Afternoon Ti

 Season Six Episode 130 Pear Deck and Rhythm Writing This short series of episodes is all about rhythm.  In episode 129 I shared four systems for counting and speaking rhythm.  One is not better than the other.  It just depends on which system works best for you in your teaching situation and then being consistent with it!  In this episode I’m going to be sharing how I’m using Pear Deck to engage students in rhythm writing.  In episode 114 I shared nine tech tools that I wanted to use this school year.  It’s taking me a bit of time to figure out each tech tool as I go, but with each one I’m building confidence and learning new ways to make learning engaging and creative in a technology kind of way.  As I’m learning how to use each tech tool, creating content and growing in confidence with what I’m seeing in my classroom I’m sharing with you! So what is Pear Deck?  Pear Deck is an add-on within google slides.  You can allow students to...

Season Two Episode 50 Dreadfully Good Halloween Activities for the Classroom I have not one (ah-ah-ah) or two (ah-ah-ah), but ten carefully chosen spine-chilling, frighteningly gruesome and dangerously fun Halloween activities to share.  (ah-ah-ah)  I love spending time with family and friends and embracing the joyfulness of enjoying a seasonal holiday involving costumes, fun, and candy corn.  WAY too much candy corn! Every school looks at this day differently and celebrates or embraces it in different ways.  In one school that I worked, we celebrated Book Character Day on Halloween and students dress like a character and bring their book to match.  Dressing up within a book theme with other teachers is so fun.  One year our team used the book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (I was the wardrobe made out of a cardboard box - that was so fun to move around in!) and other years we were different versions of Pinkalicious, Greek goddesses, Dr. Seuss...

We are inching steadily closer to Halloween and at our school, it's a big deal!  We have the annual Halloween Parade with the entire school around the track outside followed by the entire school dancing the Monster Mash.  Our science department plans a creative Halloween Spectacular for all of middle school and students rotate into the lab to watch amazing scientific feats - one year a pumpkin exploded!  They LOVE it! Since I have students for a trimester, our first trimester Music Sharing is two days after Halloween this year.  Students are only two weeks away from this event and we are in the midst of solidifying everything for the sharing while balancing the continuation of learning new musical concepts. To make it engaging, here are a few ideas I am trying out with students over the next two weeks.   SINGING BOOK TEXTS  I originally looked for the book recommended by Lindsay Jervis here:  The Halloween House .  Instead I found t...