*FREEBIE* Reading Wonders QR activity

*blows dust off blog*

Yikes! It's been awhile since I last updated this blog! I've been busy having and raising babies!

This summer calls for lots of relaxation and doing the things I love with the people I love most....but as a teacher, I can't totally get school off of my mind. Our district is adopting McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders! So far, I'm excited with what I see and with the alignment of the common core.

I have started to create materials to go with the first grade Wonders program. I plan to still use The Daily 5 as my framework, but incorporate minilessons and activities from the Wonders program. Hopefully it will be a great marriage between the two.

To start off, I have a wonderful freebie.

Click here for Scan It! Spell It!

Please leave feedback if you like what you see! Thank you! Happy weekend!

The Dot Project -- Digital Art!

I read about The Dot Project and thought I'd try it out with my first graders. We read the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. This is an inspiring story about a student who doesn't think they can draw and ends up making great art. The students were ready to make their own art after reading this book!

Drawing on iPads would have been super fun, but we don't have any in our classroom. So we went to the computer lab and used Kid Pix to draw our very own dots. They are all unique and beautiful. The kids really enjoyed this and I'm sure we'll be doing more digital art in the future! Just another easy way to incorporate some tech into your day!

Quietube -- A Safer Way to Youtube

In the words of Junie B. : WOWIE. I learned so much over the last 2 days at the annual MACE conference, which is a tech conference for teachers. I hope to share some of the things I learned and how I'm applying it to my classroom with you all through my blog.

One website I was introduced to was Quietube....which allows you to watch youtube videos without all the "crap" -- related videos, comments, etc. Because every once in awhile an inappropriate related video or comment will be right near the video you are trying to use with students. This gets rid of all of that...plus it's just a lot less distracting.

So you go to quietube.com , and all you need to do is drag the button to your toolbar. Then when you have a youtube video you want to share, go to the video on youtube and click the quietube button on your toolbar and you'll go from this:

To this:

Dr. Seuss Camera - The Cat In the Hat Edition - iPhone App for Dr. Seuss Week!!

**UPDATE: Hello Pinterest! Wow, I thought no one read this little blog of mine. It's been on the back burner for over a year now. :) YES this app is FREE now and it is searchable in the app store --- Dr. Seuss Camera -- The Cat in the Hat Edition. Thank you and have a great Read Across America Day!



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Wow, my kiddos had fun with this one I just had to share!

During one of my centers today, students were able to use the Cat Cam app to put their picture into a Dr. Seuss scene. They selected the frame they wanted, took their picture, cropped how they wanted it, added a border, and saved it. We then put them on our class blog for parents to see. Too fun! Here's an example of the one I did. :)

You can download the Cat Cam for $1.99 on iTunes.   It's Free Now! Works with iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad....enjoy and HAPPY SEUSS WEEK!

Techy Tip - Podcasting

Often when we talk about using technology in the classroom, it's the teachers who are using the tech (SMART boards, document readers, etc). What are you doing to get the kids using technology?

One of my favorite teachers is Mr. Colosi. I first heard of him when I was competing for an Interwrite contest. Mr. Colosi's class won. He puts the tech in the kids' hands and the things his first graders do are amazing! You can check our Mr. Colosi's class by going HERE.

One thing he does with his class is podcasting. Podcasting is really simple with GarageBand. If you followed my TUTORIAL on how to record books in GarageBand, you can teach your kids to podcast. The main thing they need to know is how to record (push the red button) and how to stop recording (spacebar). Then you can show them how to click and drag images and music into the podcast.

I use podcasting with one of my above level reading groups. The goal they are working on is reading fluency, and podcasting helps them analyze their expression, rate, and intonation. It's a powerful self-reflection for them!

Here's a sample I did with my kids this week. If you would like more information about podcasting with your class and a sample script, please comment below.

Techy Tip: Use Any Book For Your Listen To Reading Center!

When starting the Daily 5 this year, I was mostly concerned about the Listen to Reading part of the Daily 5. I don't have many books on tape or CD. No worries! I quickly remembered that I can easily record any book I want and put them on our class iPods!

