Kahoot! What a Hoot!

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever, this is tough to keep up with! School is in full swing, and all my extra time is spent making lessons, games, handouts, and GRADING! Ugh.... I totally dislike having to grade so much.

That is why I LOVE sites that grade things for you. I am obsessed with Socrative and use it weekly for all types of quizzes. We use it for math, vocabulary, reading, and science. Most recently I took screenshots of the science test from the unit PDF online and inserted them into Socrative. This way the students can still see and get used to the layout of a paper exam, while taking the test online. They see feedback and can use their books to find the answers. Socrative allows for differentiation. I read the test aloud to my lowest group, while the other students work at their own pace. Socrative has been a lifesaver and the kids and I couldn't be the 1:1 classroom we are without it.

While we love Socrative, the students and I can't get enough of an online game site which is OOOOO so much fun! Kahoot is such a fun site where teachers can create a quiz or survey and the students respond on a device to answer.  The teachers go to https://getkahoot.com and make up a test.  There are many(553,000 to be correct) public quizzes you can search for and use also! Once you have made up a test you can share it with your grade level partners or anyone else with an account.  In order to use Kahoot, the quiz needs to be projected onto a screen so all the players can see it. This is a MUST because the questions and answer choices do not appear on their devices. Each student needs a device also. Unless you are having them work in groups, partners, etc... I think group quizzes would be great to encourage participation and teamwork! The students can use a laptop, tablet, desktop, smartphone... That's what's so great! Kahoot works on any device!

This is what I did. 5th grade classes had read The Phantom Tollbooth. Each chapter, or part of chapter, or every other chapter... you get the idea, I created a Socrative quiz to gauge comprehension. These quizzes were open book and students worked alone. To finish the whole book, I created a Kahoot! Most of these questions were recalling details, since the students can only select a multiple choice answer.  If you have a Kahoot account, you can play my game here: Ms Klinsky's Phantom Tollbooth Kahoot .



The kids were quite excited to begin to play, only a handful had played Kahoot before with me in the summer.  Kahoot is not a hard site to explain.  The students will pick it up quite quickly. The students need to login at https://kahoot.it/#/ and enter your game pin. This is created when you select PLAY on your game. They enter in a "nickname". It asks for nickname, I tell them I want their name. I don't know all their nicknames.... This part wouldn't be helpful for grading.

Game Pin the Students Need. This changes each time you play.

Then the fun begins! Once the class is all entered in, it's time to start the first question.  The first question is the hardest, and I suggest making the time limit longer than any other question. When you first start, the students have to realize that while on their screen the answer choices are there, they are only the colors and shapes. In order to read the question and answer choices, they have to be able to see your screen.  If you keep the time limit too short on the first question, they will miss it because they don't know what to expect. I would do between 30-60 seconds for the first question, and 20-30 after that. Once all players have answered, the correct answer shows up on the screen.  This is when my students would cheer. Then came the BEST part (to them). Kahoot tells them something about their score and placement in the class. It will say something like "You are tied with Anna". Then, of course, the students start sharing and comparing and seeing who's in first place.

But, this is when being the teacher is so great... You decide when the next question starts! So while they are getting so excited to see who they are beating, I begin the question to keep the flow and keep feelings under control. 

As you see from the pictures, the kids are soooooooo engaged. My principal came in the room to see and couldn't believe how the kids were so excited to be taking a test. She asked me to present to the teachers at our staff meeting. I provided the teachers with ways they could use Kahoot in their classroom by making them play! I had questions with math facts, spelling patterns, state/continent outlines, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and our PBIS rules. When I made a Kahoot for the teacher to play, even they were yelling about who was cheating and who they were beating! It was so funny! 

After the quiz is all over, you can download results or view them. This is a much more fun way of taking, and giving, a test. The students were engaged and I know they will be excited any time I mention playing Kahoot! 

Have you ever used Kahoot? What other ways have you used it? I would love to hear your ideas! And maybe share around the games to save us all some time! We have other things to do too! We aren't "just" teachers. 

