Picture Book Perfection #2

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
Written by Patty Lovell
Illustrated by David Catrow
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons; 1st edition on August 27, 2001
Genre: Picture Book, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature
Number of pages: 32



Overview 

   Molly Lou Melon is not an ordinary little girl. She has buck teeth, a bullfrog voice, and a short stature. Other people notice this as well, her grandmother, who encourages her throughout the entire book, and a little boy, who makes fun of her for her differences. Regardless of the teasing, Molly Lou Melon is unwaveringly confident and joyful.

   This is an outstanding book to use in the classroom to help teach students about acceptance, confidence, kindness, and awareness of what teasing and bullying are. The book is a great example of how to handle bullying or teasing situations. Molly Lou Melon continues to stay positive and confident regardless of how others treat her and address the problem in a nonviolent way. This is a wonderful book for children and even adults who worry about what others think of them. It encourages us to do things anyway, regardless of what others think or say.

   David Catrow, the illustrator, paints imaginative illustrations for readers. Using bright and exciting colors. Each picture attracts attention and drives students to want to know more about what happens next.




Lesson and Activity

Content Area: Bullying, Confronting Fears, Self Esteem, Confidence, Kindness

Standards: 9 ) Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. [RL.K.10]
8 ) With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. [RL.K.9]
1 ) With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. [RL.K.1]
17 ) Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison; cause and effect; first, second, third in a sequence). [RI.3.8]
12 ) With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. [RI.K.3]

Model: Read the entire book out loud to students twice with no interruptions.

Guide and Scaffold: After reading the book out loud to the students the first time, ask them about what questions they may still have. Tell them to think about those questions while reading the book to them the second time. 

Discussion: Ask students to discuss cause and effect. Why did Molly Lou's grandma tell her to "Smile big and the world will smile right alongside you?" What do you think that means? Why did the child at her new school think she was good at football? How come Ronald Durkin brought Molly Lou a penny?

Activity: Ask students to visualize. Molly Lou showed Ronald Durkin and the other kids the things that Ronald teased her about are all the things that made her special. Pick three things unique about yourself and visualize how it makes you feel special. Ask students to draw a picture and/or write these things. Hang artwork in the classroom or in the hallway. 

Reading level: Grades K-3

Interest level: Grades 2-4

Sources:
https://alex.state.al.us/standardAll.php?grade=0&subject=ELA2015&summary=2 
https://www.booksource.com/Products/Stand-Tall--Molly-Lou-Melon__0399234160.aspx
https://www.dogobooks.com/stand-tall-molly-lou-melon/book-review/0399234160
http://museumofdisability.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/4.-LESSON-PLAN-Stand-Tall-Molly-Lou-Melon.pdf
http://thepicturebookteachersedition.blogspot.com/2013/09/stand-tall-molly-lou-melon-by-patty.html

Integrated Arts In Early Childhood Education

Integrated Arts Digital Portfolio

Here is a Digital Portfolio I made for my 21st Century Teaching and Learning class. This presentation has many great resources for how to integrate the arts into the Early Childhood curriculum. Enjoy!

 
DIY Integrated Arts Crafts

Creative Movement Cube

 This was super easy and cheap to make.

Supplies:
Styrofoam cube
Cardstock
Scissors
Hot glue

I personally made each of the activities in a word document. I just typed the activity and inserted clipart underneath it. Once it was all printed out, I laminated it and cut it out, then hot glued each one onto the sides of the cube.

Classroom Use:
You can use this as a fun and interactive activity for creative movement. Have students roll the cube like a dice and do the activity it lands on.

http://choices4children.blogspot.com/2013/10/move-like-animal-cube.html

Drama/Theater Puppets

These were surprisingly easy and fun to make!

Supplies:
Felt
Scissors
Marker
Hot glue
Googly Eyes (optional)

I printed out the template from the website below and used it to cut out each piece of the puppets. Then, I hot glued them together and drew the mouths or noses on and added googly eyes! Super simple and cute!

Classroom Use:
These can be used for so many different things!

• They can enhance storytelling time or read aloud time. 
• They can be used for drama/theater. 
• Students can use them to help express themselves.
• Used as an interactive activity during centers.

https://30minutecrafts.com/2018/01/no-sew-felt-puppets.html

Sensory Letter Activity

Originally, I started to make the road letters myself but ended up printing out the road letters that were already made on the website below. However, if you want to make them yourself, I'll list the supplies below.

Supplies:
Cardstock
Black or grey construction paper
White or yellow marker or paint

Cut each letter from construction paper and glue them onto white cardstock. Add white or yellow road lines to each letter. Laminate each one (optional).

