Ready set- E-tip
Collaboration plays a vital role in ensuring the success of any project, and our media project was no exception. While planning it, we realized that each one of us had a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with fellow teachers. However, we found it challenging to convey our ideas briefly within two minutes.
As passionate teachers, we are always on the lookout for new ways to make our classrooms more engaging and inspire our students to be their best selves. Hence, we decided to create a mini-series of podcasts to assist other teachers like us in learning about blended learning and how to use it in different situations, based on our experiences and expertise.
We are thrilled to invite you to listen to our series of e-tips! We have compiled some fantastic advice and strategies that we believe you will find useful. These tips are ideal for fellow teachers who, like us, are always seeking ways to infuse more fun and excitement into their teaching.
Our team
Adriana celis
Iliana Reyes
Estefania Laguna
Listen to our first season
Welcome to ready set e-tips
Hello! Welcome to our project, Ready Set e-tips. We are a group of three friends, Adriana, Iliana, and Estefania, who joined this adventure almost a year ago. We have lived many experiences during this time of the Master. Although we are very different, There are some things in which we are similar: We are Latinas, mothers, wives, and teachers, and we are convinced that blended learning is an efficient tool that allows us to achieve academic goals for our students. In the following episodes, you will find a short tour of what we have called Ready Set e-tips. Although our base is blended learning, we want to give you some tips on how it has been implemented in our own classrooms. As mentioned by Horn & Staker in their book, blended learning is any formal education program in which a student learns, at least in part, through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, the path, and/or the rhythm. We want to tell you how our experience as bilingual primary school teachers has allowed us to find some tips to help you: What is Blended Learning? How the blended learning stations are structured in a classroom. How to introduce the little ones to the use of technology in rotations. Mathematics and technology, Dynamic science stations for 4th and 5th grade students. There are six chapters in which we present our knowledge based on our experience, but above all, on what we learned while completing the Master's. We hope you find these Tips very interesting and beneficial.
e-Tip #2
Benefits of Rotation Stations model in math, for Prekindergarten students.
This model is Rotation Station of blended learning approach. Blended Learning is a teaching approach that combines in-person instruction with online learning, and children can work at their own pace. But I would like to talk about the rotation station model. In this model, students are divided into small groups and rotate through different stations or workstations. The students participate in learning activities designed to address different elements of the content or specific skills The rotation station model has a lot of benefits, and some of them are: 1. Students have more opportunities to ask questions and receive individual feedback as they work. 2. Small group activities are student-centered. requiring that students actively participate to accomplish a task. 3. Activities can challenge various skill levels. Students can control the pace of learning in a particular station. Kids love to move, and rotating around the room helps them to keep engaged. The variety of learning activities and tasks used in this model keeps student interest high. Activities can incorporate different learning modalities to appeal to multiple intelligences. Teachers can review concepts, model processes, or provide direct instruction for small groups in the teacher-led station. Teachers can customize work to meet each student's learning goals by understanding what they know also Teachers have more time to provide individualized teaching and effective feedback by working with students in small groups. In my personal experience, it has been beneficial for me to deepen my students' knowledge and promote learning in math. I plan to implement the rotations stations model in other subjects such as ELA or Science.
e-Tip #3
Exploring Blended Learning for Preschoolers: A Guide for Teachers
Blended learning can improve preschoolers' social skills and language abilities. As a preschool teacher, it's important to encourage kids to learn through experimenting and socializing, while also giving them the independence to make their own decisions and learn in real-life settings. Teachers can use technology as a tool for exploration and learning, creating a lively and engageng learning environment that sparks kids' curiosity and creativity. 1.First it's important to decide on the number of stations you want to use. For preschoolers, the rotation model works wonders allow them explore content in multiple ways, putting the focus on the learning rather than the content. Trial and error is a part of the learning process. 2. keep in mind avoid use apps without a clear focus on learning. There are many of digital resources, that can help make learning fun and engaging for young children! Applications like Seesaw and Boomcards offer a wide range of lessons that allow kids to practice and reinforce what they've learned. 3.Want to make learning more exciting for your kids? Blended learning can make learning more exciting for your little ones. Show them how to use basic iPad tools like the camera, microphone, and drawing tools. Pretending to read books and stories, and recording their own learning. Plus, as a teacher, you can create their first e-portfolios and keep track of their progress 4. One of the great things about blended learning is that we can easily keep track of our students' progress and work with them on their individual needs. It's important to take the time to review their progress and make any necessary adjustments. 5..Blended learning can feel a little overwhelming at first, but don't worry - we've got this! Let's start with small steps and gradually explore different ideas and alternatives for your little students. Remember, less is more! Thank you for listening us see you in the next e-tipsodio!
e-Tip #4
Setting up the Math Rotations Stations in a prekindergarten classroom.
