We're Back!

WE'RE BACK! Yes, We know what your thinking: "Why don't they update their blog?" Well, building a house, having a baby, and just the typical, day to day, fast-paced, routine can cause even the most organized teacher to "get behind." Several weeks ago, I clicked on our Foldable blog and saw an astounding 7,000+ visitors to our site. I was overjoyed-to say the least. I quickly emailed Amy, and we have commited ourselves to posting more regularly. We both continue to create Foldables with our students, and YES, we still believe in their ability to help students sort, categorize, and learn required infomation. I am always looking for a new way to use Foldables, and with the start of 2012, we hope to provide you with some new ideas for your classroom, too.

With that said, I recently discovered that Dinah Zike has her very own YouTube Channel. She has uploaded at least a dozen videos-all about Foldables. Several summers ago, I had the honor of attend a 3 day workshop in Dinah's hometown of Comfort, Texas. Meeting Dinah was exciting, and each year, I always share this with my students. "Mrs. Sprinkle knows the Foldable lady-Dinah Zike." My sixth graders love that! Anyway, one of Dinah's videos is called, "Dinah Zike's History - From 3D Graphic Organizers to Foldables." I thought I would start my first post of the year by introducing you to Dinah with this video. For those of you that already use Foldables in your classroom to those that are just learning, I think you will enjoy hearing Dinah introduce how Foldables came to be.



Happy New Year,

Melinda

Foldables, Foldables Everywhere

I couldn't resist sharing these two photos of Foldables in use. Amy Mallow, a contributing author to the blog, shared these samples of Foldables. I loved how she created the Foldable, photocopied it for students, and allowed them to fold, cut, and fill in the answers. Students appreciate this as the "shell" has already been completed. Notice how the Foldable was added to student Interactive Notebooks for easy access and review when needed. Foldables make a great addition to Interactive Notebooks. Amy states, "I have been using Foldables left and right with my second graders. They LOVE them, and I have noticed that they refer back to them when we're talking about something we've made with a Foldable." Parents appreciate Foldables too because they are a great way to help their children prepare for tests and quizzes.

Foldables: Beyond the Basics

Create a Free Slideshow

On Monday, January 11, several Bedford County teachers will participate in a two hour Foldable workshop. This session is a full, 'make-it, take-it' event designed to give teachers time to create Foldables for use with their students. Participants will be shown several advanced Foldables that are sure to spark creativity as they construct their own samples. Access to computers and a printer will also be provided.
Thanks to Mrs. Amy Mallow for your valuable elementary Foldable expertise. Your help was greatly appreciated by all workshop attendees.

New Foldable Book Published

As August rolls in and we begin to readjust our schedules and get motivated for a new school year, I thought I would introduce Dinah's new Foldable book. It's called---"Dinah Zike's Notebook Foldables for Spirals, Binders, and Composition Books." This is an absolutely great find for any subject area, especially for teachers using the Interactive Notebook approach to learning. This latest book includes all of Dinah's Foldables and how to adapt them for use within the notebook setting. Dinah's full color examples along with reproducible graphics make it easy for any teacher to implement in the classroom. I know I have personally gathered multiple ideas that I will use this year with my new group of United States History students. This book comes with an added bonus---a CD. The disk includes reproducible pages ready for teachers to resize and add graphics and text to. I can't wait to dig into this book and CD. The cost is $24.95 and may be purchased online at www.dinah.com.

Foldable Slideshow

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

During the summer of 2007, I traveled to Comfort, Texas to Dinah Zike's Foldable Academy. While there, I experienced, first hand, the wonderful world of Foldables. Dinah Zike's creation of three-dimensional graphic organizers are amazing. I had been using Foldables in the classroom with middle school students since 2001, but meeting Dinah Zike and her team of Foldable experts opened my eyes to new ways of using Foldables with students. My three day emersion workshop sessions allowed me to work with other teachers from across the United States and Mexico. My enthusiasm for creating and using Foldables with my students increased tenfold. And that is where the idea for this blog came about. Many thanks to Dinah for opening your academy, sharing your expertise, and making my trip wonderful. Foldables are awesome, and I hope to use this blog to share them with other educators.