High-Tech versus Low-Tech

Hi!

I lost my phone for about three hours. Go ahead and laugh a little at my expense. It's amusing now. 

Photo Source -- APPAdvice

Why am I writing about this on my second grade teacher blog? I'll tell you. It is because I was forced to do some things the old school way during my abrupt disconnect from the world. Mind you, I knew my phone was in one of two places, and after searching my bag, I knew which place it wasn't! 

In true teacher mindset, I made a connection. How many times have you had the niftiest tech-rich lesson planned, only to have the tech go haywire at the worst moment? Did you tap dance? If so, your mom will be proud that all that money for dance lessons has finally gone to good use. However, my gut tells me that you went with a low-tech alternative, like, say, paper and pencil. 

I have never tap danced when high-tech decided to take five, but I did do some faux calm talking when my principal, of a few years ago, came into the room as my students were using Votes "eggs" to answer polling type questions linked to my ACTIVboard. I had done my homework the day before. I knew how to do it, and I felt comfortable with it. Yet, high-tech failed when I added the magic of second graders and one tech-savvy principal. Thankfully, low-tech saved the day, and helped me make a point to my students that sometimes, all we need is our brain,  and maybe some pencils and paper to get the job done.

Back to the phone...

I wasn't in a panic about not having it, but I can tell you that I lost count of the times that I reached for it to: 

• Check Facebook
• Check Twitter (Follow Me @Grade2baloo
• Check Instagram (Follow me! @grade2hullabaloo)
• Check TPT (Follow me -- Grade 2 Hullabaloo)
• Google the bestsellers list
• Check the time
• Call my mother (I know, this one should be at the top of the list)
• Crunch some budget numbers
• Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!

I actually had some low-tech tools with me -- a spiral and a Flair pen. So, I made notes of things that popped into my head. Go pick up that item that I ordered a month ago. Make a shopping list. Write down a great TPT idea. Reflect on that great vacation to Mexico, even though it would have been nice to reflect while looking at the pictures, such as the one below, ON MY PHONE. 

Beautiful Spanish style church in Valladolid, Mexico

But, do you know what? I survived. There was a surprising amount of peace in knowing that I didn't have it (and that I knew where it was). It was as if I were on a semi-deserted island, and partially unplugged from the world with my murder mystery and the nearby splashes of children in the pool. Children I wasn't responsible for in any way. I was invisible. And it was serene.

Now that I have been reunited with my phone and laptop, and you're totally plugged in, you might want to check out my latest TPT updated product called Skip Counting Task Cards. It's perfect for your second grade math stations. It could work for RTI group lessons, high achieving firsties or thirds who need a little refresher on skip counting. 

I especially love the "Give me Five" foldables that can be glued into students' math notebooks. There are pretests, posttests, task cards and more. It's free for the next 24-ish hours. So, grab a copy and leave some feedback in my FEEDBACK CHALLENGE! Do it quickly! You never know when your technology will go kaput. Then, you'll have to write a letter to me.  :-)

Have a great Thursday!

Dear Elementary Math Teachers,

Hello!

You're in for a treat and some warm fuzzies! My friend, and former principal, Beth Ferguson, has written a special post just for elementary math teachers. It connects the hard work that we do to her work with high school students. She and I share a passion for math. Whether math intimidates you or excites you, I think you'll find her post very enlightening.

My hat is off to elementary teachers!  I have much respect for the work that they do in teaching a wide array of subjects to young children.  Nurturing children’s curiosity, fueling their love for learning while laying the foundation for reading and math are huge tasks!

Early each year I introduce sets of numbers to high school students.  So that my students understand that our course isn’t in a vacuum, but built on the foundation they already have, I use a routine that goes something like this:

“When you were a little bitty child, your parents wanted you to be so smart!  They taught you to count, 1, 2, 3.  You repeated dutifully, 1, 2, 3!  Your parents were so proud!  “My baby can count!” they exclaimed.  We call those numbers the set of counting numbers. 

Then you got to school and your first grade teacher read you a book about zero, maybe Zero the Hero; and you learned that zero added to any number did not change the value of that number.  Zero makes a difference though in the set of numbers!  No longer just the counting numbers, zero introduces the natural numbers, 0, 1, 2, 3…. 

