Newsletter: Mrs. Whatcott's Weekly Newsletter

I used Google Docs to create a newsletter for the parents and students in my classroom. In the newsletter I created I included information about upcoming events, upcoming birthdays, spelling words, homework reminders, tips and I also included our classroom spotlight of a student in our classroom. Part of my students homework each day is to read for 20min, they are to read books at grade-level and report to a parent, another adult, or myself on what they understood about the book they read. The newsletters purpose to make sure both the students and parents are on board and understand what is expected and what is to come in my classroom. Google Docs is a great tool to use to create a newsletter because it has a few different templates that you can use to create your newsletter. There are also many different resources you can use to help make your newsletter attractive for both the students and the parents. I have definitely not mastered this tool yet and still have more to learn about how to use Google Docs so I can make it a more attraction newsletter but I am glad I got to experiment with this tool and will continue to experiment so I can include more backgrounds and images that will help my newsletters improve. Students can also learn how to create newsletters using Google Docs or other tools to create a newsletter for an upcoming event in their own life whether that be a birthday party, soccer game, school play they might be in, etc. Newsletters are great to learn how to make and their are many tools out there to help create a newsletter you like.














Reading: Foundation Skills Standard 4  
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

ISTE: Creative Communicator
I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media.

Educational Technology Standard 5:
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3,4)

Mrs. Whatcott's Class Newsletter

EDpuzzle: Lets tell time

Okay I LOVED using EDpuzzle between EDpuzzle and EduCreations I feel more confident about finding videos and sharing videos in my classroom. I really like EDpuzzle because it is designed for teachers to have easy access to videos online. To find a video all you have to do is search the topic you will be teaching in your classroom and a plethora of videos are available to watch and choose from. Another thing I really like about Edpuzzle is you don't have to show the whole video to your students, sometimes there are only parts of the video that are applicable, this was my case. I found this great video on teaching children how to tell time but it was longer and I didn't want to show the whole video. Edpuzzle allowed me to clip out parts of the video allowing me to choose exactly what I want to share with my class. EduPuzzle also allows you to add your own voice to the video, I recorded my voice teaching how to tell time a little bit differently than the voice on this video did but for some reason I could not get it to save my new recording so I ended up leaving his voice, however I was able to add questions for students to answer during the video. I LOVE that! This helps make the video more interactive for your students. I have assigned my students this video as a homework assignment. They are to go home watch the video and answer the question. The best part is I have access and can see who answers the questions and can grade them on their assignment really easily using this tool. I have also set it up so my students can not skip through the video just to rush through and answer the questions, they have to watch all of it so they can soak up all the information they need about telling time on a analog and digital clock.



Measurement and Data: Math Grade 1
Standard 1.MD.3: Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks.

ISTE: Knowledge Constructor 
I critically select, evaluate, and synthesis digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

Mind Mapping: Characters in a story

I chose the tool Popplet to create a mind map showing students a creative way they can describe a character in a story. Popplet is another fun and easy tool for anyone to learn how to use and is a fun way to present information. You can use this tool for all ages and grades and can be used to teach any subject. I have used this tool to teach my students how to describe a character in a story, we have been focusing on describing characters and thinking about each character in a story after we finish reading a story together in class. My students will have an opportunity to learn how to use Popplet and will be given a chance to experiment with it on the computers in the classroom. They will also be given the assignment to create their own Popplet describing a character from the story we read in class. They will be given the choice to work alone or with a partner on this assignment. This will help me know if they understand the concept of describing a character in a story.  I have used Popplet for a few of my other classes as well and it has been very useful. Hopefully my student will enjoy using this tool as much as I do because I know it will benefit them now and in future years to come.
What are some other ideas for teaching 1st graders about characters in a story?
What are some of your favorite tools to use?















Reading: Literature Standard 3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

ISTE: Knowledge Constructor 
I critically select, evaluate, and synthesis digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge.

