The end is near...

Now that we are finished with our state testing (OAA) although I still have Friday to do, I have started to reflect on the school year. It has been an amazing year. There is so much to reflect on both the good, the bad and the UGLY.

By nature I try to maintain a positive classroom environment. I want the room to be someplace where the kids feel like it is their 2nd home. I want it to be a place where I want to spend my time. My typical day has me at school by 7:10 and leaving at 3:30. For the better part of my day, I am in my classroom. I love the color combination, all of my storage, how organized my teacher bookcase is. What I don't like it my table layout. I go from a class of 25 where were are moving and using the iPads to a class of 6 with small group instruction. Currently I have 6 tables. Figuring out how to place them has been an issue all year long. We have been testing out different set ups.

I have to say I love being a resource room teacher. This group of kids I have now, have been with me since 6th grade. When I had some of them in 6th grade, I didn't think we would make it to 8th grade. The amount of growth and maturity they have shown is utterly amazing. It gets me every year. They have allowed me to treat our classroom as a trial and error lab with the 1:1 devices. They have been brutally honest on what works and what does not. One of my kiddos said "Mrs. S. if we can figure it out, then everyone else that is smarter should be able to figure it out." While I agree with him, I don't like him feeling that he isn't as smart as everyone else. He is an amazing kid who can teach you anything about nature. I really am going to miss them once they go on to the high school. I know I prepared them when I am not inundated with emails from them at the beginning of the year.

I have become very tech dependent. It is a part of every lesson that I teach. In my classroom, the students do not see this as only a device to play games, but a device to create. This past week we have experienced "strained" internet issues or apps just disappearing (that was an honest mistake) but it made me realize that I have changed my teaching. We are using the iPad to take notes, record information, and synthesize information. My 8th grade students read 3 different articles on tips for the transition from middle school to high school, they then are creating games with that information.

Right now as a tech committee we are struggling with the thoughts of keeping the App Store on or turning it off in the future. I can see both sides of the coin on this one, but in my specific learning environment, it would hinder the educational process. I challenge my students to find things that work for them. I have banned powerpoint from my classroom, so I now have a list of at least 5 different presentation apps that kids can use.

I am beginning to look ahead at the future. Presenting went so well last week that I want to present again. I have already submitted a proposal to present the same information in October, now I want to add how to become a paperless classroom and manage all of those things. Would that be a session you would want to hear? Especially if I include student perspective?

Procrastination

Honestly I have a ton of things I should be doing. I need to finish my presentation for the Mobile Learning Symposium, lesson plans are only written for Monday, grades need to be put into the grade book and all of my home things. Nothing is motivating me to do these things. I know how my kids are starting to feel.

We start OAA testing this week. Thursday my students will take the Reading OAA. We will start the morning with yummy Panera Bagels thanks to our PTO and while the kids work I think I will show them Let It Go Testing Parody. These teachers did an amazing job of saying what I would to my middle school students. Goofy yes, but they expect it from my class and me. I started getting everything ready for Thursday. Huge bag of mints, canister of bubble gum, water bottles, erasers, just need to hit the dollar store for some cheap headphones/earbuds since they listen to the questions. I know the growth that they have made, I just hope that it translates to the testing situations.

I did my final observation for the year, I had my principal come in to watch the 6th grade iPad class present what they did for App Smashing. I saw some amazing work from them. I was overly nervous because we had been having some tech issues with the Apple TV (and this is a HIGH group of students (I'm used to the other end of the spectrum.) My principal remarked that he "never thought he would see kids combining apps, creating an imovie about it, then present and share all within one class period." I guess he liked it because he came back and did a walk through for 20 minutes a week later in that same class. The best part of all this won't come until next year. For the 2014-2015 school year I will teach 2 different 1:1 iPad classes. The incoming 6th graders and the 7th graders. My wheels are already turning for the 7th graders. I would love for them to create an app to solve a problem that we have within the district or building. In addition, they might have to create their own stylus that can be made with household materials and also functional to use on the iPad. Let me know if you have any other suggestions on what to do with the kiddos.

I wrote about sending challenges to my former students and I had one student take me up on the challenge. Here is the video she created iPad Class. She is a great young lady who really came out of her shell in the iPad class. I plan to continue posting challenges for the kids knowing that one student is continuing her education outside of my classroom and the school building.