My Beauty Best Teacher

I've been seeing variations of "classroom rules" sign all over Pinterest, and I love it! (I've also seen it's sister sign, family rules, which is equally as cute and catchy.) Most of the signs I see have painted letters on large, wooden boards, but I'm not crafty enough to make one of those. :)

I decided just to create a couple of printables using my handy-dandy PhotoShop software. Here's a black and white version:

Click to enlarge. Feel free to right-click and save a copy! :)

And here's one with more color:

Click to enlarge. Feel free to right-click and save a copy! :)

I have a cheap-o ornate frame (that I got for $1 at a garage sale a while back) that I think I'll spray paint a fun, funky color. Then I can put the black and white print inside the frame and place it on my desk. Other ways you could use this:

• Enlarge it, frame it, and hang it on the wall.
• Laminate it and hang on the wall (or on your door). 
• Print off multiple copies for students to keep in their binders or use as bookmarks.
• Give a print plus a frame to a favorite teacher as a pick-me-up. :)

I recently got the opportunity to review both of Dr. Erica Warren's Following Directions workbooks, and I wanted to tell you what I think.

Before we begin, let me just say that Dr. Warren gave these workbooks to me for free, asking if I would review them on my blog. I am not getting any more compensation than just the workbooks themselves for writing this post, and I would never endorse any product I didn't fully believe in.

With that said, let's talk specifically about Warren's two Following Directions workbooks. The workbooks I sampled are called Following Directions (An Intermediate Workbook 1) and Following Directions: The Easy Way (A Beginner's Workbook 1).

The concept for both of the workbooks is the same: we want to condition our students to pay closer attention to directions and be able to follow directions quickly but accurately. To an extent, these workbooks somewhat reminded me of those "April Fool's Day" following-directions sheets that teachers sometimes give to play a joke on their students, like this:

This (obviously used) April Fool's Day prank was found here.

But unlike the April Fool's Day sheets like the one featured above, Warren's workbooks will not embarrass any student who do not follow the directions precisely (no one has to yell a sentence about their school pride or clap their hands twice during these workbooks! lol).

To help condition students to follow directions, Warren has created a series of worksheet pages with a grid of pictures, numbers, or letters on it. Above the grid is a set of step-by-step instructions as to what the student should do on the grid. Here is a sneak peak at the example page from her Following Directions: The Fun and Easy Way (A Beginners Workbook 1) book:





This is just a simple grid -- the grids and instructions get larger and more complex as you move through the book.

One thing I like about these books is that these grids aren't just practice on following directions. Sure, these worksheets will help students practice following written directions. But I personally think they will also help students exercise their "critical thinking skills" muscle. You see, the directions aren't always clear when you first read them. For instance, one of the directions I saw said, "I am in one of the rows above the second-to-last row." Even as an adult, I had to stop and think about what that really meant. Another line of directions said, "I am a consonant." For this, not only do students need to know the difference between a consonant and a vowel, but they also have to reason that if our answer is a consonant, our answer cannot be a vowel; therefore, we need to cross out all vowels.

As I'm writing this, I'm reminded of the logic grids my 6th grade science teacher used to give us:

This particular puzzle can be found here.

I, for one, love using logic puzzles in the classroom because I feel that most students need to practice those much-needed critical thinking skills, and these are the perfect way to do so. (By the way, Puzzle Baron has actual books you buy that contain paper copies of all of their logic grids. Find one here
.)

Anyway, I think Warren's "Following Directions" workbooks could help students in a variety of ways. There are directional words in almost every line of directions, so students could practice directions and prepositions. There are math words such as "less than," "odd," "trapezoid" with which students will become familiar. There is even some science in these sheets: "I need water to live," and "Sunlight is my food" are two examples. All in all, I think that if you want to give your students practice at following directions (and a few other things), these workbooks are a good buy.

Warren offers a free sample of a Following Directions book on her Teachers Pay Teachers page.

If you'd like to read the reviews and/or purchase one or both of these books, click the images below to be taken to their product listings on Amazon.





Even if you don't want to use these pages as actual activities in your classroom, I think they could still be useful as bellwork or "what to do when you're done" activities for those early-finishers. If nothing else, the critical thinking skills students would build from doing these pages could probably prepare students to achieve higher test scores on those state-mandated exams!

Today's post is brought to you by Adrianne Meldrum from Kids Cog Works. I am so excited for you guys to read this one -- it's such a great idea!

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I am sure you have heard of the show Amazing Race where contestants race all over the world and get clues to their next destination.

Borrowing from this idea, I have come up with The Amazing Word Race! In this game, students would be in groups of two to four. They need to decide the name of their team. The object of this game is to practice or review some phonics that you're students may be missing, but in a super-fun way.

Everyone will be given the first card. It has a phonics sound that they have to hunt for. All books, print, magazines ~ everything is available for their use in this game. They are even allowed to use the dictionary! Players must use at least 5 different resources when making a list. When you say "Go" students will race to get their hands on some print and start hunting for words. If a team fills up their paper, they race back to you and get the next clue.

For an example, on a card it may have the sound /sh/ on it. The card will have a sample of words that start with that sound and have the sound somewhere in the middle. Students may just run to a dictionary and write down all the words that start with /sh/ like "shoot", but if they really get smart they can write down words like "swish" or "fish". You can choose to limit how many words they use that start with the sound on the clue card.

You will continue in this fashion until there is a clear winner. Consider having a winner ceremony and reward all the students in some way for playing the game. I made printables for you to use in this game. Click here to get them. I hope you have fun racing towards better learning!


Adrianne Meldrum has a degree in Elementary Education. She currently tutors struggling readers and middle school math students. She is the author of Kidscogworks.com and creator of Brain Tower . Adrianne is the wife of an engineer and a mother to three very handsome boys.

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Thanks for the fantastic idea, Adrianne! I can't wait to use it!

