Is this an iPad?

I set up 4 old Mac's to play student book trailers and how-to videos. The kindergarteners kept swiping the screen like it was an iPad. Cute kids!

9th Rotation - survival mode

It is always kind of nuts after break because tennis season is winding up and we travel to another country for a competition. Fun, but I'm usually behind on everything.

Kindergarten - we started our Linda Sue Park study. She's the visiting author in March. We read Bee Bim Bop and What does Bunny See? Nice patterns in text to reinforce language learning.

Grade 1 - We read, Monkey : a trickster tale from India by Gerald McDermott. The students loved this book! On a sad note the talented author died January 10, 2013.

Grade 2 - We read, The Third Gift, by Linda Sue Park. The like the surprise ending and how the story unfolds. The students weren't quite sure what tree it was and what the two were going to do with the sap.

Grade 3 - Lesson 2 of the book trailer project. I tried a new graphic organizer where students had to write the lead, summary, problem, and opinion. We will see if the next writing organizer is better than last years.

Grade 4 - We read about the Korean bonfire signal system in Linda Sue Park's novel, The Firekeeper's Son. A boy's father breaks his ankle going up the mountain to light the fire and his young son goes in his place. He struggles internally about whether to light the fire or not because he knows if he doesn't the soldiers will come. And oh! How he wants to see the soldiers. Good mentor text with a clear story arc and internal conflict in a character.

Grade 5 - Students signed up or registered for Goodreads. They had to add me as their friend and from there added other friends. I told students if they wrote a review I would give them an Edmodo Goodreads badge (that I created).

8th Rotation - Ho Ho Ho!

Kindergarten to Grade 4 - I read the new books I got to them. It was really fun and worked well with all the cancellations from Christmas parties and assemblies.  

Grade 5 - Finished the iMovie and discovered some improvements needed for next year. Don't let students choose books with no pictures - doesn't work. Some students hadn't read the book even though the instructions were everyone in group needs to read book. Maybe I should do what I did with grade 4 students and choose excellent picture books having the group familiarize themselves with the program. Then in the spring have them do one on their own with a more difficult book. This might scaffold better considering I lost a few kiddos on the way. Some students don't come to library because of ESL so they didn't do the lesson. I can't control that. The lesson took 3 rotations. One longer than I had planned which is another reason I like my idea of picture books.

Here's an example with a picture book:

Here's a nonfiction book example. What is funny about it is the boy picked the romantic theme and chose a book on a car he adores: