Integrating Technology {ALL Y'all Need}

Integrating Technology in Pre-K

My class is obsessed with our Letter of the Week iMovie productions! It's a quick and engaging way to assess your students' knowledge of letter identification, beginning sounds, and capital/lowercase differentiation. I'll show you how to use iMovie with your students. First, here's an example:

Please note that I did edit one of our class iMovies for a preview. Most iMovies contain pictures of my students.

Activities Day-by-Day: 

Monday and Tuesday - Investigate the letter via books, songs, etc... Use your usual teaching tools.
Pretty easy so far, huh? Nothing new needed.
Wednesday and Thursday - Have your students walk around your classroom or school and take pictures of letters and objects that begin with the letter of the week. Send all of the photos via Dropbox- more on that below- and put them in whatever order you would like on iMovie.
Friday: Have a viewing party and watch the iMovie. The kids will want to watch it several times.

Don't feel discouraged if you don't have a class set of iPads or any iPads at all! Just use your iPhone! The students could search for objects and raise their hand once they have found their object/letter. Then, you'd just have to send them iMovie. I did this at the beginning of the year and it worked perfectly.

How to Set Up and Use Dropbox:

I have 1:1 devices, so I share all of the photos via AirDrop. However, our AirDrop is sometimes locked. Then we use Dropbox. I just send them to myself during nap time or after school. You can teach your kiddos to share photos via Dropbox....IF YOU'RE BRAVE! ;)

If you don't have Dropbox, go here to create an account. It's really easy and only takes 2 minutes max.

If you already have a Dropbox account, just make sure you sign in.

How to Make a 1-Minute iMovie: 
(video)

Reasons why I love Letter of the Week iMovies:

1. The kids are completely engaged!
2. Technology! Technology! Technology!
3. The students feel a sense of pride because they are taking ownership of their learning!
4. They get to yell, "That's what I found!" really loudly while the other students cheer.

Writing Tips in PreK and a Freebie {ALL Y'all Need}

I absolutely LOVE teaching writing in PreK because the growth is incredible! Throughout the year, I witness students from drawing lines to represent words to sounding out and blending words by the end of the year. Here are my five essential tools for successful writing in PreK:

#1 Mat Man
Our school uses Handwriting without Tears to introduce letter formation. My favorite part of the program has to be Mat Man. Not only does Mat Man teach them how to draw people, it also teaches them how to form straight and curvy lines that are used in letter formation.

#2 Play Planning
At my school, students write about where they are going for center time every day. They start out by drawing a picture of what they are going to do at the center and tracing the sentence, "I am going to the ____ center." By the end of the year, they are writing the sentence independently and extending the sentence. For example: "I am going to the blocks center to build a road."

#3 Writing Center
Create a writing center where the students can free write in a journal. In my writing center, I have markers, tape, crayons, word cards, and different types of writing paper for them to use. This past week, my students have been creating their very own Valentine cards.

#4 Write on the floor
Give your students a clipboard and let them write while laying on their tummies! Research shows that students are more prone to develop correct pencil grip and muscle memory if you allow them to write on the floor.

#5 Create Books
Over the past few weeks, my students have been creating their "Love Book." I just took some blank books from the Target Dollar spot and added pages that pertain to our theme. The kids LOVE how personalized the books are! Here are a few pictures of our "Love Books."

Freebie! 

Click on the link below to get your copy of the "Love Book." It is specifically measured to fit blank books from The Target Dollar Spot. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6XMrIPIox8IZ1dhMzVta3VQVDA/view?usp=sharing

Happy Teaching!

Integrating the Arts in Pre K {ALL Y'all Need}

Integrating the Arts in Pre K is very easy to do. During our morning meeting, we start our day by singing the "Wish You Well" song and "This is My School Family" to promote a sense of community. We also use GoNoodle and YouTube to practice the alphabet and other Pre K skills. I also like to incorporate scarfs and rhythm sticks during our music and movement time.  