Classroom Use: 
Have students use hot wheels cars or their finger to trace over each letter. This is great to help them learn their letters and can even be used with numbers and punctuation, as well.
https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/product/road-letters/

Teaching in the Now

Technology Integration

   In our ever-growing technology-based society, many schools and educators are looking to integrate technology into their everyday classroom curriculum. However, some may have questions and concerns about this notion and ask if this is actually a good idea. I have a better question, why would we not want to take advantage of the enormous variety of resources and information at our fingertips? 

  Technology is an incredible way to take students from being just engaged in their work, to being fully immersed and empowered. With the use of technology, students are given the opportunity to create and explore. This helps them to be able to go much deeper into their learning than just the surface level that they have currently been reaching through worksheets and written exams. Not only that, but technology allows us, as teachers, to be able to share our lessons and ideas with others around the world. You can help your students learn, while also helping students from all over the entire world learn and be able to have the education they deserve.

  Before getting too deep into this, we need to first formulate our standards for what effective technology integration really is and is not. If we are only using technology as a means of turning in assignments and reading information that can already be accessed in textbooks, then how is that any different than a classroom without technology? Just using technology in the classroom is not enough. If there is no real impact or change in student learning, then technology is not being effectively integrated. 

  Another big part of technology integration is its ongoing and never-ending growth. Technology is rapidly evolving and demands its users to learn just as rapidly. If you are not willing to constantly embrace change and continuously grow with the advances in technology, then you will not be able to keep up with the needs of your 21st-century classroom. 

   Once these needs are met, students will have no excuse not to feel empowered and encouraged to take learning into their own hands. This can help with maintaining a "flipped classroom" setting or just help students with a variety of learning styles. Students who are usually shy and timid when it comes to sharing their ideas and creations can now use different mediums to share their voices in ways that are more comfortable for them. 

   With technology, the possibilities are endless. Our students and students around the world deserve nothing less than to have an enormous amount of knowledge and recourses to help guide them in all of their learning endeavors. Below is one app that I have researched that can help any educator to start more effectively integrating technology into the classroom. As George Couros said in The Innovators Mindset, "Learners are the driver; technology is the accelerator". 

Happy Teaching! Enjoy!

ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard App

Price: Free (Offers in-app purchases)

Have you ever wanted to create fun and effective tutorials for your students to be able to watch from anywhere? Have you ever wanted to have an enormous variety of resources for lessons right at the tip of your fingers? If so, this is the app for you. ShowMe, the interactive whiteboard app for iPads, allows educators and students to be able too easily create voice-over lessons and share them with the public.

Impact on Student Learning 

• Since this app is simple and easy to maneuver, students can use it confidently and be empowered to take control of their own learning. Instead of making a lesson and presenting it to students for them to memorize and later regurgitate on a written exam, let the students take charge. Students can create lessons for other students with materials and information given to them. This encourages critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration among students. 
• Not only can students take charge, but teachers can create a "flipped classroom" setting. Once videos of lessons are created, students can then watch them at home, allowing more time for collaboration and project-based learning in the classroom.
• ShowMe is not limited to any one subject area. This app can be used for any subject, at any time. You can easily use this interactive whiteboard to record lessons in math, history, science, grammar, or any number of subjects. By easily changing the background picture, you can go from a whiteboard background for a math lesson to a map background for a geography lesson.
• Visual and auditory information can be received through this app. This is a great tool for students who need a variety of learning strategies to be able to effectively process and comprehend the information given to them.
• ShowMe had a free website that has an enormous variety of videos created on almost every subject that can be used in and out of the classroom. What better way to share and connect with other teachers across the globe than by being able to watch and upload innovative and creative lessons?

                 Tutorial:

 

More Great Educational Apps

Nearpod - Interactive presentation and assessment tool. Great for virtual field trips!
Seesaw - Great for student and teacher portfolios.
Epic! - Online classroom library.
ABC Mouse - Learning platform.
Kodable - Computer science curriculum for elementary students.
Puppet Pals 2 - Storytelling app.
GoNoodle - Website/App designed to get students moving.
Prodigy - Game to help students learn math skills.
BrainPOP - Interactive animated videos and activities.
Augmented Reality - Great way for students to interact virtually with the world around them.
Shadow Puppet Edu - Create videos that aid in educational experiences.

