#2ndchat is a Twitter hashtag that can be used to chat, collaborate, and grow with other second grade educators from around the world. Every other week we will discuss a different topic. It's a great way to help grow your PLN (Professional/Personal Learning Network) and share ideas with others.
Happy New Year to you! My name is Carol from Birmingham, AL. Sadly, we had record breaking rainfall during our winter break so no outside activities then. #2ndchat
Hi there #2ndchat ! Michael here from Virginia Beach, VA- I totally enjoyed being out working in my yard over the break on the 60 degree days we are having! Snow..maybe on the way this weekend...:)
A1: There is something amazing that happens to people mentally when we spend time outside. It makes me so much calmer. There is so much to see & learn about when you are outside! #2ndchat
A1: There is something amazing that happens to people mentally when we spend time outside. It makes me so much calmer. There is so much to see & learn about when you are outside! #2ndchat
Vickie joining a bit late...#2ndchat from Ontario Canada where it is going to be extra cold this week. Over the break we went hiking and outdoor ice skating.
Agree me too and I have witnessed it with the students. Great for mental health and wellness. There is also so much to learn and great connections made with curriculum areas. #2ndchat
A1: There is something amazing that happens to people mentally when we spend time outside. It makes me so much calmer. There is so much to see & learn about when you are outside! #2ndchat
Hello everyone! Jenna here from SoFL 🌴☀️ I got to literally CHILL for a few days in CT ⛄️ with fam! A1: There are a million more cool things OUTSIDE than inside! #2ndchat
Hi Jenna - I spent the winter break in the Keys for work one year ... you may not get winter as I know it in Ontario - but we did experience a change in temperature & species seen! #2ndchat
There was a tree cutter WAY up in a pine tree yesterday. We all just stood there watching him as he cut the limbs and moved up & down the tree with ease. So cool! #2ndchat
I can also see so many cool activities to do in this pic! Motion, measurement, weather, materials, phases, animal/plant, etc! #2ndchat And I see all that fresh air!
We participated in a global project where we compared high/low temperatures all over the world. My kids loved that! Shadow lengths are cool to teach in all seasons. #2ndchat
A1. Ok- the funny thing is they need to be OUTSIDE more like when I was a kid! But, I see this as not only outside, but "OUTSIDE" of a typical classroom environment-I created a living room in my class, flex seating, and noticed huge changes in that! #2ndchat
Birdwatching in winter - even if you don't see a lot of snow - birds unlike other critters don't hibernate & can be an inspiring math lesson (or three) #2ndchat
👍🏼👍🏼 Agreed! We used to take “field trips” to meet the lunch staff, custodians, etc. and we challenged them with math and spelling games! They loved it! #2ndchat
It was SUPER cool to watch. He was in control the whole time and they make TONS of money doing it because others can't do it! #2ndchat Good to see you, Peg.
Nope I’m in Kansas City and they won’t send us out if it’s under 20 windchill. It’s more the kids not being dressed appropriately anymore. When did a hoodie become a winter coat?#2ndchat
A3- Winter has so many aspects from the great read aloud to scientific integration in ELA. Also awesome time to also integrate holidays and culture. #2ndchat
If it's real cold - we at our outdoor ed centres modify programming ... in experiential #EnviroEd we mitigate our risk ... we don't avoid it - but we plan it #2ndchat
Nope I’m in Kansas City and they won’t send us out if it’s under 20 windchill. It’s more the kids not being dressed appropriately anymore. When did a hoodie become a winter coat?#2ndchat
A2 I think you all have covered any I would suggest! I mostly like working on PROBABILITY...will we get enough snow to close schools!!! It only takes a few inches in my beach town! LOL #2ndchat
I used to but then I realized that I'm hot natured and so are some of my kids. Other freeze when it's super warm. I always tell my parents to have that discussion with their child at home & dress them for their preferences. :) #2ndchat
In reply to
@swkreed, @capper2teach, @RangerRidley
I lived in PA for about a year. The cold & snow didn't bother me at all except for being wet when the snowflakes melted. It was the first time I could actually SEE cool snowflakes instead of just blobs of snow. #2ndchat
In reply to
@swkreed, @capper2teach, @RangerRidley
Honestly most snow impacts our school is kiddos couldn’t get home from the mountains because of the snow. Lake Tahoe Reno area. Had a few kids stuck in traffic for 6 hours went 5 miles #2ndchat
I’ve only been in FL for about 4 years, but I have to say there are snowy opps: they make an outdoor sledding place- fake snow and snowmen are everywhere. Skating rinks are popular- I saw kids throwing snowballs from the ice last weekend! #2ndchat
#2ndchat A3: after ‘cooking’ in our mud kitchen, we explored recipes for soup and wrote a recipe together for vegetable soup. We made soup outside with found materials and made soup inside with vegetable the children brought from home.
