Connect the Dot Stories!

After reading Peter H. Reynold's fabulous book The Dot, we put together a fun "Connect the Dots" writing project with our blogging buddies. We hope to get some fun stories!

Here are the steps we took to set up our "Connect the Dots" stories!

Step 1: Each team made a collection of words from the story or words used in our classroom. 

The collection could be five to six words. 

Step 2: Each person on the team wrote one word on a dot and then cut it out. 

Step 3: Each person on the team decorated their dot. 

Step 4: This is where YOU come in! Please select a team and write a clever story or poem using all of their words. We can wait to read your story in the comments!

TEAM WILBUR: 

Wilbur the pig, swirly, surfboard, taco, discovered

TEAM BARNABY BONES: 

Barnaby Bones, painted, gazing, carefully, dot

TEAM BEVERLY: 

Beverly, swirly, taco, tomato, gold 

TEAM ARNOLD: 

Arnold, jab, dot, blue, gold, swirly

TEAM PANDA: 

Panda, dot,  painted, gold, squiggly

We invite you to connect our word dots into a story or poem! 

Good luck!

This post is also available over on the collaborative blog called

International Dot Day Project. 

Have fun connecting the dots!

International Dot Day :: Connect Professional Dots!

Mrs. Yollis' class is celebrating International Dot Day!

We are celebrating in many ways with our global Dot Day blogging buddies!

Here is a link to our collaborative International Dot Day Project Blog! 

Map Credit: Kathleen Morris 

You might be asking, how did Mrs. Yollis connect her students in Los Angeles with these classrooms in other countries? The answer is by taking a risk and reaching out through social media. Building a professional learning community is so important for teachers and has never been easier.  Leaving comments on classroom blogs and/or discovering professional opportunities on Twitter provide teachers with collaboration opportunities for their students. Let's connect the professional dots! 

Mrs. Yollis met Mrs. Morris from Australia through blogging! Their classes left comments for one another on their classroom blogs and a ten-year friendship began. Their passion for education blogging was shared at the ISTE conference in 2012, in San Diego.  

Photo by John Miller 

Mrs. Morris even came to meet Beverly and see the classroom. 

Educational Bloggers Meet from yourwonderfulteacher on Vimeo.

Here is a link to Mrs. Morris' Blog. 

Mrs. Yollis met Mrs. Beal from South Africa in 2012, at the Google Teacher Academy in New York City.  They share a strong interest in global collaboration and meaningful integration of technology in the classroom. Mrs. Yollis learned about the Google Teacher Academy via Twitter.

Mrs. Yollis met Miss Versteeg from Canada through Edublog's  Better Blogging with Students program run by Mrs. Morris on The Edublogger. Miss Versteeg was featured on  TheEdublogger. Mrs. Yollis starting following her class blog and is enjoying learning with her. Here is Miss Versteeg's Grade 2 Blog. 

Connecting with educators through blogging, Twitter, or Instagram can have a tremendous impact on student learning. It's never been easier to flatten the classroom walls and create a true global community!

Here are a few screenshots of some "connect the dots" stories and blog comments that you can find on the 

Collaborative International Dot Day Project Blog! 

Photo by Mrs. Morris 

"Connect the Dot" Words: dot, green, puppy, line, tree

Photo by Mrs. Morris 

"Connect the Dot" Words: line, Tokyo, campfire, diamond, quack

Photo by Mrs. Morris 

"Connect the Dot" Words: pen, splash, China, shark, potato

If you are looking to connect with other classrooms, join the Student Blogging Challenge!

Register Individual Student Blogs 

Register a Class Blog 

The Student Blogging Challenge starts October 7, 2018. 

What do you like about working with other classrooms around the world?

International Dot Day ~ 2017

Today is International Dot Day!

At the beginning of the week, we created color wheels with our 4-year-old Journeys buddies. We then activated them using the augmented reality iPad app Quiver. Thank you, Mrs. Fuglestad, for the idea!  

Next, we created our own special dots using coffee filters and water. After the dots were dipped, we enhanced the dots using black line Sharpies. 

The night before Dot Day in America, Mrs. Yollis did a Google HangOut with their blogging buddies in Australia. 

Photo by Ms. Jordan

It was Friday in Australia so they were celebrating International Dot Day already! 

Mrs. Morris' and Ms. Jordan's third/fourth graders shared a dot day art project and asked questions of Mrs. Yollis.  Check out their slideshow connecting the dots and their school.

We are making a plan to schedule a Google HangOut with the class. What sorts of questions will you ask?  

Everyone smiled when we learned big bows are a fashion fad in Australia and America!

To culminate the week, we made a DOT-umentary for our blogging buddies in Australia. Connect the dots in our movie and learn about the important people and places at our school!

Do you have any questions for us?

What did you enjoy about International Dot Day?

Our DOT-umentary was our first movie-making experience. What did you learn about the process?