Klinsky Kafe Klassroom Reveal!

Yay! It's my fav time of the year to read people's blogs! It's classroom reveal time! I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading blog posts where teachers share their classrooms with us. I think there is so much I can learn by reading what other people do in their rooms, and trying things out myself.  So many of my ideas have come from other people's classrooms! I hope that reading this post brings you some ideas for your classroom!

I love these posters from Brown Bag Teacher.

Since my kids and I have been together for so long, we are a family.  It is important for them to push themselves to learn and to believe in themselves. Since we are a family, we push each other in healthy ways too. Many of my students will help struggling kids and remind them why the task is important. I love them :)

 

Can you name the movie this idea came from?!?!

This is my take on "Bucket Filling". I love the idea of kids complimenting each other. I think it is important for them to feel good when someone compliments them, but also that they feel good when they compliment someone else. I love Legally Blonde and anything PINK, so I took the idea of the "Snap Cups" for our class bucket filling. 

Here is our exit ticket board. With our Technology/Social Media Theme, I thought it would be fun for the students to create a "status" that shared what they learned. The kids love it because they feel like I'm "letting" them play with Facebook.

 

Here is where I post my objectives. I found this idea on Pinterest to put paper into frames and use Expo markers.  I got the frames at the Dollar Tree! 

  

Here is the area behind my desk. There were no shelves there, so I bought 2 cheap ones from Walmart and placed my teacher resource books and manuals on there. Then I decorated the tops with all my fun teacher stuff, like my princess tiara.... obviously ;)

Here is one of my bookshelves. I used the Library Level Labels from Ladybug Teacher Files. One of the best purchases, although expensive, that I have made are the book boxes from Really Good Stuff. I love how pretty they are. The kids keep them in this beautiful color order and I think they enjoy having some place to put their Daily 5 materials.

       

Here is where my students sit. We don't have desks, we have tables, and yes, we have TVs. That is a post for another day, but I am a Collaborative Learning Pilot classroom for my district. It is AWESOME, we are very lucky, and we know it. Since the students don't have desks, they keep the items they use often in a clear basket, and put their textbooks and other necessary items on a table bookshelf.

Here is one of my favorite parts in my classroom. The jobs section. With our Kafe theme, I came up with jobs that would exist in a real cafe.  Each week the jobs rotate.  So far, everyone wants to be the "Boss".  My favorite is the Barista, because I love hearing my kids use the word. I feel like I'm at Starbucks. 

Next to the class jobs, you see a lil iPad, with Jail Bars.... yea, that's our iPad Jail. Kids get into that when they don't do their homework or follow iPad directions. They don't like it so there haven't been too many in it yet this year. 

Here is my alphabet from Nicole Swisher. I love the character traits on there!

    

Here are my writing bulletin boards. The iWrite board is from Brown-Bag Teacher (I love her). I'm hoping this help my kids keep track of where they are in the writing process and compare how they are moving along to other students. It will help me because with the kids picking Work on Writing at all different times, it's hard for me to always know who is doing what when.... 

The VOICES board is something I made to help the students select a goal to work on for writing. I will use it similarly to the CAFE board, where the students will select a focus for their writing.  The file is available in my TPT store. 

Here are my station boards. Every morning the students select their choices for Daily 5 ELA. They pick all 5, in any order. There is a sign I put up if the day is different than usual, such as: No daily 5 because of an assembly, or only pick 3 because we are working on a project.  If students go to an intervention, they also don't pick all 5, but they know what to do.  I use the little accents, which are labeled with the Daily 5 names. They also have a number on them. The students find their "Magic Number" and they select the 5 using the 5 accents. 

For math stations, they select based on groups. Each table has a pan (dollar tree pizza pan spray painted). They select 2-3 stations for the day. I teach 3 mini lessons and they go to 3 stations to complete tasks. 