Thinking of this game makes me wonder if we could tweak it a little to use it for slightly different subjects. For instance, young students could go on an "Amazing Color Race" and try to take pictures of as many, say, green things as possible. Or maybe students could go on a different "Amazing Word Race" and try to hunt the room for other words that fit their spelling words' patterns. 

I wonder if we could even tweak this idea to use it for older students. For instance, when I taught secondary English, I offered extra credit to students that could find examples of what we were learning in real life. I encouraged students to send me music or audio clips recorded from a commercial, pictures of signs or movie posters, etc. that incorporated a vocabulary word or literary concept that we had studied. Could English students could go on an "Amazing Simile Race" or an "Amazing Symbolism Race" with a stack of books or stories?

Or what if geometry students went on an "Amazing Shape Race" and tried to find as many examples of geometric shapes as possible in the classroom or outside?

Really, the possibilities are only limited to your imagination. :) I'd love to hear your ideas and other thoughts in the comments below!

If you don't already know, I started my own tutoring business this year when I realized I wasn't going to get to teach every day. (Substituting is a wonderful opportunity and allows me to glean so many ideas, but I simply cannot expect to get a sub job every day!) About 80% of my students receive my tutoring services in math.

I saw this phenomenon when I was student teaching in 2nd grade, but it has really stuck out as I have tutored my students in math this year: word problems are a stumbling block for many, many students. There is just something about combining letters with what kids have traditionally known as an "all-number subject" that freaks them out (algebra, anyone?).

I have seen a few school districts use a couple of techniques in particular to help students combat this word-problem fear.

Circle the numbers.
Underline important words.
Box the question.
Eliminate unnecessary information.

Using C.U.B.E. in the classroom helps students focus on the important information and get to the nitty-gritty of what the word problem is actually asking them to do. I have seen several different age groups of elementary students use this method with great success. As students get older, it becomes unnecessary for them to do each of these steps. But if your older students have never been exposed to this method, I would suggest showing it to them, as well! One of my close friends teaches secondary math, and she introduced this concept to her freshmen and sophomores this year! So this isn't something that just works for elementary kids.

Let me give you an example of how this works. Since I don't have the ability to circle things on a Blogger post, I'll bold them. Since I also lack the ability to box things in a Blogger post, I'll italicize them. Here's the sample word problem:

Mr. Johnson's class has 21 students. If the seven of his students are absent due to heavy rainfall on a particular day, how many students does he have in his class on that day?

(I borrowed this practice word problem from Tips 4 TAKS.)  Anyway, this is how it would look if a student applied the C.U.B.E. strategy to this problem:

Mr. Johnson's class has 21 students. If the seven of his students are absent due to heavy rainfall on a particular day, how many students does he have left in his class on that day?

I circled (bolded) the numbers 21 and 7.

I underlined the word "left" because it helps us understand what type of problem we'll be doing. I realize you could classify other words in this word problem as "important," but the students I know only underline the important math words. They might also underline words such as remain, divide, in all, altogether, take away, etc. These are the "telling words" that tell students what kind of action they should perform to those numbers. Lots of teachers post these "key math words" on giant keys (aren't we clever?) on a math bulletin board somewhere in the room.

I boxed (italicized) the question so that we could focus on what answer we're supposed to find.

I crossed out unnecessary information about the teacher's name and why the students were absent so that we could concentrate more easily on important info.

You could do this to any word problem!

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Another, similar strategy is called U.P.S. Check:

Understand the problem.
Plan how to solve the problem.
Solve the problem.
Check your answer.

The most common way I've seen students use this method is to divide their paper into 4 parts. In box #1, students will write "U," in box number #2, students will write "P," and continue until they've labeled all boxes. Then, students go back to each box and perform the task. Let's use the same word problem from above as an example:

Mr. Johnson's class has 21 students. If the seven of his students are absent due to heavy rainfall on a particular day, how many students does he have in his class on that day?

So this is {roughly} what the students' papers should look like if they choose to use the U.P.S. Check method to solve this problem:

The C.U.B.E. method and the U.P.S. Check method are both great strategies for helping students solve word problems! ...And, when I think about it, I think U.P.S. Check could be used with all problem -- not just word problems!

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I decided to create some freebies for you! I created 9 different colored poster sets: blue, green, lime, orange, pink, purple, red, turquoise, and yellow. For each color, I created 3 items: a U.P.S. Check poster, a C.U.B.E. poster, and a page that contains both posters in a smaller size -- suitable for printing one for each student and allowing them to place the page in the front of their binders or math folders. Each document can be printed on an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.

Here's a preview:

Please excuse the watermark!

The color name pertains to the color of border each poster has. All borders have polka dots. Click the color name below to be taken to my Teacher's Pay Teachers shop to download the posters for free!

Blue
Green
Lime
Orange
Pink
Purple
Red
Turquoise
Yellow

One of my best teacher-friends is a secondary math teacher (and runs the Numbers Rule My World blog), and she is always looking for ways to incorporate technology into her math lessons. She tipped me off about this site that has virtual manipulatives, and I wanted to share it with you guys!

Although my friend uses this site with her secondary students, the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives has something for students PK-12!  It's so rare to find an educational resource that can cater to all ages...I guess that's part of why I think this website is so nice.

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives is amazing! I love that it is free and easy to use; you don't even have to register before you start using!

The homepage is relatively simple:

Notice how you can view the site in a variety of languages (at the bottom)!

But looks can be deceiving. :)


As you can see, you can access math manipulatives based on the grade of your student(s) or the target skill. Since I'm a teensy bit obsessed with organizing, I particularly love this feature.

Although the homepage isn't anything particularly mind-blowing, once you start clicking on portions of the index, you'll see that the rest of the site is!

