Social Media: A Focus on Relationships and Communication

As teachers, we all have to find tasks and objectives that deserve our attention and others that are okay to leave behind. We cannot do it all. I started doing this after receiving good advice at a kindergarten conference about five years ago. The educator speaking (I wish I could remember her name) mentioned that we cannot devote our time to everything if we want to be an effective teacher. If there is an area that you do not find important and are only doing it because it is a routine, drop it. I have made choices over the years, dropping many items off my list of to-do's. One area I have given more attention is the use of social media to promote global relationships and communication.

Personally, this advice gave me permission to drop fancy bulletin boards and job charts. This is not to say that if a person uses these things they are making a bad choice; to each his/her own. These were just items that I chose to do without as I felt they were not important to the children. Rather than a pretty bulletin board full of posters and borders, I use year-long word walls and vocabulary walls. Instead of a job chart, volunteers take care of responsibilities in the classroom and we get to talk about how kind it is to offer your services freely. Now, my extra time is devoted to our classroom blog and social media pages.

The children started writing their own blogs this year. I tried many different platforms and finally decided on Kidblog for our class and individual student blogs. The main reason is that we have 1-1 iPads and the app for this site is very user friendly for young learners. I do pay the yearly fee (without it you are limited to 100 pictures and video). Children at this age prefer to post pictures with their text. This also makes for a valuable portfolio as the children can take pictures of their work and reflect. After the blogs were set-up, we made our first posts and shared them with our families. Most parents commented (for those that didn't/couldn't, I asked fellow teachers to comment on blogs). We also started participating in a blogging challenge with K-1 classrooms around the world. The children were excited to have comments and the chance to make comments on other blogs. There were some excellent conversations and we will have a great reflection platform for the remainder of the year.

Another way we have used social media was by posting to Twitter and Facebook. Twitter has been the best way to communicate with classrooms around the world, while Facebook is the best way for us to communicate with families. We have had several meaningful conversations and activities because of this communication. For instance, we had classrooms from Australia, Korea, and China comment on our Lego projects. This provided the children with feedback and more ideas for further exploration. We have viewed posts about good books to read, games to play, and differences in cultures around the world. This has given us a lot think about. Parents have also commented that they have a way to start a meaningful conversation about school when their children get home, as they have been informed of highlights from the day. These are great tools because I can post quickly from my phone no matter where we are, taking very little time.

The reasoning behind my choice to utilize social media in the classroom is simple: social media tools promote relationships and communication. The ability to communicate both in the classroom and globally relates to standards in every level of education, including kindergarten. There is also a lot of research promoting social media use in the classroom under the guidance of the teacher. For more information, feel free to check-out my social media site. I put it together for a presentation I gave at a local workshop.

We are always looking for more classrooms in which to follow/like/converse. Visit us on Twitter (@Mrslembke), Facebook (MrsLembke), or our blog (kidblog.org/mrslembke).

Why do We Use iPads in the Kindergarten Classroom

I was recently asked if iPads have helped improve student scores in my classroom. My honest answer is, "I am not sure". I haven't isolated data in the area of iPads to see if scores have increased. My gut tells me that children have been able to learn basic skills such as letter and sound recognition at an increased rate, but that is not something I can back with data. I have not collected data specifically related to the iPad for a simple reason. I do not use iPads in the classroom for the purpose of increasing scores. We use iPads in the kindergarten classroom because they empower the learner and in areas of both academics and creativity.

In the area of basic math and reading skills, we use iPads for practicing skills. Not just skills and applications that the teacher dictates, but skill-practice that is managed by the learner.  This is not about planting a child in front of an application just to entertain, but to teach a child how to choose an application that meets their needs. Just as I assist the learner in choosing a book or game that fits their needs, I help them choose an application. I provide choices, both technology-based as well as concrete choices using paper, games, blocks, and other manipulatives.  Many who fear the use of screens in the classroom would worry that the children would only choose the iPad. This is not the case. The children jump back and for between various tools based on interest, their gross motor needs, skills being practiced, and social opportunities with their peers. The beauty of all of this, is that the learner is choosing what to practice and how based on their needs. Learner choice is a wonderful reason to utilize technology in the classroom.

Children in kindergarten are usually just beginning to move past basic phonemic awareness and delving into reading skills. Most are unable to write a legible or decodable word in the beginning of the school year, thus requiring the teacher to assist in dictation when sharing work with others (families, friends, displaying in the halls, etc). The beauty of the iPad is that a student can use their reading abilities and pair them with their speaking abilities (usually much more developed). The teacher does not need to place their hand in the student work, allowing a child to draw, write, and later speak to share their work. This can be accomplished while creating eBooks (I love using MyStory), recording with the camera, and blogging (Kidblog) on our iPads. After a short lesson, I can stand back and let the learner share with the world while only providing minimal assistance. This can become a vehicle for skill practice, creative exploration, reflection, and collaboration. There are so many avenues a classroom can take in the area of learner voice with the iPad, I couldn't fit it all in this blog post.

