Start With Why

Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why, is changing my life. If you haven't read this yet, do yourself a favor and download on audible or pick up a hard copy soon. It is a quick and easy read with principles and information that will give you a total mindshift and lead to inspirational thinking. 

I believe in this blog site, in my Twitter stream, and in my career in teaching. It was not until after reading this with Sinek's idea of the Golden Circle that I started thinking about why I am so devoted to these educational outlets. Below are my 'whys' written down so that I am clear for others and clearer for myself. Please, if something is fuzzy in this let me know. 

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1. I believe that students deserve teachers who believe in student-centered mathematics.

2. I believe that teachers need opportunities and resources to become stronger mathematicians.

3. I believe that elementary teachers need ongoing and relevant professional development centered around student-centered mathematics.

4. I believe that educators need to connect with one another and share ideas about mathematics as well as push themselves in their current beliefs and knowledge about mathematics.

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What are your belief statements for your passions?

The Chrome Extension You Never Knew You Needed

You need this Google Chrome Extension  

                                             

I have used other online sources for posting on my social media sites, but I have found Buffer to be the cleanest template and simplest free resource out there.  Plus, it connects so easily to my Nexus tablet (the app) and Chromebook. 

After downloading the extension from the Chrome Web store, sign up for the service and then you should find a simple looking buffer graphic pop up next to your omnibox (URL address bar) like the one below.

Here are the top reasons to keep it there

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Reason #1: Connect your major social media outlets.

If you are in to using social media, chances are that you use more than one outlet. It can be exhausting (and sometimes confusing) to manage all of these individually, but with Buffer this isn't an issue. At any point after signing up, simply click on one of the buttons to the popular social media accounts mentioned in the picture above. Connect and starting using immediately. 

Reason #2: Manage your valuable time.

Buffer is an easier way to schedule posts. Even if you are a die hard social media fan, you can't always live tweet or post.  But now you can literally type out and share all your amazing thinking on your own time because Buffer has you covered.  

Think about the days and times that you want your Social Media accounts active and then schedule these times for everyday, or customize the days of the week. Once this is established, all of your posts will be added to your queue and then sent accordingly. The free version allows you to store up to 10 posts in your queue.

*SIMPLY AMAZING*

Reason #3: Choose what works for you.

Educators are using social media to share interesting and relevant articles and posts with their PLN.  In order to do that effectively and with the fewest number of characters, a link shortener comes in handy. Buffer gives you their default to use, but if that's not working for you, simply head to your account and customize the shortening system you want to use.

Find something on Twitter that you want to share with another Social Media group? It's no problem with the Buffer extension! When you want to tweet or re-tweet something, you will now also have the option of sharing via your other connected social media accounts. Just press the green Buffer button to get started. Check out the screen captures of this below.

Reason #4: Increase your Postings.

Looking for more interesting posts to add to your streams? Buffer has thought of that and offers you suggestions for postings already typed and ready for you to add to your queue.  There are even specific topics to choose from, such as Marketing, and Design.

-Download the free Buffer Chrome extension today - 

Creating Infographics

Visual representations of information are almost always easier and faster to digest, but did you know you can create what we commonly refer to as infographics, quickly and easily for *FREE* with www.picktochart.com?

If you've never heard of this, I recommend checking it out soon as it will change your teaching world! 

I have wondered for months how so many Tweeters have such quick access to so many lively and professional looking infographics and the only answer I ever received was that they were already on their phones.  So this made me think that in order to really create these visual models one would have to buy some expensive software and then download it their device. But then I found this amazing website... 

Piktochart is incredibly user-friendly. There are many icons and photographs to import into your chart, lines and shapes, various fonts, and even templates to alter so you don't have to start with a blank slate every time. And if you are really feeling ambitious, trying uploading your own pictures to use. 

 In about 10 minutes I learned to use the website well enough in order to create these infographics about my teaching passion, math.

 I was impressed with the results and am looking foward to marking more! I see so many possibilities with this website for the educational world, both in creating easy to read infographics for teachers and for students. 

Here is an awesome video to make your Picktochart experience even easier:

Once you have created an infographic with the free version either:

1. Download as a picture file 

  or

2. Share via Twitter, Pinterest, Evernote, or Facebook

I forsee this technology helping teachers break info into "digestible chunks" of visual info. 