So what kinds of things does it have to offer? Unfortunately, I'm going to have to do more telling, rather than showing, because the manipulatives are used through pop-up screens that then start using Java... I'm not even able to take a screen shot of the manipulatives in action...sorry! I've never had an issue taking a screenshot before, so I can't explain this one! Anyway, I clicked on PK-2, and I was presented with the following list of sub-topics:

• Numbers and Operations
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Measurement
• Data Analysis and Probability

And each of those sub-titles had an average of 13 manipulative options underneath it, but you should be aware that that is an average... the "data analysis and probability" sub-topic only had 3 options. Although the graphics aren't anything particularly flashy or high-tech, I feel that they definitely could be used in the classroom. I saw some time-telling activities, graphing options, pattern blocks, etc. I know that most elementary classrooms don't have a 1:1 ratio of students:computers, but you could ask a few students at a time to practice certain math skills during centers!

As for the secondary side of it, I clicked on 9-12, and I was presented with the exact same sub-topic categories as the PK-2 side, but of course, the options underneath each category were drastically different. The sub-topics in 9-12 had an average of about 18 manipulative options underneath it. I saw some great ones in this category, as well. In particular, if I were teaching secondary math (big hypothetical here, folks), I could see myself using the rational numbers triangles, the Venn diagrams, and the geoboards.

If you're a math teacher, give the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives a chance in your class and let me know how it goes!

In the dictionary, a "brain break" is defined as "a short mental break, taken at regular intervals during instruction, and used to achieve optimal learning."

OK, I made that up, but that's the definition I have in mind when I use brain breaks in the classroom. :)

Why Use Brain Breaks?

As a teacher, you don't have a lot of control over your students' schedule. I mean, you can usually decide when to do math, when to do reading, etc., but you don't get to decide when you leave the classroom for library, specials/encore/activity, lunch, or recess. Sometimes, there is an usually long block of uninterrupted instructional time. For instance, during my student teaching, I taught a kindergarten class who had our specials (P.E., art, etc.) first thing in the morning, and then lunch and recess from 10:45 - 11:45. That meant we had from 11:45 until 2:45 that afternoon before we needed to start getting ready for the dismissal. When you're surrounded by 22 five-year-olds, that three hour block of time can be a lot to handle. (Not to say I didn't l-o-v-e my kinders with all my heart -- I did. But they definitely kept me on my toes, especially since that my first "real" experience teaching!)

While a long block of instructional time is a blessing in some ways (think about how much you can get accomplished!), it can also be a bit of a burden. Kids -- especially the little ones -- have short attention spans and crave variation and movement. Teaching kinders for an entire, uninterrupted three hour block of time was sometimes stressful. And, of course, to them, three hours is FOREVER.

I started breaking up the instructional time with "brain breaks." If I had a lesson that was supposed to last 30 minutes, I would insert a short brain break about halfway through so that the students got to have a little mental release from learning for just a minute before going back to work. 

I do this with my tutoring students (2-4 brain breaks per hour of tutoring unless the student has ADD/ADHD, and then we break more often) and the classes in which I sub. I even did it sometimes with my freshman English students last year. At first, they thought I was a little crazy for asking them to do the Macarena, but they eventually got used to it! :)

I always find that the minutes right after a brain break are incredibly valuable, as the students are the most engaged that they've been...well, since the last time we took a break! The activity gets their blood flowing, the break gives them time to clear their head, and when it's over, their concentration is fantastic.

When Should I Use Brain Breaks?

You could use brain breaks in the middle of lessons or in-between them. You could take a brain break right before you go into the hallway (let them get their wiggles out before trying to get them to walk quietly down the hallway) or to let out some energy after a particularly quiet activity. The beauty of brain breaks is that they are so quick and easy that you can do them at pretty much any time. I've even used some of them for "filler" activities when we have just 1-2 minutes to kill and can't even start an educational game.

What Brain Breaks Can I Incorporate?

1. One-minute dance party (could do a random song or a choreographed song...my 2nd graders loved doing the Cupid Shuffle!)
2. Do 25 jumping jacks
3. Play one game of Simon Says
4. "Minute-to-Win-it" games (some ideas from Buzzle.com)
5. Jog in place for 60 seconds
6. Jump a pretend rope for 60 seconds
7. Seasonal movement -- "fly like a witch on your broomstick for 1 minute" around Halloween. "Gallop like a reindeer for 1 minute" in December. 
8. "Order" -- quickly order themselves in a line, according to the specification. For instance, maybe you call "Order -- first names, ABC order!" and the students scramble to order themselves. You could do height, last names in ABC order, color-coding, birthdays, etc. You could make it even harder on things like height by asking that they don't speak during the ordering! 
9. Hop on your right foot 25 times, hop on your left foot 25 times, then hop on both feet 25 times
10. Play catch with stress balls or beach balls for 1 minute
11. Play telephone
12. Any number of Dr. Jean, Greg & Steve, or Jack Hartmann fun activity songs
13. "Go Bananas" song (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, please scroll down to the end of this post for two video examples!)
14. Do 1 minute of wall jumps
15. Play Sparkle with a spelling word or word wall word (or just try saying "Word Wall Word" 5 times fast! Phew.)
16. Play a memory game, such as "I went on a trip and I packed ____," and each student around the room has to say everything else that has been packed, plus add a new item to the list. Or a variation: "I went to the zoo and saw a ____," and each student around the room has to add an animal to the list. 
17. Play the alliteration game (start with a random word and every student must say another word that begins with the same sound)
18. Variation of the alliteration game: play the rhyme game!
19. Teach a few words of sign language
20. Lightning round of trivia questions (I use Brain Quest packs: Brain Quest trivia packs )
21. Play a couple rounds of Pictionary or Charades
22. Stretch
23. Do "the wave" a few times
24. "Sentence-by-sentence story:" go around the room and allow each student to add 1 sentence at a time to create a story. (You can play until each student has said one sentence or you can play until the story is finished.)
25. Yoga poses (try Yoga Pretzels , which is a deck of cards with easy yoga poses for kids on them)

...You get the idea.

