Using an iPad in Grade One - More Ideas One Year Later

About a year ago I wrote a blog post around screen shots I took from my iPad.  There I talked about some of the apps that we were using in my grade one class to learn, show, and share our learning.  I also tried to link out to class blog posts or student blog posts to illustrate exactly what I was referring to. This year my students had a lot more choice in how they learned, often making their own decisions on what tools they wanted to use.   Because my students have so much choice I figured I'd share some screen shots again and talk about some of the  ways they've been using their iPads in class.  I hope this is helpful for others.

Productivity apps found on my students' iPads.
Double click any image to see them more clearly.

Dropbox has once again been a great way to share things between iPads such as photos or co-created books.  When we made our group book for our We Can See project it was the easiest way to collect all the individual photos off of the iPads.  We also used dropbox when we worked with Mrs. van Rees' class when we created our own version of Good New Bad News Stories.  In addition we used it when we co-created books with high school students.  It really was an invaluable tool for my students since we don't have e-mail on our class iPads.  

Qrafter was another valuable tool that my students used regularly.  Whenever we had shared photos of images from say, a field trip, that my students needed to access, I would create a QR code so that they could access them from their iPads via Qrafter.  From there they could download them to their own iPads and use them in their blog posts.  We also used Qrafter to access Today's Meet rooms which we used to collaborate with other students. We used Qrafter to access our padlets too for collaborative or whole class brainstorming and idea sharing.

Twitter is the third app in this folder that we used a lot.  Each iPad has our class twitter account logged into it. It was used as a choice for reading, or to learn or share learning with the world.  

A Screen Shot of the Story Making App Folder

Story making is another set of popular apps that we used but each year different apps are popular with different classes.  This year my class used five apps in this folder more often then the others.  In no particular order they were as follows.

My Story - many students loved this app because they could draw, write, and record their stories.  To share the stories on their blogs the students took screen shots, then imported those screen shots into an   app that recorded voice, then put those into iMovie to created mini book movies. They did this for many of the books that they made.

Comic Life - this was a popular app particularly with the boys during their "Pokemon" adventures.  Several of my boys wanted to create comics with their pokemon cards so this was the perfect app for them.

Pic Collage - this was a great app for so many different reasons. It's a really easy to use picture collage creating app that allows you to add text.  My students used it to create 2D 3D shape posters and to share living and non living things.  We often used it to tweet several pictures at the same time to give a feel for what we were really up to.

Book Creator - this app was used a ton this year particularly when we figured out that books could be created on different iPads, then through the use of dropbox, combined together.  As mentioned above it was used when we co-created books with our high school buddies. It was also used during our animal research projects where different students worked on the came animal book and then used the features in Book Creator to combined books.  I hope we can co-create more often with other children around the world.

Haiku Deck - we started to use Haiku Deck right near the end of the year. It was so easy for my students to figure out and the created some really great "Canadian Symbols" decks.  I can see them  using this a whole lot more next year to write stories from their images or to share facts about animals.

A Screen Shot of the Show and Tell App Folder

Show and Tell Apps are very popular apps in our classroom. My students use them all the time to show their learning and talk about what they are learning.  Once again in no particular order here are some of their favourites with samples of how they used them.

Skitch - Skitch is an app that allows you to annotate images.  My students quite liked this app when they wanted to label their work - whether it be math, word work, or science. It was their go to app for basic image labelling.

Popplet- This app allows you to create webs. The best part about the app is you web can include pictures that you draw right with in it, images that you up load from an iPad camera roll, or words. It was used to show comprehension, share facts about winter, and animals research.

Educreations - This is a simple white board app similar to Screen Chomp, and Show Me.  This app was most popular of the three because it provided my students with an embedding code which they quickly and independently add to their individual blogs. My students often used this app to show their mathematical thinking or word work.

Draw and Tell - If I were to say the app that my students used the most it would have to be Draw and Tell. They use it when they want to add voice to their work. They used the stickers to created math number stories or patterns. They used it for word work over and over again.  One of the cool things about Draw and Tell is that if you're talking about an image and you touch the screen as you record a blue pointer shows up.  It's also very early childhood friendly with super easy to use drawing tools. It's an ideal tool for a k/1 student

Explain Everything is also used in our class but I have to admit the drawing tools are not particularly enticing to my grade one students.  The potential for this app is huge though as it does much of things that the other apps do but all in one app.  My students used it when they created shapes around our classroom mini movies.

