Technology Tailgate

Hello Everyone!  I just wanted to give you all a heads up that I've posted a new technology post at Technology Tailgate, where I've become a Middle School contributor!  (I'm sooooo excited about this development, by the way!)

It's all about using Edmodo in the classroom and using it to manage your classroom PAPERLESS.  I've been doing it this semester and it is working FANTASTICALLY that I just had to share it with everyone!

Plus, best yet... Edmodo is FREE.

Check it out!

Web Wednesday!

Happy 4th to all my American Friends! I hope you're having a fun-filled day!  Here at my house, we're re-charging after an afternoon of swimming before having BBQ dinner and fireworks!

Website Wednesday is a feature I'm going to try start writing about every Wednesday about some of my favorite websites to use in the classroom and how I use them.  I have a bunch of websites in my "teacher toolbox" that I want to share with my followers!


Website #1 - Arcademic Skill Builders

It was an easy choice for my #1 Website Wednesday post.

Arcademic Skill Builders is my Fast-Finisher, Fun Friday, special treat website that I like having my students use.  It allows the students to test their math facts, language arts skills and even typing ability in a game format.  It also allows students the ability to not only race the computer, but other students across the world AND set up private race rooms with their friends.

When I had my SmartBoard up and running, it was very easy for my students to also play on the SmartBoard while the class could see.

Did I mention that it's completely free to use and play?

They are starting a classroom plus account that is completely free at the moment while they are beta testing.  It's seems similar to a Study Island type of deal - assign the levels for the students to play and you can monitor their progress.

Another point to Arcademic Skill Builders was that it has a variety of math topics to play.  It's not just addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  Students can go into Fractions, Decimals, Time, Money, etc, etc!  They even added Algebra topics to their list of games!

Arcademic Skill Builders is part of the 4teachers.org family of websites.  I'll review that website for another day, but if you want a quick, easy rubric?  Check out their rubric maker - life will never be better!

Have a happy 4th everyone!

Position Change... and NETS

Recently, I put in at my school site to switch to the Computer Elective position for next year.  This is a little bittersweet for me, because my friend who teaches this position offered to switch with me last year and I had declined.  If I had agreed to move LAST year, I would have been "saved" from my moving nightmare this year.

So, moving to electives (where I have my supplementary credential) should take me out of the multiple subject credential switcheroo madness.

At least I hope?!

Tonight I decided to make some posters that I could set up in my new computer classroom next year.  I designed a set of NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) posters.  They are very much inspired by Ladybug Teacher's CRAFT bulletin board.  I sat around and wished that I could teach Language Arts again after I saw her work, it was so freaking awesome.


If you teach technology in your classroom, go and take a look.  I'm trying to put more of my teaching resources up on Teacher's Notebook to try and make a little bit of extra money, but so far I can't even buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks! (Hahaha!)