templates" target="_blank"><b><u><span style="color: purple;">*Freebies* for your social skills lessons</span>:</u></b></a> Starting a Conversation, Avoiding trouble, Apologizing, Standing up for Yourself, and a generic template. <br />
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/createplaygrow/freebies/social-skills/socialskillsclassmeetings-templates" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZYtVSQo3f0sszg1LR7pm5gk5jMtUwF7LQAwR0I_EueS_gMbzekGfGiHQdlo-HdMoPBXiJJwozeFjsRPrgUQ8tWtL1L9AQhXOLzYs08EboOf6NHVoC-hMDDITdn7mmoHWjSH1KE7xDrVB/s640/Apologizing2.jpg" width="472" /></a><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/createplaygrow/freebies/social-skills/socialskillsclassmeetings-templates" target="_blank">.</a></div>
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Have a great weekend! </div>
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~Christine</div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-12555936520595417972012-02-13T13:40:00.000-07:002012-04-02T11:56:31.804-06:00The Liebster Award?!<div style="text-align: center;">
Wow, it seems like ages since I last left a post (student-led conference time! BUSY busy..)! The other week, I got a <u>great surprise!</u> I am SO excited that Kara from <a href="http://spedventures.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Spedventures</a> gave me the Liebster Blog Award! Wow! I am fairly new to blogging, so this is super exciting, and I am flattered to be nominated! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU9d7-u5wKr2F7oaCFvgsp-r_bUUZ_z-gZecH8CiYXRkIpZ-nQBykWjKgLT5mcv9gtgTFdjtfxyrqueIR0X0FekRpnh0eChgkploEv84zbO7Q0hAqI0G-ci0PDybGH19DPcJfYqHnCcCv/s1600/Thankyou.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU9d7-u5wKr2F7oaCFvgsp-r_bUUZ_z-gZecH8CiYXRkIpZ-nQBykWjKgLT5mcv9gtgTFdjtfxyrqueIR0X0FekRpnh0eChgkploEv84zbO7Q0hAqI0G-ci0PDybGH19DPcJfYqHnCcCv/s1600/Thankyou.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oHR6VSmd-FHJ9dq2c6KaHXp8Q5UavpWkTd4peVFC5NlXV4UbC7Da42OBWYVsqRAcT9Sz5gYFndiOb4SimfQZBskbKPvIZ8Yi1gbU_etV5YIAH_bKxeT9LJtcxRXDoV6FA1EKXia-bmfH/s1600/LiebsterPin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oHR6VSmd-FHJ9dq2c6KaHXp8Q5UavpWkTd4peVFC5NlXV4UbC7Da42OBWYVsqRAcT9Sz5gYFndiOb4SimfQZBskbKPvIZ8Yi1gbU_etV5YIAH_bKxeT9LJtcxRXDoV6FA1EKXia-bmfH/s1600/LiebsterPin.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The rules go as follows:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Show you appreciate the blogger who nominated you with a thank you shout out!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. Nominate 5 other blogs, who have 200 followers or less, by leaving them a comment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">3. Post the award on your blog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">4. Keep up with the blogs you've given the award to...you never know when they are going to hit the blog world, big time!</span></div>
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First things first, a big <b>THANK YOU to Kara for the award!</b> Kara is also a special educator who has amazing ideas, great links, and is obviously passionate about what she does! I love checking back to see her recent posts, stories, and discussions. Go check out her amazing, resourceful and down-to-earth blog: </div>
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There are so many amazing Teacher Blogs out there, and I am amazed at how these fabulous teachers have helped to keep me motivated, have inspired me, and have given me the comfort to know that I am not alone in my struggles and triumphs of this profession. Here are some amazing sites that I have recently stumbled across, and would like to pass this award to:</div>
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Tina, from <a href="http://quenchyourfirst.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Quench Your First</a> has a great site, with incredibly thoughtful, funny, and honest posts. Go ahead and check out her site, you won't regret it! :) </div>
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Mary, at <a href="http://artistryofeducation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Artistry of Education</a> has a great blog that includes Quotes & Questions of the week and has great activities on her TPT store. Also - look for her great freebies!!</div>
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Kim at <a href="http://joyin6th.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Finding JOY in 6th Grade</a> has a great site full of helpful tips, ideas, and challenges me to try new things in my classroom! Her posts are always thoughtful and full of personality. Check it out!</div>
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Sandra from <a href="http://literacyminute.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Literacy Minute</a> has a great tag-line that drew me in right away: "Every child deserves a great teacher, a great school, and the joy that comes from reading a great book!" Love it! If you are looking for some great ideas and awesome freebies, take a look at her sweet site!!</div>
