From the Desk of Kelly Harmon
November Newsletter
Dear Educators,
Happy Thanksgiving and teaching!
-Kelly Harmon & Randi Anderson
Strategy of November: Questioning
-Kelly Harmon
5 Creative Ways to Use the iPad Camera
2. Word Work- Have students take photos to show meaning of vocabulary or spelling words.
3. Writing Center- Print pictures that students have taken on the iPad camera. Students can select photos to use as story prompts.
-Write to tell a story about...
-Write to explain...
-Write to express an opinion about...
-Write a riddle about a topic...
4. Class Videos- Use the video camera to record student presentations, explicit instruction, or reader's theaters. Students can watch to reflect and set future goals.
5. Traveling iPad- Take the iPad on field trips, to the playground, and during other special events. You may want to assign students to act as the class photographer. Use the photos taken to create short movies, post to social media, use in your class newsletter, or in digital portfolios.
-Kelly Harmon
The 5 Biggest Time Wasters in the Classroom
Wasting time is not an option when you are a teacher! Scores, growth, data, and the emotional well-being of your students is YOUR responsibility. I use to think before I was a teacher myself, that teaching was going to be stress-free and all smiles. Oh, how I was so wrong. All the while, the rewards of teaching still out weight the stresses. Teachers don’t have a second to waste of instructional time. Here are the top 5 time wasters in the classroom and ways to conquer them.
1. Bathroom Breaks
Yes everyone needs a potty break every now and then. But do we really need to take up a 5 minute block of your schedule in the morning and afternoon to allow everyone to go? NO! Teach students a routine for politely asking to use the restroom, emergency procedures, and knowing the appropriate times to go (not during a lesson). This will give you 10+ extra minutes of instructional time each day.
2. Copying From the Board
I remember loathing the days of copying the board of notes for the weekly lesson. And after all, how effective is copying? Instead of having students waste time copying the board, make them a copy of the class anchor chart. They can then jot down their own notes, doing their own thinking, along the margins. This will help students create their own meaning of the material, while still having the correct verbiage to study and use.
3. Grouping Students
Taking the time to group students right before or after a lesson is time consuming. Grouping students ahead of time can help save some precious minutes of your instructional day. Using the iPad app Make My Groups(it’s FREE) on your classroom iPad or your iphone can help. Enter your class list into the app, select the number you want in each group or the number of groups you desire, press “make groups“, and viola! Groups are made. No more awkward random public selection. It is also motivating and entertaining (technology always is) for the students.
To read more Click Here!
-Randi Anderson
Upcoming Workshops
12+1 Strategies to Strengthen Students Writing
8:30am-3:30pm
San Antonio, TX
Spend the day learning how to strengthen your writing instruction to increase students' writing skills. Learn research-based techniques and strategies to implement right away in your classroom.Click HERE for more information!
Literacy Centers + Reader's Theater= A Winning Combo
8:30am-3:30pm
San Antonio, TX
Learn how to create meaningful learning stations activities where students work with partners or independently during small group reading time. Add a ten-minute-a-day reader's theater and you've created the perfect recipe for accelerating reading achievement. Click HERE for more information!
Best iPad Apps & Strategies to Increase Student Learning
8:30am-3:30pm
Detroit, MI
Join avid iPad user and trainer, Kelly Harmon, for a fun and interactive seminar focusing on practical ideas and strategies for using iPads and iPad apps in your classroom. She will share dozens of apps that work in grades K-6, along with ideas and tips for managing these devices whether you have one or more. Click HERE for more information.
More Workshops
November 17, 2014 Kansas City, MO
November 18, 2014 Des Moines, IA
November 19, 2014 Omaha, NE
November 20, 2014 Sioux Falls, SD
Figure 19: Deepening Comprehension of Students -
January 22, 2015 San Antonio, TX
Title I Conference: Strengthen Your Title I Program-
March 23-24, 2015 St. Louis, MO
We Provide Consulting!
Texas Literacy Resources
Email: kelly@texasliteracy.com
Website: www.kellyharmon.net
Location: 26440 White Eagle Drive, San Antonio, TX, United States
Phone: 817-583-1290
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Literacy-Resources/185551092170?ref=aymt_homepage_panel