Do you have interest in Pinterest?

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Have you heard of Pinterest? Are you "pinning" yet? If you are....why not share you board address here? If you're not, you are in for a real treat!
Pinterest is one of the hottest things going on the Internet these days. I love to surf and bookmark sites for later use. I find my "favorites" filled with lists of sites, but I can't always recall WHY I wanted to go back to the site and I spend a lot of time clicking through a long list of sites.
Enter PINTEREST! With Pinterest I can save IMAGES....I am so visual that this form of bookmarking by PICTURES is right up my alley!! You can save images to "boards" by whatever categories make sense to you. I have boards for home, school, quotes and more. You can visit another person's board, click on images they have "pinned" and visit the actual website they got the image from, and you can also "repin" the same image to your own board. I don't know if this is making sense, why not just give it a try.....you can visit my Pinterest board to see what I mean:

Click around and I am pretty sure you'll want to get your own account! There are no fees and plenty of boards to search....just know...after a few clicks, you'll be HOOKED! :-)

Don't forget, if you are already "on board", leave us a comment so we can follow you too! ;-)

Kindergarten Expo

The Kindergarten Expo is just a few days away. If you haven't heard, this Expo is an online event. Here's a quick rundown of how it works....

• Register online (only $14.95)
• Sign in (beginning 1/28/12)
• Watch the presentations by the Experts
• Get your Freebies 

It's just that simple. The beauty is you can start and stop the presentation at ANY time. If you only have time to watch one presenter, do that, run your errands, do a load of laundry and come back at a later time to continue. 

If you've attended actual "Kindergarten Conferences" in the past, you know the drill. You end up missing one presentation because it's scheduled at the same time as another one. Or on the day of the Conference, something comes up and you can't make it.  With the Virtual Expo you don't have to worry! You can watch them any time that fits into your schedule.  You can attend a great conference in your pajamas! ;-)

Oh, and you can go back ANYTIME and watch the presentation as often as you like!

If you haven't registered....click on the image below to learn more and get signed up! ( My good friend, Fran of Kindergarten Crayons will be presenting too!) 

Looking for a Blog?

Trying to find just the right blog can mean hours of tweaking your google search, or you could check out these two sites and find a wealth of blogs for teachers of Early Learners:
Check  these out: (you may STILL be here for HOURS...but at least you will have narrowed down your searches) ;-) ENJOY.....

or visit....

Teaching Blog Expo

Have you been on the fence about starting a blog? Wondering what it takes to get started? Have one and looking for a few tips to spruce up your current blog? Need answers to questions about blogging? Then the Teaching Blog Expo may just be what you need. I'll be there along with several other teachers who blog...Check out what's cutting edge for teachers in the online environment.... The Expo begins Saturday, Sept.17th. Click the button below to learn more:

Cindy

Need a little Help with the Common Core Standards?

If you find yourself constantly flipping through pages of documents or websites, trying to find the Common Core Standard to match your lessons or plug into your Plan Book, then come In The Teachers' Lounge to learn how I keep them at my fingertips!

Cindy

Blog Searching?

Whether you are new to the world of blogging, or you've been at it for a while, it's still very easy to get lost and overwhelmed. If you are like me, you start at one blog......follow a link.....jump to another, then another and before you know it you need a GPS just to find you way back to your first blog again.
I belong to a network of teachers who blog, perhaps you've heard of it...TEACHING BLOG ADDICT.
I will warn you, it's very easy to become addicted to the site. ;-)
We recently pooled our efforts to create grade level pages to help followers find their way through the plethora of blogs. We sorted them and here is a link to the Kindergarten Blogs Page while you're there, take a peek at Kindergarten Tales (that's my classroom blog), Kindergarten Crayons and Kindergarten Works are really worth a look as well. Fran and Leslie are AWESOME!
 You'll find many great resources  on the Teacher Resources Page too. I have a different blog there called In The Teachers' Lounge. 
Don't hesitate to sign up as a follower to the blogs you like. You can even sign up to get email alerts when your favorite blogs are updated, so you don't have to worry about taking time to visit the blog only to find nothing new has been added.
 Many of the teachers offer Freebies to download and Give-aways so check those out as well.
Here are some awesome Pre-K and First Grade blogs to check out! Just be prepared...once you get started looking, it will be very hard to stop! ;-)
Several of us also have an online shop where you can find freebies, purchase worksheets, lesson plans and units to use in your classroom. These items are inexpensive, yet valuable resources. Check out Teachers Notebook. My shop is there as well Shopping in the Teachers' Lounge. Take a look around some of the teacher's shops. I am sure you will find something you like in several of the shops!
Another popular site is Teachers Pay Teachers. TPT is the same type of site, full of resources for teachers. All created by teachers for teachers!
Again, feel free to Follow the sites you like and take your time as you work you way through them all.
Happy surfing!

