Using Tech to Assess Student Learning

As teachers we have tons of papers to correct and tests to grade (my correcting pile reaches mountainous heights each week!) So, I was pretty excited when I discovered that I can create fun, engaging assessments that automatically grade themselves. 

KAHOOT has totally transformed my classroom! I've been able to cut my correcting time in half and provide students with immediate feedback.

As an addd bonus, Kahoot is so dynamic that students actually ASK to take quizzes! I know it is important to assess student learning to check for understanding and mastery of a topic, however kids are assessed so much these days! In my district students take the STAR assessment, are assessed for fluency every quarter, take benchmark literacy assessments, math performance tasks, progress monitoring assessments, and the Smarter Balanced Assessment in the spring. WHEW, that's a LOT of testing.

So, what is Kahoot?

Kahoot is a FREE online, interactive quiz program that lets teachers create quizzes, surveys, and discussions that students play on their mobile device.

I created a quiz for the end of a 4th grade social studies unit on the 50 US states and capitals. My class was excited, engaged, and laughing... while taking a quiz!!

Head on over to Kahoot to try out a sample quiz and start creating one of your own! Click here to try my 50 US States and Capitals Kahoot.

The Sunday Scoop is Back!

I haven't joined up with Teaching Trio for the Sunday Scoop in a little while, so I think it's time to get back in the game!

Tomorrow my class starts taking the SBAC (Smarter Balanced) Assessment....!!!!!!! I'm a little nervous for my kiddos. This test is INTENSE! I think they can handle it academically, but I'm worried about their stamina. The performance task asks them to read 3 pieces of text then answer questions and write an essay... all on the computer! Students have to scroll through the 3 pieces of text on one side of their screen while answering the questions on the other side. Hopefully I will find time today to make them some little care packages with encouraging notes.

I've started to work on creating a series of tech tips that I will post here and on my TpT store. Check out the first one below (click on the image to download the full tutorial FREE on TpT!)

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to join me for my new monthly linkup to share your Inspired Ideas! My inspired idea for the month is my new classroom Readbox display! Stop by the linkup to check it out!

When PINspiration strikes... Classroom Readbox!

It's time to join in with what inspired you this month! Check out what inspired idea I put into action in my classroom. Then follow the directions at the end of this post to link up your own inspired ideas. I can't wait to see what everyone's been up to!

I was a little late to join in on the Pinterest craze... but once you sign up, it is like falling into a black hole of crafty DIY inspiration! One of my fist times flicking through "pins" I saw this great idea to create a Redbox in your classroom to use as a book display. I'm sure you're all familiar with the amazingly convenient Redbox movie dispensing machines. Well this clever idea uses a play on words to turn Redbox into "Readbox". GENIOUS, and a great way to get students inspired to read!

About 2 weeks ago I finally put this inspiration to good use. There was an old wooden bookshelf in my classroom with faded and dirty blue paint. One Monday afternoon while my students were at chorus, I dragged it out behind the school and attacked it with some red spray paint. The transformation was amazing...

After painting the shelf I enlisted the help of my students to level our class library. The books on my readbox shelf are all new arrivals from Scholastic Reading Club (They had some great deals last month and I cashed in some bonus points to update our selection). To level them I used AR Bookfinder, operated by Renaissance Learning (STAR testing). We use the STAR assessments in our school which provides students with an independent reading range. This helps students select appropriate books to read independently.

I used a sharpie to write the AR book levels on all of my new books, then sorted them into baskets to make it easier for students to find their "just right" book. For more information on AR Bookfinder, download my FREE Reading Celebration Packet. It comes with tutorials for using Accelerated Reader in the classroom (plus an awesome Battle of the Books bracket tournament!).

Here's how my finished display came out:

My students are so excited to "rent" these new books! Now they can't wait for our independent reading time after recess each day. Stop by my TpT store to pickup my Readbox packet. It comes with all the signs and labels pictured, a sign out sheet to keep track of books, bookmarks, and a book review form. Click {HERE} to check it out!

Your Turn: Linking up is simple!

1. Copy the three images from this post (linkup logo, lightbulb,  & my great idea title) to use in your post.
2. Write a post on your blog about your inspiration for great ideas in your classroom. 
3. Link your post back here by clicking on the InLinkz button below.
4. Visit at least 2 others who have linked up to comment on and be inspired by their great ideas!