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Last (but definitely not least!) is a blog I just recently came across: <a href="http://envisioningeducation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Envisioning Education</a> - which I found through <a href="http://love4thgrade.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jasztalville: Where Inquiry and Creativity Rules</a> - both blogs have the same Author: Ms. Jasztal. I love both of her sites, but especially <u>Envisioning Education</u> because she is working to turn her dream into a reality - a dream that I also have!! I can't wait to keep up with this blog. </div>
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Happy Monday Everyone!</div>
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~Christine</div>
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<br /></div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-8091731071396675212012-01-18T12:33:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:02:50.413-07:00All Dogs Have ADHD..!<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh my goodness... I was shown an AMAZING book yesterday by one of my collegues! Have you heard of this one??</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Have-ADHD-Kathy-Hoopmann/dp/1843106515/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1326913246&sr=8-3" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAstWpaALjVUrEa-AOcvhdXKP6CWjg0im2WGDjEZKKDMSj7CfYVm5rMhrwTc-U0K26VpZVv7XCRwGFxqKX9FRd0w_G3Mb4il_FMtLSASjVpPxkpituuUiyhWSuamstqf6KIiTkADMj5taY/s200/51lCZu7SUaL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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It is a book by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kathy-Hoopmann/e/B001JP44WA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" target="_blank">Kathy Hoopmann</a>, and she has some amazing books for kids all about ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. This book, <i><u>All Dogs Have ADHD</u></i>, uses extremely cute photographs of all sorts of dogs to help explain what it is like to have ADHD, and helps kids relate to certain behaviours and understand that it is OK to have ADHD. I think it is a great book not only for kids diagnosed with ADHD, but also for kids who are <i>around</i> kids that struggle with attention (classmates, siblings, etc). Kids can instantly recognize the traits that are exemplified by these canines. THEN I did some looking into it, and she has another book that looks great:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Cats-Have-Asperger-Syndrome/dp/1843104814/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYP-A_DUksw5gS38leMRRvWQ1qqeHH8k4_9FzOofQHUAX80oKNTfJk9SCERwIq1FVMZTG52dgEi5B7A81dpeepyJHD8f7U1MnITPtipJPLI_UX90V15_7Qw3Xt5IHUZfqaXqn_SZh74aQ/s200/51HDjtrI-VL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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All Cats have Asperger Syndrome. Incredible. I haven't had a chance to look at this one, but I bet it is great too - can't you picture some feline tendencies relating to the non-verbal/sensory/literal traits of a child with Asperger Syndrome?<br />
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Kathy Hoopman also has an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Bottle-Mystery-Adventure-Adventures/dp/1853029785/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3" target="_blank">adventure series </a>where the characters illustrate what it is like to live with Aspergers; think: A kids version of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Incident-Dog-Night-Time/dp/1400032717/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326914899&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><u><i>"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"</i></u></a> By Mark Haddon (which is a MUST READ if you haven't checked it out yet!).<br />
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And, while we are on the topic of fabulous books, have you read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/House-Rules-Novel-Jodi-Picoult/dp/0743296443/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326914865&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><i><u>House Rules</u></i> </a>by Jodi Picoult? She is one of my absolute favourite authors, and in <i><u>House Rules</u></i>, she delivers an amazing, can't-put-it-down, brilliant novel demonstrating the struggles, triumphs, and challenges between members of society, families, and individuals with Asperger Syndrome (and all based around a murder mystery, too! Can't get much better than that.) Also a must-read if you have not picked it up yet! <br />
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I hope everyone is staying warm out there (us northern-ers anyway.... it is -45 degrees Celsius in Alberta today...brrrrrr. Snow day today!)<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I would love for you to leave me a comment to let me know what you think of these books! Also, if you have any other great resources (or just darn good novels) that you have come across that relate to ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, LD, Social Skills, etc.I would love to hear about them too!</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
