Author: cjohnson (Page 3 of 4)

Photo found on Unsplash by David Menidrey

SPOOKTACULAR ICE BREAKERS

October 31, 2022 / cjohnson / 1 Comment

Happy Halloween! This year Halloween falls on a Monday so teachers have a class full of sugared up children PUMPED to go trick or treating after school. It an be a challenging day to keep students focused so why not throw in some holiday themed fun to allow the students breaks to refocus!

The idea for this Ice breaker came from I Want to be a Super Teacher on Pinterest. I modified the activity so a student who is eliminated is only out for 1 round rather than the entire game. I believe this allows for a more inclusive activity, especially with the younger students.

This activity is a fun way to spice up a Physical Health Education class! I like the idea of having themed activities for the students to stay engaged! It is important to allow the students some control in their education so having them invent one of their own exercises is great for ensuring the students feel involved. I might use this activity to have students take turns leading each exercise to work on communication skills and confidence talking in front of a class. This activity was found on Pinterest posted by Your Therapy Source.

This last icebreaker is a fun way to get students excited for drama with some Halloween themed acting! I would get the students to first name any Halloween themed nouns. Start by reminding the students that a noun is a person, place or thing. Students may list things like:

pumpkin
bat
ghost
spider
witch

The listing of nouns is a great language arts lesson to set up a fun game of CHARADES! Write down all the nouns students came up on pieces of paper and have students act out the word on their paper so classmates could guess!

Extension: Instead of nouns students could list verbs to act out!

Adaption: Students could act out any noun they wanted and everyone in the class writes what they think is being acted out on a piece of paper. All the papers are then collected and the actor reads out the guesses.

STOP MOTION VIDEOS- Week 7

October 31, 2022 / cjohnson / 0 Comments

Over the last couple weeks I have been creating some stop motion videos with the app Zing Studio! The first video I created was with fellow classmates and was my first time ever creating a video of my own. I am super proud of the work we created with our first attempt but there sure is room for growth! Check it out:

scan this QR code to check out the stop motion video we made with the students

The second video I created was with a group of 3rd grade students at a local elementary school. For this video we encouraged the students to control the themes and ideas and helped put their ideas into video. I was so impressed with how much the kids knew about stop motion video. They taught us how to add sound effects with was a fun feature we played around with!

WHAT DID I LEARN?

after my first attempt I learned how to add SOUND EFFECTS into the stop motion video
during our second video the kids wanted to stop our progress to DELETE a photo so we needed to quickly learn how to go back in and continue a started video
Prior to our first video we talked about limiting ourselves to only a FEW PROPS which is something we should have reinforced within the video with our students
dropping the “boulder” in our in situ video was a really cool idea the kids had, it took a few attempts to figure out the best way to MOVE AN OBJECT UP AND DOWN rather than side to side but I honestly think it looks awesome

Stop motion videos are created by taking a photo and then moving the subject a tiny bit and continuing to take a photo for each little movement made! I may use this technique in a classroom to have students explore an animal in their natural environment. I would tell the student to focus on 1 animal and 2 props to teach us either how the animal gathers food or where the animal nests. Another project that I could do with my students is share a story with the kids and have them use the same theme to create a unique story using stop motion. This would have a focus on parts of a story and using technology as a learning tool.

Object motion: made using objects, toys, (like lego) both my stop motion videos fit in this type

Claymation: uses clay for characters and background

Cutout animation: uses paper cut outs for characters and background

Puppet Animation: a puppet is used for the main focus of the video

Pixilation: stop motion is created using human subjects

Silhouette: characters are shown as black shadows

The information on these types of stop motion can be found here, this source has some great video examples of each type of video so I highly recommend checking it out!

Photos Used (listed from left to right):

Found on Unsplash by Daniel K Cheung

Found on Pexels by Cup of Couple

Found on Pexels by Artem Podrez

Found on Pexels by Vlada Karpovich

Found on Unsplash by Khamkéo Vilaysing

Found on Unsplash by William Farlow

Photo by Rick Fontaine found on pexels.com

Lets Go Outside with Ice Breakers

October 24, 2022 / cjohnson / 1 Comment

The purpose of this weeks icebreakers are to get the students OUTSIDE for a bit. Most research seems to claim that students should be getting around 60 minutes of outside time a day. Students are stuck inside for long periods of time throughout the day so these activities are a great way to bring your students outdoors to connect with nature!

