Since the first week of school, I have incorporated growth mindset in my classroom.  I have seen most of the students feel more comfortable when they mistakes and we can "fix" them.  This takes place during the Math Meeting time where the students make number sentences and they are adding  (or subtracting) to get to the number of the day.  

In my first grade class this year, I have added a Makerspace area so the students would be able to get creative.  I was asked this week to define what my Makerspace area actually is and so I decided to look for different definitions.  Rendina (2017) mentions that "A makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials."  This is what I want the students to have the opportunities to have in my class.  I have had many people just give me things (and I buy things too) over the year and I usually keep them in my closet.  I also have gone to a place called The Welman Project.  This is a cool place that people can donate things for teachers and non-profit organizations and can pick up things for free!  They are into reusing things...
So this past week in Science, we are studying recycling, reducing, and reusing.  For their exploring part of teaching, I decided that the students could make a project out of things in the Makerspace area and things that they brought from home.  The projects that they came up with were so cool!  The pictures are just a few from the week.
For the explaining part of the week, I had the students explain their project and recycling (or reducing or reusing) in ChatterPix.  I love their projects and how I am hearing that they are understanding what they are learning in class. Click the button to see the example.

​So today was a rough day for me as a teacher.  My students had their first "test" and it was computerized.  Now, it was not a test of material that I have taught them, but I get so nervous when my first graders have to take a test.  This is so new to them and many of them do not have the concept of taking a test.  We have been talking about growth mindset, but I just want them to well on the test (why- probably because it means that I have to do more RTI plans- but that just means that they can reflect more in their learning.)  In Dweck's book, Mindset- The New Psychology of Success, she mentions that you have to be aware of success, because it can knock you into fixed mindset.  I was when I saw there was some students that scored well.  I know that I have to now push them more... 

​A couple of weeks ago, my principal asked me to do a technology training for the other teachers.  As a teacher of the littles, I sometimes feel like I don't feel always comfortable in front of adults.  But I did say yes and started to develop a plan to have the teachers "go to" stations for different things.  So Thursday morning, we started the training (45 minutes late because the admin wanted to see the training.)  I shared with the staff this DLL program that I was a part of and the term COVA.  At the beginning, the teachers were not really moving, but they got to learn some different technology.  I did a Google Form for the teachers to fill out and they liked exploring the different things.  I know it helped that I allowed them to choose their stations and take ownership with their learning.  I am passionate in learning technology, but I know that some are not, so giving the teachers options let them pick.
Here is the list of stations (if you are wondering)-
1. Seesaw Activity Library/ set up Seesaw too
2. QR codes/ URL shorteners
3. Google forms/ sheets
4. Digital Books- Epic/ Tumble Books
5. Green screen 
6. iMovie 
7. Creativity- piccolloge/ chatterpix