Instagram for the classroom

This past summer when I met up with some of the PA bloggers for lunch, one of the fabulous bloggers, Mr. First Grade, was telling us about how he set up an instagram account for his classroom. Well, since I didn't really start the year till now, I couldn't start this till now.

Gotta say, it's SO much easier than writing out newsletters each week-which I can't keep up with.  And for those of you that do, you.are.amazing!  With all that my district requires for lesson planning, data, etc... plus my "party of 5" at home...  It just doesn't work for me.

I downloaded the app to my iPad.  (it is an iPhone app though, so it's not the "best" looking app on the iPad, but it works just the same!)  I set up our class as a private user.  Only parents will have access and I ask them to email me their user name, if it's something that doesn't let me know who they are.  I just love the privacy!

I just snap various pictures with the iPad throughout the day.  Somedays it's one (maybe none!) others it's a lot!  I upload a pic or 2 (or 3) after school.  Parents get to see us in action.  I spent maybe 5 minutes or less letting them in on the awesomeness that goes on in our classroom.

Here is an example from last month:

*of course, there are those who don't have it.  I don't do anything different for those parents.  As much as I'd love to find a way to include all, you just can't with this.  I'm confident that in the coming years, more parents will have an instagram account than now---AND I'll be able to show them all about it at Back to School Night next year, since I will NOT be out on maternity leave again during that time! ;)  Pictures tell a thousand words....  who wouldn't want to possibly see their babies in action while they are out!

*also, I toyed with the idea of Facebook, but I'm just not a fan with how they change privacy stuff all the time... and my school has it blocked.  Instagram is simple and not blocked.  Something I may consider is setting up a class account for Facebook JUST for pictures from Instagram to be posted there as well.... but, honestly-I just like the simplicity of Instagram to tell our story.

Got Eggs?!?

Well, if you haven't turned the calendar to peek at April yet, you may have not noticed that Easter is 'springing' upon us quite quickly!  We are deep into money in second grade and are needing LOTS and LOTS of change counting practice....

I absolutely LOVE those plastic Easter eggs.  They are SO wonderful to use in the classroom for SO many different things!  Counting change is just perfect.

While I could have hidden the eggs all over the room to begin with, I decided to work up to that eggcitement closer to bunny day.  We started the first session of eggstra-special coin counting with eggs in a basket on our desks.  {I bought a ton of those little baskets years ago at Target in the dollar spot..... and haven't used them till NOW!  See, I did buy them for a reason, right?!}

 I had a recording sheet for the kids to write the amounts that were in each egg.  I have enough space in the boxes for students to draw the coins too {that's only good on the 6 and maybe 8 egg page}  I labelled the eggs with letters instead of numbers, just to eliminate number confusion if I use them for something else in the near future!

We repeated this a second day with different amount.  TIP:  Don't just take all the money out and think of a new amount.  Just add or take away a nickel... or a dime... or add a few pennies to each.  They will not remember how much the egg had the day before.  Trust me.  {Also, make sure you write down how much is in each! ;) }

The third day I mixed it up a little and had all the same eggs in a basket and "hid" the baskets {in plain eyesight} around the room.  Getting up to get the eggs was just what we needed on a Friday of a L.O.N.G. week!

Next week we'll be moving up to 8 and 10 eggs...  maybe.

One last TIP:  Make sure to stress the point of making sure they are putting ALL of the coins back into their eggs so that the next person doesn't get the wrong amount. Check under papers and desks for lost coins!

Click {HERE} for the worksheets to use to count money in your classroom too!  It's always great practice, no matter the age!  {and if your littles aren't ready for money, you could always use pennies to practice counting and just add in how you write a cent sign afterwards!  Bonus!}

I have so many other plans for these little eggs in other subject areas!  Check back soon for a new idea!  What are some ways you use eggs in your classroom??

PS-I'll be updating my first grade Easter Math games soon, as well as having a second grade one too! XOXO