New Friends from North Carolina

I wanted to introduce you to some of our new friends from Greenville, North Carolina.  While we don't know their names yet, we have been communicating via email with them and getting ready to start some adventures via skype and Twitter!  These students are Miss Kerian's 4th graders......yes, my stepdaughter.

My stepdaughter, Kirstin, is a teacher in Greenville, North Carolina.   She teaches 4th grade.   Her class sent us an email two weeks ago asking about Iowa and Cresco, and we responded with some questions about where they live.  I thought it might be fun if her class were to teach us some Spanish, being many are Hispanic.  They, the 4th graders from Greenville, thought that would be so cool!  So, Kirstin (a.k.a Miss Kerian) and I will be setting up a time each week for her students to skype in with us and teach us some Spanish.  Jasmin, who is in our 3B family, is so excited as well as she knows Spanish already and will be helping us along the way.

They are also going to be sending us a video about rounding for math...or something like that.  Can't wait to see it!

Who knows what else we will collaborate with them on, but I wanted to show you their class picture and let you know so that you can chat with your 3rd grader about our new friends.  There is so much to learn from others.....the skies the limit!

The Global Read Aloud

October 1st kicks off another awesome activity we in 3B will be participating in.  This is called the Global Read Aloud.  Thousands of students and classes around the country and world all read the same book and collaborate via Twitter, Edmodo, email, skype, etc. sharing their thoughts and comments about the reading.  It is an amazing activity that I am beyond excited about!

The students in 3B will be listening to me read aloud The One and Only Ivan.  It is a touching story about a gorilla and the friendships he has while being held captive in a zoo/circus climate.  The story is told from Ivan, the gorilla's, perspective.  I showed the students the book trailer for it on Friday, and many wanted to start immediately!  It is a wonderful, touching story I know the students will love.  The book trailer is below if you would like to watch it.



Here is a link to the Global Read Aloud project:  http://www.globalreadaloud.com/

The exciting part is we are collaborating and sharing our thoughts with a group of third graders from California, Texas, and a few other place around the country!!!!  Through Edmodo, I have hooked up with other teachers preparing to connect students across the US.  Without going into detail, the students in 3B will post thoughts, questions, and various activities about our reading via Edmodo and Twitter allowing others to respond and post their thoughts as well.  We will also be skyping so that we can make a personal connection to the students we are collaborating with.

This is another new activity that I am so very excited about!    Not only are we increasing motivation to read, but students are sharing their thoughts and reflections from the reading; thus, increasing their reading skills and strategies using 21st century skills.

We will start the read aloud tomorrow, October 1st, as well as making our first collaborative post via Edmodo with 3rd graders from Texas!  How cool is that???  :)

Great Cardboard Challenge

Just a reminder that your child's creation/game for the "Great Cardboard Challenge" is due this Thursday!  We will be sending an invitation home soon for parents, grandparents, neighbors, siblings...whomever would like to come and play some games.

If you have forgotten, the information is further down my blog page.  Read about "Caine's Arcade" and his creative imagination that sparked creativity around the world to inspire the "Great Cardboard Challenge".

Many students have shared that they are working hard on their cardboard games.  That is awesome!  I am so excited to see what they each came up with! Many students have commented that this is the best activity they have "ever done"!  Their enthusiasm is wonderful!

So, remember your 3B child needs to bring his/her cardboard creation/game to school Thursday morning.  We will then set up all the activities in the cafeteria, with 4th grade and kindergarten, inviting parents and community members to come in from 2:30-3:15 and have some fun!

The website for this activity is http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/09/caines-cardboard-challenge/
as well as the video I posted last week.

I am so, so, so, so, so excited!  I can hardly control myself!  Creativity and Imagination are critical in today's world.

Book It! Read Your Hearts Out!

The students had a chance to check books out from the classroom last week.  Hopefully you have seen your child read over the weekend at some point as reading is a critical component of learning and the one piece of homework I would like 3B students doing every night!

While I let the students pick the book they wanted to take home, I did have discussions with some on if the book was "just right" for them.  This is a topic we have discussed in literacy many times.  It is important that students find the book "just right" for them, not too hard but not too easy, to become a better reader.