All around my room I have chairs, beanbags, pillows, and blankets. I feel the kids learn better if they are able to be comfortable. My students take off their shoes, cuddle up with a buddy, lay under tables and chairs, and climb under my back shelf with a pillow to read and complete work. They love it! I can usually see them, and they will always tell me if someone is not working! They feel like they are at home, and that is how I like my classroom to be, a home.

  

Here is my beautiful iPad cart :) I love this :) I am so lucky :) Awww :) 

The iPad signs on the front of the cart are the iPad rules I made to match our school's PBIS rules: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Be a Defender. They are available in my TPT Store as well. 

The cart with wheels next to the iPad cart, houses chargers and other items for the iPads and MacBooks. Those labels can be found in my store as well.

My students each have a locker. This comes in handy since they do not have a desk. The locker not only holds backpacks and jackets, but notebooks, folders, and other materials we don't use every day. I made the little iPads for the fronts of the lockers.  They say "iAm so "App"y to be in 5K". They have the students' names under them so I know whose locker is whose. At the bottom, the students have the word cloud they created on the first day of school.  They used an App called Word Clouds, and told me the things they like most. They saved the finished Cloud to photos and uploaded it to me using Dropbox. Then I printed them and they glued them on "Fancy" paper. 

This is outside my classroom. My mom had the brilliant idea of finding a bistro set to put outside the "Kafe". She also wrote the sign that welcomed the kids on the first day. 

On the first day, the students took their own picture using our Photo Booth. I got this from Diary of a 21st Century Teacher. The kids LOVED IT! We used the pictures to do a writing activity where they learned how to use #hashtags. Some got it, and others are still working on it...

                                      

We put all of our pictures onto our class Instagram Board. 

I have to say that I had some amazing help to get this classroom ready.  

I have former students who come back every summer to help me. Yair (I promised him a shout-out) is a sophomore this year and was probably in my room for 10 hours total doing whatever I asked of him. Except for putting up my alphabet when he said to me, "Miss, I know how you are, I'm not gonna do it straight..." He knows me well... I am a perfectionist. 

My mom is the kind of person who I don't have to even tell what to do. She comes in and knows what I need done and does it. She does bulletin boards and tells me when mine are not straight or even. She scouring Goodwill for me finding the items I need to make my classroom what I want. 

And I even had my boyfriend come in to help do some high bulletin boards that required a ladder. He knows how I am too, so when I would say to move the border over just a lil centimeter so it would match the other one, he did it without complaining :) 

I have family members who send school supplies and prizes so that I don't have to spend any more money than I do.

The custodians at my school worked long hours and longer days to make sure our classrooms were clean and ready.  They are so undervalued. I owe them BIG TIME.

I am so lucky to be blessed with such a great group of kids, teachers, and friends. They know that to me, this isn't a job, it's my passion. I'm not "just" a teacher.  They make me love my job more every day. I look forward to making this year, their best ever.  

Good luck with the year :) enjoy it yourself, and the kids will enjoy it too!

A Kid's Favorite Day (Their Birthday)

Birthdays!

Kids always want to celebrate their birthdays! (Well I think adults enjoy it too...) (That is, those who aren't going through severe denial that they turned 29.1 this year) (And no, it's not me... I don't know what you're talking about...)

I have a summer birthday, so I didn't get to celebrate during the school year, but I remember a good friend of mine bringing me balloons on January 20th, during school, to celebrate my half birthday.  She too had a summer birthday, and as kids, it always stunk to not get to bring in cupcakes and treat bags! I can think back and remember kids bringing in all kinds of treats to share on their special day. I remember teachers doing something special for the birthday child. Maybe a special hat, desk, pencil, or a "No Homework" pass (those were the favs I'm sure!)

