Everyone should have the Microsoft Word version of our lesson plan template, if you did not receive it by e-mail please let me know! (I can be reached at imagine.more@yahoo.com)
Okay, once you create your lesson plans for the week (remember there are 3 per week) you need to save them as a PDF file. You can download a free PDF file converter by clicking the gray button at Primo PDF's website. You must save and close the document before clicking and dragging it onto the PrimoPDF button on your desktop.
Once it's been converted into a PDF file you can use Googledocs to upload it onto the web. I was using Google Groups, but they have decided to eliminate the document sharing option for groups. Googledocs should work just fine for everyone though. This will create a url for your document so you can link to it on the web.
When you're ready, write up your new post and be sure to include hyperlinks to the required documents. The hyperlink button is the 5th button from the left when you're typing a new post on Blogger. Simply copy the url of the document, highlight the text you want to link through, click the hyperlink box, and paste the url into the hyperlink box that appears.
If you are using any activities or crafts that you got directly off of another website, please direct people to that website through a link rather than copying any content from the website onto the blog. This allows the originator of the activity full credit and gives everyone an opportunity to see the amazing resources out there for teaching little ones! Just be sure to link directly to the activity so nobody has to go on a wild goose chase looking for the activity you're referring to. It should be a simple click and print kind of thing.
There is a small box for "labels" at the bottom right hand of the new post box. I think it'll be easiest if we all just add a label for our month. So if you're posting lessons for October, week 2, just type "October" into the box.
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Daily Learning Plan
Okay, I think I've got the daily learning plan uploaded properly onto googledocs so everyone can download it and edit it for their own months. Simply follow the link below, download it, open it with Microsoft Publisher, and edit and save it on your own computer as needed.
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B8CdEMsVH2jTNjA2YWU2Z
DctNWE0NC00YzZmLTgyYjAtMDM2MmU3YmY0ZmI2&hl=en&authkey=CPaWhKwP
Let me know how it works please!
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B8CdEMsVH2jTNjA2YWU2Z
DctNWE0NC00YzZmLTgyYjAtMDM2MmU3YmY0ZmI2&hl=en&authkey=CPaWhKwP
Let me know how it works please!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Lesson Planning Basics
I'm pretty sure I've nailed down a basic framework we can all use to do lesson plans. Now, I don't have my heart set on this or anything so please feel free to make suggestions whether you are helping to write lesson plans or simply planning to participate in the curriculum once we start up.
I'll explain this a bit so everyone understands what it is:
Below is September, Week 1, Day 1 lesson plan. I have a prayer for the day written, 2 calendar songs to get us started with calendar time, and 2 nursery rhymes/songs that relate to our themes this month--apples, trees, and the character trait of self-control. Below that are 2 activities. The first block simply mentions that we'll make applesauce (Sid the Science Kid style, using it as a science lesson almost). The second block says we'll make a letter A in the form of an alligator. For these two activities I simple printed out the pages from their original sites and slipped them into my September, Week 1 file. The last block at the bottom lists 2 book choices that relate to the theme. I'm not 100% thrilled with this section so I would love any ideas about how we should handle books since we have such a big age range (infant-5 years old).
My thought for how that last block can work is to also create a small (index card size) print-out with the total book list and materials list for each month. This would be what we could each keep with us when we go to the library to check out books and the store to get any materials we might be missing. That way there's no last minute searches for a glue stick or googly eyes in the morning before doing a craft :) In this case that last block would be a suggestion only of which books from the list might work best for the corresponding activities, but people with older/younger kids can choose what books interest them and which ones are easiest to find at the library that month.
Note that this is the entire week's lesson plans, 3 days of learning time and would fill anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the family and how in depth you want to go with the activities.
Also look at the prayer for the day, calendar, and songs. I repeated all of those for the entire week and that is not a mistake! Kids love repetition, it's how they memorize those cute songs so please don't feel the need to come up with new songs for every day or even every week. Repeat the same songs for at least an entire week at a time, if not more! Really the only things unique to each day are the 2 activities and the books can change somewhat but again, kids LOVE repetition, I can't even tell you how often I've read Adios, Oscar this past month to Tobias, he insists on it every single night. So while it looks like a ton of planning, it's really just finding 2 songs, 6 activities, and a few related stories for each week.
I'll explain this a bit so everyone understands what it is:
Below is September, Week 1, Day 1 lesson plan. I have a prayer for the day written, 2 calendar songs to get us started with calendar time, and 2 nursery rhymes/songs that relate to our themes this month--apples, trees, and the character trait of self-control. Below that are 2 activities. The first block simply mentions that we'll make applesauce (Sid the Science Kid style, using it as a science lesson almost). The second block says we'll make a letter A in the form of an alligator. For these two activities I simple printed out the pages from their original sites and slipped them into my September, Week 1 file. The last block at the bottom lists 2 book choices that relate to the theme. I'm not 100% thrilled with this section so I would love any ideas about how we should handle books since we have such a big age range (infant-5 years old).
My thought for how that last block can work is to also create a small (index card size) print-out with the total book list and materials list for each month. This would be what we could each keep with us when we go to the library to check out books and the store to get any materials we might be missing. That way there's no last minute searches for a glue stick or googly eyes in the morning before doing a craft :) In this case that last block would be a suggestion only of which books from the list might work best for the corresponding activities, but people with older/younger kids can choose what books interest them and which ones are easiest to find at the library that month.
