Flipgrid

I am been seeing a lot of hype about Flipgride from my PLN on Twitter so I decided to give it a try during my Bluebonnet Orientation.  I tacked it on to the end of the lesson when some groups had finished the QR Code sorting activity.  I gave them written directions to follow on how to make their Flipgrid and asked them to say their name, teacher's name, what Bluebonnet book they are interested in reading and why.

What Happened to Summer?

I am not sure what happened to summer.  I feel like I spent most of it in my car.  I have an incoming Junior in high school and an incoming 8th grader, bith boys who play baseball.  So my whole summer felt like I was either taking them to practice, lessons or heading out of town for tournaments.  I did manage to get 2 weeks at my favorite place in the world, Fish Creek Wisconsin.  Otherwise I really would not have felt like I had a summer.

The good thing about all that baseball is that I got a lot of books read.  I am talking 35-40 chapter book. Bluebonnets, young adult, grown-up and professional books.  I got some of everything.  Here are a few of my favorites.

#1 Professional Book:  Kids Deserve It!

A perfect summer book written by Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome.  A great reminder about why most of us got into the teaching profession... because Kids Deserve It.  With uplifting stories and humorous ancedotes, these two principals have started a revolution of educators who are in it to do what's best for kids.  I loved this book!  As a matter of fact, one of my teachers saw my tweet about it and asked if she could borrow it.  Then another one asked to borrow, and another and... now at least 9 of my teachers have read it and more are on the "waiting list".  We even gave it to our new principal as a welcome gift on her first day, signed by those of us who had read it over the summer. 

#1 Young Adult Book: Serpent King

I just love YA books.  Almost enough to make me want to be a middle school librarian... not!  But I really do love to read them.  Three high school seniors all trying to deal with their last year together in a small town.  One dying to get out, one content to stay and one who thinks he can never escape.  Told from all three points of view, but interwoven into an unforgettable coming of age story.  

#1 Bluebonnnet Book: Echo

I am afraid the sheer size of this book will scare off a lot of readers (over 500 pages) which will be such a shame because it is a wonderful story of three children brought together by a magical harmonica that comes in and out of their lives at the perfect time.  I could not put this book down. 

Emily's Blue Period

Emily's Blue Period by Cathleen Daly and illustrated by Lisa Brown is a sweet picture book on the Texas Bluebonnet List for 2015-16.

Emily is artist who finds out that even the best artists got through a "blue period" when things in their life make them sad.  Emily's blue period starts when her family gets mixed up and she has two houses to live in - one house for her mom and one house for her dad.  Which one is her "home"?  It isn't until her brother quotes a potholder... "Home is where the heart is"... that Emily gets an idea and her creative juices start flowing again.

 

Goodbye Summer... See you in 42 Fridays

This is kind of how I felt this summer except my lazy time was spent reading.  I could spend all day in my PJs reading a book or two.  Unfortunately, my 14 and 11 year old have other plans.  Due to baseball, football and strength and conditioning schedules, this was my first summer not to go to my "happy place" in Wisconsin.  

My 14 year old is going to be a freshman in high school and at the Parent sports meeting in the spring, the head football coached "highly recommended" that if you were in town that your athlete attend the strength and conditioning program that was offered at the high school every day.  My husband heard the "highly recommended" part as "you absolutely, positively unless you are on your death bed will attend" and so my days were spent driving back and forth to one practice after another.  

I did manage to cram in as much reading as I could.  For my "grown-up" reading, I am hooked on the Jack Reacher series by Lee Childs and read about 6 of those this summer.  I don't know what it is about those books that has me intrigued but I am and can not get enough.  My "kids" reading included all 20 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominees.  Of which Dead City by James Ponti was at the top of my list.  I can not wait to introduce this book to my students at school.  Zombies!!  They are going to go crazy!  

What did you read this summer?

Technology Tuesday: QR Code Match

(Tuesdays are going to be my “Technology Tuesdays”.  I will be posting some kind of technology lesson, idea, app, etc)

In Texas, we have a Bluebonnet Reading List for students in grades 3-6.  Every year in August I stand in front of classes and show my powerpoint and booktalk the books over and over again.  This year I decided to do something different.  After seeing Digital Goonies present about QR codes at TCEA last year.  I made a Bluebonnet QR code activity for the students.  I made 20 QR codes that had positive messages on them, “Great!”, “You got it!”, “That’s right!”.  Then above the codes I put the titles of the books and below the code I put a short abstract or summary.   I cut the codes in half and put each set in baggies.  Each group of kids had an iPad and a baggie with the codes.  They had to read the abstract and decide which title it went with, match up the two halves and scan to see if they were right.  (I did show a PowerPoint of the covers beforehand just to give the kids a visual).  The kids (and teachers) LOVED it!!  Some of the kids even said, “Mrs. Romine, we are inferencing!.  I feel like the kids got so much more out of it, even if they only got through 5, than if I had stood up and book-talked for 25 minutes.  Score One for Mrs. Romine!