Life Cycle Wheel Printables

My first graders are learning about life cycles of frogs and chicks right now.  I decided to make a fun take-home craft they can use to talk about what they learn.  Check them out on my TpT store for only a buck!  Click on the image below for more info.

Go Paperless for Earth Day!

How about a paperless day for Earth Day?!  Do everything on ipads/ipods, computers, SMARTboard, or even dry erase boards or plastic plates with dry erase markers!  It'll make you rethink your plans a little, and it'll make your students think about their paper usage.
We need to create mindful young people who will grow up to be consumers in our world!

Earth Day Recycled Art Contest 2013

Our school's annual recycled art contest came to a conclusion this Friday.  It was a great success!  Our theme this year was about being "out of this world!"  Check out the video below with a small sampling of the creative ideas our students created.  Then check out the wiki with all the contest info and many Earth Day resources.

Earth Day Recycled Art Contest 2013 on PhotoPeach

QR Code Binge!

I've been obsessing this week over QR code resources and ideas.  If you follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, this is not news to you.  ;)  I decided it was time to create a post showing the highlights of what I've learned and found.

First, this blog was a great find.  I follow Tony Vincent on Twitter, but I had no idea how informative his blog was.  Check it out by clicking below.

I found this blog while researching OR codes.  Tony has a great video about the basics of QR Codes.

In this video, Tony mentions a free site called QR Voice where you can type text, scan the QR code, and a computerized voice will read the text!  This would be great for stations where students tend to forget directions.  ;)

I obsessed over QR codes on Pinterest!  Follow my iPad or Technology for School board.  (I need to make a board just for QR codes, as I found many others have.)

I found this awesome freebie that I tested in my class this week.  My firsties LOVED it!!!!

 They got to practice reading, spelling, phonograms, and handwriting independently.  Check it out by clicking HERE.  It's from The Brown-Bag Teacher, which is a great blog I recently discovered!

I found this slide show about QR Codes via Scoop.it, which intrigues me as another way to share and learn new tech. ideas.

Qr codes intheclassroom_slideshare from Ellen Cordeiro

Kathy Schrock is a TECH GURU!!!!!  Check out her QR Code ideas and resources:

Another Tech GURU is Tammy Worcester.

Check our her tip and code for creating a spreadsheet of QR codes in a Google spreadsheet.

I compiled all these great finds on my school's Tech Star Wiki.  It's a work in progress, but I'm excited to beef it up over the summer as a tool for sharing and learning with my school.  Check it out!!!

I hope you learned something new or are inspired to go learn and try something new!  

U.S. Symbols Research Project - QR Codes & Notebook!

I've created a packet with 23 QR codes and a printable notebook to be used for U.S. symbols research. Check out the images below, and then visit my store to purchase the packet!

Click HERE to view this packet at my TPT store.

Turn Your Brain On - Move!

The PE teacher at our school recently sent out an email with research info and an amazing image of brain activity when kids are still vs. active. It clearly shows that the brain is working more after someone gets moving! (I do think more clearly after a good workout!)

The study was called the Texas Youth Fitness Study.

To help get my kiddos moving, I use a lot of videos with pop songs and dance moves. YouTube is full of JustDance videos that the kids love!

Here's a symbaloo full of kid-friendly Just Dance videos.




Follow my "Brain Breaks" board on Pinterest for more ideas to get your kids up and moving and turning their brains on.

First Grade and 2nd Grade Free Downloads (430+) Teacher Freebies

It's TBA's Birthday Party! They're hosting the ultimate freebie celebration where you can download so many freebies! Check it out!

I've added this measurement recording sheet to the freebies list!

Get it for free by visiting my TPT store.

Enchanted with Technology: QR Cubes

Enchanted with Technology: QR Cubes: I stumbled upon the idea of QR cubes a while back and thought there were so many possibilities of how they could be used in the classroom, ...

Our Class Market

My first graders spent the day practicing their coin counting skills and their new knowledge about economics: needs, wants, goods, services, consumers, producers, supply, and demand by participating in a market.




I created this slideshow using the iMovie app on my iPad. It was very user-friendly, and I found it far easier to use than iMovie on my MacBook.

Skype Workout with Kids Fitness Expert

Today, my first graders enjoyed a Skype meeting with kids fitness expert, Steve Ettinger.

My class is excited to meet Steve!

Steve read his book to us!  It's an adorable story about a lazy dog named Wallie who needs to learn how to exercise.  It's very well written for young children with a catchy rhyme and rhythm.  Check out Wallie Exercises. 

 Steve talked to the kids about why we need to exercise.  Then, Steve led us in some exercises.   The kids had a blast!

This was a great indoor way to get my kids active, thinking about exercise, and entertained by a quality read aloud, all while using technology to community!  I highly recommend Wallie Exercises, and a Skype conversation or an in person meeting with Steve!

Follow Steve on Twitter by clicking here.

STAAR test - Hey girl