Year: 2019

One of the most common things we hear from teachers is: “Wow! Your product is amazing! I wish I could afford it!” We understand the dilemma teachers and educators face: getting funding for all the cool stuff they know their students need.

Because we are so committed to helping kids, we are sharing three resources for you to get the funding you need to give your students the best education tools!

1. GetEDFunding.com
(For Public and Private Schools)




This resource curates thousands of free grants and places them in one convenient spot for you to peruse. They provide tips and ideas on how to apply for and write grants. You can also get an email update of new grants delivered right to your inbox! After you register, you’ll be able to search specifically for a grant that fits your needs. For example, if you are looking for boosting literacy in your classroom, you will search within your grade range and click on “Literacy K-12.” It will then bring a list of potential funding options for which you can apply! Also, we have some free templates here on how to write the best grant request possible!


2. DonorsChoose.com
(For Public Schools Only)




This is one of the most popular funding options for teachers, and one that we have seen many teachers get funding for our products. Donors Choose makes it easy for any generous donor to help a classroom in need!

When setting up a Donors Choose project for our products, here are some great tips:

• Choose Kaplan Early Learning as the vendor.
• Have a captivating picture as your photo. You will want a clear picture that conveys exactly what you are trying to achieve.
• Send out an email to all your contacts when you first launch your project to help get some initial funding. You can email friends, family, and communities you are a part of. Learn more about developing a great email campaign here.
• Share your project over social media. Other than email, social media is an effective place to let people know about your project. You can even send out funding updates and remind people to help with a donation! Facebook has been known as the top, most effective place for online fundraising, but Instagram and Twitter are also good places too! Donors Choose has a great video with more in-depth ideas on how to make your project soar!

3. AdoptAClassroom.org
(For Public, Private, and Charter Schools)




The third online resource is AdoptAClassroom.org. Very similar to Donors Choose, teachers and school districts can start and share projects to find donors. You’ll simply create a page for your classroom with details of your needs and people can donate right there! Read more about the process here.

Some helpful tips when using AdoptAClassroom.org are:

• Create a compelling page! Adopt a Classroom does “pages” instead of “projects,” like Donors Choose. Create a page with excellent pictures, a clear goal, and one that tells your story. People love to give support to compelling stories!
• Share! This means making your page public and sharing it with people so they can learn about your needs and possibly help. There are also convenient templates to make page creation a breeze!
  
• Read all their tips on fundraising. Adopt a Classroom has extensive information on effective fundraising for your classroom!

What other methods and tools have you found to be successful in raising funds for your classroom? Let us know!

Preparing pre-K students for kindergarten and keeping them engaged is a huge undertaking. As pre-K teachers, our goal is to build the basic foundations for early reading and math concepts, beginning their social-emotional learning, and working with them on physical abilities such as motor skills. Adding to this challenge is the fact that pre-K teachers also need to attend to students who’ve likely never been in an academic setting and don’t understand the mechanics and expectations of a classroom. Providing a highly-engaging learning experience every day helps us accomplish everything we need to with our pre-K students.

1) Identify students who are (or aren’t) engaged.
When I think about student engagement, the first thing that comes to mind is a child who actively responds, both visibly and audibly, to what’s going on in the classroom—and whose body language is consistent with active involvement in the lesson.

On the contrary, I also think about the very quiet students who are definitely engaged with their learning but demonstrate it in a different way. Some people just have a naturally quiet disposition, of course, but the classroom environment is also pretty scary for our youngest students. It can be very overwhelming and intimidating. They go from being the center of the world in their families to this big classroom with 20+ other kids and two adults whom they don’t know. They’re going to new places and experiencing activities they don’t know how to play, and they’re unsure of how they’re supposed to be communicating in this new environment. All of this lends itself to various ways to express their engagement.

The idea of going from a self-centered environment to feeling like a speck in a big world where I don’t know my place seems intimidating to me as an adult, so I can understand why they’re quiet. I have one little girl in my class now who didn’t really start having conversations with me or most of her classmates until Christmas. Building their confidence is just another element we use to help students develop in order to make sure they’re ready for kindergarten. Fortunately, students tend to develop confidence as they learn both academic and social skills before moving into kindergarten. These are skills such as identifying letters and their sounds, the understanding that letters make words and words make sentences, the ability to count individual objects up to 20, and so on.

Engagement (or lack thereof) may be difficult to spot with such young children as they become accustomed to school, but it’s still at the center of a successful pre-K classroom. By providing a variety of fun and exciting learning opportunities, we can be sure we’re reaching even the shyest students.

2) Create an engaging classroom layout.

