How I Will Use Word Processing in my Classroom

I think students should be taught the skills that go along with word processing at a very young age. Children are far more advanced in technology than they have ever been before. I think it's so smart to teach them while they're young, so they will be able to use it often and early on. Kids these days just have a knack for technology and they understand how to use it, and use it well. Right now, I would like to teach 2nd grade, and I would definitely have my second graders use word processing. I don't think I'd introduce it right at the beginning of the year, because one thing I do worry about with them using it would be that they could be lazy with their grammar and spelling. Kids need to learn how to spell and how to speak correctly, because they can't rely on a computer to do it for them all of the time.

I think it would be really cool to introduce collaborative writing to students. Students at the second grade level need a lot of practice reading and writing, so this would be a great activity to get a lot of practice in! I think they would have a blast doing this! Kids love to make up stories and talk about adventures they have had. This would be a great way to show kids how to work together, and come up with a story with their friends. I think I would have them do it in small groups, with maybe only 4 or 5 students in the computer lab at a time, or at least only 4 or 5 doing collaborative writing at a time. Kids at this age are still pretty egocentric, so this would be a fabulous way to kind of "force them" to work together. This would give them a chance to see how fun it is to work with other people and what can be accomplished when they do work together. They'll come up with so many different ideas than they would have, had they tried to write a story on their own. I really, really think kids would enjoy this so much, and it'd help them so much with their writing skills. I love doing activities with children when they have so much fun doing it, and don't even realize how much they are learning and gaining from the activity.

Bertha's Valentine Bash

This Valentine's Day stinks! Bertha yelled to herself in the mirror.
"You are ugly and no one wants to give you a Valentine. Even Timmy the neighbor boy gave you a weird look when you gave him your handmade, doily backed Valentine," She said.
"Ugh! But why does he have to be so perfect? I've loved him for oh so long and all he ever does is look googely eyed at Helga down the street!"
"What does Helga have that I don't?, I guess I will just have to wear my pink retainer valentines day so he will look googely eyed at me!" " I can just see him now. He will look so cute in his overalls and his earmuffs. Oh, how I love his earmuffs. They make his eyes look even more googely. I don't know what could make me love him more...maybe if he had the courage to wear my pink, fuzzy earmuffs. As Bertha walked out the door, she knew what the day would have in store. She would get the courage to ask Timmy to be her Valentine and ask him to wear her pink, fuzzy earmuffs. Suddenly, she knew it was going to be a great day! I got to school and there he was... Oh so dreamy! The glare of the sun was reflecting off of his braces. What a HUNK! I felt for him like I have never felt for any other person. Well except my dog Duke! But still, it was love! As she arrived at school, she saw the telltale purple fuzzy earmuffs of Helga, her greatest enemy...on the head of her greatest love, Timmy! Fury welled up in her heart, and she knew vengance would be hers. "I WILL GET HER!!!" Bertha screamed in her heart. This would not be the last time they felt the fury of Bertha Barbara Baxter! She would get BOTH of them!! To be continued.....

Friday the 13th

Jake loved when Friday the 13th came around because he loved to play pranks on people. This Friday the 13th was going to be the best one yet, because he had a great prank up his sleeve. He had been scheming for months to make this day the happiest day of the year, for him. “Ha, Ha, Ha, someone is going to pay”, he said. All that was left was to gather up his friends Bill and Joe who had agreed to help. Sneaking out of the house, he stealthily climbed down the tree only to slip on the ice below, cracking his head hard and slipping into darkness. He awoke a minute later, and stumbled to his feet. He grabbed his banjo and headed down the road. Who was he trying to be this time? Oh, yeah! Banjo-Joe from the carnival! Those clowns were going to pay!

Lesson Plan #1

Here is the link to my Lesson Plan #1:

http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=22834

=) Enjoy!