Room108 Podcast 14: How have you shown kindness?

In this episode of our classroom radio show, students talk about how  they have shown kindness recently. This is the fourteenth episode of our classroom podcast, created using the free Opinion app on my iPhone.  I teach third and fourth grade students at Positive Tomorrows in Oklahoma City.

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Shownotes:

  1. This podcast episode on Opinion
  2. Our radio show homepage on Opinion
  3. Our Classroom Website (on Google Sites)
  4. Our Classroom YouTube Channel
  5. Follow me on Twitter:  @sfryer
Lego Design Challenge by shellyfryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  shellyfryer 

Helping My Students Find Their Voice

In redesigning my classroom with the purpose of building classroom community and community learning spaces, an interesting thing happened last week at recess. A group of girls didn’t like having to use the chalkboard in the heat of the sun on the sidewalk. They asked if they could “chalk” on the picnic table and in the back of the playground. I asked why they didn’t use the chalkboard on the fence on the side of the playground, and they said it was because other students were playing basketball and foursquare there. The back of the playground has more shade and a picnic table, which they wanted to use to “play school.”

Since the playground is used by everyone, I suggested they come up with a petition and present their ideas to our principal, Mrs. Agel. Four of the girls got together and talked about their ideas. One wrote a note about what they wanted to do: Use chalk on the wooden picnic table as well as possibly paint a chalkboard on the back fence in the shade. They got all the students in our class to sign the petition, and then delivered it to our principal’s office.

Mrs. Agel responded back to them and said she had a few questions, and asked if they could meet the next day. The girls met with Mrs. Agel at 10 am the next morning in her office. Mrs. Agel gave them permission to go forward with their ideas as long as they cleaned up their mess and worked together with other students to create a new chalkboard.

The girls have now formed a committee and are including members of our classroom in designing and painting a new chalkboard area. As the girls met with Mrs. Agel, they were very nervous. They said, “We’re just little kids.” They learned through this process that their ideas and opinions matter, and they can affect change in our school environment.

I am very proud of my students for making a difference.

Our Classroom Reading Nook

Our classroom reading nook is one of our most popular literacy stations.  Before school started I spent time going through our classroom library and organizing the books by topic and reading level.  At the beginning of school I surveyed the students about the types of books they liked to read and the things they wanted to know more about.  By observing and listening to the students I keep a close eye on the books that are generating the most interest.  I also include books that coordinate with the Science/Social Studies units we are currently studying.  By limiting the amount of books they have access to, students spend more time reading and less time “grazing”.  Also, by having books always rotating in and out students  always have an opportunity to find something new to read.  Students especially enjoy having a quiet place to stretch out and be comfortable.

Enjoying the Reading Nook by shellyfryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  shellyfryer 

Cross-posted from our class blog on WriteAbout.com

Room108 Podcast 12: Ms. Bowler

Our question of the day is: “Why do you like Ms. Bowler?” Ms. Bowler has been our classroom assistant at Positive Tomorrows for the past two years in Room 108. This is the twelfth episode of our classroom podcast, created using the free Opinion app on my iPhone. My third and fourth grade students discuss different questions during our end-of-day class meeting and record our answers as a class radio show.

Open/Subscribe in your podcast app

Shownotes:

  1. This podcast episode on Opinion
  2. Our Classroom Website (on Google Sites)
  3. Our Classroom YouTube Channel
  4. Follow me on Twitter:  @sfryer
Lego Design Challenge by shellyfryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  shellyfryer 

Room108 Podcast 11: Our Responsibilities

In this episode of our classroom podcast, Anastacia shares a summary of an article she read on News-o-matic about a company building a space plane. Check our shownotes for a similar article! Our question of the day is: “What are your favorite things to do at recess?” This is the eleventh episode of our classroom podcast, created using the free Opinion app on my iPhone. My third and fourth grade students discuss different questions during our end-of-day class meeting and record our answers as a class radio show.

Open/Subscribe in your podcast app

Shownotes:

  1. This podcast episode on Opinion
  2. German space researchers reboot effort to launch hypersonic space plane (August 18, 2015)
  3. Our Classroom Website (on Google Sites)
  4. Our Classroom YouTube Channel
  5. Follow me on Twitter:  @sfryer
First Week by shellyfryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  shellyfryer 

Room108 Podcast 10: Favorite Things At Recess

Our question of the day is: “What are your favorite things to do at recess?” This is the tenth episode of our classroom podcast, created using the free Opinion app on my iPhone. My third and fourth grade students discuss different questions during our end-of-day class meeting and record our answers as a class radio show.

Open/Subscribe in your podcast app

Shownotes:

  1. This podcast episode on Opinion
  2. My Classroom Website (Google Site)
  3. Our Classroom YouTube Channel
  4. Follow me on Twitter:  @sfryer
First week of school by shellyfryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  shellyfryer 

Room108 Podcast 9: Books We Are Reading

Our question of the day is: “What book are you reading and why do you like it?” This is the ninth episode of our classroom podcast, created using the free Opinion app on my iPhone. My third and fourth grade students discuss different questions during our end-of-day class meeting and record our answers as a class radio show.

Open/Subscribe in your podcast app

Shownotes:

  1. This podcast episode on Opinion
  2. My Classroom Website (Google Site)
  3. Our Classroom YouTube Channel
  4. Follow me on Twitter:  @sfryer
Reading by shellyfryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  shellyfryer 

Room108 Podcast 8: Our Morning App Choices

Our question of the day is: “What app did you choose today?” This is the eighth episode of our classroom podcast, created using the free Opinion app on my iPhone. My third and fourth grade students discuss different questions during our end-of-day class meeting and record our answers as a class radio show.

Open/Subscribe in your podcast app

Shownotes:

  1. This podcast episode on Opinion
  2. My Classroom Website (Google Site)
  3. Our Classroom YouTube Channel
  4. Follow me on Twitter:  @sfryer
iPhone apps sphere by blakespot, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  blakespot 

Room108 Podcast 7: The Important Thing About Our Class

This is the seventh episode of our classroom podcast, created using the free Opinion app on my iPhone. In this episode my third and fourth grade students discuss the question, “What is the important thing about our class?” We read  “The Important Book” by Margaret Wise Brown and used its pattern and rhythm to create this podcast.

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Shownotes:

  1. This podcast episode on Opinion
  2. “The Important Book” by Margaret Wise Brown
  3. My Classroom Website (Google Site)
  4. Our Classroom YouTube Channel
  5. Follow me on Twitter:  @sfryer
First Week by shellyfryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  shellyfryer 

Room108 Podcast 6: A Challenging Day

This is the sixth episode of our classroom podcast, created using the free Opinion app on my iPhone. In this episode my third and fourth grade students discuss the question, “What was challenging about today?”

Open/Subscribe in your podcast app

Shownotes:

  1. This podcast episode on Opinion
  2. My Classroom Website (Google Site)
  3. Our Classroom YouTube Channel
  4. Follow me on Twitter:  @sfryer
First Week by shellyfryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  shellyfryer 

Staying Curious in Matthews, North Carolina