The first activity is a game I learned during a drama in situ. I believe this game would be best played outside as it gives the students plenty of space to get creative!

YES LETS is played by everyone walking around in a circle. When someone comes up with an idea they shout it out loud “Lets all jump around like kangaroos” the students must respond with “Yes Lets” before beginning to act out the action that was called out for two minutes before everyone quietly returns to walking in a circle.
Found on Drama Notebook

This activity is an excellent way to build confidence in your students by giving them CONTROL over what they are doing. It is also a great bonding game because you are right there beside the students acting silly with them!

This next activity is a great way to SLOW down and CONNECT with nature.

worksheet created by Little Pine Learners on teachers pay teachers
I edited the worksheet to add colour on canva

I would provide the students some quite time to walk around and fill out the worksheet with whatever they find on their individual nature walk. After I would bring the class together and direct the students to take “one step forward” every time they had the same item listed as their classmate and we would share our findings. This would be a fun way to connect with nature and then COLLABERATE with our peers.

Graphic Creations with Canva- Week 6

October 24, 2022 / cjohnson / 0 Comments

This week we practiced using online tools to create graphics! I was introduced to CANVA and was impressed by how easy the site was to use. The first thing I created was a mind map with the ice breakers I have used so far in my free inquiry.

I created this graphic using the template Abstract Mind Map Connection Diagram. I posted my graphic to Instagram as an easy way for my followers to get a quick view of what I am creating on my blog! The purpose is to generate interest using fun colours and key terms.

TEMPLATES:

I enjoyed how canva has a ton of options for templates so you are not required to create your entire graphic from scratch. I appreciate having the option because using a template is not always the best choice, depending on your abilities with canva and what you are trying to create.

POSITIVES NEGATIVES

generates ideas if you know what you need the graphic but do not know how to create one

great starting point for a project

super easy to use

categorized based off of potential needs to help organize your search

some of the templates I wanted to use cost money

limits what you can create if you start with a template (certain designs may be better creating from a blank canvas)

categories can be used for other things (my header image started as a wedding print) so using the categories limits choices

The graphics I created were used to enhance my blog but canva can also be used as an exciting CLASSROOM TOOL. I may create graphics to embed into a slide show to improve my students understanding. I could create EFFECTIVE IMAGES that show the student what I am trying to explain. Some students may learn better by seeing but other students may learn better by reading. Providing text and a graphic together will reach more of your classes LEARNING STRATEGIES for success.

Free Structure of Infusoria organism drawn on whiteboard with markers in classroom of school Stock Photo — Notice how the picture adds to the lesson by SHOWING the students what you are explaining. This same affect could be created with a graphic and embedded into a google slides presentation about parts of a cell. Photo was found on Pexel.com and posted by Katerina Holmes

Creating graphics could also be used as a fun ASSIGNMENT to develop students technology skills. I could provide the entire class with the same template and tell them to create whatever they pleased with the template they were provided. After everyone was finished I would present the class all the graphics created from the same template to demonstrate how even though we all started with the same product our finished projects were different. This could be a fun way to teach my class how everyone is unique and could be a stepping stone into a lesson on perspectives and how everyone sees the world differently.

Some FEATURES on canva I really enjoyed are:

templates
elements (super fun to add eye catching details)
uploads (you can upload your own photos within the website)
so many font and colour choices for the text
they have a great share feature if you were working in a group
lots of features can be used for FREE (pro available at a cost for full access to more options and features)

The most important thing I learned this week was how FUN it is to get involved and create your very own graphics!!!

Lets Get Up and Moving with Ice Breakers

October 17, 2022 / cjohnson / 0 Comments

The purpose of todays ICEBREAKERS are to get students up and MOVING! This is a great way to calm down an energetic group before the next lesson, get the kids blood following and have some fun within the classroom!

