I'm a technology junkie and have been lucky to participate in our county's EETT grant program. Because of the grant (and the lessons and action research I had to create for it) I have a laptop COW (cart on wheels) with 12 laptops, projector, SmartBoard (yay!!), document camera, Clickers (my favorite ESE accomodation!!), and 13 iPads with Insight 360 software/apps, one for each partner pair. As lessons and resources are found, I'll place them here as well :) Insight 360 has been an amazing tool for me to use this year. If you use Clickers, be sure to check it out!
I'm also a huge fan of the Discovery show, MythBusters, and have implemented a monthly after-school club that invites my students to stay, eat pizza, and complete an awesome experiment. I'm thankful for our county's Grants for Great Ideas program for so richly blessing my program, allowing me to supplement my curriculum. Here, my students get to complete experiments that can't be done in the classroom due to lack of time. Sometimes, they're just for stinkin' fun...something that bureaucrats seem to forget is essential in education. Bill Nye and Steve Spangler are my favorite classroom inspirations.
My classroom theme is MythBusters, so I took the advice of some wise teacher blog on Pinterest and decided to stick with a series of colors to unify and clean up my look. I chose black, yellow, and blue. My larger bulletin boards are covered with black fabric, which makes posters, work, and such pop, and it doesn't fade. I also use real caution tape for my borders and these are the only borders I use. I create my own graphics and depending on the amount I need to print, I print in house or send to an internet-based poster printing company. It can be costly, but I won't change this theme for years. I'm kinda known for my theme :) When the lab came to be in my classroom, I also spent time transitioning my personal classroom furniture to black-brown to match. This included spray painting and staining furniture...
Fellow science teacher (5th grade) and district Teacher of the Year finalist Cindy R. shared with me a very poignant saying: "Science is a subject where a teacher can be a rock star." She is so right. If I can keep this in my heart and forget politics and testing, then as Sister Hazel sings, "Everything else disappears..."
Education Posts:
Entire classroom featured below the lab...
UPDATE - January 30th, 2012 - my lab is finished!!
Each month, I hold an after school MythBusters club where 30 of my students stay from 3:15-5:30 to complete a cool experiment using the scientific method start to finish (data and all), eat pizza, and watch an episode of the real MythBusters show. The fainting goats and creamer cannon are an annual favorite...and you can't forget the Lego Ball!
When I moved my lab into my room, I realized I needed a more proper experiment area and storage. So, after half a year of dreaming and designing, grant writing, and building, my classroom's MythBusters themed Science Lab station is finished. My wonderful husband took my ideas, combined them with his brainstorming, and created the station, while I designed and researched shelving for storage. It is absolutely beautiful!
These are the basic shots of the lab. If you'd like to view our photos of the building process, click to our FaceBook album here.
My Classroom: New MythBusters Science Lab!
When I moved my lab into my room, I realized I needed a more proper experiment area and storage. So, after half a year of dreaming and designing, grant writing, and building, my classroom's MythBusters themed Science Lab station is finished. My wonderful husband took my ideas, combined them with his brainstorming, and created the station, while I designed and researched shelving for storage. It is absolutely beautiful!
These are the basic shots of the lab. If you'd like to view our photos of the building process, click to our FaceBook album here.
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| Before: in August, I changed my classroom library to my current science station. I wanted to get my science equipment out of my closet and in front of my students. I found out quickly that it was difficult to keep organized...and little fingers off of certain things! |
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| The new storage area: The tall cases are the Billy series from IKEA with a glass door, keeping small fingers off of important or fragile equipment. The cubbies are HUGE and hold a tremendous amount of items (one of these holds ALL the plastic graduated cylinders I had on the original shelves) |
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| We moved the unit from our garage to the classroom on a Monday, but the next MythBusters wasn't until Thursday. So, to create suspense and anticipation, we kept it a surprise... |
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| The finished lab, sans chalk |
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| Chalked up, just like on the show, with magnet results signs. |
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| My wonderful husband and me! |
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| During the MythBusters club. Our experiment was to determine which bubble solution would produce the largest bubble. Hint: glycerin is amazing! |
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| Excited? ABSOLUTELY!! |
Update: January 17, 2014
After being super disciplined and getting all my grades and conduct scores inputted, I got to spend the entire teacher workday cleaning and organizing my classroom. It was sooo needed and I got to really tear apart, purge, move, and clean. Cleaning is therapeutic for me...I know, I'm weird. (And maybe I'll be for hire at the right price ;)
Here's my classroom:
The view from the front door. I realized the chairs probably cluttered the view, but I personally mopped the floor today and I didn't want to take all the chairs down for the sake of the photo. I'm sure you understand ;)
I skipped over the lab station that is located on the photo's right, since you've already seen it. And, please forgive the obnoxious glare. My phone camera couldn't handle the massive sunset that happens in my windows at 5:00PM...
The black shelf is from my favorite store on the planet: IKEA. It was a steal, and even now that the price has jumped to a whole $25, you can't beat it. It's the Laiva series, and I just left off the back section so it was open. The white magazine files (also IKEA) hold various math manipulatives and the whiteboards, markers, and such that I use for small group instruction. The white boxes were from the Post Office and covered with butcher paper...free! The label holders were also from IKEA.
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Our small group meeting area and library.
In the window I display my exemplar student work on a clothesline. The blue board to the left holds the students' dog tag awards chains that they build throughout the year. This is a school initiative.
The bookshelf was once natural wood colored and after the lab came in, I stained it. I LOVE it.
The curtains that are in the windows (better picture up in the lab section) are a must. They help keep my students focused inside, and not on the student traffic outside. They're just material from Joann's that I hemmed and put on a tension rod from the Dollar General.