Picture Book Perfection #1

Last Stop on Market Street 

Written by Matt De La Pena

Illustrated by Christian Robinson

Published by the Penguin Group in 2015

Genre: Picture Book, Fiction, Children's Literature 

Number of pages: 32

Overview

   CJ and his grandmother take the bus every Sunday after church. One day, CJ starts to wonder why. Why they have to wait for a bus, why they don't have a car, why the man next to them on the bus can't see, and many other "whys". Each question is met with an inspirational and encouraging answer by his sincere grandmother. Throughout their journey, she helps CJ discover what is beautiful and wonderful in their diverse neighborhood. 

   Christian Robinson does beautifully simplistic illustrations. His work shows the colorful and diverse setting around the characters as they ride through town. The illustrations throughout the pages represents many different types of characters; white, black, elderly, young, blind, tattooed, disabled, etc. Students will be able to identify multiculturalism, diversity, and individualism. 
   

“An exceptional book on kindness and the diversity of life, ‘Last Stop on Market Street’ is first-rate.”

—Philadelphia Eagle

“The urban setting is truly reflective, showing people with different skin colors, body types, abilities, ages, and classes in a natural and authentic manner… A lovely title.”

—School Library Journal

Lesson & Activity

Content Area: Literature - Key Ideas and Details

Standards: Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. [RL.1.2]

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. [RL.1.3]
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. [SL.1.2]

Model: Read the entire book out loud to students twice with no interruptions.

Guide and Scaffold: After reading the book out loud to the students the first time, ask them about what questions they may still have. Tell them to think about those questions while reading the book to them the second time. 

Discussion: Conduct a picture walk through the book and ask students to discuss what happens in the beginning, middle and end of the story. Have students pair up and retell the story to their partner. Tell them to talk to their partner about people in their life, like the grandmother, who help them to look at the good in every situation. Discuss elements of diversity and multiculturalism.  

Activity: Instruct students to make a "Shutter Book" to show their understanding of the stories elements in a creative and colorful way. Ask them to include characteristics of the characters and settings in the book that make them unique.

Shutter Book example:

Reading Level: Grades 2-4

Interest Level: Grades K-3

Sources: 
https://www.weareteachers.com/second-grade-reading-comprehension-activities/
https://alex.state.al.us/standardAll.php?grade=1&subject=ELA2015&summary=2
http://resources.corwin.com/sites/default/files/Figure_4.8.pdf

The Need for Relationships

   Think back to your years in school. I'm sure many of us can think of only a handful of teachers that really impacted our lives positively and left a long lasting impression. What makes these teachers stand out to us? Their well organized lessons? Their amazing use of the textbook? Maybe, but more than likely this was not what made them so memorable. It was their ability to connect with us and build a relationship with us.

   "We have to make a connection to the heart before we can make a connection to the mind", this quote in The Innovators Mindset, by George Curous, is outstandingly relevant to educators and society as a whole. Without personal human connection, a student, or anyone else for that matter, will be less than willing to open up to you about their interests, goals, and, most importantly, their ability to learn. This can also apply to students who are being bullied. If they do not feel safe and personally related to within your classroom, how will they be able to open up enough to learn?

  This directly relates to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

   In his theory, people can only excel to their full potential after they are ensured that their basic needs are being met. For example, a child cannot begin to think about having close friends if they do not already feel as though they are secure and safe. If one or two areas of need are thrown off, it can greatly impact other areas of need. 

   While in high school, I experienced bullying by and among peers. This caused me to feel less secure and lacking in the friends and intimate relationships area. Even though my home life provided everything I needed for many of the levels, because of my negative school experiences I still couldn't reach the next levels of needs (esteem needs and self-actualization). 

   To help further translate this into how this applies to teachers, here are Maslow's Hierarchy of needs applied in the school setting: 

1. Physiological Needs = Schools provide food services (breakfast, lunch, snack), clean environments, and clean drinking water.
2. Safety and Security Needs = School is safe and secure (metal detectors, SOR Officers, fire drills, tornado drill, etc.)
3. Belongingness and love needs = School culture is inviting, responsive, and warm (teachers create personal relationships with students, peers are friendly)
4. Esteem needs = Students are valued and respected (student interests and achievements are recognized) 
5. Self-Actualization = Students are encouraged to develop into their full potential

   As you can see, students need so much more than well planned lessons and fancy textbooks to be able to learn and reach their full potential. In order to begin the process of building relationships with your students you need to get to know them. Learn about them. What are their interests? What are their goals? What are their strengths and weaknesses? In high school, I had a history teacher that stood out in the hallway between classes and gave students high fives, asked about their sporting events or extra curricular activities, and even made jokes with them. These simple things have permanently imprinted his efforts to build relationships with students into my memory. 

  To end this blog post and really emphasize teacher-student relationships, here is Rita Pierson in her Ted Talk titled "Every kid needs a champion":