Kohls Cares

Kohls has this great program called Kohls Cares, most teachers are probably already aware of it :).  But, I think it is amazing!  They sell popular children's books and a character plush toy to go with it! You can get both the book and the toy for only $5 each...I think that is a steal!  They usually sell a different book and character each quarter.  I have previously gotten Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat and Pout Pout Fish. The latest one I bought was Curious George. 

                              

He is too cute!  They even offered a few different Curious George books to go with him.  I usually purchase these online through Kohls because sometimes the store doesn't have it all, and most of the time these things are sold out in a week or two. Parents and teachers go crazy over these things. I use them to decorate my classroom, and also let the kids use the toy as a reading buddy. We also do a different book and character each month. The kids love it.

Educational Web Tools

I am currently doing a research web based project for my Learning Technologies masters class.  We needed to research 3 different web tools or apps and write a short review on them.  Below are the web tools I thought I could incorporate into my classroom to promote creative learning.  Let me know if you use any of these in your classroom and what your personal review would be.  Thanks!  

1. Prezi (3 in all rubric areas)

This web tool allows you to create engaging presentations.  It is almost like an interactive map that can include photos, videos, and text.  It is very simple to use, and would work for any subject.

url: http://prezi.com/

2. iMovie (3 in all rubric areas)

This app allows you to create meaningful videos/presentations.  It has many different features that allow you to personalize it and to make it your own- such as photos, video clips, text, images, music, and more.  It encourages creative thinking and promotes student assignments that are oral and visual instead of just text.  I have made videos with my first grade students and they absolutely love it!

url: www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/#sthash.QCLZEiPY.dpuf

3. Little Story Maker (3 in all rubric areas EXCEPT use in multiple subjects-2)

This is a great app to promote creative writing in your classroom that works for many grade levels.  It allows students to create their own stories using pictures and text.  They can even record their own voice narrating the story!

url: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/little-story-maker/id508287659?mt=8 

4. Student Publishing (3 in all rubric areas)

This site is amazing!  It promotes creative writing, so it would be great to incorporate with Writer's Workshop or any writing program you are using in your classroom.

url: http://www.studentpublishing.com/ 

New Teacher Planner!

I have used already made planners, and made my own Binder but I haven't seemed to be satisfied or as organized as I want to be. So I went with something a little different for this next school year. I found this wonderful lady and her website through a teacher friend.  I decided to check it out for myself and ended up LOVING her stuff.  She designs planners, calendars, business cards, mailing labels, and much more and her designs are so cute! Check her out at erincondrin.com.  This is what the outside of my planner ended up looking like after I chose from many different designs, it's customized to fit you!

The inside is even better!  There are so many things included- yearly dates to remember, a place to mark absences, graphing pages for seating charts, a yearly plan (for each month), lesson plan templates, gradebook, note taking space, and a two-pocket folder along with a plastic page protector!  I didn't take a picture of every single one of those things listed above, but did take pics of the things that you would want to take a peek at.  All of these topics are labeled in the planner with plastic tabs :) 

The left is a picture of the lesson plan template and the right is the yearly plan.

On the left are stickers that come with the planner.  You can place them inside the monthly calendar sheets which is what the picture on the right is showing.  

The notes section is on the left, and on the right is the grade book.

Now that you have had a quick peek, go ahead and design your own by clicking the link below!

Erin Condren

Summer Crafting!

A lot has gone on since my last post, because it was FOREVER ago!  I apologize.  I moved up to first grade last year and had a very busy year so I am going to try my hardest to post more.  I am not as good as others when it comes to taking pictures and uploading things, but I will try :).  

DESK STORAGE: I saw this idea on Pinterest, and saw that other teachers were making one and loving it!  Also, I am a pretty big organizational freak, so I tried it out.  I purchased this 22 storage drawer at Lowes, but others said they got theirs at Home Depot.  It was in the aisle with the nails and small tools, NOT the storage and organization section.  

