Seek and You Will Find!

Earlier this week I woke up to my frantic husband waking me at 4:00am because our dog had gone outside and wasn't coming back to the door! I hopped out of bed (which I NEVER do), I threw on my jacket and boots, grabbed a flashlight and started roaming the neighborhood calling his name. "Sparky...Spaaarky!", while Mark drove around in the neighborhood searching for our beloved, 13-year-old, naughty, ornery dog family member. After what seemed like forever, Sparky came be-bopping around the corner as if nothing happened. We were so relieved and never so happy to see that little guy. I had a tough time going back to sleep, so I laid awake thinking about how someone should develop an app for run away dogs! Seriously, I think this could be a genius idea. There could be a chip in their collar and you just click on the app and a map tells you where they are! I'm calling Apple after I write this and see what they say...maybe I will be a millionaire the next time I post!:)

Searching for people, places and things has never been easier than it is today! When I think about the resources I had as a kid and the vast improvements available for my own kids and students, it is mind-blowing! Google has a ton of cool features that make searching for information quick, easy and specific. When you go into Google there is a drop down search bar that allows you to filter your search by reading level, file type, location, time period and relevance. There are also Google search tools that give you quick answers such as the calculator, dictionary, videos, books, maps and images without having to search through a website. Check out this video to see how many cool features Google has that you probably never knew about!

Another amazing search tool found on the Internet is called Wolfram/Alpha. I had never heard of it before, but let me tell you, it is worth checking out. When you go to their site, you simply type in a question or topic and you will receive a plethora of information about your search. I tried it out for myself with a math problem and not only got the computational answer, but an illustration, a step-by-step solution and the answer plotted on a number line! Next I tried it with a social studies query about the 13 original colonies. I got information on population history, a list of the colonies, a map, land area and much more! Wolfram/Alpha is impressive and especially with math calculations, students will be able to see explanations and pictures to help them understand the algorithm! What an awesome search tool! Check it our for yourself by following this link!

Even though we don't have tools for everything we might be looking for (lost dogs, lost keys, a lone sock), there are many amazing tools out there to help us find just what we are looking for! Hope you will explore and seek new ways to search with Google Search and Wolfram/Alpha! 

Happy Seeking!

-Sarah

Social Media Savvy!

To social media or not to social media....that IS the question! For me, the answer has been a resounding "NO" for a long time. I mentioned my issues with it in a former post, but this week I was asked to look at it from an educator's perspective. Come to think of it, I have been challenged a lot in this class to think about social media in new and different ways. Although I will likely not become a Facebook fanatic in the near future, I am more open to the advantages of using social media in my profession. In order to prepare these 21st century learners in my classroom, I must jump on the social media bandwagon!

Since I am not social media savvy, the first thing I did in preparing for researching the pros and cons, was to do a little digging. I used an awesome feature in Google Drive to help me write, research and cite all in the same place! To get started, you go into your Google Drive and access documents, then "tools" and click "research". The search tool in the upper right corner of the screen (see below) gives you the research articles, related images and even allows you to add links and cite your resources right onto the Google document. It was so easy and actually fun to use. Never thought I'd say those words together...research paper + fun??? Whaaaat??????

This is how the Google Drive research tool looks! So awesome!

I love that this week challenged me to think about my thinking. I'm such a thinker, some may say an"overthinker"(thanks Mom:)). Because of this flaw attribute, I generally know how I feel about most things. So when my thinking is challenged, I actually embrace it because I enjoy opening my mind to new ideas. I pretty much knew the disadvantages of social media ...it's a time sucker, it subtracts from face to face relationships and there are many dangers in putting yourself out there. I was curious what the experts had to say about advantages with students. As I researched, I found some pretty good arguments for social media. It improves student engagement, helps students connect/share, improves reading skills and gives them quick access to information. One fact that stood out is that students must be internet savvy to be competitive for college and future employment. Teachers must also be intentional about how we use social media with students. Teaching internet safety and citizenship will be as important as teaching them how to be safe on the playground. Being newly educated on the advantages of using social media, I am on board to try it out with my students. I think sites like Edmodo and kidblogs are most appropriate for my class, but there are many others to explore. Check out this site for a great list of social networking ideas for younger kids.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself! I just love the Keep Calm posters!