When I am asked why I use iPads in kindergarten, I reply that technology can empower the learners. I do not claim that the iPad will create a huge increase in scores, as the teacher is still one of the biggest factors to the success of the classroom. To have a tool that allows my learners to share, create, practice, collaborate, and reflect is appreciated by both the learner and the teacher when used appropriately.

I Will Follow My Own Advice

I have found myself reflecting on what to do during rough times over the last few months. Challenges in both my personal and professional lives have created some feelings of sorrow, anger, and frustration. While considering what I should do about this, I found myself repeating some of the things that I often ask/tell my students when moments such as these arise.

What is your choice? Do you want to continue with the feelings you have, or do you want to do something to change how you feel? You have every right to feel sadness and anger, however at some point you will no longer want to feel this way. What can you do when you are ready to change your mood? I have decided that in order to move forward, I will have to find all that is good right now and not let it slip my mind. I have a beautiful family, a wonderful group of children to work with every day, a group of people that I work with who are both humorous and hard-working, a community that is mostly supportive and understanding, and my health. I have a lot to be thankful for, thus I have the tools to overcome my current state.

I also need to remember who I am. I am an introvert by nature. I gain energy to move on from being alone and reflecting rather than from being in public situations. When in the company of others, I become exhausted and need to recharge. This can be difficult for some extroverts to understand. Fortunately, being with children does not cause the same level of exhaustion as being with adults, but that is a whole other blog post. Now, that I find myself in bumpy terrain, I will need to count more on others as to not burn out. I will need to rely on my best friend of nearly twenty years, my children, my students, and my colleagues as they may also need to rely on me. I will also seek the advice and knowledge of my fellow educators and leaders on Twitter, as they have never let me down. Ask questions and seek help; this is the same advice I may give a student who is having difficulty succeeding on their own.

I will also have to repeat another piece of advice I try to pass on to my students when they encounter a challenge: BE BRAVE. I have stated this phrase more times than I can count and I see the difference it can make for a child. I was fortunate enough to learn the power of this phrase from the educators who cooperate on Twitter (#Kinderchat) and have used it daily since then. Children will face their fears, change their moods, persevere, and find humor when they are reminding themselves to be brave. I now must remind myself to do the same.

I will reflect, remember, be thankful, seek help, persevere, and be brave. If this advice is useful to all of my children, it is also useful advice for myself.

My Confession to Kinderchat

I am joining the Kinderchat crew this summer for their blogging challenge. The first challenge is simply entitled 'confess'. I have thought about this for a few days and had a difficult time choosing my confession to share with such a wonderful group of educators. I decided on something that has been in my thoughts for several years, although I haven't really said it out loud to many people. My confession; I hate boxed curriculums.

First, I did use the word hate, and I do not use it often. Second, I am a kindergarten teacher and understand that my experiences with curriculum have only been at this one level. Having said that, I feel I can continue.

I spent the first eight years of my teaching career with boxed curriculums. What I discovered was that I focused too much on the curriculum and not enough of the learner. I focused on what I would teach each day rather than who I would be working with each day. I planned my week in advance, not taking into account the learners preferences, likes/dislikes, or level of comprehension of a subject. The curriculum scripted how a child should look at a problem or activity, providing specific directions on what to do and how to do it. In those years, the learners all did well, picking up on skills they needed to master. But they did not LOVE a topic. They did not feel passionate about the activities. They did not find an area that they would want to explore outside of school.

This is where inquiry based learning has come into play. I have slowly been restructuring the classroom to an open environment of exploration and curiosity. A place where a child can relate to a subject or topic how they see fit, or even choose the topic on their own. This has been a long process, taking years of adapting and learning, but it has been an amazing transformation.

Thanks, Kinderchat, for letting my confess. I know some folks do not appreciate my feelings on this subject, but I cannot ignore the differences I have seen in the classroom. I cannot wait to see what happens this year!  

Integrating Technology In Math

I am again joining up with I Teach 1 to1 and posting about technology integration. This week's focus is how we integrate technology into math. This is a great topic, as technology assists the class in math exploration daily in our classroom.

When I think about math, I do not think about curriculum or textbooks, especially in kindergarten. We use math to talk about what we see in the world and math also helps us understand what we see. Rather than repeating patterns in a book, we find patterns in the world and snap pictures of them with our iPads. Rather than just counting images and writing numbers in a workbook, we put together collections and edit them via Skitch, which allows us to annotate our pictures. We can also record our thoughts on math concepts to share on our blog or on Twitter. Technology supports the inquiry and project-based classroom and promotes real-world application of math concepts.

Our school has adopted Daily Five for reading. In efforts to keep things simple and routine for my kinders, I use the same format for small/independent groups in math. We practice five main areas (geometry, measurement, numbers, graph and sort, money and time) just as we do in reading. The children can move through activities in these five areas on their own as well as make up their own project that promotes the understanding of these concepts. The iPads have been a wonderful addition to this portion of our day. The children have numbered folders corresponding to the five areas of math. They can choose to work within these folders (which also include IXL), if they like. They can also choose manipulatives, games, or a project they have designed. Through all of this, we are using our math vocabulary and solving real-world problems. Technology has been a perfect addition to our math explorations as they promote understanding and documenting of our learning. I meet with learners individually or in small groups each day to talk about their learning and assist as needed.