Mimic Octopus

The idea for this game was found on education.com posted under icebreakers.
Directions: Everyone sits in a circle. The teacher takes one student out of the
circle and out of earshot. This student will be the “guesser”. The teacher then choose someone left in the circle to be their movement leader. The chosen student
then begins to do simple movements while remaining in the circle, the student will change the movement as they see fit. The other students must copy the leader’s movements, while trying not to reveal who the leader is. Every student must continually be doing the movement! The guesser comes back into the center of the circle as the movements continue. That student has three guesses to chose who the movement leader is!

ADAPTIONS:

I could try this game having the students use animal noises instead of actions

I could have there be two guessers for an additional challenge

With older grades I could have two movement leaders and have half the class follow one leader and the other half follow the other

woman in blue and white polka dot shirt holding yellow ceramic mug — Photo by Adrian Cogua on Unspash

Popcorn

This activity was found on teacherspayteachers under 46 free drama games posted by Drama Trunk

Directions: The aim of the game is to get the whole class standing. Students sit silently in a circle. Students must randomly stand up whilst saying a consecutive number (1, 2, 3, 4,
5 so on) the student would remain standing after saying their number.
If two students stand and say a number at the same, everyone must sit down
and start at number 1 again.
The game requires the class to cooperate and use non-verbal communication to
achieve their goal (no talking other than the popcorn numbers). The class cannot work around the circle. It must be random.

ADAPTIONS:

students could be instructed to do the alphabet instead of counting- this is great for an introduction to a literacy activity
students could be asked to skip count ie: 2,4,6…. 3,6,9….- this is a great activity for students who are working on skip counting, addition or subtraction (have them start at a number and work backwards maybe)
have each student make a different animal noise- this is great for working on students memory as well as coming up with lots of animal noises
have students each name a different country- great activity for social studies

***** There are so many fun adaptions to link this game to every subject just be sure to keep it age appropriate so the game continues to move

Epic In-Situ with Epic Books- Week 5

October 17, 2022 / cjohnson / 0 Comments

Today I got the opportunity to teach a new skill using technology with a group of students at the local Elementary School! We received a warm welcome into the classroom by a lovely group of students. I have to say I was a little nervous to be introducing epic books to kids when I had only used the program once myself. When using technology as a tool in educating children there is always a higher risk that something will go wrong. For example the program may not start, the internet could crash and kids typically take a longer time than anticipated to login and find the site. I can mitigate this risk as an educator by always having a backup plan prepared for the class in case the worst happens and making sure I know the resources available at the school if I do run into any technology issues!

Overall I had a WONDERFUL experience showing the kids how to use epic books and I am so grateful for the opportunity. I did notice that the touch screen laptops at the school caused some additional challenges with group work as one kid would be using the mouse to search for a topic of books and their partner would see a book they liked and take over control by touching the screen. This was a frustrating obstacle I had not foreseen but this feature can be used to help the students work on collaboration. Next time I would go over the expectations with the students before I brought out the computers. I would go about this by setting clear guidelines that one student controlled the laptop at a time and we did not touch the screen when it was not our turn!

I enjoy that epic books provides a vast selection of books which creates lots of excitement in the classroom but I found that the kids had a very hard time focusing on one book long enough to finish before getting distracted by different books. Typically during reading time the kid would select a book from the classroom library and head back to their desk away from all the other options allowing for clear focus on the single book in front of them. With epic books my students were on to the next book before finishing the one they had started.

Epic books does a good job limiting this by giving points to the students when they click finished. This is a great feature to help the kids want to get to the end of the book! Some of the books also have quizzes at the end to assist the students ability to comprehend the book they just read. Teachers can also see how long a student takes to finish reading each book. Each of these features is an unique tool for assessing how well each student stays on track and I would use this information to direct my attention to which student needs additional encouragement at that time. The online resource is also a great way to help keep track of my students interests by showing me which books they are reading and I can use this information to develop personalized connections with my students.

