Best Teacher Moment of 2015 Instagram Photo Contest

Let's celebrate the new year with a sharing of our favorite Instagram Teacher Moment photos!

Here's the link to the contest!

#THISISTHEYEAR contest

https://thisistheyearigcontest.shortstack.com/HTKPjL

Enjoy!

Until the next post...

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Video Creating Apps For Assessing Students' Understanding

Looking for a fun way to assess students' understanding?  I've found some great free apps to use in the classroom.  All apps are free on itunes and extremely easy to use!

1.  Pics2Mov

This video creator app allows you to add photos with captions to tell a story.

2.  Flipagram

This video creator app also allows you to create videos out of photos.  Some of these photos were created in PowerPoint and saved as a jpeg file.

3.  YakiT Kids or YakiT

This video creator app allows you to create animated talking videos using pictures or photos using your own voice!

4.  ChatterPix Kids

This is also an video creator app that allows you to animate pictures or photos using your own voice!

5.  Animoto

This app allows you to create a movie style video using photos or created pictures.  You can add music to these videos.

6.  Magisto

This one is much like animoto.  You can create videos using photos and pics with music.

These will get the creative juices flowing!  You and your students can use your imagination with each and every app to create one-of-a-kind presentations!

Enjoy!

Until the next post...

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Emotions = Comprehension

We all have that one thing that gets to our core.  One thing that sneaks up and grabs us by surprise. One thing that hits a nerve or sparks a vivid memory.  What is that one thing for you?  A song? A name? A picture? A smell?  Many of us will probably agree that whatever it is...it is tied to one of our senses.

Our senses can take us back in a split second to the warmth of the concrete under our feet on a hot summer day at the public pool.  How?  For me, it's a song.  Ever hear a song and the most vivid memories come flooding in?  How about that one dish that your grandma used to make?  One bite or smell and you are sent back in time to the comforts of grandma's kitchen.

Tell me...where does this take you?

I end up in my friend's basement playing the part of Sandy on top if the couch arm!  Ha!

How about this one?

With this one I start out as a kid hearing this blast at full throttle from my brother's bedroom.  My mom screaming..."turn that down".  Then it turns into a more recent memory of my son's football team going to state and the parents all lining up to cheer them onto the field.  Funny how one little song can take me back to so many different places.


Senses are a very powerful part of our deepest memories.  They are our key to remembering details that otherwise would be forgotten forever.  This is why I use sensory activities and beautifully written and illustrated books to teach comprehension.  I appeal to my students' senses in hope of creating a memory that will last.

I teach struggling readers.  I do so in a short little window of 20 minutes 5 days a week.  My time with them has to be golden!  I have to make the most of every minute.  Stressful?  Maybe. Challenging?  A little.  Impossible?  No!

A watched a scope tonight given by Chris from Famous in First.  He talked about teachers creating a stage, an atmosphere, an environment of excitement and entertainment in their classrooms in order to engage students and create meaningful lessons.  I agree, but you know what?  I really don't feel like I'm acting.  I might look like it and after watching a few of my videos teaching, I do look like I'm acting, but honestly...I'm not.  The truth is, if you believe in something enough others will want to believe too.  I create a feeling of excitement for my young readers simply by being passionate myself.

Yes it takes time to earn students' respect.  One in which they truly trust in you, but once that is gained and they know and understand you are "in it" for them, they will join in your excitement. They will hop on board your little teaching train and ride anywhere with you.

Below I will show you a couple of the books I use to teach Visualizing.  Since visualizing is such a sensory skill I spent many hours looking for the right books to introduce it and practice it.  These authors are some of the best at "showing" not telling.  Take a look and see what you think?  Would these books work for you?  Would any of them inspire you enough to teach with passion and excitement?  Try reading a few out loud.  See if any of them have a sensory effect on you.  If so, give it a whirl with your students.  Have them listen and draw what they "see" while you read.  Share them and enjoy the different perspectives!