Ok, when I saw Pinterest on the assignment list I said "HALLELUJAH!!!" Finally, something I know about and know how to do (quite well, I might add). I absolutely love, love, love Pinterest. I never really thought of it as "social media", but I guess technically, it is. Pinterest is a free application that allows its users to collect and share ideas from the web. You can save ideas to different boards and organize them by naming and describing each board. Sharing is easy among pinners and searching for new ideas is made simple with the search tool. When you pin an idea it is linked to the full site and will link to related pins as well. I have gotten so many awesome ideas from Pinterest and highly recommend it! The video below is great for beginners. 

I hope you have become a little more social media savvy with me this week. I can truly say that I realize now the importance and urgency of incorporating social media into my classroom. It's the future, so we better get prepared!

Happy Pinning!

-Sarah

Buckle Up and Google Drive!

Ok, so maybe what I'm about to share won't save your life...but it can make life a whole lot easier! Google Drive might be the best, most coolest thing on the entire face of the Internet! It stores everything in a "cloud" and gives you the ability to access anything from anywhere and share everything with everyone! I have been using it for about a year now and I still learn new aspects of it's amazingness each time I go exploring! 

As if Google Drive wasn't already awesome enough, they went and created add-ons to become even more fabulous. The first one I want to share with you is a function in Google Forms called Flubaroo. Kinda fun to say, isn't it? Come on, say it out loud! FLU-BUH-ROO...FLU-BUH-ROO...FLU-BUH-ROOOOOOO! Ok, that's enough! After creating a form for let's say, a class survey, a quick assessment or an interest inventory; you can immediately view a spreadsheet with the data from your questions. Next, you can access Flubaroo right from the toolbar and it will actually grade your form and give you stats. I can't even believe there is something so cool out there! I "heart" Flubaroo!!!! After finishing the book, Out of My Mind (tear-jerker alert) with my 5th graders, I created an assessment in Google Forms for my students. Check out my form here. Then I went in and "Flubaroozed" it and this is what I got (see below)!

Did I mention, I "heart" Flubaroo!? Check out this video on more...

Another awesome add-on in Google Forms is Form Notifications. Utilizing this tool will let your respondents know when their form has been submitted and allows you to customize a message for your test/survey takers. You could give a link or webpage for additional information related to the survey or just send a sweet thank you. You can also set up email notifications for yourself so that you know when everyone has finished. Check out this short tutorial to learn how to add on this add-on! Ha!

There are so many great features of Google Drive and the recent add-ons that are available. If you don't already have a Google account, sign up for one NOW! Once your in, buckle up and Google Drive into some amazing technology tools! 

Happy Driving-

Sarah

Time to Get Organized!

Being organized is something that has always come pretty naturally to me. I like to be able to put my hands on things when I need them and actually feel peaceful when items are in their place and look neat. My classroom is a reflection of how I feel about being organized...I have my tubs and drawers labeled, crates with extra materials, a color coordinated theme and a tidy desk. My students are well aware of how important organization is to me and make sure their desks and AVID binders are tidy. I don't think organization is something everyone thinks about teaching to their students, but it has almost as much to do with their success as anything we teach them! 

I think we can all agree that Benjamin Franklin knew what he was talking about!

An awesome technology tool I learned about this week is Diigo. It is a social bookmarking website that allows users to save, tag and share websites. One of the coolest features is that you can create or join groups to share websites with others. It was fun to play with some of the features like highlighting and using sticky notes to annotate right on the text! You can also set up student groups, which allows them to be able to use all of these cool tools. I can see my students using the highlighting and sticky notes for close reading annotations and then commenting on their classmates posts. Aside from all of that, Diigo keeps all your webpages organized by tags. It makes searching your favorite websites quick and easy! Plus... because it is a web-based site, you can access your bookmarks from any computer. How great is that? Check out this video for more information on how to use Diigo.