But, as a teacher, it's always heartbreaking to watch the parents who bring in a cake, chips, drinks, gifts, goody bags and balloons for their child, and then to see the kid who doesn't even know it's their birthday. We aren't "JUST" teachers, and these students become like our own children. In the area where I teach, the students don't "celebrate" their birthday the way I remember celebrating mine as a child.  I have students who don't know when their birthday is for sure.  This summer, I had two girls whose birthday is around mine. One of them told me that her family didn't get a cake because they didn't have enough money that week, but that maybe next week they would and then she would invite me over. Another girl told me that no one wished her "Happy Birthday".  It broke my heart. I asked her if maybe her family just forgot, and she replied, no, they knew, but no one told me. I felt so badly for them.  How sad to feel like that at the age of 10.  So, the three of us all celebrated our birthday together! I brought cupcakes, lit a candle, sang to each of them separately, and then let them blow out the candle.  It made their whole day :) It's such a great feeling when you make a difference in the life of a child.

At the beginning of the year, when I put their birthdays up on a chart, or on a balloon treat, some of my students don't know when their birthday is because they don't usually celebrate it.  Now I am THAT teacher, who runs out to a grocery store at lunch, buys treats, and they "magically" appear in the office with a note that says, To: ________ for their birthday to share with class.  They never know that they came from me. I have a wonderful secretary who will say something like, "Oh yea, I forgot who brought them, but it was someone you know!" 

But, let me tell you, that gets expensive, and I can't do that for every kid.  I try to do it for 2-3 kids a year. I choose them based on who I think would really appreciate a special treat and who may never get to pass out a treat or celebrate their birthday at home.  

For every kid, I try to do something for their special day. Some years it has been a pencil, a candy, a certificate... But then last year, I hit the jackpot! After looking on Pinterest (it has TOTALLY changed my teaching career), I found a cute way to make lil paper balloons and stick them to the top of a pencil or Pixy Stix.  Now, I couldn't just have a regular Pixy Stix.... I am a "The More, The Merrier" kind of gal. So I bought the GINORMOUS Pixy Stix from Sam's Club. Now, just let me tell you that I become the world's coolest teacher last year. The kids were like, "Wow! No way! That's huge!" They LOVED them.  So needless to say, I am repeating the same thing this year. That's what I'm working on now.

I used Powerpoint to make a balloon shape, typed in the message, and printed them onto printed cardstock. 

I staple them to the top of a Pixy Stix and place them in a big candy jar looking thing... yes, so specific....

The first or second day of school, I write the name and birthday of each child on the top of the paper, and stick them in the candy jar. They sit there..... all year..... until it's the child's birthday.... They can barely handle the suspense for the first month or until the first birthday comes up and SOMEONE gets to take the big sugar filled stick home with them.

Go to my TPT store for a free download of the template I use for these!

 Klinsky Kafe Balloon Template

Soooooooooo, when the day comes, and it is a child's birthday, this is what goes down.

1. They tell me it's their birthday.

2. I tell them to remind me at the end of the day to give them their gift when we are ready to leave (because I can barely remember anything most days).

3. Someone reminds me at the end of the day, sometimes more than once because I forget and am cramming more into the last 5 minutes of our day.

4. The birthday student stands in the front.

5. We all sing Happy Birthday, terribly off-key, but NO ONE CARES!

6. I dance around and swing the Pixy Stix like I am conducting a choir.

7. We finish singing, some kids continue with the rest of the birthday song we all sang as a child about Scooby Doo and Channel 2. 

8. The kid takes home the Pixy Stix and paper balloon so that they are only insanely hyped on sugar for their family and not for me ;) 

Now, for summer birthdays, I usually do them the last week of school. Each child still gets their own time to shine, so we sing Happy Birthday like 10 times that week.  I've also considered doing summer birthday celebrations on their half birthdays. What do you think?

So that's how I celebrate birthdays, but sometimes I still feel like I want to incorporate more.  Do you do anything special for the kids?  I was thinking maybe that would be a good time to do a Star of the Week letter or something like that.... Any ideas?! Please share them below!

Good luck on the first week back, whenever that is for you! Thank you for being more than "just" a teacher!

xoxo

Using QR Codes-Tune into Technology Link Up

Hello everyone!

