#kinderblog post-a-day, Day 3: TGIF - the best thing about 2013...

I know I am a little late today, but it is still January 3rd, and you still have time to get this post up today. It's an easy (and fun!) one, I promise!

Share the very best thing(s) about 2013!

There, see? Easy peasy!

Share your post in the comments, here or on Facebook, and don't forget to tweet it out!

Happy Friday, friends!
xo
Amy

#kinderblog post-a-day, Day 2: A resolution

Thanks to all of you who posted such awesome, interesting, and thought-provoking photos and videos yesterday - I have LOVED reading your posts!

Today's post does require words (well, I guess that if you can do it without words, more power to you...):

Share ONE resolution you are making for 2014. Just one. You can make more if you want, of course, but this is the ONE thing we will follow up on, every 2 weeks, for the length of this challenge. Make it something do-able, something meaningful, something REAL, maybe even... something fun!

Remember to share the link in the comments here, and to tweet it out using the #kinderblog and #kinderchat hashtags.

Who knows, if some of us have the same resolutions, a few more hashtags could be born, as we support one another!

Ok, friends, start resolving!

xo

Amy

#kinderblog Post a day, Day 1: Wordless Wednesday

Hello friends!

Welcome to the #kinderchat January Post-A-Day challenge.

Your first assignment does NOT EVEN REQUIRE YOU TO WRITE WORDS.

Post a photo (or a few photos), or a video, that represents your 2013.

Then, of course, post a link in the comments here, or on our Facebook page, and tweet it out using the #kinderblog tag.

That's all - easy peasy!

Happy first day of 2014, friends. We are SO EXCITED about this journey with all of you!

Introducing the 2014 January Post-A-Day Blog Challenge...

Happy New Year's Eve, #Kinderchat!

2013 was a great year for us, and we started it with a blogging challenge - every day for the month of January, we featured a new blog post written by one of you! It was such fun to see the huge range of ideas and formats that came from all of you. Go ahead and check them all out if you want, we'll wait...

You're back? Awesome.

We want to start 2014 off with a similar bang, but in a way that allows EACH of you to join the party, every day. "Blog more often" seems to be a pretty common New Year's resolution, and we are here to help! To that end, we have prepped 31 blogging prompts, one for each day of the month of January, and our challenge to all of you is to join us. 

Here's how it works:

1. Let us know in the comments of this post that you would like to participate.
2. Each day in January, we will post a blogging prompt here, on the twitterz, and on the #kinderchat facebook page. (The complete list of prompts is also posted below, for those who like to get a jump on things.)
3. Write your post (they are EASY, we promise, and some of them DO NOT EVEN REQUIRE WORDS, just pictures!).
4. In the comments for that day's prompt (either here or on Facebook, share the link to your post.
5. If you are on the twitterz, tweet the link using the #kinderblog hashtag.
6. READ other people's posts and comment! Make new friends!  Talk to a stranger! You can do it!

So you have a better idea what you are getting into, here are the prompts:

1. Wordless Wednesday: A photo to represent 2013
2. One resolution for 2014
3. TGIF: The very best thing about 2013 was....
4. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
5. If you could live in any historical era, WHEN would you live?
6. Monday lists: 5 things in your backpack/briefcase/purse/tote bag.
7. Before the end of the school year, I want to ____ with my class.
8. Wordless Wednesday: A photo of your favourite thing about your school/classroom/office.
9. Share your before school/work morning routine.
10. TGIF: If I won the lottery...
11. I get choked up every time I read or tell the story of….
12. Describe your very favourite article of clothing.
13. Monday lists: 5 songs that make you dance. Or sing. Or both.
14. This week, I want to _____ with my class.
15. Wordless Wednesday: The view from your window. Any window.
16. Progress report: how is your resolution going?
17. TGIF: If I ran a school...
18. I'm in love with _____ right now.
19. If you could live in any place in the world, WHERE would you live?
20. Monday lists: 5 things you eat or drink every (or nearly every) day.
21. This week, I want to _____ with my class.
22. Wordless Wednesday: A photo of your desk/work area.
23. Share your go-to, easy-peasy, default favourite dinner recipe.
24. TGIF: My favourite colleague and why I love working together.
25. Pet peeves: let them all out!
26. Describe something (or a few things) that you are VERY good at.
27. Monday lists: Your top 5 favourite children's books.
28. This week I want to ______ with my class.
29. Wordless Wednesday: Kids' lockers/cubbies, the aftermath.
30. Progress report: how is that resolution coming along?
31. TGIF: Party it up! Celebrate on your blog in your own way: a song, decorations, poems, videos, yummy treats, whatever says "party" to you!

Now, comment so that we know we are not alone in this insanity. Like all #kinderchat challenges, we are very forgiving. If you miss a day, just start with the latest prompt and go from there. 

And, from the bottom of our hearts:

Happy, Happy New Year. We love you all more than you will ever know!

xoxo

Amy & Heidi

Come one, come all: 2nd Annual #Kinderchat Chrismahannukwanzukah Festivities!

Hello friends!

You know what's coming up next on #kinderchat, don't you? That's right, its...

THE 2nd ANNUAL 

#KINDERCHAT 

ALL-INCLUSIVE, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, POLITICALLY CORRECT,  

WINTER FESTIVE HOLIDAY PARTY!!!

And you are all invited! (Seriously. You are ALL invited. Even if you don't teach kindergarten, or you have never come to #kinderchat, or you have always wanted to come but were shy, or you have only lurked, or you have no clue what #kinderchat is but you just want to come to a party. YOU ARE ALL INVITED.)