Given my experience today I would absolute use epic books in my own classroom with some limitations. I would be sure to still have a fully stocked library with physical book options but I would enjoy having special reading days where the kids got to use the computers for reading time and have a chance to earn points and medals on their very own epic books account.

Photo by Norma Mortenson found on Pexels.com https://www.pexels.com/photo/young-students-standing-at-a-hallway-8457438/

First Day of Classes Ice Breaker

October 9, 2022 / cjohnson / 0 Comments

So last week I shared a couple resources I found of off teachers pay teachers and I thought it would be handy to do a quick Screencastify tutorial on how I found my ice breaker for this week!

This weeks ice breaker is a back to school classic!

Purpose:

It is a great way to get kids up and moving
the kids meet new classmates and get to know them with the hopes of forming bonds based of similar interests.

I found this particular work sheet on Teachers Pay Teachers by searching for activities that were appropriate for grade three but the exciting thing about this ice breaker is that it is so easily adapted to fit whatever your needs are that day!

I really like the rule that you can only use each student once because it encourages the students to interact with more kids. I have seen this bingo style game adapted to fit a certain holiday or season which would be a great way to introduce kids to the idea that different families all have their own traditions to make the holidays special for them.

As the educator I would absolutely include myself in this ice breaker because it is a great way to allow the students to get to know me and start building a personal relationship with my class.

I believe it is a great way to be more relatable and show your students that you may be the teacher but you are also a person with interests.

This is an easy game to bring into my PRACTICUMS to get to know the students who will be helping me further my own education. It is an adaptable game with very few materials that develops students social and communication skills and will hopefully make them a little more comfortable with their new classmates!

Photo by Melike Benli found on Pexels.com https://www.pexels.com/photo/composition-of-open-books-9247605/

Practicing with Screencastify- Week 4

October 9, 2022 / cjohnson / 0 Comments

During class this week I was introduced to the tool Screencastify and how it could be used in an educational setting to promote learning! I found that one of the most significant advantages of using video in the classroom is that it is fun! Incorporating mixed media in the middle of a slide show for example is a silly way to grab the attention of your students if you need to present long pieces of information without activities and movement to break up the lecture. Screencastify is a simple way to record short voice video with screen sharing technology. Below is a QR code that will bring you to my very first Screencastify video, please follow the link and check it out!

Ms.Johnson on Epic Book: Exploring my library

Challenges:

The first issue I ran into while creating this video is sound quality. It is very important to remove yourself from any loud generators or external noises in order for the focus it be on your voice!
I also created this video freestyle while using the screen sharing technology but next time I would better outline a script before recording to ensure clarity and professionalism within the clip.

It was a very easy process to create and with more practice it could be an excellent tool in the classroom! Please be aware that Screencastify must be used on Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge and you will need to sign in with google to use the application!

For this clip I choose to use the editing features within the free version of the application and found there were very few options to edit the clip. I was able to add a title page and cut out and mistakes in the clip but the editing software was not user friendly and I was not pleased with my end result. Next time I would export the clip and load it into an external editing software like imovie to play around with more features and try to uplift the content.

Overall I was very please by Screencastify as a tool for learning! It is easy to use, a new and fun way to provide information to students and easy to provide a link so students can watch the video over and over! This could be an excellent way to take important but dry information and show it to the kids in a way that they an continuously look back on! This tool could also be used to share pieces of what is happening within the classroom with parents in a new and personalized way.

Starting the Day with Ice Breakers

October 8, 2022 / cjohnson / 0 Comments

The focus for today’s activities was quick games that can be done right from the students desk to start the day out fun.

These quick questionnaire style games are an excellent way to allow kids to start opening up and for me as the educator to build a personalized relationship with my students. I would use these activities at the start of each day to get kids talking with the goal that the more the kids open up the more comfortable they will be speaking up in class. The inspiration for todays ice breakers comes from my EDCI 336 professor who begins every class with a similar activity in order to introduce us to different pieces of technology.

This first Icebreaker is an online game of Would you Rather. The picture and the idea for this activity comes from Dawn Ciulla and was found on Teachers Pay Teachers under the heading Ice Breaker – Would You Rather?, thank you for the fun google slides Dawn!