Thanks for stopping by!

Presidents Day Activity

Looking for a little something extra for your classroom next week? Check out my new FREE Presidents Day activity! This activity uses 60-second President video clips from PBS LearningMedia to keep students engaged. While watching the videos students answer questions about each President. I used symbaloo to organize links to all video clips used on the worksheet. This can be embedded into your class site or blog and makes it easier for students to navigate through the clips.

You can download the complete worksheet {HERE} from my store on TpT. 

Thanks for checking it out! I hope you all enjoy the long holiday weekend!

Great Grammar Resource!

I started using a new ELA program this year (Common Core Progress from Sadlier Schools) and I love it. However one area that this program is lacking in is grammar. There is only one page of grammar work in each unit and it is not incorporated into our daily reading. To supplement a colleague showed me this fantastic site NoRedInk that I'm sharing today for...

NoRedInk is an online grammar program that provides students with unique high-interest sentences to correct. Students can manipulate the sentences by correcting capitals, adding or removing punctuation, or highlighting nouns/verbs. This provides an authentic assessment of each student's abilities. Setting up a class and student accounts is free and easy.

What makes NoRedInk different?
Sentences are based on the student's interests! When students first log in they are asked to choose their favorite movies, TV shows, athletes, authors, musicians, and more. They can even type in the names of their friends and pets! Then NoRedInk gives students sentences to correct based on what they are interested in. This keeps students engaged, focused, and on task. (It also causes some giggles while they are working. Who said grammar can't be fun!)

Creating an Assignment:
There are dozens of grammar categories to choose from when creating an assignment, quiz, or pretest for your class. Once you choose a category, you can choose which specific skill within that category you want students to work on.

Student Work:
While students are working on an assignment, NoRedInk offers review lessons if they answer a question incorrectly. It also gives students multiple attempts to answer the question correctly. This helps to empower students and makes them feel successful at each task.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to check out more great tech tips at the Technology Thursday linkup!

Tech Tip - Paperless Reading Logs!

Today I'm linking up for...

I love to read. I love to teach reading. I hate reading logs... with a passion.
To me there is nothing more tedious than correcting reading logs each week. Making sure that students are reading their required amount of minutes/pages, checking to see if parents signed off, and chasing down logs from those students who never hand them in...

Well your days of agonizing over reading logs are over! Say "hello" to Reading-Rewards.com!

I have been using Reading-Rewards on and off for 4 years (off because they changed the design of their website and I really didn't like it, but that was over a year ago and their site is much better now!). I've used it with 5th grade, 2nd grade, and now with 4th grade. It is really easy to use and keeps students engaged in their reading homework.

Here's how it works:

1) Go to Reading-Rewards.com and sign up for an administrator account. It's FREE (there is a paid yearly subscription for $70 that gives you a few extra perks like more student accounts and the option to give student feedback and quizzes)

2) From your home page, click on "Manage Your Groups" and then click on "Create New Group"

3) Once you've created your group, you can start to add students. Click on "Manage Your Accounts" to get started. I prefer to add student accounts myself. It only takes a few minutes and this way I know their accounts are set up correctly.

4) Click on "Create Reader Account"

And you're now ready to begin paperless reading logs! Reading-Rewards has a great teacher help page {HERE} with videos, getting started guides, and tutorials. Below is a demo video of the teacher(administrator) interface from their site:


I LOVE using Reading-Rewards with my students. In your group "Reading Circle" students can see what everyone in the class is reading. Students can write comments and reviews about their books. They also earn points for every minute they read. Students can cash these points in for classroom rewards that you create! For example one of the rewards in my store right now is a personal hat day for 200 RR miles (points).

Click {HERE} to download a copy of a parent handout I created to send home and get students started.

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to visit Techie Turtle Teacher for more Tech Tips!

Liebster Award!

I was surprised and thrilled to learn that Chris from The Scoop in Second Grade had nominated me for the Liebster Award.

