Do You DOJO?

I use Class DOJO in my classroom and love it!  If you haven't heard about it, please visit www.classdojo.com to learn more.  It is basically a behavior tracking website/ app.  It is amazingly easy to use, I love that I can access it on my computer, iPad or iPhone.  You can completely customize the positive and negative behaviors you track.  I used it last year with my students.  One of the great features is the behavior graphing tool; this is great for students on a behavior management plan.  Parents also have access to see how their students are doing.

This year they added even more new features!  One is a messaging feature for easy contact with parents.  You can also now access your partner teacher's class. Oh, did I mention it is FREE!

This year I set up a Class DOJO Prize Center in my office.  (Think arcade ticket redemption center.) )  I used shoe storage pockets, a black poster board and labeled each row with a point value range.

On Fridays, my Class DOJO Prize Center is open.  Students can chose to spend their points or save them until next week.  I open the Class DOJO app on my iPad and “edit bubbles”.  (Currently you have to reset their points to zero, so they have to spend it all at one time.)  In addition to the trinkets, I am also adding class coupons (no homework, special chair, etc.).  In addition I have a few “big ticket” items like a Wii game my girls don’t play anymore or toys donated. 

The kids love shopping!  I was worried this would take forever. However, I have found it faster than the old school treasure box.  The students can see everything.  I also love that it is out of the way, yet very appealing.

Would you like to set up your own Class DOJO Prize Center?  Click here to download the signs for FREE!  I also included a few blank point cards so you can set your own amounts.  

Five for Friday and a Freebie

Is it really August already???  Time to face the reality that summer is ending and the school year is coming...

I'm linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching Five for Friday and Friday Freebie too!

I have started picking up a few things for my classroom.  I am proud to say I haven't gone overboard. I am keeping my same LEGO theme this year.  It has worked very well and I love it.  (I will be honest a changing it has crossed my mind, but I figured I didn't need that extra stress when I love what I already have.

I did buy these containers.  They were so pretty and just the right colors!  (I have an issue when it comes to containers, but I couldn't resist!)  They were at the Dollar Tree, I'm a big spender.  I also found a red rug and alphabet letter rug at Big Lots.  

Then I stopped by and checked out a new Teacher Store and found a few things too.  Magnetic border I can't wait to try!  I also found out the store has a room of used teacher supplies.  The store will buy the supplies from a teacher and 50% of what she will sell it for.  It isn't consignment, it's money up front!  This rocks for several reasons... Great deals and I have a place I can sell some of the things I have and don't use anymore.

I finally have my groove back!  I have been working on the computer like a mad woman.  Planning for next year, making things for my class, creating several new items and wasting a little time on Facebook.  (I swear I need blinders to keep me focused.)  I will be posting several of these new things free, so keep an eye out in the coming weeks.

I finished and posted my More Wonders for Unit 1.  (Last year I completed units 2-5 and 6 is on my list to finish.)  This is a great pack that makes my life so much easier teaching from the Wonders Reading Series.  It activities to complement and enrich the series.  (Not a lot of fluff.)  The pack includes activities for weeks 1-5 in the unit.  My favorite is the reading comprehension questions I have for the weekly on and above level readers.  The questioning is similar to what they will see on the weekly assessment and there is a place for the student to tell me where they found the proof for each question.  Then I have several word work pages, a POP game, writing prompt and skill sheet.  It is what I use every week and hope it will make your life as easy as it does mine.  Also, let me know if there is something you think would be good to add.  (Don't forget you can get it 28% off August 4 & 5 with the code BTS14 at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.)

I survived taking my 13 year old daughter school clothes shopping today!!!!!  It wasn't easy, but it is done!  Believe it or not, she is the daughter that doesn't like to shop.  Then add on that they have to wear certain clothes to school, like solid collared polo shirts, she wasn't exactly joyful.  However, we were successful and even came home still speaking to each other!

I just got an e-mail that my OSMO is coming very soon!!!  I am so excited, I can't wait!  Click here for my referral link to learn more about it.

Finally here is a freebie for you as you are getting ready to head back.  Click here to download these posters.  I use these Whole Brain Teaching rules, and love it.

Get more freebies by heading over to TBA's Friday Freebies.

Happy Easter and Earth Day!

Good morning and Happy Easter!  I hope you are enjoying a fabulous day with friends and family.  May you also be able to sneak candy from your child's basket without being caught!  (How awesome are those Reese's Eggs!)  Even more importantly, may your students not eat Easter candy for breakfast in the morning!!!

I am excited for next week and teaching about Earth Day.  It even falls on a non-story week/ assessment week in our reading series, so I will have a little more time with it. 

