Fabulous Fourth Grade

Using One Ipad in the Classroom

2012-12-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

Check out this blog which is all about ipads http://ipadsinschool.blogspot.com/

Have you discovered Edmodo?

2012-11-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

Happy election day! I hope that you all found your way to the polls today to cast your vote. I wanted to talk about the excellent teaching tool, Edmodo. I was introduced to Edmodo this school year, and I have loved every second of it! Edmodo is a free website where you can interact with students, students can interact with you, and students can interact with students. Edmodo can be accessed from a computer and they also have a great I-Pad app.

With Edmodo you have the capability to post assignments, polls, and quizzes for your students to see. Once you and your students have created an Edmodo account you can begin. Today, I used Edmodo to have my students cast a vote for president.

I use Edmodo every day in my math stations. Edmodo is a great way to differentiate assignments because you can create groups within your class. Here's what the students will see when you post an assignment.

I have also used Edmodo in literature circles. I post assignments to students and they can answer questions about the book that we are reading. Check out this great article about different ways that you could use Edmodo in your classroom.

Brilliant Ways to Use Edmodo

Here is another great slide show that I found online. It has some interesting ways to use Edmodo in your classroom.

20 Ways to Use Edmodo from seyfert6

QR Codes Continued...

2012-10-26T12:24:00.003-07:00

On the last post I talked about how I had started to incorporate QR codes into my classroom. For a quick review let me talk about how you can create QR codes. Its very simple! You can go to any QR generator website. I prefer the website "Go QR.ME" simply because its really simple and easy to use. Once you go to the website it will prompt you to this page:

http://goqr.me/

You can type in text or a webpage address. I use the snipping tool on my computer to copy and paste the QR code into a word document. You can also download the QR code to your computer.

Okay! So once you have created your QR code let's talk about what to do with them! I use them a lot in my math stations. I will type in problems in the QR generator and my students scan the problem and solve it. You can also use the QR codes as a way for students to check their work after they solve a problem. I plan on using these a lot more in my classroom, and I can't wait to share with you guys how I've used them!

Below you will find some of the worksheets that I created for my math stations.

QR Partial Products
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Multiply by 10s QR Codes

QR Codes

2012-10-22T10:56:00.002-07:00

Hello! It has been a while since we have blogged! We have missed you guys! Life is so crazy this school year. Common Core has really taken over our lives! I have started Grad school this semester to earn my Master's degree. I never realized how hard work, school, and being a wife could be!!

Alright, enough complaining...life really is great! I wanted to share with you my latest obsession...QR CODES! QR Codes are the little codes that you see everywhere now. You can see these codes in magazines, books, and even on your fruit! They are a great and easy way to get more information.

Well this year, I have started using QR codes in my classroom. I have a QR code on the board for my students to scan their morning work, I use them in math stations, and reading stations. I wanted to show you how to make these codes today! I use the website GOQR.ME. I really like this website. It is a free and easy way to generate QR codes.

http://goqr.me/

You simply type into the box what you want your students to see when they scan the QR code. I'll share more about how I have used QR codes in my classroom in a later post! Try creating your own QR codes. Have you used QR codes in your classroom?

Scootpad

2012-09-14T10:10:00.001-07:00

This is a great resource to help our students with Common Core Math. Just sign your students up and they can work on this with an ipad or a laptop at home or school. There are problems for each standard and this will give the students a great oppurtunity to practice what you just taught. It is absolutely free. http://www.scootpad.com/

Great Ideas

2012-09-04T09:11:00.001-07:00

Here are a few great ideas that may help you spruce up your classroom. I had was given this really old looking drawer. It was brown and scratched up a bit. I really, to be honest, got tired of looking at the ugliness. I thought about painting it, but I really didn't want to have to sand it and go through all of that. Instead, I found this amazing polka dotted tape. If you look around my room, you will definately see spots. I really like them! I decided to put tape on the front of the drawers and it has made a huge difference on the look of it.

I was shopping for school decorations at the local teacher store. I really like the idea of border on my white board. I just don't like putting the tape on and having to stick it. Well, while I was shopping, I found this incredible new invention. If only I would have thought of this. I saw magnetised border!!