Activity centers are a great way to provide that variety of experiences. One way I try to make these activities as engaging as possible is by thinking through the layout of my classroom. I set up one side of the room to be louder and more playful, while the other side is quieter and better suited to concentration. On one side of the room we’ll have blocks and a kitchen play area next to math manipulatives. If you keep walking in the same direction, you’ll find art and science areas, then a station for iPad use and writing, and then a library space.

We also spend lots of time practicing transitions and other classroom routines. It takes some time upfront, but it pays off so well once everyone gets into the swing of the school year and the students know exactly how to move around the classroom. It saves me a lot of time picking up manipulatives and other classroom objects, too, because the students know where they go and are well-practiced at putting them away

3) Look for fun classroom tools.

Like any teacher, I’m always on the lookout for fun new tools to add to my classroom. One of my favorites this year is Letters alive. It’s an early literacy program that teaches the foundations of reading by using 26 zoo animals that spring to life in 3D! Students use letter, word family, and sight word cards to build words and sentences while interacting with the animals.

These 3D animals are so exciting for the students, of course, but one of the things I like about the product is that it doesn’t just live in a piece of software. We use the cards as traditional flashcards, and there are also student journals that can be taken home to work on the same literacy concepts with their parents on mobile devices. The free mobile app turns the journal into a magical 3D animal adventure! A big part of engaging pre-K students and ensuring their growth is parents who are committed and engaged in their children’s education.

4) Take plenty of breaks.

Children in pre-K are just too young to sit still for long stretches of time and remain mentally engaged. They need breaks, and they definitely need to move. Kids love songs, so I firmly believe that anything with a tune and educational value belongs in a classroom. I can’t sing, though, so I’ll often play songs via YouTube videos and playlists that incorporate our learning objectives. It gives students a little mental break, but it also reinforces the concepts we’re working on as a class. I like to use GoNoodle, a service that combines physical activity in the classroom with educational activities, too. It gets the kids moving while they learn. It’s a great way to get students alert and attentive without sacrificing instructional time. Alive Studios also has an awesome alphabet song for introducing the 26 animals in their zoo. The kids love it!

#HelpShiftHappen Blog Article by Deb Atchison

Got students who don’t like to read at all? Augmented Reality books can change that!

As a former student that hated reading, but turned Reading Specialist, I’m astounded by the statistic from the National Report Card that says that only 37% of our 4th graders are reading proficiently. This is crazy! If a little over a third of our students are reading proficiently, what does this mean for the future of our country? This is scary when you really think about it. I know many students are like I was in school and don’t like to read at all. Thankfully, that is not the case any longer for me and I really enjoy helping students learn to read better. I think perhaps because I struggled with reading, I can empathize with those that do and can help them to become better at it and dread it a little less.

Many times, students haven’t found anything that interests them and therefore they don’t want to put the time into reading some “boring ole book!” Or, they are too embarrassed to check out books that are on their reading level and way below what they should be able to read. Well, I have a solution for these reluctant readers. And, if it works on my own teen boys whose native language is Russian and not English, then it should work on your reluctant readers too. What I’m talking about are AR books. Not Accelerated Reader books, but Augmented Reality books. You know, books that come to life right before your very eyes! Augmented Reality or AR books have images that when scanned with a device and a specific app will literally pop right off the page.

There are many AR books out there for young learners. Kids of all ages love to read and experience H.C. Anderson’s original fairy tale about The Little Mermaid who swaps her fishtail for human legs to be able to follow her heart. The great thing about this book is that it lies flat, making it easy for the young reader to hold on to the iPad while experiencing the book. Some of my other favorites for young readers are the Arbi books, https://www.arbibook.com. These storylines are exactly what our kids need to hear. Teamwork, friendship, getting along and working together are skills that are so important and they are valued and the focus of these stories.

Rocks In My Socks, is the story of Gracie, an adorable pint-sized pink triceratops, who learns about acceptance through some unexpected visitors that show up in her favorite pink and white striped socks. There are 13 activities that can be played manually with colors, markers, or pencils. Learn about colors, matching, recognition, colors and music associations, and even some of Gracie’s favorite dance moves.

Holo Pop Ups, https://holopopups.com/ has a handful of books that foster learning in an innovative way – vocabulary, spelling and science all become part of the fun! The characters leap out of the page, living, breathing and speaking to you. And, who could forget the Color Alive Coloring Books from Crayola. They give kids the opportunity to see their coloring pages come to life right before their very eyes!

