Innovative Seating

Dictionary.com defines innovation as something new or different introduced. At the beginning of the school year, this is a word I fell in love with as a teacher. It describes not only my classroom, but myself as a teacher and my teaching style. My classroom is different in many ways and I embrace new ways of teaching on a regular basis. All focused on one main goal: Get kids to LOVE being here.

The struggle is real these days for teachers who are trying to find the balance between meeting many standardized test scores and instilling a love of learning in all of their students. It sometimes seems what students deem the "fun" stuff does not always get the results a teacher is hoping for. Finding a way to mesh the two is an ultimate goal in motivation and engagement.

Our journey to start to try and mesh the fun begins with innovative, flexible seating:

July 2015: Major classroom overhaul. I ditched the desks, hauled in tables of various styles and starting scrounging as many garage sales I could in order to make innovative seating a reality in my classroom. I had to use my imagination on how things would look and work when over 20 students entered the classroom, excited and ready for a new year.

August 2015: First Day of School. Everyone started with a name tag and an assigned spot around our room as a way to test out the new seating options. As we moved throughout the week, some students found different types of seating were not for them and claimed one of the 3 desks I kept and others began to embrace the seating as a new way of learning.  It was quite a transition when the students realized they could choose their own seating and didn't have to stay there the entire day. Fast forward 2 weeks, and they became pros. Some choosing the same spot in the morning, and some moving throughout the day depending on the subject area.

January 2016: They have become pros that need more. We started the transition of making smart choices and being aware of our learning in different areas. You can listen to students tell friends they can't sit at the floor table during writing because they are not good workers in that place. You can see students choosing the same seating choice, such as a standing music stand, to use every time we do spelling because they know that is the best fit for that subject. Knowing themselves as learners has become a strong point in our classroom.

Now we have approached the more element. With help from the students, we came up with many things they feel would compliment what we already have in place. Hoping to add to our classroom, we are utilizing Donorschoose.org as a way to receive some of these items. We are looking to add floor cushions for more options to move around the room. We want to add core discs and Wobbly stools to add to our floor table and square table as a way to bring comfort and movement to our learning. We have requested two sitting chairs to place in our library as a sustainable choice, replacing the deflating bean bag chairs that are currently there. We also have asked for lap desks for a hard surface to use and 2 more iPads with cases to finish off our goal of being a 2:1 classroom. We are waiting patiently for our project to go live. The students are so excited to be able to add these things to our classroom.

Innovation at it's finest! We are well on our way of having a space kids want to be a part of, to grow as a learner, and have a passion for school.

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?