In this book Chiro goes out into the world to find his way alone for the first time.  His mother tells him to use his "good" sense to find his way.  Much like we use our "good" sense to make menal images.

Ralph Fletcher has to be one of the best visualizing voices ever!  He shows every part of this story with his beautifully written words!

Go on a sensory ride one cold and wintery night with Jane Yolen.  This book is soft, sweet, and provides that "quiet" sensory experience allowing students to "feel" their listening experience. Love it!

Here's one for the youngers!  It spells out the scene easily for younger readers.  There are many audio versions of this available.  I find that sometimes, although I love to read the stories aloud, listening to professional audio recordings provides a better sensory experience.  (Bud, Not Buddy for instance.  Love the voice of James Avery!  Perfect fit for that story!)

These are just a few to try.  Let me know what you think.  Comment on others you may have tried.  I'm (addicted) in love with picture books...

Until the next post...

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Teaching What Visualizing MEANS with an Amazing Picture Book!

A few years ago, I noticed how well my students were picking up on their decoding skills.  I had been utilizing the Beanie Baby Strategy I came upon while helping my neighbor girl with her homework one day. I looked them up online and I gave them a try.  After 3 years, I could see a dramatic difference not only in the usage and understanding of decoding strategies, but the motivation they created.  Simply placing the animals in the center of our reading table caused excitement!

I began to use the same Beanie Baby Strategies I found to introduce and reinforce the comprehension skills I was teaching as well.  For some odd reason, they didn't catch on.  I chalked it up to comprehension being a much more difficult skill to attain.  But one day, I stumbled upon a cute little book about a chicken and his father and the way I taught comprehension changed forever! (See older post "How a Children's Book Changed the Way I Taught Comprehension".

I began to feverishly search for books that held a comprehension strategy message.  The catch was, I had to tie that message to an animal to keep the Beanie Baby momentum in motion.  This was quite the search.  My local librarian and the children's department head at Barnes and Noble got to know me quite well.  I read hundreds of books and have been able to create meaningful comprehension strategy lessons with a deep connection to the skill/animal.

This scope, although I'm still a newbie at Periscope, is my attempt to share my thoughts and a little information about the strategy and its development.  (Please excuse the eye blinking...geesh...I guess I blink when I'm thinking.)

I hope this helps to explain my thinking and how I go about introducing our first visualization experience.

Until the next post...

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My 1st Periscope!! 8 Picture Books That Will Change the Way You Teach Comprehension

AHHHHH!!  I have been lurking Periscope since July when Angie from Lucky Little Learners and Ashley from Schroeder Shenanigans in Second did their first scope LIVE from the TpT conference in Vegas.

What an exciting day in history...in my opinion!  I have found that Periscope can really be an amazing tool to help educators "spread the word".  I took the plunge today and did my first scope from my classroom, since all of the things I needed to show you were there.

In my scope I share with you the 8 children's books I use to teach my struggling readers HOW to comprehend.  Comprehension is such an enormous concept!  It envelopes so many skills that happen simultaneously.  I'm not sure how so many people "get it" so easily...something to think about...

Well my kiddos struggle to comprehend and I needed to find a fun, easy to remember, mnemonic type device that resonated with them and motivated them to want to take on this ginormous task!

This scope was my introduction into the WHY and a tid bit of HOW I use these books to teach comprehension.  Please excuse the newbie mistakes...(how do you turn this thing off????) Ha!  I actually cackle laughed when watching the replay.

Here it is:

My hope is this sparks a thought, intrigues you into wanting to dig for good picture books to use, and maybe even gives you a chuckle as I fumble through my first scope.

Here's the book titles I showcased:

Until the next post...

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How TpT Has Changed our RTI Program (Sight Word Talk)

A little background...

As a Title I/RTI teacher, I try to afford my struggling readers every opportunity to gain success in reading as I'm sure we all do.  I have tried so many approaches over the years to help students gain mastery of sight words, but found that it is another one of those "one size DOESN'T fit all" concepts.

