Olympics 2018

I have always loved watching the Olympics, both summer and winter and have always tried to incorporate the Olympics into my classroom during the Winter Olympics.  I thought everyone would be really excited, but honestly this group I have this year doesn't seem to impressed.  Most of them told me that they have not watched any of the Olympics and some even told me they didn't even realize they were on right now.  Why is this I wonder?  Could it be that the kids are more into their electronics?  Could it be that many households only using streaming devices such as Roku or the Amazon firestick to watch TV?  I'm not sure, but I will make it my mission over the next two weeks to get these kids pumped up about the Olympics!!!!  

Reading: So today, we started with a BrainPop video  and then we read a Winter Games- Close Reading Passage from TeachersPayTeachers.  This resource is awesome because it exposes the students to nonfiction reading and it can be used digitally with Google Classroom.  

Math: Another cool resource I found is 2018 Winter Olympics by the Numbers.  Each image in the Olympic slide show is accompanied with a numerical fact. Teachers, this is where you can get creative.  You can have students of every grade level work with these numbers based on your standards.  I plan to have my students write the numbers in expanded form using multiplication in my lesson.  

Science:  Ever wonder the science behind some of your favorite Olympic Events?  NBC Learn has teamed up with the National Science Foundation to produce a 16-part video series that explores the science behind individual Olympic Events.  I can't wait to share some of these with my students!  The curling one is my favorite!  Click here to check them all out!  

The video below shows my students doing the Kagan Structure - Quiz Quiz Trade.  During Flex Groups I had them read a passage about the host city, Pyeongchang and then I used some common core question stem cards. Of course I played the Olympic Fanfare and Theme while they mixed around the room finding their next partner.  

iPad Apps for Education

What are you favorite apps for education? 

My son and daughter both got an iPad for Christmas this past year and I am trying to encourage them to use it for something other that YouTube Kids.  I think there is probably some benefit to them watching toy reviews, I get annoyed that they would rather watch other people open and play with toys than play with the toys they have.  The only benefit I have found from them watching those type videos is that is keeps them entertained and it does increase their vocabulary and spark interest in their own creative play.  However, I would like them to use their iPads to help reinforce math, reading, science, and spanish.  I want them to use their iPad's to create their own videos/projects.  I mean, they are only 3 and 6, but I am a firm believer in the #kiderscan and #preKcan movements. 

Right now we are using ...

ABCmouse

PBS-Science and Play

Educreations

Duolingo (for Spanish) 

LetterSchool

I also need some technology time management ideas.  My daughter who has learned how to read has figured out how to change and set the timer on the youtube kids app.  Before we would limit her to 15-30 minutes at a time.  She used to give it up just fine when the timer when off, because she understood that time was up. Now, we still try to limit her time, but she will not just hand it over when we tell her it's been 15 minutes.  I end up just taking it away and making her cry.  I love technology, but I do believe there at their young age their needs to be a balance.  I don't want her to be glued to a screen all evening.