Using Popplet in the Classroom

I'm back again for another tech tool to share!  But, let's me honest...

Well...Have I got the perfect starter tool for you!

In all honesty, I can only juggle about 3 tools at a time.  Any more than that, the kids forget how to use it (time wasting).  Symbaloo and Padlet are the biggies for me.  Once my kids are proficient in those, I can bring in something else.

It is available in both web-based and for iPads.  ANY classroom with digital access can benefit!
Ready to be convinced?  Here goes!

I promise you…there is nothing SIMPLER than Popplet!  Double tap anywhere and POP!  You have your first popple.  Tap on any of the settings below to create the popple of your choice.
See the little white circles? Simply press and drag to create an ATTACHED popple.
BAM!  Instant graphic organizer!

This graphic organizing tool can easily be used across the curriculum!

This week,  we located examples of text features.  They took pictures using their iPads and added text to label & explain the feature.  Talk about actively engaged!

One of my little buddies asked to make a popplet about our reading.  Can't you see kids working in groups making different presentations for the class to EXPLAIN what they researched??

Other ideas?

Retell a story in order

Main Idea & Details

Problem/Solution

Beginning/Middle/End

In math this week, we were working on place value.
How perfect it is to start with a number:

Would this make an AMAZING center activity!  No  copies..no laminating.  Roll three dice and GO!

• Create a base 10 model and snap a picture
• Write the number in expanded form
• Write the number in word form

This could also be used to show different parts to create wholes, different expressions to express a number--the number of digits will depend on your needs!

For science & social studies, students can respond in so many ways to show understanding!
Learning about animal groups?
Learning about types of rocks?
Name the group-the popples will describe the attributes

This is all fun, but it is important that the students are focused on the task.  I give my kids an easy rubric so that they stay on track.  Since this is one of those tasks that the parents DON'T see, I add two places to check off.  One is for the students--this is their promise to have double checked what is expected.

The right side is for me to do the final check.  Kids on iPads can take screen shots or you could check them off personally.  I like the chance to discuss and help them make improvements-clarify their thoughts.  When I can, that is!

Despite the fact little buddy has HORRIBLE handwriting…yes, I WILL be using some of Melissa's tips for this guy, but…He had done an AMAZING job!  Do you give your kids feedback when they do an amazing job?  I like to give them hearts.  Love hearing when they look over their papers and are excited when they earn a COVETED heart!

I'd sure love to hear how YOU use Popplet…or if you TRY it!

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Tips for Teachers After Spring Break

Returning from Spring Break can be the BEST time to add a spark to your classroom routines!  What's more...it is also the perfect time to try out some techniques and routines that you might have been a little nervous to try!  Who better to try them out with than with the students you have already established a trusting environment!

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Paperless Collaboration Made Easy

Planning with your teammates can be quite a challenge!  Limited time during the day to meet and differing after school schedules can really complicate a team trying to plan cohesively!

Too busy for collaborating in "Real Time"?

Random emails and files arriving when you don't have TIME to manage them appropriately?

Have I got the tool for YOU!

Juggling so many forms of communication is driving me batty!  We are standards-based, so we are constantly looking for ways to supplement our curriculum.  Additionally, we have become a team of 5 teachers, and our PE times are now split. Our common planning time has now gone POOF!  What's a busy team to do?  Using Livebinders has become a time-saving and efficient way to keep our common needs in one place.  You can store up to 100MB of files, websites videos for FREE…all in one simple spot.

Once you've created your account, you are ready to start!

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Developing Point of View with Mentor Texts

One of my absolute FAVORITE reading strategies to teach is Point of View.  Students really begin to think deeper about literature!  Understanding character is the building block to so many other skills.

I love...just LOVE entering the 2nd grading period of the school year!  We start to really delve into books and have the BEST book talks!  I generally begin a standard using our basal reader then expose my children to as many mentor texts as I can.  I certainly have my favorites, but each year I happen upon a few new ones to share my my kids.

I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff is such a CUTE story!  This a a GREAT text to not only support characters with different point of views, but it lends itself nicely to Persuasive Writing!  In this story,  Alex wants to have his friend's pet iguana after he moves away.  The story unfolds as Alex & his mom exchange letters to each other.  

Creating anchor charts together is a great way to model graphic organizers--like simple T-charts.  Hmm--do you see some comparing and contrasting going on???

