WHEW!!!!!!!!

It’s hard to believe that this semester of Graduate school is coming to an end.  Although both classes have been filled with assignments to keep me VERY busy…I have to admit that I have learned so much from them both. In my technology based course, I can’t begin to share all of the things I have been introduced to this semester.  I have been successful at joining the Twitter world, a social bookmarking site, creating a useful annotated bibliography for future use, I created a lesson plan to share with others through a broad-based internet network AND create a blog that I can continue to use even after the course has ended. WHEW!!!!!! I need a nap!

No joke…I have seriously learned SO much that I can incorporate into my current classroom. I have even found myself throughout the semester lying awake in the middle of the night thinking of all of the possibilities that I can do with my new “Technological Awareness”.  Sounds like I need a life doesn’t it???? It’s true though, I have kept a notebook all semester to list the things I want to incorporate next year. With the hectic schedule that I have had this semester…I have been unable to implement many of the ideas I have learned thus far, into my classroom. I need time to reflect and plan on just what I want to implement. I am so excited though! One thing I plan to continue for sure is this blog! Even though I have a blog for my class at school….this one is designed more for teachers and colleagues. I like to seek out information to blog about and write it exactly as I am thinking. I love being able to create a collection of ideas and links in one general location such as this blog! I would like to think that others could benefit from the information that I post about also.  I really like that we were required to also provide links to our blog posts as well. This made me search and seek out new information that connected directly to the topic that I was blogging about. I think that we all get comfortable with our current routines and procedures. Being required to step out of our comfort zone and take chances on new things is sometimes hard and uncomfortable…but reaping the benefits of learning something new is …PRICELESS!

In  keeping with the requirements of all of our blogs...I decided for this particular post to link information about creating classroom blogs...for student and colleague use!  Happy reading...

 Blogging with Students

Blogging for Teachers and Students

Teaching Blog Addict 

 

Check This Out!

If you haven't ever heard of "Teachers Pay Teachers"...you are missing out! It is an awesome site where educators of all grade levels, subjects and special areas... create and post original ideas they have designed for other educators to purchase. Ok...I know what you are thinking at this point in the post....WE ARE TEACHERS...WE ARE NOT RICH!...I know the very thought of having to purchase materials for your classroom use with your own personal bank account can make your stomach hurt. Don't stop reading this now...hear me out for a few more minutes and you will understand what I'm talking about.

Here is the link to the Teachers Pay Teachers website....

As the site states..."It's an open market place for educators". Click onto the picture above to see just what this site is all about. It's teachers connecting to other teachers through their ideas and products. I have purchased MANY things through this site myself. I particularly focus on specific units of study to purchase. For as little as $5.00-$7.00 dollars, I can purchase a complete unit to download with activities from every subject we cover. For example, I have purchased many units from Deanna Jump's product list.  Her units include math, science, literacy, writing and many more ideas. When buying a unit, you get to download it immediately for use after purchase. I don't know about you....but what a time saver. We are all super busy in our day to day lives, and finding resources that are created by other teachers, are like finding a gold mine.  I do not have the time right now in my life to devote to creating such a wealth of resources....It is worth 5 and 6 dollars to me to simplify my life and enhance my instruction time as well!  Many times, you will find FREE downloadable resources on Teachers Pay Teachers! In fact, there is even a tab to access the FREE items in a complete list. Here it is….FREE Items. 
Almost every seller on the site will post FREE downloads for you you to access from time to time.

 What is even greater than all this I've already told you is...you can become a SELLER on the site too and get paid for your great and wonderful ideas! Yes..it's true! It is super easy to become a seller and start getting paid for all of the things you painstakingly create and design. Just think, you can start to sell you items, to make money to purchase other products!  It's a win/win situation!
OK, just so you know, (and I guess you have already thought about this),...NO...I do not get anything for promoting this site in this blog post! I just wanted to share a great resource that I have found that I LOVE!

Teachers always share things with other teachers...our ideas, our activities, our resources...and especially our love for what we do each day to touch the lives of our students!

My Educational Addiction...

