Sometimes We have to Redo It (SOL Day 23)

As I was reading with one of my first graders today, he was being a bit uncooperative.  Each time he would make a mistake, he would insist that he had said the word correctly.  When I would ask him to reread the page to correct his error he would become frustrated.  At one point he said, "Why do I have to start over again?"  My response was, "These are words that I know that YOU know.  Each time you read these words incorrectly, you have to go back and reread that part again."  He straightened up, took a deep breath, and reread that part again perfectly.  He continued to read the remainder of the book accurately and with confidence.  When he was finished, he smiled and I smiled back at him.

Reflecting on this moment, I'm thinking about some of the things we may have to do again in our lives.  Here are a few things that come to mind.

• We rewrite writing pieces.
• We reread books.
• We replay movies and songs.
• We reorganize our closets, offices and work spaces.
• We reexamine our motives and priorities.
• We reconsider our decisions.
• We rekindle relationships.
• We rework our plans.
• We revise our goals.
• We reclaim territories and positions.
• We reacquaint with friends, family and colleagues.
• We recharge our batteries.

What are some other things we may have to do over?  Please share.

A Great Day of Learning at the 2015 MACUL Technology Conference (SOL Day 22)

Today's Slice is a reflection on my experience at the MACUL Technology Conference  in Detroit, Michigan.  MACUL is an acronym for Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning.  MACUL brings educators of all levels together to share their learning.  I attended the conference on Thursday and wrote a slice about how it was one of the best parts of my day.  Some of my fellow Slicers wanted to know what my biggest take-away was and if there were any cool ideas I could share.  Thanks to their questions,  I thought it would be a good idea to write a reflection on my conference experience.

This was a three day conference which started on Wednesday, however, I was only able to attend on Friday.  The most difficult thing about the day was deciding which sessions to attend.  I downloaded the conference app a few days before the conference and I bookmarked way more sessions than i could possibly attend.  My thinking was, if a session was full then I would have a back-up and if a session turned out not to be what I expected, I could leave it and head to another presentation.

The first session I attended was, Creating Next Generation Classrooms:  Innovative and Personalized Learning Through Technology Infusion.  Saline Area Schools' teachers and administrators shared how they redesigned learning to provide a personalized curriculum and 21st century experiences for their k-5 students.  With this approach the classrooms are called learning labs.  In these learning labs everything is happening at once.  In this environment, lessons are flipped and teachers act as facilitators/coaches.  This approach fosters collaboration and critical thinking and learning experiences that are project-based and real-world.

The second session I attended was, Inspire Innovation By Fostering Collaboration and Creativity.  This was presented by Drew and Brad from Two Guys and Some iPads.  I loved this quote from Brad, "Our job is to teach kids to love to learn."  Here are some of the cool tech tools that these two guys shared:

• Pixel Press Floors: Draw Your Own Video Game - This is an app that uses symbols for secret messages.  It allows you to draw levels on a sketch sheet, capture it on a device, edit from the app, then design and publish it to the arcade.
• Canva - This app allows you to create a graphic design like a pro.
• Tinker Cad - Use this site to build 3D models.  Students create and publish for the world.  A very cool feature is that these models can be downloaded into Minecraft.
• Structure Sensor - Is a 3D sensor that plugs into a device and allows you to scan people and objects and send them across the world.  You have the ability to pull your world into a digital form.

My third session was, Think Like a Teacherpreneur.  This session was all about making the most of the educator business world.  Marketing you materials on Teachers Pay Teachers, writing and publishing ebooks, and using social media through Twitter and Blogging.  In one word "Branding".  The biggest take-away for me was the emphasis on asking questions.  If someone is doing something that you would like to do, ask them how they did it.  That's a no brainer, right?

The last session I attended was, Coding…It's Elementary.  The presenters shared how they are introducing students to coding across their district.  There's a shortage of coders and the tech tools are free at sites like code.org.  These are student driven projects.  I loved the idea of their "Code and Tell" sessions where their students present and give feedback to their peers.  I can't wait to introduce coding to my students.  

The highlight of the day was meeting three of my Twitter friends face-to-face and for the very first time.  I feel like I've known these ladies forever, but we had never met in person until that day.  I first caught up with Shannon (@ShannonDescamps) and Amy (@allaidlaw) and later I caught up with Kristi (@KristiZoerhof).  I chat with these ladies every Sunday night during #1stchat and it was so amazing to be able to see them in person.  

Amy, me, and Shannon

Me and Kristi

The closing Keynote was delivered by Two Guys and an iPad.  I mentioned their presentation in my second session above.  You can also follow Brad (@Techbradwaid) and Drew (@TechMinoc) and @2GuyShow on Twitter.  They gave an amazing and motivating talk to a ballroom full of educators.  They shared The YOU MATTER MANIFESTO which you can read more about here.  My favorite quote of the day from their presentation was, "Michigan has some of the best educators around."  "Many people ask us, what's in the water up there?"  I have to agree.  Michigan teachers rock!

Good Friends (SOL Day 21)

Yesterday, was part two of a very long end-of-the-week.  I came home from a technology conference and I was exhausted.  Part of it was from the field trip my first graders went to on Thursday.  Part of it was all the planning I did for the sub who was to cover my class while I attended the conference.  Part of it was the hour long drive to and from the conference.