A4: This is one of my favorites! I've never thought about the science behind it but now I'm thinking of discovering how a zipper works.https://t.co/924NfbPJm9#2ndchat
Q4: I’ve been Skyping and Google Hanging with classrooms this winter with this fun book! Let me know if you’d like to join in! Phase changes, kindness and certainly inquiry! #2ndchat
With #EnviroEd chat (which I moderate) for going on six years we've encouraged the PLN to support each other in such ways ... What are your ideas #2ndchat?
A5: Global collaboration is KEY to this. That's why Twitter is such a powerful learning tool. Kids need to see what other places are like so they can compare/contrast & connect. #2ndchat
Q5: it’s so great to do global collaborations- in fact, right now, @hayes_melisa has been requesting that folks/classes share a weather report via Flipgrid or video so they can collect data. Other educators do a mystery Skype to guess locations based on clues. #2ndchat
Ideas to collaborate on winter with other classes?
a) Track migration with classes from different latitudes
b) Storytelling
c) Comparing schoolyards
d) Watching the seasons change by zones (ie we get leaves on our trees in spring before you do)
#2ndchat
A5 in the past we’ve done sharing weather each month and tracking. Showing different schools at different times of the year. I also love @lhighfill One Tree project to show weather changes. #2ndchat
Well, I can talk about the flipside of trying to enjoy the heat of summer. We introduce them to fun water parks, ice cream parlors & amazing all natural popsicle places. We also keep the AC on! #2ndchat
A5 I LOVE the way @PintoBeanz11 and @jlabar2me in California and NJ collaborate about that and more! They do it as a daily calendar activity. BUT also a field trip to a pumpkin patch. In Los Angeles pumpkin patches are in PARKING LOTS- did ya know that?! #2ndchat
A6 Exposure to experiential learning like stem labs as well as other places. 2nd is great because we have geography and landforms so lots of land talk. #2ndchat
Depends.. Cali is extremely fertile I’m pretty sure we grow most pumpkins. Up north tons of pumpkin patches. We visit the local school farm right before Halloween #2ndchat
In reply to
@missmac100, @TechWarriorKES, @PintoBeanz11, @jlabar2me
A5. My kids are reporting weather each day in the hopes my #PLN will respond with their temps & location on twitter or @Flipgrid where they will enter data & graph on #numbers app & use keynote for presentation of locations temps etc. #2ndchat
A7: I think using devices to record things/observations are great and then kids can vlog about it or use the video/images with Seesaw or Google Apps to share what they learned. #2ndchat
A7 have access to documenting expanding and exploring during outdoor ed is crucial. Being able to capture those learning moments makes the difference because a delaying moment and a awesome memory. #2ndchat
A7: I also thing devices are amazing to growth or changes over time. I make a time elapse video of our snowman (iceman) as he is in the morning until he evaporates in the afternoon. #2ndchat
We always capture amazing things when walking to and from class. Also kids come running if they find something amazing so they can take a pic with my phone #2ndchat
Agree! At a local park some of the trees have QR codes that you scan so you can learn more about the trees. There are apps that identify Leaves. #2ndchat
A7: I think using devices to record things/observations are great and then kids can vlog about it or use the video/images with Seesaw or Google Apps to share what they learned. #2ndchat
WiFi reaches outside so we often do recording for seesaw outside. Used it lately for force and motion and even for adverbs. Parents love to see what they come up with and they have more room to be creative. #2ndchat
Like tech ... Winter & any outdoor learning is the right tool, for the right student at the right time ... don't sell short the power of a blue sky, fresh air & a lack of physical boundaries in modern education
#2ndchat
I want to thank @RangerRidley for hosting such a fun and interesting topic tonight on #2ndchat. Let's all try to do more things outside and TWEET about it so others can join in! As others to join in- they will!