Today I am happy to be linking up with Kristin, over at iTeach 1:1, and Learning to the Core, to share how I use QR codes.  QR codes have been one of my favorite "techie" things that I have used most.  Now, I even have my students creating their own codes and sending them to me with their videos.  (That last part just makes my life easier because I don't have to create 30 QR codes, I can just print them!) 

Tech Link Up

I have learned about QR codes from reading so many other blogs (mostly iTeach 1:1) and getting ideas on how teachers use them.  If you are not familiar with QR codes, or haven't used them often, I encourage you to look into it and try them! They make teaching so much easier, allow for differentiation, and most of all, the kids LOVE scanning a QR code and seeing something POP up on their screen.

You can have the QR code take the students to a website, a project link, a dropbox link, or even just show text.  We have used QR codes to show answers to questions or problems the students are asked to solve. When they are ready, they can scan the code to see if they are right. I like this because it allows students to work at their own pace.

Today I am going to share with you a unit we did on ecosystems that incorporated many types of technology, including QR codes.

1. I put the students into groups and assigned them an ecosystem to research.  They students received a large piece of chart paper to act as their thinking map while they researched.

2. The students used the app, Wikibot, along with websites I posted onto our class website, to find basic information about their ecosystem. They wrote down facts and interesting information they found.

The facts found along with the finished QR codes

3. After they got the basic ideas of their ecosystem, I posted videos onto our Edmodo page for them to watch about their ecosystem.  The students could watch these videos alone or with their partner, and pause whenever they wanted to jot down information. This is another way I differentiate in the classroom.  It's also always great to watch students so involved in a video and see them pause to "SHOUT" (since they have their headphones on and can't hear how loud they are) to their partner about something they learned.

4. The students created a list of the most important facts that we, the class, should know about their ecosystem. They also drew a picture of the ecosystem to give us an idea of the plants, animals, and non-living parts that exist there.  I believe that while the technology is engaging, students should still be asked to use paper, pencil, and crayons to produce artifacts also.

5. After this was done, the students each individually created a video using the app, Educreations.  Each student found a photograph online and saved it to their camera roll. They uploaded that to the background of the video and added plants and animals to their layout. They then recorded themselves teaching us about their ecosystem. After they were done, they saved their video and watched each others until everyone was finished. This was a great way for the students to hit all the speaking and listening standards and also the WIDA standards for ELLs, since my students are all using English as a second language.

Here is a sample: (He's so quiet because we have a "We're Recording" Rule which keeps voices at a minimum, unless you're the one recording and then it's supposed to be recorded at regular volume..... that clearly didn't happen here!)

 6. Once the video is saved, you can easily get the link to the video by clicking on the select button on your video library screen and hitting the button for copy link.  I had each student copy the link for their video.

 7.  After they have copied the link, we go to qrstuff.com and each student pastes their URL into the 2nd step box. Then they choose a color for their QR code. I will tell you, this is my students' FAVORITE part! They are always spending time choosing which color. Sometimes, however,  I print them in black and white to save colored ink though... breaks their lil hearts ;)

8. Once they see the QR code, they click download. Once it opens into a new window, they hold down the picture and save the image to their camera roll.  Now they have the code saved and can send it to you via Dropbox, or email, or any other way they turn items in to you.

9. ***This is an optional step***  (But I think you'll enjoy the outcome)
My students open up the app, Jot. It's a white board app that allows you to put a picture on the background. You could also use Skitch, or another app you like.  My students tap the camera icon and add the QR code photo from their camera roll.  Then they double tap, and add their name and what the QR code leads to. For example: The Tundra by Jennifer.

(We are almost done, I promise)

10. Save this Jot slide to your photos by selecting the export button with the arrow. (My students know it as the rectangle with the arrow button) Now the QR code, labeled with what is leads to, is saved to your photos.  The reason I love this step is that now I don't have 30 QR codes that all look the same in my Dropbox folder. I can easily see which QR code is whose video.