Cindy

Time for School...

Hello Fellow Kindergaten Teachers,
Quite a bit of time has passed since the last posting here. I am not exactly sure why, but things sort of just fizzled out.
But we're back and trying to breathe some new life into the Early Childhood program in the District as well as into this blog.
I hope you will check back soon as we have plans to share many items of interest!

Circle Time Songs for Kids....

I was surfing the Internet and came across a set of videos aimed at helping you and your students learn the names of the children in your class. There are two websites associated with the videos: PreSchool Learning Online and Activity School Bus. Both sites have a host of songs and lessons aimed at PreSchool aged children. Even though I teach Kindergaretn, I can see using them at the beginning of the year. You may already have these in your collection of songs, if not you might consider adding them. I like the "telephone" song. ;-) 

Please share any other songs you have that may help at the beginning of the school year:


Circle Time Songs-Learning Names - More free videos are here

More songs:

Preschool Songs-Circle Time Songs-Preschool Activities - The most popular videos are a click away

Here's a new twist on the Alphabet Song...

Preschool Circle Time Songs-Alphabet Songs 2 - The best bloopers are a click away

Reading Resources...

A few weeks ago, I got an Email from a local teacher sharing a Reading Website she thought might interest me. The site is called "Free Reading"It's taken me a while to get around to visiting the site in depth; but she was right. I didn't want this site to get buried in a sidebar link on this site without sharing it out front first. I hope you will take time to look through this valuable resource. I could try to explain it, but they know what they do best, I have taken this text directly from their site:
"Free-Reading is an “open source” instructional program that helps teachers teach early reading. Because it's open source, it represents the collective wisdom of a wide community of teachers and researchers. It's designed to contain a scope and sequence of activities that can support and supplement a typical “core” or “basal” program. " They offer ideas and lessons on everything from letter sound activities, letter writing activities, vocabulary, and more. They have many online videos that show lessons 'in action". I hope you will not only look at the site, but consider making use of the resources found there as well as contribute your own ideas (it's the nature of "open source"). The site again is "Free Reading".

Cindy

Question of the Day...

Many of us routinely use "Question of the Day" as a means to provide students with opportunities to share their thoughts, get to know fellow students better, assist students as they gain confidence in speaking to the class and more. Please share with us some of the questions you have put forth to your students as part of your "Question of the Day" activities.

Academic vocabulary

At the August 20 Early Learners Institute Day there many Ideas for introducing and practicing academic vocabulary were generated. Some ideas included using pictures, fotos, video clips, and real objects to introduce new vocabulary. Other ideas were to conduct language experience activities especially those using cooking and science experiments. Games such as I Spy and Memory were great center ideas that require the children to use the vocabulary in authentic and yet fun ways. Other activities such as word walls, venn diagrams, and riddles are also very engaging for children. I'd love to hear what you are doing to introduce the vocabulary or practice the vocabulary or how you are using the Big Book format using these ideas or any others.

Pat Chamberlain

Extending the Themes

Our district kindergarten curriculum uses 4 basic themes as vehicles to teach the skills listed in the Illinois Early Learning Standards for Kindergarten and the U-46 Curriculum Roadmaps. But those basic themes are extended upon and added to by many teachers. I'm sure new teachers and veterans would love to hear how colleagues go beyond the basic themes to follow student interests. What are you doing out there??