 It is such a rewarding feeling to know that others are actually reading (and liking!) what you post.  So, without further adieu, here are the questions I was presented with:

Why and how long ago did you start blogging?
   - I actually started this blog back in 2011 for a Masters course in educational technology (and boy has it changed since then!). I used it during the course to communicate with colleagues and reflect on assigned texts. It wasn't until the start of this school year that Smocus Smocus became what it is today. I was inspired to start blogging and selling on TpT by a student in my class last year. Her mother is also a teacher so she knew all about TpT and suggested that I start selling the worksheets I'd made. I started on TpT first, then worked on building this blog. I'm proud of the work I've put into it and I can't wait to see where my blogging adventure takes me!

What one word sums up the heart of your blog and why?
  - INSPIRATION! Inspiration is what drives everything. My biggest inspirations are my three little boys. Their imaginations and enthusiasm can be seen in all that I do. In fact, one of my more recent products "What Does the Text Say" was inspired by their relentless singing of the hit song.

Is there something that you learned late in your blogging journey that you wish you had known before?
   - I feel like I am constantly learning about the blogging world since I'm still relatively new to this scene. One thing I learned just the other day was how to add your link into a blog comment. I had seen everyone else do it but couldn't figure it out for myself. So off to the Google gods I went where I found this handy piece of code:

<a href="www.google.com">Home</a>  

Just change the website to your blog's and change "Home" to the name of your blog.

What's your favorite pastime other than blogging?
  - Hands down reading and writing! I love discovering new books and authors and getting lost in a novel. Right now I'm reading The Killing Sea, by Richard Lewis. It is a gripping story of survival as children try to reunite with their families in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. It's realistic fiction based on the author's firsthand experiences. It is dramatic, heart-wrenching, and inspiring all at the same time. I read a passage to my class this year during a unit in our ELA texts which focused on natural disasters from an informational text point of view. I felt that it was important for my students to understand the effects a tsunami has on the people involved. A few students were misty-eyed at the end... I think they got it.

How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog?
  - I would probably say 4ish, but if you asked my husband I bet he would say a lot more! Sometimes blogging, lessons planning, and resource creating all blend together.

What category of blog posts do you enjoy the most?
  - I love discovering new literacy resources and I'm a sucker for a good classroom DIY.

Where does your blog inspiration come from?
  - These little guys:

Which post that you've written are you most proud of?
  - So far my favorite post would be the one about Long Division. Math is not my strong suit, so I was really proud of myself when I found a successful way to engage students. Their how-to videos came out great! I can't wait to use them as a resource for next year's 4th graders!

Is there any post that you've been planning to do but you've been postponing?
  - There is a series of posts coming up on my classroom book blog, Dempsey's Donuts, that I'm super excited about! This week we are starting Battle of the Books, a sports bracket style favorite book competition. I can't wait to see how it plays out! My goal is to get students excited about books and having meaningful discussions about the texts. I hope everyone following this blog will join us and grab my free resources for this event on TpT!

What is your favorite aspect of blogging?
  - I love connecting and collaborating with other teachers from around the country. There are so many great resources out there!! I have "met" some great educators so far :)

Which recipe, project, or idea form my blog would you like to try yourself?
  - I like your recent post about daily expectations. The books you created for your students are a great way to keep the communication flowing between home and school!

I now nominate the following 11 bloggers for the Liebster Award:
Jessica @ Butterflies and Daydreams
Lynn @ Camping Teacher
Lucy @ Beyond Imagination
Kim @ English, Oh My!
Erin @ Mrs. Beer's Language Arts Class
Kay @ Teaching on the Sunny Side
Chandra @ Teaching with Crayons and Curls
Melody @ Polka Dot Thoughts
Tiffany @ Two Techie Teachers
Brittany @ Two Techie Teachers
Megan @ A Bird In Hand Designs (I know she technically has a few too many followers for a Liebster award, but her designs are awesome and need to be shared! She designed this blog!)

Now that you've been nominated, you must do the following to receive your award:

1. In your post, link back to me, the blogger who nominated you, as a thank you and a 'shout out.'.
2. Answer the 11 questions I answered above.
3. Nominate 11 bloggers that have less than 200 followers. You may give them 11 questions or they can answer the same questions you did.
4. Let your nominees know they've been nominated and provide them with a link back to your post so that they can accept.
5. Send your nominator a link to your post so (s)he can learn more about you as well. (You can just put your post link in the comments below.)

Whew, that's it! The hardest part of this post was finding new bloggers to nominate. There are so many great blogs out there! Thanks again to Chris @ The Scoop In Second for the nomination.