In case you've never heard of the "Go Bananas" song/dance routine, here it is on YouTube:



Here's another version of it that I just found and really like, too:



If you have other brain break ideas, I'd love to know about them! Please leave a comment with your ideas and I'll gladly add them to my list. :)

What do you think about brain breaks? Do you use them in the classroom? If so, when and how often do you use them?
 





P.S. I just found this great blog dedicated entirely to Brain Breaks! It's called Energizing Brain Breaks, and you can read all their ideas by clicking here. Enjoy. :)

I know it seems like I've been gearing up for Valentine's Day in the classroom for awhile now, but since today is "the big day," I couldn't resist one last post.

Today's post will feature products that my bloggy friends in Teaching Blog Traffic School and colleagues at Teachers Pay Teachers have made and posted.

Here we go (in no particular order)....

• Valentine's Day Worksheets. FREE. By Minds in Bloom (Rachel Lynette).  

• February Facts and Fun Cards. FREE. By Sunny Days in Second Grade. 

• I Have, Who Has Valentines. FREE. By Cooperative Learning 365. 

• Valentine Math. FREE. By Classroom Magic. 

•  Valentine's Day Acrostic Poem. FREE. By Buzzing with Ms. B.

• Valentine's Day Writing Prompt + Subway Art Idea. FREE. By Addie Williams.

• HOO Loves Ya ABC Order. FREE. By Lesson Plan Diva. 

•  Love, Love, Love Valentine's Unit. FREE. By Taming My Flock of Firsties.

Happy Valentine's Day, Loves! Hope your V-Day is filled with joy and laughter!

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I know Valentine's Day is still 5 days away, but I wanted to share these in time for you to print them, cut them out, and give them to students!

I made 15 Valentine's Day cards to give to students. They all have a pale pink Chevron border (since I'm really digging Chevron prints right now...as shown by my Chevron classroom management clip charts!) with a little owl on a branch, some hearts, and text. The text all has something to do with owls ("Owl" always be your friend!) and ends with "Happy Valentine's Day!"

I think they could really save me a lot of money as the years go by and I don't have to purchase those pre-made Valentine's Day cards! Plus, I love that they're a little more personal than the ones that come in a box. :) I plan to print them on some cardstock, cut them out, and maybe put a piece of candy with each one (very similar to my birthday cards). 

Here's a preview (please ignore the watermark):

Four of the FIFTEEN Valentine's Day cards I made

If you'd like to download your own, you can find them in my Teachers Pay Teachers store under Student Valentine's Day Cards: Print, Sign, Give!

Happy {early} Valentine's Day!

Since Valentine's Day is next Tuesday, I thought I'd start looking for some cute Valentine-Day-related decorations, food, and kid crafts. I found some really good stuff, so I thought I'd share it with you!

Here are my top finds so far (in no particular order):

1. Heart-Shaped Boiled Eggs. You could bring these for breakfast for your students and surprise them! It's healthy, too! 

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2. Paint-Chip Heart Garland. I'm normally not an advocate of stealing borrowing paint chips like this, but if you have purchased a lot of materials from your local paint store recently, I think you're probably justified in taking a few paint chips. :)

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3. Paint Chip Heart Bookmark. I figured I'd go ahead and get the other paint chip idea out of the way in the number three slot... so cute, and so easy! My students were always asking for bookmarks, so I think giving bookmarks as gifts is a fabulous idea.

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4. Heart-shaped Muffins or Cupcakes! Just place a marble at the top and watch a heart-shape appear. Looks easy, but I haven't tried it yet...

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5. Hand-print Heart Mural. SUCH a cute idea for a bulletin board or "parent welcome sign" for the V-Day party! I love how everyone has to work together to build the heart, too. Ooh, the counselor-side of me is itching to make this into a "when we all work together, more is accomplished" lesson! ;)

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6. Peanut Butter Blossoms. My grandma makes these with regular Hershey's Kisses, and they are DE-LISH! I'm sure if they were made with heart-shaped chocolate, I would love them even more (pun intended).

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7. "From the Bottom of my Heart..." card. I mean, it's so stinkin' cute, I coudn't exclude it from the list!

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8. Hand-print Heart Card. Such an easy gift for parents (or grandparents)!

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9. "You Make my Heart Glow" Teacher-to-Student gift. The Teacher Wife even offers the label as a freebie! All you have to do is buy your own glowsticks. Click the source link to be taken to the freebie!

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10. "I Dig You" Teacher-to-Student Gift. SO CUTE! You could probably find those shovels at a dollar store!

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Annnnd, normally, it pains me to end a list on an uneven number (it's that OCD CDO [alphabetized] kicking in), but I also loved this craft and didn't want to leave it out. So instead of calling it number 11, I'll say, "And one to grow on!"

"No one touches my heart like you!" card:

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What great Valentine's Day ideas do you have? I'd love to know!

I feel a little silly announcing this, but: today is my birthday! I'm officially two dozen years old. :)

To celebrate, I created birthday cards for students. You can download TEN different birthday cards for under $5 and print them as often as you'd like. How's that for a deal?!

There are 5 boy cards and 5 girl cards, each with a different skin/hair combo: dark skin + black hair, pale skin + black hair, pale skin + blonde hair, pale skin + brown hair, and pale skin + red hair. The text reads, "Happy birthday! I hope your birthday is as fabulous as you are!"


Here's a small preview (please excuse the watermark):

Four of the TEN student birthday cards you receive when you download this file.

I can't wait to print these on some cardstock, cut 'em out, sign my name, and keep them in my desk for those special days! I may tape on a piece of candy or something, too. :)

If you'd like to download these for yourself, they're in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, listed as Student Birthday Cards: Print, Sign, Give!