My learning of new digital organizational tools did not end there folks! I was introduced to a classroom behavior management tracking system called Class Dojo. Tracking behavior and keeping up with different systems is an area where organization is a bit of a challenge for me. This cool tool offers a simple way to track student behaviors all in one place! Parents can view progress and students are awarded points for their choices. I plan on using Class Dojo as soon as I get my class set up. This tool is a winner for me, plus it's FREE! View this short video, then sign up and get organized with classroom management!

Being organized as well as teaching students to be organized cannot be underestimated! Students will use these skills when studying, turning in work, monitoring behavior and managing time. I hope you check out and sign up for one of these free online resources that will make your life and your students' lives more manageable!

Happy Organizing-

Sarah

Keep Calm and Use Edmodo!

This week I learned how to use Edmodo, which was described to me as the Facebook of schools. Uhhh....okay, but what if I've never been on Facebook?!? I'm pretty sure my resistance to social media has finally caught up with me! 

I began learning about this new technology tool in my usual way-watch some YouTube videos, take some notes, watch more YouTube videos and get started! Problem was, I was still stuck after a few hours of research. Plan B led me to meeting up with our school's technology guru this afternoon. She explained it so easily and she quickly helped me see the light! I wish I had her calm demeanor when it comes to technology. Personality defect: OVERTHINKER. Yep...that's me!

So what is Edmodo exactly? It's a school appropriate social networking site that allows teachers to share ideas with other teachers and students to share ideas with other students in their class. But that's not all Edmodo has to offer, students can answer polls, take quizzes, post comments, ask questions and submit assignments. Check out this quick video for an explanation of exactly what Edmodo is all about! 

Teachers can use Edmodo to collaborate and share resources with each other in a couple of different ways. They can join an existing group like the one I picked this week, CCSS Math and PLC. Or they can create their own group like the one I did called "Purposeful Planning". In the past I might just email my colleagues or hunt them down for a response, but now I will use Edmodo to get the answers I need! After creating a group, you just invite people to join your group. Here's a tutorial for teachers on how to get started! 

My new goal is to use Edmodo with my students. I know they would love to respond, share opinions and turn their work in using this cool tool. Hope you will stay calm and start exploring the awesomeness of Edmodo, like I did!

Happy Posting-

Sarah

Twitter...It's Not That Scary!

I have to say that Halloween is NOT my favorite holiday! Don't get me wrong, I love the costumes, pumpkin patches, parties and candy, of course. The scary movies and the creepy haunted forests, not so much. Another thing that scares me...social media! Eeeek!!! Sometimes I feel like the only person on Earth who didn't jump on the Facebook or Twitter bandwagon. It just didn't interest me. So when I saw that this week's assignment was going to be about social media, I was a little scared!

Turns out, Twitter is not so scary after all! I had no idea that educators have been using it as a way to connect with each other and share great ideas. It's really just a mini blog and I LOVE blogs! In fact, writing this blog has been one the best parts of my entire Master's program. When I can share ideas and get ideas, it makes me feel empowered and enlightened. One of the "tweeters" I chose to follow this week is an educator named Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher. She has awesome ideas on just about everything educational! She's an expert presenter on topics like differentiated instruction and blogging. Links to current education topics and motivational clips can also be found on her account. As a school I can see using Twitter to alert parents about upcoming events, school closings and celebrations. As a classroom teacher, I could use it to inform parents about field trips, needed supplies or class projects. It would also be a great resource to keep my grade level current on the latest technology and Common Core integration. 

Here's the "cool cat" I mentioned above! Go visit her Twitter account @coolcatteacher.

