Just...PROUD.

This is my 3rd year teaching 3rd grade, and the 3rd time that I have been stressed out to the max for the SAGE test. These 3rd graders struggle so much just learning the letters on the keyboard! Asking them to them type an essay using details and facts from several passages in an article has felt like such an unconquerable task!

But they did it!

Teaching 4th and 5th grades I felt more confidence going into the test, and of course, my students were more confident as well.

But 3rd graders. JUST...struggle.

Tuesday I was walking around as I proctored one of my SAGE Writing tests, looking at what the students were asked to write about. I felt confident that they had practice enough and were going to do well. I told my students that I was so proud of them for all of their hard work. I expressed confidence that all of the work we did on Utah Compose and in Sage Formative will have paid off. They were ready.

So glad I learned to use those websites. I feel it really prepared them!

Best and saddest part of checking out their tests and how they were doing in that hour...my student, who has horrible spelling, was using the spell check and almost all of her words needed to be fixed. She was being very diligent on getting them all changed. She would click on the highlighted word and it would say, "Did you mean...?" Then she would click a word that it should be spelled like. Sometimes she chose the right ones, sometimes she chose the wrong ones. This one was my fave. Trying to say "In conclusion", she spell checked her "cocloosin" to "cancerous". So now, her essay that she submitted, says, "In cancerous, that is why you should....more than ....."

LAUGHED my head off. In my mind. Cute.

Remind

Genius idea, really.

One of my favorite communication tools I found and have been using this year is "Remind"! Remind is a free, safe, and simple way for teachers to communicate with parents. By using this I can send updates, questions to any device. Parents can receive notifications by text message, on the app, on the web, and by email.

At the beginning of the year during our open house, I had all of the parents that came in, commit to joining the app. It has been the best way of staying in touch and keeping parents up to date on their students. I love that parents are a text away and we can communicate so quickly.

My most favorite thing about it is that while teaching, I have the app up on my computer, or on my phone that is in my pocket. At any time, I might feel a vibrate notification on my phone, or see a 'purple' blinking tab on the browser that is up on the internet on my desktop computer. That means that I have received a message from one of the parents about a student of mine. It is so easy to quickly text back-even if I am in the middle of teaching.

Most favorite, hands down!

Symbaloo

Through my technology endorsement this year I have been exposed to many awesome forms of communication. One great tool is Symbaloo. This awesome site allows me to organize and access all my favorite educational websites on one page. It has been so helpful for my students and their parents! I have my Symbaloo linked to my class website. Head over to my website and click on the 'websites' tab. As a class we are always going onto my Symbaloo to access sites that we use daily.

Such a brilliant site!

Digital confidence

I have been the computer specialist at my school for quite some time. I would have to say that the best thing for me is that is has helped me to gain a confidence in the technology world that I didn't know that I would ever have.

Nowhere near where I'd like to be but, hey.... I feel more confident in a lot of things now.

I can solve digital questions.
I can fix digital issues.
I can tackle new digital experiences.

I have digital confidence!

Utah Compose

At UCET I went to a class on Utah Compose and I learned SO MUCH!

Implemented it right away the Monday I returned with my students.

Success!

I would have to say that my most favorite part of it is after you log on, you can scroll down at the bottom of the page and there are sample essays. The most improvement I ever saw in my students' essay writing was when I showed them previous essay examples that students had written, and what their scores were. I showed them highly scored and lowly scored ones. I didn't tell them why they received the scores that they did-the students were easily able to see what was 'wrong' or 'right' with the essays. Anyways, these sample essays that are on Utah Compose show a student's essay from the lowest points, and how she was able to change-through feedback-to get a high score.

As soon as I showed my students these essays, they focused more on the details of their essay writing and all significantly improved.

All because I went to UCET.

I love technology!

UCET

I find myself like a kid at Christmas waiting for this conference each year.
I'm going on several years strong!

Love the excitement there! 

Love the new technology!

Love the stuff I come away with!

I am in awe of the many things that teachers are doing for their classes to bring new technology in and immerse it into their daily routines. I used to be so afraid of trying anything new-in fear of not doing it right or not knowing everything about something before I try it. Well, I've shied away from that because I have learned that once you learn something, if you teach it or use it, it sticks all the more! That is what technology does for me. I love trying something right away. I find that if I try something out and use it for more than a day or so, I am that much more apt to actually use it with my students.

I loved all of the classes that I attended, and I can't wait for the next year's conference!

Just. Do. It.

Ever since I started my technology endorsement, I have been exposed to SO much technology! I can't even keep up with it.

Sometimes. Its. Overwhelming.

With that being said, I have decided to Just. Do. It. Just take the plunge. Any time I learn something new, instead of waiting for a while to try it out with my students (because I am either afraid to try it, or unsure of how to do it), I have just plunged into it.

And, it's been amazing!

We are lucky at our school to have 3 chromebook carts, so I have been able to have many days in the week where I can experiment trying out new apps/websites with my students. This past week I started frontrowed.com. I couldn't believe how much they all loved it! They instantly wanted to get the right answers so they could earn coins. I kept reminding them to work smart and slow and take their time through each math problem, and noticed that slowly, one by one, students started getting out their notebooks and not just 'guessing' the answers. They were working better and more focused.

This new website will allow me to observe where they are at individually in their math while letting them think they are just 'playing a game'. It was so much fun watching them and I am so excited to see their results!