I have to confess...I have an addiction! Once my school day is complete, home responsibilities are in check, graduate school work is caught up, and lunches made for the next day...I turn to my current educational addiction!  I am what you would call...A Blog Stalker! I admit it....I spend a lot of time searching other Kindergarten teacher blogs! I think that blogs are the most amazing resource for me as a classroom teacher. It's like a online collaboration of ideas and resources. I am able to collect a wealth of  new ideas, teacher made resources, and new approaches for teaching kindergarten concepts!This is the real reason for my addiction!
Having the common factor of being an Early Childhood educator with the bloggers that I read, is like having a huge party of my closest kindergarten colleagues all together and sharing ideas with one another. Just this week alone,  while reading through my blog list, ....I have printed out a new book to use with my "insect" unit,as well as a really cool way to incorporate an insect art activity into my math time, and an awesome template to use when assessing my students during reading instruction time. All of these things were found on other kindergarten teacher blogs! (I am including the link to these blogs at the bottom of this post.) Because of my addiction searching, I have gained wonderful insight into new and innovative center activities just from reading and following other classroom bloggers. These blogs usually include detailed descriptions, pictures, and links to additional resources. In my last post, I linked my Social Bookmarking list. In this list, I included several teacher blogs that I follow. Here is the link to my Delicious list again--- Social Bookmarking List-.

The blogs that I am referencing are "teacher share"... rather than a classroom blog where the students are responsible for posting and commenting. They are specifically designed for the the classroom teacher to share and connect with other teachers.
Below are a few of my favorite blogs to visit. These blogs are filled with math, literacy, organizational, science, social studies, and so many more ideas!

A  HUGE shout out to the  AWESOME teachers that take their time to create these wonderful blogs, share the fabulous resources, and continue to inspire other teachers like myself to find new ways to teach kindergarten! These are just a few of my favorites to follow....I hope you enjoy them too.

Mrs. Jump's Class

Chalk Talk

Dr. Jean and Friends

Growing Kinders

Social Bookmarking....huh?

Just as the title of this post states...when I first heard that I was going to be required to complete an assignment on "Social Bookmarking"...my first response was somewhat like a response  my students sometimes give..."huh?"   I had not earthly idea what this term even meant, much less how to complete an assignment for this. Just as I have done for all of my other technology assignments this term, I just jumped right in and started exploring what this involved. With the extremely helpful information from my instructor, I was able to embark on a new adventure and  navigate through a social bookmarking site called "Delicious".  I have to admit, JUST the title of the site scared me! I was thinking I was going to be way to old and technology challenged to ever fully understand this concept called "social bookmarking".

Well...I was so wrong! What an interesting and beneficial tool to use when searching on the Internet?! Through this "Delicious" site, I was able to save other websites and resources that I found and organize them through this awesome site. One of the most ingenious features of the site is the toolbar tab that allows you to click and save the site you are reading directly into the Delicious files.  It made it so easy to complete this project. I would search the Internet for whatever topic I wanted to review and once I had decided if the material was something that I wanted to save....all I had to do was click on the toolbar tab and it was saved!  I could go in  later and add tags, descriptions of the site, and even group together sites that were similar or about the same topic.I am HOOKED!  I was searching and clicking like I had been social bookmarking for years. Here is the actual link to my Delicious profile for you to see what I have collected.

Colburn's Delicious Profile

Within this profile, I have saved about 35 different sites that all involve teaching, kindergarten, literacy, math and 21st century skills. I have included webpages, web journal articles, blogs, videos, and podcasts all within this search. Each entry includes tags for ease of searching and sorting. One of the resources that I have added to my Delicious profile focuses on  Literacy Learning Centers/Stations for kindergarten students.

Here is the link to access this great resource.

Classroom Literacy Center Ideas

 I hope that you can find some ideas on this site as well. If you don't... be sure to click over to my Delicious account and search for other resources that may interest you as well. 

 

I am definitely hooked...I can  now say that I  "Social Bookmark" and that I have taken the "huh" out of the equation.  Happy searching friends!

How SMART are you?

I have been so fortunate to have access to a Smart Board in my classroom. I realize that this wonderful technology tool is quite expensive...so having one in my classroom is awesome. Seeking out new and innovative ways to incorporate the Smart Board into my kindergarten curriculum is something I actively pursue. I have even included the search into my PLC goal this year. Within my PLC group, there are 8 other kindergarten and first grade teachers all interested in not only finding pre-made Smart Board resources...but, how to create and share resources ourselves.
When we began our search on the Internet, we were amazed at all of the things that were available. We created a "SMART" folder on our faculty share drive and continually add to the list when we find or create new things.
Using Smart Board technology  in the classroom adds a new twist to teaching. I found this You Tube video that I thought was a great resource about the effectiveness of Smart Boards in the classroom for reading instruction.