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:) ChristineCKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-34752053022740624302012-01-14T23:26:00.000-07:002012-01-22T15:00:09.229-07:00Social Media (sort-of) and..... Full Sentences!Happy New Year! I hope 2012 is treating everyone well so far. Well, we are back into the swing of things, and it barely feels like we had a break - with teaching we seem to just dive right back in, wouldn't you say?! <br />
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I wanted to share my super successful writing lesson I had with my Gr. 4 students this week. I teach Gr. 4, but keep in mind that the kiddos are all diagnosed with learning disabilities, and they all seem to have an especially tricky time with written output. I have been trying ALL year to get the kids to successfully write full sentences on their own, but it sure has been a battle - editing their work tends to bring on negative reactions because it means *more* writing....<br />
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I tried out a website that I had heard about a while back called <a href="http://www.todaysmeet.com/" target="_blank">TodaysMeet</a>. This is a site that is extremely easy to use, and is similar to twitter because there is a live feed that you can view as people submit a message. I like this site because you can set it up for a certain time frame - and then it is deleted. So, for the purpose of this assignment I set the site up for one day, then it would disappear along with all the written messages from my students at the end of the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQ2x9LfnIzf5TNMVTiMEWv55d2iJtOTxtyd1ejWrO8BUEpwfF8rhmgnMS14mI-HxSCiJUujVBuHmOMAxDLWysRSeCaPr_24ExuLSfGwMTC807MJ-dyozg9ohqUF-bHwlsHM4zk5A-45TF/s1600/2012-01-15_0029.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQ2x9LfnIzf5TNMVTiMEWv55d2iJtOTxtyd1ejWrO8BUEpwfF8rhmgnMS14mI-HxSCiJUujVBuHmOMAxDLWysRSeCaPr_24ExuLSfGwMTC807MJ-dyozg9ohqUF-bHwlsHM4zk5A-45TF/s1600/2012-01-15_0029.png" /></a></div>
The lesson....<br />
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I started with a discussion about internet safety, which the kids were really interested in (and took quite seriously!). Then, the kids logged on to the URL I gave them, and they were able to enter their initials so that we would know who was talking (but so that they didn't disclose their full names). I began by asking them a question through typing it into the live feed. As soon as it popped up, the kids began answering the question. As you could guess, most kids answered simply yes or no. It was great because as more kids answered, my question scrolled out of site on the page. I then asked the kids if they would be able to know what my question was, just based on their yes or no answers. They agreed that it was impossible to know my question unless you had read it already. So, I had them re-type their answers by using part of the question in their answer. I had the live feed up on the smart board as well, so I could see who needed support with their answers. By the end of the class, they were ALL answering full sentences, and most even used capitals and punctuation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn3tWgQHr3d9en5L8CzlbnXAj5MM8Y1FcJZBTnZruU-78AGd2BZxzAkIR0aDFAEoVgld9CYYvBvns_pE9l3Jqys3-sB0HhcYh0ekYji389ATZJXOwXeU7hX2XH-WZQtteNjuDhbSwTRtP/s1600/TodaysMeet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn3tWgQHr3d9en5L8CzlbnXAj5MM8Y1FcJZBTnZruU-78AGd2BZxzAkIR0aDFAEoVgld9CYYvBvns_pE9l3Jqys3-sB0HhcYh0ekYji389ATZJXOwXeU7hX2XH-WZQtteNjuDhbSwTRtP/s400/TodaysMeet.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I bet you know what question I asked them!!? It was great because the kids didn't mind re-doing their sentences due to the excitement of it popping up in the live feed. Also, they could *easily* see other students' examples to learn from while writing.<br />
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This is a great website that you could use for so many different things. I am planning to use the site for spelling practice, story planning, among a few other things - not to mention it is great for typing practice, because the kids are motivated to keep writing messages.<br />
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<b>The website is <a href="http://www.todaysmeet.com/">www.todaysmeet.com</a>. Let me know what you think, and if you have any other great ideas that this site could be used for! </b></div>
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:) Christine <br />
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<br />CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-84597170631297448162011-12-20T22:45:00.001-07:002012-02-15T13:25:55.773-07:00Great things came from the '80s...I am so excited to have gained a few followers, and so many comments and visits to my page! Thank you all! <br />