I decided that I wanted to spray paint the outside purple (favorite color).  Then, I used primary color chevron borders to put inside the drawers for labeling.  It turned out pretty neat, and I think it is going to  really help organize those small important items.

PIRATE WALLET: Here is another thing that I found on Pinterest.  As a grade level team, we all use "Pirate Coins" as a positive reward in our classrooms.  The coins are just the assorted plastic colored coins from Oriental Trading.  In the past I have given my students Ziploc baggies to keep them in, but they just haven't held up that great, and they are kind of boring.  I saw a teacher make these wallet like things to gold flash cards for math and other things in and figured that they would work great as a wallet for the kids to keep their coins in. 

 I bought the really cheap folders from Wal-Mart and used a bowl to trace the wallet flap.  Then I cut the wallet in half and used both sides.  I folded the flap over, and placed velcro dots on the flap and bottom.  I also stapled the open side where I cut the folder in half. 

 Hopefully these will last all year, and allow the kids to keep better track of their coins. 

School is ALMOST here!!!

Helloooo!!!  It has been forever since I have posted...ahhhhh!!!  But then again, I haven't really done a whole lot besides swim, babysit, and post pins on Pinterest all summer :).  By the way, if you haven't checked out Pinterest for teaching ideas YOU NEED TO!!!  Such a great resource!  I have gotten so many ideas from there this summer and have made a lot for my classroom. 


As of right now, I don't really have much to post because its all in the works.  However, I know that in about a week or two, I will have lots of stuff to post!  I did much deeper research this summer on the Daily 5, and read the CAFE book...absolutely loved it!  So, some of my upcoming posts will be devoted to that.  I am excited for the new year coming up!  My classroom look will be different...trying to be extremely organized this year.  And I will be teaching FIRST GRADE now!  So, this year will definitely be an adventure! :)  Loootttssss of COMING SOON!

Help Wanted!!!

It is sleepy Sunday, and I am laying on the couch, updating my blog.  The weekend is the only time I seem to be able to update because I am so busy during the week, especially since the end of the school year is a month away!  


I have updated all of my pages (Classroom Organization, Behavior Management, etc.)  So feel free to take a peek!  As always, there will be MORE COMING SOON!


BUT...I also need your help and ideas....


This is my Math manipulative organization shelf.  However, it is only semi-organized.
 

The tubs are filled with certain math materials~ bears, counters, cubes, shapes, blocks, chains, etc.  However, my tubs aren't labeled.  And I haven't organized the tubs in any sort of way.  

HELP!!!  I NEED IDEAS!!!

I am so obsessed with Daily 5 and absolutely love what it has produced for me in my guided reading.  I have only scratched the surface of Daily 5 Math, but it is definitely something I want to implement into my classroom for next year.  So, I was seeing if anyone had advice on how to organize this space and these materials for that.  Or, maybe organize them in another way.

I am very open to new ideas so PLEASE SHOOT THEM MY WAY.

Thanks!    

Sight Words!

Learning sight words is pretty important in Kindergarten.  So, we try to make it fun, and give the kids incentives to learning and memorizing them.  Since our mascot is the Pirate, we put the first 20 sight words that we teach on a pirate ship.  PICTURE OF THE SHIP - COMING SOON!  


When they pass their Pirate Ship, I let them walk the plank!  Which means they get to stand up on the table (while holding my hand) and walk across the table and then jump off the edge into the ocean :).  The kids absolutely love this!  And it really encourages those other kiddos who maybe haven't passed theirs yet.  When they pass their ship, I also put their name on a die cut pirate ship and place it on my cabinet.  That way, we get to see who has passed!  

This is a close up of what my signs say.  After they pass their pirate ship, they move on to their rainbow words.  Once they pass their rainbow, they get their name put on a rainbow die cut and its placed on the cabinet also.  PICTURE OF RAINBOW- COMING SOON!