I was shocked to find that playing sight word games nightly helped my students some, but they were behind to begin with and this approach, although good, wasn't enough to catch them up to their peers or provide them a working knowledge of the words most often found in text.

I remember hearing all of the debates as a beginning teacher arguing the sight word vs. phonics reading approach.  I even remember our district trying one approach and then a few years later flipping to the other, only to never be happy.

I revisited the question, "Is sight word recognition important to struggling readers?"  I was never truly sure.

Then came the age of balanced literacy where we learned that reading was wholistic!  The heaven's opened and the literacy God appeared to finally end this worn out debate.  We learned that literacy is composed of many areas:

-phonics
-sight word recognition
-phonemic awareness
-vocabulary
-fluency
-comprehension

Finally, some things started coming together and I felt like I could actually make some progress with my struggling readers by paying close attention to all areas.

Then came research proving my suspicions about all children learning differently.  We learned about whole brain teaching, differing modalities, and other theories proclaiming that we need to expose our students to all areas in a variety of ways.  People learn by different methods, right?  (Next question answered!)

http://9buz.com/media/michael-j-fox--2014-02-04

The hard truth about so many of my students is that they struggle with most all areas of reading. :(

My job is to provide them intensive help in ALL areas of reading, and lucky me, I get a whole 20-30 minutes a day to make that magic happen.  Oh...and provide it in a multitude of formats to bridge all learning modalities. Nearly IMPOSSIBLE, right?! (No... just a lot of hard work.)

I have devoted myself to finding the answer to this problem on behalf of my students.  I firmly believe that each child is extremely different and getting to know their strengths and weaknesses has helped me to help them much more successfully. (Assessments and surveys...another topic to discuss later:)

I also believe that when students struggle to decode coupled with difficulty recognizing sight words, they have little chance for success with independent reading.

Conclusion...

I have convinced myself that providing quality individualized instruction in all areas is vital!

With the little time I have to spend with my darlings, I have to make the time count.  I have to motivate and excite, but at the same time provide instruction that will make a difference.  Guess what?  There is no program in a box, that I have found, that provides all of this! Darn!

This is why I began my TpT journey.  I searched for fun and engaging activities and literature units on TpT.  Goodness knows I'd had my share of publishing companies and their flip flopping of content.  I searched for best practice activities, assessments, games, lessons, and ideas to help, but at the same time motivate my students. What I found was a plethora of ideas, materials, and activities at a fraction of the publishers' price tag. JACKPOT! Or as we TpT'ers like to say Cha Ching!

But the search also taught me that since I know my students best,  it would make sense for me to also develop some items for them.  This way I could marry the resources I find, with the resources I create, to make the perfect RTI/Title I curriculum.  So far, I've spent the last 3 years combining these resources and I feel much more confident that I am providing my students with lessons that are making a difference!

The icing on the cake...

Over the past 3 years the RTI/Title I program at our school has decreased the amount of special education referrals by 25% and numbers seem to be continuing in that direction.  Good news for RTI legislation, since that is the purpose behind the development of the initiative.

Which in a long and roundabout way brings me to this reason behind this post, sight words!

I have put together an artillery of sight word lessons, activities, and games.  I have lessons that meet all modalities of learning from kinesthetic to written.  My students utilize these resources at home and in my classroom.  I assess my students monthly over their individualized lists each month.  In the first month, those that participate in the practice at home as well as school, have mastered their previous lists and moved on to the next list.  This is the first year I have seen this kind of success and I believe I owe it all to TpT (and a little research:)!

I did a simple search on Teachers Pay Teachers for sight word games and this is what I found!

21,457 results!!!!

Check out TpT for some awesome sight word resources that work!  I'm a couple of the 21,000 you might find...he he.  One of My Sight Word Products  Find a variety, put them together, and provide your students the help they need with those pesky sight words. Together we can meet all students' needs! Thank you fellow TpT'ers!

Until the next post...