Educational Technology Standard 5:
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3,4)

Popplet:Describe a Character in a story

Prezi: Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring

I absolutely loved learning how to use Prezi and I am excited to continue to create more presentations with it so I can really learn how to master this tool. I like Prezi because you can add lots of pictures and videos to your presentation. I also love the way it is set up and all the different ways you can zoom in and out to get to the next key term, picture, or definition. I used Prezi to teach my classroom full of 1st graders about the four seasons in a year. This presentation will help them compare each season and the seasonal weather changes, they will also be able to identify characteristics of the seasons while observing each picture and learning the four seasons song found on youtube. My students will have the opportunity to learn how to use this tool in my classroom, if they too enjoy this tool they will have the opportunity to make a Prezi presentation and share it with the class. My students will also be making presentations about the weather but will go in more details about the characteristics of weather such as precipitation, windy, foggy, sunny, rainy, etc. They will be observing and recording the weather and the changes they see, then they will make a presentation using one of the tools they have learned about in class to make a presentation showing the results they found. This tool will help my students for future years to come. They will have many opportunities in their life to present information and Prezi is a great tool to do so.



Science Standard 2: 1st grade
Objective 3: Compare and contrast seasonal weather changes
a. Identify characteristics of the seasons of the year.

ISTE: Global Collaborator
I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others and work effectively in teams using digital tools.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

eduCreations: Commutative & Associative Addition

eduCreations is a great tool to use when teaching students in the classroom, online, or even to use as a resource for students who need extra help at home. I used eduCreations to help my students learn more about Commutative & Associative properties of addition. The students will have access to my video at school and at home but my main purpose for making the video is for the students to have access to it at home while they are doing their homework. I included the worksheet they were given to complete for homework in my video. The students will be able to review the video at home to help them with their homework.
I like eduCreations because you can add or draw things while you are teaching so the students can see you teaching in action and it helps make things more clear. This tool is also very easy to use, I used my Ipad to create my video which made writing and drawing very easy. This is also a great tool for students to use because it is so easy. I will show this tool to my students and have them use it to create a lesson to reteach what they learned about a certain subject to another student who may be struggling.



Math: Grade 1 
Operations and Algebraic thinking
Standard 1.OA.3: Apply properties of operations as strategies to add & subtract.

ISTE: Knowledge Constructor 
I critically select, evaluate, and synthesis digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

Tiki-Toki: Identifying Symbols

I used Tiki-Toki to help 1st graders identify some
of our national symbols and Utah symbols. The timeline I put together not only allows the students to look at pictures of each symbol bit it also allows the students to see how long each symbol has been around along with additional information about each symbol. The students are only expected to identify the symbols but the timeline gives them more information if they are interested. At first I had a hard time figuring out what to teach my 1st grade students while using this tool since many of our subjects don't go into great detail with dates. However, Tiki-Toki is a great tool to use when teaching about different dates in history. If I was a 4th or 5th grade teacher I would probably use this tool a ton, especially while teaching about Utah history, and the students would also be able to make their own Tiki-Toki timeline showing what they know about Utah history. This being said, Tiki-Toki is not my first tool of choice to use in a 1st grade classroom. I also felt that this tool was a bit more complicated to use than other tools and my students in my classroom might have a harder time using this tool, however this does not mean they cannot be exposed to this tool and doesn't mean they cannot learn how to use this tool.

Social Studies Standard 2: Grade 1
(citizenship): Students will recognize their roles and responsibilities in the school and in the neighborhood.
Objective 3: Name school, neighborhood, Utah State, and national symbols, landmarks, and documents.
c. Identify Utah state symbols, documents, and landmarks
d. Identify national symbols, documents, and landmarks (e.g., Declaration of Independence, U.S constitution, Liberty Bell, Washington Monument).

