SMORE is so cool!

Lots of exciting things have been going on in GATE!  I am always on the lookout for new tech gadgets and ideas for my students to use to share their research and information.  I have found a new digital tool called SMORE to create beautiful digital flyers.  Our latest GATE Newsletter has been created using the SMORE website.  Please check out our latest adventures in GATE as well as this new digital tool that some of our General Applications projects will be using in class!

Click here to view the GATE News from 11/1/16

In this newsletter you will see info and pictures from...

*AES International Dot Day

*Tech projects

*Self-portraits

*Dash and Dot Robots

Dot Day 2015 ... SUCCESS!

International Dot Day 2015 was a total and complete success at AES!  All of our students - over 900 - created some type of dot for our celebration!  Our halls are filled with creativity!  The students and teachers are dotted from head to toe...literally!  There are kids with colored hairspray dots in their hair and polka dotted socks on their toes.  What a fun day for all of us!

Many classes wrote ideas and thoughts about Vashti and her dot.  Social Studies classes found dots on a map of Alabama.  Some students created dots using "good junk"...some made a tree of dots....some bulletin boards showed photos of the kids and their dots.  GREAT JOB to all the teachers and students who used creativity, kindness, and courage to make today great!

The photo above is of 4th grade GATE students with Mrs. Tara Wilson and a recycled bottle cap dot picture of a vase of flowers.  All 4th grade GATE classes glued part of this picture.  Just as the hot glue cooled, we took this picture to Mrs. Wilson to hang in her office.  Mrs. Wilson is the special education coordinator for Albertville City Schools.

As a teacher I am always on the lookout for new apps and new technology.  I was in search of a new way to create videos.  I asked another teacher in another state if she had an idea..and instantly she sent me a new website to try.  I have created a video which allows free slideshows to be made and shared.  Also, in our professional development workshop prior to school starting, we learned about a website that has royalty free music - which is great!  I found music on jamendo and I am able to use this jazz song from Slikk Tim called Bahia for free.  I will continue to look for great ways to make videos for our blog...let's see how we like this one!  

Enjoy this 6 minute slideshow of GATE kids creating their DOTS.  Happy Dot Day, 2015!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es9IFA7FjiA

International Dot Day...September 15th!

It's coming....one more day!  All of AES will be participating in International Dot Day on September 15th.  Every student in our school will hear the story, The Dot, written by Peter Reynolds.  In this story, a very reluctant student named Vashti lacks confidence in her creativity and art.  Her teacher proudly frames Vashti's dot and in turn Vashti gains confidence in herself and passes along that creativity and courage to a friend.  It's a great story!   All students will be creating dots in their class...that will be over 900 people creating dots at AES!  WOW!

GATE students have been busy creating dots!  We have created...

*Good Junk dots
*Watercolor Dots
*Pastel Dots
*Zentangle Dots
*Recycled Bottle Cap Dots
*Goals for 4th grade Photos Dots
*Tagxedo Dots

Each student will select their favorite DOT to be "framed" in the hall to show on DOT DAY!  We hope that all students and teachers will dress head to toe in DOTS on Tuesday, September 15th!  Happy Dot Day!

#acsdotday
#DotDay
#Makeyourmark

As I continue to experiment with new apps to make videos, I'll post them to see how they look on the blog.  This one is all our Instagram pics in one slideshow.  Enjoy!

http://replayapp.com/v/hjFJHD0zFC/