12 Reasons Why Teachers Need the New Surface Tablet: Product Review

Background

A week ago I purchased the new Surface Tablet from Microsoft.  I had been watching the commercials on tv for quite some time and they always got my attention.  So, I began some research online to find out more about them.  I had been hunting a tablet for a while and thought I would probably go with a different brand until I saw this one.

12 Reasons to Love the Surface Tablet

1. I really liked that it had this kickstand thing on the back and could stand up on its own.  
2. I also loved that it could click in place magnetically with the keyboards.
3. Keyboards come in fun colors.  I chose pink. :) (Keyboards do have to be purchased separate.
4. The keyboard has a second function as a cover for the Surface tablet.
5. It can be touch screen or easily snap the keyboard in and use the keyboard.
6. Keyboard is light and thin.
7. It is easy to carry and hold.
8. Battery life is good.  I used it several days without charging.
9. You can use Microsoft products easily.  They are already installed - Microsoft Powerpoint, Word, and Excel 2013.
10. It has tons of great magazine articles from your favorite magazines categorized under your News like People, Forbes, US Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN.  There are lots more.  I just listed some I really like.
11. It features Games, a Camera, Music, and Video.
12. The Surface is easy to navigate as you slide the pages and interact.

My video review of the Surface Tablet

 

Do you use a Tablet in Teaching?

What tablet do you use and how do you use it as a teacher?

Math on Monday: Common Core with Number Talks

Thousands: Place Value

Number Talk

We worked on the thousands place on Friday.  We did a number talk to see what students know about 1,000.  Students helped me with our anchor chart throughout our discussion.  I was excited that the remembered skills that we have covered.  They brought in looking at the ones place to determine if the number is even or odd no matter how big the number.  They remembered the greater than less than sign.  They are beginning to recognize that even though you have a bigger number, you don't forget about the hundreds, tens, and ones.

Place Value to the Thousands

After our Number Talk, I gave students a piece of construction paper and had them fold it hotdog style twice.  Then students drew lines down the folds.  At the top of each column, I had students write thousands, hundreds, tens, ones.  Then I called out different thousand numbers.  I emphasized using the comma with the thousand.  It was fun to see students start to understand when I would throw a tricky number in with zeros. 

If you would like to know more about the Number Talk book, it is a great teacher resource. Number Talks is a great way to incorporate mental math strategies and see your students start to really communicate about what they know.

Weekend Teacher Planning and Organization - Top 5 List

Planning for the upcoming week is always something I look forward to.  I know that's weird, but I am a type A personality.  There are several steps to the process to ensure the week is going to be up and going by Monday morning.

Here is a list of tasks that must be completed prior to students entering the classroom along with some of my classroom organization supplies:

1) Reading and math work stations must be out along with a rotation chart.  My station rotation chart does not change every week.  If students seem to be working well together and things are flowing smoothly, I just let them keep the same partners and rotation schedule.  If you would like to see my rotation chart, click here to download: Reading Work Station Chart
I also have one for math here: Math Work Station Rotation Chart  Students go to a different station each day once they finish their math lesson for the day.  I put different games, flash cards, and activities that students can use review their standards.

2) Reading study guide needs to be copied on the back of my weekly newsletter.

3) I have to look at my pacing guide to see what concepts and themes I have planned in my teacher planning calendar for the week. Lesson Plans need to be completed and emailed to my principal, accompanied with state standards.  I haven't used a teacher planning book in years.  Once I started doing my plans on the computer, I just use that to revise each year and add to.  It really helps when you can change the date, adjust your lessons to your kiddos and be done.  Of course, I can't do the exact same thing every year.  I keep the best lessons and change up to add new and improved.  This has worked well for me.

4) Test papers for weekly reading tests need to be copied and placed in Friday's folder and an art or fun activity needs to be planned for students to do when they are finished with testing.  This will keep students quiet and engaged while others are given time to finish.