ISTE: Global Collaborator
I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others and work effectively in teams using digital tools.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

Timeline:Symbols of Utah & our Nation

Animoto: Investigate the natural world

Animoto was a fun tool to learn how to use. I especially loved how simple and easy it was to learn how to use. Another reason why I loved using Animoto is because it already has slideshow videos put together for you, all you have to do is add photos and some text and it creates your slideshow video for you! Okay, how cool is that? This tool allows us to present information in a unique way, as a teacher this is extremely helpful because it can get boring for students to just listen to us lecturing all day. It might even be a great idea to have the students make an Animoto and present a lesson so the students aren't always just learning from you but from each other as well, and if they are the ones teaching they will definitely learn something. I think this is especially useful in the older grades.
I used this tool to make a series of four videos about rocks, soil, and water. There are so many different ways to present information in your classroom and this tool will help you as the teacher present a lesson in a way that will keep things interesting in the classroom. I also love this tool because you can reuse the videos you made for years to come. Students will also have access to these videos outside of the classroom so they can review what we have learned in class at home.
This is a great tool to teach students how to use because it is so simple and easy to use. I will also use this tool in my classroom to test students on their knowledge in a non formal way. After being taught a lesson my students will create an Animoto to show what they have learned from that specific lesson. This will help me as a teacher see what information I might need to reteach. I definitely suggest experimenting with this tool and using it the classroom










Science Standard 2: Grade 1
Earth and Space Science. Students will gain an understanding of Earth and Space Science through the study of earth materials, celestial movement, and weather.
Objective 1: Investigate the natural world including rock, soil, and water.
a. Observe, compare, describe, and sort components of soil by size, texture, and color.
b. Identify and describe a variety of natural sources of water, including streams, lakes, and oceans.

ISTE: Knowledge Constructor 
I critically select, evaluate, and synthesis digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

PodOmatic: Sun & Moon podcast

At first I was not excited about making a podcast and using PodOmatic as a tool, I thought that I would feel uncomfortable and awkward recording myself to teach my students but as I attempted to record myself it was as uncomfortable or awkward as I thought and in fact it was pretty fun. I feel that this will be a great tool to teach my students to use because most children wont have a problem with recording their voices and will find it very fun. This tool will allow them to communicate in a different way and present information to their classmates or others in a fun and interactive way. The students will be given time in class to experiment with this tool and will them be given an assignment to make a podcast to teach another student about a specific subject they have recently learned. For students who may not have access to a computer I will give them differently opportunities to come in and use our classroom computers, they may choose to stay in for recess and work on their podcast, or even after school if parents allow.
I used this tool to give instructions to my class about the new science activity we did, I also used it to express our classroom results and findings from the activity.

Science Standard 2: Grade 1
Earth and Space Science. Students will gain an understanding of Earth and Space Science through the study of earth materials, celestial movement, and weather.
Objective 2: Observe and describe the changes and appearance of the sun and moon during daylight.
a. Observe the sun at different times during the day and report observations to peers.
b. Observe and chart the moon when it is visible during the day.

ISTE: Creative Communicator
I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

Sun & Moon Episode 1
Sun & Moon Episode 2
Sun & Moon Episode 3
Sun & Moon Episode 4

StoryBird: Fun with friends

StoryBird was such a fun and cute tool to use and I really enjoyed creating a story to teach my students about participating in activities together. StoryBird is free, easy to use, and has a ton of different templets to choose from to help you create your story. I love how each templet is full of different images you can choose from to help you illustrate your story. This tool benefits both the students and the teachers and can be used for so many different things in the classroom or at home. The students in my classroom will have the opportunity to express their ideas and bring their creativity to the next level. They will be able to use this tool to show the things they have learned. I love that the students can work on their projects here in the classroom on our computers but I also love that they can continue to work on their projects at home or somewhere outside of the classroom where they have access to a computer. I loved learning about this tool and I love that the students will be able to keep their stories for as long as they want and they can share them with others. I highly recommend this tool and will be using it my classroom. But not only will I be using this tool as a teacher I will be using this tool outside of work and in my home as a mom. I think its very important to read to our children and I want my children to develop a love of reading and learning. I will definitely be using this tool to create books to show my children and will be teaching them how to create their own books so they can express themselves and let their creativity show. I love this tool that much!

Physical Education Standard 1.5.4: Grade 1

Discuss the enjoyment of participating in activities with others.

ISTE: Knowledge Constructor 
I critically select, evaluate, and synthesis digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge.