Lovely Literature Links...

Another kindergarten teacher suggested we add a post here for sharing some of our favorite literature books. Please take a minute to share with us a title of a book(s) you think we would enjoy reading to our students. It can be a new title, or one that’s been around for a while.
I’ll get the ball rolling here with a book I found earlier this year. The title is
Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Illustrated by Jane Dyer. It’s a wonderful book that defines mysteries such as “fair” and “unfair” and what it really means to “cooperate”. It’s beautifully done and is a book that would be a great springboard for classroom discussions on delicate topics.

Pleased To Meet You....

I was asked to create a post that invites our readers to introduce themselves to one another. I am not sure of the protocol for such a thing....but here goes...

Tell us your first name, the grade you teach, (or the description of your role in the lives of Early Learners) where you work, and an interesting fact about yourself, or an interesting anecdote that you are comfortable sharing with us.
I know a few of you may be a tad hesitant to participate...don't be shy....speak up! We're a friendly bunch!
Keep in mind...we're all pleased to meet you!

photo by fazen

Across the Globe...

Hello Everyone. I want to share with you a blog link that was sent to me from Dean Shareski, it's from Jody Hayes, a classroom teacher for 5 & 6 year olds in New Zealand. I LOVE this site. Jody has set up a fantastic way for her students to share connect and collaborate. I love how the site includes not only postings by the teacher, but the students post as well! It matches the image I have in my mind of what we (Early Childhood Educators) can do with Web 2.0 tools and the integration of these tools into our curriculum. Jody breaks the myth that these tools are only for the "older students". Thanks Jody!
Dean also recommended Kathy Cassidy's classroom blog. WOW, another fabulous site! I will have to read deeper into, I want to know what part of the globe they are posting from.
Please take the time to visit these classroom blogs and see for yourself the possibilities that the tools hold. I am anxious to find more sites to share with you here.

A BIG THANKS to you Dean for your comments and pointing my mouse in their direction! WOW, I can't wait to explore more of their postings as well and investigate links and blogs they find of interest. But first I'll get a little breakfast or it'll be time for lunch and I will wonder where the time went and how I managed to forget to eat (again) ;-) Thanks again Dean!

Cindy

NAEYC is coming....NAEYC is coming....

I was surfing for Early Childhood sites to post here and saw that NAEYC is coming to Chicago in November of 2007. Many years ago I attended this conference in Chicago with my teaching partners from Leal School in Urbana, IL. We had a great time driving up to "The BIG City"; we went to as many sessions as we could. It was FANTASTIC to be surrounded by people who had a shared vision of Early Childhood Education. Anyone from U-46 planning to attend or present a session? If so, please share.....

Cindy

Videos of Interest...

In searching the Internet, I came across TEACHERS TV. They have thousands of videos & TV programs for teachers. They also have a section for Early Childhood. I believe it is based in England, but as we all know... the stages of child development are not confined to borders or time zones. The site has several videos geared toward Early Learners. I hope you will visit the site and watch the videos. Feel free to share your thoughts and reactions to the video(s) you view there. Be sure to note the title of the video so we know where to point our attention.
Enjoy!

Cindy

Getting Started....

Hello fellow educators. This blog has been set up as a means for sharing thoughts and ideas related to our work with young children. Although this site has my name, it belongs to all of us. If you have never blogged before, now is a GREAT time to start. If you're not sure what a blog really is, or it's purpose...take a look at what Dean Shareski has shared about blogs. Over the course of the next few months, we will engage teachers in discussions about curriculum, professional books, readings, in-service and more. Please remember this is a public space for all to read. While we do not all have to agree, respect for one another is must.
The the "WHAT'S A BLOG TOUR" by Blogger.com. You may find you want to set up a blog for your classroom. If you're wondering what can be gained from blogging, read what Dana Huff shared in her blog. She has some good advice on where to find blogs, engaging in the conversations, and how to keep up with your favorite blogs. Kristin Hokanson has a site that explains what is an educational blog and why you should consider doing it.

If you have a blog you think would be of interest to Early Childhood Educators, by all means...share it with us.

Check back soon for more posts.