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So, as I am trying to get my motivation up for the *last day* before winter break, I find myself on YouTube, searching my favorite clips. Although my students would make a strong argument that "BBC Talking Animals" or "Funny Cats" are the best videos out on the web, I always end up watching a few tried and true segments that never fail to motivate me. <b><i>Rick Lavoie</i></b> is one of my favourite speakers to watch - as a teacher of kids with Learning Diabilities, I can definitely relate to anything this man talks of. My students are all some combination LD and ADHD, social skills challenges, low (or no) working memory, and slow processing. Needless to say, I have taught some V.E.R.Y bright and unique children - all of which <i>just learn differently</i>. I could talk and talk of this subject, but for now I will leave you with this clip from Rick Lavoie's F.A.T. City Workshop - there are so many clips, but this one is on the topic of reading, decoding, and spatial challenges. Let me know what your take is on what Rick Lavoie has to say. His examples are very interesting, and although he makes some generalizations and over-the-top examples, I find it pretty darn interesting... not to mention all the e x c e l l e n t '80s attire and hair-styles. ;) <br />
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If you are like me, and will spend a bunch of time watching 'related videos' when you find something good, you MUST check out Rick Lavoie's clip entitled "When the Chips are Down". Fabulous stuff!</div>
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Here are a few favourite websites of mine: </div>
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<a href="http://www.ldonline.org/">http://www.ldonline.org/</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.ldaa.net/">http://www.ldaa.net/</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.totallyadd.com/">http://www.totallyadd.com/</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ldexperience.ca/">http://www.ldexperience.ca/</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.learninglinkslibrary.ca/">http://www.learninglinkslibrary.ca/</a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Do you find it hard to keep all of your individual kids' needs in mind while you are teaching? Is your schooling system in support of using academic time to work on some time-consuming, but very much needed strategies for learning? I am from up north in Canada, and I would love to hear some of your thoughts from different countries & systems! </span></b></div>
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~ Christine</div>
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<br />CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-51900474331670535642011-12-08T17:17:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:00:36.657-07:00Pearl TreesI have come across a fabulous little tool - especially if your school has access to a student set of computers or a computer lab. Have you ever had an amazing lesson planned, integrating technology with a super website....only to spend half of your class helping the kids type in the URLs and micromanaging what websites they are really visiting? <br />
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Check out <a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/" target="_blank">Pearl Trees.</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8l1ZAif0mYk4aS1kkDB_CacajGPPFyPNU0bBtoLJQgX-QJ3YZ864jBpLgcGs5yacTRA269jEp2EkXQWzS11yKoZRVoKkZg_tT-WV2zvzGLagpFBKXPKUlH4XwKVaTXZFOpRzCZvi12aYL/s320/pearl_trees.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once you sign up (for free), you can organize and save selected websites for your students to easily access. You get your own URL, and once you have saved this to favourites for your kids, they can easily access any sites you have saved with just one click. Or perhaps you want to use it just for your own organizational purposes?</div>
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Here is my Pearl Trees site, if you want to check it out and see some of the great educational sites I have saved. <a href="http://pearltrees.com/karlen">http://pearltrees.com/karlen</a> My school is lucky enough to have class sets of lap-top computers for the kids, so once in a while I give the kids Pearl Tree free time - this way I know what sites they are visiting, and can be assured that they are educational games.</div>
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The best part is that this handy little toolbar is installed to your browser:</div>
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So if you find a neat website to add to your Pearl Tree, all you do is click PEARL while you are on that site, and it is added. Easy as pie. </div>
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I find that this is especially helpful for those little ones who can't quite type yet. </div>
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<strong><em>Do you think that you would use this in your classroom?? </em></strong></div>
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<br /></div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-26207115704173164852011-12-03T15:39:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:02:44.035-07:00Stand Together!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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We all know that the profession of teaching is so much more than just teaching curriculum content - we are problem solvers, care-givers, friendship-coaches, confidence-boosters and so, so much more. </div>
