1. In the morning, I would have the lunch choices listed on the Smart Board. Each student would come in and enter their choice(with their clicker). This would allow the teacher to take attendance and lunch count at the same time- Along with this- we can see the "trends" of favorite food choices to graph for math.
2. I believe in having a "Morning Meeting" everyday to help the kids get in the right frame of mind for the rest of their day. As a part of this activity, I would use the above mentioned system for asking a question of the day- Something that makes the children think about how they are feeling today, issues going on at school, ideas, problems, etc. The question would pose a yes/no/maybe type of answer that the students would submit/via clicker- and we could see how the class on the whole responded. During our meeting we could use this to further discuss the "why" to the answers received on the spreadsheet. Since the answers can remain anonymous, the kids can feel safe with their answers, but may also see that other people feel the same way.
3. Use an Excel spreadsheet to create a timeline- this can be done using clipart pictures to show what the youngest student does each day (wakes up, brushes teeth, etc) or you can use it for the 3-5th graders for a time line of their lives and compare them to how different their youth compares to another youth from a different historical time. Older students can use this to get a feel for major events throughout history.
4. I found an awesome game called "Shopping Sprees with Spreadsheets" You are told that you have just won a $1000 shopping spree- but there is a catch- you have to spend between $995-$1000. If you don't- you lose it all. If you spend exactly$1000, you win an extra $500. The catch is that you use a spreadsheet to calculate what you spend. I would definitely use this in a Math or a Computer class. The site is http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/techknowpark/FreeFall/ShoppingSpree.html
A variation of this can be used based on your curriculum needs.
5. Working in Learning support for the past 5 years, I have seen many types of Behavior Plan Folders that the student carries with them. I would use an Excel spreadsheet to document- and even have the child document behavior for all teachers/parents to see immediately. There would be no more excuses for leaving the folder behind and if parents did not have access to a computer, the teacher could simply print a page with the data to send home on a weekly basis. (Or whatever suits the situation). The child knows their behavior is being documented as such and this may act as a deterrent to bad behavior. The teacher(s) have information at their fingertips and can use this when completing IEP's, report cards.
I hope you can incorporate these ideas into your classroom!
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