Music, Hobbies, and Sunsets

Disclaimer:  This post has nothing to do with an education resource for your interactive white board.  That's the great thing about the blogging community, right? You can post whatever you want :)  

On the side I have a small photography business and took some pictures to promote an upcoming musician.   Check out some of his music below.  My favorites are "Dit Diddle Ditty" and "Two Coins," but I'll let you decide for yourself :)  

http://www.youtube.com/user/patrickremmick

Another sidenote---this sunset isn't edited at all.  Isn't it beautiful?  Wisconsin has not let me down this summer.  

Fun Map Review Games!

Check out these fun map games, great for practicing at an interactive white board!  I like that it not only has the states and capitals, but it has different continents, countries, AND my favorite is the important city.  I know that Chicago isn't a capital, but I do think it's important students know where it is :)

BBC: Fantastic Math Interactives

BBC has some great interactives (in fact, even if you've checked them out before, they've done a major overhaul this year and made everything way more visually attractive) for math and language arts.  Today I'm going to spotlight one on Symmetry.  If you're a primary teacher it might be a bit intense, but look around their sight.  I promise you, you won't regret it!!

Bembo's Zoo

Check out Bembo's Zoo---A really fun interactive alphabet!

Dollar Tree Deals!

  If any of you live by a Dollar Tree, they put out a good portion of their teacher supplies this week!  Yippee!  Below are some of my sweet finds!

Side note: I realize these are not for an interactive smart board, but who doesn't like super cheap things??!

Second side note:  If anyone has fun ideas of ways to use these materials, comment below!!

Foam Book Marks (10 for $1): I'm thinking glue and glitter to decorate these on one of the first days?!?

Classroom Management Signs (4 for $1): I thought these would be something nice to use every once in awhile, or when a sore throat is starting :)

 Fun Signs: ($1 each) At our school we each have a small space outside our rooms where we hang the students names.  I thought these would be a great center piece at different times of the year.

Math Word Strips (30 for $1):  They also had Social Studies, Kindergarten Sight Words, 1st grade sight words, 2nd grade sight words, 3rd grade sight words, and science ones.  I have a math vocab word every week and I thought this would be a great and easy way to make a word wall in my classroom (and easy!)

Homework Passes: My classes FAVORITE birthday presents!

State word strips and capital word strips: ($1 each) I'm already cooking up some fun matching games to use these for!  Any ideas you'd like to share?!?

Hall Passes ($1 each for a girl one and boy one)  I just think these are nasty at the end of the year, so I get new ones every year :)

Mr. Potato Head Stickers: ($1 for a huge packet)  My class LOVES stickers...it's  such an easy way to give them a little something extra sometimes.

Fractured Fairy Tales

At Read, Write, Think they have some terrific interactives that would work well for students to use on individual computers or to use on your promethean board for a whole group activity.  In 5th grade we do a large unit on fractured fairy tales and end up making our own books.  I like that this interactive has them focus on essential story elements.  I think it would make a great pre-writing activity.   Look below the activity for TONS of lesson plan ideas for all grades that use this interactive!

Fractured Fairy Tale interactive from Read, Write, Think

Tagxedo: Linky Party!

***I am updating this post to join in a 100th day Linky Party.  Feel free to still add to my linky party if you'd like.  See my 100th day idea, and other ideas, below. ***

I hope everyone had a fantastic Independence Day weekend!  This is my first Linky Party, so spread the word for me please!  Have you all seen links for Tagxedo floating around?!? It's like the very popular Woordle on steroids! My mind is spinning with all the great ways to use this in a classroom! Link up your ideas below!

1.) Book Reports:  Students could insert the text of their book report
2.) Animal Reports: Students could insert the text of the animal report
***3.) 100th Day:  I used to write the parts of speech on tagboard and then have the students search for 100 of each out of newspapers and then paste them on.  (100 nouns, 100 verbs, 100 adjectives, etc.) Once all the posters were full we hung them in the hallway. This year, I'm going to try using taxedo and have each group make a taxedo (100 nouns, 100 verbs, etc.) then they'll each have their own, fun, unique poster for each part of speech!!

My example of a fruit bat report is below.  Seriously fun right?!?  I can wait to hear your ideas!