A Screen Shot of the Word Work App Folder

Word work is done in so many different ways in my classroom.  The key is that my students play with letters and words to create words.  Each child seems to have a few favourite tools and the tools tend to change as the year progresses too.  The three most popular word work apps in my classroom include Magnetic ABC  (which is interesting since we have lot of real magnet letters), Word Wizard, and Touch Write.  I think the draw to Magnetic ABC is that you can easily change the colours of the letters and there are some background options as well.  Word Wizard is a fantastic app because it makes the letter sounds for each letter you chose and it blends letters together to read full words.  Touch Write I think is just fun for my students. They are able to add their word wall words easily and love the tools for practicing them such as chocolate frosting or whipped cream.

A Screen Shot of the Spelling App Folder

During word work time some of my students love to use Chicktionary and Rocket Speller to learn the spelling words of their choice.  Chicktionary is all about creating words from the letters that are available.    It interesting to see my student manipulate letters to create new words.

A Screen Shot of the Fine Arts App Folder

The fine arts apps aren't used as often as perhaps I would like but then again my students learn with real instruments and art tools. However Doodle Buddy and Draw Stars are two popular apps they use to create letters to play with words.

A Screen Shot of the Science App Folder

Again while my students have several apps in the Science folder the most popular ones were Discovery Ed and Pocket Zoo HD. These apps were used for research over and over again when they were learning about animals.  The other app that is in this folder that my students loved when I taught them about calling 911 in an emergency is Dial Safe Pro.  This app is great to help students learn what will happen on the phone if they ever have to call.  With headsets on  my students listened and answered the questions the "dispatch" was asking them.  If 911 safety is part of your curriculum I highly recommend this app. It's a great way for kids to feel comfortable about calling 911 and knowing what to expect when they do.

A Screen Shot of the Math App Folder

My students do have a folder of math games but I must admin after the early months in the school year my students rarely return to these apps for learning.  Some of the favourites early on were Find Sums, Math Bingo, and Hungry Fish. If you're wondering how they did their math digitally, check back on the apps that I refer to as "Show and Tell" apps.  These apps allowed my students to illustrate their number, pattern, and shape math knowledge in a far more personalize manner.

A Screen Shot of the Board Game App Folder

While my students have some games on their iPads Where's My Water and Kodable were two favourites.  Depending on the student some also liked to code with Cargo-Bot. Hopscotch was downloaded on some iPad apps too, but it wasn't used much. Coding was pretty new to my students in the final term.

A Screen Shot of the Photograph App Folder

While there are several apps in this folder iMovie was by far the most popular app.  My students made movies all the time as a way to show their learning. They created books, math videos, movies about Halloween costumes and so much more.  It's super easy for the to use independently. They can record right in it and add music too.  One thing that my students didn't really like was the Ken Burns effect which is automatic when you add images.  They found that it often cut off their text. While they could fix is, they often choose to add their voice in Draw and Tell, then add those short videos to create their movies.  They discovered that when you add movies vs images you don't have to deal with Ken Burns effects. 

Now how could I forget those important apps that sit on the shelf at the bottom of the iPad. The KidBlog app has been a total game changer in my class this year.  My students use this app all the time to upload and share their learning with the world.  The app is so easy for them to use and it has made their individual blogs and digital portfolios that much more rich.

The camera and camera roll are also vital features for my students as they are key in helping them document and save their documentation.  My students also have quick access with a direct link to our class blog, and to the internet with the Safari app.   They use these five tools  (KidBlog app, camera, direct link to class blog, photos, and Safari) all the time for learning.

Utilizing Technology in Grade One to Help With Literacy Learning

I have had access to several iPads and computer technology for almost ten months now and in that time a lot has changed in my classroom.  Technology - whether an iPad or a desktop computer - is  just a tool my students use to show and share their learning.  My planning revolves around learning out comes and not specific websites or  iPad apps.  Here are some  ways my students are using technology for their literacy learning but I want to be very clear that we also have literacy learning with out technology too. In my room it's about meeting my students individual needs in the best ways I know how.

The British Columbia Prescribed Learning Outcomes (PLOs) for Language Arts are broken into Oral Language, Reading and Viewing, and Writing and Representing. Technology helps my student meet these learning outcomes at their just right level.