Doreen Cronin's "Diary of a _____" series are great fun, as well! If your school has access to Tumblebooks, any 1:1 classroom can have a class set of Diary of a Fly and Diary of a Spider.  Perfect for some quick Lit Circles or Guided Reading! 

Devin Scillian's Memoirs of a  Goldfish and Memoirs of a Hamster bring in the point of view of house pets!  There is a great video available on You tube, too!  Great resource to use for your D5 centers to Listen to Reading.

Another favorite in our classroom is Stellaluna.  Story Online also have a read aloud for your children whole group or Listen to  Reading.

Image and Link to Amazon.com

The absolute ULTIMATE point of view mentor test is Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg.  This selection is also in our basal reader.  Lucky us!  I like to read it aloud without showing them the pictures.  Only after I have read the page do I display the picture.  Pretty quickly they see that there is no forest, mountains, or brown lake.  They get so excited trying to predict what the ants are describing! There's a pretty neat free resource online that you might like to use with this.  You can find it HERE.  All of your CCSS are linked up for you, too!

Need a collection of graphic organizers?  Here's another great link for you!  

http://coachlottes.weebly.com/uploads/9/9/1/3/9913501/pov_organizers.pdf

Story and characters are labeled for you in a familiar organizer each time!  I plan to put these in a Reading Center, along with the books for my students to read during Read to Self.  I can't wait to see how they grasp the concept and OWN it over time!

You can find organizers for:

• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
• Miss Nelson is Missing by James Marshall
• The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume (Boy! Did my kids have opinions about THAT one! Amazing point of views from a brother and sister.)
• The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill
• Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
• Rotten Ritchie and the Ultimate Dare by Patricia Polacco
• The Sneeches, The Cat and the Hat, Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss

I hope this collection of mentor texts will get you MORE than inspire to dig into and love exploring Point of View in your classroom!

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Weekly Communication Using Padlet

Hi friends!  The last few years, our administration has required weekly communication in the form of some sort of newsletter.  As a 3^rd grade teacher, I really struggled with this at first—we really felt this was a great time for the line of communication to shift to the student being more in charge. However, in the digital age, it is time to evolve with the needs of our parents.  I’ve tried several things over the last few years. 

• ·     Weekly emailed letters

• ·     Weekly homework stapled in a homework book

• ·     Printed newsletters in weekly signed papers

All are viable forms of communication, but I always wondered if my parents received it!  Add the most recent glitch—our email server blocking all emails from Hotmail---I knew I needed a new solution.

Enter, one of my favorite Web 2.0 tools..PADLET!  I’ve blogged once before about how I use it with my students in my 1:1 digital classroom.  You can read about that HERE if you are interested or need more info on how to set one up.

Padlet has several features for sharing.  I’m sharing with you how to embed the Padlet on your classroom website—creating once.  The result??  Each time  you add a newsletter, homework assignment (whatever you want to share), you will NEVER … wait for it…have to update your website AGAIN!  Here’s how it works in a few simple steps.

I promise you…this is easy!  You do not need to be techy.  Seriously..copy and paste.  PROMISE!

Design your Padlet

I really suggest using the “grid” layout.  Each time you add a padlet to the page, the most recent will automatically rise to the top.  This format also keeps them neatly arranged without any effort

  

Once inside, copy the text inside the Embed section.

Then ...

Then...

 There it is!  By clicking on "preview", you can see how it would look on your website.  

It is ready for your parents to scroll up and down, select the newsletter to view, and even print.

 On my school-hosted website, which is where I actually have this for my parents, it works a tad different.  I’m still going to find where to place the HTML…and just save it.  Mine looks like this--perhaps your school site is similar.

 On our school site, it isn't quite a pretty as my blog, but it works for our parents to access all of the school information in one spot.

 Hmm....I really need to update my picture!  Hahaha!

Last but not least…from now on, all you need to do is add your newsletter, parent letter, or homework to the Padlet.  It automatically updates on your website for you! 

I promised you one and DONE!  All I do now is send out a quick message on Remind to let parents know it’s there.

Now, there are no worries of the email getting lost in someone's inbox, papers being lost from school to home, and  now provide easy access to all newsletters at any time. 

There are so many possibilities doing it this way!  I hope you’ll give it a shot, friends!

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