I have taken a few pictures of our first week. I hope to get those posted soon. Have a great week!
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Technology in Our Classroom
As you may have seen from my posts over the weekend on Twitter and/or Facebook, we have 24 new friends in our class beginning this week.
Let me explain.
Our district has a partnership with ThinkTV that led to us receiving grant money that is being used to purchase Chromebooks. I am not on the committee, so I do not know all of the details, but from what I understand, next year, every kindergartner and first grader in the Piqua City School District will receive a Chromebook laptop to use at school and at home. ThinkTV is producing educational content that will be accessed by the students to help further their reading scores. To help roll this out, several teachers were selected to "pilot" the program, and I was lucky enough to be one of those teachers.
The teachers were notified last Thursday that the computers were ready, and would be brought to our classrooms sometime within the next week. Ours came yesterday, and I may or may not have let out a squeal of delight when the tech department appeared at my door! While the students were in music class just after lunch, I started to set up the computers with each student's individual login information; however, due to a slight snag with an untimely Chrome software update, I was unable to do so. Now, if you know me at all, you know that 24 computers in my room that I can't do anything with is a horrible tease! :-) Well, in true Piqua tech department form, they came today, and whisked the cart away (just to the cafeteria so they'd have room to work without tripping over 22 kindergartners), worked their magic, and returned the cart before school dismissed for the day. Yippee!
I spent about an hour after school setting up everyone's accounts, and tomorrow we will begin using them. The kids are so excited - several of them asked me today when we were going to get to use "our new computers" - I told them "as soon as they get them ready for us!"
Now, you might be wondering how I plan on using the computers with the kids during the day. Some of you may be saying to yourselves, "my kids plays video games enough at home, I don't want him or her playing all day at school, too!" Well, I have been researching and reading up on how other teachers are using technology with their students, and have come up with some pretty cool lessons and activities.
Here are some of the ideas I have brewing for using our computers all day long for more than just games:
1) Students will use the webcam to take a picture of something, and then will write or type about their picture. We will have to start small, but my intention is to eventually get them to write and publish their own "informational text" or story for their family and other students to read.
2) I would like to replace our current paper math journals with digital files, which would eliminate pages being ripped out, notebooks constantly falling out of our seatsacks and onto the floor, those silly wire spirals being used to poke our neighbors, pencils being lost inside those aforementioned silly wire spirals, etc. They can also be saved (theoretically) forever.
3) I plan to create personalized "digital word walls" (like a kindergartner's dictionary) for each student, based on their individual level.
4) We will do our annual animal & habitat research projects on our computers. We will even create our animal books as e-books!
These are just some of the ideas I have, and as I continue to do my research, I am sure more will come! This is definitely a wonderful time to be a kindergarten teacher, and I am excited to be on this journey with your children.
Let me explain.
Our district has a partnership with ThinkTV that led to us receiving grant money that is being used to purchase Chromebooks. I am not on the committee, so I do not know all of the details, but from what I understand, next year, every kindergartner and first grader in the Piqua City School District will receive a Chromebook laptop to use at school and at home. ThinkTV is producing educational content that will be accessed by the students to help further their reading scores. To help roll this out, several teachers were selected to "pilot" the program, and I was lucky enough to be one of those teachers.
The teachers were notified last Thursday that the computers were ready, and would be brought to our classrooms sometime within the next week. Ours came yesterday, and I may or may not have let out a squeal of delight when the tech department appeared at my door! While the students were in music class just after lunch, I started to set up the computers with each student's individual login information; however, due to a slight snag with an untimely Chrome software update, I was unable to do so. Now, if you know me at all, you know that 24 computers in my room that I can't do anything with is a horrible tease! :-) Well, in true Piqua tech department form, they came today, and whisked the cart away (just to the cafeteria so they'd have room to work without tripping over 22 kindergartners), worked their magic, and returned the cart before school dismissed for the day. Yippee!
I spent about an hour after school setting up everyone's accounts, and tomorrow we will begin using them. The kids are so excited - several of them asked me today when we were going to get to use "our new computers" - I told them "as soon as they get them ready for us!"
Now, you might be wondering how I plan on using the computers with the kids during the day. Some of you may be saying to yourselves, "my kids plays video games enough at home, I don't want him or her playing all day at school, too!" Well, I have been researching and reading up on how other teachers are using technology with their students, and have come up with some pretty cool lessons and activities.
Here are some of the ideas I have brewing for using our computers all day long for more than just games:
1) Students will use the webcam to take a picture of something, and then will write or type about their picture. We will have to start small, but my intention is to eventually get them to write and publish their own "informational text" or story for their family and other students to read.
2) I would like to replace our current paper math journals with digital files, which would eliminate pages being ripped out, notebooks constantly falling out of our seatsacks and onto the floor, those silly wire spirals being used to poke our neighbors, pencils being lost inside those aforementioned silly wire spirals, etc. They can also be saved (theoretically) forever.