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Bullying is one thing that we, as teachers, have a huge responsibility to address. I have been following Jillian Harris (who is absolutely fabulous!) and Extreme Makeover Home Edition on Twitter, and have been *waiting* for this week's episode to air - an episode about the Walker family, whose son took his own life because of the extreme bullying he was experiencing. </div>
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What an amazing, inspirational message that this family has given to us all. </div>
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An initiative that is trending right now is this: Stand Together to End Bullying. Visit <a href="http://www.standtogether.tv/">http://www.standtogether.tv/</a> to take your pledge to Stand Toether and make a difference. </div>
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<strong>This is my number:</strong></div>
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<strong>What will yours be?</strong> </div>
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So far there are over <strong><em>70 000 people</em></strong> who have visited the site, and taken the pledge! Please join this community, and inspire others to do the same. If you are in Canada, watch the episode of <u>Extreme Makeover, Home Edition</u> on <a href="http://www.citytv.com/">www.citytv.com</a> and in the US, I am sure you can watch it on <a href="http://www.abc.com/">www.abc.com</a>. Check it out, I promise it will warm your heart!</div>
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<strong> How do you help students with bullying challenges at school? What are your most inspirational stories about bullying?</strong> </div>
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I'd love to hear your comments on this oh-so-important topic!</div>
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~Much love, CK </div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-374442109467506382011-12-01T22:14:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:03:07.484-07:00Writing PromptsIt is amazing to see the ideas that kids can come up with from a single picture prompt... reading my students' writing is one of my favourite things to do (when it comes to marking, anyway!). Usually, we spend some time as a class brainstorming ideas about Characters, Setting, Problem, and Solution. Yesterday the kids wrote stories based on the "mystical tree" image - we brainstormed nouns and adjectives (character & setting) and the kids got some great vocaubulary and ideas from our mind map on the board. I haven't read the stories yet, but I think they will be quite interesting! <br />
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Here are some fun picture prompts that I have used with students grades 2 - 6, save them to your computer if you'd like to try them out for your next creative writing lesson! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhTGGhqfNcYp4C-8Z5jFLJKXeblHzFJoNigJ7LDDtXkvm_htPBzL5JMROp5Z_xIiaMuXVpAsmmIQcyGnWW5MTEI0fsTeYNYIrAYvdo4WiksHh7sX_LWvy1svkBDKqNcKqDZHGO-iEcqvm/s1600/penguins2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhTGGhqfNcYp4C-8Z5jFLJKXeblHzFJoNigJ7LDDtXkvm_htPBzL5JMROp5Z_xIiaMuXVpAsmmIQcyGnWW5MTEI0fsTeYNYIrAYvdo4WiksHh7sX_LWvy1svkBDKqNcKqDZHGO-iEcqvm/s320/penguins2.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-16086735133730066212011-11-29T16:37:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:03:21.032-07:00Nouns, Adjectives, Verbs - with a twist!I have had a reallllllllyyy hard time getting my kiddos to add some adjectives and verbs to their writing, so today I went back to the basics and we discussed all 3. After doing some actions and repetition of nouns, adjectives, and verbs, I used the worksheets below and played some clips for the kids off of youtube. INCREDIBLE NOUNS - a 3 minute clip from the movie The Incredibles. The kids had to write down any nouns that they could see while watching the movie clip. Just to be sure to help those students who were overwhelmed with this idea, we did a web on the board after the clip, where they could copy down the nouns from. Same idea for adjectives and verbs - MONSTROUS ADJECTIVES - we watched a small clip from Monsters Inc. KUNG-FU VERBS - a scene from Kung-Fu Panda. We were calling out and writing down the words as we saw them on the movie clips. The kids were so creative with the words they found, and they loved this lesson! Then, we carried on to do some practice on worksheets from <a href="http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/">www.superteacherworksheets.com</a> <br />
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Tomorrow we are having our school's monthly Story Writing morning, so I will be back with some fun story-writing prompts I have - and hopefully the good news that my students' writing included some verbs & adjectives! <br />
