This task was all about the redesign! I want my students to understand perseverance. They used a straw, paper, scissors, and tape to build a hoop glider. They made decisions about paper weight, hoop size, and number of hoops. They tested designs and made improvements when needed. We then flew our gliders to see whose design could fly the farthest. Mason and Reece were very close, but Reece was the winner by a straw's length! Congratulations Reece! Today, we talked about the importance of working well in groups. We talked about the tone of voice we use with teammates and respecting each other's ideas. We know we do not always have to agree, but we should listen and consider others' ideas. We worked in groups of 3-4 to build spaghetti towers. We had 18 minutes to work with spaghetti noodles, tape, and teammates to build the tallest free-standing tower we could. One team built a 30" tower! Unfortunately, it fell at the buzzer. Another team won the event with a 27" free-standing tower. No matter how tall our towers were, we practiced GROUPS! Wow, what a great group of 1st graders we have in our class! Today was SO much fun. I hope your child is as excited about this year as I am! I feel like I got to know a piece of each one of them today. I know it takes time for us to "come out of our shells", but I believe everyone left with a smile today. We read Splat the Cat where we met Splat nervous for school at the beginning of the book and excited for the next day at the end. My goal for today was to help your student be confident and excited for the next day of school ...mission accomplished? What did your child come home talking about? Our class pets? Recess? Turtles and popsicles in the courtyard? iPads? I hope you are able to drop by tonight from 6:00-6:30 with your child. This is a great opportunity to alleviate some first day jitters and fill out some important documents. Come by our classroom to meet me, drop off supplies, complete documents, and view our room... we have some pets to meet too! I am looking forward to building our relationship at this informal greeting. We will have an official Open House August 7th. Please don't wake me if I'm dreaming because this is TOO good! I've been busy getting our class set of iPad minis ready to start the year. I have labelled cords to help students quickly find their device and return it to the proper charging station. I can't wait to use this tool within our daily routines. Thank you Maryville City and all shareholders for your support in making this moment happen. I love the busy days before students arrive. Yes, they can be stressful and overwhelming, but mostly they are just exciting. Meeting with teammates to discuss changes, redesigning previous lessons, and developing new ways to improve my classroom effectiveness. At our school, we do not receive our class lists until two days before student arrival. Of course it would be nice to get names on folders and tags, but waiting creates an added dimension of positive anticipation. I begin thinking about my students before I even know who they are! Believe me when I tell you, I am already imagining your child's success in the classroom, their joy of learning, and the innovative ways in which they will express their knowledge. I do not need to know their names to be begin planning their happiness in first grade! I am looking forward to getting to know you and your child. This year, I made the big decision to switch from desks to tables in my classroom. I am excited for the increased community feel and ability to collaborate with peers with ease. I can't wait to hear the increased conversations and brainstorming because of the round tables. Students will still have individual work spaces when necessary but will be able to work on group projects easier within their table space. I hope students will enjoy the new environment |
Dee Dulin1st grade teacher infusing STEM, PBL, and 1:1 mini-ipads CategoriesArchives
December 2017
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