Hope you find these useful! Have a happy day!

QuizSnack, a child of SnackTools, has been on my list to write about for awhile. I've already written about some of their other tools (FlipSnack, PhotoSnack, and PodSnack), so I figured it was time to try this application!

QuizSnack is an online survey/poll/quiz creator that you can embed into a variety of websites. As a teacher, it's pretty easy to see the value in this. Teachers are always being pressured to assess students, and we're oftentimes being pressured to assess students in "new and different" ways. While a quiz isn't particularly "new," the fact that it's online is different! So QuizSnack could be a plus for everyone. (It could be a regular assessment OR it could be used as online test prep!)

Besides quizzing students over virtually any topic you needed to, you could also create polls/surveys to ask for opinions and/or suggestions! (Besides using polls/surveys for the obvious, I also think they could be incorporated into bellwork!)

Here are some cool features of QuizSnack:

1. You can use it for free. 
2. You can publish it on several different websites (think: personal website and social media websites). There's an embed code so that viewers can actually view the quiz on your website instead of having to follow an external link to see anything.
3. It uses Flash when posted on regular websites...still looking for any information as to how it works on iPhones/iPads. 
4. There are several customization options so that you can personalize the quiz(zes) in a variety of way (color, size, etc.)
5. The results are recorded in real-time.
6. Many, many people can view your quiz for free. The way I understand it, people with a free membership can have a max of 25,000 views per day on sites external to QuizSnack (VIP members get 50,000 views). Pretty convenient. I don't ever expect to reach that 25,000 view maximum, anyway, so I don't see this as a problem. 
7. You can view individual responses to each quiz and/or question. There is also an option to view the IP address (if you've got a real stinky answer on your hands) or completely delete a response. 
8. You can export the data you receive! (Pretty handy!)
9. Besides all the customization options inside the quiz, you can decide which type of quiz you'd like to make: survey, poll, or personality quiz.

It's so versatile because you can ask any question you want! I'd probably use the "personality quiz" option the most so that I could get a "real quiz" on my website, but the survey and poll options both have their places in the classroom, as well (I could use them as an alternative to SurveyMonkey, which just means one less username/password for me to remember).

Now that you know about all the great features, let me give you some details about the $$ involved:

• There is a free version, but, as with most websites, there are a few limitations. The free version puts a watermark/ad on all quizzes. You can get an unlimited number of responses in the personality quiz and poll options, but you cannot view any survey results in the free version. (*Boo! Hiss!*)
• You can have the watermark removed from individual quizzes by purchasing the premium embed code. It costs 4 points in order to do this, and the price of the points varies, based on how many you purchase at a time. (A purchase of 10 points will run you $19, a purchase of 25 points will run you $39, a purchase of 50 points will run you $49...you get the picture. There's a slight discount when you buy points in bulk.)
• If you don't want to mess with the limitations at all, you can always purchase a VIP membership for $14/month. This membership actually gives you premium access to all of SnackTools's apps, so you're getting quite a bit for your money. (Although, I'd really appreciate the ability to just buy a premium membership to ONE app, but maybe they'll implement that later!)

I created a mega-simple poll just to display at the bottom of this post so you'd have a real example of how this can be used. There were several pre-made template options available, and you could also choose your own colors -- I just like purple, so that's what I chose. :) This simple little thing took me about 2.5 seconds from start to finish:

I've been doing a lot of reflection over my teaching career lately -- what with me job hunting, I feel it's extra-important for me to evaluate how I feel about teaching and each grade level so that I make sure I apply for jobs that would benefit everyone, should I get a new position.

As much as I loved teaching English last year, I found myself missing the elementary kiddos. That age group was originally my target when I was taking undergraduate courses for early childhood education, and I really miss those little guys!

I've decided to look for only elementary jobs. If it happens to be an elementary English teaching position, great! If not, I love teaching any subject to the little ones.

With that decision made, I've gotten to work creating a template of an elementary website for my {hopefully} future-classroom. I've been hard at work, trying to explain my methodology and management techniques to parents on our website so that everyone knows what's happening. I have been in love with Rick Morris's clip chart system for a few years now. I just think it makes so much sense, and I particularly love how there's an emphasis on positive behavior. I feel like traditional "pull a card" or "stamp your card" systems are rather negative, and I could easily forget to recognize and encourage all the great behavior in my class! I want to make sure I don't dwell on the negative behavior, so a clip chart system seems best to me.

Rick Morris's FREE Clip Chart eBook

While Rick Morris's free eBook (found on his website! Go look, people!) offers an order form for a heavy-duty, vinyl version of his chart for $20, I decided to make my own. I wanted to change the wording slightly, I wanted to incorporate some cutesy fonts, and...well, let me be honest: I'm a teensy bit obsessed with the Chevron print these days! I thought it would be a unique take on things if my clip chart featured a Chevron print in the background, so...I made my own.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of this digital design stuff, so please don't laugh at my chart! :) I haven't printed it out yet (that will be one of the first million things I do when I finally get a teaching job here!), but it looks good on the screen so far!

I posted it on my Teachers Pay Teachers store for free, but I realize that not all of my blog followers are TpT members, so I thought I'd make it accessable from this post, as well.

Below, I've used an interactive flip chart (created at FlipSnack) to upload the files to TWO Chevron-printed behavior mangement clip charts. Each set features 7 slides in 7 different colors: Pink (Excellent Choices), Purple (Great Choices), Blue (Good Choices), Green (Ready to Learn), Yellow (Think About It), Orange (Teacher's Choice), and Red (Office Visit). I tried to make the green label a bit bigger than the rest of the labels, since the majority of students' clothespins will probably rest there most of the time.



