Texas Autism State Conference

I always have a tough time missing school, but I am so thankful I had a chance to attend and present at the 20th Annual Texas State Autism Conference  I left Dallas around 3:30am on Thursday morning to make it to the conference that started at 8:30am.  I didn't make it right on time, but I was able to make the end of Jamie Canales session (she rocks! Always love running into her.. even nicer to actually hear her speak this time!)  The afternoon session I was able to hear Dr. Braman and Dr. Catlett speak about ABA and the IEP.  It was a FANTASTIC session!  It was one of those sessions where you get ideas, but it also validated what I was already doing in my classroom.  They also talked about the importance of data collection (I love learning about new ways to do data collection!) Check out Autism in Action for great Autism How To Programs.  I personally can not wait to check out the Instructional Objectives Handbook!
"Understanding the significant time demands placed on teachers everywhere, Autism In Action™ has also developed a time-saving resource for writing measurable Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Containing more than 200 objectives with fill-in criteria to support the general education curriculum, the Instructional Objectives Handbook comes in a convenient CD format that allows you to copy and paste into your existing IEP software."


On Friday I had a chance to do the thing that I have learned I enjoyed tremendously!  I LOVE PRESENTING! It makes me so happy!  Today I presented   3 sessions that were 1 and a half hour each over Digital Storytelling in the Multi-ability classroom.

 

During the session I had a chance to share with participants different ways to use technology to create digital stories and modify and adapt to meet the needs of different level learners.


I have been so appreciative of all of the people that I have met, all the people that participated in my sessions, and all of the people that work for Education Service Center 2 (as they have been so patient with me and answered my 100's of questions)  I always gain something from the conferences that I attend, but I have thoroughly enjoyed this conference! I love learning ideas, gaining knowledge on new topics and teachings, connecting with other educators and parents, sharing my own ideas, and most importantly validating that I am doing things correctly in my classroom.


This blog has taken so much longer than usual.. my brain is so tired from the super busy week I have had!  I leave you with this note, how do you remind yourself that you are doing the best for your students and yourself?  How do you tell stories in your classroom?  What are you favorite conferences?

Tweet All About it!

Our class has ventured into the Wide World of Tweeting this year!  I have wanted to try it for a couple of years, and I decided this is the year to do it! Now, tweeting in our classroom is not necessarily for the back and forth conversation, or at least not yet! 

Every afternoon we come back to the carpet and we think of one thing we have done during the day.  We write it out together on a dry erase board.  While writing it we pay attention to capitalization and punctuation.  Once we have our sentence we read it together as a class.  I then choose one student to type it for me.  Some students need hand over hand guidance and some students just need the written prompt.  Each student gets a chance to type it.

Although we are tweeting and working on comprehension about activities during the day, we are also using this time to see who we are connecting with.  What a great way to learn about the map!  This map is outside our classroom.  Every time we have a new follower we add them to our map.  The first day we looked at our map we talked about the legend.  Our legend has The Flat Stanley Project, Twitter Followers, and Video Conferencing.  I can't wait to fill up our map more with all of the connections my class is making this year!

Some important things to remember!
1. Nothing is ever private, I have signed permission forms from all of my students. 
2. Keep up with your followers
3. Don't post personal information- any pictures that we might post do not have students in them

Are you using twitter in your classroom?  Are you following us @mrskellersclass How do you make connections?

Writing

Hello Fabulous Readers!
So, as you know, this year has been SUCH a change for me!  I know, I know change is good.  How do you promote writing in your classroom?  How do you differentiate among grade levels and abilities?  Here are some of my ideas, but I would love to hear yours also! 

I try to set my schedule up during the day where I work with 1 to 3 students at a time.  This way I can really have a productive mini lesson.  I still have large group lessons, but really focus on the areas of IEPs in my small group settings (for those just joining... I teach children kinder-5th grade with different abilities)

 

Last week I had one of my small groups choose a topic.  Coming up with an idea to write about is hard, and I hope with practice will get easier!  On Tuesday I gave each student a pencil and a sticky note.  We brainstormed together over the topic.  Students could draw a picture, write a sentence, or just write a word, as long as it stayed on the topic.  On Wednesday and Thursday we worked on writing correct sentences using our brainstorming ideas.  This is where we really talked about capitalization and punctuation.  We also talked about rough draft.  On Friday we put it on our blog (now, I don't know if that is going to change... because I don't know if I like how it looks there)  I am excited to see my students writing grow over the year!

So, this is what I do with just one group.  As a whole group we have been tweeting.  Be sure to follow us @mrskellersclass to see what we are doing!  My next blog will be over how we are using twitter in our classroom!

Hope to hear from you and what you are doing to increase rigor and writing in your class!

Alphabet Work Center

Our district is in the second year of using the Unique Learning System Curriculum, and I LOVE IT!  Being a teacher with students with multiple abilities it makes it tough sometimes to lesson plan.  Unique covers the different bands of curriculum, but has it modified for different levels of learners.  Each  month focuses on a different theme.  I am beginning to make different independent work stations for my classroom. Each month there are also spelling words.  At the first of the month we begin to go over these spelling words.  For my students that are non-verbal I have an voice output device that I use with the per-recorded words.  I have the support in place for my verbal students depending on skill level.  The alphabet station has a copy of the words and an alphabet board.  The station also includes directions on how to complete the center that I produced in boardmaker.  Students are invited to go the station and place each word with the correct letter it begins with.  


