Projects by Jen: Charlotte's Web

Projects by Jen is hosting another project this year in honor of Charlotte's Web turning 60! Jen always has several activities to go along with her projects that you can use in your classroom, and the greatest thing about her projects is it allows your class to connect with other classrooms that are participating. She is also planning a simultaneous reading of Charlotte's Web. Check out the link if you are interested in joining!

Font Freebies

A common question I get is "where can I find cute fonts"? I found a website today that has so many cute, free fonts! It is very easy to download and install free fonts on your computer. Here are the steps to take:

1. Download the fonts you want from a font website. Some great ones are Free Scrapbook Fonts, FontFace.com, and DaFont.com

2. When you find a font you like, download the file. It will save on your computer as a zip file, so "unzip" it by double clicking on it. You will have two files that look similar to this. (You can put the zip file in your trash - you don't need it anymore.)

3. Next, if you go into your Applications folder, you have a Font Book. Double click to open it, and you will see a window like this:

4. All you have to do to "install" the font is drag the unzipped file anywhere into the column labeled Font. And voila! Your new font is now installed on your computer and ready to use! You can preview what it will look like in your Font Book also. 

Enjoy and have a fun spring break!

Wonderopolis & Draw a Stickman

It's pretty fitting for this blog that there is actually a website out there called Wonderopolis! (Thanks Jasmin for sharing!) Each day, they post a new "wonder", which is just a fun fact or "wonder" of the day. The topics cover a wide variety of things, from "what is an aglet?" to "how much rain can a rain cloud hold?". The daily wonders could spark classroom discussion, a writing prompt, fit into your science/social studies unit.. the possibilities are endless! You can also view past wonders or search for topics if you are looking for something in particular. 

Draw a Stickman is another fun website that would be a fun story starter or introduction to digital storytelling. It is an interactive adventure that reminds me of one of my favorite children's books, Harold and the Purple Crayon. You start by drawing a stick man, and then follow him through an adventure that you add things to the picture as it unfolds. Would definitely make a great SmartBoard activity! It could serve as a writing prompt also - stop the story at any point and ask the students where they would take it from there, or how would they problem solve the situation?

Fun with Web 2.0

Looking for a little bit of fun amidst all of the testing? Check out some of these fabulous websites and give your kids a brain break while still learning!

Teach Hub posts weekly video writing prompts. Each week they post a video and then offer suggestions for writing prompts based on grade level, K-2, 3-5, etc. What a fun way to get your students writing! Some video examples include ones for Leap Year, Groundhog Day, the Lorax, and yes, even Angry Birds. You could have it be a writing activity that you do once a week as they post them or once in awhile. 

As an example, here is a Muppets video writing prompt:

Wordia is a new website that you can play the games they have, or create your own (it is very easy to create your own vocab or spelling game!) There are spelling, geography, science, and other subject areas to choose from. For one "Spell it Right" game, they used children from around the world to say the words. I thought that was very unique and would provide another opportunity to bring cultural awareness into your classroom.

I also really like WeGiveBooks.org. While the site does require teacher signup (and then you could post your login for students to use), I think it is well worth it. Created by the Pearson Foundation, We Give Books has several leveled books that students can read on the computer. Every time they complete a book, a book is donated to under privileged children. You could read the books whole-class on the SmartBoard or use it as a center. And, to tie some math in, you could create a chart to show how many books your class has donated to a great cause!

   

If you're looking for a way to perk up your students before testing, I found this cute printable note, and others here. 

ICE Ideas

This week I have the opportunity to attend the ICE conference, and after my first day there I have already found new fun things and heard great ideas! Here is a snippet of just a few of the cool tools I have discovered.

My Storymaker, from the Carnegie Library, allows users to create a story entirely online. The user can choose characters and the character's goal for the story. The settings and other items for the story are added to the picture by simply clicking on them. The author can also choose emotions, actions and interactions for the characters, which the characters then act out in the picture. As the characters do this, the text of their actions appears below them. This text can be edited and the final story can be printed.

Actors from the Screen Actors Guild Foundation read books aloud at Storyline Online. Some favorite stories include Rainbow Fish, Stellaluna, A Bad Case of Stripes, The Polar Express, and more!

BrainPop & BrainPop Jr. are two of my favorite resources for students, but one ICE session is taking it to the next level. Check out this PDF (BrainPOP for the IWB Handout) for ideas to use your SmartBoard with BrainPop - it's more than watching the videos and taking quizzes!

I also found an awesome SmartBoard resource called Out Smart 'Em. It is a collection of Notebook files and websites separated by subject area that you could instantly (or with a few adaptations) integrate into your lessons.

I also like the ideas presented on this 21st Century Literacy website. There is an idea for each grade level- check them all out though, it may spark an idea that you can adapt and do with your students!

Those 5 websites are only a few of the many ideas I have learned about... look for more to come soon! 

Laptop Tips & Tricks

In case you missed it at our Institute Day, this week I am sharing some tips & tricks to use your laptop more efficiently. First, here is the QSG passed out at the Laptop Tips & Tricks session.

Some of the additional resources and websites included in the QSG are below:

Atomic Learning:  http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/home

Teach Parents Tech: http://www.teachparentstech.org/

Under 10 Minutes: http://www.undertenminutes.com

Learn it in 5: http://www.learnitin5.com

I also found a website called F Symbols that has shortcuts to make different symbols, like ÷, ≤, ≥, and even !

And for fun, PBS Kids Lab has over 60 games to play!

Teacher Tipster

This week Julie introduced me to an awesome teacher, Mr. Smith of TeacherTipster.com. On his website, you will find printables, links to his weekly videos, and a link to his Facebook page that you can "like" and follow his posts. Let me tell you, I was hooked after watching one video! I would love to be a student in his classroom- he is so creative and truly makes learning fun! Even though he is a first grade teacher, his tips can apply to all grade levels.

The first video I watched was an Angry Birds math lesson (I know, Angry Birds are everywhere these days!)

He also has great ideas for classroom management, like Chart Folders for those students who are always finishing early.

I also love his idea for Silly-brations! I just can't stop smiling at how awesome he is :-)

To see the rest of his videos, check out his YouTube page, go to his website, or "like" him on Facebook to receive his updates. Enjoy!