Bubbles!

So we're having lots of fun with bubbles in this week before spring break! Today we problem solved how to make bubbles with styrofoam cups. After much deliberation we decided that we needed to get air into the inside of the cup to blow a bubble out of the cup. We poked a very small hole in our cup and stuck a straw inside. They loved this activity! I was so surprised at how long they were entertained. They eventually discovered that they could pair up and their bubbles would combine to form larger bubbles. I was even persuaded to join in the fun! What I didn't show is we had circles on the wall with diameters in 1" increments. They began by blowing bubbles in front of the circles to estimate how large their bubbles got.  After we finished the work, we played. Their recording sheet for bubble sizes is at school - but it wasn't complicated.

cALenDaR

We've been working on the concepts today, tomorrow, and yesterday all year. I still have a few kiddos that can't seem to get it straight. This little guy pictured below though has REALLY helped. Everyday we just move it over and they are finally getting it!! It makes me so happy when those little light bulbs finally go off!! 

four in a row!!

I am posting a picture I took of one of the new four in a row boards I made today. My kids really love this game, it's a twist on tic tac toe. They roll the dice, and if they roll a 1 - then they pick a word from the 1 column, read the word, and put their colored marker on. If you don't know the word, you can't use that space. The first student to get four in a row wins, pretty simple really - but they love it. I just updated it today for our most recent sight words. However, you can do this with anything, word family words also work great.

Promethean Board!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_XgyxsB74Y

I'm getting a Promethean Board in my room for the fall!! I'm beyond excited; although I know nothing about them or how exactly I'll maximize its use for the learning of my students. Still, my head is spinning with all the thoughts of how it will change my teaching.

to blog or not to blog...

So I've recently discovered the world of blogging. In just a few short days I've found a handful of blogs I enjoy reading. So many great positive people out there with fabulous ideas. My recent blog exposure has spawned the question of whether or not I should blog... So I created one. Let's see if I'll use it :-)