Educational Technology Standard 5:
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3,4)

StoryBird: Fun with friends storybook.

eMaze:Health & Safety

eMaze was one of my favorite tools to learn how to use so far. This tool is so much fun to use and extremely easy to navigate. One of the best parts about using this tool is it is absolutely FREE! I used eMaze to teach my first grade students about health and safety. As a class as we talk about the different benefits of being healthy we get to be engaged through this powerful eMaze that will help students connect images to ideas. Not only do the students have something fun to look at eMaze helps us interact and have great classroom discussions as we go together through the maze.
eMaze will definitely help bring something new into the classroom, this tool is similar to using power points in the classroom but defiantly changes things up a little bit. This tool will allow me to teach my students in another new and interactive way. The children will have the opportunity to either participate as a class as we go through the presentation, or even work in groups to create their own presentations. This tool will not only help me as a teacher present information in a fun and interactive way but will help the students in years to come as they continue their eduction and have other opportunites to use it themselves whether in school or even at work.

Integrated Core Standard 1: Students will develop a sense of self.

Objective: Describe and practice responsible behaviors for health and safety.

a. Practice appropriate personal hygiene (e.g., bathe, wash hands, clean clothes).

b. Describe the benefits of eating a variety of nutritious foods.

c. Describe the benefits of physical activity.

d. Describe substances that are helpful and harmful to the body. 

e. Practice basic safety and identify hazards. 

ISTE: Global Collaborator
I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others and work effectively in teams using digital tools.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

eMaze: Health & Safety

YouTube: Math

YouTube is a great tool to use to help present the information you are teaching to your students in a new and interactive way. This tool also allows students to access different materials to help them grasp a better understanding on certain subjects when struggling. I use YouTube to learn new things all the time whether it is school related or not. Learning how to use YouTube and using it in the classroom will definitely help our students in future years. Below are a few examples of educational videos I found on YouTube and plan on using in my classroom to help teach my students about math. The first three videos I have below are used to teach addition and subtraction to a classroom full of first graders. The Climbing video is a song to help first graders count by 10s. This video will be used to help students understand two digit numbers and how they refer to ones. This last video I have shown here is a video that one of my service learning teachers used in her class while teaching math. When learning a new mathematical standard or when given a "harder" math problem the teacher would say "Who is ready to be thrown in the pit?" The students got excited and she showed them this little clip from Emperor's New Groove. After the clip was shown the class talked about problem solving and working together to find a solution. So the students were given a problem and were instructed to work  together to "get out of the pit" or in other words to solve the problem. I loved how she used this video to teach students how to work together to solve math problems. The students go excited about math and it gave them confidence in the ability to solve "harder" math problems.

Mathematics Standard 1: Mathematics grade 1 Standard 1.0A.1

Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve world problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions. For Example, use objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

Mathematics Standard 1: Mathematics grade 1 Standard 1.NBT.2
Understand that the  two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens and ones. Understand the following as special cases:
a. 10 can be thought of as a bundle of tens ones, called a "ten"
b. The numbers from 11 to 19 are composed of a ten and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.
c. The numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 ,80, 90 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine tens (and 0 ones).

ISTE: Creative Communicator
I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media.

Educational Technology Standard 8:
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5,6)

Infographics: Science

Piktochart is another easy tool to use. Within Piktochart there are many
different templates you can choose from to create the perfect Infographic for your class. It didn't take me long to figure out how to use this tool and I am not tech savvy at all so if you're anything like me and aren't super good with using technology you too will be able to use this tool. Another reason why I like this tool is because the templates are already super cute so you don't need to spend a lot of time just trying to make your infographic look good. Another reason why I like this tool is because you dont have to use everything the template has, you can delete, add, or make your infographic as long as you want, the template is their to just help guide you and help you know what does look good.
I used Piktochart to create an infographic to teach students in the first grade about characteristics of the weather. On my inforgraphic there are questions, pictures, and facts that help students learn about the characteristics of the weather. We will use this infographic in the classroom to talk about the different characteristics of the weather as a class. The infographic will stay hung up on our bulletin for the children to refer back to. The students will then have the opportunity to create their own infographic on paper demonstrating what they have learned about the characteristics of weather and the different types of precipitation.