This is a tutorial on how to use GarageBand to record a story and send to iTunes. I'm using a Mac. It's so so simple!

First open up GarageBand and select Podcast.

Next, give your project a name --- most likely the title of the book you are reading.

Once GarageBand opens, click on either Male or Female voice. To record your story, click the red recording button. I do ring a little bell to signal students to turn the page. To stop recording, click the spacebar.

This is what it will look like after you record your story.

Now you are going to want to add the cover of the book to the podcast. Go to Google Images and find the cover of the book you read. Click and drag the picture to the Podcast Track in GarageBand as shown. *The reason I bother to put the cover into the podcast is because it will show up on the iPod. This tells students they are listening to the correct book.

Make sure your audio of the recording and the length of your cover image match up. If you need to adjust, just click and drag to adjust the length of the image.

Now, you are ready to send this podcast to iTunes! At the top, click Share, then Send Podcast to iTunes.

Your podcast will automatically open up in iTunes. From there, you can connect your iPod and put the story that you recorded onto the iPod.

I especially love this because I can give students directions prior to reading and instructions on what to do at the end when they are finished! Plus, I'm no longer tied down to just the books that I have on tape! I can turn any book into one that can be used at a listening center!

Hope this inspires you to give it a try! Let me know how it goes!

How To Record Lessons in SMART Notebook

Hello everyone!  One new thing I'm trying this year is posting reviews for tests on my classroom blog. To do this, I use the built in SMART recorder in my notebook software. An easy way to record lessons and reviews to post!

To find your SMART recorder, go to your SMART Board Tools, or you can do what I did, and click the gear under your floating toolbar, then drag the recorder to your tools. Makes it handy for you in the future:

Then, open up the SMART notebook lesson that you want to record. Once you have it open, click the recorder and it will come up like this:

Now press record and conduct your lesson. The recorder will not only record everything on your SMART board, it will also record your voice and anything you do on your desktop. So this means, your can open documents, open internet browsers and all of it will be recorded. So cool! 

Here is an example of a StudyCast I did to help my first graders review for their math test. I got the idea from fellow techy teacher, Mr. Coley. I received a WONDERFUL response from parents, so I will be doing many more StudyCasts in the future. So yeah, I know I'm almost 30 *gulp*, but I sound like I'm 13 in the video. :) Hope you'll try out this feature in SMART notebook! I'd love to hear how you use it in your classroom!

Star Walk App -- a Must!

We continue our study on space with stars. After learning about stars and constellations, the students made their own constellations. Super easy activity, but one that really made them remember that big "college" word -- constellation!

Then we set outside to see some real constellations! I am lucky to have an iPod touch in my room for class use. The Star Walk app is one of the best --- and for only $2.99, it's well worth the download! With this app, "users are able to easily locate and identify 20,000+ objects in the night sky. The 360-degree, touch control star map displays constellations, stars, planets, satellites, and galaxies currently overhead from anywhere on Earth." (vitotechnology.com) It uses the GPS in the iPod touch to show constellations that you should be able to see on a clear night from your exact location. SOOOOO cool!

This is an example of the on screen display:

"OOOOH There's Ursa Minor!"
"I see Mars!"

 "Cool! There's Pegasus!"

What are some of your favorite apps for school?

Skype Story Time

I've received quite a few emails about the Skype Story Time I did with my class last year.  I set this up for the month of May -- for 2 consecutive weeks, we had story time via Skype with friends from all over the U.S. (and Canada)!  The kids loved it so much, that I'm planning on making this a weekly addition to our schedule. 

I'm planning on asking parents at the beginning of the year for names of people that would be interested in Skyping with our class. I will encourage them to think of people in other states, maybe countries. The students were so excited to learn what the weather was like and what the time was in place our reader was skyping us from. Sometimes the reader would show us outside by aiming their camera out the door or window. 


The kids interacted great with the readers. They laughed, asked questions, and were really interested in this type of read-aloud. The readers enjoyed it too! 

Some tips for starting your own 

Skype Story Time:

1) Patience. Sometimes, especially with technology, things don't go as planned. Be patient and work through the problems. Front load your class that if you are working on a technical problem, they should sit quietly until it gets worked out. 