Note that this is the entire week's lesson plans, 3 days of learning time and would fill anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the family and how in depth you want to go with the activities.
Also look at the prayer for the day, calendar, and songs. I repeated all of those for the entire week and that is not a mistake! Kids love repetition, it's how they memorize those cute songs so please don't feel the need to come up with new songs for every day or even every week. Repeat the same songs for at least an entire week at a time, if not more! Really the only things unique to each day are the 2 activities and the books can change somewhat but again, kids LOVE repetition, I can't even tell you how often I've read Adios, Oscar this past month to Tobias, he insists on it every single night. So while it looks like a ton of planning, it's really just finding 2 songs, 6 activities, and a few related stories for each week.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Lesson Planning
Sorry to have left everyone hanging this past week, my son was sick so there was a lot of cuddling and general clinginess going on here :)
Anyway, I wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page here and give you an idea of where to begin with lesson planning for each of the months. First, for whoever has December, keep in mind that there are 5 weeks in that month and of course the Christmas season, so I'd say we only need 3 real weeks of lessons for that month, maybe with a few fun extra activities if you feel like it in case people's kids' get antsy Christmas Eve :)
For your month's theme, refer to the themes and fruits of the spirit lists on the blog. You'll need to plan for 1 nursery rhyme, 2 activities, and 2 books for each day, 3 days a week, for 4 weeks so that's a total of 12 nursery rhymes (these can be repeated several times), 24 activities, and 24 books (one easy book and one harder book for each day).
With that in mind, I'd like to let everyone see how I'm organizing my ideas. I am using the File Crate System. This system is wonderful and Dawn over at By Sun and Candlelight has been so great about explaining it in detail for her readers. So I have a plain folder for every week of the year. On the front of the folder I've stapled a piece of paper so I can jot down doctor's appointments, notes, to-do lists, and dinner plans. Inside the folder I put not only household items (bills to pay, grocery lists, etc.) but also the activities I plan to use for that week. So when I spot a neat activity that relates to September's theme (apples, trees, letters A-D, and beginning number sense) I print it, cut it out, or write down what it is, and put it in the folder in the correct week. I will also put my 3 daily lesson plans for each week inside that week's folder.
So if everyone could scrounge up just 4 file folders and write the dates of the weeks (Sunday-Saturday) in their assigned month, you can use those to collect ideas. Just anything you see over the next few weeks that sounds interesting or relates to the theme or phonics/math go ahead and stick it in. Soon I will make another post describing the lesson plan format (sounds complicated but really it is super easy and you'll like it I promise!). For now focus on collecting interesting ideas and sticking them into your 4 file folders for your month.
Also, so everyone knows, this is the current list I have of planners:
Anyway, I wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page here and give you an idea of where to begin with lesson planning for each of the months. First, for whoever has December, keep in mind that there are 5 weeks in that month and of course the Christmas season, so I'd say we only need 3 real weeks of lessons for that month, maybe with a few fun extra activities if you feel like it in case people's kids' get antsy Christmas Eve :)
For your month's theme, refer to the themes and fruits of the spirit lists on the blog. You'll need to plan for 1 nursery rhyme, 2 activities, and 2 books for each day, 3 days a week, for 4 weeks so that's a total of 12 nursery rhymes (these can be repeated several times), 24 activities, and 24 books (one easy book and one harder book for each day).
With that in mind, I'd like to let everyone see how I'm organizing my ideas. I am using the File Crate System. This system is wonderful and Dawn over at By Sun and Candlelight has been so great about explaining it in detail for her readers. So I have a plain folder for every week of the year. On the front of the folder I've stapled a piece of paper so I can jot down doctor's appointments, notes, to-do lists, and dinner plans. Inside the folder I put not only household items (bills to pay, grocery lists, etc.) but also the activities I plan to use for that week. So when I spot a neat activity that relates to September's theme (apples, trees, letters A-D, and beginning number sense) I print it, cut it out, or write down what it is, and put it in the folder in the correct week. I will also put my 3 daily lesson plans for each week inside that week's folder.
So if everyone could scrounge up just 4 file folders and write the dates of the weeks (Sunday-Saturday) in their assigned month, you can use those to collect ideas. Just anything you see over the next few weeks that sounds interesting or relates to the theme or phonics/math go ahead and stick it in. Soon I will make another post describing the lesson plan format (sounds complicated but really it is super easy and you'll like it I promise!). For now focus on collecting interesting ideas and sticking them into your 4 file folders for your month.
Also, so everyone knows, this is the current list I have of planners:
September--Manda (imagine.more)
October--Robin (rowbinemichelle), Mollie (blueflower100)
November--Rene (rene2cute)
December--Danielle (daniellega)
January--Tracy (tarceo)
February--Casey (waitinginSF)
March--Sue (suehaydon)
April--Kristi (ilovemycutiebabies)
May--MoMommy16
Fruits of the Spirit--Christine (crisby5470), (meghanjane'smommy), Becca (improvingmama)
Spanish--Rhianna (rhihug)
*If you have not sent me your e-mail address I can't add you to the blog authors yet so go ahead and send that to me on BBC or at my e-mail address imagine.more@yahoo.com whenever you have a chance.
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