Jenny

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How a Children's Book Changed The Way I Taught Comprehension: Step by Step Tutorial

Teaching children to think while they listen/read is key to building comprehension proficiency. There are many components to comprehension, but skipping this important step in teaching comprehension can make all other attempts futile. Over the past 26 years as an educator, I have searched for the answer to help young readers understand the art of comprehension.  A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a children's book that changed the way I introduce and teach thinking while reading.

I was asked to be a guest reader in a first grade classroom and was browsing new titles in an attempt to share something new and fun.  I found a book written by David Ezra Stein called Interrupting Chicken.  What caught me was the cover with its speech bubbles and fantastic illustrations, but little did I know that this book would revolutionize the way I teach my young readers to "understand" what they read. (At the end of this post I will include some links to some freebies I created for text interaction.)

Day 1: Below is the introduction lesson, please excuse the poor filming, showing how I use the book to teach students to THINK while listening.  Not only does the story model thinking aloud through its storyline, but it lends itself beautifully to personal reactions and helps readers to naturally interact with text.  I use manipulatives to help students show their understanding. Note: These are my 3rd grade Title I students.

Day 2: Our first read aloud book for 3rd grade is called Gloria Rising by Ann Cameron.  I chose this book because the readability level is perfect for my particular students and the author does a great job of developing characters that students can relate to.  We do quite a bit with characterization in 3rd grade and this book is a great start to that concept.

On this second day of teaching text interaction we reviewed how Little Chicken taught us that in order to interact with text, the reader/listener has to do many things.  He has to recall, listen, create, and know when interaction is important to the development of the story.  

We started by previewing the text...a must.  We looked at the cover and began jotting down our thoughts.  We then read the back cover...another must, and jotted down more thoughts.  This allows readers to start the process of building background knowledge for the text at hand.  Their minds begin to understand and wonder what the book could be about.  It's the HOOK that helps reluctant readers WANT to read/listen on.  It gives them a purpose for reading.

Just look at all the thoughts they had before even cracking it open!

Day 3:  The next day we read chapter 1 together.  Before reading we reviewed our thoughts in order to recall our previous thoughts about the book and allow us to possibly find some answers to our questions/thoughts.  I used a different color for each student in order to keep track of each of his/her thoughts. My thoughts were modeled in blue.  If you notice there were only two other colors used, showing that one student was struggling with the concept.  I continued to talk through each student's thoughts asking them to share how they came to that thought.

Day 4:  On this day we read chapter 2 together.  We reviewed our thoughts from day 3 revisiting the idea that many of our questions were answered within the same chapter.  Also that having these questions/thoughts motivates us to want to find out the answers by reading on.  As you can see student #3 (green) had a great day!  He was now able to participate by sharing some great thoughts about the title of the chapter, The New Pet.  He also was able to create a thought about why the main character might not want her onion used, since a famous astronaut touched it making it valuable to her. Yes!  

Days 5-8:  We used this day to continue reading the story aloud and charting our thoughts together. This lesson's focus was to help deepen our understanding of thinking while listening.  Once I felt they were understanding the concept, we moved from writing their thoughts on a chart together to writing down our own thoughts independently in their thinking journals. This type of slow progression from modeled/together type activities to more independent activities helps to scaffold students to become confident with the task which leads to more success overall.

I use this version when reading a short story and a blank version when reading a chapter book. Both found below for FREE:)

Days 9-end of book:  These lessons bridged students from reading, sharing, and discussing the story together to allowing students to perform all of these tasks independently.  Students spent the next few days reading and writing their thoughts (text interactions) independently.  At the end of each day, we came together to share our thoughts and discuss our findings.

Here's Day 1 of Interacting On Our Own!

(Pink Student)

This student wondered who Gloria had to write to.  She is unfamiliar with the idea of having to do "writes".  She also is wondering why the teacher is staying after school.  While reading she found her answer and noted it.  Her teacher had to stay because she had to paint a project.

 (Purple Student)

The last thoughts were from this lesson.  She wondered if the character was going to stay in her class or go to another one.  She also wondered if her new teacher was going to like her.  (This will give her something to focus on when reading the next time.)

