Digital Classroom

Are you in a digital classroom setting? How much are your students involved with computers and do you have the capability to teach digitally? How do you feel about computers and are you ready for the 21^st century digital class?

 I have seen the best of both worlds.  Digital Heaven! Where students are almost 1:1 with computers. Then the oposite,  where a classroom of 18 has only 4 computers an maybe a working internet service. I’m going back to the latter (in the same county), and even though I was not using much of the digital components where I was, I had been lucky enough to see teachers use the digital technology in amazing ways.  My plan, if computers are available, is to use computers in my new role as the half time gifted teacher. I’m really looking forward to creating lessons that can help my students become digitally competent and be able to use technology in different ways. However, if no computers are available I’ll have to resort to old methods (printing- ughh!). I know we are going through a budget cut and one of those is the amount of printing that goes on in one classroom alone. I haven't done the math, but I remember two years ago making roughly about 200 copies a week.

Google Slides has given teachers and schools the great opportunity to cut down on printing. I am a newbie at using google slides but, it has been fun creating this activity. It is my first attempt in creating a digital product and I feel confident I could use it at this time next school year. It is awesome to think each student can have their own copy, complete the writing activity from anywhere they have computer access, and the BEST PART... you are saving tons of trees!

Google Slides

Here is the product I was playing around with. Its’ an Interactive Digital Notebook and it’s for grades K-3 (Maybe 4^th and 5^th graders, too ). It is intended to be used digitally through google slides and google classrooms. However, if you are digitally deprived :), then you can always resort to the old ways and print.

click here for the Spanish version, and here for the English:

I'm hoping to create other products like these for my gifted classroom!

So EXCITING!

Lymari

Teachers Pay Teacher's Give Away

Hi Teacher Friends,

Just blogging to let you know there's a Teachers Pay Teachers $25 Give away from An Apple for Teacher; co-hosted by me and other teacher bloggers. Join the give away, it's free!
Have you visited my store? I have a freebies for you to sample my latest creation; Marzano " I can Statements" for 1st and 2nd grade.

Don't forget to browse the other blogs to get great teaching ideas!


GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  

Prize: $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher), 

Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher, Right Down the Middle with Andrea, Trending Technology in Tennessee, Teaching Loving Caring, Samson's Shoppe, Glistening Gems, DLT's Teaching Resources, and TeachingLife.

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Giveaway ends 3/6/17 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sale on TPT

Hello Teachers!

I'm not sure if you know, but there is a sale going on today and tomorrow! August 1- August 2. Take advantage and visit the store.  My products are all on sale, too! 
I have added different patterns for the newest product in my store: Marzano "I can" Statements. 

Happy Shopping!  
Lymari
L.DLT

 * Don't forget to use the code: BestYear

Looping and Flip- Flopping: "I can" statements... Marzano Framework

"I can" statements... Marzano Framework

Hello Teacher Blogger,

Are you required to post the learning goals and essential questions based on the standards? If you teach in Florida you are more than likely being observed with the Marzano Framework of Evaluations.
Your board could be filled with many standards. Making your classroom board look busy and unappealing to the eye.
Since the Common Core Standards were adopted in Florida, I began writing the learning goals and essential questions, first on the white board, later I got a bit more "clever" and began typing them and posting them on the board. I then filed those to be used possibly next year. However, next year came and I wanted to add color or a different font to make a more "sophisticated" look. It got a little overwhelming.
Hence this product. This product contains 30 learning goals under the informational, literature and foundational skills. Even though it has the coding of Florida Standards. It has all the same standards as the Common Core. LAFS.2.RI.1.2= CC.RI.2.2

My next product will be for the Math and Spanish Learning Goals for those Bilingual teachers in first and second grade! :) 
Thanks for reading! 
L.DLT





Click here... to purchase my product

Time's Flying by…!

 January and February came and went and I’ve no time to blog. My teaching has become so intense that I’ve forgotten I had a blog. Well, here’s my summary of the months that came and left us without a warning. Not sure about you but we have 61 days left of school!

I, for the first time in my teaching career am not looking forward to this day. As you may already know by the name of my blog, I’m looping with my buddies and just this past month we encountered the moment  I had been hoping wouldn’t happen. A few weeks ago two of our buddies moved. They were both moving on the same day; that was pure coincidence. It was a sad, sad day. To top it off, I received a new student on that same day so my poor little friend had to endure her first day with all of us crying and just missing our friends. I did make it as “fun” as I could for our friends and of course tried my best to be very, very happy to have a new student. Not sure if she felt it that way though.

Nevertheless, she is having fun now, as she did let me know just this past Friday:). By the way I’m getting a new student this Monday. I’m “ready” for our new edition.  




100 days Snack Bar

So in January, we were busy with the 100^th day! Here’s a little pic of what we did. I wanted something different than last year. So, I asked for donations and the kids made their 100^th snack bag. The fun part was having my students do 100 activities. We literally did 100 things. I found this great activity from blogger, in the form of task cards (sorry but can’t find the name of the blogger) but I made this chart that went with the task 100th day tasks
 We went outside and rotated thru the task cards. The kids were having so much fun! As one of my cuties always says, “This was the best day ever!” Until we do the next thing and then that becomes the best day ever! Lol.

  February was the busiest!

We made robots that helped out the community. I adopted this activity from my new second grade team. I did change it a bit and asked the kids to tell their robot’s power and how it can help out. The kids did the robot at home and then they presented it in class. So cute! We shared our Valentine’s on that day as well, and their robot was their little box to place their Valentine’s. Once again, “Best day ever!”  