During our reading block, we do many craftivities to practice fine motor and scissor skills. I usually use craftivity components as a form of assessment. Here's an example of one of our latest craftivity: 

Special thanks to the amazing Ashlyn from The Creative Classroom for sharing the FANTASTIC Thanksgiving Thankful Book Freebie! It is adorable and my students LOVED creating their Thankful book. During this craftivity, I assessed scissor skills, writing, beginning sounds, students writing their names, one to one correspondence when they read to their 2nd grade reading buddy, fine motor, drawing and detail, and their creativity. 

During our math block, we created a Thanksgiving glyph. 

The feathers represented how old they are and the bow/bow tie represented if they are a boy or a girl. 

Here's a picture of the finished product: 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tricks & Treats {ALL Y'all Need}

Hello, I'm Lisa from ALL Y'all Need and I can't believe it's almost Halloween! This year has really flown by! My Pre-K kiddos have really been focusing on mastering syllables and learning the alphabet. 

My trick...

Don't be afraid to use props to master concepts! This week, we have been stomping out word parts with our monster feet. I have a sweet Grandmother of one of my students made these adorable monster feet for me! They are made out of foam and all purpose craft glue. 

My treat...

We have also played a "Find the Monster" alphabet game. This game has been an absolute hit! Some of my kiddos have very little exposure to the alphabet and others are ready to begin guided reading. So, all of my alphabet games have to have the ability to meet all of my students' needs. Our theme this week is Monsters and it is truly one of my most favorite weeks! 

Click on the picture to grab your copy of the game! 

Happy teaching!

Teacher Time Savers....It's all about Collaboration {with ALL Y'all Need}

Using Google Drive to Collaborate with your Grade Level: 

When teaching the littlest learners, timesavers are crucial. This year, my absolute favorite timesaver is a sharing collaborative Google Drive with my Pre-K team. By sharing folders on a Google Drive, my team is able to share ideas, lesson plans, collaborate on documents, and keep all visuals in one place. It's so nice to be able to access lesson plans everywhere and keep the creative ideas flowing with my team! 

Using Remind to Schedule Volunteers: 

My other favorite timesaver is utilizing parent/grandparent volunteers! At the beginning of the school year, I created a "school volunteer" and "home volunteer" section on my Google Form to see who was interested in helping out. From then on, I just use a "help wanted" message on Remind to see who is able to help that week. I know other teachers have used signupgenius.com to create a volunteer schedule. Hopefully, one day I'll be less of a procrastinator and create a volunteer schedule. Until then, I'll continue to use my "Help Wanted!" messages via Remind. 

Happy Teaching! 

What I Wish I Had My First Year of Teaching (with Lisa from ALL Y'all Need)

I heard about these at The I Teacher K! National Conference and immediately ordered them online. They are an investment, but they are worth every penny! I've have mine for four years now and they lived through Kindergarten and Pre-K. Everything fits and they are easy for the kids to use. 

I honestly don't know what I'd do without this amazing group of individuals. They inspire me, motivate me, listen to my rants, and embrace my journey. If you don't already have a teacher tribe, find a group of teachers on a social media group. You definitely need a tribe for your first year of teaching! 

I just started using Seesaw this past year and it has been a game changer! I've seen such a difference in my communication between home and school. Plus, parents and students are excited to post! I don't feel like I communicated nearly enough when I first started teaching. Seesaw will most definitely help everyone be part of the classroom! 

ESGI has been a game changer when it comes to testing, data, and sharing results with parents. Looking back, I wish I would have known about ESGI my first year of teaching. It would have helped me collect more organized data and I wouldn't have had to make so many copies of tests. 

We hope everyone has a fantastic school year!!!

Packin' Up tips and a Giveaway {ALL Y'all Need}

"This year, I'm going to stay organized so packing up will be a breeze!" SAID EVERY TEACHER.... 