(Green Student)

This student was the one who was struggling to produce thoughts about the story in the beginning.  He is still struggling with his understanding since his thought from reading alone says, Why is she growling at them? This didn't happen, so he is most likely not understanding what his is reading. I will meet with him to have him explain his thinking and review that portion of the story with him to see where the "breakdown" occurred.

All of them were SO excited to "show off" their new skill!  They did a great job!  Two

 of them came up with quality thoughts about what they read!  The best part is that they felt like experienced and confident readers!  That is why I firmly believe in scaffolding the process of introducing new comprehension concepts/strategies!  So excited for them to utilize this skill with books of their choice!

Exciting News:  I learned a nifty new trick while visiting my local Staples!  You can use pdf files to create posters!  I know...creating posters is not a new idea, but usually they are SO expensive

(not an option for most

teachers on a budget).  But the lovely lady in the photo department helped me to create this 24x36 poster for only $6!!!  It is an engineering print and believe it or not the quality is unbelievable!  I'M HOOKED!  Just think how cheap they will be when they run a sale!! I'm stocking up my images for that glorious day.

Next time we work on this skill we will narrow our focus from any thoughts to more specific thoughts such as:

 predicting-questioning-inferring-connecting-etc.

Now that they are understanding how to get involved in the listening/reading process, we have opened the door to multiple ways to improve our comprehension skills. 

Here's the freebie I promised.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gdfixamw7lzteb1/Text%20Interactions%20Poster%20PIC.pdf?dl=0

Below is a link to the blank pdf for making recording sheets or that AWESOME poster at Staples!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ifqlfw3bw5sfdua/Text%20Interactions%20Poster%20blank%20PICTURE%20.pdf?dl=0

Until the next strategy...

Jenny :)

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Mini Me Reveal!

 I'm so excited to have my new Mini Me done!  I can't thank The Library Fox on TpT enough for her amazing work and super fast service!  Here she is next to the picture of the real me.  I went ahead and recreated my button using her too.  So cute!

Mini Me

My TpT Headshot Photo

My New Tpt/Blog Button

Having so much fun trying to spruce up my blog and TpT store!  Next stop....NEW BLOG DESIGN!  This one is going to really send me over the edge!  Watch for it within the next few weeks!

Giggle...giggle...

Jenny

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Motivating with Bulletin Boards

WELCOME!!!!!

I'm SO SUPER excited to be linking up with #2getherwearebetter group!  I've learned so much about the TpT world through these amazing people this summer!  I'm so blessed to have chosen a career that is filled with the wonderful, inspirational, and giving people, called teachers!

Today I come to you with the idea of Motivating with Bulletin Boards.  There is something to be said for the trendy, fun, beauty of a colorful and artistic bulletin board.  When I first started teaching, EONS ago, I was taught to use my bulletin boards to announce the change of seasons, the coming of events, or to showcase students' work.  After many years, I have come to find that I want NO wasted space in my tiny little classroom.  I try to utilize every inch of my room as a learning space.

I teach or motivate with my bulletin boards.  I guess you could call them "working boards."  Yes...I do display my students' accomplishments proudly, but the displays also serve a learning purpose.

Oh, do I wish I learned the importance of taking pictures of my classroom.  (Here's where I cry a little.) Before TpT and blogging there really was no reason to take pictures of my bulletin boards except for further reference in future years, which I NEVER did!  I have NEVER used a bulletin board more than once.  I get bored easily with my surroundings.  The students and I spend countless hours in this room, so I try to keep it lively, exciting, and ever-changing.

I could show you pictures of my hand crafted tree extending to the roof, where I put students' names each time they completed a book.  I could show you the Very Hungry Caterpillar that stretched across the tippy top of my classroom where I put a circle for each time we had a success in our room. Oh...how I wish I knew now what I didn't know then.  Isn't that a song?  Well...it's a smart one.