I am excited about some of the other stations that I am setting up!  Stay tuned!  Oh, and guess what.. my students tweeted today.  What a great way for students to think about what they have done!  More on that later!

Classroom 2011-2012

Wow! I am in my 10th day at my new school.  On the first day of school  I was so loved and received a cookie bouquet from my fabulous friend Shawn and an edible bouquet from "The Men in My Life" (ie. husband, brother in law, and 2 great friends Paul and Scott)  It was a wonderful way to start the school year!
 
I started the day off with putting these magnets into everyone's boxes.  The goal was the first day of school, but it didn't happen.  Thanks to Googly Eye Crafts in Irving I always get the BEST ideas!  

I LOVE email (and I am sorry to the people that I have not got back to yet-I promise it is on my to do list!) but I love regular mail even more.  Nothing is better than getting packages in the mail with goodies!

My parents always send me the best goodies!  This year has been no exception :) I received some snacks for my classroom along with information about West Texas A&M University to add to my door.  We are Elliott University where everyone is going to College!  What a great way to start a day with that statement! One of the coolest things in my package was these AWESOME Peace signs.  Stevens Floral Company in Canyon, Texas always has the best things.  What a GREAT add on to my class that the theme is Peace, Love, and Bumblebees.


My other WAY cool thing that I received was from IR Great Innovations LLC.  If you have followed my youtube videos for awhile you know that I made one over creating your own interactive whiteboard.  I get to test out their new product which is a rear projection unit that students can walk up to! Don't worry there will be a video up soon!  If you want to check out any of my other videos head over to www.youtube.com/ilovechefwilliam 


I will close this post with the quote that I gave all teachers with their magnets today and my new youtube video of my classroom set up!  More blogs to come over all of the cool Unique stuff, some new data collection ideas, center ideas, and of course the new Wiimote Whiteboard information.

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn."

~John Cotton Dana~ 

 

The Busy Bee has Moved

I know that I ended my last post that there would be a video coming, well... I lied.  Since my last update our district has added some new classrooms.  So, this past week I transferred my classroom from Stipes Elementary to Elliott Elementary.  Although I am UBER excited to start a new adventure, I have a heavy heart leaving my friends at Stipes and some of my students.  Being in such a specialized unit allows me to get very close to students and their families.  I have some that are moving with me, but others I will have let them make a change too.  My Dad sent me this wonderful quote:
 "Change does not change tradition. It strengthens it. Change is a challenge and an opportunity, not a threat."
- Prince Phillip of England


Wow! What a Powerful quote!  I spend so much of my time working with my students on accepting changes in their schedule who knew how hard it would be to accept change in my own.  As teachers we become such creatures of habit and the schedule. So, here is my new change.  I wonder if I should write my own social story about When there is a Change.  


To keep up with my friends from my old school and my old students we are already working on the idea of pen pals, book buddies, and video conferencing.  


So, once I find my floor again (see picture above) I Promise I will have a video.  I have new ideas and thoughts I want to share this year!  


I leave you with this quote.   There are many teachers that have been misplaced, that are starting new jobs, that are looking for jobs, and that are making changes.


"Wherever we are, it is but a stage on the way to somewhere else, and whatever we do, however well we do it, it is only a preparation to do something else that shall be different."
- Robert Louis Stevenson


Want more great quotes?  Like my parents Facebook page for the Buffalo Bookstore in Canyon, Texas.

Tenth Year

What do you mean Tenth Year? It is my Tenth year teaching! Oh my goodness 10 years I have been in a classroom. 10 years and many amazing students, families and connections I have made. I have also decided that this is going to be the BEST year ever in the Busy Bee classroom!

I have seen on some other blogs educators creating themselves their own IEP's. What a Fantastic idea! I will be creating one of these also, but here are a few things that will be on it.

- Updating this blog- I have started so many blogs, but I am going to keep up with this one, I promise!
- Finishing my book- I am finally in the last stages of it (I think)
- Increasing technology in my classroom- I already have so many ideas on this! Be watching for more blogs over what I am going to do next.
- Be Patient and know that it is going to be a Fantastic year!- I am pretty patient as it is, but this next year is going to be a very different year. With education budget cuts this means an increase in classroom size. I am going to have to be Uber creative, patient, and ready to ask for help. I was able to listen to Dr. Eric Jensen today and he said something very important- when I feel stressed- take action over, write it down for later, or drop it. I have really worked on that this summer, and I will keep working on it this next year!

I know that I will have a few more IEP's, like some about increasing Autism Awareness, Destination ImagiNation, yearbook, The Breast Cancer 3 Day, and I am sure there are a few more.

Next blog will be about setting up my classroom. How do you set up your classroom? What can you not live without? What is the most important space in your classroom?




Here is a quick picture of my classroom for 2011. I I have changed some of my classroom around. I decided for my 10th year of teaching I wanted to be a little different. Next week I will have a new video that will take you on a tour of the classroom.