Possibilities for infographics:

-Quick reminders for parents (increase communication)

-Wrap up of a unit of study

-Break down of a process in math and science

-Explanation of a life cycle

- Model for a poster that students will create

-Model of how to make a comparison diagram

-Formative assessment for students about a character, concept, task (requires email account)

What info will you Piktochart?

Creating a Strong Math Culture-Understanding Perceptions

Creating a Strong Math Culture 

- Understanding Perceptions -

A student drawing about Math Workshop.

Perception is everything. So, how do your students perceive math in the classroom? Do students really feel like the work was too easy? Too difficult or abstract? Am I talking too much with them just listening? 

I feel that it is important to continually reflect on these questions in order to create a strong math culture, but if these answers are only coming from the teacher's point of view, it doesn't really matter much. We are in the field of education to empower and enrich students, and how they are perceiving lessons, units, and classes is what matters the most--if the perception is negative, they will be less likely to engage in and retain the information. So, before diving fully into a unit on Base Ten, I decided to have my students draw a picture entitled "My math workshop". The only directions I gave before passing out the blank paper were that students were to draw whatever came to their minds when thinking of math workshop, and that they had to draw themselves in the picture. 

I was a little nervous to see what some students would draw--would they draw themselves with smiley or sad faces? Would there be lots of colors to make a bright impression? Would they have others in the picture or does the perception of math involve isolation? I love math and teaching and was secretly hoping during the activity that everyone in the class would illustrate that same love.

 This student recalls using the "Fast Nines" strategy while adding.

The final results were really eye-opening! Many students drew themselves with suns shining in the background and smiling faces;one even had a lovely beach scene for math workshop. I wish we really could have math workshop while out in the sunshine! Another student drew themselves using different strategies with their "bff" and yet another student had themselves with Base Ten unit manipulatives while someone else in the background was laying down snoring. Not sure what that part was all about, but overall everything was invaluable feedback!  

This student focused on using the online program www.xtramath.org

This student drew himself adding with apples.

One item that was not present in most of the pictures was our math talk word wall. I'm not sure why because we recite these words everyday, so I plan on having a conversation with my students about this absence.  I also plan on repeating this activity with each new unit to see how perceptions are changing and evolving.

Happy to see that this student loves math operations!

Kid's Math Talk Tip

In order to see if there is truly a disconnection between the teacher's point of view and that of the student's, it helps for the teacher to also engage in this exercise before giving the assignment to students. This is extremely powerful--seeing is believing, but sometimes what we as adults see is completely different from what our students perceive. Just make sure that you wait until AFTER students draw their own versions to show them how you view math workshop.

Invite your students to create a "My Math Workshop" drawing this week!

Managing Go Noodle in the Elementary Classroom

The Five "Rules" of Go Noodle 

in my Classroom

I found out about this wonderful and *free* resource for teachers to use in their classroom via Twitter and I have to say my students love it!

But I started to notice that some students were becoming a little too loud at times and that sometimes students had a negative attitude when an activity that they wanted wasn't chosen. 

With that said, the 5 rules of Go Noodle were born for my classroom!

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1. Students who choose to happily participate in the Go Noodles chosen by others will get a chance to pick their own for the class.

- This puts the onus completely on the students and gets rid of the negative attitudes when "girl" or "boy" activities are chosen.

2. The teacher gets to choose the minute length of each break.

-Sometimes we just need a quick energizer and other times our schedule will allow for a longer break. After students have been picked to choose a Go Noodle, they know to ask me how long our break is...this also motivates students to choose quickly so that they can enjoy the break time.

3. The teacher gets to choose when Go Noodle breaks happen in the classroom.

- I try to schedule at least 2 longer (5 minute) Go Noodle breaks each day and then 1-3 smaller throughout the day. Sometimes we fit all these in, but sometimes we have to settle for a more static brain break from another source.

4. Students who would like to have a Go Noodle break will keep their voices at a level 3 or lower.

- I have a voice level chart in my classroom where Level 3 is just above a whisper. We call this whole group voice. Anyone who raises their voice above this can not participate in our Go Noodle activity. This keeps things calmer and more focused for our classroom while respecting the fact that the classroom next door might not be taking a break when we are.

5. Have fun learning and moving with Go Noodle!

- Go Noodle has so many new activities for students to learn! I encourage my students to try out new videos and to really listen to the instructions that are given! And have fun! There's nothing wrong with singing to the songs! 

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How are you managing Go Noodle in your classroom?