Instead, I will spend my time inspiring you to create bulletin boards that expand children's knowledge, showcase their understanding, and motivate them to learn.

This year I have decided to marry my reading incentive idea, my book sharing plan, and my students' work, together onto one fabulous...jam packed...super bulletin board.  This bulletin board will not only provide my students with knowledge, information, and motivation, but will provide it to all passers by.  I plan to display this collaboration on the bulletin board in my hallway, so all that pass have an opportunity to soak up some reading magic!

A little background...I teach Title I/RTI reading for grades K-5.  My main job is to provide quality reading intervention instruction to students who have shown a need in reading through use of universal screeners and other means.  I teach the students who do not like to read.  I teach the students that think they cannot read.  I teach the students who avoid reading.  So my main goal is to motivate my students to read.  It's quite the daunting task, but I LOVE IT!

First, I try to model and inspire.  Then I try to provide endless opportunities for reading to occur. Oh..and teach reading strategies and lessons daily.

My biggest push is to inspire my students to read 20 minutes 5 days a week.  I have a money system set up in which they get rewarded for reading and performing reading tasks at home.  I provide my parents with multiple opportunities to join me in nighttime literacy events where I teach skills and fun ways to incorporate reading into my students' home lives.

Here is a info graphic type page I created to spell out the importance of reading for my students and parents.  The numbers speak volumes.

Why Readers Should Read 20 Daily

Now how do I inspire my students to actually follow through with reading 20 minutes a night 5 times a week?  The money system works for some, but not all.  I needed a better way to grab their attention. Last year, I figured it out and hit the motivation jackpot!

I posted before about how I make green screen iMovie book trailers with my students.  My bulletin board idea includes these book trailers.  It will showcase not only the cover of the book, but the book trailer will be linked up using a QR code, so anyone with a QR reader can scan it and see the book trailer created by my students.  It will be an interactive bulletin board.  

Our students have LearnPads in our classrooms, so they can simply go to the board, scan, and view countless book trailers throughout the year.

Here is a look at some of the book trailer announcements and the finished interactive bulletin board. The "Now Showing" shows up much better in person. :( 

 I hope this motivates my students to want to be a book reader!  

(Students will be challenged to create 3-4 a year. 

(Another bulletin bored will keep track of their progress.)

Play With Me book trailer

Interrupting Chicken Book Trailer

Stinky Book Trailer

I Want My Hat Back Book Trailer

My Book Trailer Bulletin Board Display

I only added a few as to intrigue students at the beginning of the year.  Hopefully I will have to make them smaller and the board will be filled up by December!

I'd love to join other teachers in sharing our students' book trailers.  I can think of SO many ways to do so via technology!  If you are interested in sharing book trailers (shares) with my class, let me know!  

link2teach@gmail.com

Enjoy!

Jenny

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Finally Part of Bloglovin!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14314565/?claim=44tg869sfpa">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Can't wait to start viewing blogs of my choice!!  I even downloaded the app for my phone.

As my name states loving to Link 2 Teach!!

See you on Bloglovin'!!!

Jenny

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Lights...Camera...Book Trailers!! Green Screen Tutorial

Looking for a way to motivate your students to read?  Cast them in a movie...book trailer that is.  Last summer I hosted a program at our local library to boost reading motivation over the summer months.  I decided to try creating green screen book trailers.  Little did I know the overwhelming positive response it would create in students and parents!  

When the idea struck me I went online and purchased a green screen kit.  I wanted one that was PC compatible and easy to use.  I decided to go with a company, that in their store name implied "easy as 1-2-3."  (That should give you a clue, without giving away and scaring their company name.) My advice is to research the company before buying their products.  The place I purchased from was not professional or reliable.  They never gave me the key code for the software and after 6 months of begging them...and a little pressure...I finally got the program working.  Sadly, it was less than I expected and couldn't do half the fancy things I had envisioned.