Oral Language  (Speaking and Listening)

My students listen and talk a lot in my classroom.  To be honest I love listening to them share the thinking behind their learning.  They use voice recording apps such as Draw and Tell to take pictures of their non digital work and talk about it.  They use it for digital work too. My students love to add voice to a lot of what they do.  They often put this thinking up on their individual blogs for the world to see.

My students also add voice through the Educreations, Show Me, Screen Chomp,  Explain Everything, Croak.it, Voice Record Pro, Audio Boo, Tellagami, and Voice Thread.  What I love about these apps is that they provide my quieter students a comfortable setting  to share their learning in a private.  But what's even cooler is that many of these quiet students amaze me because they  are comfortable with adding these voice recording to their individual blogs for the entire world to hear.  They wouldn't do that with out technology.

We also use Skype/Google Hangout/Face Time for video conferencing to authentically practice our speaking and listening skills.  It provides my students with authentic opportunities where they can ask their questions, and answer those being asked of them.  They can discuss facts, and share ideas.  Video conferencing has played a huge part in our Oral Language learning.

Recently we had a conversation with Duck Duck Moose, the makers of the Draw and Tell App.  What was so powerful about this interaction is that Draw and Tell actually asked my students what they wanted to see added to their apps.  My students took this question very seriously and told them. But what was most powerful is that Duck Duck Moose listened.  They also asked my students to show them some of the projects they have created with their app and my students couldn't have been prouder. If that's not authentic speaking and listening what is?

Reading and Viewing

My class does a lot of reading with technology, whether it's reading a shared story projected onto the class screen, tweets that are directed to our class twitter account, reading blog posts, or moderating comments.  They read digital books and access Tumblebooks, Starfall, and National Geographic Young Explorers to name a few. They have books on iPads that track as they read, and others that are interactive.   My students also use voice recording apps to record, listen, and reflect on their oral reading.  They learn their sight words and word wall words with open ended apps such as Word Wizard, Touch Write, Draw Stars, Draw and Tell, and Glow Colouring.  They play with creating words using apps such as Chicktionary and  PopWords.  We also like closed drill and practiced apps such as Sight Word Bingo, and Sight Words Hangman.  We learn new words and read a lot both digitally and non digitally.

Skype has provided my students the opportunity to read 1:1 with a teacher in Saskatchewan. Skype provides my students with a genuine audience  who listens, and provides genuine feedback.

Technology also helps with reading by providing ways to document what is being read.  My students can respond to a piece of literature by discussing it on twitter, or through Today's Meet.  They can record important facts graphically using the Popplet app on the iPads too.

One of the benefits of having my students blog is that they are keen to read and respond to each others writing. They are also reading blog posts both in school and while OUT of school not because they have to but because they want to.  Relationships are growing through blogging and commenting, yet reading and viewing skills are also being reinforced in authentic, meaningful ways.

Writing and Representing

One of the biggest changes I've noticed with the increased access to technology in my classroom is that my students are writing way more than ever before.  I have been better able to provide them with  more choices for writing and they are thriving in all these choices.  Their blogs in particular, are their greatest personal collection of writing.   Technology has opened up my class to more ways to share their story.

My class's two favourite story writing apps are Book Creator and My Story.  They have used book creator a few times now, but most recently for a collaborative writing project with high school students. There are several reasons why I like this app for writing. It allows my students to create professional books, it allows my students to add voice to their stories, and it is easy to write collaboratively with this app.

My Story is another favourite iPad app for writing.  It allows my students to use their drawing, speaking, and writing skills to create personal books. They can be successful with this app no matter where their writing skills are.

My class  also uses Web 2.0 tools such as Voki and Storybird to write with.  They use basic word processing tools to create books.  My students use Skitch and Pic Collage to create visual stories.

Twitter has also allowed my students to write directly to someone that is important to them.  After reading a book called Boy + Bot written by Ame Dyckman, and then receiving a special treat from her, my students were keen and eager to tweet her to share their thoughts.

Recently my students used their personal blogs to thank Elizabeth Schoonmaker for sending us a copy of her book Square Cat.  While yes, we could have mailed her thank you notes, this was a much quicker and just as  meaningful way to let her know we were thankful.

One thing I must stress is that technology has NOT replaced the good teaching I do with out technology.  Literacy is a life long skill and so I , and will continue to, find different ways to best teach these skills.  I want my students to be authentic readers and writers who are keen and able to listen and share with others.  Technology has provided my students with so many more ways to do this.  How are you using technology to improve your literacy program?

