As a second grade teacher, I am always looking for innovative ideas and lessons that correspond to the CCSC. Below are a few blogs that I follow and have been incorporating some of the ideas and lessons into my own instruction.
“My blog is for my stuff that I do”, said by Gracie, a six year old student in Ms. Cassidy’s Class. Based out of Canada, Ms. Cassidy shares the excitement of learning through the eyes of her students. From activities like, Flashlight Friday, a visit from the fire station, and drawing shadows, to charitable activities, guest speakers and cross curricular activities, Ms. Cassidy always seems to make learning meaningful and fun for her students. She teaches her students about being a digital citizen by giving each student a blog to post their own work. Students also add their own photographs and explain learning through their perspective. Ms. Cassidy’s Classroom incorporates technology into all aspects of her teaching, to promote 21st century learning.
This blog inspires me to be a better teacher. Ms. Cassidy’s passion is evident through all of the innovative tasks she creates for her students. In the future, I would like to have a similar blog, where students can share their work and experiences throughout the school year. This blog allows parents to see exactly what their children are doing and thinking, and I think they would love to see how proficient they have become with various technologies such as, Skype, Twitter, and QR Codes , just to name a few.
Some teachers may find it difficult to incorporate this much technology into their classrooms, due to the demands of recent assessments creating limited access to computers. However, teachers, students and their families can benefit from blogs. A blog like Ms. Cassidy’s classroom is like an online portfolio, where teachers, students, and families can access it at any time. Students will be proud to share their work, and love reminiscing about the activities they have done throughout the year.
Step into a world of bright colors, bold prints and fun! Created by Erica Bohrer, an inspirational first grade teacher, active blogger and creative mind, this blog is sure to capture the attention of any elementary school teacher.
Compared to other blogs I have visited, this isn’t your typical classroom blog. Erica’s Ed-Ventures is geared towards teachers who are looking for lesson ideas or organizational tips. Erica frequently shares her weekly lesson plans, along with samples of student work. Many of which are available at her Teachers Pay Teachers store. She has also worked with Scholastic and created teacher resources such as these reading response activities and ready-to-go spelling activities.
Erica also shares pictures of her classroom set-up, with different tips on how to create an organized, kid-friendly, visually appealing and functional classroom environment. She includes directions and where to buy certain items that she used to personalize her classroom.
Erica’s Ed-Ventures is a definite must see for elementary school teachers!
Once you enter this blog, it is like you are entering Mrs. Yollis’ actual classroom. Her blog posts go from one topic or subject to another, as many teachers in self-contained classrooms do. The actual appearance of the blog is a little plain and somewhat cluttered, but don’t let that deter you from exploring it further.
I really like how her posts are informative and interactive at the same time. Mrs. Yollis’ blog appeals to different types of learners because the information is displayed in a variety of ways (text, videos, hands on activities etc). For example, in one post, Mrs. Yollis shares that her students are learning about text features. First, she includes the Common Core Standard which is the foundation of this lesson. Next, she gives the definition and examples of informational text and text features, using kid-friendly language. Then she includes two videos (from YouTube and Vimeo) and an activity where the students respond to a question in the comment section.
In addition to the academics, Mrs. Yollis’ classroom also highlights some of the special and fun activities her students participate in. On a school-wide pajama day, Mrs. Yollis’ class compared their slippers, built structures for their stuffed animal friends and even read with other classes. You can view a Photo Peach video she created, which shows the students reading, writing and having fun on pajama day.
This is an excellent blog where students can interact with their peers, and parents can see what their children are learning about in school.
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