Social Studies at Western!

Once again I had the pleasure of sharing information with teachers at WMU! The information shared in class is available here and here !

Three Things on Thursday

Three things to help with your classroom at the beginning of the school year...

1.  Make nametags from plastic folders from the dollar store. Theses folders are available in LOTS of colors, and are very sturdy--they even hold up after being chewed on!  If you use a corner rounder, the kinder will not poke themselves!

 

 2. Put dice in small see-through containers.  When the kinder are using them, they just need to shake and flip the container like the bubble in  the "Trouble" game.  No more dice bouncing across the floor or "accidentally" going home in pockets.

 

 3.  To help teach the kinder the passwords that they  need to logon to computer programs use paper keyboards.  The students can color in the keys they will use, and practice tapping them.  This will save time in the computer lab at the beginning of the year.

 

Using Technology to Enhance Social Studies

Today I was able to present to a group of pre-service teachers.  Anyone who thinks teachers don't work in the summer should talk to these summer-class-taking students!
click here or the WMU Bronco to access the presentation.

ISTE!

Off to Atlanta tomorrow for my annual big technology fix!  
I am hoping to get lots of information on using technology with early elementary students, do some networking, and collect some swag! 

MACUL materials

I need to stop editing my presentation and just post it already!!  I just keep finding more resources, and more that I want to say--THAT is the problem with presenting on Friday--too much time to think :)

Here are the links for my presentation and my list of resources......for now!
60 Sites in 60 minutes - MACUL 2014

60 Sites in 60 Minutes - resources

MACUL!!

Getting ready to attend MACUL in Grand Rapids in 3 days!  It is a different feeling NOT having to prepare lesson plans for the days I will be out of the classroom.  I think I am prepared to present--but I am nervous about being assigned to a room for 450 people!

College Kids? College Kids!

Today I am presenting to a class of pre-service teachers at Western Michigan University.  I am really looking forward to sharing some (hopefully) good and useful links to use when teaching Social Studies to elementary school students.
Click on the bronco to access the power point presentation.  Once in the presentation, click on the illustration to access the website.