Watch This

So, I found this video on youtube and I thought it was definitely something to share.     

Apparrantly, A man by the name of Matt Harding first decided to travel across Asia.  Along the way he recorded himself dancing either in a different area.  In each video he is either alone or with locals from that part of the country.  Stride gum caught on and agreed to sponsor two more of his trips.  In this video, he visits 42 countries over 4 months.  

This video reminds me how beautiful areas of this world.  In this video, Matt also shows that even  if the place is not so beautiful, people can still be happy and willing to dance.  

With Spring break coming up, I am feeling a little anxious because I will not be able too go anywhere.  With technologies like youtube, I am able to still see the world even though I can not travel there...yet.

**Go to www.youtube.com and type in "Where the hell is Matt 2008" **

Di-gi-tal

 I feel that when I am thinking or talking about technology in the classroom, I always have a picture of a computer in my head.  This week, I have been trying to think of other technologies that we could use in the classroom besides the computer. So, what are they?  Well, the one that I thought most about was the digital camera.  With this, we can document different things that happen in our classroom and all sorts of things we discover.  We can take pictures of things outside that we may have questions about and instantly be able to refer back to that picture while researching.  

In one class that I took last semester, we all created nature journals.  We were required to take pictures out in nature to go along with what we were documenting.  We also used them to track any changes that were happening with the change of the seasons.  I did a group project about fungi and mold and we took pictures of various items of food we set out as they molded.  It was really interesting (and gross!) to see through pictures, how much of a change there was and how long different foods took to get to a certain point.  What a fun science activity this would be to do with a class room.  It also got me thinking about what other processes we could document with pictures.  Maybe a plant growing, water freezing, snow melting, or tides changing.  

I am hoping to continue thinking about these types of things.  I feel that one of the best gifts a teacher can give their students is an idea that so many others ideas will grow from.  

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Funny Kiddos

One of my favorite things about kids is the way they view our world and the way they express this view.  I've been meaning to start documenting the funny things kids say to me, but had yet to find a way to do so.  I guess this is a pretty good place to start.  This will be my funny blog, please add to it if you have some stories of your own :-)

  Hope it brings ya some giggles.  

Friday 1/30

I have started doing my 100 hours in a first grade classroom for this semester.  This is my first experience with teaching first graders so I am still getting used to them, their level of reading, writing, math, and wit.  This was the first day I really started to realize how funny they can be.  

One boy walked into the classroom from gym this morning, clearly in the middle of an argument with one of his classmates.  "Ms Smith!" he asks

"Yep?" A little distracted, I thought the little guy might just ask for some help tying his shoes or something.

"Is 'sin' a bad word?"  hahaha...hmm

"Nope, it's a bad thing though."  Best reply I could think of.

Turning to his peer "See told ya."  

Now, the part that got to me was: how exactly did this argument start?  In what context had he used this word to make it sound like a bad word?

At the end of the day, the kids were getting ready to go on the bus, walk, or be picked up.  (Note: helping with snowpants, boots, jackets, and hats can be pretty tricky...but those DARN little fabric gloves will really getchya.  Those tiny fingers never, ever want to go to their designated spot.)  I noticed one boy having a particularly hard time getting on his snow pants.  I went over and asked "Now Jason, what do you think will make this easier?  Asking 'Ms. Smith, will you please help me?' or grunting and groaning?"  

"Well," he says (uh oh) "my grandfather says that grunting helps him!" 

"Does it?  Well do you think it helps him to get his snow pants on?" I ask. 

"No.  It helps him too get out of the car though!"    

 

A new tool

I have read some articles on blogging and now have a new opinion about this new tool.  It is clear that blogs can be used by many different people no matter their age or education level.  I first believed that blogs were used more as a journal that could be viewed by other people than a place to tell news.  Now, I realize blogging can be used for so much more.

I was reading an article about blogging in the elementary classrooms.  As you see in my last post, I really felt that as an elementary school teacher, blogging isn't something i will be able to use.  I have since learned that there are special sites that allow teachers to create a classroom blog that they can control themselves.  Here, children can respond to questions or prompts the teacher has posted, sort of as a classroom or even homework assignment.  Depending on the type of class i am teaching, I could either have children do this at our classroom computer or in a computer lab.  

I look forward to reading other teachers' blogs.  I feel that it is a good place to find and record ideas to use in the classroom.