Tricks or Treats???! Staying safe this Halloween!

Happy Tuesday, Friends!

How is everyone doing out there?

I'm enjoying the change in weather (a little bit)... but also getting a little anxious about how dark it is becoming so early now...but I'm feeling like Fall is coming if I'm ready or not!?? Am I right?

I wanted to take some time to reflect on the first quarter of the school year as it's coming to a close. One thing I've been talking with my students a lot about is internet safety. This is the first year for them that they have their own devices 1:1 and they are exposed to the internet a whole lot. They are doing fantastic... however I always feel like I can do more... Like we can do more. 

Sometimes I Feel like I get so wrapped up in internet safety that I also forget that I {we} need to reinforce safety of all sorts with kids of all ages. So whether you're a teacher, a parent, or just looking for ways to reinforce safety with kids in your life..... this Halloween is the perfect example of a time to do that.  Need ideas???

I've got just the thing for you to get started with. Now, I know some of you won't need all of these tips if you have littles who won't be going off on their own Trick-or-Treating, but it's never too early to discuss with them what is expected of them, or what can keep them safe when they do go off on their own! 

Thanks to my friend Erik from Russ Darrow for sharing this graphic with me!

I'd love to know what other safety issues you discuss with your students or children at home?!  Please share!!!  Don't forget, as my 2 year old always says "Safety First!"

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Tech Talk- Xtra Math

Hi Strangers!  I've been absent for awhile. Life has been a whirlwind, but I'm super excited to be blogging today for a great new Blog Hop from "Great Minds Teach Alike!"  It's all about technology! Our school has gone 1:1 this year, and I'm really trying to incorporate so many aspects of technology into our daily schedule.  Sometimes I know that can be hard, however it has been a really great experience so far and I think that it's going great. You can read about some other technology happenings from my classroom this year here.  I'm excited to be doing this blog hop to share more resources and talk about what's working and what's not. I hope that I can help some of you along the way and also pick up some tips of my own!

Stop by Tasia's blog for some other great technology posts!!  

I first want to share, that I got the idea to use this site from a teammate at school. I have not been asked to write about this site, or review it by anyone. I like how it's has been a great addition to my classroom, and wanted to share it with others!

Xtra Math:

This site is a great addition resource to my morning work.  It's a free web-based math-fact fluency program for kids. The goal is to get students to recall their basic facts without having to use their fingers to count to free up more working memory in their brains!  There are a ton of explanation videos on site for you to get started, but I'll share some of the highlights for you.

- It allows for quick daily fact practice (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and mixed) for your students.  They only use the program for about 10 minutes a day.  It can also be used at home and there is a great parent component.

-It has simple activities for students to practice their facts each day, and helps regulate how long they are taking to answer each fact.  For example, it's goal for you student is to answer in 3 seconds, to show fluency.  If they do that, then when they answer they get a smile face.  If they answer in 10 seconds or less they get a green check mark and the fact is brought back around again. After 10 seconds the answer is shown to students and they must type it in to move forward.

- If you don't have a 1:1 computer situation in your room, the program also helps you set up a roster of students to go through like a list each day. One student will log into the site, and then when they are done they can see who is next on the list and let that student know that it's their turn to go on to the program.  There is also an iPad app.

-Progress reports are sent weekly to teachers (or parents) showing how each student has progressed through the past week.

-Students also see progress grids during their practice to see where they're at.

- It's easy for a teacher to set up a class (less than 5 minutes!!! YAY!!)

- There are no advertisements on the site to distract students.


My kids are really loving this daily fact practice! I also find it helpful for them to get their facts in multiple ways, so this is just one more thing that they can do to practice them.  If you're looking for something to add to your daily routine that won't take a lot of time, this program would be perfect for you!!  Thanks for stopping by!