Tech Thursday: Elements 4D and a throwback-versary...

Hey there...

I'm linkin' up with Teaching Trio for 

Technology Thursday.

I've been SO out of the loop, 

so I don't know if this has been

shared before or not, but I am in LOVE 

with a new app

and the kiddos are too.  

I learned about this app at a Tech expo that my 

district hosted this past Spring.

You are goin' to want to load it...NOW!

Welcome
Elements 4D
into your life.

This is an Augmented Reality-Chemistry app.

This video that I found on my friend Google
does a fabulous job of 

explainin' how to use the paper blocks with the app...

to learn about elements.

Watch this and be WOW-ed!

Click here to access the paper blocks to use with the app.

*Use cardstock when printin' and con a super crafty

student into makin' your blocks for you...only

if you have a broken finger and can't cut or glue 

for yourself.

This app pairs nicely with the 

America's Most Wanted: Element Posters that

I have blogged about before here and here.

I know what you are thinkin'...

YOU'RE WELCOME!

You can now put on your:

"BESTEST TEACHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD"

crown.

Also...I missed my 2nd Blogiversary (at least it's in the same month),

so I wanted to do a

Throwback to last year's Technology Thursday

that just so happened to fall on my blogiversary.

Click on here or on the picture below to read my post.

Even though I haven't been bloggin' much,

I still stand behind these tips and tricks!

P.S.  Who likes Harry Potter?

If yes...

wave your wands in the air...

wave like you really do care!

I'm workin' on somethin' new....

Happy Thursday, friends.

Tried it Tuesday...writin', sniffin', and creatin'...

It's Tuesday and it's time again to link up with Holly at Fourth Grade Flipper for Tried it Tuesday.  I've been on fire the past week with my postin' of blogs.  

Shockin'...I know!

Tried it Awesomeness #1: Peer & Self-Assessing Writing

Readin' their own writing.

Color codin' writing rubric to match the 6 Traits of Writing.

Students had to do their second District Wide Writing Assessment last week.  I wrote about this here if you missed how and why we do this.  This week they are usin' a rubric provided by the District to self-assess themselves and then their peers.  We are usin' the 6 Traits of Writing and each trait requires a separate color when assessing.
These are the colors we use that you can find here on Smekens Education Solutions, Inc.
Ideas-blue
Organization-green
Voice-pink
Word Choice-red
Sentence Fluency-orange
Conventions-purple

After I graded the writin', students had to agree or disagree with the score I gave.  They had to go back and show me in their writin' and on the rubric, why they disagreed with me and give me the reason why.  A few disagreed and I was able to show them specifically why they scored what they did.

Tried it Awesomeness #2: Students Smellin' Scentsy
I can't pick a scent to save my life.  I set out a tray of 17 scents and students had to smell them all.
 They had to persuade me to buy a certain scent.  I will tally up the votes and order the winner, possibly...if my nose agrees with them.

 Takin' one scent out at a time to sniff.

More sniffin' of the scents.
This could possibly have been the quietest my students have been in awhile.
They were concentratin' for sure.

Tried It Awesomeness #3: My Create

My students and I are workin' on a technology project for our District after readin' the book Wonder by R.J.Palacio.  One of the technology pieces we are usin' in our Prezi is from the app My Create.

My Create allows you to take a picture with your phone and turn it into an animation. 

This app does cost almost $5, but I had a gift card for iTunes.  Thank you sweet families.  It's just a cute and fun way to share pictures...and watch them move really fast.

You can read more about Wonder in our classroom here.

I'll be puttin' up my whole presentation once it is finished.  

Be sure to check out the rest of the Tried it Tuesdays on Holly's blog!

Only 3 more days until I leave for Cali!

Saturday Snapshots & Secrets of the iPad...

Um...I blinked my eyes and it's Saturday again, so you know what that means...Saturday Snapshots with my partner in crime(we aren't really law breakers), Miss Nelson from Run! Miss Nelson's Got the Camera and another fun linky with Digital Divide and Conquer, at the bottom.

Nobody can really compete with Miss Nelson since she takes the awesomest (just go with it) pics with her super impressive cameras.  I'd probably drop those things, so I'll stick with my iPhone and you'll just have to like it.

What randomness have I been up to this week?

Y'all got such a kick last week about my dentist havin' a fountain for me to stare at while gettin' work done, so I decided to share another one.  I had to go BACK this week.  This time it was just a cleanin'.  Here is the other fountain in the cleanin' room. Does anyone see the creature hangin' out on the side? No worries...it's fake! I guess I should've mentioned I go to a Dental Spa.  I'm guessin' why there are calmin' fountains to keep people from runnin' from the chairs.   

Surely y'all will agree that after all that dental work...I definitely deserved a pedicure to sooth my nerves.  Not that my feet have anything to do with my teeth.  Again, just go with it.  I can't wait for the next time I go to the Nail Salon.  I have the perfect thing picked out for Football Season startin'.  

I was waitin' on lunch yesterday and it was takin' a very long time.  I don't do very well sittin' still for too long.  I'm a fidgeter!  I started twistin' my straw and ended up with this cute lil' rose.  Fittin' for my last name. 

As I've mentioned before, I live in a condo.  I spend a great deal of time in the elevator.  In fact, I just got stuck on the elevator tonight and had to call the Fire Department once finally got out(not on my floor).  Needless to say, I was FLIPPIN' out. They think it was a power surge.  Scary; I had to climb a whole lot of stairs to get upstairs to post this.  In happy times on the elevator, I really dig the "star"  for the 1 button.  It reminds me of my lil' rockstars every time I see it.  I'm gettin' excited to see them soon. I've missed them.  