To use these:

1. Click the "book" you'd like to "read." (The left book is the clip chart with the funky font, and the right right is the clip chart is the kid's handwriting font.) This will take the display to a full-screen version.
2. View the two charts by flipping back and forth with the horizontal, page-turning arrows.
3. Download the chart(s) by clicking the arrow that's pointing downward into a bracket at the very top of the display.
4. Print the chart that appeals most to you.
5. The green "ready to learn" portion should print at almost a full 8x11 landscape paper, while the other labels should print on individual pieces of paper (but not take up the entire page).
6. Cut the labels out and assemble them on a long laminating sheet. Laminate for durability.
7. Buy enough clothespins for each student to have one.
8. Clip and enjoy a year of easy classroom management!

If you have any trouble downloading these charts, you could always just download them from my TpT store:

• Classroom Management Clip Chart: Kid Handwriting
• Classroom Management Clip Chart: Fun and Funky Handwriting

I'd love to know how this turns out! Please consider leaving a comment to let me know, or leave feedback at my TpT store to help me improve. :)

I recently posed a question on my Teacher Garden Facebook fan page, asking for ideas of how to use QR codes in the classroom. While I was unable to obtain any more ideas, Lori over at Conversations in Literacy asked for some of my ideas, so I was propelled to do some more research over QR codes in the classroom. I was surprised by what I found!

I originally posted that I was still unsure of their uses, and I could only find a few ways to use them in the classroom. Well, gone are those days! :) After using Pinterest and Google to help, I have collected a fairly wide variety of ways to use QR codes in the classroom. Here is a list of ways I've found so far. If I found the idea elsewhere, I've linked up to it, so just click the idea to be taken to the original source!

1. Connect QR codes to a Google doc. Print QR codes on stickers and attach them to all of your library materials (could be books, iPods, etc.) available for student checkout. Ask students to scan the QR code to check out/in materials. The Technology Tips blog used QR codes to check out equipment, and the author there gives more details as to how to set up the Google doc to make it all possible.
2. Scott Sibberson blogged about connecting a QR code to the "picture of the week" and using it as sort-of an anticipatory set to get students thinking about upcoming information.
3. Along the same lines as number three, you could connect a QR code to a writing prompt (text or picture...I've heard of people using National Geographic's picture of the day as a daily bellringer writing prompt!) and ask students to scan it upon entering the room. They could then use the text/picture they receive as "writing fuel."
4. Scott Sibberson also blogged about connecting QR codes to quiz websites (like QuizStar) and asking students to take the quizzes either inside or outside of class.
5. Finally, Mr. Sibberson also suggested linking QR codes to the assessment/assignment of the day and posting each individual QR code on a large class calendar. Absent students could scan the QR code to have immediate access to information they missed. Since you can link a QR code to pretty much anything, you could show kids the Prezi presentation you made, a YouTube clip that enhanced learning, a PDF-version of the assignment, a picture slideshow of their classmates completing physical/social activity...whatever! I really like this idea, but I'm just not sure how well I would be able to keep up with it. ;)
6. I really love this idea, captured on livinglocurto's Instagram: use a QR code to connect to a Bully-reporting website or hotline! I'm not sure how practical it is -- I know a lot of kids wouldn't want to be caught scanning that code, but maybe the QR code would make it so "cool" that everyone would be scanning it, just to have something to scan. (Remember, part of the fun of QR codes is the novelty of it at this point!)
7. Along the same lines as number six, counselors (or teachers) could generate QR codes to suicide hotlines, informational websites about ADD or ADHD, etc. and post them around the school or in their office. Although I understand that not all school counselors are certified to diagnose mental disorders or learning disabilities, I think the ones who are could generate a QR code to a questionnaire about cetain disorders. For instance, if a student wanted to get a quick-read about whether or not she was depressed (to know if it was something she needed to worry about and talk to an adult about), this student could scan a QR code to a quick checklist of attributes that depressed persons usually have. If she checked positive for x number of the attributes, she would know to talk to an adult about what could potentially be clinical depression. This might be great for junior high and high school students, where a quick scan of a QR code is all you need to get the information. A lot of times, those students are too embarrassed to stand and study information on a poster like that, so the ability to scan and read on the go would be invaluable.
8. Attach a QR code to a Mapquest or Google Maps link and put it on fliers for Open Houses or seminars, particularly if you have a large school district. People could scan the code and be given directions as to how to get to an event.
9. Spinning off of idea number eight, maybe you could also attach addresses/contact information to QR codes and put them on things like basketball schedules or StuCo meeting signs!
10. When giving a presentation in class, instead of handing out paper copies of your presentation to everyone, maybe you just hand them a QR code to scan and view while you present. You're still handing out paper, but you're probably saving a ton of it, since QR codes can be pretty tiny and still work!
11. For textbooks or novels, create a QR code that links to a Wallwisher or specific Twitter hashtag. Give copies of the code to all students and ask them to participate in a discussion on that text. Mr. Mitchell's blog is where I originally found the ideas for Wallwisher and making text interactive; I added the thoughts about a Twitter hashtag myself. :) 
12. The Primary Bits and Bytes blog wrote a post about QR codes and a new thing called StickyBits. Basically, the author describes QR codes as a one-way information system, and StickyBits is the more advanced older brother: it actually allows anyone to add information to the link. (I foresee a blog post on StickyBits coming up soon!) Although the author of Primary Bits and Bytes really intended for these ideas to be used with StickyBits, there are some that can be used with QR codes. ...One of my favorites is the idea for students to review books in the classroom library on some type of website (Shelfari?). Afterwards, generate a QR code, print it onto a sticker, and stick it to the back of the library book. I love that students can get instant access to classmates' reviews -- those reviews are so powerful!
13. Also from Primary Bits and Bytes, you could create a treasure hunt for students using QR codes. Each QR code would have to take students to a clue -- text, graphic, video, podcast of you speaking a riddle...whatever! -- that they would use to find the next clue in the hunt.
14. Along the same lines as number thirteen, I like the idea of going on a textbook or novel hunt. My instructor during a Great Expectations course for secondary students detailed how to do a textbook hunt (basically asking students to get "the big picture" by way of a competitive worksheet activity), but I know there's got to be a way to incorporate QR codes! I'm still working on developing this one... when I figure it out, I'll let ya know. :)
15. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests asking students to make YouTube videos to explain how they reached the end of math problems. Instead of just writing the answer, students make the videos and attach them to the book or answer sheet for you to watch/grade.
16. Along the same lines as number fifteen, you could generate a QR code to a homework help website, a helpful YouTube explanation video, etc. on the top of homework. If students struggle at home with the assignment, they could review extra explanations instantly.
17. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests sticking a code on the front of a student's binder/folder/journal and using it as a way to add feedback. The author also suggests doing this for homework.
18. Along the same lines as number seventeen, what if we made a personal webpage or blog for each student in the class? We could generate QR codes and give them to each student and parent. Throughout the year, that could be used as an on-going feedback to evaluate not only assignments, but behavior and social growth, as well. I suppose it could also be used as sort of an instant messager system to relay information like absences or transportation changes! I would say this would be a great opportunity to use Wallwisher, but I like the idea of all feedback being obviously chronological; this way, everyone could see the student's progress as the year goes on!
19. Spinning off of number eighteen, what about using QR codes as access to a student's online portfolio? Students could link up to their Dropbox or LiveBinder accounts, and teachers could use the codes to quickly access progress or give final grades!
20. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests using QR codes to enhance hallway decorations. I like to use a "virtual 'fridge" to display wonderful work on my classroom website. I could definitely see myself generating a QR code to go directly to that virtual 'fridge to let everyone in the school know who, in my classroom, has recently done outstanding work.
21. Along the same lines as number twenty, we could also use QR codes in our hallway decor for Open House or conference nights. You could display students' pictures (or self-portraits) on the bulletin board, and attach a QR code to their latest and greatest achievement right next to each student. Parents could get a "quick response" on what positive things have been happening for that kid lately!
22. This Pinterest picture was uploaded by a user, so there's no way for me to link to any blog about it, but it suggests using QR codes as a way to spice up test reviews. I assume each of those QR codes on their test review page will show some sort of math review on the screen. It does seem like a lot of extra hoops to jump through, but it would be good to use every once in a while, just to get the kids something different!
23. As mentioned in my original post about QR codes, you could always put your contact information in the form of a QR code on a class syllabus or even at the bottom of your class newsletter! Parents/students could scan the code and automatically have their phones call or text you for help/information.
24. Maybe using Google docs, Survey Monkey, or some form of online quiz, you could use QR codes to take attendance. Post the code at the front of the room with a new "warm-up question" each morning. Students scan and input their responses as soon as they come in the door. You can take attendance by seeing who responded to the warm-up. ...Elementary students could also take a "quiz" over what kind of lunch they'd like for the day, so you'd get attendance and a lunch count, all in one!
25. Prior a field trip with younger students, you could link contact information for the school to a QR code, and print the codes onto square stickers. Each student could be required to wear the sticker all day long! It's more subtle than student name tags (which can be dangerous) and less expensive than matching t-shirts! ...If you planned on doing this often, you could always print your QR code onto something more heavy-duty, like a bracelet or necklace, and hand those out to the kids prior to the trip. Their ticket off the bus and to their home is to give you back the QR coded accessory. :)
26. As per Classroom in the Cloud: For daily homework or a study guide, link a QR code to the answers, and place the code at the bottom or on the backside of the handout. Allow students to check answers this way to make sure they're studying correctly!
27. As per Classroom in the Cloud: Have each teacher create a picture slideshow or video that tells about themselves, and post the QR codes to those shows on each teacher's door. Classroom in the Cloud suggests allowing parents/students to scan the codes and "meet" teachers during Open House night this way.
28. Spinning off of number twenty-seven: why not attach these "Meet Your Teacher" QR codes to every kid's schedule when it is mailed/given out prior to the beginning of the school year? Every kid could "meet" their teacher, even if he/she couldn't be there for the actual open house night!
29. Also spinning off of number twenty-seven, if you had to leave during conference night or Open House  night, perhaps you could post an introductory/explanatory video (in the form of a QR code) on your door so that everyone could still "talk" to you, even though you couldn't be there!
30. Also via Classroom in the Cloud: create a series of graphic/video QR codes prior to a field trip. Pass out the codes and tell kids when to scan them. It's like a personal tour without you having to yell it over the roar of the bus!
31. Twitter user @duckinwales suggested attaching audio files to QR codes and giving them to ELL students so they could listen to the correct pronunciation.
32. Spinning off of idea number thirty-one, teachers of early readers could attach audio files of themselves reading a book or giving center instructions and have students scan the code when they need help.
33. I've already mentioned placing a QR code at the top of a syllabus or classroom newsletter in order to give your contact information. But Michael Bromby also suggests linking an Amazon search for your class's needed reading material for the semester/year onto a QR code. Pretty clever! Students will have instant access to the title/author/ISBN of each book needed and can even order it directly from their smartphone!
34. Spinning off of idea number thirty-three, what if teachers created an Amazon wish list filled with the necessary school supplies for the year? Generate a QR code to that wish list and allow students to reference it on their smartphone when they're in the store or even purchase it from their smartphone and have it delivered directly to their home!
35. Twitter user @LRDow suggested generating QR codes for specific web pages on your class website and placing those codes directly on the page it links to. To share this information with their friends, students only have to pass on the QR codes -- not the entire link.
36. For art teachers who display students' artwork in your galleries: post a QR code with the child's name and mugshot right next to it so that students are credited with the work without defacing their art with unecessary writing.
37. Tired of turning in lesson plans every week, but still need to find a way for admin and parents to immediately see what your class is doing and what objectives you're covering? Upload your lesson plans to your class website and then post a QR code outside your classroom with a link to the lesson plans. Admin only has to scan your code to figure out what your students are learning at that very moment.
38. Place QR codes in yearbooks that link to audio and video of students!
39. I use a homework buddy system with my older students: at the beginning of the semester, I ask them to find 4 classmates they think they can trust and to exhange contact information with them. When someone is absent, students don't come to me to find out what they missed; instead, they ask a homework buddy (or check our class website). Twitter user @raganmd suggests asking students to fill out contact information (phone numbers, email addresses, personal website URLS) on a website called Jump Scan, and then generating the QR code for each Jump Scan profile. I could easily see this working with my homework buddies program; the information auomatically ends up in your phone!
40. Twitter user @mrrobbo suggests attaching QR codes to physical models. For instance, on a classroom skeleton, attach QR codes with informational videos/links about each part of the body.
41. Twitter user @mrrobbo also suggests creating a "choose your own adventure" story experience for reading students. (I'm thinking of those RL Stine books I used to read in elementary school; some of them were "choose your own adventure" stories.) Create an exciting sentence for a story, and then ask readers to make a decision. If they choose option 1, scan code #1. If they choose option #2, scan code #2. Brilliant!
42. Twitter user @NigelKirkham said he an audio file in his public Dropbox folder and created a QR code for the public folder's link. Scanning the code enabled users to listen to the file!

