It's that time again!! Make sure you check out Doodle Bugs Teaching and link up to join in on the fun! :)
I have been super lazy since returning from the cruise. It is so hard to get back into the groove of things since our week of relaxation filled with pool decks, casino games, beaches, and SO MUCH more! We returned on August 3rd and both jumped back into work on August 4th. The third round of summer school began on Monday and I am really excited to share out about it, but.... I just had to post this view we had as we left Port Canaveral!
As I mentioned, I started my third and final round of summer school. This program is designed for World and English Language Learners -- we call it WELL. It is designed to support ELLs while including regular ed students through teaching Spanish and Chinese. The above photo is of a quilt we made on our first day of class. We asked each child to incorporate their heritage and a culture of their choice into a quilt square. I think that it came out just BEAUTIFULLY!
While Dave and I were in Port Canaveral, we took some time to visit Kennedy Space Center. Before this trip, I had never been and Dave hadn't visited since he was...maybe 8 years old. We had a BLAST! (Ha! No pun intended, I SWEAR!!) They had tons of exhibits... we took a bus tour to check out the launch pads and Vehicle Assembly Building, got to get up close and personal the last NASA shuttle to ever launch, Atlantis, met two different astronauts, and took plenty of goofy photos.
HOWEVER, our favorite part was...
THE LAUNCH!! We lucked out! The Delta V rocket had attempted to launch on 4 different days and was scrapped each time, but WE got to see it! Unfortunately it kept getting delayed so by the time it took off, we were already at the ship terminal, but even 12 miles away we were able to SEE, HEAR, and FEEL it!! It was truly incredible. Something neither of us have ever seen, or ever THOUGHT we would see. Dave took upwards of 43897595904 pictures while I recorded it. I cannot wait to get back to school and show my kiddos!
One of my favorite parts of working through the summer is that I get to learn about new resources and try them out before I get to my classroom in the fall. Through the World and English Language Learning (WELL) program, I am currently co-teaching with 3 (yes, THREE) other teachers. Due to the fact that we are working with ELLs in our group, we are working to develop Tier 3 vocabulary to develop academic English. We have been engaging our students in research projects throughout the week and they. are. loving. it!
One of my co-teachers introduced the rest of us to Pebble Go this week. I am OBSESSED with it! Pebble Go is an emergent reader research search engine. It has hundreds of articles across their Animals, Earth & Space, Biographies, and Social Studies databases. Articles can be read aloud with headphones and incorporate various non-fiction text features. Additionally, it can be blown up onto the SMARTboard so students can be guided through research processes. Articles can also be printed and used with small groups. Granted, I have only had a couple of days' experience with it, but I am loving it and cannot wait to use it with my Firsties this year!
Have you heard of PebbleGo? Do you use it in your classroom? Comment on how you use this program! I would LOVE to hear your thoughts/opinions/ideas.
My absolute FAVORITE part of the our vacation was when my husband took me to Blue Lagoon Island in the Bahamas to swim and play with my all-time FAVORITE animal, the SEA LION!!!! We had an INCREDIBLE time! We met three sea lions, fed them, trained them, checked their mouths, etc... as part of their daily check-up, played games with them, and even hugged and kissed them! It was so much fun! Definitely one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have had in my entire life. I am truly lucky to have such an amazing man in my life who will put up with my goofiness, but I surely suspect that he had a great time, too! :)
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