The party will take place at our usual #Kinderchat day and times (next Monday, December 16th, 9pm EST for North America/8:30pm London time for Europe), on the Twitterz as always. 

And, boy, do we have some fun activities planned for you!

(Note that all activities are completely optional, and at no point will you be required to participate in any merry-making that exceeds your comfort zone. THIS IS A SAFE SPACE. Introverts, you're welcome.)

Pick and choose any or all of the following:

Holiday Sweater Parade: For the time of the chat (or the whole festive season, if you are into that sort of thing), change your twitter avatar to an image of the worst-best holiday sweater you can find.

White Elephant Gift Exchange: THIS IS THE ONE WE ARE MOST EXCITED ABOUT. Here are the rules:

1. Go out on the interwebz and find the best, most cheezy, tacky, over-the-top-ridiculous teacher-themed gift you can. Think apples and chalk and crayons and gingham and aprons and candles and coffee mugs, all rolled into one. The more useless, the better. Alternatively, take a picture of an ACTUAL teacher gift you have seen or received. The best part of a virtual gift exchange: THERE IS NO PRICE LIMIT.
2. That said, BE NICE about what you pick. Try to find links that go to the actual store or manufacturer, or somewhere fairly anonymous, and not to the personal blog or pinterest board of someone who legitimately thinks teachers love crayon wreaths. Example: Macy's will not have hurt feelings if you tweet a link to sparkly apple earrings, but the mommyblogger who lives down your block might get her feelings hurt if we mock her chalkboard coaster set. KINDERCHAT IS THE NICEST CHAT ON THE INTERWEBZ, and we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
3. Once you have found something, come back here to this very page and fill out the form below, giving your twitter handle and a link to your gift.
4. On the night of the chat, we will reveal your gift, and the lucky recipient. You will also receive a gift from another kinderchatter. That's right, no one will know who is GETTING the gift they choose until the gift is "given" during the chat on Monday. FUN, RIGHT?!?

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR THE GIFT EXCHANGE YOU PLAN TO ATTEND: 

Holiday Gift Exchange Signup: EUROPE/AFRICA 

Holiday Gift Exchange Signup: NORTH AMERICA/ASIA

Ok, ready? GO!

Connected Educators Month: Pub Crawl and Scavenger Hunt

Oh man has it been a blur! Last thing I remember I was watching the sunset in Maine on vacation, next thing I know I'm choosing my outfit for Halloween! What happened?! :D

One thing that has been going strong this October is Connected Educators Month. I'm really excited about this project this year, not only because I've had the opportunity to work on parts of this massive undertaking (hello, scale!) but also because it's forced me to begin the process of sharing with my own colleagues at school. (nope, hadn't seemed to ever gotten to that yet-since 2010).

This month we've just been buzzing with activity- already two FABULOUS webinars under the belt and three more knock-your-socks-off guests to come! Mardelle @learningmurd is a Blackboard genius and I have to say our webinars are the best I've seen on the interwebz, if I don't say so myself! You can see the FAB line-up right here! Ellen Galinsky! Ooey Gooey Lady! RAFFI! and Matt Gomez! Did you know Matt's famous now?! He is! :D

Our Monday chats are on the Connected Educators calendar and you can receive ACTUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BADGES given to YOU by the ACTUAL United States Department of Education. Please let us know if you need a badge for an event you already attended!

That said, next up is an awesome PUB CRAWL at the 8:30PM London time chat and a sure-to-be-crazy SCAVENGER HUNT at the 9PM New York time #Kinderchat! How on earth are we going to do all that?? Take a sneak peak right here:

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

... yup, that is right. The time has come for us to hang out the "help wanted" sign, because:

#KINDERCHAT IS HIRING! 

For the 2013-14 school year, we are recruiting chat moderators. The compensation is beyond price (this is a fancy way of saying that we have no money with which to pay you), and includes:

•  Involvement with something fresh and exciting
•  Input into our ideas and projects, 
• Practice with tech tools that may be new to you
• Stronger connections to the entire #kinderchat network. 
• Opportunities to grow your own PLN
• The FUN of being "behind the scenes" at #kinderchat 
• Depending on how progressive your administrators and/or school district are, your involvement could possibly count as PD hours. 

Ready to learn more?

(We have tweaked the topics and categories a little for next year, so even if you have moderated in the past, it is worth a look at the job description!)

The #kinderchat chat moderator job description is right here.
Ready to dive right in and apply?

The #kinderchat moderator job application is right here.

Looking forward to adding some friends to the backstage party!

Amy & Heidi

#Kinderblog13, Assignment 5: Fear

I bet you all thought I would forget about this week's prompt, right? Since I am up here in the woods, far away from civilization, where I have opened my laptop exactly twice in one week?

No such luck.

The last 2 weeks topics, while perhaps not EASY, have been, maybe, pretty comfortable for most of you, I think. This week, it's time to shake it up a little.

Your one-word prompt:

Fear.

Okay, there you go. Chew on that one for a while. I can't wait to read what you have to say!

Lots of love from the back of beyond;
Amy

#Kinderblog13, Assignment 4: Dream

Whoa, we are already up to week 4? Where did the time go?

I bet you all thought that I would not get this post up on time because I am roadtripping, but NO SUCH LUCK!

Your one word prompt for this week:

Dream.

As always, please share your link in the comments, and tweet it out using #kinderblog13.

(Also: wow, you guys are so awesome. I am so impressed with the caliber of the posts you all are writing, ON YOUR SUMMER VACATION.#Awesomesauce.)

Hope your travels are as happy as mine have been so far!

Amy