In grade 3, your teacher made a big deal about fractions.  You acted out the story in The Doorbell Rang to divide cookies; she read the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar Fractions Book and you divided the candy bar into parts.  In high school we call the fractions rational numbers.  All counting and natural numbers are rational numbers!

In grade 6, your teacher introduced you to the number line again, this time with the book, Less Than Zero.  You learned about negative numbers.  The positive and negative numbers together are called the set of integers.

All along you had been learning about multiplication, division, and decimals.  In grade 7, your teacher read the book, Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi.  You measured circles, diameters, divided and discovered a common ratio.  Maybe you memorized as many digits of pi as you could. Your teacher pointed out that pi as a decimal never ends.  In high school we call numbers like pi (and the square root of non-square numbers) the irrational numbers.

So we have … the counting numbers, the natural numbers, the integers, the rationals, and the irrationals … all of these put together create the set of REAL Numbers!  Your elementary and middle school teachers taught you all about these various sets of numbers.  They laid the foundation for our study where we talk most often about this set of amazing REAL numbers!”

At this point, a student almost always asks, why “real” … are there numbers that aren’t real?  And of course, there are the imaginary numbers.  But that’s information for another post.

I share this routine with you to remind you that your work is significant!  Your passion for numbers, patterns, problem solving – the intricacies of math – make a difference!  You already know that, but this high school teacher wants to say, “Thank you!” for sharing your knowledge and expertise with young learners, and especially for sharing your passion for math!

One last thought … if you want to connect with me, I’d be honored to talk math with you!  You can find me on Twitter @algebrasfriend or on my blog, Algebra’s Friend!

Holub, J., & Lichtenheld, T. (2012). Zero the hero. New York: Henry Holt.

Hutchins, P. (1986). The doorbell rang. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Murphy, S., & Remkiewicz, F. (2003). Less than zero. New York: HarperCollins.

Neuschwander, C., & Geehan, W. (n.d.). Sir Cumference and the dragon of pi: A math adventure.

Pallotta, J., & Bolster, R. (1999). The Hershey's milk chocolate bar fractions book. New York: Scholastic.

Giveaway ~ 200+ TPT Followers

Hi all--

Join in on my 200+ TPT Follower Giveaway to win both of these products!

Do you get frustrated with the quality of sentences your students write? I do! I have two products to tackle this problem head-on in just minutes a day, four days a week. I use these Fix-It and Build 7-UP sentences, as a grammar warm-up, each Monday through Thursday. With just a few minutes of practice each day, my students' sentences improve!

My Fix-Ut Sentences for 2nd and 3rd and Fix-It Sentences, Volume 2 products feature quick, meaningful practice to help students edit and write complete, correct sentences (capitilization, punctuation and syntax). The Build 7-UP Sentences daily practice, included in each product, encourages students to stretch sentences with details. No more, "I like it," or, "It was good," BLAH sentences! Both products have 20 weeks of daily practice!

I want you to become a follower, because I have some great products that I think you'll find engaging, rigorous and fun. It's easy to enter:

1. Follow my TPT Store.
2. Comment with your follower number (of my TPT store) on my Facebook page.
3. Sit back and wait to see if you're the winner.
4. I have already selected the winning numbers.
5. Once I have 200+ TPT followers, I'll unveil the winners.
6. Could today be your lucky day? Let's find out!

Five for Friday - July 3

This is somewhat sad. One month from today, I will be back at work. I am usually ready to go back, but I am feeling a little reluctant to give up my all-day-pj-days. Yes, I have had many of them. Don't judge. I am guessing you might have had a few, too. If you haven't, try it! 

By the time August 3 rolls around, I'll have on my game face. In the meantime, I am going to putter with some home projects, work on finishing up some TPT products, and squeeze in one more beach trip.

Speaking of beach trips... My parents have invited me to go to Florida with them next week. It will be great to spend a few days with Mom and Pop. We'll also celebrate Mom's birthday as it falls right in the middle of the trip. I found a beautiful dish for her in Mexico. It has become a tradition to buy her a dish from each of the places I visit. Note: If you know my mother, please don't spoil her birthday present surprise!

I am currently wrestling with a decision. It involves the number three, so it is fitting that I put it here.