If you are reading with your 3B child and realize the book is too hard for them, please discuss with them how the importance of "just right" books.  Return the book,  and he/she will select a new one.  When your child finishes his/her book at home, please remind them to return it so they can select a new one to take home and read.

With this, October is the kick off month for the reading incentive program of "Book - It".  While I am not requiring all students to participate in "Book-It", sponsored by Pizza Hut, I am encouraging everyone to do it.  Why not get a free pizza out of reading at home?  Seems silly to pass it up.  I sent a calendar home today with each 3rd grade student asking them to record his/her reading each night working towards or past the goal written on the calendar.  At the end of the month, please return the calendar, with a parent's signature, and your child will be given his/her coupon for a free pizza.  A new calendar will be sent home at the beginning of every month with the "goal" increasing each time.

In the past, those students who participated in the Book-It program every month and met their goal were treated to a pizza lunch with me, Mrs. Kerian.   With the Healthy Kids Act in place in schools, we are not able to do that any more.  Third grade teachers will meet soon to come up with something just as fun and yummy.  So, stay tuned for information for those students who participate, meet their goal or pass it, and turn in their calendar every month.

So for now.....GET READING! :)

Predator and Prey Relationships! Loving Science!

Last week was a busy week in science for 3B!  We had a lot of "special guest" show up all at once so it was seriously crunch time before the "special guest" died.  Hopefully your 3B child has shared some information about a few of them.

Some of our guests were aphids.  We had a super time analyzing them and counting their population that is slowly starting to take over the beans that we planted the first week of school.  Everyone was excited to learn about their "exoskeletons"!  We have not counted the population in a few days, but I think the students will be surprised tomorrow when they recount the aphids and look at the bean plants.  Yikes!

Another set of guests are known as daphnia.  They are tiny creatures that live in water.  The cool thing about them is that you can see their digestive track and chamber of eggs if you look close enough as they appear "see through".  We observed them for a few days before introducing them to.....

their enemy of the damselfly nymphs.  The students really enjoyed slowly dropping the daphnia to their death by putting them in with the damselfly nymphs.  You could have heard a pin drop in the room as the students waited quietly hoping to see one of the damselflies go in for the attack.

All of these special guest are showing the students the relationship between predator and prey and how populations change.  We have two more types of "guest" to observe and watch this week.

Now you know why students LOVE science.

Busy Week Ahead!

I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weekend, even if it was a little chilly!  It was super to have a Cadet win Friday night at the football game for Homecoming!  Go Cadets!  I ran into a lot of my 3B family at the game, which was wonderful!  I think everyone enjoyed the dress up days last week as well!

First off, an apology.  I said that I would be sending book orders home last week......and it slipped my mind.  I forgot.   Sometimes there is too much going on in my head that I forget the simple things like book orders.  Anyway, I am sending them today and would appreciate it they were returned by this Friday.  You may write a check or send cash if you are ordering books.  Please make the checks out to me, Kim Kerian, as I order the books online so that they come quicker.  I use my own credit card for that purpose so it is easier if you make checks out to me so that I can cash them and order the books.  If you are ordering from more than one book club, as I often send more then one, please just add the totals together.

Students will also start checking books out from our classroom library to take home and read.  Remember that I would like the students to read every night as that is their main piece of homework every night being we do not have a ton of homework in 3rd grade.  Reading is the most important.  When your child finishes the book he/she has checked out from the classroom, he/she should return it to get a new one.  I am very pleased with the students' "Read to Self" stamina and how much some of them are really "getting into" their books!!!!  Keep it up 3B!