Once you've dipped your toe into blogging and Twitter, you can begin building your own Personal Learning Network, or PLN. These networks should include a collection of people you want to follow and exchange information with regularly. Other PLN's include social networking, webinars, nings and professional profiles. Getting connected to others in the field of education keeps us on the edge of the latest technology, best classroom practices and educational news. It's like going to a professional development or an inservice in the comfort of your own home!

I hope I didn't scare you this week with my new learning. I'm glad my mind was opened to the many possibilities that Twitter and other PLN's have to offer. Go ahead and check it out for yourself...there are a lot of great minds out there, including yours!

Happy Connecting!
-Sarah

Get the Buzz on Blogging!

Well...looks like I'm back in school! I truly enjoyed my little break and actually made an effort to have some "me time" that I documented on my Instagram! So...I fully planned on getting started on my assignments mid-week, but then I was hit with my annual sinus infection/strep throat combo! I even missed a day from work, which never happens! I was laid up for the last part of the week and am just now beginning to feel like my throat might not catch on fire and my head probably will not explode!

So this week, while I was laying in bed, I researched a ton of awesome educational blogs! I have previously found most blogs through Pinterest, but searching topics in feedly was really quite simple! I could really get lost looking at all the teacher resources, ideas and tips...it could be a full time job just taking it all in! I loved that most of the blogs I checked out allowed you to specifically choose your grade level or area of expertise. I think my favorite one was Teaching Blog Addict! Not only were there links to hundreds of related blogs but there were also teacher freebies (which I adore!) and pin boards organized by themes!

In the past, I have subscribed to the few blogs I follow through my email. Each day when there's an update, I get an email. That was the "old-fashioned-ME", but the new "techie-ME" will be using feedly as a way to organize and get updates for my blogs! It was really simple to search and add the blogs I wanted. I loved that I could organize them into categories as well. For now, they are all under "educational", but as I add more, I will be more specific with my categories. Who knew this even existed? Probably everyone...except me! Ha!
Check out this quick tutorial on how to set up and use feedly!

Hope you learned something new about blogging like I did this week. It's such a great way to share ideas and acquire professional development right at your fingertips! Have a great week!

Happy Blogging-

Sarah

Wrapping It Up!

I feel like all I have done this week is wrap things up! I met with parents for conferences to wrap up the 9 weeks; I am wrapping up my online technology class; I wrapped up the first quarter of the school year with my students; Fall sports are wrapping up for my kids...I even wrapped up a gift for my mom's 70th birthday! It's pretty exciting when things come to an end, because it means that we can look back on our accomplishments and forward to the future.

The final assignment for my Master's class was creating my own website on Google Sites. To be honest, I really thought this was going to be way over my head. But just like all the other assignments, I jumped in and gave it a whirl!  I began by viewing YouTube videos to help me know just what to do. Check this tutorial out to learn how to build your own website!

The expert I watched suggested using a template that was already created for a classroom site. So I thought, wow...this is going to be easier than I thought! I began by creating a site and choosing a template. As soon as I started editing, I became frustrated by all the formatting and was unable to edit some parts of the template. After about an hour and a half of messing with it, I deleted it and started over. I DO NOT recommend using a template, but maybe you'll try it and have better luck than I did! So on my second try, I simply added the pages myself. After looking at some examples and studying the rubric, I had a pretty good idea of what I would include on my classroom website. I began adding information, linking websites, embedding videos and inserting pictures. I was pretty proud of my final product when I wrapped things up! Check out Mrs. Birchfield's Classroom 5th Grade webpage!

What I have truly enjoyed about this class is that it has pushed me out of my comfort zone and reminded me that I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to! As a mom and a teacher, it is my responsibility to model this kind of perseverance if I expect my kids to do the same. I also know that I will use many of the Google tools I have learned in my everyday practice. When new technology is presented to me, I won't be intimidated anymore! 

Thanks for visiting my blog each week. I hope you have learned and been able to use many of the cool tools that I have presented.

That's a wrap!

-Sarah

Knock, Knock...Opportunities to Learn!