A dear friend of mine recently qualified for the World Championship Ironman competiton. She has invited me to go to Kona, Hawaii to experience it with her, her husband, and other friends who think she is a rock star. She IS a rock star! She has shown grit, heart and determination in reaching this goal. 

In case you're not familiar with what happens during an Ironman triathlon competion, I'll tell you. Athletes first swim 2.4 miles. After that, they make a quick change, hop on their bike, and ride 112 miles. Finally, as if that isn't enough, they run 26.2 miles. All in one day. On purpose.

I am hesitant, because the competition is on the Saturday before fall break. Ideal flights (shortest) from Nasvhille to Kona are about 12 hours, which means a full day of travel each way. Ideal flights, right now, are also over $1000! The 22-hour flights fall slightly under $1000. Ha! A bargain for 22 hours of flights and layovers!

The biggest wrinkle is that I'll need to use all three of my personal days to go. I really want to go, but I am wrestling with wanting to support my friend in this huge life accomplishment and using all of my personal days. Oh, and I really want to go to Hawaii!

What would YOU do?

Happy 4th of July (tomorrow) to my American friends!

Happy Saturday to my friends around the world! I've been invited to a 4th of July part at a former teacher-friend's house. Her backyard is a prime spot for watching the fireworks at one of the local parks. 

I'll close with a little commercial for my TPT store. Here are five products I'm very happy to have remodeled this summer. Check them out!

Chrysanthemum -- a Back-to-School Staple

Animal Research and Writing Organizers -- Perfect for Your Life Cycle Studies

Nifty Number Lines - A to Z Station Cards

Contraction Surgery -- Tons of Fun and Great Contraction Practice!

Thirty Days of Story Problems -- Great for Teaching Problem Solving Strategies

Mentor Text Review

Hi!

Let me just begin with a confession: I love children's literature. Love it! I think it provides teachers with one of the best teaching tools there is.That tool is relatability. Children relate to the characters in the books we share with them. This doesn't always happen in textbooks. 

I sometimes say, under my breath, "Textbooks! Schmextbooks!" Nine times out of ten, I can find a children's book in my classroom or school library that I feel is a more effective resource than a textbook. I've been a supporter of children's literature since I first began teaching. By supporter, I mean that my receipts file of purchases can attest to this.

So, mentor texts... When I first heard this phrase used by one of my teammates (who was working on a master's degree in reading), I felt a little panicked. "What the heck is a mentor text?" I wondered. I felt as though I was out of the loop. When I googled it, I said, "THAT's a mentor text?!" All this time, I've been calling them read alouds or just plain books, and someone came up with a fancy term for them! Does that ever happen to you?

Whether you're comfortable with the term read alouds or mentor texts, here is a review of one that I just purchased. Confession: I ordered six. I'll review the others in upcoming posts.

The Best Story, by Eileen Spinelli, isn't hot off the presses (published 2008), but it's worthy of a spot in your collection of read alouds  mentor texts. Use this one for lessons that are related to the writing process, especially when it comes to the message of write what you know. Spinelli captures what we often see in our classrooms; some children are excited to write, but don't quite know how to get started.I find that these are often my continually reluctant writers. Here's a story that these writers might find relatable. I can feel a mini-lesson in the works about how to get started. 

Spinelli also provides us with a teachable example of giving feedback. "Not enough action," said my brother Tim.  How many times have we heard children try to give feedback to one another, only to have it come out like Tim's? Insert a mini-lesson on giving helpful, detailed feedback, here.  

Finally, add making inferences to the list of great mini-lessons, because Ann Wilsdorf's illustrations are playful and filled with opportunities for students to make inferences. Do you love it when an artist is so insightful that she writes a complementary story with her illustrations? I do a little happy dance inside when I find a treasure of words and illustrations. I'm giving The Best Story one of the coveted slots of first-reads for writing mini-lessons this fall!

I was so happy and inspired, I created this prewriting puzzle freebie to go along with it. Click on the images to grab your copy!

Five for Friday

Vacation Do-Over

Now that I've been back from Mexico for a week, I feel like I need a do-over! In reflecting on the experience, I feel like Cuz and I were always on the go, but not in a good way. Hiking to breakfast, hiking to the beach, and searching for that perfect sun lounger that wasn't three inches away from someone else. Cuz really wanted to say in an all-inclusive, and it made sense to know that food and beverages were covered, but the price we paid in dealing with so-so food, finding our way around the vast resort, and the extra calories consumed because we felt like we had paid for it, so we had better get our money's worth, made it less than ideal. I learned a valuable lesson. Bigger isn't always better when it comes to hotels. 