3) I plan to create personalized "digital word walls" (like a kindergartner's dictionary) for each student, based on their individual level.
4) We will do our annual animal & habitat research projects on our computers. We will even create our animal books as e-books!
These are just some of the ideas I have, and as I continue to do my research, I am sure more will come! This is definitely a wonderful time to be a kindergarten teacher, and I am excited to be on this journey with your children.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
It should not have taken me so long to get going on this blog this year, but here we are at the beginning of November already! Whew!
This is my "newsletter" of happenings in my classroom. This is one of the ways I send out reminders, and this is how you will find out what we're working on, so please check back regularly!
Parent-Teacher Conferences
A big thank you to all the parents who came to Parent-Teacher Conferences. As you know, it takes both Parents and Teachers to teach your child - we are partners in your child's educational career. Please don't ever hesitate to call or drop me a line if you have a question or concern.
Family Reading Awards Assembly
On Thursday, we held our Awards Assembly for those students who have met the Family Reading Goal. This is the reading log that you are given at the beginning of each month. We ask that you leave this paper on the "green" side of your child's Parent Pack, just so it doesn't get lost (although I have been lax about requesting this this year - everyone seems to be returning the papers at the end of the month anyway, so if you prefer to keep it somewhere else, that's fine). As part of Nicklin Learning Center's Title I funding, we are requesting that you read at least 30 books to your child per month (1 per day). However, to receive credit for this, you must write the title of the book on your child's log, or it doesn't count! After the end of the month, each child who has met their goal for the month receives a certificate from me, and at the end of each quarter, those who have met their goal for the whole quarter receive a special certificate from Mrs. Henderson at the assembly. Each month that your child meets their reading goal, their name is put in for a drawing for a t-shirt at the quarterly assembly. I would like to congratulate the following students for reaching their family reading goals this quarter:
September: (alphabetical by last name) Elijah, Jaymekah, Jo, Aiden, Isarel, Khloe, Holden, Audrey, Parker, Joey, Lorelai, Alex, Chase, Matteo, Megan, J'Sienna, Brogan
October: Jo, Aiden, Isarel, Angel, Khloe, Holden, Audrey, Parker, Joey, Leon, Lorelai, Chase, Madeline, Megan, J'Sienna, Brogan
First Quarter T-Shirt Winners: Angel & Audrey
Also, a big congratulations goes out to all of Mrs. K.'s Class because we won Mrs. Henderson's special "Clifford" Award! At each assembly, Mrs. Henderson gives a stuffed animal to the classes where at least 90% of the students reached their goal. This quarter, our class was one of the winners, so Clifford the Big Red Dog is watching over our class until the next quarterly assembly!
Field Trip
Our Field Trip to Stillwater Prairie Reserve has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12th in the afternoon. We will board the bus at 12:40 and return at 2:50. I have enough volunteers confirmed for our class; however, if you would like to go along, and have already been fingerprinted and board approved, please let me know. Depending on the number of volunteers going, we may have to have you drive separately due to limited seating on the buses.
Birthdays
In kindergarten, we love to celebrate birthdays! It seems, though, that the number of food allergies has sky-rocketed in recent years. For this reason, we are asking that, if you choose to send in a birthday treat, it should be store-bought as opposed to homemade, and individually wrapped if possible, although a package of cookies or cupcakes is fine. Please do not send in cake, as we have no way to serve it in the classroom. A heads-up note to me a day or two in advance is appreciated, so I can make sure to leave a few minutes in our day to enjoy the special snack. We currently have 22 students in our class.
Every student, whether or not they bring a treat, gets to have their own little celebration. We get to "be the cake". The birthday child stands in the middle of the circle, and chooses 6 or 7 (depending on their age) friends to be the candles. The candles "turn on their flames" (hands together on top of their heads) and make a circle around the birthday child. The students not chosen to be candles sit in a circle around the carpet, forming the "icing". We all sing "Happy Birthday" to the child. then he or she gets to "blow out the candles". The student blows on the flame (not in their face!), and each candle then melts down to the floor. After all of the candles have been blown out, the birthday child gets a birthday hug from Mrs. K. and any friends who care to participate. It's a fun time for all!
This is my "newsletter" of happenings in my classroom. This is one of the ways I send out reminders, and this is how you will find out what we're working on, so please check back regularly!
Parent-Teacher Conferences
A big thank you to all the parents who came to Parent-Teacher Conferences. As you know, it takes both Parents and Teachers to teach your child - we are partners in your child's educational career. Please don't ever hesitate to call or drop me a line if you have a question or concern.