The above picture was taken today after my daughter's team took second place at a local soccer tournament! They were pretty discouraged by this championship loss because they took second in their last tournament in August. Although I understand the disappointment of losing, I encouraged her that it's a great opportunity to learn! The above picture also depicts what I do about 75% of my life on the weekdays and weekends! It's amazing when I think about all the time I have spent at the soccer field watching my kids play....and there is still so much I just don't know about soccer!! Learning new things can be daunting, but it is also exciting to think that we will never know E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! There will always be a better play on the soccer field, a newer idea in the classroom and a more efficient way to use technology. So what do we do when we get discouraged?....We just keep going. Some new learning I did this week was creating a playlist in YouTube and making a picture collage in Picasa. I love finding ways to enhance my teaching, but I especially love learning new opportunities to share with my class!

YouTube and YouTube EDU

YouTube has been around a while, I mean, even I have used it at home and in the classroom!  But seriously, YouTube is a great resource for videos to share with your students, as well as a teaching tool with helpful tutorials.  If not for the tutorials on YouTube, I'm not entirely sure I would still be sitting here typing this blog!  Now one thing I didn't know existed was YouTube EDU. It is a feature of YouTube that allows you to find educational videos with content for any age. You can search within your grade level and subject area to get more specific videos for your use. Another thing I discovered while navigating new features of YouTube was TubeSnack Playlist.  This awesome feature allows you to edit videos and cut out parts that you don't want. You can also merge multiple videos together making them into ONE video to share!  In my classroom, we just finished a unit on Order of Operations and I created this playlist to review the concept throughout the year! It will also come in handy during math intervention for those who need more practice! 

Picasa

Now for a person who loves to take pictures, I am always interested in more ways to store and display them!  Picasa is a tool in Google that files your pictures on your computer into folders and then allows you to select pictures to create a collage! You can select your background color, sizing, spacing and even the order of your pictures!  I think kids would have a lot of fun telling their personal stories with this cool tool!  They could use it to tell about Christmas break or as a wrap up for the end of the year. It would be a great addition to a writing piece or presentation, too!  Picasa is free and very user friendly! Check out the collage I created with some pictures from our Kindergarten Buddy day. We helped our buddies count and add their steps on a beautiful Fall day!

Now, to combine both tools above...a very useful YouTube video on Picasa!

YouTube+Picasa=N.L.O. (New Learning Opportunity)!

Love of learning (in my opinion) is one of the most essential understandings we can model for our students! It's important in school, in sports and in life that we are willing to learn new things, try new things, practice new things and fail at new things in order to succeed!  I hope you enjoy this week's cool tools and find use in your own classrooms!

Happy Learning!

-Sarah

Go With The Flow...And You Will Grow!

Okay....so the most common question I am asked by my non-teaching friends/family is "how can you work with kids EVERY DAY?" Well, my answer is simple, variety. I love that every day is different and that I can always expect the unexpected. So, with that said....smoke, fire trucks, a building evacuation and the rest of the day off campus with 485 kids in one room, is NOT my idea of "variety"! It ended up not being a fire, but an air conditioner motor problem that caused some smoke and loss of electricity. It was an exciting day, to say the least, and by the time we were able to head back to the school, I was EXHAUSTED!  Not end of the day tired...but, ears ringing, feet hurting, back aching, crawl in bed without taking off my makeup, EXHAUSTED! I said I liked variety and that's exactly what I got!  In this business of teaching kids, we have to be ready to adapt and go with the flow! And speaking of variety and going with the flow, I learned some awesome new technology this week. And I didn't even cry! Not. One. Tear.