How to Use:

I may start out using these slides by having the kids vote by raising different body parts. The first one I may ask them to raise their hand then next time it could be raise your elbow, or nose or another silly action to vote.
I would be very interested in hearing the kids explanations after so I would be sure to ask if any kid wanted to volunteer a reason why they voted each way. By asking these expanding questions it is another way to get to know your students better and help the students expand their communication skills.

Adaption:

I would adapt this activity by having the kids stand up and walk to one corner of the room if they vote for outer space and the other side if they vote for the deep ocean. This may cause more commotion in the classroom but it gets this kids up and moving which is very important for brain development!

This icebreaker was also found on Teachers Pay Teachers curtesy of DizonDesigns and is best found searching Ice breaker- Roll A Question.

I would use simple questions at the start of the year to get to know the students and as the semester unfolds I would adapt my questions to fit the curriculum the students are learning. If I was working on counting in math class I would have the kids gather on the carpet and roll the giant dice and then as a group we would count out each dot on the dice before the student who rolled answered the question.

A fun way to get the students up and moving is by using a giant foam dice and having the kids toss the dice to one another and have them answer the question of whichever number on the dice their right thumb is on. I played this adaption of the game in EPHE 310 and it as a great way to practice hand eye coordination, communication and get the kids up and moving.

These are just two examples of quick and easy ice breakers that help build the relationship between student and teacher and get the kids communicating about themselves! I would absolutely join in on both of these ice breakers to share with my students.

The Importance of Being Media Literate- Week 3

October 8, 2022 / cjohnson / 0 Comments

I am grateful to have been introduced to Jesse Miller’s: Revaluate, Rethink, Release Ted talk produced by TEDxWestVancouverED as it provided excellent insight on how our modern day use of technology is affecting our children and how we need to do better.

Miller does an excellent job on focusing on the POSITIVE CHANGES we can introduce to society to use media to stimulate and entice our children’s education. He also discusses the importance of children being media literate in order to protect themselves online.

Miller states that as society we have started to focus on teaching our children about the dangers of predictors and privacy online but we fail to prepare our kids for the consequences of their actions online. As parents and/or educators it is our responsibility to ensure kids understand that what they post online will follow them forever. We are at a point where most grownups know that once something is posted online it may never be fully deleted, but when are we teaching this to our kids?

Professionalism online is something I was introduced to after I was already grown and applying for jobs. If I had been taught about what is appropriate to be posting online and what should remain private at a younger age I would be better prepared to enter the world as a young professional. This online history is our digital footprint and what we put into the world is a large part of how we will be judged by people we have never even met. How we express ourselves online will have lasting affects on the jobs we get, the people we interact with and our reputation forever. As children continue to use technology at a young age the time to develop their digital footprint increases and so as Miller claims it is imperative that we teach our children what is acceptable to post and when it is time to put their phone down. Please check out the Ted talk for yourself below, it is only fifteen minutes and well worth your time!

TEDxWestVancouverED Jesse Miller: Revaluate, Rethink, Release.

After watching this Ted talk and hearing Jesse Miller discuss the importance of ensuring our children are media literate I started to think about how I can do my part to protect children online.

I feel one of the most important things I can be doing is using technology in appropriate ways within the classroom to help children engage with their lessons in new and exciting ways. By demonstrating and sharing different learning tools online I can help children access technology in meaningful ways.
By using these programs in a classroom environment I can lead by example and explain appropriate boundaries online and explain to the kids why we are using media for this lesson plan and then explaining why we may not chose to use our technology for a different activity.
Technology gives us access to information we could only dream off before and it is an amazing tool for the classroom. By constantly teaching our children when to engage with technology and demonstrating how to professionally use social media we are opening up many doors for our children’s future.

As an educator I vow to find new and exciting ways to use blogs, websites, social media to connect my students to the world. I believe that by demonstrating appropriate behaviors with technology I can do my part to help children understand the consequences of technology while still understanding the privilege’s it allows us.