I also was online looking at educational sites. I found this sight that had a teacher whose room had all table tops and desk tops covered with white boards. I thought that was a pretty neat idea. Well I knew that I would not be able to do this for the tops of the students desks, but I could put a white board on my back table. I went to Home Depot and bought a piece of shower board that cost around $14. I had my table measurements and I had them cut it to fit my table top. They didn't charge me to cut it because they only had to make two cuts. I will say that this has been a great benefit to me and my students. When I pull my students back for guided math, my students and I are able to work the problems out right on the table.

Common Core Math

2012-08-30T17:03:00.001-07:00

This year is off to a great start as we continue to look for new strategies to use in teaching these new standards. We have created a couple new anchor charts and some homework that goes along with some of the new standards. We hope that these are useful to you. Anchor Charts

Math Station Rotation Chart

Worksheets 2012 Common Core Math Les. 1 Wkst Common Core Les. 16 Hwk Common Core Les. 17 Hwk

I-Pads in the Classroom

2012-08-25T20:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Saturday! I hope that you all have had a good start to your school year. We have been busy, busy getting back into the groove of things! I have been blessed this year to be part of an I-Pad pilot classroom. I wanted to share some of the great Apps that I have used with my class so far this year.

One of the best apps has been an app called Nearpod. This is a FREE app where you can download presentations, and present the presentations on individual I-Pads. There is a teacher app and a student app. You have to download both. The students open the student app on their I-Pads and the teacher gives them a launch code for the presentation they want the students to use.

The best part about Nearpod is that you can make it interactive. The students can write in an answer. You can add a poll or a quiz. You can check the student's understanding after they solve and answer questions.

I have been using Nearpod for my math lessons and my students are so engaged in the lesson!! Has anyone else tried using this great app in your own classroom?

Calendar Math

2012-08-11T10:37:00.001-07:00

Hello All! Mrs. Childress and I have been super busy getting ready for our new school year. Our school district changed our school year calendar and we started back on August 2nd. It was a very short summer! We have tried to re-vamp our morning work. I have found lots of examples of calendar math on Pinterest. I decided to make one of our on that was aligned to our new Common Core standards. We plan on changing out some of the tasks as we teach new concepts. Here is the first calendar math that we plan on trying next week.

Calendar Math 2012Calendar Math

Paint Swatches....a FREE and FABULOUS resource

2012-07-24T11:54:00.003-07:00

Happy Tuesday! I hope this Summer day is treating you well. We are on our last full week of Summer vacation.... : ( As the school year approaches I am constantly searching for new ideas. Mrs. Childress has recently posted about using paint swatches as book marks....fabulous idea!! I found some other great ways to use paint swatches in your classroom on Pinterest. Check these out.....

I found this picture, which uses the paint swatches as a vocabulary ring. I love this idea! I think this could be great for a vocabulary station. You could use it for reading or math.

Over at Upcycled Education they have used the paint swatches for mini KWLs. I LOVE this!

One of my favorite ways to use the paint swatches is for exit tickets. Very neat!

New School Year Is Almost Here!

2012-07-13T07:53:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends,

I just wanted to let you know that Mrs. Childress and I are still alive in the blogging world! We have been so busy over the past couple of months. Mrs. Childress has been taking care of her family. She is about to visit Italy with her wonderful husband. I have been busy planning a wedding....I am now offically a newlywed! We are back from our honeymoon and beginning our new life as Mr. and Mrs. We will be adding new things to the blog very shortly. We are so excited about some new and exciting things that are happening in our classrooms this school year. We can't wait to share them with you! We will be answering all of you wonderful questions, and trying to help you in your classrooms as much as we can. We hope you all have had a wonderful Summer, and we can't wait to start this school year with you! Talk to you soon....stay cool!

Mrs. Childress & the new Mrs. Parker

Create Bookmarks for your Students

2012-07-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

I saw this idea on pinterest and decided to make my own. I picked up these paint strips from Walmart and Lowes for free. I picked out the paint strips that were the longest and I cut some in half. I also punched hole in the top and added a ribbon. I bought the cheapest ribbon ($0.47) I could find at Walmart. On pinterest they also placed stamps on them. I know my students are always asking for bookmarks and this is a cheap way to have them in your class throughout the year.