Using an iPad in a Grade One Classroom

Since November I've had the privledge of teaching with an iPad in my grade one class. Along the way I have discovered a lot of great ways to use it to help my students have their individual learning needs met.  Having just one iPad did bring about its own set of challenges but we were very lucky to have access to some additional iPads in the final term of school.  Next year we will have  iPads again thanks in part to my participation in my school's successful innovative learning grant application and another special project I'm involved with at the school district level.  Needless to say my head has been spinning all summer with ways I can integrate this technology into my classroom with out losing sight of the important non technology based teaching and learning my students need too.

So before I start the next school year I think it's important for me to review some of the apps we used this year and how we used them. To begin with here is a screen shot of my student's page on my iPad.  You'll notice that I have their apps neatly organized into folders which I find really helps when we are looking for a specific app or they are trying to decide on a specific type of app to use. Their folders include productivity, voice recording, story makers, show and tell, fine art, word work, phonics, spelling, abc work, science, math tools, math, books, board games, photography, movie making, and flash browsers. I have the Teach Me 1st grade app too but to perfectly honest we've barely used it.

Productivity

This folder is a little more for me than for my students. At present it contains the Google, Dropbox, CloudOn, Evernote, Google Earth, Qrafter, and Google Drive apps.  While my students use Qrafter to scan into our class blog, and I'd like us to use Google Earth more to discover the places we are connecting with, the reality is most of the apps are in there for when I need to save or access their work.

Voice Recording

My voice recording folder contains the following apps: Audio boo, Say Hi, Active Voice, Dictation, and Audio Memos.  It used to also contained Talking Tom but for some reason it has been removed. Our most frequently used app here is AudioBoo.  We have used it to record reading.  Say Hi is a new app and it's great for my limited English speakers. If the app has their language on it then it will translate their first language (say Korean) into English - both in text and in sound.  Since I work in a high ELL school this app has been a lot of fun to use.  Dragon Dictation and Active Voice are two different speech to text apps which with our newly installed wireless work a lot better. I like to use those apps with my students that struggle with written output but have so much to say. Here is a sample of us using AudioBoo.

Story Makers

These apps were quite popular with my students and different students preferred to use different apps depending on the job required.  Having only one iPad most of the year did bring about its own set of challenges though as only one (or two) student(s) could create with it at a time. With an increase of iPads this became less of a problem. The apps that you can find in this folder include Scribble Press, My Story, Book Creator, Sock Puppets, Comic Life, Puppet Pals, Strip Design, Toontastic, Story Wheel, Story Dice, and Little Book Maker.  Here are some examples of my class using Sock Puppet,  Scribble Press and Puppet Pals.

Show and Tell

These apps are probably my most favourite because they allow my students to demonstrate their learning through pictures, and/or words. They are very open ended and can be used across a variety of content areas. For the most part they are great for any student k - 7. This folder contains Explain Everything, Screen Chomp, Show Me, DoodleCast, Draw and Tell, Idea Sketch, Popplet Lite, White Board (allows you to work on two iPads collaboratively), Skitch, Voice Thread, and Sonic Pics Lite.

Here are some samples of us using Screen Chomp, Show Me, Draw and Tell, Skitch, and Voice Thread.

Fine Arts

This folder contains the following apps: Draw Stars, Doodle Buddy, Virtuoso, Suess Band, Pottery HD Lite, iDraw HD, Sparkle Paint, Singing Fingers, Glow Colouring, Drums Light, Mini Piano, Peg Free Light, Mirror Paint, Read Fireworks.  These apps have been used to help my students practice their word wall words or for just plain creative purposes.  While I have taken photos of my students using these apps I only have one blog post that mentions one of them.  Here is a sample of Pottery HD Lite.



Word Work

This folder seems to be changing constantly as I discover new apps that help my students  either learn their word wall words or learn  some  sight words.  This folder contains Magnetic ABC, Word Wizard, Touch Write, Word Builder, Sight Word Bingo, PopWords, Bluster, Sight Word Touch, Little Speller Sight Words, Sight Words, Sentence Maker, Word Collage, Sight Word Hangman.  Unfortunately these apps were never talked about on this or my  class blog.

Phonics

Phonics apps are also used during our word work time for those that require extra practice in this area.  This folder contains Pocket Phonics, Phonics Genius, Rhyming Bee, Phonics Awareness, Phonics Vowels, Tic Tac Toe Phonics, Phonics HD, and Rhyming.