Family Reading Awards Assembly
On Thursday, we held our Awards Assembly for those students who have met the Family Reading Goal. This is the reading log that you are given at the beginning of each month. We ask that you leave this paper on the "green" side of your child's Parent Pack, just so it doesn't get lost (although I have been lax about requesting this this year - everyone seems to be returning the papers at the end of the month anyway, so if you prefer to keep it somewhere else, that's fine). As part of Nicklin Learning Center's Title I funding, we are requesting that you read at least 30 books to your child per month (1 per day). However, to receive credit for this, you must write the title of the book on your child's log, or it doesn't count! After the end of the month, each child who has met their goal for the month receives a certificate from me, and at the end of each quarter, those who have met their goal for the whole quarter receive a special certificate from Mrs. Henderson at the assembly. Each month that your child meets their reading goal, their name is put in for a drawing for a t-shirt at the quarterly assembly. I would like to congratulate the following students for reaching their family reading goals this quarter:
September: (alphabetical by last name) Elijah, Jaymekah, Jo, Aiden, Isarel, Khloe, Holden, Audrey, Parker, Joey, Lorelai, Alex, Chase, Matteo, Megan, J'Sienna, Brogan
October: Jo, Aiden, Isarel, Angel, Khloe, Holden, Audrey, Parker, Joey, Leon, Lorelai, Chase, Madeline, Megan, J'Sienna, Brogan
First Quarter T-Shirt Winners: Angel & Audrey
Also, a big congratulations goes out to all of Mrs. K.'s Class because we won Mrs. Henderson's special "Clifford" Award! At each assembly, Mrs. Henderson gives a stuffed animal to the classes where at least 90% of the students reached their goal. This quarter, our class was one of the winners, so Clifford the Big Red Dog is watching over our class until the next quarterly assembly!
Field Trip
Our Field Trip to Stillwater Prairie Reserve has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12th in the afternoon. We will board the bus at 12:40 and return at 2:50. I have enough volunteers confirmed for our class; however, if you would like to go along, and have already been fingerprinted and board approved, please let me know. Depending on the number of volunteers going, we may have to have you drive separately due to limited seating on the buses.
Birthdays
In kindergarten, we love to celebrate birthdays! It seems, though, that the number of food allergies has sky-rocketed in recent years. For this reason, we are asking that, if you choose to send in a birthday treat, it should be store-bought as opposed to homemade, and individually wrapped if possible, although a package of cookies or cupcakes is fine. Please do not send in cake, as we have no way to serve it in the classroom. A heads-up note to me a day or two in advance is appreciated, so I can make sure to leave a few minutes in our day to enjoy the special snack. We currently have 22 students in our class.
Every student, whether or not they bring a treat, gets to have their own little celebration. We get to "be the cake". The birthday child stands in the middle of the circle, and chooses 6 or 7 (depending on their age) friends to be the candles. The candles "turn on their flames" (hands together on top of their heads) and make a circle around the birthday child. The students not chosen to be candles sit in a circle around the carpet, forming the "icing". We all sing "Happy Birthday" to the child. then he or she gets to "blow out the candles". The student blows on the flame (not in their face!), and each candle then melts down to the floor. After all of the candles have been blown out, the birthday child gets a birthday hug from Mrs. K. and any friends who care to participate. It's a fun time for all!
 |
| Here we are "being the cake" for a birthday child! |
In my next post, I hope to give you a peak into a typical day in our classroom. Until then, enjoy your child now, because they'll never be this young again! :-)
Love, Mrs. Krouskop-Smith
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Monday, July 14, 2014
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
Homework
Dear Parents,
Because I am now in the process of doing final assessments on the students and putting in all grades, I am no longer going to give the online homework for this year. However, I do not want your child to fall victim to the "summer slide", so I am putting together a link to all of the games and videos we have worked on this year. This will be ready sometime before school is out. My idea is for you and your child to use this resource all summer to review what we learned in kindergarten. I do not want your child to spend all day on the computer, all summer long! But I hope you will find a few minutes each day to have your child get on and continue practicing our new skills. Also, please don't stop reading to your child! You may not realize it now, but you are building a bond like no other when you take just a couple of minutes to read to/with your child each day. Bedtime stories are the best (in my opinion), but if your schedule doesn't allow it, then please find another time in the day that works for you.
I wish you a great summer full of quality family time, and a fabulous first grade year! And for about half of you, I will see you when you're in second grade (if you go to the new Washington school)!
Love,
Mrs. Krouskop-Smith
Because I am now in the process of doing final assessments on the students and putting in all grades, I am no longer going to give the online homework for this year. However, I do not want your child to fall victim to the "summer slide", so I am putting together a link to all of the games and videos we have worked on this year. This will be ready sometime before school is out. My idea is for you and your child to use this resource all summer to review what we learned in kindergarten. I do not want your child to spend all day on the computer, all summer long! But I hope you will find a few minutes each day to have your child get on and continue practicing our new skills. Also, please don't stop reading to your child! You may not realize it now, but you are building a bond like no other when you take just a couple of minutes to read to/with your child each day. Bedtime stories are the best (in my opinion), but if your schedule doesn't allow it, then please find another time in the day that works for you.
I wish you a great summer full of quality family time, and a fabulous first grade year! And for about half of you, I will see you when you're in second grade (if you go to the new Washington school)!
Love,
Mrs. Krouskop-Smith
Thursday, May 15, 2014
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