And, of course, we know educators of the little ones swear by the Alive Studios’ My Letters alive Journals, which help early readers with letter naming, letter sounds, and letter writing. Alive Studios also has a super cute story that teaches the value of being on time, Amos Arrives at the Airport. You definitely need to check those out if you haven’t yet. Even if you are a parent of little ones and not a teacher, you will love how easily your kiddos can learn their alphabet with them.

I love all the great AR picture books and I’m still very excited over those, but I’m really pumped for the books for older readers that are interactive and engaging! For example, the company Anomaly World, http://www.experienceanomaly.com, has many books that will particularly attract those that are interested in science-fiction, fantasy and comic books. Their flagship book, Anomaly, is an epic tale of deception, redemption, and unity set on a strange alien world and the longest original full-color graphic novel ever published. With lush illustrations, action-packed storytelling, and awe-inspiring interactive features, Anomaly is a must-have multimedia experience for any reader, especially the reluctant one. They have several graphic novels and comic series that use augmented reality to engage their readers. The most exciting part for me is that these books and many others are becoming more and more sophisticated, not just in the artistry and AR, but also in the content of the storylines. There are more and more graphic novels and even novels for young adults that are incorporating AR. I’m really pumped for these new books for older readers that are interactive and engaging!

When my, then 17, year old son was looking at the @AnomalyWorld AR graphic novels for the first time with me, we were both blown away by the digital graphics along with the intense and interactive AR that was popping off the pages. I knew this company was onto something, when he said, “Wow, I can’t wait to read this book to see what this (AR character popping off the page) is all about! I want to learn more about him!” What? A 17-year-old, non-native English speaking boy wants to read a book? Yep, pretty powerful stuff if you ask me!

Personally, I really liked the Anomaly Productions illustrated novel, Between Worlds. It’s a story of misfit teens that wander off during a school field trip to the forest, on a dare to find a local legend, The Wishing Tree. But they get more than they bargained for when they find themselves in Nith, an alternate universe. Along with amazing new powers and furry friends, Nith holds danger and intrigue. With the help of the mysterious Aaron, these two friends try to find their way back home. But some of the inhabitants of Nith have other plans for the teens… Together, Mayberry and Marshall must learn to control their new powers, escape their enemies, find their way home, and come to terms with their growing attraction. This book reminded me of novels I would read as a teacher to my middle school students. Yes, I made it a common practice to read aloud to my teen students who were often reluctant readers. You should too! The storyline is great and very engaging and about every two or three chapters, you get to an amazing illustration in the novel that you could scan with your mobile device and app to see that character come to life. My son couldn’t wait until he got to one of those pages to scan and neither could I. The anticipation of the next one, kept us both reading.

I also like that the AR in books for all level of readers is becoming more and more interactive! Not only is something coming out of the books, but you can actually interact with and control some of the AR content. Seeing is believing, but holding it in your hand and manipulating it, is way better!

This same company has a new book releasing this coming summer that I’m very excited about, called Creative Creature Catchers! I’ve been lucky enough to preview it and it’s incredible, but designed for younger readers. The story is basically, that there are lost baby creatures all around us who just want to go home, and they need your help! Welcome to the Society of Creative Creature Catchers! You’ve been chosen to join the CCC because you’re smart, caring and REALLY fun! Your mission is simple: Find and learn about a variety of fantastical animals who have ended up lost in our world and it’s the reader’s job to send them home to their families! Some hid in the curtains. Others hid under the bed. Don’t worry. They won’t hurt you. They’re scared, and their parents are worried about them. But this is just half the story. Creative Creature Catcher isn’t just about reading. It’s about doing. Anyone can read about these unfortunate animals, but Malcolm will teach you how to get personally involved and will even read the story to reluctant readers. I can’t wait to be able to use the interactive hide and seek game with students.

If we are going to get and keep students reading and advance that percentage of proficient readers, our first step is to actually get them reading. Giving students books that initially pique their curiosity is a great start. For more AR books that I’ve previewed and used, check out http://tiny.cc/ARbooks. If I can help you introduce these and many other great AR books to your students and colleagues, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Deb Atchison
www.debatchison.com
debatchison@gmail.com
@debatchison on Twitter

Guest Blog by: Adam Peterson, TeachersLearn2

 

It’s no secret that teaching is a tough, demanding, and ever-changing job!  As educators, we are always looking for ways to do more for our students, but sometimes we all need a little help to do so!  So, today I’m offering some help to all of you who may be looking for a way to HELP SHIFT HAPPEN in your own classroom!  Let’s do this!

S – H – I – F – T !