So that led me to having to do it the hard way.  Our school has PCs so I looked for great programs and tutorials on creating green screen movies with Windows and I couldn't find one that I thought the students could eventually manage on their own, which was my goal.  So that led me to the decision to use my own personal Macbook.

I spent many hours trying to figure out how to create movies in iMovie.  I looked for great tutorials and articles, but none of them seemed too easy to me, and they really didn't fit my needs as a teacher.  After a year of exploring iMovie and using the green screen to make dozens of movies in my classroom, I am here to tell you this is one of the most powerfully motivating things I've ever done to inspire my students to read.  I teach struggling readers K-5.  My students do not like to read, but this idea of using a green screen was the single most powerful motivator I've ever seen!

You know how we as teachers always look for that perfect "hook"?  That perfect anticipatory set?  Well set up a green screen in your classroom and I promise you...they will BEG to read!

Here's a shot of the green screen kit I purchased.  You do not need to purchase an entire kit, I learned later.  All you need is a green background.  You can use a sheet, fabric, a curtain, or paint.  I did some research and found out the name of a green paint you could use. 

Behr S-G-430 ("Sparkling Apple")- Found at Home Depot

or

Buy a swatch of fabric you think might work.  Pin it to your clothes.  Shoot your movie and add green screen effect (steps found in Part 5) and if the background picture shows up on the swatch of fabric then that's your color.  This might be better than purchasing yards and yards of fabric that do not work.

Honestly, I think as long as you use a bright green it will work.  Some of my kids showed up wearing green and we couldn't shoot because their green shirt picked up the background. (Which left them with a floating head...he he.)

Look at my sad little broken stool:(  

My kids could hardly stand it until I explained what it was for.  Then they wanted to do nothing BUT read.  I never thought I'd ever have to say "No sweetie, we have to do this before we read."

In an earlier post I adding some of my students' videos if you'd like to see examples.  

(I've done many more since then.)

But today's focus is to show you, How You Can Easily Create Green Screen Book Trailers/Movies in Your Classroom Using iMovie. This video is Part 1 in a 7 part series.  I took it slow so you could master one section at a time.  By Part 7: Publishing Your iMovie, you will be a pro!

I hope it helps to simplify this process for you.  I will post Part 2: Saving Your iMovies next.

Enjoy!

Jenny

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#2getherwearebetter

So excited to jump into a new school year this August....after 26 years?  Really?  How can this be you ask?  Well...I owe it to all the new friends I've connected with via social media this summer!  It's amazing to think that one little idea could spark such an uproar of excitement and emotion but I feel blessed to have been part of this social media craze that started with the following of the TpT Vegas Conference!  Thanks to two wonderful ladies that have inspired me beyond words (Angie @ Little Lucky Learners, and Ashley @ Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd, I have hopped on that social bandwagon and strapped myself in for quite a ride.  Join the craze @#2getherwearebetter


What have I been inspired to do since this broadcast live from the halls of Vegas on Periscope?
-Start a Literacy Tribe https://www.facebook.com/groups/LiteracyTribe/
  full of wonderful teachers that love all things literacy (just like me!)
-Found a blog designer to redo my...not so pretty...blog.
-Hired an artist friend to design a logo and "face" for my literacy link ups
-Been inspired to create items to help each other spread the love of literacy!

I am currently very excited about my newest project, creating a How-To on creating green screen book trailers/movies.  I started using them last summer with our summer reading program and they took off from there!  Last year I had a waiting list of students grades 1-5 wanting to read award winning books and create book trailers to share with their friends and families.

I have never seen such an motivational reading movement in all of my teaching career!  So...I want to share exactly how to make this happen in more classrooms.  Completing it is my goal this week.  I will share the minute it is ready!

I have a confession...

I even have an even bigger idea!!!

Here it is:

I WOULD LOVE TO LINK UP STUDENTS AND CLASSROOMS BY SHARING STUDENT-MADE BOOK TRAILERS!  Wouldn't that be an amazing use of social media????