Science Standard 2: Weather Changes
Science Grade 1
Objective 3: Identify characteristics of weather, e.g., types of precipitation, sunny, windy, foggy, cloudy.

ISTE: Knowledge Constructor 
I critically select, evaluate, and synthesis digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge.

Educational Technology Standard 5:
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3,4)

Teaching Ideas: What do you know about the weather?

Google Docs: Characters in a story

Google Docs is a tool you can use through your google account to create all sorts of different things. I used Google Docs to create a worksheet for my students to use to show what they have learned about our lesson on describing characters in a story. I have created a template and will use this template I have created in Google Docs to print and hand out to each student in my class. First we will be reading a book as a class, after we have finished the book being read aloud to them in class I will hand out this worksheet and they will be given time in class to work on their worksheet. Once the students have finished their worksheet I will have a chance to look through them during recess, this will allow me as the teacher to see what each student understands and what I might need to reteach. It will also allow me to see which students need more time to finish their worksheet or extra help with learning this standard. Like I said briefly before Google Docs is a great tool to use to create lesson plans. One thing that I really like about Google Docs is that you can share your lesson plans with other teachers. You can even choose to share them with your students and their parents. As you can see Google Docs is a great tool to use for easy sharing and easy access for self and others. If you don't have a google account make one, its free and easy.

Reading Literature Standard 7: English Language Arts Grade 1
Objective: Use Illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, settings, or events

ISTE: Global Collaborator
I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others and work effectively in teams using digital tools.

Educational Technology Standard 5:
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3,4)

Teaching Ideas: What do you know about the character?

Answer Garden: Favorite Books

I used Answer Garden to help our 1st grade class

have a group discussion on their favorite book they read over the summer. As a class we got to see what books the students enjoyed reading and which books were the most popular. Each student got to briefly retell the story of the book they read over the summer demonstrating they they understood the message/lesson their book was portraying.
Answer Garden is a great tool to use when trying to get feedback from your students. It is a fun and interactive way to help students feel comfortable sharing what they have learned. Answer Garden is an easy way to show the whole class what other students are learning, or in our case what other books students enjoy reading.
I will use this tool in my future class for assessments, to discover what my class already knows about a certain subject, or to have brainstorming activities.
With Answer Garden the students are able to use a QR scanner to easily access the topic/question and type their response. The students responses will show up as they submit their answer providing real-time feedback so we can all engage together.

Reading Literature Standard 2: English Language Arts Grade 1
Objective: Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

ISTE: Global Collaborator
I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others and work effectively in teams using digital tools.

Educational Technology Standard 6:
Use telecommunications efficiently and effectively to access remote information and communicate with others in support of direct and independent learning and for pursuit of personal interests. (4)

Teaching Ideas: Answer Garden's Classroom Discussion

Pinterest: Teaching Ideas

I love Pinterest for so many different reasons and I am constantly looking for new ideas on Pinterest whether it is for teaching, for decorating my home, for cooking meals, or for wardrobe ideas. Seriously Pinterest has it all. I love Pinterest because there are hundreds of ideas out there on hundreds of different subjects and people are willing to share. I created a Pinterest Board specifically for teaching Reading and Writing to Elementary age students with a focus on 1st graders. I found so many different materials and ideas to use to teach reading and writing to first graders as I searcher through Pinterest. Within the board I created there are different ideas/activities to teach a student about reading and writing. Some of the pins include how to describe a character in a story, how to describe the setting in a story, and how to describe the major events in a story and give creative worksheets or activites to do to so the students can demonstrate their understanding.

I love the different resources Pinterest has to help teachers and students use a variety of ways to teach/learn a certain subject. This board will be a great resource to use when I have a classroom of my own and need ideas/activities to teach my students about reading and writing. I will continue to add to this board as I continue my education and as I become a teacher. I will also give my students in my classroom access to this board so they can look for ideas of their own or choose an activity according to their interests.

Reading Literature Standard 3: English language arts grade 1
objective: Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
Writing Standard 3: English language arts grade 1
objective: write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

ISTE: Creative Communicator
I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media.

Educational Technology Standard 5:
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3,4)

Teaching Ideas: Reading & Writing Pinterest Board