The rotation stations should be organized in separate areas in the classroom, you must decide how many areas you want, where they will be, what the students will do in each area and how they will learn. Most classrooms have three stations: a small group for direct instruction, a place for students to work independently, and a space for collaboration. These areas can use different materials and technology and help students learn in different ways I would like to recommend the rotation stations that I use in my classroom to teach math. It should be noted that the rotation stations can be customized to fit the grade level and age of the students. Based on the age of the prekindergarten children, I suggest incorporating a dramatic play station where kids can express themselves in a natural setting. In my classroom, I created a station where children could use real-life mathematical skills in play activities, such as grocery shopping or going to a restaurant. The teacher-led small group station is designed to provide personalized attention that caters to the unique needs of each student. The technology station is where students use their iPads to learn the desired objective. In my case, my students learn math through interactive websites, in which they have fun and learn at the same time. The math game station is designed in a way that enables students to use manipulatives that engage their sense of numbers, shapes, and learning skills. The games can be adjustable according to the subject and grade level being taught. Please note, you have all the materials needed to set up stations for your students, based on their interests. Let me recommend the materials I have used for my stations: iPads with interactive websites installed like Istation, Starfall, and Seesaw, headphones, manipulatives for math games, dramatization materials for young children, and activities for small groups desingend by the teacher that focused on number sense, spatial awareness and shapes. Blended learning is an adaptable and easy method to suit any level of teaching. These recommendations will help you build an intelligent classroom. I suggest checking out our other podcasts, related to higher degrees of early childhood teaching
e-Tip #5
Blended learning to develop language in 1st ELL students
Hello! this e-tip, it's about using blended learning to develop language comprehension and writing skills in first-grade Ell Students Sometimes, these students may struggle due to lack of exposure to the language at home or limited access to technology. we can face these challenges by creating an awesome learning environment that promotes engagement and helps us achieve our goals. By doing this, we can encourage independence, collaboration, and ownership, which are all important skills for students. However, implementing these strategies takes a bit of planning, and we need to slowly transition from traditional face-to-face classrooms to more authentic learning environments. Here are some tips. Make an agenda for your day. In your lesson plan, divide it into parts into stations, and organize your lesson so that you can foster collaboration, develop agency, create an authentic learning environment, 2. Less is more, Start with four stations: investigation station: you can give books, videos, and resources about your topic and encourage your students to record their notes, question and own reflections. collaboration station; . When it comes to learning, collaboration can be a great way to clarify concepts and make things more comfortable for everyone involved. To encourage teamwork, you could try assigning some group questions on a worksheet or even online. Assess: This station is really important for helping you evaluate, clarify, and support your students. You can also use technology to make things even easier! Encourage your students to record their learning on platforms like CANVAS, where you can upload assignments, evaluate their responses, and use the data to know who needs extra support.It's a great way to stay organized and keep everyone on track! Teacher table: as a teacher, play a crucial role in your students' learning journey. Instead of just transferring information, you can adapt your approach to be more like a mentor or coach. By doing so, you can adjust your teaching to meet the unique needs of each student, making your time with them even more valuable. 3. be clear with your language goals and help your students stay on track to master a new language. Encourage regular practice to succeed in language learning! Thank you for listening us see you in the next e-tipsodio!
e-Tip #6
Science rotations for 4th and 5th grade
I think that all teachers have experienced that great challenge of starting to teach for the first time in what we call high grades, 4th and 5th grade; they are not really high, they are still 10 and 11-year-old children, but compared to prekindergarten, kindergarten, and 1st grade, it can be new and full of challenges. The question is always: how do I make this fun so they learn and don't hate me? A colleague is a science teacher for 4th and 5th-grade students, and her classes are really good and fun ; the students are excitedly waiting for it to be 1 pm because it is time to see their science teacher, so what is the key?? What is the secret? It really is not a secret or magic; as she explained to me in her own words, it involves the students to such a point that they feel that they are the ones who set the pace of the class and that their learning is based on their own. They wish to learn. Does it sound easy? The truth is, she explained to me the model system that she has used in her classes for more than 5 years. Blended learning is their common language in her classroom; once the day's lesson and objectives are understood, students are placed in 4 rotations that include: Technology: it is not going to an app and playing; it is making presentations in which each group is developing a topic, and they must create their own digital material that is then shared with the other groups. Experiment: each group develops an experiment previously announced by the teacher. Construction: As a general class project, each year, her students must build a replica of something they want (F1 track/ cell/ a DNA map/ a rainforest). Practice: They practice science state tests (maybe it is the one they like the least) This is how she has created a dynamic, self-learning environment in which combined education has a significant space.