Fairy Tale Jeopardy! JeopardyLabs:This is Not Powerpoint!

When I created my Fairytale Jeopardy, I used a PowerPoint template. (And, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that).  The hard part for me was keeping score. The kids and I would get all mixed up. It was a hot mess! :)

Then I discovered JeopardyLabs. Love it. The game is online so it can be played wherever, or on whatever,you use to access the Internet. It keeps score with a click and the setup couldn't be simpler. You can choose up to 12 teams to play. You can share it via social media, email, the link, or download.

You can choose to get the free one, or you can pay $20 for a lifetime, yes I said lifetime membership! With the $20 lifetime membership you get a fancy template manager, privacy control, delete control, and a public list of all your templates. If you have the free one, anyone can view it.Also,you have to remember the password you used when you created it.

There are thousands of ways an educator could use this site!

While you're there, also check out Testmoz, Crossword Labs, WordsearchLabs, Bingo Baker, and Scuttle Words.(This is an app).

Fairy Tale Jeopardy is a fun activity, especially with NEA's Read Across America, only weeks away! Celebrate March 1, 2013!

If You're Happy and You Know It...! Happy Students = Happy Teachers!

Clap your hands!

About a week ago, I was feeling pretty frustrated with this whole teaching thing. I was worrying whether or not the way I was feeling physically, had to do with the stress of my job.

And then I received an email that put a huge smile on my face. Now, keep in mind, the thing that put a huge smile on my face is not something that everyone would get excited and happy about. Understand too, that I am VERY passionate about edtech!

The email stated that the district would begin implementing  BYOD in April, and was I interested in being one of the teachers who pilot it? I would get a chrome notebook, Apple TV etc..., the rest was a blur. I  had a grin on my face for the rest of the day. I was happy! :-) Yeah, I'm easy.

It made me think, what makes my students happy? I know they have no choice,  they have to be there. But the year we spend together is so much more enjoyable when they're happy to be there. And no, every day is not going to be idyllic, but if a larger percent of it is, my job is so much easier.

And I mean, productive happy. You know, and I know, some of our students would be happy doing absolutely nothing all day. Or happy socializing. Or texting. And I definitely don't mean "running all over the teacher, do whatever I want" happy either.

What are some things that make my students happy? 

• Morning Meeting sharing
• Brainpop jokes and Wonderopolis videos
• time on the computer
• Creating: videos, comic strips, animations,etc...
• blogging
• Mystery Skypes
• lunch with the teacher 
• my laughter
• figuring out, and then getting,  the right answer
• Dojo points
• pen pal letters
• tweeting
• Read Aloud
• connecting on Edmodo

 Find out what makes your class happy. A happy class, a happy teacher!The great thing about this list is that none of these things cost a cent! They allow my class and I to be happy, know it, and clap our hands!




photo credit: katerha via photopin cc

I'm Not That Super Teacher: When Teaching Takes Its Toll!

My eyes are burning.
My blood pressure is high for the first time in 53 years.
My doctor swears that I have mild arthritis in my knees.

"Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound"

Nope, not me, I'm not that Super Teacher. 


I think it's all getting to me.

No, I am not quitting. Withstanding all the crap stuff that comes with the job, I still love teaching.

But, I wonder...

Do my eyes burn from all the paperwork I have to fill out? The research I do in order to make sure I am complying with Common Core?  Lesson plans? Grading endless papers? Compiling and studying data? And of course, Twitter chats, this blog, and all the articles I read regarding education? (Okay, this one is my fault)

Is my blood pressure high from trying to keep up with the demands that have been placed on me by the principal, the district, the state, the federal government? Dealing with children with an unwarranted sense of entitlement? Having to keep a tight leash on a class that could explode if I didn't snuff out the little things day after day? Parents who don't seem to think that they have a role in the education of their children? (Not all of them, but every year, the percentage of non supportive caretakers increases)My archenemy, Standardized Testing?(Which holds me hostage, accountable)

Is the arthritis from standing most of the day? (Can you get arthritis from standing most of the day?) Standing so that I can roam my room, and make sure everyone is engaged. Standing so that I don't become one of those teachers glued to the desk or my computer. Standing so that I can teach and learn with my students, and not at them.

I'm not that Super Teacher. 
I'm way slower than a speeding bullet
My strength is nowhere near comparable to a locomotive
And able to leap tall buildings, much less in a single bound? Ha!

These things that have become an integral part of who I am as an educator, may be taking a toll on my body. My hubby laughingly says I am falling apart.

Here's to hoping it's just old age, and not signs that I may have to give up what I love!:(

Photobiographies: Research with Photos!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Photobiography on PhotoPeach

This would work with any biography your students are working on. Each student can have their own Photopeach account or you can pay for a Class Premium account. (I won mine in a contest sponsored by DiscoveryEducation.)

All they have to do is upload the images onto Photopeach and voila! I made sure my students researched the topic first. After they wrote the events about Dr.King in sequential order, including dates, they were allowed to find images that matched their event.

They had a great time working on these! This is an example of one of them, Many of the students are still working on theirs and they will be embedded on their blogs.

Here's another tip. They can also turn their photoslides into quizzes, and they can be commented on if the slideshow is public.

Thinglink and Meogaph are two other interactive resources that would help engage and excite your students.

Student Goals = Growth in Test Scores? Is This the New Normal?

The staff discussed the goals our students need to meet in order to be successful by the end of the year.
The goals we are trying to get our children to achieve.
The goals we are striving for and want our students to attain.

You know what the goals are?

A NUMBER ON A STANDARDIZED TEST!

I am supposed to sit down with my students and push them to reach their goal.

And what is that goal?

        A NUMBER ON A STANDARDIZED TEST!

I am supposed to sit down and talk to each student about the score they received in the first round of testing. 

Then I should discuss how many points they need to get on the 2nd round in order to demonstrate success. (Mine or theirs? I am not really sure)

                          Is that the measure of success now?

I refuse to make that the goal for my students! There are so many other ways to demonstrate success !

None of them involve a standardized test!