I look forward to gaining insight from others this week. I hope to add more tools to our collection of resources.  

Technology and Reading

I am joining the iTeach 1:1, Tune IntoTechnology Linky Party over the next few months to share and learn from others. I look forward to reading about the wonderful things going on in other classrooms. This week's post is regarding the use of technology in reading.

My goal is to help children learn and grow in a way that empowers. I want the learners to have control of their education and be able to make their own choices. This includes whether a learner utilizes an iPad, paper/pencil, or an art medium to demonstrate learning. This also includes the manner in which they practice reading skills.

We all have different moods, good days and bad days, and the right to push ourselves or take a day to relax. I want the children to recognize these moods and choose how to handle their feelings. If they are feeling a little tired or frustrated, they have every right to choose an application or activity that doesn't push them too hard. On the other hand, they can also take opportunities to try and push themselves on a harder application when they feel up to the challenge. I feel I am providing the children with power and life skills when I help them understand their moods and how their learning in the area of reading relates to their feelings.

We utilize a daily five setup in the classroom, as our school has adopted this management system. I wanted to continue an open, learner-centered environment during this time (as well as an inquiry-based system the rest of the day, but that is another story). The children are allowed to make their own choices within the daily five rotation (I do not assign their activities). They will choose the area to work, the skill they want to work on, and the tool that they want to utilize. They have the power, and I am there to support them in their learning.

I have folders numbered on their iPads from one to eighteen, for easy reference in kindergarten. Each folder also has a name. In the area of reading, there are folders labeled for many different skills; letters, sounds, grammar, quick words, etc. There are also folders for drawing, writing, creating ebooks, or presentations. With this setup, learners can choose any application within the folders to work on skills or create a project. We talk about choices they can make when an application is too easy or too hard, such as keep trying, ask a friend, or try something different.

In the specific area of listening to reading, we utilize some eBook applications such as MeeGenius, Storia, and TumbleBooks. I have also uploaded more than 100 books into our iTunes library from CD and the learners get quite good at finding the title of the book because they are in alphabetical order. I do not want to spend money on eBooks (at least not much) as there are so many free applications available in this area.

I look forward to seeing what others have posted this week. Thanks to all that have shared!  

What I Learned: A Year in Review

As I sat with my children the last week of school, I asked them to share things they had learned throughout the school year. Some children are very specific, pointing out small details that really stuck with them (caterpillars changing to butterflies, liquid changing to gas, animal characteristics). Others will share general statements about reading, math, social studies, or science. I had one child ask me what I had learned. Well, there is a lot I have learned. Teachers learn so much in one year both about themselves and how to be effective in the classroom. Here are a few things that I have learned this school year:

1. When teachers put their energy into building relationships rather than building management systems, the rewards are huge! When you can better understand a child, their learning style, their background, their likes/dislikes, and the reasons they do the things they do, the classroom environment improves. 
2. Teacher manuals do not make better teachers. Don't get me wrong, I love resources and ideas; the more ideas the better. However, if teachers only needed a manual you would not need a degree to be an educator. The ability to connect each student to the materials is something that cannot be found in a manual. We need to teach the learner and not the curriculum. 
3. Teachers need to be flexible. When the teachable moments arise, we need to take advantage. Sure, we were talking about addition, but the snow outside is too amazing not to discuss. These moments will create learning that sticks with the child. We need to tap into the natural curiosity of the learner. 
4. Inquiry-based learning is too underrated and underused. There are standards each learner must meet, however how they do this is open to interpretation. It is amazing how much a child will push themselves to learn when it is a something derived from their own questions. 
5. Scripting a child's education does not create a stronger learner. What good is knowing how to add or subtract with flashcards or in a workbook if they cannot transfer that learning into a real-life situation? Workbooks and worksheets script how a child should look at a skill, not opening their minds to understanding the skill in their own way. 
6. Class sizes matter. I have had classes of 25 as well as classes of 15. I have had time this school year to do all of the things I have listed above because of smaller class sizes. The children have reaped the rewards of this situation. With 25 learners, each day becomes about survival. Trying to meet the needs of every learner means I have to control the environment. This makes inquiry learning, building relationships, and giving the control of the classroom to the child much more difficult (possible, just very difficult). I will never take class sizes in the teens for granted, even though I feel it is every child's right. 
7. Social media is a wonderful thing! I have been able to connect with many more families (and extended families) this school year with social media. You need to have a plan for those who do not utilize these tools, however for those that do, there is an improved relationship between home and school. 
8. Sir Ken Robinson is a brilliant man with a lot of ideas. Standardized testing will not save our schools or our children, but there are plenty of things that will. Check out is TEDTalks for more information. 

I am thankful for the learners in the classroom, their families, my PLN on Twitter, and those I work with at school who have all helped me learn this school year. Each year, my ability to be effective in the classroom improves. I look forward to learning a lot more next year!