11. Now, the final step! My students turn their QR code into me by opening Dropbox and uploading it to our QR folder.

Now I have access to their QR codes all the time! After I print them, we attach them to their ecosystem posters and do a Museum Walk where the students can walk around and learn about each ecosystem.

Here is a QR code of another student's video for you to try to scan with a QR code reader! Without Flash, this will not play on an Apple device under Safari. If you have the Educreations app, then it should open in that!

There are so many options for this idea! I've used this same process with math problems and the QR code leads to an Educreations video that has the students explaining their thinking while they solve.  I've had a QR code lead to Educreations for a retell of a story we've read in class too. I often bring these codes to conferences, RTI meetings, or parent meetings and show off what the students can do on Educreations. Parents always love to see what their kids are capable of! I find that the parents that are most proud of children who are quiet and don't like to talk in front of people. This gives them a safe place to talk and not be judged.  My students' parents are always surprised to hear their child talk so fluently in English, considering they do not hear that as often at home!

Video Explaining a Multiplication Problem

A Video Retell of a Native American Myth Read for an ELA Unit

Don't forget that if the parents or students have a Smartphone or Tablet, they can download a QR reader and scan these codes from their own devices! Works great for flipped lessons or as a "pat on the back" to a student who might not share with their parents what they do in class.

Hope this was helpful!  There are so many wonderful things about using QR codes and Educreations videos in your classroom.

I appreciate all you teachers and educators who are helping make a difference each and every day! We are so much more than "JUST" a teacher!

Welcome to my BLOG!

Hiiiiiii Everyone! 

Welcome to my blog! My name is Lauren and I live in Illinois.  This is my first blog post on my VERY first blog! I am trying this out and seeing if I can keep up with posting things about my classroom and a teacher's life, while still maintaining my classroom and personal life... Which could be a challenge within itself!

A couple things about me.... 
1. I love the color pink
2. I love teaching and making a difference
3. I love to bake and eat cupcakes

I teach in a K-5 building and I currently teach 5th grade Sheltered. For those of you who are not familiar, that means my students have attended classes in a bilingual classroom, (Spanish where I teach) and I am their transition year to support their English by using strategies known to help ELL students.  

How many of you have heard something that goes like this? 

"Oh, you're "just" a teacher?"
Or, "Your job is easy, you have the summers off." 
Or, "Teachers get paid enough considering they only work 9 months out of the year." 
(If you have heard more, please post them below so we can continue to defend what it is we really do)

Since I teach in an area with many challenges, I often feel like I am making a difference in my students' lives.  My students face issues that I never faced in my childhood, or even adult life. It is often heartbreaking to hear their stories and concerns. Whether it's financial issues, abuse, addictions in the family, or just the fear of not knowing what's going to happen, I find that I am teaching much more than Language Arts and Math and am more than "JUST" a teacher. 

What I hope to share through this blog is how much more we all do than "just" teach.  I spend weeknights, weekends, summers, holidays, and "days off" working on things for my classroom or for a student. I attend birthday parties, first communions, soccer games, bowling tournaments, and family get-togethers to build relationships and form communication between my students, their parents, and myself. Many teachers do these same things. We aren't "just" teachers.  We are teachers, friends, role models, big sisters and brothers, counselors, social workers, coaches, leaders, nurses, party planners, interior decorators, bankers, librarians, and soooooooo much more! All of those jobs are important, and help us to create the best environment for our students. 

When I share with people what issues I deal with, and what I do for my students, I hope people learn to understand that we make a difference each and every day. We may never be able to empathize with what our kids have to deal with, but we can be there for them in every way possible.  We can give them hope, support, and the love they need to get through the tough times.  Teachers give these things through exciting lessons, lunch bunches, heart to heart talks, strong expectations, rules and consequences, laughs, hugs, and smiles. We aren't "JUST" teachers. Teachers have many jobs titles, sometimes we get called mom or sometimes, yes, I've even been called dad! 

What other job titles do you hold in addition to being a teacher? What makes you more than "JUST" a teacher?

I'm not "JUST" a teacher,

Lauren