I'm so excited!  Now I just have to find a way to make this happen.  Contact me if you are willing to link up to my students this fall.(link2teach@gmail.com)  Connecting students through literature....GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS!

Stay tuned...

Jenny

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Giving An Old Idea a Facelift!

I've been spending the summer working on my TpT store..trying to create items that are too time consuming to do during the school year. As I reflect upon the years past, and try to focus on what really matters for struggling readers, I continue to come to the same conclusion.

Why do students struggle to read?

I truly believe that a majority of the students that walk through my Title I/ RTI classroom door struggle because they simply cannot decode. What fun is reading when you have to struggle to figure out a majority of the words?

(Much like going up to bat with never hitting a ball or going roller skating and always falling down...NOT MUCH FUN.)

The best remedy I have found to this day...with both young beginning readers and older struggling readers is the use of systematic decoding instruction. But, how do you keep one's interest when they are already "turned off" from the whole process?

As I sit here, I come to this conclusion...YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT FUN, EASY TO FOLLOW, EASY TO REMEMBER.

That's it. Then you practice practice practice!

That's why my 1st summer task was to update my Beanie Baby Decoding Strategies posters, graphics, and powerpoint lessons on these strategies to keep them current and to implement what I have learned over the years while teaching them.

I hope the kids enjoy them! Although it took many hours...I have no doubt it was worth every minute!

What do you use to teach decoding to your young or struggling readers?

Here are some pics of my updated items/ideas in my classroom:)

I also put the actual beanie babies on a bookcase right next to our small group table.  This way they are always right there when we need them. :)

I framed them with certificate frames from Dollar Tree.  Yep only $1 each!  Now I can easily remove them and place them on a tripod stand when focusing on a certain strategy. LOVE!

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You're Going to Put Me Where...To Teach What? (An RTI Story)

About 5 years ago I heard mention of a new mandated program to soon sweep the nation.  It was called Response to Intervention...RTI for short (of course)!  Little did I know how this would turn my world upside down.

At the time I was a self-contained 5th grade teacher (ex-Title I teacher) and loving my new home with my class of 25.  Life was good in teacher land!  And then...it hit!  I was moved back to the Title I position in our building for another go around at teaching the entire district remedial reading. OMG...why me? (Being the only one with a masters degree in reading will do that to ya!) :)  I was asked, by our new principle, to turn the program around and do what the RTI initiative was designed to do...meet every child's reading needs.  Easy peesy right?  No...

After the tears subsided, I vowed to make the best of it and do the best I could in an almost impossible situation.  Really?  How was I supposed to teach and remediate 500 children grades K-5? Afterall...I did get my master in reading for a reason.  I loved it! 

After 3 years of digging in, spending countless hours locked in my tiny little room, I'm pale and a little under exercised, but I am here to tell you that I am making it happen and I am completely and utterly shocked and amazed that little me could do such a thing.

In the past 3 years, I took a failing RTI program with little results and little data to drive instruction to an RTI RESULT PRODUCING BEAST!  In the last two years alone, our school's special education referrals were decreased by 25% and I know with the implementation of next year's co-teaching of guided reading groups, it may increase again.

How did we do it?  A lot of looking into our screening materials, tons of research, hours of piloting, endless days of creating new assessments, and a partner from God himself.  That's how!  I can't wait to see how this year goes.

I began to reflect upon my countless hours of searching for a ready-made program.  Well...one didn't, so it led me to think there is a need for it.

My goal this summer, or maybe early this fall, is to publish a product that will show teachers/administrators step by step how to create such a program.  I plan to list it on TpT so no one has to start from scratch like I did.  We all work hard...why not share the love? Right?

Watch for it on my blog or in my TpT store soon.  I'm going to be looking for some teachers who love reading instruction and assessment, or simply a teacher that loves to implement new things with a set of fresh eyes, to look at my products before I list.  If you are willing to help me out...I will provide it to you for free.  If interested in helping me proof, contact
me @jenmarmion@gmail.com

Here's to NEVER giving up!  Go TEACHERS!

Jenny

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