Sunday, September 28, 2014

Fabulous Fall Freinds Giveaway

I am super excited to be featured in Teacher Treasure Hunters Fabulous Fall Friends Giveaway.
I donated one of my fan favorite fall math activities. Head on over Here  register for your chance to win some amazing products.

Building strong number sense is an important component in any primary math program. It is imperative that early learners can identify numerals and quantity, and also represent numbers in different ways. 

My Apple Math Center is a great  fall themed introduction for building number sense.
Last week we celebrated good old Johnny Appleseed by participating in a variety of apple themed learning experiences.  I put these low prep math activity in the earlier finisher tubs. All I had to do was print a few copies, cut, and laminate.

The kids enjoyed using the apples in a memory game. The students worked in pairs taking turns flipping over 2 apple slices. If the quantity and numeral matched the students got to keep the slices, if they didn't match the students turned them over and let their partner try.

Another way we focused on number sense was by using the apple number math mats. The students worked independently and in teams to match the different representation of a number. I introduced this activity first during Guided Math and before putting it out for group work.

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win this and other great prizes. If you can' wait for the raffle you can always snag your own  Here  at my Teacher Pay Teacher Store

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Youtube in the classroom

There are thousands of great resources floating around on YouTube. I know plenty of colleagues who would love to show Khan Academy clips, animated stories, character education videos or silly brain breaks. Some teachers are still apprehensive about using YouTube. We've all heard the horror stories and sometimes the risk isn't worth it. Here are a 2 tips to help make YouTube more classroom friendly.   

Tip #1 Pre-screen
No matter what the content or the source I always watch the videos at home before showing it to my class. I do this to ensure the appropriateness of the content but also the value. I don't have 4 minutes to waste on irrelevant information.

Tip # 2 filter the video through an alternate source. 
Ok so you found the prefect video to explains proper nouns but there is profanity in the comment section, an unrelated suggested video on the side bar or maybe it has an ad that you want to skip. Pintrest is a great way around all of that. I simply pin the video to my "YouTube in the classroom" board and then play the video off of Pintrest. All you see is the video!
Check out my YouTube Pintrest board for more great ideas.
http://www.pinterest.com/anchoredinlearn/youtube-in-the-classroom/

How do you use YouTube in the classroom?

Saturday, September 13, 2014

You Oughta Know Spetember Blog Hop


This month I'm joining up with other bloggers to pass along helpful tips and advice. This month's post focuses on classroom craftivities.

My students love crafts. I use  many different types of educational crafts with my Kindergarteners.  We make seasonal crafts for the bulletin boards, we create book extension crafts that bring stories to life and we even work on math crafts during  guided math. Although these crafts are engaging and purposeful, they can take a lot of prep time.   In the beginning of the year you have to find or make a template, trace the craft onto construction paper,  sometime you have to cut the pieces out or organize them into baggies.  I'm getting tired just thinking about the work.


Last year my wonderful mentor shared a time saving tip with me.... You can Print on Construction Paper!!! This saves so much time. You no longer have to trace all the shapes out before you cut. Just trim the construction paper to the size of  standard computer paper and feed it through your printer. You can also use the bypass tray on your copy machine and feed the whole sheet of construction paper through. This tip has made classroom crafting so much easier.

Ladybug Math CraftTry it for your self by downloading my ladybug math freebie. Click Here







Now take a moment to stop by and see what the others are blogging about.

Friday, September 12, 2014

A New Look

Hey Everyone!
I just have to say I am super excited about my blog makeover. I finally made enough money on TPT to treat myself to a custom blog makeover. I used "Design by Christi" and she was fantastic. She made the whole process really easy. I started by filling out a design questioner to layout my concept. I had previously found various backgrounds and elements that I was interested in incorporating and she worked them in beautifully. Her prices were very reasonable and she had a very quick turnaround time. I highly recommend her if you are in the market for a new look. 

Thanks again Christi!