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I have had trouble downloading my original, but this picture should give you an visual idea of how to create this super-simple worksheet - until I get my google docs worked out! (sorry!)</div>
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:) CK</div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-12127797605181913802011-11-27T16:03:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:00:36.650-07:00Quietube - a great little tool!<span style="font-size: large;">Have you heard of quietube?</span> If you have ever used You-Tube in the classroom during your lessons, you will love this. It is a SUPER SIMPLE way to get rid of advertisements and "suggested videos" when you are showing a youtube video, because let's face it - they are not always age-appropriate for our kiddos. <br />
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Check out the site and instructions by clicking on the button. </div>
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<a href="http://www.quietube.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPm8ctl9p_mlUOp87Ml37qgbcdRjx79OwRLnAScA5K0ZV0OXJvLgQmaBA8i-2ZnxE3dykst9a9ackFnAMoxx4lcqs9OC-0TgdzW9A-AcCeAL6Xad_WxvL5Y-hkNV8BeEfZF2hCcw9qjxR/s1600/2011-11-27_1553.png" /></a></div>
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<br />CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-56214657721591458602011-11-27T15:18:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:04:03.964-07:00Today you are you, that is truer than trueI find it sweet that some Dr. Seuss quotes can apply throughout your whole life. This year, I had these Dr. Seuss quote posters made, to put up around my classroom. They aren't too flashy & colourful, but have a nice old-school-chalk-board feel. I had them printed on 11x17 paper, and they are a fabulous touch for the classroom! <br />
~CK<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B04TKoczH7WjMTRhYjYxZDUtYTc0NC00ZjM2LWJhMzYtOTRmMGVkOTQzNzFk&hl=en_US" target="_blank">CLICK HERE to download original PDF</a> </div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcbpjl_f4jKmw8OLVzGAfT80yfOJT2tvsr5pCx9kKbqLTL4jaUugqh3LtiVs8YkkVY29XUaJPcU6tV4s10nl8Wtq7PUxZoQEpBoR5gtu5Buoj4cAaCALgrCi5sU3B6evFrrDIqgsnrOAF/s200/Brains.png" width="156" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtrW-n9Jt3RThL7t0RORNTisn_O-1JQ3F-RvmSil5IaQQ3q7K4Twj5kwU8Jt-y_5X8V9Wb2163zYNMDK1JleBo7GSd306Ksz2k36GRmU1uL8Pkb0qf4bA-2S3Ul5Z3wKkl9YsUaS4HCcp/s1600/Places_you%2527ll_go.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtrW-n9Jt3RThL7t0RORNTisn_O-1JQ3F-RvmSil5IaQQ3q7K4Twj5kwU8Jt-y_5X8V9Wb2163zYNMDK1JleBo7GSd306Ksz2k36GRmU1uL8Pkb0qf4bA-2S3Ul5Z3wKkl9YsUaS4HCcp/s200/Places_you%2527ll_go.png" width="155" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshjnmV37ZCUPYViJoh-mmTL5ZVbz2pJjZuaw6GIMw5kY7VULXu5RHZXhr3RUHE1Md3Q12itetQYtIT4h7wkc-i7q1ojDzw9bmZrh2vXQPI48izIKhVKmF-6kXfIt4JZcEzR7Z42EwZz15/s1600/You.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshjnmV37ZCUPYViJoh-mmTL5ZVbz2pJjZuaw6GIMw5kY7VULXu5RHZXhr3RUHE1Md3Q12itetQYtIT4h7wkc-i7q1ojDzw9bmZrh2vXQPI48izIKhVKmF-6kXfIt4JZcEzR7Z42EwZz15/s200/You.png" width="154" /></a></div>
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<br />CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-8395743851765730352011-11-24T17:31:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:01:26.947-07:00Have you seen this video?!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Here is a little inspiration for you:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a video called <strong><u>Animal School</u></strong> that I absolutley love. It reminds me why I am a teacher and how to keep perspective on why we are here - it is ALL FOR THE KIDDOS. We are their biggest advocates, until they can advocate for themselves. <3 </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Enjoy!</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/o8limRtHZPs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211947078690708939.post-60274945809022392272011-11-23T16:57:00.001-07:002011-11-27T12:55:55.111-07:00On a day like today....<span style="font-size: large;">Well, here goes. I have never done a blog before, and in fact I can remember the first time that I heard the word "blog" quite a few years ago... and my friends and I had a long conversation about what the heck a "blog" could be. I am a special education teacher in my 5th year teaching, and have a love and passion for working with kids - especially those "quirky" kids that may struggle academically, but have enough personality and love to fuel a school on their own. I have often thought that I need a place to keep track of the endless stories, ideas, and events that happen throughout the day, and this might just be the answer! On a day like I had today, I am in much need of some inpiration... I have recently discovered many teacher blogging sites, and have been inspired by all that I have visited - so here I go with my own. We'll see if it flies! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">;) CK</span>CKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03867216782839259219noreply@blogger.com1