Fun Friday with Animals: Coloring Book & Discover Your Inner Animal

Elementary teachers: Animals are a popular topic this time of year, so here are a couple sites for extension activities or just a little fun!

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National Geographic's Animals Coloring Book

Choose from over 40 animals at this site!

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Your Inner Animal 

What is your "inner animal"? Find out HERE!

Here's mine… a 3-toed sloth!!! "Slow and Steady"! I'm laid back, but not THAT much… I don't think!!! ;-)  And I only WISH I got away to tropical destinations!!!

Do the brief assessment and leave your "inner animal" in the Comments section below this post -- I already started with mine!

Wonder Wednesday: Gifts for Kids

Are you WONDERING what to get the little ones for the holidays?

Common Sense Media has a listing of the best movies, games, books, apps, music, websites, and TV shows. 

TOOLS 4 Tuesday: Early Elementary- Speakaboos

Speakaboos provides stories, songs, games, and worksheets that can be used with our without a SMART Board... Even has Spanish versions! There are many Arthur stories and classics songs, such as...
“Wheels on the bus go round and round”, Alphabet song, and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”!
Sign up for the free access, or pay $$$ for more resources.

Take 5! Integration Update - May 11, 2011 (Vol.2/#25)

Issue #25

“Take 5” is a weekly update containing information related to teaching and learning for today and beyond...

Take just 5 minutes (or less) to look over these resources and see what might be helpful for your and/or your students. Better yet, set aside at least 15-30 minutes a week (yes, that's been increased from last year!) to focus on finding resources and ideas that will improve student learning and prepare them for their future!


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Tips and Tools for Teachers

• ZooBurst – Online Pop-Up Books – Have students create online pop-up books (up to 10 for a free account). For more detailed information, read this brief article!
    
• ISTE Discount in May for Ed-Tech Resources -  Do you want to use technology more effectively in your classroom, but aren't an ISTE member? Well, this is your lucky month! Use the promo code WFF11 during the month of May to get an ISTE member discount (from 20-50+%) on webinars or books. To go shopping... http://www.iste.org/store.aspx

Ponderings  

Online Presence vs. Resumes? (article here) - Although stretching a little at times, this article brings up some valid points to ponder about our students' (and our?) futures... At the least, it brings to light reasons why students need to know about digital citizenship (responsibility and appropriate behaviors on the Internet): 

5 reasons why your online presence will replace your resume:

1. Social networking use is skyrocketing while email is plummeting 

2. You can’t find jobs traditionally anymore

3. People are managing their careers as entrepreneurs

4. The traditional resume is now virtual and easy to build

5. Job seeker passion has become the deciding factor in employment  

Learning Opportunities

• 1. In-District Professional Development Opportunities

• 2. CATIIE Conference (Creativity And Technology Integration In Innovative Education) @Central Catholic HS, Tuesday, June 14th. A great local ed-tech professional development and networking opportunity. Cost of this daylong conference is $25 (by June 7) and includes continental breakfast, lunch, and a post-conference gathering. On-site registration is $35. The 1st session will start at 9 AM and the conference will conclude at 4 PM. Click HERE for more information. 

 

• 3. INFOhio's 21st Century Learning Commons - 21 Essential Things Online Course: go HERE to begin learning more about 21st Century Skills, Tools, and Strategies to use in your classroom. You can earn CEUs or a graduate credit or just learn on your own for the sake of learning!
  

• 4. In the right margin of this blog, enter your email to receive future postings into your email Inbox (Take 5s and more!) -- plan on 1-3 posts per week.

;-) Just for Fun?!?! (and a little learning, perhaps)

Extreme Ironing

Here’s a good summary WITH videos of this classic, strange, EXTREME hobby. In case you haven't heard of EI,it has to be something of importance since it has it's own Wikipedia page AND Facebook group! What other creative hobby groups can you or your students come up with -- perhaps a little less dangerous, but just as need-fulfilling like ironing?

 
  

SMART Board Elementary Math

GET HANDOUT HERE
Presented at the NWO Inquiry Series

January / February 2010

Resources – Find SMART Board Lessons and Activities (or math lessons you can use on the SMART Board)

Math Lessons – links (Oak Street Elementary – Plattsburgh, NY)            http://plattsburgh.neric.org/oak/smartboard/math.htm
 
Teacher’s Guide – Interactive SMART Board lessons            http://www.theteachersguide.com/InteractiveSitesMathSmartBoard.htm
 
SMART Exchange – Share your lessons, find others (over 5,000 mathematics lessons)

            http://exchange.smarttech.com/index.html

Wichita Public Schools SMART Notebook Lessons (click on Math or other subjects)

            http://technology.usd259.org/resources/whiteboards/smart-lessons/elementary_lessons.html

Aegom – SMART Board Lessons (6 free; building licenses for K-6 or Jr. High math)

            http://www.aegom.com/notebook.htm

Rockingham Public Schools (K- 5 lessons – SMART Board and more….)

            http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/resources/elementary/soltechintegration.htm

SMART Board Lounge (lots of ads, but some good resources)

            http://www.smartboardlounge.com/
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PBS Interactive Whiteboard Games

            http://pbskids.org/whiteboard/

Interactive Websites for SMART Board

http://www.theteachersguide.com/InteractiveSitesMathSmartBoard.htm

Great Sites for Using SMART Board (K-3)

http://www.juliethompson.com/SMART.html 

Lizard Point – java web based quizzes (Math, geography, “buy it”)

http://www.lizardpoint.com

http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/index.html

Various Lessons – East Carter School

http://www.ecarter.k12.mo.us/dept/elementary/fourthgrade/ccrites/etipslesson1.html

Online Timers - http://www.online-stopwatch.com/

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GET THE ELEMENTARY MATH 
NOTEBOOK SAMPLE FILE >>> HERE

What’s on the Elementary Math Notebook File:

2.     Timer

3.     Abacus

4.     Calculator

5.     Acute/Obtuse Triangle (INTERACTIVE by Skoool)

6.     Angle Types (INTERACTIVE  by Skoool)

7.     Balance

8.     Bucket & Spade (INTERACTIVE – by Sherston)

9.     Charlie Chimp’s Big Modeling Party (INTERACTIVE – by Sherston)

10.   Clocks

11.   Coordinates ((INTERACTIVE – by Skoool)

12.   Rolling Dice & Talking numbers

13.   Elf Tales: Tidying the Books (INTERACTIVE – by Sherston)

14.   Flash Cards

15.   Coin Flip

16.   Fractions, Decimals, Percentages (INTERACTIVE – by Daydream Education)

17.   Hundred Square

18.   Mathematical Toolkit (INTERACTIVE – by Skoool)

19.   Multiple Dice – choose #/color

20.   Packaging Explorer (3-D Shapes) - (INTERACTIVE – by eGadget Factory)

21.   Planes of Symmetry (INTERACTIVE – by Skoool)

22.   Powers

23.   Powers Practice (“Snap”)

24.   Algebraic Fractions (INTERACTIVE – by Skoool)

25.   360° Protractor – Make angles

26.   180° Protractor – Make angles

27.   Pythagoras’ Theorem (INTERACTIVE – by Skoool)

28.   Compass – make a circle

29.   Ruler – measures & output value

30.   Video – walking a maze

31.   Spinner – 1-12 colors; text or not

32.   Symmetry (INTERACTIVE – by Daydream Education)

33.   Teddy Bears’ Picnic: Walk in the Woods (INTERACTIVE – by Sherston)

34.   Thermometer