GOOGLE EARTH                                        

Google Earth is like the coolest virtual map I have ever seen. I have watched my husband play around with it before when we were planning our vacation last spring, but I have never gotten my own hands on it, until now. I can totally imagine lots of ways it can be used in the classroom. For one thing, maps seem to be outdated as soon as they are printed these days, so the ones in our social studies books (copyright 2000) are not the best reference tools. Not only is Google Earth current, but there are so many amazing things you can do with it besides mapping. It allows you to navigate and search specific places. It even gives you place marks to click on for more information or even directions on how to get there. There's a really cool feature called historical imagery on the tool bar that takes you back in time to see what the area looked like in the past! The tour guide at the bottom is ready to go with places already navigated for you that are in the area you have searched.  It takes a little playing with, but it's so much fun!  

This is what the page looks like!
Left: search box, places history, layers of what is visible
Bottom: tour guide
Right: pan, tilt, zoom the screen
Top: tools like the historical imagery, adjusting time of day

With Google Earth you can also explore the oceans and outer space. Check out this underwater tour given by marine biologist, Sylvia Earle. AAAAAMAZING!!! Kids will so dig this!

GOOGLE TOUR BUILDER

So with as impressed as I was with Google Earth, Google Tour Builder took it to the next level!  If there was a battle between them, Tour Builder would definitely win. You can create your own virtual tour, people!  I had so much fun with the one I made (which I fully plan on using) with a unit on monuments and memorials.  You can select any theme you want, choose the locations to visit, upload pictures and videos and describe the tour too. The possibilities are endless...another idea would be for kids to create their own tour to tell the story of a historical figure by following their timeline. We always do a presentation for Black History Month in February and this would be the coolest way ever for students to display what they learn! Plus, I wouldn't have to teach for like a week with all the great presentations! HA! Just kidding...maybe!:) But seriously, my students are gonna LOVE this!

I hope you are able to find as many useful ways to incorporate Google Earth and Google Tour Builder as I did. Just jump in and start playing with it, go with the flow and you will grow...your mind!  

Happy Travels!

-Sarah

Just Breathe...And Take A Technology Tour With ME!

This week was much more manageable with kids, school and class for some reason. I felt like I could finally take a deep breath and relax a little. I'm not sure if I should attribute this to my husband recovering after two weeks with an upper respiratory infection, my teacher calling me a "Google Ninja" (ha!) or just settling into a routine and getting into the swing of things. Probably a combination of all of the above is helping me find my inner peace (or inner peas)! I really wanted to get all of my work done early this week to free up my birthday weekend! So I hopped right in and started researching new Google tools right away!

Cool Tool #1: Google Cultural Institute and World Wonders Project
One site that I never knew existed until now is called Google Cultural Institute. Check this video tutorial out!

Have you ever heard of such a thing? When you get into the site, you are able to take a virtual tour of historical events, exhibits and even view authentic photos and videos connected to the content.  You do need to spend some time exploring the event to select what you want to share with your class. One of the exhibits I came across was the Anne Frank archive.  I was able to view rooms in her house, video clips, pictures of her and real pages from her diary!  I spent a lot of time navigating this cool tool and couldn't help thinking of how great it would be for my friend Shelby, who is a high school history teacher. The possibilities are endless for her with older students and the higher level content! But I think there is a use with my elementary kiddos too! The archives might be a little over our heads, but the World Wonders Project would be great!  This is a tool that allows you to visit places such as, Yellowstone National Park or the Great Barrier Reef, and feel as if you are really there!  This could replace the old map hanging in my room from the 1970's with a birds eye view of the actual location! There's also a map along with a street view that uses 3D modeling to make the experience very realistic! 

Check out this view of the Great Barrier Reef!

Cool Tool #2: Google Calendar
It's funny because this week I was trying to schedule upcoming parent teacher conferences and found a tool that could actually help me with this daunting task! My usual "old school" way is to print an open schedule with 20 minute time slots on the three conference dates, send it home for parents to choose a day/time, and then make contact again for a reminder. Such a hassle!!! SOOOOO...as I was researching the many great features of Google Calendar, I learned about a cool feature called "appointment slots".  This would be a much more efficient way for parents to sign up for conferences using a shared calendar! Plus there are reminders built in to Google Calendar, so bye-bye "old school" paper way! 

