In the past 15 years of my teaching career, I have rarely taught the same lesson the same way twice. I am always looking for new ideas and different ways to engage my students. This usually means I spend way too much time preparing new materials when it would be so much easier to just stick to the program. But I can't. I want to make my lessons better and better. Lately, my inclination has leaned towards the integration of educational technology in my French classes but that can be a challenge given the limited number of devices we have at our school and the mere 30 minutes allocated per period. So I make a point of having some no-tech activities on hand that my primary students will enjoy in a centre or with a partner.

One such activity is a set of laminated analog clocks that the students could use as a dry erase activity to practice time. The clocks could be used as a listening activity where I tell them what time it is in French and they draw it on the clocks. Or I could ask students questions such as, "À quelle heure est-ce que tu arrives à l'école?" and they would illustrate it and share their answers orally. Another idea is to give them a set of cards with the time written out in full sentences and they would draw it on the clocks, which would give me a quick assessment of their reading. Here is the analog clock template I created in Google Docs:

Click to access Google doc template.

After printing and cutting out some clocks, I laminated them and attached them to wide popsicle sticks, but I'm thinking I would like to eventually add a digital clock template on the other side. This also got me thinking about creating silly face cutouts that students could use to illustrate emotions or draws parts of a face. This would be a lot of fun, I'm sure, especially since I recently received a beautiful rainbow assortment of dry erase markers from EXPO. 

In the meantime, I settled for creating a simpler version using repurposed CD cases. I had so many old CDs lying around that I no longer listened to so it was time to get creative. Once I came up with one idea for a CD cover insert, the ideas kept rolling. They are the perfect size for little hands and they work beautifully with my new EXPO markers. I started out by creating a couple of designs using a basic circle where students could illustrate "Ça va bien/mal." Then I thought about creating inserts that have simple sentence starters and students could illustrate and fill in the blanks, such as, "Ma couleur favorite est... / J'aime manger..." Students can then present their illustrations and share their sentences orally. But why stop there?

My students love to play Bingo so I designed an insert for a three by three Bingo board. The one seen above is for my grade one students for when we practice numbers from 1 to 10. The best part is that this 3 x 3 board can also double as a Tic Tac Toe board and played with variations. For example, before a player can mark a spot, he or she must either read the number out load, or count up to that number. If said correctly, he or she can mark the square with an X or an O. Alternately, each player can write the numeral to mark his or her square using a specific colour. This idea pairs perfectly with EXPO 2-in-1 markers.

Click to access the Microsoft Word template.

For the CD inserts, I designed them in Microsoft Word because I needed the create a text box that fit the exact measurement of the CD cover. I uploaded a copy of Loto 1 à 10 to my OneDrive so you can download a copy and create additional random boards, change it to numerals, or use different vocabulary words or pictures altogether. And because I plan to have a few inserts stored in each case, I recommend printing them out on cover or card stock to make them a little more durable.

Using dry erase markers is a lot of fun for the students. They are always so eager to draw with them, and I truly believe that they find it easier to write with a marker that flows so smoothly and is easy to erase. There is something about the non-permanence of dry erase makers that seem to give students the confidence to try their best and the opportunity to erase and start all over if it didn't turn out quite right. I particularly love that EXPO dry erase markers work on a variety of surfaces, such as windows and even mirrors. I also use them on sheet protectors. This is a simple way to reduce paper waste and photocopy clicks since a single worksheet can be used over and over again. But what I love most is the EXPO Dry Erase Ink Indicator. These low-odor markers feature a clear ink barrel which shows you exactly how much ink is remaining, which means teachers don't have to worry about running out of ink in the middle of an activity - an #EXPOTeacherWin in my book! 

Disclosure: I am participating in the #EXPOTeacherWin campaign and have received special perks. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

If there is one thing that I have learned over the last few years, it is the importance of creating a classroom environment in which my students feel comfortable taking risks. Could the fear of making mistakes impede a child's learning potential? I believe so. Looking back on my childhood, I remember how embarrassed I would feel if I shared an incorrect answer in front of the whole class, making me wish I had never raised my hand. But then, if given the opportunity to correct my work, it would open the way for me to learn from mistakes. One of the ways educators today are providing such opportunities for students to share solutions to problems and build on ideas is through collaboration, an important 21st Century learning competency. And now, they can rely on an instant, flexible whiteboard solution to create new places to collaborate in the classroom in a way that is interactive and engaging. Introducing the Post-It Dry Erase Surface.

It comes as no surprise that collaboration delivers results. When children work together in pairs or groups and have shared responsibility, they develop an interdependency that opens new learning opportunities. A Dry Erase Surface is an excellent tool that invites students to share ideas without the fear of imperfection, especially knowing that they can easily erase their work. What I love most about the Post-It Dry Erase Surface is that you can quickly and easily cover large surfaces to maximize productivity or cut it down to smaller sizes and adhere to individual student desktops as highlighted in the video above. It can also be used to re-surface whiteboards.

For review, I was sent a 4 ft x 3 ft Post-It Dry Erase Surface sample that I shared with the kindergarten teachers at my school. They used it on a large table and created an inviting space for their little ones to share their drawings. I was tempted to join in myself! There is something about holding a marker in your hand and drawing on the smooth dry-erase surface that I find entices children. I also believe that, where little hands are concerned, drawing and writing skills can be better developed when you need not worry about applying pressure, as with a pencil. A Dry-Erase Surface is a great way to encourage writing and visual expression.

This back-to-school season, Alyson Schafer, a well-known Canadian parenting and education expert, along with Post-It has compiled tips for educators and parents on how to help kids maximize productivity and creativity. Many of them seem to touch upon additional 21st Century learning skills such as communication, real-world problem solving and self-regulation.