Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Day In The Life Of A Connected Classroom


8:30 Entry

A screenshot of one of my student's blog posts 

9:00 Twitter Review - Reading Mini Lesson


After we read and responded to some tweets we were ready for our reading mini lesson. I have been teaching the students the difference between on the page and off the page questions.  I have taught the students that sometimes the answer is right in the book.  If we can put our finger or fingers on the answer, its called an on the page question.  The answer is right on the page.  We just need to use evidence from the text.  When the book doesn't tell us the exact answer/ when we can't put our finger on the answer/ when we have to add our ideas to help us answer the question then we use AEO and it is called an OFF the page question.  You need to use evidence from the text to answer the questions along with your own ideas.  I went over our anchor chart and I told them that they were going to be detectives  that day and they were going to figure out what type of question I was asking.  I was using the fabulous book, "Tuesday" by David Wiesner which is nearly a wordless book.  Because the book had very few words, I decided to read the book to the class first without asking any questions.   My students used the comprehensions strategies they have learned throughout the year and wrote about their thinking using todaysmeet while I read the story.  I made book marks with a QR code on them that took them to todaysmeet.  

Examples of students' responses while I read the story.

  1. What time is it?

9:30 - Literacy Stations


Group 1
1. Word Work A - Write the room
2. iPads - blogs
3. Science Station
4. Writing - Write About this app
5. Reading-Buddy reading
6.  Smartboard -  spelling practice
Group 2
1. Fluency Station - Audio Boo - You read to me i'll read to you
2. Writing -  Write about this app
3. iPads - Blogs 
4. Science Station
5. Insect Write the room
6. Library - reading buddies
I will share a description of a few of these stations:

Science Station

Download Instructions Sheet Here

Download Observation Sheet Here

Fluency Station

Download This Station Here

Writing Station

Download The Instructions Sheet Here

10:10 - 10:50 Nutrition Break

10:50 - 11:40 Prep

11:40 - 12:30 - Writing


12:30 - 1:10 Nutrition Break

1:10 - 2:05 Math

We usually have silent reading for 20 minutes, however on this day we were writing math problems to share on Twitter with Mrs. Degroot's class.  We tweeted math problems and solved math problems on Twitter until 1:35 then skyped with Mrs. Degroot's class and we exchanged math problems via Skype.

2:05 - 2:50 Art

On all other days we do math stations during this time.  However, on Wednesdays we have Art.  On this particular day we read "A Color Of His Own" By Leo Lionni and students created and painted a chameleon.

2:50 - Dismissal

Phew....that was a long blogpost!  Hopefully you gained a little bit of insight of what goes on in my very busy classroom!  


  1. I LOVE this post. Thank you for all the ideas!

  2. Superb! Love your ideas.

  3. Hi - awesome that you took the time to share this. It's a great way for others to vicariously experience your classroom. I'm curious, how difficult was it for you to make the transition from a traditional approach to this digitally immersive way? How have you adapted your assessment practices and have you seen measureable improvements in your students?


  4. From Creativation Foundation in Spain we want to Congrats your school and your class for this lesson