Busy Little Elves

We have been busy, little elves in first grade! Yesterday we talked about having jobs and the skills that are needed for certain jobs. The kids even decided that they have some jobs at home and have to know how to do things to be able to complete those jobs.  I asked them to imagine that they could apply for the job of Santa's elf. They filled out "applications" and even answered an essay question! :) Then, they created the most adorable elves I have ever seen. Man! I love first grade artists! (I know I've said that before, but look at them!)

                           

Filling out an elf job application. 

Our cute little elves! ADORABLE!!
The job applications are inside their shirts.

The next part of this post is another reason why I love first grade so much. These kids are so smart and pick up on how to do things so quickly...

We have been working this week on creating pictures and stories on the laptops and iPads. Many of the first graders even know how to save their pictures and stories and put them into their "folders" on our school server.

This week we worked on writing about the holiday traditions that we take part in with our families. We shared our writings with our Skype Buddies in Vermont and Texas through a Google Presentation. Now all of our traditions, along with the kids in VT and TX are all together in one document for all of us to read and view. Awesome! :)

Writing and drawing about our holiday traditions.

Adding our writings and drawings to the Holiday Traditions Google Presentation with our Skype Buddies.

The Google Presentation we contributed to.

This morning we had an "ooVoo" session (like Skype) with our friends in Vermont and Texas. All three classrooms together, talking and seeing each other. We played a rhyming game that Mrs. Dietsche  (in VT) came up with last year. It was fun to add our Texas friends to the game this year. Again this year the Morning Sun, IA first graders were the winners of the rhyming game! See, they are SO smart!! :)

I am looking forward to more collaboration with Mrs. Dietsche and Mrs. Hilsabeck and their first graders this school year. And, we will work in a Skype session with our Canadian friends soon, too!

Our ooVoo session (like Skype) with our friends in Vermont and Texas.

The results of the rhyming game that we played...yep, we won!! :)

Now I'm going to go hug my babies (ok, they're 8 and 14, not quite babies anymore...) and be SO thankful that I wasn't in that school in Connecticut this morning...you should go do the same...