EOG Vocabulary Terms

2012-04-25T10:05:00.001-07:00

Another way we get ready for the EOG is to create a EOG word wall. We have the students make note cards with the words and definitions on them. The reading words are in pink and the math words are in blue. They play games with these words and quiz each other with these words. They practice reviewing these words several weeks before taking the test.

EOG Math Vocabulary EOG Reading Vocabulary

Teaching Ordered Pairs

2012-04-24T07:59:00.001-07:00

We have been reviewing EOG objectives for several weeks now. This is one activity that you could also do with your students to help them review ordered pairs. I found graph paper in our school. I printed out numbers to create the graph. I also printed out small animal pictures, the alphabet, and stars. I placed these on three different graphs. I also made a worksheet that would go with each graph. The students were put into stations and were to create the ordered pair for each figure. The students had a great time. This was a great check to see if the students understand the concept of ordered pairs.

End of Grade Review Strategies....Can't Believe Its Here Already!

2012-04-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hello! Happy Monday to you all! Well we have made it through two days since the end of Spring break. Now that we are back at it we are starting to prepare our students for the End of Grade tests that we have in May. In North Carolina fourth grade students are tested on reading and math. We spend some time trying to get our students to remember everything that we crammed in through out the year! I thought I would tell you about some of the things that we do to review because I know many of you are also starting to prepare for your state tests. One of the things that I really enjoy doing with my students is Laura Candler's "Buddy Test Prep". She has created a really neat activity that helps students to figure out problems by themselves, and with a partner. You are also able to see how your students do on test practices. You can download the packet here for free.

This is just one of the many activities that we do to review. I will be posting other ways that we are working to get our students ready for the end of grade tests. We would love to hear how you are helping your students get ready for your end of grade tests!

EOG Check Cards

2012-04-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

EOG are right around the corner and we have been working hard to get our students ready! Our students often go through EOG review and practice. It is so hard to make this type of review fun for the students. We pass out the passage and allow the students to answer the questions on their own. We then read the passage together and go over the answers. We write the students names or team name on the board. The students use these EOG cards to show what they chose as their answer. If they get the answer correct, we put a point next to their name or team name. After going over it, the group that gets the most correct gets a piece of candy. If I am checking for each individuals answers, they will recieve as many jelly beans as correct answers. These EOG cards are a great way to check to make sure your students are on choosing the correct answers.

EOG Selection Sheet

2012-04-16T05:09:00.001-07:00

It is important that we are relate the reading skills that we have practiced all year to the selections that our students will see on the EOG. This EOG Selection Sheet can be use with any fiction passage and will help them practice their skills. We hope you find this useful! EOG Selection

Reading Response Journals

2012-03-19T09:01:00.003-07:00

Happy Monday! Is March flying by as fast for you as it is for us?? I wanted to write and tell you about how we have our students complete their nightly reading. Last year we decided that we were finished with having the students complete a reading log. We felt like the students were not reading like they should be. A lot of times our parents would even admit to just signing the reading log for their child with out checking to see if they had read or not! That's when we came up with the idea of doing reading journals. We have the students choose from a reading topic to write about after they have read for twenty/thirty minutes. Here is a an example of the topics that we use.

The students have to choose a different topic to write about every night. We go around and check to make sure that each child completed their reading response journal (RRJ...to the kids) in the morning. I usually take my student's journals up once a week to grade them.

Response Questions

Reading Response Journal Questions

Here is an example of one of my student's reading journals.

This may not work for classroom. We have found that it has really helped to improve our student's reading comprehension and writing skills. I would like to add that we did take time at the beginning of the school year to train our students on most of the journal questions. We would pick out a journal number for them to do each night, but before the students wrote about that topic we modeled how to write about that topic. This really helps to make sure that the students understand what they are supposed to do, and what your expectations are.

March Math Madness

2012-03-15T06:17:00.004-07:00

Happy Thursday! I know that lots of you are excited about the NCAA tournament starting today. I'm not a huge basketball fan, but I love seeing how excited everyone gets over the games. To go along with the excitement of the tournament our school is hosting a math night for parents and students this week. Students can come with their parents and play different math games that each grade level has created. To go along with March Madness, Mrs. Childress and I transformed our grade level bulletin board to a basketball theme. The board has math problems that go along with the different teams playing. We also wanted to show where each team is located on a map for the kids to see. So, we pinned each team on the U.S. map. As the teams lose in the tournament we are going to take down that team's pin. Our school is also participating in a bracket playoff...so I know that the teachers will enjoy this too!