Steps to setting up appointment slots:
1. click on the calendar grid
2. set up appointment slots
3. fill in information on dates and times available
4. click "create slots"
5. share link with parents so they can sign up for conference times

This is good for me AND the environment! #savesometrees 

Cool Tool #3: Google Story
Now, I seriously saved the best and most exciting tool for last!  Google stories is happening in my class ASAP!  I was so excited about it, I showed my teaching team the very next day after I learned it!  If you want to check out my story, click here!  My students will be writing their own stories in the next couple of weeks to share with their parents at conferences. I thought they could write their life stories or even about their year so far in 5th grade.  It would be awesome for them to include their goals and hopes for the year!  Go to Google Story to get step by step directions... but it really is pretty simple! Hey...I finished in one hour....not lyin'!

Well folks, I think that's about all for this weeks' cool tips! Hope you can find some great ways to use them in YOUR classroom!

Happy Touring!
-Sarah

Wedding Bliss Taught Me This....and Cool Features of Google Drive

So...yesterday my family attended our nephew's wedding and it was absolutely breathtaking! The reception was held at the bride's family farm which was, by far, the most picturesque scene I have ever experienced in Kansas!  The tent was set up for dinner and dancing while fields of tall grass, wild flowers and horses set the background.  As we waited for the bride and groom to be announced, I decided to take some pictures.  I captured a shot of my kids laughing and chatting with each other and it really warmed my heart!  You see, since school has started it seems like all I do is taxi the kids here and there, sit in meetings for school, complete homework on the weekends and try to stay on top of the endless laundry!  I can't remember the last time I actually sat down and relaxed with my family, until last night!  I'm not gonna lie, I got pretty emotional looking back through those pictures when I got home. It reminded me that I need to slow down and enjoy these moments instead of getting bogged down by schedules and to-do lists.

You're scratching your head and asking yourself..... what does this have to do with cool teaching tools in Google Drive, aren't you?  Well, let me share with you the key word in today's post... EFFICIENCY! I think when we can work smarter and not harder then we free up time to nurture our families and enjoy a little "me" time!  One of the coolest features in Google Drive is the forms tool. Not only is this a great way for teachers to help students in their efforts to collaborate, schools can use it to collect feedback and even a bride could use it when planning her wedding!  Here's how it works, you click the forms button, select the theme (which is my favorite part), create the questions, share it with others and Google does the rest!  The results are automatically put into a spreadsheet and charts are even created for you to view!

Check out this survey I made in "forms" for my classroom rewards by clicking on this link!

Another awesome tool from Google Drive that I will definitely be using in my classroom is the Google Docs share feature!  Students can create a writing document in Google Docs and then share it with their teacher and other students to receive feedback.  Sharing the document and giving editing rights, allows students to help each other edit and revise their writing before they publish their final copy. Sometimes it is hard for me to meet with students for the editing part of the writing process and this tool helps with time and efficiency!  The video below shows a class who used Google Docs to share their own writing and also created a class writing for their teacher. Each student added to the document and then published a collaborative writing piece.  How cool is that?

Each week I am amazed at how much Google has to offer and the amazing tools that can be used to help me and my students to become more efficient. When living life, we have to remember to stop and smell the roses, feed our souls and do the things that fill our cup!
Happy Sharing!
-Sarah

A Recipe for Research

Who doesn't love a good recipe?  Well Google Custom Search tool gives you a great recipe for research by allowing you to choose specific sites for your students to use!  A great part of this custom search engine is that you can access it from anywhere when shared through a link or embedded onto a blog.  Also, because you're selecting the sites, you can rest assured that the content and reading level is appropriate for your kiddos and that the sites are educationally sound.   I am so excited to use this right away with the research on service dogs we will be doing this week.  

Check out my "service dog" search engine now! Just type in a keyword such as "autism" and explore!

Happy Searching!

