Saturday, March 15, 2014

Spark Student Motivation-Giant Magnetic Spinners

Do you know what today is? It's Spark Student Motivation Saturday!
And, it's the day after my co-ed kickball team won the CHAMPIONSHIP!
We had to play 3 games last night, but we did it! Undefeated season!
I'm so excited to present another easy idea to get your students excited and motivated!
Giant Magnetic Spinners!
I actually won these at the Florida Blogger Meet Up!
As soon as I pulled these out of the package I was excited!
These can be used for EVERYTHING!
I wanted to review for vocabulary, so I asked my students for some ways they like to review and this is what they came up with. I try to give them choice and allow them to be part of the decision making in our classroom, I get more buy-in this way.
*Side note: They were a little disappointed the spinner didn't land on the snowball fight! LOL!
 
I put numbers in the next spinner to use for a math review game. The number spun was the number of tickets they could earn. They REALLY wanted the 10 at the top!
After reading a mentor text, I gave them choice again...choices of how to respond to reading. They loved spinning to find out their assignment (they still had to work, but spinning to find out makes it more exciting!).
It can also be used for vocabulary review. Students give a synonym, antonym, part of speech, sentence, definition, analogy, etc. 
 
 
Or an academic incentive! I love when students pick the things that you love to teach them as the "FUN" things for an incentive! :)
 Are you wondering how I made the circle? Do you have one of these? It's a chalkboard compass-I had to dig to find this baby! I've been at my new school for 6 years and it wasn't built with chalkboards, so I was worried I may have gotten rid of it (but I save everything!). I just put a skinny dry erase marker in the end where the chalk is supposed to go.
 
These spinners offer endless possibilities and could be used for ANY grade level!!! Grammar, science, review games, read alouds, computer sites, assignments, math, the list could go on and on!
The important part is to have your students help you fill in the spinner sometimes to offer choice, plus it's enlightening to see what assignments they like and what they view as "fun" in your class. Plus, they're usually so much more creative than us, let them do the thinking! Of course, you get the final approval, so you don't have to write it if you don't want to. :)
 
The pack comes with 3 different spinners and they wanted me to switch it every time we used it. Because I won them, I'm not sure where they were purchased, but I found them here at Amazon.
I hope you like this easy and motivating idea to use in your classroom!

*I will be on a cruise next Saturday, so I will not be posting live, but the Spark Student Motivation link will be open for the next two weeks, so feel free to link up!

I hope you had a wonderful week! Please link up any lessons, ideas, tips, tricks, incentives, ANYTHING you do get your students motivated or excited!
Don't forget to grab my button and link back to this post!
Check out all the wonderful ideas from my friends who link up and don't forget to leave some love by commenting....we LOVE comments!
***Please include the topic in the link up with your blog name.

And, other motivating news is that my super BBB Jivey is having a super giveaway!
Check it out here!
 

15 comments:

  1. Whoa! Those things looks super cool! I absolutely LOVE that you allow your kids to be so involved in choices. Just another reason why I LOVE you! Cruise? I did not know you were going on a cruise. That's AWESOME! I can't wait to see pictures! XO
    Alison
    Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin'

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  2. I have a Mimio and can use spinners with it - thanks for the reminder! And YAY Spring Break!!

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  3. Joanne-That looks like so much fun, and fun is motivating! Great post and pictures. :-)
    Carla

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  4. So I love the spinner, but my first thought was "that is a perfect circle" .....and BOOM--you knew we were going to ask about that. I'm going to have to get a spinner like that--very cool.

    Also, let me add that I love seeing pictures of your room because of all the materials you've created are always visible. Great to see them in action!

    have a good one,
    Matt

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  5. I have a set of these too! I project a spinner on the board with my document camera and then have a kid use the spinner. I love repurposing the chalk circle thing...though I think I got rid of most of my chalk related things!

    -Nick
    Sweet Rhyme – Pure Reason
    Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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  6. I love this spinner idea. I've never really used the little spinners created with a paperclip because I could never get them to work right! This is great! I love how you give students so many choice too.
    Congratulations on the kickball championship! Wahoo!!!
    ~Holly
    Fourth Grade Flipper

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  7. I love these spinners. I think I am like Nick and got rid of my contraption to drow circles on a chalboard (due to the screetchy noise they often make!). I know my class would love them and you are right (of course) that students love when they are in on the decision making (even if you actually know what you will write). Congrats on the championship (incredible season!) and have an amazing time on your cruise (slightly jealous that my break is coming to an end and you are looking forward to yours). Thanks for keeping it open for two weeks - I will be back next Saturday to link up (no motivation this week!!).
    Lots of Love!
    AMC (do you love all the brackets I used!!)

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  8. I am in LOVE with those spinners and am thinking of a million and one ways that they could be used!!! So fun. :) Congrats on being champs!!! Have such a great break! I am ready for ours...2 weeks to go!
    Ana
    Mrs. Bentin's Blackboard

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  9. I purchased a set of the spinners back in the fall. They are super fun.
    Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms

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  10. Thanks for sharing this great idea and for the opportunity to link up!

    Smiles,
    Sarah @ Hoots N' Hollers

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  11. What an awesome tool! Great ideas on how to use the spinners. Thanks so much. Have fun on your trip.

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  12. A cruise??? I am sooo jealous! Have a fabulous trip, Joanne!

    Jennifer
    Mrs. Laffin's Laughings

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  13. Those look super fun! And I imagine you get so much more student buy in since they have a voice in the choices! Have fun on your cruise! They are my favorite way to vacation!!
    Rachel
    A Tall Drink of Water

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  14. I love this idea. I just searched for them, and found them on Amazon (my favorite site!) They are now in my cart, and I can't wait to give them a try. Now, if I can only find my chalkboard compass... Thank you!

    Mary
    Fit to be Fourth

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  15. It has proven to be much better and favorably this will bring around every possible stance which students must needed to acquire to their own. best pharmacy residency

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