As soon as I arrived home, I had a quick snack and…crashed!  I took a very long nap and then woke up in a panic because I remembered I still needed to write my Slice.  As I was writing it, my phone starts to buzz.  I had it on vibrate because I didn't want it to ring, chime, or send alerts while I was sleeping.  I picked up the phone and noticed two missed calls from one of my friends.  I called her back and she invited me out for a drink.  At first I declined, explaining my long week, the conference, my exhaustion, and my Slice.  As we continued to talk I began to change my mind.  "Okay", I replied.  "Call me when you get there and I'll finish my Slice and meet you there as soon as I can."  I think I wrote the fastest Slice I've ever written.

I met my girlfriend at a local mexican restaurant.  We had the best time catching up and the entertainment was good, too!  I'm so glad I let her talk me into joining her, she's quite good at it.  I think I've turned the corner on my stressful week.  I would even venture to say I feel energized!  Good friends can have that effect on you.   

The Best Part of the Day (SOL Day 20)

Today's slice describes the best thing about today and the worst thing about today.  Even with a bad day we can finds something good, if we look hard enough.

The worst thing about today:
Yesterday, I wrote about a very challenging day.  I hate to say that it didn't end there.  I got four hours of sleep last night because I had a number of things to do before going to bed.  This morning I got up at 5:00 a.m. and after getting dressed and eating breakfast, I drove for an hour in horrible traffic and a congested parking situation to attend a conference.  I was so tired I could barely see straight.

The best thing about today:
Attending the MACUL Technology Conference was one of the highlights of my day.  I was exposed to some of the most innovative ways to use technology in the classroom.  My head is still spinning with all the things that I learned and want to incorporate before the school year ends.  To top off this great day of learning, I had the pleasure of meeting three of my Twitter friends face to face.  These are teachers I chat with on Sunday nights during #1stchat.  It was so much fun meeting them in person.  I feel like I've known these ladies for years, even though we've never met in person until today.  It was smiles and hugs and stories.  This was truly the best thing about today.

A Selfie with Amy and Shannon

A Selfie with Kristen

One of Those Days

It's field trip day!

Excitement in the air.

But

No bus.

Why?

Schedule conflict.

Returned to the classroom for another hour of learning.

Had a 15 minute lunch.

Bus arrives.

We board.

Arrive at our destination.

Great presentation and lots of learning.

Returned to school for more learning.

School day ends.

Stayed late to write sub plans and get a few things done.

Left work and 8 p.m.

Picked up dinner.

Ate it!

To tired to think straight.

Tomorrow's another day.

Thank goodness!

A Slice of Heaven

I am always amazed by what my first graders say and do.  My current group of students are some of the most thoughtful, smart, creative, funny, and entertaining group of students that I have ever had the pleasure to teach.

They enjoy...
dancing during brain breaks.  Some of these guys dance better than I do!
singing our fluency songs/poems and adding hand motions to match them.
reading books.  They enjoy both fiction and informational book.
reading, telling, and creating jokes.  One of our favorite sites is Jokes by Kids.

They are good at...
sharing their opinions during writing.
explaining their thinking in math.
engaging in books they are reading and books I'm reading to them.  Today I read aloud Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo and they loved it!

I love the way they...
help friends in need.  They notice when friends are sad or hurt and show true concern for them.
volunteer to read with a friend who needs a partner so they don't feel left out.
offer to help friends who need assistance with tying a shoe, zipping a coat, putting away materials, or with where to write an answer.

Today A.F. said, "Mrs. Ruckes I have a letter that I want to read to you."  "Yes, you may read it when we find a bit of extra time." I replied.  About an hour later, during a transition from one subject to the next, he asked me again.  "Can I read it now?  I really want to read it to you."  I agreed and he hurried to his backpack and returned with this letter.  It is made like a "cutie catcher" (I think that's what you call them.) and it has four parts.  This is how A.F. told me to read it:
Start with the part that says "first" - underneath that flap was written:  Dear Mrs. Ruckes
Next, read the part that says "second" - underneath that flap was written:  I think that you
Next, read the parted that says "third" - underneath that flap was written:  are the best
Finally, read the part that says "fourth" - underneath that flap was written:  teacher in the world! A.F.

All I could do was smile a gigantic smile (and thank him).  Then he asked me if I would take it to lunch and show it to all the other teachers and of course...I did!

My letter from A.F.

Show Me the Green!

As my first graders entered the classroom this morning, I could feel the excitement in the air.  Why?  It's  St. Patrick's Day!  Kids were wearing green shirts, green sweaters, green hoodies and the like.   Some even wore green headbands and green flowers in their hair.  Green was all around.  One of m my first graders walked into the classroom and as he took of his coat and backpack to get settled in, he must have noticed that most of his friends were wearing green.  He came over to where I was standing and announced, "Mrs. Ruckes…my mom forgot to dress me in green."  I assured him that it was o.k. that he didn't have on green.  After all, it's not like Halloween where you are expected to have a costume.  If he thought I was going to call his mom to ask her to deliver a green shirt, he was mistaken.  When I was a kid, if you didn't wear green, other kids would pinch you for the entire day until the teacher forbade them to do so.  I'm so glad that tradition is no longer popular.

As I think about St. Patrick's day, I'm considering a few things:

Next year maybe I'll purchase a few green necklaces that kids can borrow if they forget to wear something green.  It's no fun feeling left out because you didn't remember to wear green on St. Patrick's Day.

On the other hand, another first grader walked into the room wearing an enormous headpiece.  She looked like a court jester.  As she shook her head, the various pieces moved in different directions.  Before I knew it, she was surrounded by a group of admirers.  I could tell that it was going to be distracting so I instructed her to place it in her backpack where it would be safe.

First graders get very excited about everything!  That's what I love about teaching 6 and 7 year olds.  How do you include the fun stuff and not have it distract them from learning?  It can be quite a balancing act.