Watch our class do long division!

Today I'm doubling my tech link up with Techie Turtle Teacher for Tech Tip Tuesday and Teaching Trio for Tech Thursday to share my love for educreations! Educreations is an iPad app that is basically a virtual white board. You can draw/write on the board and add images and text as it records your voice. I have used it in the past to create video math lessons that I post on my class blog for parents. (Check them out here!) During fall conferences parents expressed concern that they were unable to help their children on math homework using new common core strategies. Educreations helped me take care of that problem!

My class has been working on long division for some time and they are still struggling to remember the steps to solving the problem. I was about to post an educreations lesson so parents could help out at home when it dawned on me... Why not have the kids create their own video lessons!!! So today I brought in the iPads, gave the kids a quick tutorial, and sent them on their merry way. The results were nothing short of epic!

Here is the video lesson we created as whole class example:



And here is a video two of my students created:
(They used the mnemonic device learned in class Dangerous Monkeys Swipe Bananas to remind them to Divide, Multiply, Subtract, and Bring down.)

I feel that after completing this project my students have a better grasp on long division. However, we still have some work to do... I played the videos back for the class and students saw a few mistakes they had made. Usually when we are working with pencil and paper I find it difficult for some students to show their work. But, by narrating each step as they created their video lessons they were able to see exactly where the mistake was.

Accounts on educreations are free (though there are a few features only available with a pro plan starting at $11.99/month). I'm working with my class on the basic free plan. If your interested in trying this out in your own classroom, here are a few pointers:

And here is just one more cool resource for long division. This video comes from PBS Learning Media, which has a wealth of digital resources for just about any topic you can imagine. This video is part of the Math at the Core: Middle School collection. It highlights both the standard form of long division the more common core way using place value.

I hope you find these tools useful in your classroom! Have a great end to your week :)

Tech Thursday "Sticky Walls"

Today I'm linking up with Teaching Trio for Tech Thursday! This is my first time linking up and I'm super excited to see what new technologies everyone has to share.

I am sharing my love for Padlet today. It's like a digital bulletin board or wall that you can post sticky notes on, hence my nickname for them "sticky walls". I have created many sticky walls to use with my students over the years. You can see some examples of them on my class website. Sticky walls are a great way to quickly assess student learning and understanding of a topic. You can put the wall up on your classroom SMARTboard and student posts will pop up as they respond! Follow the directions below to get started on your own sticky wall:

The right side of the wall hosts your toolbar. Click on the gear to modify the wall. At any time you can click on the Padlet icon at top to return to your dashboard. Don't worry about losing your work. Padlet automatically saves it!

At this point your wall is finished and ready for use! Just double click anywhere on the wall to leave a post. You can also drag and drop files and pictures, add links to websites and articles, and even add videos. The possibilities are truly endless.

After pasting the embed code into the HTML section of your blog post you can switch back over to the compose view to see how your wall looks and add text.

Want to try out a sticky wall?! Below is a wall I created while I was grabbing screenshots for this post. Double click anywhere on the wall below to leave your comment. How would you like to use sticky walls in your classroom?

Created with Padlet

Don't forget to stop by Teaching Trio for more great technology ideas. Happy Thursday!

We've got the POWER to Write!

This year I am piloting a new ELA program in my classroom. I teach in a SMALL town. A REALLY small town. We do not have curriculum developers, language arts consultants, or any other authorities on curriculum. What we do have is an awesome principal and a staff full of creative teachers. SO when tasked with the challenge of aligning our current ELA program to the Common Core we realized there were huge gaps. This led to some research of new Common Core alligned programs where we discovered the Common Core Progress series from Sadlier Schools.
The Common Core Progress text contains nonfiction and informational text units aligned to the Core and surprisingly to our science and social studies topics! Between each reading unit is a writing unit that draws from the previous reading unit. Talk about keeping everything connected!
This week I am beginning a fictional narrative writing unit. So far my class is doing a fantastic job analyzing the student sample and using the included graphic organizers to plan their piece. Overall I am VERY pleased with this new series thus far!  I also found a catchy tune over at Flocabulary to help students understand the steps involved in creating a piece of writing. From that song came this great acronym POWER which inspired the classroom poster below: