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Thursday, June 16, 2011

Things I LOVE!

Here are a few of my favorite things:

Heidi Songs – I’m a big fan of getting kids up and moving in class, especially in the beginning of the year when they can’t sit still for longer than 5-10 minutes. Heidi’s dvds are amazing! The songs are really catchy and the kids don’t even realize they’re learning. The kids love them all and they really work!

Thistlegirl Designs – I love cute clipart and you can’t get any cuter than ThistleGirl! A lifetime membership costs $79.99 and she adds new free sets each month. My favorite graphics are school related, they get the most use in my class!

Cricut – I got my Cricut Expression as a present 2 years ago and I love it. This machine is a die-cutting machine that can be used to cut out letters and shapes. You can buy specific shape or font cartridges or a program called Sure Cuts A lot, that allows you to cut out any font you have on your computer. For me, it’s a lot faster than using an Ellison Machine. A teacher at my school was cleaning out some boxes and she showed me her “old-school cricut” which turned out to be patterns she traced and cut out by hand for bulletin board letters and border. Technology has sure come a long way!

SMARTboard – a SMARTboard is an interactive whiteboard that works with a projector and computer that allows students to use their hands (or pointers) as the mouse. We use the SMARTboard daily in class for various activities. The kids really love to have their turn, so it keeps them engaged and quiet! There are many websites that have games and activities made by teachers. I’ve gotten pretty good at making them too. I plan on sharing some after my vacation to St. Maarten, so stay tuned!

Nook Color- I haven’t even had my Nook Color, for 24 hours and I’m already addicted. Not only is this handy little device an easy to use e-reader, but it also doubles as a mini android tablet with games, flash, wi-fi capabilities and Pandora radio! It has an app that I love called Pulse that allows you link all your favorite news sources, blogs and facebook into one easy to read interface.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Under Construction!!!


Woohoo! Summer break is officially here! I'm brand new to blogging, bear with me as I get set up! :)