Here are some of the activities we have been working on in 3B:
     1.  In literacy we are building our stamina for the Daily 5 in Read to    Self, Read to Someone, and Work on Writing.  Today,  Monday, we launched "Word Works" as the 4th component of the Daily 5 that students will be rotating through each day during literacy.  We have also started discussing strategies to use when you come to a word you are unsure of.  I am wrapping up Dibels assessments today and we should be jumping into Lead 21, our literacy series.
     2.  Math - Students are finishing up their unit 1 assessment that some did not get done last
Thursday being Friday was an early out.  Tomorrow, Tuesday, we will be starting unit 2 which covers addition and subtraction.  Just a reminder that there are many online games to reinforce our math skills and topics on the side of my blog page.  Students have been introduced to most of them and enjoy learning via the internet.  If your child is home with "nothing to do", have them get on my blog page and practice their math skills.
     3.  Science - Our plants are growing like crazy waiting for our "guest" to come this week.
Surprisingly, some of our brine shrimp from the second week of school are still alive and the students are enjoying watching them.  This week we will be taking a little "field trip" out to the flower garden to look for plants and animals as well as start analyzing our special guest.  Some students will be finishing their insect videos as well on Videolicious.  See some that are done posted below.
 

That is just a summary of some of the activities and things we have been working on.  Throw in writing on our blog pages and various iPad activities, and the students are having a super time!

Please note the post below about the "Great Cardboard Challenge".  Information is coming home today about planning and helping your child participate in this activity.  The students are VERY excited!  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Just a little reminder to keep checking your child's blog page and commenting.  They look forward to comments from outside the school!

Enjoy the week and keep checking back for most post throughout the week!

The Great Cardboard Challenge

I introduced an activity that the students are very excited about.  We, together with Crestwood 3rd, 4th, and some kindergarten students, will be involved in the Great Cardboard Challenge.  It is based off the boy in the video posted below and encouraging creativity with cardboard.  I don't want to go into detail today, as you will be getting all the information you need on Monday, but the video shows how one boy used his creativity to make an arcade all out of cardboard.  Ask your students what they will be doing.

Enjoy this very touching video and start thinking.  What could you make?????

Jacy's Videolicious Video on Butterflies

Kendal's Videolicious Video on Butterflies

Haven's Videolicious Videon on Grasshoppers

Here Comes Some Homework

I am sending home 3B's first official piece of homework tonight.  It is reviewing math concepts we have been working on in the classroom.  I have talked to the students about who is responsible for completing the math, or any homework for that matter, and making sure it is returned to school the following day.  They are! You may help them, of course.   So I wanted to give you a heads up that homework is coming home today and should be returned tomorrow.

I will also be sending home our first book orders for the year.  They will be sent home tomorrow, Tuesday, and due back Friday, September 21st.

A reminder of Homecoming dress up days this week.   It was great seeing all the favorite sports jerseys today.  I thought I would see more Iowa State jerseys.  :)  Go Cyclones!   These days are optional and your choice.  Have fun with them!
     Tuesday:  Crazy Sock Day
     Wednesday:  Roll out of Bed Day
     Thursday:  Dress like Teachers/ Teachers Dress Like Students
     Friday:  Blue and Black Day-Cadet Pride
A reminder that there is also a 3 hour early out this Friday for Homecoming.

Please check out our video of pictures from "International Dot Day" last Friday!  It was a super day celebrating our creativity!  You can watch the video on my blog page, just scroll down.

I will also be posting some videos the students are making on the iPads from a program called Videolicious.  These videos are made in connection to the presentation by Angela, the Naturalist, last Monday on insects.  Students are doing a little research and then preparing a small presentation with the app.  We have three done so I will post them tonight.  Look for the rest to be posted as soon as they are completed.

Celebrating International Dot Day!

I am sure your 3B child came home Friday with news about how we celebrated International Dot Day! It was a super day of talking about and sharing our individual creativity and uniqueness!  I have made a quick video on Animoto to show some of the activities we did as well as various pictures of the students!  I LOVED how they really "got into" the day and many came covered in dots!!!!  Way to go 3B!  (Some of my pictures did not turn out so I don't have an equal amount of everyone.  Sorry.)

Enjoy!  Thanks 3B for a fun day!  Remember.....each one of you is creative in your own way!

The Sid Shuffle/Continental Drift....A Brain Break

I shared this with the students during a "brain break" today and asked them if they would practice it so that we can do it together on Monday as part of our group activity for our Morning Meeting.  They loved it!!!  So here it is 3B.  Have fun and be ready to do it on Monday!!!