Ideas #35, 39, 40, 41, and 42 were found on @TomBarrett's Google docs presentation on ways to use QR codes in the classroom.

These are all the ideas I've been able to find so far, but I think it's an excellent starting point! If you have any other ideas for using QR codes in the classroom, I would love it if you left them in a comment! You could also scan this QR code and leave a comment on The Teacher Garden Facebook fan page. :)
Happy QR-ing!



P.S. There's a great website I just found out about (courtesy of commenter #1, Matt) that is centered around using QR codes in the classroom! Here's the link in case you'd like to check it out!

Since my first post over FlipSnack -- SnackTools's free eBook-making website -- I have been excited about trying other applications by SnackTools. My last review -- PodSnack -- was a bit of a bust. (Although I think it's neat, I don't think it can have much real value to me in the classroom. Darn.) I'm hoping this post, featuring PhotoSnack, will be better!

Put simply, PhotoSnack is a photo-slideshow-maker.  I know there are lots of photo-slideshow-makers available on the webs, but I really like that users who have signed up for any of SnackTools's other applications would have easy access to PhotoSnack. That's just one less username and password we'd have to remember, and God knows teachers have enough on their minds already! :)

Before I begin talking about all the details of this website, let me list a few ways you may be able to use PhotoSnack in your classroom:

• Attach it to your "virtual 'fridge" and play a slideshow of outstanding student work.
• Attach pictures from last year's class -- having a blast, of course -- and show it on the first day of school to let your students know what they're in for this year!
• Attach pictures of your current students working hard and/or having a ball and show it on Open House Night or on the class website.
• Upload samples of a student's work (like a mini, photo-portfolio) and show it during P/T conferences to help parents get a better grasp of what kind of work their child is producing in class.

OK, now that we have some ideas, let's dive into the logistics of PhotoSnack.

Here are some cool features:

1. You can use it for free. 
2. You can add music to the background of your slideshow, if you'd like.
3. Import photos from several different (and common) photo-hosting websites. 
4. You can download the slideshow to the computer and burn it onto a DVD (a cool goodbye present for students on the last day of school!). 
5. Add titles and captions to each photo if you want.
6. You can publish it on several different websites (think: personal website and social media websites). There's an embed code so that viewers can actually see the slideshow on your website instead of having to follow an external link to see anything.
7. It uses Flash when posted on regular websites. Still looking for information about viewing it on iPhone/iPad....
8. There are several customization options so that you can personalize the slideshow(s) in a variety of ways. 
9. The end result looks very professional! 
10. Can add up to 100 photos to each slideshow
11. Many, many people can view your slideshow for free. The way I understand it, people with a free membership can have a max of 25,000 views per day on sites external to PhotoSnack (VIP members get 50,000 views). Pretty convenient. I don't ever expect to reach that 25,000 view maximum, anyway, so I don't see this as a problem. 
12. Besides all the customization options inside the slideshow, you can decide which type of album you'd like to be featured in the show: professional photo album, product presentation, personal portfolio, real estate slideshow, or web-designer portfolio. 
13. There are several widget-options you can use to display your show(s) on your websites.

PhotoSnack allows users to upload documents in a few different formats: .jpg, .gif, and .png. No file over 10 MB may be uploaded to the slideshow.

Now that you know about all the great features, let me give you some details about the $$ involved:

• There is a free version, but, as with most websites, there are a few limitations. The free version puts a watermark on all slideshows. I didn't see an additional upload limit; it appears that the free version also has an upload limit of 100 photos, just like the paid version! Whoo-hoo!
• You can have the watermark removed from individual slideshow by purchasing points. It costs 6 points in order to do this, and the price of the points varies, based on how many you purchase at a time. (A purchase of 10 points will run you $19, a purchase of 25 points will run you $39, a purchase of 50 points will run you $49...you get the picture. There's a slight discount when you buy points in bulk.)
• If you don't want to mess with the limitations at all, you can always purchase a VIP membership for $14/month. This membership actually gives you premium access to all of SnackTools's apps, so you're getting quite a bit for your money. (Although, I'd really appreciate the ability to just buy a premium membership to ONE app, but maybe they'll implement that later!)

 Overall, I really like the ease and convenience of PhotoSnack. Like I said, there is no shortage of photo-slideshow-making websites available on the web, but I like that this one can pull photos from a variety of popular photo-hosting websites and you can access it through your SnackTools's username and password. Pretty nifty!