QRazy about TeacherTube

For awhile I've been wanting to share links to recordings/videos of my students reading their writing with QR codes, but last year the school iBoss filter was blocking the ones I posted to YouTube. It was so frustrating, because I really wanted all the students (not just mine) to be able to access these videos easily. I tried Viemo... BLOCKED. I tried SchoolTube... it's a pain to sign up! Finally I found TeacherTube, and I love it. Sign up is simple and easy. The upload process is insanely fast, and  the best part of all... it creates the QR code for you! All you have to do is cut and paste them.

Here is how we created our video/recordings (we used the FaceTalker app).

 First I took a picture of them holding up their writing while covering their faces (for safety). Then I removed the mouth from the picture (the mouth is designed to move, so I just remove it). Next they record their reading and I attach it to the picture. Once we get a good recording I e-mail it to myself, save it to my computer, and upload. Once it's uploaded  I cut and paste the QR code, print it, and attach it to their final copy before I display it in the hallway!

The kids love it, and everyone else thinks it's pretty cool too! We hope you enjoy them! There aren't very many because most of them were writing in pairs.

Here is a link to my TeacherTube channel where you can check out all their awesome writing!

http://www.teachertube.com/view_classroom.php?user=aclink

In the hallway...

The finished product!

Enjoy!!

Ga ga for Google Docs... and drive

Okay, I'll admit it! I was not always a fan of Google docs! At first I thought it was Word without the bells and whistles (it sort of is) but now I know that it's so much more... where to begin??? First off I have said goodbye to all my external drives, which I am very good at loosing, or leaving at home, or leaving at school. I do everything on in Google docs now. That way all my stuff is everywhere! I really do mean everywhere... school notebook, personal notebook, phone, and of course the iPad! No more of those ugg I left it at school or shoot  that worksheet is on my laptop at home type moments.Everything from lesson plans to links for the kiddos it's all there!

I love it for me, but I love it even more for the kiddos.  They LOVE to publish their final copies in Google docs. Yes they have to learn to actually write, and we do actually write during every other step in the writing process. For publishing I prefer to use Google drive, and here are the top five reasons...

1. Publishing is no longer like pulling teeth
2. If they make a mistake that is appropriate to fix we can fix it fast and easy without starting over
3. They can see their own errors easily
4. Everyone can read it
5.Typing is an essential life skill

Here they are hard at work

 Using our rough drafts to create our final copies

Notice she is using both hands! Most of them type faster than they write! They are so good at this that they should do PD for teachers on how to navigate Google drive/Google docs! Not kidding!

They were so excited to finish up, and pick their favorite font for me to use when I printed them! Some of them completed three pieces! Normally one is like pulling teeth.

Printing is super easy too. They each have a  folder in their Google drive with their name on it. I own the folder, but it's shared with them so they can open it up and start typing. They never have to send it to me or share it with me because it appears in MY drive in real time!

We even hit those fine motor skills by illustrating

So proud of their finished products!

I can even cut and paste some of my favorites here in seconds!

This one had  a great hook!  

It was me against the dog.First I was playing with the dogs bol.Then the dog bit me.I was ciring! I told my mommy.She Said I will be okay.Then I was happy.I left the dog alone.I have a scor.I have a scor  to remember when I got bit. By Miss. H

Lots of great details in this one!

Me and my mom and my hamster were at home.My mom was gonna feed my hamster Buttercup.My hamster Buttercup was dead.He stoped breathing.I was crying. I threw my hamster Buttercup away.I was exploding teaers. will not forget my hamster Buttercup.

By Miss D

Finally the best closure EVER! 

Ahhhhhhhh! Kiyin was kaching me.We were on the blak top.I triptych on the blak top.I scrat my ne.My mommy hapt my fil betr. It became a skab and skin.

BY Mr.K

I can share them fast and easy with anyone who wants it! Parents, teammates, bloggy friends, or even district iPad goddesses! Plus reading them just makes me smile!  Love my kiddos, love my Google docs!

Going BIG... also known as publishing to YouTube

 In the high tech world we live in there are so many opportunities for our students to get their writing out there for the world to enjoy. One way that my students and I love to do this is by publishing our writing to YouTube. We have done this a couple of ways, and both work great! First we published our animal reports by paring a voiceover of students reading their report with a photograph of the students chosen animal.

 It turned out great and you can find them here 1st Grade Animal Reports
During summer school we studied poetry, and I photographed their writing and illustrations before adding a voice over of them reading their poetry.

Which you can check out here Safari Poetry
Knowing that they get to publish to the web... and not just to the hallway has really been a great incentive for my little monkeys to finish up those final copies!
We created these videos using a free app from iTunes called face talker. It looks like this

 and you can click on the following link  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facetalker/id451871237?mt=8 to download it from iTunes. It does have a creepy moving mouth feature, but we just pull the mouth down and out of they way to make it work for us! I also post our writing in the hallway, along with a QR code that takes people directly to our playlist!
Happy Publishing!!!

A Plan for Planning (and a freebie)

We all know that sick to your stomach feeling that comes when you realize that none of your students really did any planning when they completed their writing prompt... don't we!? Particularly in the primary grades planning can be hard for kids and teachers alike. How should my students plan you wonder... drawing... graphic organizer... list??? The choices seem endless. As I struggled with this question the little wheels in my brain started to turn, what if I could create a quick, simple way for my primary students to plan that they wouldn't forget, and could be reproduced quickly. After much thought I came up with this simple format that my students could fill out anytime they are asked to produce a piece of writing.
T- Topic
D-Detail
D-Detail
D-Detail
D-Detail
C-Closure
Now the question was how to get them to remember and implement it??? The answer my friends is ..

The Planning Song

(Sing to the tune C is for cookie)

 T is for topic tells readers what they’ll see

      T is for topic tells readers what they’ll see

      T is for topic tells readers what they’ll see

     Oh topic tells the reader what they’ll see

 D is for details you must have four or more

 D is for details you must have four or more

 D is for details you must have four or more

Oh Details details details four or more

    C is for closure let’s wrap it up my friends

    C is for closure let’s wrap it up my friends

    C is for closure let’s wrap it up my friends

    Oh closure closure closure at the end

© Copyright Amy Clink 2013

*May be reproduced by teachers for classroom use

My kiddos love to sing this song every time we need to plan a new piece of writing, we even made up our own hand motions to go along with it. I have never seen such successful planers in a primary classroom before, and as a bonus this plan is supper easy to differentiate with. My higher writers often add more details, or make each letter into two sentences instead on one when drafting. Every one of my students has been successful using this form of planning. Please follow this link The Planning Song to get your  freebie and comment about how it works in your classroom!
Happy Teaching!