Proofreading.....Important!

Just apologizing for the proofreading, or lack of, mistakes in my last post.  That is what happens when you rush, don't reread, and too much on your mind in too little of time.   My bad......I have corrected the necessary mistakes, and I am sure Mrs. Foster won't let it happen again!  Haha!  Thanks Mrs. Foster!  The power of peer editing!  We all make mistakes......

Wow! Great Start!

Hello everyone.  Hope your three day vacation was enjoyable as it was beautiful outside.   The students said they had fun weekends, which is great to hear about when they return to school.

We have been busy as ever getting into our routine with lots of learning along the way.  As many of you know, students are loving their emails.  Last week we "added personal touches" by adding out profile pictures and changing our backgrounds.  After a few more lessons on the details of using email, students will be ready to utilize it for various activities throughout the year.  Just remember that at this time, they can not email outside the school district. Sorry. I will start to email various thoughts and assignments next week that students will be responsible for checking at home.  Those students without email access at home will do the work at school.

Everyone is getting into their independent blog pages and becoming more comfortable with that as well. Thanks to all the parents, grandparents, and friends/relatives who have commented on the student blogs!  Their faces light up when they see that someone has commented!  Wonderful!Keep them coming and spread the word!  Please be patient as we work on our typing skills as well.  We will try to get more in-depth in our post.  :)

We have also been fortunate to utilize some iPads the last two weeks.  I will start putting a list of apps on my blog page that students have been introduced to and using. They are loving this new component of our learning!

As I mentioned earlier, we are getting into a pretty good routine.  We have also jumped into Daily 5 within our literacy, and I am impressed with the students Read To Self stamina this early in the year! Awesome job 3B!  We had our Read to Self stamina up to 18 minutes last week and took a little backwards dive this week.  Now we are trying to build that back up.  We just started the "Work on Writing" component this week so hopefully our stamina in that will continue to build as well.  I have a few more assessments to do but hope to get started on guided reading soon.

I have gone over how to pick books with the students for their book bins in the classroom.  The strategy we have used is called "I Pick".  It stands for
        I - I chose a book
       P- Purpose.  Why do I want to read it?
       I - Interest.  Am I interested in it?
      C- Comprehend.  Do I understand what I am reading?
      K - Know the Words.  Do I know most of the words?

Students have been selecting books to read in the classroom and will start selecting a book to read at home as well starting next week.  While we do not have a lot of homework yet in 3rd grade, I would like to see the students reading every night at home!  It is so important!!!!

Everyone is loving science!  We have planted various seeds in preparation for some guest we have coming in two weeks.  Students also dissected a seed to analyze the seed coat and parts of the seed, which was very cool.  Today we are going to determining what a "Mystery Object" is that students will be given.  Who knows what it is??? Stay tuned!

Last bit of information involves Twitter.  Some of you know what Twitter is while others may not.  I have started a Twitter account for the class that is regulated by me.  We use the account to communicate and follow people and other classes around the world.  Currently, we are building up our "followers" and who we are "following" so that when we do post something, there is someone who may respond.  Sometimes we just post what we did that particular day in the classroom, but the main tool is communication.  We are following classes in Canada and all around the US thus far.  The students are excited every day to check our Twitter account and learn knew things, see who is following us, and making a post.  If you have a Twitter account and would like to follow us, our account is "Kerian3B".

Just a reminder that pictures are Tuesday, September 11th.  Please remember your order form and money if you will be purchasing pictures.  If you are not, please note that your 3B child will still have his/her picture taken for the class composite.  :)  You can send the money envelope early and I will hold on to it, or you may send it the day of pictures.

Orders for Homecoming tshirts were sent home today.  There is not a picture of the t-shirt on the order form so I have shown the students an example on paper.  The front says "Cadet Homecoming" while the back says "2012".  They are neon yellow t-shirts.  If you plan to order on, please have your child return them on the necessary due date.  Thanks!

Enjoy the rest of the week and weekend!  Thanks for sharing your students with me!