Teach Hub created a division activity that goes along with March Madness. If you click on their link you can sign up for a free account and download the activity. I definitely think that the kids will enjoy this!

Have a great day...and have fun cheering your team on!

Comic Strip Sequencing

2012-03-13T06:25:00.001-07:00

This activity allows students to recognize sequencing in a fun way. The students will draw four main events that happened in the story and then they will tell what happened on the lines below the picture. The students are learning to sequence, but the also love the fact that they get to draw while doing it. Comic Strip

Comparing Fiction and Non-Fiction Continued....

2012-03-08T11:02:00.001-08:00

As you may have read earlier this week we have been busy working with our students on understanding the differences between fiction and non-fiction text. Today we talked about the different types of text that are considered fiction and non-fiction. The students brain stormed the different types of text. We came up with this anchor chart based off of what the students came up with.

After that we had the students look at a non-fiction and fiction book. We asked the students to think of same ways that the books were alike and different. The students filled in their ideas on a venn-diagram. From their ideas we created this anchor chart.

We then put the students into small groups. We put different non-fiction and fiction books at the student's desk. In their groups the students examined each of the books. They decided whether the books were fiction or non-fiction. Then the students wrote down how they knew what genre the books were. For example if the students had the book The Mitten, the would check "Fiction". They could put that they knew it was fiction because it had talking animals. Here is my class completing this activity. The worked so hard!

You can download the worksheets that we used below! We hope that you can find these activities useful in your classroom. I really think that our kiddos learned a lot! Comparing Fiction and Non-Fiction Books

Comparing Fiction and Non-fiction Text

2012-03-06T10:17:00.002-08:00

We have been talking to our students about text features and where they would find text features. We also have been talking to our students about the differences between fiction and non-fiction text. We paired our students up and gave them a fiction and non-fiction book. They were to go through the Comparing Fiction and Non-fiction Text sheet that I created to determine where they would find each listed item. The students really struggled with this. I was amazed that they did not recognize the difference between the two. This worksheet was enlightening. We plan to do this activity much earier in the year next time. Sometimes the pages do not show up quite right on the blog. If you click on it, the words appear as they should be. Comparing Fiction and Non Fiction Text Based on Text Features

2012-02-27T04:52:00.001-08:00

We created this gameboard template and directions that went along with the story this past week. You can use this with any story and the students enjoyed working with their partner to create this gameboard. Game Board Template

Bookworm Station

2012-02-27T04:38:00.002-08:00

I know that someone asked for this a while back. I have finally created a new sheet that is much more attractive. Hopefully you will be able to use this. Bookworm

iPad Resources Part 2!

2012-02-19T07:18:00.001-08:00

We recently published a post about different resources for using iPads for your classroom. Shannon and I got an iPad to use in our classroom that was purchased with a grant from our school! We've found so many different iPad resources to use in our classroom. I am fortunate enough to have my personal iPad and school iPad in my classroom. There are so many great ways to use an iPad in your classroom. I hope you find the resources useful!

One of the best Apps that I have found is called Splashtop. This app uses your iPad as a remote for what is displayed on your computer. I use this app to pull up my interactive white board lesson on my iPad via my computer. My iPad displays the lesson and I can walk around the classroom and get my students involved in the lesson. They LOVE it. The app is $4.99, but so worth it!

One of the biggest ways that I have been using my iPad in my classroom is during small group lessons. I will often pull up graphic organizers or videos to show during my small group lessons. I love the ShowMe app. It is an interactive white board on your iPad. You can write and record different lessons. This is a great tool to reteach a concept. I also think that it is a great way for your higher level students to create their own lessons. The ShowMe app is free!

This is a Google Doc that some teachers at our school, Shuford Elementary, complied together. There are many different types of apps that can be used across all grade levels. This list was started by Cindy Geddes, a first grade teacher at our school. Thank you Cindy!

Apps for Shuford