2) Tell your reader to hold up the book so the kids can see the illustrations. My readers did a great job at this. 

3) Connect your computer to the internet via hard wire. It seems to be more reliable and faster than wireless. 

4) Set a time with your reader and stick to it. Coordinate around their schedule, especially if they are in another time zone. 

5) Experiment with your webcam and how you can capture most of your kids in the frame. 

6) Use your projector to project the Skype story time on your wall/Smart Board.

7) Take screen shots during the reading to add to your class blog!  Like this:

My friend in Seattle, reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

My high school teacher and coach reading to the class.

My friend, Ryan in Calgary, used conferencing software for his reading. It was awesome!

This was a screenshot that Ryan took of my class. They just love hearing the stories!

Are you interested? I hope I encouraged some of you to use this awesome tech tool in your classrooms next year! I plan on typing up a tips sheet for my readers to help them get connected, etc. I'll post this once it's completed.

Two MUST HAVE Sites for SmartBoard Users

For the past two days I've been attending Smart Notebook training. Awesome stuff! I thought I had figured most everything out on my own....I was so wrong! Our trainer was awesome, moved at a quicker pace than most, which I liked. Very little time just sitting there.....LOTS of time to get to work and apply the things we were learning. 

We all know Smart Exchange is an awesome place to download Notebook lessons.  Our trainer today shared two more awesome sites for SmartBoard lessons. I can't wait to explore more....what wonderful resources, be sure to bookmark!

Teachers Love SMART Boards

Harvey's Homepage 

Techy Linky Party -- Blabberize!!

Miss Snowden is having a linky party all about tech! A techy linky party?! Well that sounds right up my alley!

Blabberize made my Top Ten list of web 2.0 tools for educators. It's easy and FUN! It hooks the kids in when presented in a lesson, and is easy enough for the kids to do as well.

With Blabberize, you can upload any picture and make it talk. Simply upload your picture, place the mouth, and record your audio. Easy peasy!

Here's a quick Blabberize I made with a zebra. Let's see what you can do with it! I would love to see how you use this tool in your classroom!

Create an Awesome Presentation with Prezi!

Prezi is an outstanding website where you can create presentations live and on the web. Prezis are so much more interactive than PowerPoint and look much more up-to-date. You can zoom in on details or pan out to see the whole picture. It works awesome with the SmartBoard too!

Prezi is really easy to use, and that's why it's one of my favorite web 2.0 tools for teachers.

Here's a Prezi I did for our big Earth Day unit. It combines text, pictures, and video.



Here's another Prezi I found on the site for the life cycle of butterfly. It's VERY well done and the video included is awesome! (Edited to add: It's very well done....except for the misspelling of "caterpillar"!)

Life Cycle of a Butterfly on Prezi

V is for Vocaroo!!

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE Vocaroo! It's an online voice recording service and it couldn't be any easier! Click to record and you are set! You can email your voice recording or even post it to your blog or classroom website. SO SIMPLE! I really need to use this more on my class blog...parents and students just love audio.

My idea next year is to use this for reading fluency. Having students record themselves and play it back...tracking progress, etc. I think it would also be great to have them email a message to mom or dad when they've done something really cool in class, met a goal, or just wanted to say hi. You can also record instructions for the class or sub if you are absent and send it via email. It literally take seconds to do.

The cool thing about vocaroo is that there isn't a limit on message length. It's worth it to create an account, because it will save your voice recordings for 5-6 months. If you don't create an account, your messages will be erased after a month or so.

So...here's my tiny little vocaroo just for you....so you can see what it looks like when you embed the audio.

Producing A Music Video -- Earth Day activity!

One of my favorite musicians of all time is Jack Johnson.

I have all of his songs on my iPod....and when I listen to them, I feel like I'm here:

They are easy, breezy, fun, laid back....perfect for spring and summer listening. Jack has a kid's CD called Jack Johnson and Friends: Sing a-longs from the movie Curious George. This album has a track called "The 3 Rs". A perfect selection for the upcoming Earth Day celebration!