S – Step Out

Engagement is such a huge factor when it comes to the progress that happens in your classroom!  If students are engaged in their learning, then they’re most likely going to retain that knowledge better.  Sometimes creating engaging lessons and environments requires you to STEP OUT of your comfort zone a little bit!  I had a student one year in my kindergarten classroom who was interested in nothing but…wait for it…Pokemon!  Yep, that’s all he wanted to talk about, read about, and learn about. The trouble is, I knew nothing about Pokemon!  So, I stepped out of my comfort zone and learned as much as I could about Pokemon. I created lessons, found books, and created a Pokemon hunt activity to help my students learn about the layout of our school!  Needless to say, that little guy was engaged more than ever, and we had a blast learning things we were already going to learn about anyway. Trust me when I say I stepped out of my comfort zone! I searched all over and pieced together a costume that looked like the famous Pokemon trainer, Ash Ketchum, and wore it on the day we did our Pokemon hunt around the school.  Funny hats and costumes aren’t necessary, but engaging your students based on their interests is!

 

H – Help

Asking for help isn’t something to be afraid of.  As teachers, we work best when we work together. So, don’t be afraid to reach out to your peers for help when you need it.  Whether it be planning lessons, creating new units, or simply talking through classroom issues, having a strong team to turn to makes all the difference.  Reaching outside of your classroom and school is another way to get the help you need! I always open my door to volunteers! Parents, grandparents, and community members are such a great asset to HELP SHIFT HAPPEN in your classroom!

 

I – Independent Learners

Teaching is the best job in the world!  I absolutely love working with children and seeing the magic in their eyes when they learn new things!  But, as much as I love teaching and working with my students, I also know it’s important to help them reach a level of independence.  Helping SHIFT happen across grade levels is only possible when we work to create lifelong learners!  Getting students to want to learn on their own is such an important part of our jobs, and can be easier than you think!  Creating an environment where students are able to work at their own pace to reach individual goals will help all of you reach the goals you have set for them!

 

F – Fun

One of my favorite parts of teaching was hearing my students, and parents of students, say how much fun our classroom was!  I make it a point to make learning as much fun as possible on a daily basis!  There’s really no secret to this at all!  You know you love to do things that are fun, you enjoy things that are fun, and you remember times in your life that were fun!  Well, kids are people too, and they love FUN just as much as you! Share your classroom fun using #makelearningfun

 

T – Teachers Learn Too

Teaching better to me means always doing what you can to improve yourself as an educator.  Whether it be reading a resource book, an inspirational book, watching webinars, or attending conferences, I am always trying to make myself better as a teacher!  The power of social media has made this easier than ever!  Follow teachers on social media, join groups on Facebook, and watch YouTube channels!  There are so many awesome educators willing to share their knowledge, but why not do the same!  If you have awesome things to share, do it! Use #helpshifthappen

 

It is my hope that these ideas are nothing new to you!  Hopefully, you’re stepping up and stepping out on a daily basis – creating the most engaging and fun environments you can – constantly learning and making yourself better all the time!  If you’re doing these things then you’re definitely HELPING SHIFT HAPPEN, and I applaud you!  Keep being awesome!

 

• Adam Peterson

 

At the beginning of 2018, our team came together to talk about our mission to provide Mind-Boggling Engagement for Early Literacy.

We decided that we wanted to come up with a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal to go along with our mission. If you’re not familiar with a BHAG, it’s an idea from the book, “Built to Last” by James Collins and Jerry Porras. A BHAG is a goal that is so audacious that it may appear impossible to reach. So why would anyone create a goal that seems impossible to achieve?

Well, a BHAG isn’t just about reaching the goal. Its audaciousness inspires us to take a leap of faith; urges us to persevere;  and encourages us to work harder and more creatively to reach our goal! Even if we don’t reach it, it will produce INCREDIBLE things!

So … are you ready for it?

Our Big Hairy Audacious Goal is to shift the Nation’s Report Card from only 37% of our 4th graders reading proficiently to over 70% reading proficiently!!!

Yes! We know. It’s BIG and HAIRY and AUDACIOUS! That’s why we’re inviting you to join us to Help Shift Happen! Actually, you’re already helping. Whether you’re an educator, parent, community or business … you, in your own unique way, directly or indirectly are affecting children to be the best they can be!

This is what we’re asking you to do:
Share ideas and stories of how YOU are helping kids learn to read.

– Post on your Facebook or Facebook Live
– Make an Instagram Story
– Share on Twitter
– Write about it on your blog
– Become a guest blogger for Alive Studios

Whichever way you share, be sure to use the hashtag #HelpShiftHappen

Let the world know how you’re making a difference! This will take a multitude of great people, but our kids are worth it and our communities depend on it!