My amazing colleagues and I presented at the CUE up north.
Our focus was project based learning in kindergarten/primary grades.
Below are a few slides we used during our presentation.
They align with the 4 C's (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication). Click HERE to learn more about the 4 C's and 21st Century Learning!
This is about a box of crayons that do not like each other because they are different colors.
They eventually learn to love each other and realize what beautiful pictures they can create together.
After, I told the kiddos we were going to celebrate Martin Luther King Day by
having some yummy eggs.
They got very excited! I proceeded to take out the two carton of eggs.
When the kiddos saw two different color eggs (brown and white shells), most of them yelled,
"Oh Yuck! I don't want the brown eggs!"
Without saying anything, I simply asked, "Who would like the white eggs?"
20 students raised their hands.
Then I asked, "Who would like the brown eggs?"
Only 4 kids raised their hands.
I explained, "Well I bought more brown eggs, so I need some of you to change your decision." I asked, "Is there a reason you do not want the brown eggs?"
Some of their answers included:
"They look gross."
"They probably taste yucky."
"I have never had them before."
"I only eat white eggs."
Then I asked, "What color do you think the eggs are inside?"
Most of the answers were brown or purple.
THEN I MADE A CONNECTION TO MLK.
I said, "Hmmmm. Do you think this is how Martin Luther King felt?
His skin was a different color than some of his friends and they didn't want to play with him.
Some people wouldn't even talk to him because he looked different."
I continued to make connections between the eggs and MLK.
First, I cracked the white egg. Next, I cracked the brown egg.
This was very exciting in KINDERWORLD.
The kiddos all screamed and were very excited to see they were the SAME COLOR INSIDE!
I explained that although we may look different on the outside, we do not want to judge someone by the way we look. It's the INSIDE that matters.
This was a great way to incorporate MLK's "I Have Dream" speech:
"I have a dream that one day my four children will not be judged by the color of their skin
but by the content of their character."
People are all special and unique and have amazing talents and gifts to share!
Last, I mixed the eggs together and asked,
"Can anyone distinguish between the brown and white egg now?"
REMEMBER: The inside of the egg represents our hearts and character.
We must try our hardest NOT to judge someone by the way they look.
We can all "mix" together and make something great!
The kiddos put their hands together and we compared our differences.
I said, "We all look different. We have different hair color, eye color, skin color. Some of us are taller or shorter than others. But we are all SPECIAL!!!!"
What did you learn about Martin Luther King and this activity?
We searched for the gingerbread man all week and we always find him napping on the roof on the last day before winter break (pajama day). We walk to lunch and wait for the kiddos to discover him on the roof. Sometimes it's takes a while. You will notice in this video, we said, "Shhhh", A LOT (we didn't want him to run away since he was sleeping! HAHA).
After we discovered him, I climbed up the ladder to finally get him. When I tried to pick him up and "trap him", he completely fell apart (you will notice in the video I am just standing up there wondering what to do)! Usually, he is hard enough that I can pick him up and pretend to have a struggle with him before he runs away from me! There was no chance this time!
You will hear me say, "I think I pulled a Carol!" She is our wonderful custodian who is holding the ladder. About 3 years ago, she tried to catch the gingerbread man while he was napping and when she picked him up, HIS HEAD FELL OFF IN FRONT OF ALL THE KIDS! I thought it was so funny but she was mortified and never wanted to catch him again. It's been a running joke ever since. Well, I could't pick him up and I needed to distract the kinders, so I said, "Oh NO! He RAN AWAY! Go Get Him!"
I am not sure what I was thinking. I thought the kids would look away or maybe just go "a few" steps. Oh NO! All 75 kindergartners RAN AFTER HIM! DOWN THE HALLS! SCREAMING!
I was stuck on the ladder. I have never laughed SOOOOO hard! The video really doesn't do justice but you get the idea. Good thing our school is completely gated because the kiddos just ran around the building. But all the teachers came out of their classrooms wondering why 75 kids were screaming down the hall screaming, "The Gingerbread Man!"
All you have to do is think back at your favorites in 2012 and add a few pictures. What a fun way to remember the year, huh!? You can use these prompts if you'd like,
or just type up your 12 favorite things!
12. Favorite movie you watched:
Batman: The Dark Night Rises
11. Favorite book I read this year:
Hunger Games Trilogy
..
10. Favorite new thing you made:
Pinterest is my new best friend!I love DIY projects and I made a lot of cute new things.
I found an old door in the GARBAGE at my daughter's preschool!!!
I knew I could do something with it.
I was inspired by this pin:
This is mine:
I still need to add pictures. Here is my inspiration.
9. Favorite gift you got:
A Tiffany's necklace from my husband for our
10 year anniversary!
8. Favorite thing you pinned:
There are just sooooooooo many!
How can I choose just one!
I found this on Pinterest last year when I really needed some encouragement! 7. Favorite blog post:
I am really proud of myself for starting my blog and for creating things for TPT!!!
It's a whole new world! I've always wanted to have a blog because I am so inspired by other blogs!
TPT is still a work in progress and I don't want to be scared away by the "meanies"...because there is a lot of them! I am realizing that some people will love my creations, and others won't.
I just have to keep telling myself, "I think I can! I think I can! I thought I could!"
I had NO idea how to do any of it and I am really proud of myself for figuring it out.
(It's funny how long it took me to figure out how to load a PDF file on blogger...
thanks GoogleDrive!)
Here is my first TPT product! My Gingerbread Man Pack!
5. Favorite pictures:
Makena and her cousin at Seaworld!
Makena in St. Marrtin! She just got her hair braided and she was so excited!
The water looks so beautiful too!
Eric and I on the balcony of our cruise ship!
Temecula Winery celebrating Eric's best friend's wedding!
He is sooooo handsome!
Easter Family Photo
4. Favorite memory:
Again, I can't choose just one.
These are my top 5...
1. Family Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean
4th of July Party on the Cruise Ship!
3. First trip to DisneyWorld
(I live in southern California so we always go to Disneyland)
3. Celebrating my 10 Year Anniversary with my honey
in Cabo with a great group of friends!
4. My little peanut turned 5 this year!!!!
We took her to Disneyland and she dressed up as Merida from BRAVE.
She LOVES Tower of Terror!
The picture is bad but I love how she has her hands up! Fearless!
Tower of Terror!
5. My Jackaranda Tree
God teaches me so much through this tree each season as it blooms.
2. Goals for 2013:
Again, soooooo many goals!
1. I need to find a good balance between work and home
(it's so easy to get sucked into the computer world)!
2. The usual...lose weight, workout more, pay off bills, get organized... haha
3. I want to to have at least 500 followers on my blog by 2014
(is that too much to ask???)
4. I want to create more for TPT
5. Learn how to knit and sew
(there are so many cute things I could make from Pinterest
if I just knew how to knit and sew!!!)
1. One Little Word: Hopeful
My daughter Makena was our miracle baby and I feel so incredibly blessed to have her!
It took almost 4 years to get pregnant with her and now we are on year 3 for trying with
baby #2. I feel hopeful because Makena, all on her own, prays ALL the time for 2 babies
(not just one!!!). She has been praying this prayer for over a year and
it was her birthday wish for her 4th and 5th birthday!!!
Her prayer, "Dear God. I pray for 2 babies...a boy and a girl." Oh, the faith of a child!
So many times, I want to give up but her persistence and faith keeps me going.
So, I am left with one word for 2013: HOPEFUL!