These got painted this week to hang in my class.  I will reveal the final product on Monday Made It.  Did you check out my post yesterday of my classroom decor?  This is goin' to go great in my room!  

This has seriously got to STOP! I'm wonderin' what my life would be like if I would've never been introduced to Candy Crush!?!  I'm assumin' I'd have a lot more free time to read.

I don't even have my own kids, but this article on BuzzFeed was too much to pass up.  It's 24 pics of pure AWESOMENESS!  I guarantee you will get a laugh out of at least one of the pics.  I laughed at every single pic on there.  I'm bad.

Finished Part Two of Rockin' Behavior Beads!   

Have ya checked out Double Trouble on TpT to see what Miss Nelson and I have been up to?

Matt over at Digital Divide and Conquer is havin' a "Secrets of the iPad" link-up.  Here is a post I did earlier this summer about how I use iPads & apps in my classroom.  Matt is a Technology Guru...seriously, he knows his stuff.  Be sure to go by and check out his post.  

I'll leave you with this.  Jerm took this on Thursday night.  I wasn't ecstatic about watchin' Shark Week this week, but it's easy to forget about the sharkies swimmin' around in the Gulf if you focus on this gorgeous view instead of thinkin' about the creatures in the water.   Life is good and how lucky am I that I live here?

Tune into Technology Linky: iPads...

Today I am linkin' up for "Tune into Technology Linky: iPads" with Kristin at iTeach 1:1 as well as Alyin and Amanda at Learning to the Core.  This linky will stay open until next Thursday, so come on and enjoy the party with me...you know you want to!
                                       

Last week I finally took the plunge and wrote a project for DonorsChoose.org.  My project was about my students needing an iPad mini for "Touching the World With Our Fingertips". (<~Read about it here)  I'm happy to report that it has been FULLY FUNDED!  

So, what does this mean for my kiddos?  In the Fall, after school starts, our new iPad mini will be delivered. I know my little rockstars are goin' to be surprised and very thankful!  Now I need to come up with a "thank you" project for my donors with the iPad.  Anyone have any fabulous ideas on what I should do?

Since my district has a B.Y.O.D. policy in place, my students are free to bring their own device(Kindle, Nook, iPod, iPad, smartphones) to the classroom.  The rules for "MY" room are:

1) You must have FUN!

2) You may NOT take your device out anywhere besides this classroom, unless permission is granted by another adult or teacher.  It shall remain in your backpack at the following places (car line, bus line, bus, hallway, etc.) If you do not follow this rule, you will lose this privilege until the end of time.  (Simple and not up for discussion. I've never had to take a device away and we have been usin' them in my class for goin' on five years now.)

3) You may read on your device during "independent reading", but you may not play games.  Save the games for free choice. (I give free choice at least every Friday afternoon.  They love playing with devices at free choice, so it keeps them motivated to work hard; play hard.)

4) You must always share with someone that has not brought a device if we are working on a planned class activity or research.  We are a family that cares and shares! (Never had anyone NOT want to share.)

5) You must be responsible and take care of your device at ALL times. (Knock on wood, please...haven't had any technology fatalities.)

6) You must practice being a good digital citizen. (Always!) 

Now onto iPad apps that  I love to incorporate in my class or durin' learnin' centers:

Best Books for Tweens is great for 5th and 6th grade(possibly 4th too).  I like this because it gives you the option to search books by categories such as: Action & Adventure, Animal Characters, Fantasy, Female Protagonist, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Male Protagonist, Realistic Fiction, Sports.  Great for boys & girls!  Also, each book has a little synopsis and a rating. 

  

Chicktionary is great for word work or making words. 

The kids love this one. Who am I kiddin'?  I love this one too! 

I'm sure you all already use Brain Pop, but I take it a step further and have the 

kids work as a group. After a video they spark up a conversation about the video 

and work together to give me a written response as a group.    

We use Edmodo EVERY DAY in my class.  Here's what I have listed on my class website about Edmodo.

"Our class uses Edmodo's educational networking site "where learning happens".  Edmodo was created to provide teachers and students with a safe and secure alternative to consumer-based social networking.  Edmodo helps connect all learners with the people and resources needed to reach their full potential.  Students are given a log-in and password.  Each day I assign a new task and students respond to the task appropriately with a typed response.  The task might be to watch a video and reply, or to check out a new website pertaining to whatever we are discussing and learning that day.  After the task is completed, I assign a grade for the assignment.  Students may use Edmodo at school and home.  Parents are also able to access their own child's Edmodo activities with a secure code." In addition, I have many videos, links to websites, Powerpoints, notes, documents, etc. that are stored in organized folders by subject areas or theme and placed in the "Library" on Edmodo.  These are always available for students to review.  

* Note: I am also attached to the other classes in my pod, so we can all monitor each other's responses.  We have a class as young as 1st grade that uses Edmodo on a daily basis.

I pretty much dig all of Big Fish Games adventure apps.  The hidden objects games are great for the kids to collaborate and investigate to find whatever the app is askin' them to look for.  It really gets their brains movin'.

I am sure I will think of many more apps I use on the iPads to incorporate technology in my classroom
(of course it will be AFTER I post this).

For now I'll leave you with this video to make you think.