Trying to Catch Up

Blogging had been put on the back burner this year so far. I will try and get everyone caught up and get some great pictures posted so you can SEE what we have been doing.

Engineering is Elementary: Our new science kits we are using this year. The fun thing with this is, it is both new to the students and myself. Our first module was all about wind. We researched how wind is created and learned about a boy who tried to catch the wind. Our module began by the students designing and creating sails. The students used the Engineering and Design Process and made a plan, created their best idea and then kept redesigning to make it more efficient.

After our sails, we used that knowledge and applied it in order to create blades for a windmill. The students worked in small groups to design their blades and then test. They had to get their windmills to spin quickly first and then they had to get their windmill to lift a cup of washers.

The kids had so much fun with this project. Check out their designs.

 

 

Back to School We Go

Here we are! Another wonderful year has started and I couldn't be more excited. We have reached day 3 and are adding more curriculum and routines as the days go on. Hopefully by Monday we will be in "normal" mode as much as possible. Here are some of the wonderful things we have accomplished this week.

Saving Sam
We worked in pairs to Save Sam. Sam was a gummy worm who fell off his ship (Styrofoam cup) and doesn't know how to swim. The students were challenged to get him into his lifejacket (gummy lifesaver) by only using paper clips. It was amazing to see their teamwork as they practiced creativity, determination and persistence to get that lifejacket onto Sam.

Math
We started math this week. Slowly, very slowly. We started reviewing the hundreds grid and how it can helps us tell the difference between two numbers. We also started exploring the Student Reference Book and learned how it can help us when we are confused or do not remember how to play a game.

Reading
We began practicing stamina and choosing "good fit" books. We also read Bad Case of Stripes and discussed what it means to be insecure. We began our first read aloud today too, The Magical Ms. Plum. The kids are totally hooked. It is one of my most favorite books to read aloud. I think I have read it every year for the past 5 years and still love reading it. The kids are already asking if I can just read more (teacher score!!). Beginning next week we will start our Daily rotations along with keyboarding.

So far it has been an amazing week and I look forward to more.

Giraffes and Owls

We have so much fun with our directed draws. All the students know the directions and procedures when we complete a directed draw.

1.  Get your paper
2. Get a marker
3. Write your name and flip the paper over
4. Draw when Mrs. Farkas lifts her marker
5. If you make a mistake, make it work
6. No talking

We have had a lot of successful artists this year and their art confidence has increased a ton due to "making it work". In previous years, my students would tend to get stuck on perfection. When using a permanent marker, we avoid perfection because we can't erase. We have fun together because I even make mistakes and let the kids know I need to make it work.

However, we broke all the rules when drawing the owl. This year, the owl was completely new to me and since I usually am able to find an idea on the internet and draw from that, I don't have typical directions to follow. So, when drawing the owl, I had many mistakes and just thought I could make it work. But as we finished the owls, we realized what a disaster they were and we all wanted a redo.

Once we discussed what we needed to do differently, we found a new piece of paper and began again. We learned again what making mistakes and learning from them can do for us. Round 2 was AMAZING!

 

We also FINALLY completed my favorite animal! The kids have been begging to complete giraffes. We used a wax resist technique with our giraffes and patterns. We added patterns to the background and the giraffes spots. Then we used watercolor to finish up.

 

 

 

Adventures with iPads

Our adventure with an iPad began this year when I was able to purchase one with my own money that a friend had won as a gift. It was so exciting! It was the best Christmas present to our classroom EVER!

Our first and most favorite app: Twitter
We have Tweeters of the Day so every child gets a chance to tweet often. We have continued to grow our tweeting purpose as well. At first, we just explored tweeting in general. Now we are trying to expand and show what we are learning and why it is important. We also have added a check-off sheet to make sure our Tweeters are tweeting often. It still is a "earn on the go" process, but what a wonderful way to connect with parents, teachers and other students.




After our first initial iPad, I was hooked. I applied for a small grant, and WON! So, we were able to add two more iPads to our classroom and with the help of our PTA, we added the cases and headphones. This opened the door to many other uses for our iPads. Here are a few of our other favorite apps at the moment.

Chatterkid
Allows students to take a picture of anything and give it a voice. We have used it to bring our art projects to life and also biography projects we have done. The students think it is hilarious to be able to make anything talk, even their desk.





Playground
This app encourages the 4Cs as they collaborate together to be creative and design bridges that will hold either cars or trucks. They can score points based on their structure, how much it cost, and the effectiveness. They also explore what bridges are made out of, the cost of materials, and how to build a stable bridge.







SushiMonster
This app by Scholastic allows practice of addition and multiplication skills. We use it in our classroom after we have mastered the math strategies to add and multiply. Students can work together to solve or can play independently.








Currently, we are trying SO hard to add more iPads to our classroom. We are about 1/2 way to raising enough money to add 2 more iPads, cases and headphones through Donor's Choose. If you would like to support us or know a friend who would like to... we would be SO thankful. www.donorschoose.org/mrsfarkasclassroom  It is so amazing to see the transformation in learning when technology is used in a purposeful way. I have students begging to stop and read so they can record their stories using an app called Audioboom. It melts my teacher heart.

 

We would love to connect with you if you or your class is on social media.

Connect with us on Twttter:
Classroom: @tweetingin3rd
Teacher: @JennaMFarkas

Thanks for stopping by. If you have any questions about the apps I talked about, please feel free to comment.

I also need to give a HUGE shout out to a fabulous teacher friend of mine. She has been my lifeline in adding more technology into my classroom and I am SO thankful our paths have crossed. Whenever I have ANY questions she is so willing to help me no matter the time. Even if I bust in when she is teaching. :-) Please hop over and check out Mrs. Delzer's blog. She will rock your world and make you want to add all sorts of tech to your classroom as well as change your décor.

What apps do you love for your classroom or at home?