I absolutely LOVE the app SeeSaw. It is an online student journal that the kids use to show their learning. I have the kids read their writing on it. That lets me take a closer look at the writing and not have to carry a bunch of papers home. I can also make comments using the talk to text feature, or even record an audio comment for them to listen to. I use it for assessment and I'm able to check for understanding quickly. I can also check on kids who can sometimes slip through the cracks. I had the kids tell me what an adjective is and one little girl recorded that an adjective was "a person, place, or thing." I was able to correct her misunderstanding quickly and then follow up with her the next day at school. Another app I use with SeeSaw, is Shadow Puppet Edu. It is a very basic 'movie-making' app. (It's really a slideshow that you can record your voice over.) It's very easy to use and the kids can use it independently (once you've showed them how.) Below, I tried to show you some of the features and I've even included a couple of videos to show how I've used it.
This video is a little long, but you can get the idea of how awesome this app is in the first minute or two.

1. Take a picture of each page of the book.
2. Open the Shadow Puppet Edu app and create a new project.
3. Choose your pictures in order from the camera roll.
4. Hit record and read your book. When you are done with that page, you just arrow to the next page until you are finished with the book. 
5. Then, you can just 'share' your video with SeeSaw and put it in your folder for your teacher to see. (I set my SeeSaw so I have to approve everything that goes on.) So COOL!

 I just LOVE using my math mysteries with my kiddos and they love reading them too!
It's a fun way to incorporate reading comprehension with math problem solving. One thing I like to do is use different grade level versions with my class. Then, I put the same cover on the outside and no one is the wiser! One part of the class may be doing the third grade book and the other part may be doing the second grade book, but they both have the 2nd (or 3rd) grade cover.
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This year, I have an unusually small class which is so nice! However, when you have the smallest class, you will be receiving the new students throughout the year. To help me prepare for the new students to come, I packed up my 'Little Red Reading Bags' (aka seatsacks) with all the goodies my new little munchkins would need to get started at their new school. Some of the items included are:

• responsibility folder
• journals
• lunch stick
• pencil sharpener
• behavior chart clip
• welcome pencil
• birthday card, sticker, etc.
• headphones
• workbooks
• 'thick' questions ring
• bookmark . . .and the list goes on. 

A few years ago, I begged my principal to let me get rid of my desks and use tables in my classroom. She finally said yes! That being said, I needed some way for the kids to store their items. Enter the Seat Sack! This seat sack has help get my kids organized. . .a place for everything and everything in its place! Instead of just getting the Seat Sacks, I decided on the organizer set. I've got lots of ideas for all my new organization items. I LOVE using my book bags for my buddy reading during stations. I was using another kind of bags for read to someone in the past, but the kids kept putting things away in the wrong place. These bags have a card in a pocket so the kids can match the bag with the page inside.

Well, I'm officially in the 'getting ready for school' mode and I feel like I'm spinning a little out of control. Although I enjoyed my time traveling, it's time to get organized. The first thing I had to do? Make a list, of course! Well, I actually had to make 4 lists . . . 


How many lists do you have? If you don't have one . . . what are you waiting for? It will help you get going and help you stay on task! Now, you have to just fill in your tasks and stick to your list!


Want more great tips on helping you get organized? I was fortunate enough to be included in {The Organized Classroom Magazine}! I'm officially a published author! This issue is chocked full of great ideas from tons of awesome teachers! I know I've gotten lots of great tips from it. You should check it out!

Talk to you soon . . . I promise to post more than I  have lately!

I have my kids doing book clubs this week and I thought I'd show you how I keep the kids organized. 

I went to the Dollar Tree a few years ago to get some clipboards to use in my class. Of course, I couldn't just use plain brown clipboards. I used some of the millions of scrapbook stickers I have left over from one of my summer projects, and decorated the backs of the clipboards. Then I painted over them with Modge Podge. I digress . . . My kids choose one of the boards and put their book club forms and books on them.

The clipboards also have a ring of 'THICK' questions on them. This allows the kids to quickly refer to them when asking questions during their meetings.

If you are using book clubs in your room, this might be the answer to some of organizational nightmares you might be having! If you aren't running book clubs yet, check them out. This {packet} can get you up and running in no time!    




Only a few more hours to enter the pencil sharpener giveaway! Be sure to enter {here}!





                            

Janaya at the Lesson Plan Diva is having a Linky Party for ways to organize learning games and other materials. AND Lorraine at Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies is having a Linky Party for other organizational tips! You should see the idea for THOSE desks...you know the ones I am talking about! I swear I once found an entire outfit that a girl had stuck in her desk! Ugh! 


I thought I would show you a couple of ways that I organize. One of my favorite ways is to use these hanging bags from Really Good Stuff. I use them for writing materials, books and CDs, and station activities. The cool thing is that you can take the bags and put them where you need them. I hang them on the bottom of the tables so that they are ready for the kids and don't take up tons of table space.

Setting up my games for guided math was quite a task. I wanted to make sure that my students didn't choose the same games over and over, and I also didn't want to have game pieces strung all over the room. So this is what I did.


I should also let you know that I decided to only do the math groups on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This allows me time to introduce any new games for the week and teach a lesson on Monday. On Friday, we review the skills from the week, do our Super Star math problems, and play math games that reinforce the skills from the week.  So...On to how I got going with the guided math games...


First of all, I found all sorts of plastic containers that I just knew I was going to need someday...See honey...I did use them! I put all the pieces that would be needed to play a particular game in its own container.  Some games came in their own box and I just left those alone. 


I then put a colored dot on each shelf of a 3-shelf rolling cart. The games with a green dot on them go on the top shelf...Yellow dot on the middle shelf...Red dot on the bottom shelf. The children choose a different shelf each day...It doesn't matter which day, but they are responsible for all 3 shelves. This way, they are playing a variety of games. The bottom shelf is made up of individual games. The other 2 shelves are partner games.




















I gave the kids a schedule card so they can keep track of the shelf they are on...but I'm not too happy with the way it looks yet, or I would show it to you!  Well, I hope this helps you get organized for your guided math groups. I was really happy with the way things worked out this past week. Just remember...You have to make this work in your situation...there is more than one way to make this work.


Remember to check out this Guided Math blog for TONS of AWESOME ideas!  She's been doing this way longer than me!


Have a great Monday!


Don't forget to sign up for the Target gift card giveaway! You could be the next lucky winner!

Math facts used to be one of the parts of math that I dreaded...and I'm sure my kids did too! Well, not anymore! We now use a program called Rocket Math. This math program has made all the difference in the world!

The only problem I had with it is the amount of paper that is used...watch my YouTube video that shows my solution to this problem in action. Here are some pics of my organization of Rocket Math and how it works for me. 

These are the binders where I keep all of the placement tests, 1 minute timed tests, and 2 minute timed tests.

As the students pass levels, they move their clothespin down the rocket, until they blast off...to the next operation!