Packing up our home away from home isn't a breeze. I sometimes feel like packing up my house would be easier. This year, I had a new challenge that I've never had before. I have no cabinets/counter tops in my classroom! EEK! Thankfully, I have a HUGE walk in closet and one storage compartment in my classroom. It was a challenge to get everything in and there was definitely some, "I'll organize in July" thoughts as I was packing up. But, here are a few tips that did help: 

1) Have monthly bins 

Throughout the year, I have kept all of my centers, teaching materials, etc... in big plastic bins. This has helped me stay organized and kept me from just throwing stuff in my closet. 

2) Don't wait until the last day to send everything home

This past week, was the last week of school for me. Everyday, I tried to send at least one or two items home with my kiddos. That way, they weren't overwhelmed on the last day of school. 

3) Have a next year notebook 

It never fails, I have light bulb moments as soon as I start to pack things up. Do yourself a favor and keep a notebook handy to write down all of those fantastic ideas. Trust me, you won't remember to write it down when you get home. By the end of the year, our teacher brains are completely overwhelmed and can't be trusted. People, I'm speaking from experience... I tried to pay for my class' doughnuts on the last day of school with a Sonic gift card! We are tired and have to write things down. 

Good luck packing up and have a wonderful summer!!!

Now, it's Giveaway time! 

Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Classroom Tips for Going Green: Pre K Edition

Y'all, I have to be completely honest and say that I am not the best about going green. Eek! I said it! Here are a 3 ways that I consider myself to be eco friendly.

1) Bottle Caps

My families recycle plastic bottle caps and I reuse them for various activities. At the beginning of the year, my students use the bottle caps to practice constructing their names. Throughout the year, we have used them for games and to build cvc words. It is truly one of the easiest items to ask for. You'd be surprised how many you'll collect in a short amount of time!

This idea is from Pre-K Pages:

2) Technology

 I don't consider myself a paper driven teacher. Thankfully, my school district has opportunities to apply for technology grants. I applied for one and received iPads for my entire class! We use apps like Letter School, iMovie, and Doodle Buddy to practice handwriting. Next year, I plan to utilize BookCreator and create more eBooks.

3) Use an online weekly newsletter 

I use Smore to create all of my weekly newsletters and then send them out via Remind and SeeSaw. This saves on a ton of paper and I am able to create them on my couch! Plus, I find my parents to be more informed and more involved!

Happy Teaching! 

2nd Annual Teacher-Blogger Interview: Chris from Famous in First

We had the pleasure of interviewing our sweet friend, Chris, from Famous in First! We met him this summer and have loved getting to know him as a friend, teacher and blogger. He is absolutely incredible and just won Teacher of the Year! Congratulations!!!

My cousins and I truly meet the best people in Vegas! 

I really wanted to connect with teachers and share some of the awesome things my kids were doing in our classroom. With so many negative comments and outlooks on teaching, I wanted to make sure I shared my passion for the profession with others and hopefully inspire others in the process. Blogging seemed like a good next step to further my career and goals so I figured .. Why not?

Blogging has allowed me the opportunity to connect with so many amazing teachers throughout the country and even the world. I learn from these teachers everyday and am continually inspired to try new things in my classroom. Blogging motivates me to take those risks and share my efforts. Blogging is also very reflective. It allows me to reflect on what's going on in my classroom (both good and bad) and think about how I can make it better. Blogging makes me work harder than I ever have as a teacher.

Oh my goodness.. It's impossible! My weakness is 100% finding the time to blog. I am working on getting better at this, but so far I've been pretty unsuccessful if I'm being honest. Family always comes first. No matter what. If you don't take care of yourself and your family, everything else will eventually fall apart. School is right under that for me. It's all about the kids and making sure I'm the best I can be for them and that's hard work.(And exhausting)  I have so many things I want to blog about, but sometimes am just physically and mentally exhausted by the time I get home that a nap often sounds like a better idea to me. And I'm okay with that! What does work for me is setting deadlines. If I set a deadline for myself I will often not make excuses and accomplish what it is I want to get done no matter how late I may have to stay up. 

