Eating Raspberries While Trying To Be Patient...

It's hard to believe mid-quarter progress reports go out next week!  I am loving each day with my 4th graders.  They are doing some amazing things with our old Writers as we (I, because they don't even know yet) wait patiently for the Central Office to order our netbooks...

Three of our Luna moth caterpillars have survived and today "Fatty" decided to encase himself (?) in a chrysalis!  Every 5 minutes some of us had to check him out!  And we wait patiently for our netbooks...

We couldn't wait to get to Brainstorm Beach yesterday.  Brainstorm Beach is our group circle area which is created using  the backs of two book shelves spaced about 7 feet apart (complete with the Terrific Kid beach chair).  Several weeks ago my wonderful husband nailed white shower board to both backs so the kids could use wipe off markers to "brainstorm" and share ideas.  Anyway, we finished Hatchet while holding our breath to find out if Brian would get rescued!  That is one of my favorite parts of the day (and the kids too, I think).  We shared raspberries there the other day 'cause Brian had eaten some in the book, and many of my kids had never tried them before!  Did I mention I love teaching this age group?  And we wait patiently for the Central Office to order our netbooks...

kid with raspberries


Photo Credit: http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/DANPOD/US48_BJA0005.jpg

Writers and a great new video

Okay, so while we're waiting for our netbooks, I've been using my cart of Writers (which I've had for 5 years and still absolutely LOVE!) as an intro - an appetizer if you'd like!  They have ADORED them!  As always happens when my kids use the Writers, their writing is more detailed, and includes, GULP, most capital letters, punctuation, and complete sentences!

[caption id="attachment_198" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="The Writer"]The Writer[/caption]

I let them take them home last night for the first time ever (used to guard them like a hawk, but I've gotten treatment in preparation for our 1:1 over the last few years!)  They were so excited they'd be able to finish their work!  4th graders!  I love it!  And, winning a bet with my husband, every one of them returned to class today with them in their protective cases.  They still don't know what's coming in a few weeks!  I can hardly stand it.

Catching up on blog reading tonight, I came across this video on Scott McLeod's blog.  Couldn't agree more!  Bring on the netbooks and new ways of teaching!

I Need My Teachers to Learn

Traveling with Lewis and Clark

Wow!  So we are already at the end of our second week in school, and I am just now sitting down long enough to blog!  So much for my resolution to blog every day.  Maybe it's because we are still anxiously awaiting our netbooks.  I keep thinking, when we really get started with our wonderful 1:1 adventure, THEN, I'll blog every day.  We'll see!



Several things happened during our first days together that made me chuckle with anticipation.  The kids and their families don't know yet that we will all become pioneers for our county in an exciting 1:1 pilot program.  In an effort to get to know my kids I had them fill in the traditional "interest inventory".  One question was, "If you could wish for 3 things what would they be?"  Eight out of my 19 students listed having their own laptop!  Of all the wishes in the world, that is one of the top three!!  Also in the first days, I read the book Miss Nelson is Missing.  I then had the kids design their "ultimate classroom"!  Of course there were the suggestions of flat screen TVs on every wall, hot tub in the middle of the room, roller coaster right outside the back door, and then..... laptops for each kid!  Yippie!  They are going to be so excited when they find out their dreams are coming true this year!

Anyway, onto the topic of this post!  We read a story out of the basal reader together called, "Lewis and Clark and Me", which the kids LOVED!  They thought it was so interesting to hear the story from the dog, Seaman's, point of view!  Found some great Google Earth interactive tours we took together, but the thing they liked the most was traveling with Lewis and Clark at this National Geographic site - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisclark/index.html

Would be fun to have them design one like this... maybe when we get our laptops!

LewisandClark-My-Charlottesville-Agent

Image Credit: http://mycharlottesvilleagent.com/LewisandClark-My-Charlottesville-Agent.jpg