So after we've talked about ways to "go green", and how to reduce, reuse and recycle....I play this song for them and we brainstorm how we are going to make our music video. Working in groups, students came up with actions, dance moves (they are pretty sweet!), and what things we wanted to teach the audience about going green. I filmed the students in front of a "green screen", did the magic on iMovie and *voila*!  We produced our very own music video! We played this for the whole school during lunch on Earth Day and all of the grades LOVED it!

You can view the video at my old website HERE. This site is no longer updated, I'm using my blog instead. My dog makes a special appearance at the end. :)

I will post details and step by step instructions of how I did the green screen effects another time.

What's a Voki??

Voki is one of my Top Ten Web tools for teachers.  With Voki, students can create personalized avatars that speak. They can type in text or they can actually record their own voice to their voki. It's super cool!

Here is a voki I made for fun. It took all of 10 minutes. Just click the play button!




I plan to use Voki with my first graders when we do our Poetry unit in April. Students will use voki to publish one poem. So their avatar will read their poem and we can publish it on our class blog. Cool, huh??

Other ways you can use voki with your kiddos: Retelling stories, character traits, fluency practice, publishing writing...lots of fun ways!

Number Grid activity for Smart Board -- free download!

Hey all you SMART teachers! This is a notebook page that I have added to my daily calendar. It is great for practicing before/after numbers and +10 and -10 on a number grid. The kids just love this. You can download this for free HERE.

I have taken the plunge and now do all of my calendar on my SmartBoard!! What a difference! We can get through so much and it really keeps the kids interested. I'll post more on how I do my calendar another day.

My Top Ten Web 2.0 Sites for Teachers

1. Glogster -  Create digital posters with pictures, graphics, audio, and video.

2. Voicethread - a multimedia slideshow for presentations

3. Prezi - makes powerpoint look so amateur. This is an awesome presentation tool!

4. Vocaroo - Record your voice and send via email. Super easy to use, just click and talk! I like to use this for reading fluency.

5. Wordle - create a word cloud -- takes brainstorming to a new level. Fun too!

6. Animoto - create your own music video! I use this for all of my slideshows of pictures that I put on my blogs.

7. Google Earth - How do you teach your students map and globe skills? Put the old boring globe away and download Google Earth. It's free....and you can take your kids on 3D virtual fieldtrips anywhere in the world. This was also a great tool for our postcard exchange.

8. Podomatic -  Definitely the easiest way I've found to create a podcast straight to the web.

9. Voki - Create an avatar and use your voice to make it talk...super fun!

10. Blabberize - Make your images talk -- this is one the students will absolutely LOVE!

 I plan on doing more in depth posts on each of these sites in the future, so stay tuned!

Have you used any of these in your classroom? Which one are you most curious about?

Glog follow-up...

Just wanted to share some of my students Glogs! I had to work with half of my class at a time. The second group is just about done with theirs as well! Two 30 minute sessions and we were able to get them finished up! The kids just LOVED them. Later on this quarter, we'll incorporate glogs into a content area. This was mostly to show the students how they worked and for FUN! They did learn how to upload pictures, resize and rotate images, record audio, and manipulate text. Pretty cool stuff!!

You can check out the glogs HERE.

Projects by Jen -- St. Patrick's Day Lucky Charms!

Have you heard of Projects by Jen? She hosts all kinds of online projects for teachers all over the world. I've participated in a couple of her projects and they are always worthwhile. The kids love it!

There is a project that you can register for RIGHT NOW! The St. Patrick's Day project is a fun one and many of you are probably already planning on doing this activity in your classroom. Take it one step further the Jen's online project! You can go to her site and register here!

Free Download -- Sh-Sh-Sh-Shamrock! Kooshball activity

This is a download for those of you with smartboard. I put this activity together for one of my centers. Students take turns tossing a beanbag and hitting shamrocks on the smartboard. They read the /sh/ word, then put a leprechaun over the shamrock that they selected. Great independent center! I have a TpT, but my smartboard lessons are free to download. I hope you can use this! You can also adapt it for other content areas as well.

Go here to download!