Kistner's Kollection

If you don't move forward you will always be where you are! This was a post recently on Twitter and it made me think.  I need to step it up. I loved learning more from others at iPad Palooza.  But I need to use what I know now and share it with those younger and beginning their journey.  Yes, mine may not always be perfect, but it will help someone and I know I can do that.  I have heard several times...we didn't want to ask you because you are so busy at school.  Well, I need to make it look like I am there for them, to help and be open to questions. It is kind of humbling to say, I need to make some changes and help others. So at iPad Palooza, I learned a lot about iMovie - or having students make movies about their lives.You can teach inferring with those videos. You can teach characterization.  You can teach tone and mood.  I want to have a group of students that I can do this with.   My mind wanders to things I could do with this and book...

Deeper thoughts after a session with George Couros! Innovative Mindsets  It is more than New & Better Not exactly Change all the time either, It is more of being better at what you do. You have to disrupt what you have BEEN doing, to be better. Disrupt your routine.YOU do it first. Have that meeting without paper if you want a paperless class to actually happen. He quoted: We need to find the best people & find job titles for them, not fit the people into the job titles. Think about this: 1. Show what you are doing in class each day. What if we tweeted one thing?  What would it do to the learning of everyone? 2. Connect with another educator of same grade and learn from each other.   It matters when you are sending it out to the world.   Suddenly you want to get it right.   The freedom is powerful to share. Same thing with kids. Rock Paper Scissors Game  - overcoming obstacles in a room when 500 educators play a...

If you are in the classroom, you know what the pressure is like.  It is like a four-letter word pressure.  It is constant, every three weeks Test and Test, over and over.  The questions fly at you.  Do your students get it?  Are they ready, will they know?  How can you help them more, how can you work more to help them score higher?  What are you doing that helps them score higher?   It's all about Testing, must have extreme instructional time higher scores and banners.    This is the biggest obstacle - Time to read, principal buy-in to support students actually reading.  This is like concentrating on one smart student  instead of the whole school.  It is like working out one muscle group and ignoring the others.  We are looking at ONE score, one passing, one banner to fulfill our feelings of success.  To stop the pressure, of failure, we think we must work harder, and find better ways to help students pa...

Sweet!!  Texas School Library Journal posted a blip about my program in the library on page 84.  So excited to be a real librarian now.  I love being in the room.  Favorite part of work, is when kids come in and say, "Hey, do you know that book, or have this book about ___"  and I can go find one for them.  It makes my heart dance a little!  Super smiles.  I love that students are really reading things for my library Rounds project.  This Friday, I had 12 pizzas to order, because students had completed 12 (8 books each) Rounds.  They love coming to pick up the pizzas and share with their friends, and they normally come back and get more books to read because NOW they are hooked into a series or reading for fun.  It isn't for the great pizza, it is the idea of sharing.  I love it.  So far since September 15 when I launched it, we have over 28 Rounds completed and that makes more than 224 books read, discussed, & wri...

Today was my 17th 'first day' in education. My 11th in public school at Everman I.S.D.  I am learning more and more every day.  The kids make it so much more fun though.  All summer I have been in and out of trainings, with some kids for summer school, and working the last two weeks with adults. Today was better because the KIDS were there. Some were scared and unsure.  Some were angry their sleep was disturbed.  Some were tired of the dress code already, but they were there.  I know in their heads they are saying to themselves, "this year, THIS IS the year I am going to be awesome, I am going to start off on the right foot, and make great grades.  I will be organized.  I will ace every class. Then there are the ones in lines with parents trying to just register and praying they have all the paper work required like at the D.M.V.  The constant paper work that ties us to places and people required to prove something.  I like the kids....

1. I might have to add this to my mottoes for teachers:   STOP TALKING, Start Listening. This article about BRAIN research from Kagan is awesome.  It tells teachers, that "Tellin' ain't Teaching" I wish I could YELL it to all teachers. http://www.kaganonline.com/online_magazine/spencers_thinkpad.php 2. Build Relationships First - Get to know them. http://www.bamradionetwork.com/edwords-blog/5-lessons-from-camp They are kids. They need consistency and love. They need to like school, just like Camp. "School is awesome."  I love playing games at the beginning of school to find the leaders, or shy students in the group, get them up, get them moving. Start with music something positive and happy.  Be happy to be there and love your content and they respect that. Make it about them, and their favorite things - then add in the content to those topics.  If they love video games, go online - grab some cheat codes and see if they can tell you how to score h...

TWO BIG IDEAS this week: My two ideas that are growing in my head for my library and how I can connect the library to the classroom; are Reading Rounds, and Trade4Grades cards.   I am so excited about my plan for enticing readers to pick great books with Reading Rounds that I have already started cutting circles - I may need 100’s of circles. #snoopyfeetslapping here! My other idea is the Trade4Grades bringing my non-fiction section of the middle school library alive.  I am hoping to collaborate with teachers on activities that students could choose to do with non-fiction books about the topics they are teaching in class - then students could use these activities as a grade in class - hence Trade 4 Grades.  Giving student choice in the library & classroom - #sweetskillsgrowing Plus continuing building my Wonder posters for my windows and encouraging reading.