The view from our room was pretty, even on the first rainy day.

Look at that! Built without the use of wheels or pack animals!

Such intricate Maya carvings at Chichen Itza

Girl's Night Out

One of my two cats got to spend the night out, last night. It's my fault. I didn't check to see if she was inside before I came in from the patio. She seems to have forgiven me, and there was shelter, water and a litter box out there. Of course, when I offered her a treat, a spoonful of canned cat food, she walked away. Cats!

Major Cuteness

Only 79 days until one of my neices and I celebrate her 18th birthday with this guy! I think I am more excited than she is! How adorable is he?

Adjustments

Preparing for the upcoming school year has been on my mind. There are several things I'd like to do differently. They aren't big things, but I think these adjustments will make things run more smoothly in my classroom.

First, I want to commit to sending home "signed papers" on Tuesdays. I've done this in previous years, but didn't do it last year. I always end up feeling frustrated if I do send Tuesday papers or guilty if I don't! So, I think it's better to do it, so that parents are informed. 

At parent info night, I always tell parents that they won't see many worksheets coming home from me. I explain that I don't believe children learn best from sitting and doing sheet after sheet. Second graders need to be up, talking and moving, touching and exploring, and interacting! I describe what the children do instead of "worksheeps" as one darling child called them many years ago in Memphis. One of the down sides of not doing many worksheets is that the pages that we do complete need to receive feedback and must go home for parents' review. 

Secondly, even while our director of schools is telling us that it is important to 'hit the ground running' with content-based lessons, and that we'll need to be fully operational (my words, not his) by the second week of school, I know in my heart that my second graders will need more time to internalize our classroom routines. My plan is to mesh, mesh, mesh! 

I have two responsibilities. First, to follow the directives from my district. (I'd like to keep my job!) Second, my responsibility is to my students. This is really first in my heart, so I'll integrate routines into content-based lessons. This isn't new to me, but I plan to be even more deliberate in planning and implementation, so that every minute of instructional time is used for content, with a side of routines. So, while we're reviewing sentence writing or math facts, I'll build in a couple of minutes to make an anchor chart of how we do those things. When we're getting ready for recess, I'll make a list of safe activities with a focus on capitalization and punctuation. 

Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about those two things. Do you have plans to adjust your lessons or routines? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Mysterious Me

I made it! I've thought of enough things to share in my second Linky Party! To celebrate, I am giving away a copy of my latest, revamped product on TPT. So, head on over to my Facebook Page to share it to win! 

I use Mysterious Me as a getting-to-know-you activitiy the first few days of school. I love it. Kids love it. Parents love it.

It's a great way to see the skill level of sentence writing and handwriting. It also gives me an idea of who is shy and who is bold, when it comes time to share. I display their items on a bulletin board along with their clue sentences. It  makes a beautiful display for open house! Be sure to look at the preview to see images of the Yoo Hoo! Guess Who! game that is perfect for getting-to-know-you time!

Have a great weekend!

Animal Research and Writing Organizers

Hello--

Did you know that the birds start singing between 4 and 4:30 AM? How do I know this, you might ask? From experience! 

I have turned my days into nights. Being single and carefree, I can do that. My cats don't mind, although, I think they've been a little confused as to why the 'thing with thumbs' is up at all hours. I love working when it's quiet and calm. I am definitely a night person.

I have updated and renamed my animal graphic organizers. I included three writing organizers that I developed with some struggling writers last year. Typically, my second graders come to me with a great writing foundation. However, there are usually a few who missed some skills, weren't ready for skills, or really didn't enjoy writing. These writing organizers grew from this need to shore up those students' writing skills.

I am working on several other things in an attempt to be ready for school. I have about five weeks of freedom left. I'm eager to share more vacation pictures, but I am saving them for my second ever Five for Friday Linky Party post! Since I know you're curious to see them, also, I'll post this one. It's from Valladolid, Mexico. We stopped there on the Chichen Itza ruins tour. This town square was tranquil and perfect for peoplewatching. Those rounded, white chairs (on the right) are sweetheart chairs. I loved sitting in them.