Classroom Setup

This year I changed a lot about my classroom. I love the changes! Here is the entrance to my classroom.

I made this new sign for the hallway. It really stands out! I created it using chalkboard markers. I love using them! I attached it to the wall using 3M™ Command™ Damage-Free Picture Hanging Strips. These things are amazing! We use them at home to hang items (no more holes in the walls) and they are so sturdy. I hung all of my items at school with these this year.

I created this sign with the chalk markers too. This is our class Twitter handle.

It's fun to change the hashtag from time to time.

I have students in groups to encourage collaboration. I also left a relatively large floor area open for students to gather on. Groups often choose to collaborate with one another in this area.

One of my favorite things that I added this year is this pegboard. I didn't need the cubby storage unit so I decided to turn it around and use the pegboard on the back! It houses our most frequently used school supplies. I love that this frees up the countertops where these items used to be stored. I am using the cubbies that face the wall to store extra school supplies.

I am so happy with the way this bulletin board turned out. I took a lot of time, but I think it was worth it. It's a little hard to tell in the picture, but the "keys" are raised off of the board (using take out boxes). I teach my students that the iPads are creation devices. I often ask, "What are you going to create today?" So I think the heading is very fitting.

I found these fantastic "mini-posters" on Teachers Pay Teachers. "iPad FREE Mini Posters - 16 App Icons to Know" were created by Erintegration. I laminated them and hung them in my room (at child eye level) as a resource for the students to use when needed.

However, with teaching 1st grade, most of my students cannot read the descriptions (especially when we start the school year). Therefore I decided to infuse some augmented reality! I used Aurasma and created auras that appear for each icon when they are scanned using that app. The auras are just the image with a voice over of me describing the icon. This way, if a child cannot read the description independently they can still use the resource.

The Analog Twitter Wall got a makeover too! I love these "Twitter Exit Cards" by The Pioneer Teacher that I found on Teachers Pay Teachers. I laminated them and put magnets on the back. Each morning, after the students complete their morning work, they write their daily tweet. This could be a thought or a question, anything really. Then they post it for the day.

So there's a little peek into my classroom layout and design. Hope you enjoyed it and maybe got some ideas or inspiration!

The 1:1 Journey Begins

This school year I am fortunate enough to have 1:1 iPads in my 1st grade classroom. I have been preparing to implement iPads in my classroom for a few years now. I have attended numerous conferences and trainings and I'm so excited to finally have these devices in the hands of my students. Through this blog I plan to document my journey of integrating iPads into my curriculum. Please join me on my journey!