Spelling

I found later in the year my students loved to use the spelling apps during their word work time.  This folders contains Chicktionary,  Express, Rocket Speller, SpellBuzz, and Simplex Spell Lite.

ABC Work

My ABC work folder contains three apps LetterReflex, Movable Write, and Sound Sorting. I have several other go to ABC apps but they are not on my iPad at this time.  Sound sorting was particularly great for my new to Canada, never been to school before students.  The LetterReflex app is fantastic for those students with letter and number reversals. Here is a blog about my class using Letter ReFlex.

 



Science

The science folder contains the following apps National Geographic Explorer, Colour Uncovered, National Geographic Weird But True, Science 360, Weird Facts, BrainPop, Plants HD, and ButterflyHD. Specific apps, such as Plant HD were used we were studying plants.  Many of the "reading" apps were used during "free read" time in my class.





Math Tools

The math tool folder contains the following apps Ten Frame, Hundreds Chart, Base Ten Blocks, Calculator, and Visual Timer HD.   I must admit that they weren't used too often for most of the year because with only one iPad there are a lot better tools to use than the digital ones. However when we had access to more we utilized the digital tens frame a lot.  I also know when we look at numbers and skip counting the 100s chart tool will come in a handy.  Here is a post about us using the Tens Frame app.

Math

This folder is filled with a variety of different math practice concepts. I have tried to chose apps that are not strictly drill and practice apps.  I also find we do a lot more hands on math but I do have students that love to practice math facts on iPads.  This folder contains the following apps Monkey Math, QCount, Marble Math Jr, Math Drills Lite, Bugs and Button, FingerCountLite, Hungry Fish, Top It Addition, Subtraction Sardines, Squeeze, Adding Apples, Zoom, Caboose, Rocket Math, Math Bingo, PopMath, What's Next, KidCalc, and Find Sums.


Books:

To be perfectly honest as much as my students love interactive books, they are just as excited to read traditional paper books.  I have several iPad books not available on this iPad at this time as I find I tend to add and subtract books as needed. For example during our Fairy Tale study the iPad was filled with Fairy Tales.  At present my books folder contains Monster 1, Chocolate Attack, Bo's Bedtime Story, Slice of Bread, Morris, Cinderella, iRidz 4 Kids, Puss in Boots, I Like Books, The Snow Ball, Bizzy Builds, and a direct link to Tumble Books.

Board Games

When my students have free choice time they are free to chose what ever they would like to do. I like to keep this folder filled with games for them to use if they'd like. Right now this folder contains Blokus, Four in a Row, Game Centre, Checkers, Sudoku2, SimpleS, Scrabble, Jenga, Unblock Me, Fur and Feathers, and Water?.

Photography

My class didn't use these photography apps all that much as they relied heavily on the camera feature of the iPad.  I most definitely can see us using the Photo Booth app as we study feelings and emotions.  I tend to use the PhotoSync app as a way to get their photos off of the iPad and onto a computer.  Super Impose and Snapseed are the final two apps in this folder and I can see great potential with both of them but my class will need a big buddy to help with these.

Movie Making

The movie making app includes Videolicious, NFB Pixstop, iMotion HD, Action Movies, iMovie, and Splice. While I made most of our class iMovies this year on my personal laptop I feel quite confident that next year we will be able to utilize all of these apps.  Here is a link to the Videolicious video they created.

Flash Browsers 

Flash browsers are great when you are trying to use a web based site that relies on Flash since the iPad does not work with Flash.  These two apps help you use those websites. I must admit though I was more likely to sign out and bring in the school's set of macBooks then fiddle around with these Flash Browsers. It is nice to know when the macBooks aren't available I have additional technology I can rely on.

Already just by sharing what's on my iPad I can see so many uses for the apps that I have, and for the apps that I don't have here.  I also know that I need to be mindful of what I have on the iPads as space is limited.  In addition as always I need to remember that technology should not be used for everything that I do in grade one.

It's exciting to know that I will have more than one iPad in my room next year and I can't wait to see what we are going to discover as a class.

What iPad apps do you use that you feel are "must have" apps?  I can already think of many myself but I'd love to have your input too.

*Additional information -  I realized that I forgot to talk about the apps I have on the bottom shelf of my class iPad.  You can read about them here if you're curious. Added Aug 4, 2012*

What a YEAR!