 The students are engaged, active and are truly enjoying  the learning that is occurring. This type lesson can be used in both whole group instruction and small groups as well. Withing my classroom, I set up a weekly Smart Board Center that the students can choose to work in both literacy and math center time.

Although this is not my classroom, it is an example of how the students can work independently during Choice Time. I found this video on YouTube as well.

Here are some of the resources that I have found to use with  our classroom Smart Board.
Some of them are categorized by themes, standards, months, and curriculum topics. There are some really great things to use with all aspects of the curriculum.
Here are some of my favorite links.... Remember that you must have the Smart Board software installed on your computer to fully access the aspects of the lesson.

Favorite Smart Board Links---Click on the links below
 Smart Sites
Smart Exchange
Kindergarten Math and Smart Board
Smart Board games and Lessons

I hope that my resource lists will continue to grow. My students LOVE using the Smart Board and I love getting "SMARTER" on new and innovative ways to incorporate this technology into my teaching.

Music and Learning

Whew!....What a whirlwind of a week. Last week, I had the opportunity to spend my Spring Break in Swaziland, Africa.  For ten solid days, I was a on non-stop adventure. I was fortunate enough to learn so much about a country I had only known through my sister and her family. I had only read about "third-world" countries but never really understood what it meant until I lived it. I have spent the last ten days holding, loving on, caring for, and praying for children who crave any attention that they can get.  Being the kindergarten teacher that I am, I found that even though we couldn't understand each others languages....one thing that we could share was singing songs. It didn't matter whether I was singing in English, or the children singing in siSwati...we could learn from each other through songs.

As I left the country of Swaziland last weekend, I began to think about just how effective songs are with children and learning. I use songs daily in my classroom to teach different concepts and skills. I began to search out more resources for teaching specific skills that correlate with the kindergarten curriculum. I found some wonderful resources that I am eager to implement into my class routine. This is a website that I have found that is wonderful. 
 
Songs For Teaching
This site is filled with songs that address all aspects of the curriculum. Reading, math , science, social studies, and character education are some of the content. Although some of  the selections must be purchased, many of them  are free.

Another resource that I currently use in my classroom daily is found through www.schooltube.com.
I have found some really great teaching songs on this site. My favorite link is The Alphabet Song.

There is a song for every letter of the alphabet. I always show the video on my Smart Board so that it is large and easy to see. The students love this site. They beg to do "just one more" song everytime we visit the site!
As I continued to research for this blog post, I ran across this video on YouTube, Music and Learning. It offers a look into the benefits of implementing music into the classroom curriculum.

Using music and songs to teach skills is beneficial to all students. Students with special needs, ELL, and those typical kindergarten students can learn through the repetition, memorization, and rhythm. There are so many resources we can find on the internet today to reinforce, introduce and remediate our students through songs and music. As I learned from my recent travels...it doesn't matter who you are...where you live...or what language you speak....Music is universal and everyone can learn from songs!

Implementing a New Tool in Class!

This week has been over the top busy for me as I prepare to leave the country and head to Swaziland, South Africa. What a Spring Break adventure it will be? Getting to see my sister and her family for the first time in a year and half is almost more exciting than I can handle. Sure, we get to talk on Facebook, through emails, and Skype...but to "see" them in person is something I have been waiting for a long time!

As I ended my last Skype conversation tonight with my sister, before I actually get there...I was thinking about this blog and what would be my topic of discussion for the week. SKYPE....that's it!  I have learned so much about this fascinating way to connect with people this year. I use Skype weekly at home for  personal use, but have never had the opportunity to use it at school until about a month ago. The technology department at my school purchased a web cam for me to use in my classroom. Referencing the Twitter list I created, as well as browsing the list of others in my graduate school class...I found wonderful resources to help me get started on ways to integrate Skype into the kindergarten curriculum. I wanted to brainstorm ideas about ways Skype could enhance the instruction for my kindergarteners.  Here is  a  great list of ideas that I found for uses of Skype in the classroom.

50 Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom


There are some really great ideas found on this list and ones that I will definitely want to try.
One idea that  I really want to implement is to find "Skype" pals to communicate with throughout the year. I would like to find other classrooms from across the country and around the world to share and learn with. I can imagine us sharing about our favorite books, projects we are working on, and things about ourselves and our community.