-Sarah

The "G" in Google Stands for Gifts!

The gifts that Google Search gives us just keep on giving! But before we get into that, let me just tell you how the week went and why I am just now adding this post on Sunday afternoon!

Overwhelmed: give too much of a thing to (someone); inundate.  Well, that about sums up my work week!  I was hoping with the Labor Day holiday, life would somehow slow down...just a bit. But noooo!  After the lovely day off on Monday, our school district had inservice, followed by another half day of professional development at my building.  Now don't get me wrong, I believe that the profession of teaching is an ever-changing field which needs to employ the most capable teachers and ensure best practices for students.  We are shaping the minds of the future for goodness sakes! However, getting too many good ideas at once and being expected to "roll them out" yesterday is a common theme in my school district.  I know that in time I will lose that overwhelmed feeling and instead feel powerful! Empowered: make (someone) stronger and more confident.

Now for the good stuff...
In order to feel more empowered and confident with my new learning from inservice, I need to know more about integrating subjects with the Common Core State Standards.  Some great features I found in Google Search are choosing articles by reading level, previewing text and creating a custom search engine (see next post).  All of these features will help me to weave reading, research and writing together while differentiating for my students all at once! Now this, my friends, will empower me and my students and remove that feeling of being overwhelmed.  This week we are reading a fictional text about a very helpful dog named Pipilio.  It is one of my favorite stories from our textbook because lets face it, who doesn't love a heartfelt story about a hero dog?  Our writing time will be centered around real life dog "heroes" as service dogs.  So I utilized the custom search engine and the reading level feature of Google Search to create an easier path for my students to do their research. I also used the Google preview search to find books that I could use as a read aloud or that my students could use as additional research.  All you do is type in the search term, go to google tools, pull down "any books" and select preview available.  It's that simple!  You can check out the video below to get more detailed instruction on the preview tool.

When feeling overwhelmed just remember... 

new knowledge + practice = empowered & confident.

Happy Previewing!

- Sarah

Ready, Set, Go! Google Chrome, Here I Come!

These first two weeks of school have been busy at the Birchfield homestead! Traveling to soccer tournaments, driving to the high school for early morning soccer practices, cross country meetings, the fall sports kickoff parade, open house at the high school, middle school and my school!  Oh, and did I mention that I teach full time, manage a household and am starting a new online class to complete my master's degree?  Yowza!  So, I finally had a moment to myself to sit down at the computer, read the syllabus and look at the first week's assignments.  First week...create a blog. Ahhhhhh! Sounds fun, but I only read blogs, I don't know anything about creating one!  Oh well, I can only go up from here, right?  And trust me, I have a ways to go!

After I spent some time creating the blog and navigating my way through the many capabilities of Google Chrome, I got to thinking...what makes this browser so great?  To be honest, before today I have never thought too much about web browsers and what they can do for me. You see, I grew up with card catalogs, Encyclopedia Britannica's and microfiche, so any search engine is amazing to me! Well, I have to say, once I started looking at all the apps and tools available, I became a convert. Google Chrome has so many amazing features, like my fave, the OMNIBOX!  Sounds cool doesn't it?  Well, it is.  It's this box along the top of the page that will allow you to type in any keyword and it pops up all kinds of topics to search.   I tried it out with keyword: deciduous forest, because my 5th graders will be researching forest biomes this week. I got all kinds of links to videos, maps, images and articles that will be great for my students!  A feature that is also a part of Chrome is that you can search topics within an article or web page, so that you don't have to skim the whole thing to find what you are looking for! This will be awesome for the slower readers and those who struggle to select the correct information in an article! Another thing I noticed was how FAST the Chrome browser was!  Wowza! Anything that can save this busy momma some time...sign me up!  If you're like me and you have never tried another browser, I highly recommend you check Google Chrome out...RIGHT THIS MINUTE!!  It will save you time and is so easy-peasy to use! Trust me, if I can use it, anyone can! 
Happy Chroming!
-Sarah