As I look back on my year I can't believe how much has changed for me.  Here is my attempt to recap the journey I have taken professionally in the 2011-2012 school year.

• joined Twitter in July 2011 and now follow over 750 people, have over 775 following me, and have tweeted over 5,500 times not including my direct messaging (tons!)
• started this professional blog as a way to document and share some of my learning
• took part in many twitter educational chats including but not limited to #1stchat, #kinderchat, #edchat, #elemchat #gtchat, #storyappchat, #D5chat
• set up a class blog which ended up with 199 posts, 253 comments, and over 22,000 hits
• set up individual blogs for my grade one students who have now written over 750 posts and received over 1,600 comments
• completely changed my writing program to allow my students more choice with their writing and in the process created genuinely motivated writers
• completely changed my reading program to allow my students more choice with their reading and in the process created genuinely motivated readers
• changed my word work program to all my students more choice with their word work and in the process created self motivated learners
• dropped my traditional "calendar" routines and replaced it with math chat
• used the Mind Up, Fun Friends, and Fin's Friends social emotional programs to better meet my students social emotional needs
• learned and used many web 2.0 tools
• utilized  technology to better meet the individual needs of my students,  and to connect my class with the world
• set up a class twitter, youtube, and closed class facebook account
• was selected to a part of a special district literacy learning lab utilizing technology with early primary students
• helped write a successful Innovative Learning Design grant application
• created many videos and slide shows
• had my class Skype and Face Time with students in Illinois, Ontario. and Saskatchewan
• Skyped, Google Hung Out, and Face Time'd with teachers in Hong Kong, Illinois, Ontario (several), Saskatchewan, and Florida
• had my class read and comment on class blogs from around the world
• read and commented on many professional blogs from around the world
• participated in three global projects - Quad Blogging, Flat Classroom : Building Bridges K-2 Pilot Project April-May, and Bean Wiki with my class
• attended EdCampDelta, EdCampSurrey, and EdCampKinder in Las Vegas
• visited three schools and had several teachers both from my district and another district visit my classroom to learn and share
• met and connected with several Surrey School District teachers, administrators, and school district leaders ( I am far more known around the district this year than I have in any other time in my career)
• presented professional development workshops for my staff and my school district
• asked to present professional development workshops at three more schools at the beginning of the new school year, as well as for the Surrey Primary Teachers association
• wrote posts on Twitter, Tablet Computer Apps, and Digital Literacy for the International Reading Association
• sparked the use of KidBlog as a blogging platform for students in my school district, and beyond
• participated in webinars
• attended two workshops at Apple Canada Institute
• attended Surrey's Digital Dinner series
• attended two BC Primary teacher's conventions
• attended workshops led by Alec Couros, George Couros, Adrienne Gear (Reading Power), Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (Cafe), and Lilian Katz (Reggio)
• have read (or in the middle of reading) Mind Set by Carol Dweck, Drive by Daniel Pink, No More "I'm Done!" by Jennifer Jacobson, Personal Learning Networks by Richardson and Mancabelli, Teaching with Intention by Debbie Miller, Catching Reader's Before They Fall by Johnson and Keir,In Pictures and In Words by Ray, Writing Power by Adrienne Gear, Reading Power by Adrienne Gear, Reading Power Non Fiction by Adrienne Gear, Choice Words by Peter Johnston, The Daily 5 and The Cafe by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds by Lindsay and Davis, Math Exchanges by Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, Teaching with Tools Kids Really Use by Susan Brooks-Young, Making Thinking Visible by Ritchhart and Church and Morrison, Number Sense Routines by Jessica Shumway, One to One The Art of Conferring with Young Writers by Calkins and Hartman and White, The Passion-Driven Classroom by Maiers and Sandvold, Play by Lisa Murphy and the list continues...
• successfully completed 20 years of teaching and still love it as much, if not more than ever before

A special thank you to my #1stchat, #kinderchat, #sd36learn, #bclearns, #bced, and #elemchat friends. Without you I wonder how much of this would ever have happened.  An extra special thank you to Elisa Carlson (Director of Instruction, Surrey School District) for believing in me. Elisa will never really know how powerful that has been for me and I can't thank her enough.  And yes, of course, I need to thank Tia Henriksen, mother of one of my grade one students this year, former vice principal of mine, and friend because it was she who coaxed me into giving twitter a try.

What a year it has been. What have you accomplished this year? I'd love to hear.

Next up, goals for the 2012-2013 school year.