All of my classes' pictures are located in this binder. My students love to look back at who I taught before and what Mrs. VM looks like throughout the course of 10 years...
The binder cover
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Back area, featuring the laptop area and small group work area.
I love laptops. Fewer cords. I hate cords!
Poster I made for the computer station. My goal is to put a piece of corrugated steel behind it to make it POP!
Our word wall for math and science for previous lessons...I mean, previous episodes. The IKEA rug was a hand-me-down from my husband's classroom and my students LOVE sitting on it because it's super plush. The Lack, table, also IKEA is a hand-me-down from our home living room.
The bathroom, AKA: Explosive Area (giggle, snort)
Classroom management tip: to keep track of who is in or was last in the restroom, I use a paw print die cut system (better pic coming soon). I have 24 paw prints, each with a number 1-24. Students use their assigned classroom number (that also is their behavior chart and cubby number) to place on the "I'm In!" when they go in. When they come out, they place their number on "Last In," putting away any paw that was in that spot.
Two reasons why: sometimes kids leave it a mess and no one fesses up. This way we are able to see who needs to go back and check the restroom...and students are encouraged to speak up if someone before them left it untidy.
Two: Fire drills never come when expected. This system gives me split second confirmation if someone is in the restroom or not. I'm really thankful for this...
Our sink/cabinet area
The cabinets house my classroom's games and puzzles, headphone crate, crate file for progress reports, and dish rack for those times when I use tons of materials that need to be rinsed afterward (pie tins, paint trays, etc)
The Science bulletin board is titled "Science Is" with elements from the Periodic Table. Neon (Ne) is flipped. I saw this somewhere on Pinterest and for the life of me I can't find it again. Thanks whoever that was!!
The board is interactive and I put up review questions for the students to answer for a chance to be drawn for a class coupon. The cups are where the students submit their answers.
13 iPads...a blessing and a curse. More a blessing, but that means 13 chargers and three power strips...a LOT of cords. Again, I hate cords. I ran across this handy dandy thing in the school stairwell where teachers place their unneeded items. PERFECT. Easy access, easy cord control, easy accountability. I wrapped the three cords together around the back post in a weak know, then loosely braided to the cords to the chargers. OCD happiness. And there's one spot available for my students to turn in their homework folders.
My scientific method graphic :)
Our county's motto is "Are you C2 ready?" C2 has a double meaning: Common Core and College and Career. I made Knightro here a few years ago when we had a college door contest. :) The black shelf to the left (originally white) holds my math center materials, and our school's trophy for winning the boys Patriot Miler Challenge!
Front of the classroom:
Math board...usually I have more anchor charts, but this time it's rather plain...
Our school uses Unraavel strategies for test taking
My four-point math unit scale in sheet protectors for easy changing out
Kudos section of the board
Top: MythBuster of the Day
Materials needed for the day
Class compliment 100s chart (earning a sweet treat I'll make for them)
Team points (top team earns class coupon)
My learning tracking system to coincide with my Pinterest-inspired paint sample. The students leave this on their desk as I teach so I can see who is good to go...and not. I use a four color system.
My graphics...I love 'em ;) I used the font to create these in good 'ole PowerPoint.
Notice the blue jacket? That's an NASA astronaut flight jacket that I received as a hand-me-down from my 6' 1" 14-year old :) Science teacher geek out moment.
Behind me is my wonderful (cough) Common Board Configuration. This is a requirement.
Front corner of the room. The front door is to the left.
I have been blessed to have a voice amplification speaker system, which allows me to hook up my VCR/DVD player to the projector. :)
The green Crocs area out-grown shoes from my little guy that I turned into hall passes.
This behavior chart system is awesome. I found it on Pinterest and I've been using it for 18 weeks now and the kids and I love it. It really helps me to focus on the positive behaviors.
Our Group Expectations - written and signed together.
This idea was from one of Ron Clark's books. I designed it to look like a worksite safety record. It's been one of those years where I'm lucky to get everyone to turn in homework in one day, so we haven't had much of a record. I do think it's going to improve here soon with my blue class.
Our class lab rules, designed to look part of the MythBusters M5 Industries lab :)
Our daily episode schedule
I put this into page protectors because it seems like if I make an awesome poster with the schedule, something in our day will change permanently and screw it up.
Our door with our Exit Ticket poster. Students leave their sticky note on their assigned number for easy accountability.
I have to cover the top window (and the door window in the afternoons) because the light washes out the projector. I had to glue the flag to the wall because my flag bracket was placed right in front of my TV and clock.
My emergency bag - I take this out during fire drills and weather evacuations. Inside here I have a printout of each class roster and the student phone numbers (available in our district's online gradebook system). I also have our classroom, school, and district emergency instructions, bandaids, emergency name badges (pen, sticky note pad, paper clips) to make if needed, pencils, and a class set of word searches...for that day when the dust on the heating coil sets off the alarm for an extended time...
Each group is named for a MythBuster. They have a Team Table where they have their team tub and various materials. This is also where they stash their iPads during the day. And, each team has its own garbage can to eliminate litter in the desks (since we rotate classes) and it stops silly excuses to get up out of their seat ;)
Each student desk has its own number and six different graphics appear throughout the classroom.
New to the MythBusters lab station: Autographed poster from the Behind the Myths Tour. This was sent to me by the promo company for the tour when I asked the guys to stop by on their travels through Florida. Hey, I tried!
On the window line behind the lab station, my MythBusters of the Month are featured. They receive a pennant to color and complete to hang up next to Buster. Here's where I found the original idea for the banner
So, this is my home away from home. I love it very much :)
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