Here is a You Tube video created by Skype that helps to explain the wonderful uses of this 21st century learning tool.
Skype in the Classroom


 Since I am new to using Skype for classroom use....I found this awesome site that is specifically designed for teachers searching out other teachers for Skype purposes. It is simply a Want Ad for Skype classrooms!

Skype in Schools-Want Ads

I plan to list my classroom on this site or a similar site to this to get connected with other kindergarten classrooms. My students are so excited. They even made a list of the places that they would like to have Skype pals from....China, Africa, California, New York and Florida!  Looks like we have our list ready...now to connect with our friends!

Twitter...who me?

I’ve always heard that one should try learning something new every day. I have to admit that since embarking on this technology track through graduate school, there have been very few days that I could say I did not learn or experience something new!  My latest adventure has been exploring the world of Twitter. I have to admit, I was very skeptical of the entire Twitter concept. I see it mentioned on television, hear about it on the radio, and see the funny little bird icon on most websites, blogs and other pages that I visit on the internet.  My doubts about it being something I could use to help me in my professional career… were to say the least, great.  However, to complete the assignment for class, I signed up for my Twitter account, and began to search through numerous other Tweeters! I wanted to find resources that would help me in developing posts to benefit my blog topic. My topic for this blog is to find new and different ways to teach kindergarten concepts. I first began my search on Twitter for fellow Early Childhood educators. I then found  that by refining or narrowing my Twitter search, the accounts that I found were more precise to what I wanted and fit my specific needs.  I quickly realized that this whole Twitter world was fascinating! I had no idea that so many ideas, resources, links, and materials could be found through a Twitter account.  The first night I searched, I honestly spent hours reading tweets, seeing who others were following, and adding people to my resource list. 

Some of my favorite Twitter accounts that I found were kindergarten teachers that were bloggers as well. For example, Jeannie Partin (@kinderlifestyle), is a classroom kindergarten teacher that blogs about reading instruction and development. Her tweets are filled with new and innovative ways to teach kindergarten literacy concepts. I found myself self wanting to read more of her tweets. There were so many resources that she provided.  Another account that I was intrigued by was Christine Carrion (@carrion_creates).  As a blogger and kindergarten teacher, Carrion’s tweets are primarily about ways to incorporate SMART technology in the kindergarten curriculum. This was exactly what I was searching for to get ideas for my blog. I found great resources that could be implemented right into my kindergarten classroom and ideas to share with others through my blog.

                I have to admit, searching Twitter for my resources was not a hit every time. I did run across many accounts that I had great expectations for, but was disappointed when I read that most of the tweets were about personal business or day to day life.  I just had to think about the criteria for finding my resources---valid, useful, professional accounts that benefit my common blog topic.  I guess you can officially call me a tweeter now! I have started creating a professional list to share with colleagues in hopes of providing a type of collaboration through my kindergarten blog.I would like to think that other professionals could find beneficial resources from the Twitter list that I have started creating.

 Where once I was a skeptic, I am now a believer in how effective this mode of search can truly benefit me as a professional.  Check out my resource list below and follow me on Twitter (@ColburnMichelle)…you might become a believer in it too!

Here is the link to my resource list
 https://twitter.com/#!/ColburnMichelle/ed-529/members

A Peek Into My Kaleidoscope...

As my blog title reads..."The Kindergarten Kaleidoscope"..., I want to look into my classroom and "see" new ways or different "angles" to teaching kindergarten content. The typical kindergarten class today is very different from classes of just a few years ago. With the ever changing face of technology and its accessibility to so many people, kindergarten students enter the classroom with a knowledge about technology and how to access information like never before. As a kindergarten teacher, I have to seek out new and exciting methods of teaching kindergarten concepts and skills. One area that I feel I can address in my classroom is to find educational materials and software that enhance my instruction while utilizing Web 2.0 tools. Just as Solomon and Schrum stated in their text, Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools, making changes in the classroom will not only help the students, but the teachers as well, thus creating a more conducive learning environment for all.
 I have been on a diligent search recently for such materials and have been amazed at what I have been able to acquire. Sites such as www.schooltube.com, www.teachertube.com, and various SMART Tech share sites have been  great resources and starting points in my search. I am fortunate to have four computers, internet, Smart technology, digital projector and document camera already in my classroom. I just want to find ways to enrich the curriculum and instruction for my students. Perhaps, looking through my Kindergarten Kaleidoscope will reveal these new "angles"  and "constant changing" approaches, that will enable me to collect my ideas and integrate them into the most effective curriculum for these 21st century learners.