Recently, my buddy Cori Orlando, hit me up with an idea about a Number of the Day activity, where kids represent a number in different ways. She visualizes the activity being something the kids can do in class regularly. We put our heads together and designed a spreadsheet activity together. Continue Reading â
The Next Generation Science Standards calls for my kiddos to make observations and find patterns about what plants and animals need to survive (K-LS1-1). I referred to a PDF of the evidence statements for this particular standard while designing for this unit. One branch to this unit led to the Continue Reading â
In January, I started reading a chapter a day from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to my class. While I read, the kids would draw mental images of each chapter and then share with their classmates. Upon finishing the book, the kids watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Those kiddos really enjoyed Continue Reading â
Graphing in Google Sheets is an “intro to spreadsheets” skill my kiddos learn early in the school year. I have designed several activities that involve the kids manipulating a Google Drawing inside the spreadsheet, and graphing their results according to their image. christinepinto.com/leavesonmytree This particular activity allows kids to choose Continue Reading â
I am a big believer in using visuals, manipulatives, and technology to learn about math. Students need multiple approaches to learn about concepts, especially when we are expecting them to share their thinking and reasoning. christinepinto.com/modelsandequations In the Models and Equations template, there are four sheets allowing kids to make models Continue Reading â
Part of our morning ritual in kindergarten is to check the weather outside. Someone’s classroom job is to open the door and peek his or her head out as the class sings the weather watcher song that is to the tune of Frère Jacques (I did not create the weather Continue Reading â
Day two of TK (transitional kindergarten) using GAfE, and the kids were already in spreadsheets!  Credit for that fact goes to the EdTech specialist and spreadsheet queen, Alice Keeler.  She was so curious about what the kids could do in Google Sheets and passed along her Pixel Art template.  We were Continue Reading â
At one point in the school year, my transitional kindergarten students expressed an interest maps.  Some kids came to school with hand drawn maps.  They were excited about the fact that we were following a map when we did a school wide “snake” through the campus the day after open house. Continue Reading â
Little kids CAN use spreadsheets.  My transitional kindergarten students blew my mind when they made bar graphs to represent the totals of their counting bears in Google Sheets. Alice Keeler, THE spreadsheet queen and EdTech specialist, and I brainstormed about ways littles could use spreadsheets.  Alice formatted a spreadsheet template that was appropriate for my students to use.  Her Continue Reading â