Be You! That's when you'll get the best post. Don't post about something just to post about it. Be passionate about it and post meaningful content that inspires other teachers. I try to be as real and genuine with my posts. I won't force myself to write something just to post. If it's not flowing naturally I'll stop writing. It's that simple. I also try to chuck my content as much as possible whether with pictures or lists so it's a quick easy read. I know teachers are busy and try to take that into consideration when I post.

I don't have many, because like blogging hat often takes a backseat, but it has to be my Hollywood Themed End of Year Awards. I love celebrating my kids everyday and using these awards in my classroom at the end of the year. It's perfect for our Red Carpet Celebration and a resource I look forward to using every year. 

Thanks again, Chris! 

Making the Most of Small Group Instruction....Pre K Edition!

Hey Y'all! 

This is Lisa from ALL Y'all Need and I'm going to share a few tips and tricks that I use in my small-group instruction. Pre K small-group instruction looks a little different than any other grade level. Basically, I have 3 rounds of small group a day. After morning greeting and calendar time, I work with half of my class at my table for what I call "Play Planning." Once the kiddos are at my table, they choose a center they would like to go to. My centers include home, sensory, puzzles, light table, iPads, dramatic play, blocks, etc... Once they have chosen a center, they must write a sentence and draw a picture of themselves at the center. Play Planning gives me time to reinforce correct pencil grip, letter formation and one to one correspondence with my kiddos. It's completely differentiation. Some kiddos are tracing the sentence, some are writing the sentence independently, and others are extending the sentence and labeling their picture. Here's what my play plans look like: 

A little while later, I work with my reading small group. With some kiddos, I am focusing on letter identification while other groups are doing Guided Reading. After lunch, I work with my math groups. During those times, we play games to focus on our weekly concept and use our iPads to practice writing our numbers. My Pre K kiddos' absolute favorite writing app is called Doodle Buddy. The kids love being able to change the background picture. It's the little things, people! haha 

Happy Teaching!

Turkey Time Traditions in Pre-K! {with All Y'all Need}

Is it just me or did November fly by this year?!? My Pre-K class were busy little "turkeys" during the month of November. We discussed Native Americans, Pilgrims, Turkeys, and all things Thanksgiving. Here are a few of my absolute favorite turkey time projects: 

Thankful Plates: 

Every year, I have kiddos complete this home project and bring it to school. Each student gets to present their thankful plate to the class. I just love hearing what they cherish the most and still cry every time they say that they are thankful for their school family. 

Catch Me If You Can!

This year, we had a Pre-K Turkey Run! Laura's son, Josh, graciously volunteered to dress in a Turkey suit and let the Pre-K kiddos chase him all over the playground. Ok... there might've been some bribing going to get him to dress up as a turkey. Nevertheless, the turkey run was a success and will be reoccurring next year! 

Classroom Turkey

I got this idea from my one of my amazing coworkers and I absolutely love it! Each child was given a turkey feather and water colors to paint however they like. The picture truly doesn't do it justice. It was beautiful, unique, and something my kids loved taking ownership of. 

"T is for Turkey"

I'm going to go ahead and say I got this idea off of Pinterest, but I honestly meshed a couple of ideas to create my own version. 

Turkey Glyphs 

Pre-K teachers were inspired to do a glyph after seeing the kindergarteners in our building create adorable scarecrow glyphs. For the turkey glyph, the feathers symbolized the students age and the bow/ bow tie symbolized whether they were a boy or a girl. Not too shabby for our first glyph! 

Turkey Roll!

This was my kiddos' absolute favorite game!

Materials Needed:
Turkey clip art (I used Creative Clips)
Colanders (I found mine at Dollar Tree)
Packaging Tape
Dice
Feathers

To play the game, the students would roll the dice, count out the number of feathers that they rolled, and place them in a hole on the colander. It was a great game to work on counting and fine motor. Plus, my kids thought it was hilarious to place the colanders on their heads and wear them as a hat!

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