Here is my packet of Earth Day activities I use with my class.  It is available in my TpT store.  I am going through it today and will probably be adding to it today.  If you have already bought it, you of course will get the update free, so keep an eye out.  I'm feeling a QR code activity coming!

Here are two freebies you may like!  The first is a Spring Break writing graphic organizer and paper.  (We had our Spring Break weeks ago, but I know many are beginning or ending their break now.

The second freebie is a "I Can Recycle" graphic organizer and writing paper.  I love doing this activity with the class.  I bring in a bag of "trash" from home and we sort through it to determine what we can recycle and what is trash.  You could even take it further and and add in composting.

Looking for more freebie fun?  I will be linking up with Classroom Freebies Manic Monday linky!  Check it out!

Five for Friday and a Freebie!

Happy Good Friday!  (I can't believe I have school!)  Anyways I am linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching Five for Friday once again.

I was so excited to get an e-mail this morning with this exciting news!

The featured blogger on todays TBA Friday Freebie!  It made me hop up, run in here and write a post.  (Hubby was like "Really, that's all it takes to make you get up quickly?  I am so not a morning person!)  This Friday is starting out Good for sure!

This week I went back and updated my very first file I created for TpT.  I can say, I have deffinitely improved over the years.  It went from this...

To this...!

Not only is the cover way cuter, but I also added several more things to the pack.  Then I recreated about half of the pages because of all of the "not quite perfect" things that now bug me immensely!

This week I finished up the graphing and data analysis with a the best, tried and true math activity for the skill, graphing M&M's.  I found this great graphing sheet free on TpT from Mrs. Henke! (I also realized one more reason I love TpT and the internet, it is so much easier than digging through my resource books and files to find things!)

Do you Go Noodle?  We do and we LOVE it.  As I prepare for two weeks of inside recess due to state testing for grades 3-6 at out school, I cam across this fun site.  It is FREE and have many great brain breaks!  They even have them broken down for you as calming and energizing.  My students love it.  Another one of our favorites is Adventure to Fitness, also FREE for teachers!

Now a freebie or two as we prepare to celebrate Earth Day! I hope you enjoy them.

Five for Friday and a Freebie

Happy Friday!!!  I am linking up for Doodle Bugs Teaching Five for Friday.

Check out my newest addition to my Lego classroom!!!

I am so excited!  The dad of one of my students works at our movie theater.  I know it is big, but it is so much fun.  My plan is to use it to display "awesome" student work.  I need to cover the bottom and add clips for students to display their work.

 

Target Dollar Spot finds!  I am planning for S.T.E.M. week at our school.   We are going to start with these pull back race cars to help us understand force and motion with equal and opposite reaction play.  

 

Then I found these fun balloon rockets.  I can't wait to see the students exploring and learning with these.  They will have so much fun outside with balloon rocket races.

 

Then I am going to put these two things together and make balloon powered Lego cars.

I was able to candle my little eggs this week and happy to see little ducks growing in many of the eggs.  Every year seeing this amazes me.

By the way did you know the overhead projector works great for candling eggs?  It is the only time I use one all year!

 We have beautiful weather forcasted all weekend!  This is where you will find me come Sunday!  I will work tomorrow to play the next day.  Love living in Florida!

Now a Freebie for you.  Drawing conclusions is a tough skill for firsties to grasp.  This is a graphic organizer I made and it really helps students understand to look for clues while we are reading.  Doing this and drawing conclusions will help us understand what we read.  Click here to grab it free!

Looking for more freebies, check out Teaching Blog Addict's Friday Freebie.

Egg-citing Freebie

Follow my blog with Bloglovin It is just another Manic Monday!  Did you see the great "Tech Tips for Teachers" freebie in the TpT newsletter.  I was happy to contribute to this, and even more excited to read all of the great information from the amazing 40+ contributors.  The eBook is meant to be viewed on the computer, not printed (wow the ink it would waste!).  Also make sure you are viewing it in Adobe, not Preview to make sure all of the hyperlinks work.

Inside you will find a informational tech tip from each contributor.  I must admit I learned several new things.  Each author also has a freebie for you!  Make sure to download you copy today!

Speaking of Tech Tips, have you checked out my new blog?  It is Technology with Class.  My latest post is a quick tutorial video showing you and easy and safe way to share a YouTube video with your students.  Click here to stop by and view it.

I have more egg-citing stuff for you!  Here is a few fun pack of activities & centers for the kiddos.  Click here to get it.  My students love these Easter themed centers so much they forget they are learning.

Want more Freebies?  I'm linking up with Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday.

