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Showing posts with label story cubes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story cubes. Show all posts

Friday, July 27, 2012

My 5 Fav Teaching Items

Today I'm linking up with Teacher Idea Factory to some Rockin' Reasources I cannot live without. Woot!



1. CLASS DOJO
Class Dojo is FREE "Behavior Management Software" that I found through Pinterest last year... You have all your students listed and can add points for good behavior / subtract points for misbehaviors (and they get a cute monster icon). I use it while I have a small group and students are working independently. I project it onto my projection screen through my computer (I don't have a SmartBoard) so all students can see. If a student is working nicely, I add a point. If I notice loud voices, off task behaviors, I subtract a point. WORKS LIKE A CHARM. The kids are so stoked to see their names high lighted on the big screen for positive points that I RARELY ever have to subtract a point... Ready for the icing on the cake?? You can access it through your smartphone!! I downloaded an app onto my iPhone that allows me to add/subtract points with ease. No stopping small group and no running around to manage behaviors. It's AWESOME. There are so many other features to Class Dojo that I cannot even begin to list here so GET TO IT and CHECK IT OUT!

2. RORY'S STORY CUBES
This is a new purchase that I cannot wait to use! I've already blogged about theme here so to make a long story short, my friend Rachel A. found these at Target and I immediately ran out to purchase them! So fun to get kiddos minds churning when writing. I created story titles/ themes to use with mine so my kiddos choose a prompt, roll the dice and get to writing!




3. MARCY COOK CENTERS
At CAMT I attended a session with Marcy Cook. Before this I had no idea who she was... I know, I know, shame on me. I mentally head slapped myself when KIM SUTTON mentioned Marcy Cook inspiring here when she was a classroom teacher (I adore Kim Sutton and hang on here every math word!). After attending Marcy's session, Rachel A. and I bought the following centers: Place Value, Area & Perimeter and Hundred Chart: Missing Numbers centers. CANNOT WAIT TO USE THEM! I made my number tiles instead of purchasing them from Marcy because I KNOW this is something my kiddos are going to lose... I've made mass made them!



4. DOUBLE DICE
I have an odd obsession with dice... Perhaps it's because kids love them?? Whatever the reason, these double dice are a STAPLE in my classroom. I pretty much own all of Kim Sutton's dice and love using those as well... However, these babies have gotten the most use. I use them for creating division problems, multiplication problems, creating numbers when working with place value, and basically whatever game my brain comes up with. If you don't own double dice, get some! They're kind of loud but their multitude of uses make up for it.




5. COFFEE 
Best part of waking up? Literally, it's Folger's in my cup... I cannot teach without my vat of coffee each day. My sweet students know that I MUST have my teacher juice on hand at all time. I have even appointed a "coffee go-getter" (for when I wander off from it) and a "coffee cleaner-upper" because as my babies know, it's not IF Mrs. J is going to spill it's WHEN. My students also know if their papers have coffee spills on it, it means Mrs. J loves you!!!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Rory's ROCKIN' Story Cubes

I've mentioned my sweet friend Rachel A. before. She's the one that dreamed up the giant ruler I made (see post here). Well, Ms. Rachel has done it again! She sent me this text last weekend (she's white, I'm green):


By Monday I had two sets for my classroom. They're only $7.99 at Target. WOOT! The directions say you can play this game three ways. I chose this option: "Think up a title or theme for a story.... Then roll all 9 cubes and try to tell a story that relates back to the title or theme." 

Since this will be an independent station in my classroom and I don't want to hear [in whiney voice], "Buuuut Mrs. J, I don't know what to wriiiiiiite aboooouuut," I decided to create story titles students will chose from. I'm thinking I'll start the kiddos off with 4-5 cubes and work them up to 9... 

So excited to use these! And so excited I have Rachel A. as a neat-o teaching buddy!!