5) Read Alouds need to be planned and put in Monday-Friday folders. This week it will be finishing Stone Fox.

Welcome Back Class - New Year 2013

I just can't start the new year off without talking a little about one of my new year's resolutions - getting myself more organized at school and home.  Yesterday was our teacher work day at school.  I spend every minute, besides a 1 hour faculty meeting, cleaning and organizing my room.  I will have to say I made a huge dent.  One of my favorite things was getting a 3 week set of files - 3 different colors to help me visually with the weeks.  I now can plan up to 3 weeks at a time.  This can really help a teacher when getting things copied and ready for the coming weeks.  I am still thinking I may add 1 more week.  I put these in a handy tub that I can grab and go with if I need to around the classroom.  I also tried to help myself out at the end of the day today by filing and putting things back that I used today.  The paper trail is so hard to maintain!  One day can get you behind!

Another exciting project that my wonderful hubby did for me is paint an old no-back book shelf.  I will post pictures this weekend!  I'm so excited!!!  He put a back on it and painted it black.  I'm thinking of transitioning into a black and white color scheme for my classroom and adding some curtains and quotes around the room: Resolution #2!!  I'll keep you updated!

Well, we hit the door running this morning.  It was a short Christmas break this time - less than 2 weeks.  I was a little sad about not getting the customary full 2 weeks off, but then again I was glad that we were starting back with only 2 school days as opposed to a full week.  It has given me time to step away from the normal reading routine that takes up the morning and get more creative with my teaching. 

Arctic Anchor Chart

Students really enjoyed our lesson this morning about the Arctic.  We will have 5 days of in depth study.  Today we mostly talked about the climate, location, and what they already know about this region of our earth.  We created our anchor chart for day 1.  Then I read the fictional book The Little Polar Bear to wrap up the lesson.  Students started making real connections even though it was a fictional Arctic story. 

7 Habits 7 Goals for the New Year

My second graders absolutely love, love, loved getting to chew gum in class today to go along with their 7 habits display they created today.  I made sure they spit it out prior to leaving the room for lunch this morning - trying to avoid any kind of trouble.  They had such good responses to each of the 7 habits.  I guided the students step by step as they reflected and wrote a resolution with each of the 7 habits.  They had a blast!!  This is definitely a craftivity I will use again next year. 

Blowing Bubbles to ring in the New Year 7 Habits Style!

After lunch, my read aloud was The Snowy Day.  Prior to reading, I introduced students to onomatopoeia words.  They quickly caught on to this new language concept and enjoyed listening for them when I read The Snowy Day.  I had students hold their hands to their face Home Alone style each time they heard and onomatopoeia.  Following the story, students wrote connections they made with the story to themselves, another book, and the world.  I was amazed at the discussions that took place as students shared their thinking.  A lot of students made connections with The Little Polar Bear that I read this morning, even thought that was not something I even thought of when I planned today's lessons.

Our wintry day started and ended great and I can't wait to get on with more fun tomorrow!  It sure is fun celebrating in second grade! :)

Snowflakes for Sandy Hook

After reading a blog post on: A Teacher's Treasure, I will be  adding this activity to my New Year's activities.  My second graders were so worried when after the news of the devastating tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook.  The PTA at Sandy Hook is collecting student snowflakes to welcome back their students in January.  Their Winter Wonderland theme will brighten students' hallways and display areas.  They will collect the snowflakes through January 12th.  The address for mailing is: 

 Connecticut PTSA 

60 Connolly Parkway

Building 12, Suit 103

Hamden, CT 06514

7 New Year's Classroom Ideas

I have been thinking a lot about my students and how we are going to begin New Year 2013 once our Christmas vacation is over.  I want students to begin the New Year excited. So, I have come up with 7 ideas to celebrate in second grade once we return.  So, here they are: 7 New Year's Ideas for Your Classroom

1)  A Snowy New Year -   I will use a little snowy science experiment to bring in the new year.  It's actually going to snow in our classroom.  I will add a picture of video once I locate the snow that I so carefully put away in a place so secret that I forgot where I put it. Teacher amnesia!