QR Code Task Cards Freebie

Those of you who have been with me for a while know how much I love integrating technology into my classroom.  It makes my life as a etcher easier and more productive, but more importantly the students love it and benefit from it so much!  I know many teachers are hesitant to bring new technology into the classroom because they are not a tech expert.  I am by no means an expert either, but I love learning new things and that is all it takes.  I also enjoy simplifying things to teach others new things (thus why I teach K/1).  I integrate technology in multiple ways everyday in our classroom and my students benefit from it.  My mission now is to help other teachers see how easy it is to do the same.  If I can do it with K/1, then anyone can do it!  Because of this, I am happy to announce a new blog I just launched, www.technologywithclass.com (don't worry Fun in K/1 isn't going anywhere.)

So please stop by and check it out!  Keep in mind it is just getting started, so please check back often.  I have also changed the name of my TpT store to Teaching with Technology and Fun.  It's still me and the same great stuff, just a new name and soon to be more products.

Now, on to my QR Task Card Freebie!  My kids love scanning QR codes.  I have tried using these in centers with task cards several ways.  My first attempt, was simply using QR codes for students to scan to check their answer.  Well the students were so excited to scan the code, they would rush their work.  Well now, I have them scan the QR code to get the question.  Then they answer the problem on their recording sheet.  When they complete all of the cards they get to scan another code to check their answers.  This way has worked beautifully!  Give it a try.

The best part is that there is very little printing, paper and ink involved.  However, the students still benefit from the full color questions and images!

What do you need to get started?  
A device capable of scanning a QR code  - (preferably one for each child at the center.)  The app is free, you can use an iPad, iPod and old Smartphone or any tablet with a rear facing camera and QR reader app.  (You can do it with a computer with a web cam at http://www.webqr.com but it is a little more difficult.)  

WiFi -  The codes are linked to a URL with the question as an image.

QR Code Task Cards - Today is your lucky day!  I'm giving you a set for free!  Click here to download my newest set I am using this week.  This set of QR Code Task Cards features Double Digit Addition without Regrouping.  The file includes everything you need: directions, a storage folder, 12 QR Code Task Cards, a student answer form and self checking answer key code.

Don't forget to stop by checkout more freebies at Classroom Freebies Manic Monday! 

Very Productive Monday

In honor of President's Day, I had a very productive day.  I spent Saturday and Sunday playing, so I decided to spend today working and creating!

I finally finished and uploaded my Building Dolch Sight Word Fluency System.  This is something I have implemented in my room this year and it is working amazing!

I have 22 posters (Lego themed of course with my room!  I am working on other themes too.) each with 10 Dolch words.  The students have a name card on the wall with sticky tack.  If they can name all 10 words quickly, without sounding out, and without errors they can advance to the next poster.  They do this until they have mastered all 220 Dolch words.  When they get to the end I make a big announcement and the student is awarded a certificate.  I have challenged the class to have everyone make it to the end.  If everyone makes it we will have a Pizza Party!  Now students who have made it help their peers work on the words they need to learn.  It is woking out fantastic!

In the Building Sight Dolch Word System I have also included several PowerPoint slide shows to use for practice or assessment.  They automatically advance after 1.5 or 2.0 seconds.  I also have a checklist to use that is in the same order.  I also included a themed word list, certificate and iFlash Digital Flashcards PDF.  You can buy this system from me at TpT or My Store.

Did you notice I said "My Store"???  Yes, you read correctly, I am starting my own little store right here on Fun in K/1!  You can not shop right here, pay and the download will be automatically sent to you.  You can find my store by clicking on the "My Products" tab above.  I am still playing around with how I would like it formatted and only have a whopping 2 products listed, but hey it's a start!  It has been on my to-do list for a while, so now it is on my in-progress list!

I also got another project started today!  I have been toying with an idea for a while and I just took the first steps to getting it started today.  I will give you a hint, it involves technology in elementary education.  I hope to have more details very soon and will be sure to share right here!

I did all of this today, and still found "time" to make a freebie for you!  I am addicted to my iFlash digital flashcards.  If you haven't tried them yet, you must.  Don't worry there is no printing or cutting involved and they are super easy to store.  All you do is download the iFlash Digital Flashcard PDF to your iPad, Smartphone or tablet, then open in an eReader.  Then you can open the "book" from your bookshelf and swipe through them.  I use them with students to get out the door, come into class or while we are waiting anywhere.  You can grab them free from my TpT store or click here to grab them.  (I have also added them to the "My Freebies" tab on the blog.  I am going to keep adding to this section too.)

Don't forget to check out Manic Monday at www.classroomfreebies.com for more freebies!