On a personal note: I received lots and lots of chocolates and for the first time I could not eat any of them L. I’ve been a bit sick for a few months and finally got to the bottom of it; I’m GLUTEN SENSITIVE L. Unbelievable! I thought this Gluten craze was just a fluke but now I’m one of them…

A beautiful Quilt for Black History Month

February is not done…We had our first field trip and to my surprise vising the History Center was a great thing. I actually thought my kiddos would be somewhat bored, but I found that most of the things presented to them I had taught in class! They were participating and making comments about it. Phew! So glad I past that part of the teaching test! :)

My Second Grade Team
(me in red)

Then, we celebrated Chinese New Year! February 19^th was the first day of the Year of the RAM. We had a visit from the restaurant Panda Express. In order for us to have this great activity we prepped our kids and taught them about the Chinese culture for a week. We added this to our reading block under the Standard LAFS.2.RL.2.2 - Retelling stories (fables, folktales, and myths) from different cultures. I  read aloud a story called THE TERRIBLE DRAGON… Have you heard of it? The day Panda Express came, the kids saw a video, got many prizes, and took pics with Pei Pei their mascot. It was so much fun! Best day ever, again…

In between Chinese New Year…we also, celebrated President’s Day with a project and oral presentations. I made this activity to go with the President’s Day lessons. Please, go to this link.  President's Day- Origins

Finally, we ended February by participating in the A.R. Coast to Coast Challenge this past Friday. My students read 205 books in one school day! Awesome!

And, that’s that!

Tomorrow, is already the month of March and I don’t have many activities planned, I think February did it for me. We’ll just tie some loose ends in math with money and time, and begin a new unit in Social Studies before we go on our Spring Break in two weeks!!

OHHH! We have to create something nice for our FSA testing buddies in fifth grade tomorrow. They take their test this Tuesday!

Thanks for Reading!

Beginnings in Philanthropy

November is here and it's community service month. What do you do to help your community? I have a friend who's making blankets for foster children. I love this idea.
Having students participate in activities which will help the community and organizations who give service to those in need, is a great start for creating a philanthropist (Phi·lan·thro·py- humanitarianism, generosity, brotherly love :-) awareness within your students. It doesn't have to be anything expensive or complicated.
With that said, my students wrote letters to soldiers who are stationed in Afghanistan. This just happened to be a quick idea I had since I saw how my friend WO Hernandez would comment about his days on Facebook. Some days it was positive, other days I could sense he needed a pick me up. I began by expressing to my students the need to help others and how soldiers stationed far from home may need a friendly message to let them know how much we appreciate what they do. We also talked about the service soldiers give to keep us safe. My students understood the concept and immediately wanted to write letters to thank those soldiers. It became our writing project mixed in with how to write friendly letters :). I asked parents to also donate little snacks to send to soldiers, and a box was sent in hopes it would get there by Veteran's Day!
Finally, yesterday they received letters and goodies from two of our second grade classes! Here's the picture they took with our poster. I'm truly honor to be a part of brightening up their day! My students will love seeing this pic on Monday!

Don't forget to thank a Veteran this Tuesday (and everyday).
Happy Veteran's Day to all soldiers!
*I have my own personal veteran here at home SSG. DLT and he knows I always appreciate him :).

Apples in the Fall: Scientific Investigation

Or as I secretly call it “Missing our Apple Day in Second Grade”

We had an apple day activity in our class about a week ago. In first grade we called it Apple Day! You know that day, right? J On this day we read Johnny Appleseed books, have students bring any item that comes from apples, weight apples, measure them, taste them, etc., etc…

Now that we’ve looped into second many of the kids began asking if we were celebrating apple day just  like we had done in first grade. I guess they'd heard all the buzz from the now first graders in the after school program- thanks to my besties in first!;).

I of course, missed the idea of having apples, apples, everywhere in my class. We had so much fun last year (well, myself for the past 8 years) where even parents came in and helped out in our many centers. I refused to disillusion my students (ahhem- me!). So, as I promised them we would be doing the same fun activities we had done in first I felt obligated to have some apples in our second grade class as well. ;)

Well, I found the opportunity while going over the first Unit in Science Fusion about Inquiry Skills. In it there is a lesson where students needed to choose a tool to be able to conduct an experiment. I took this as the opportunity to have apples once again in our lives. YEAEEEHHH! So, after we learned about the tools in previous lessons I then had students look at a chart I made and went over which tools were good to use and why. Chart is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz1Ql80v9lTqUktpUTc0WFJDSDA/view?usp=sharing

We also used the page in the Science Fusion lesson 2 to complete our test. They answered questions and then they began investigating. Each chose different tools and began their observations with their apples. Students were really into the investigation and each took their tools seriously as they were making their conclusions. After, we conducted a science experiment where we would choose a liquid that would stop the apples from browning (This was a freebie I found at coast to coast kinder- http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apples-Scientific-Method-1455667 ).

Ufff! We almost ran out of time! Thankfully, I had my student intern , Mrs. B., who helped with most of the activities and cutting the apples.  Here is a picture of our scientist at work! 

I was very pleased in how our whole activity went and my students showed true scientific skills! “Our APPLE Investigation was a HIT in Second Grade!

Next, how to integrate Pumpkin Day into Second... :)

Thanks for reading, Lymari