2) Snowmen - Students will create a snowman snack to eat with marshmallows, pretzels, a Hershey's kiss, and other candies for a special treat at snack.  I used icing to get the candies to stick

Students will add little pom poms to the top of their hats.

3) Students will create party hats showcasing the new date 2013.  They will enjoy showcasing these by wearing these to lunch.

New Year's Hat: Students will decorate the blank space in the middle with  colored paper and other materials.

Thanks to my trusty Cricut, I have 2013 ready for students to grab and add to their hats.

4) Pass it On - Students will do random acts of kindness throughout the day to celebrate the new year and bring about good cheer and excitement within their classmates and school.  Students will write on die-cut hearts and leave them by classroom doors for teachers and students and give them to random strangers and loved ones.

Heart Die Cuts are cut and ready to go for our first day back.
Random Acts of Kindness Hearts

5) Students will continue the wintry SNOW theme by listening to The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

6) Pop - Everyone knows you have to have some sound when the clock strikes midnight and the new year begins.  Students will Blow bubble gum bubbles (with permission from the principal of course) to create some popping sound.  They will then use balloons to begin their writing for the New Year's goals.

Leader in Me School - 7 Habits - 7 Goals
I created the 5" blurb with my  Cricut using Plantin SchoolBook.

I picked these up at Wal Mart on the Christmas clearance aisle for 50 cents each.

I also found these balloons to use at Wal Mart - 7 cents a pack for 12.

Goals for 2013 - We cannot forget goals!  Students will write their goals for the last part of the school year.  We will connect it Leader in Me style using the 7 habits.  Trying to make the terminology concrete in my students' minds this year is a concentration with this being our school's first year as a Leader in Me School.  Click here for Leader in Me 7 Habits - 7 Goals writing paper.

I am fully aware that all of you out there are not Leader in Me schools, so I created 2 more variations that you could use with this same idea.  Students could write a how to instructional paragraph on how they blew a bubble.  Click here for How to Blow a Bubble writing paper.  Once they experiment for a few minutes, they will begin making a class chart verbalizing their first hand information.  They will then write their paragraph.  Once the final copy is completed, students will blow up balloons to accompany a face to post with their writing.  They will also properly dispose of their gum prior to leaving the classroom.

Variation 3 would be to use the writing form New Year's Goals and do it similar to my example in the first picture.  Click here for the writing paper to accompany your New Year's Goals lesson.

7) It's time to study time: Students will create a New Year's clock and discuss a.m. and p.m. (real world connection) and create it on a clock.

I did an example and made 4" die cut circles for my students to use. 

At the end of the day, there will be one tired teacher and 18 excited students!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

This morning we finished our Christmas Around the World study.  We had to catch up in order to finish on time, so we did 3 countries and managed to finish our little booklet up. 

Green was the definitely color today.  We enjoyed some Grinch fun today after lunch.  The kids are so excited that I can hardly get a word in edge-ways (don't know if that's a word or not, but you know what I mean).  After reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas, students compared how the Grinch was at the beginning of the story and how he was at the end.   Students used their 7 Habits language to tell how the Grinch changed.  Students then made an origami Grinch and enjoyed some Grinch punch.  It was the quietest they were all day!

Just grab some lime sherbet and Sprite, Twist Up, or 7 Up and you have yourself some good grinch punch!

Don't you just love these little Santa hats!  My teacher friend made them up on the spur of the moment this afternoon so they kids would be decked out for the assembly.

We ended the day with a little 7 Habits pep rally with our entire elementary school present.  It is so fun to see the students taking such great leadership roles at these early ages.  Today was second grade's turn to lead the program and we did 2 Christmas songs - Away in a Manger and Jingle Bells.  The kids did great and there is just something special about hearing kids sing Christmas carols.  It brings the Christmas spirit right to ya!

My Little Santa Babies!