Happy New Years Eve!

Wishing you a safe and happy New Years Eve!!!

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New iPad....?!?!

I know lots of teachers got iPads for Christmas! Yay! Thank you Santa! I wanted to share one way I use my iPad in my classroom. I know lots of teachers aren’t sure if they want to use their devices for personal use only, or at school too. I say this about a lot of things, and I’ve found that the line between personal life and school life is very very blurry most of the time (good thing I love my job because this would not be good otherwise!). This is especially clear to me while I am at home, knee deep in paperwork and grading and planning and report cards and the hubby (whose work does not allow him to take anything home- I mean, if he does, they PAY him!!!) is sitting back relaxing watching basketball…

Back on track….I do have to say though, my iPad is kind of like my personal assistant at school. It has made my life MUCH easier in the classroom. And here’s one way it’s done that:

Evernote is an app that can be accessed from any computer with internet access. Hey, you could even use your iPhone if you don’t have an iPad. (I use my iPhone all day long in my classroom too- another post on that later!)  

Evernote is pretty much a virtual notebook to put (if you’re anything like me) all of your post-its, sticky notes, crumbled up pieces of paper, and napkins with notes about the kiddos in one spot. Yes, I said one spot. Where you can actually find them the next day! Imagine that….!

Once Evernote is downloaded, you can create a “notebook” for each of your students. In each kiddo’s notebook, you can put anecdotal notes, observations, and even formal assessments. Oh but it doesn’t end there! You can also take video of the students reading, reading their writing, and at work and put that in their notebook too. Annndddd, you can take pictures of student work and place it in their notebook.

When parent-teacher conferences and report card time comes around, there will be NO frantically running around your classroom (if you’re anything like me), digging through piles, or backaches from filing millions and millions of papers. That’s because it’s all right there in Evernote! This is also an amazing tool because you can actually show the parents the videos, pictures, and notes. My parent-teacher conferences were amazing this year because the parents got to listen to their kids reading, and actually see their students at work in our classroom. The parents were more engaged and seemed to really love seeing their kiddo’s learning in action. It

wasn’t just me rambling on and on and on. And on.   

If your class is lucky enough to have any personal devices for your kiddos to use in your classroom, you can even create an Evernote account for your class. I did this the same way I created my teacher account (you will just need another email address). Each student has a notebook, so they open up Evernote and then open their personal notebook. The kids are able to type their writing there, take pictures of work they are proud of, and record themselves reading. And since I have complete access to the account, I can check in and see what the kiddos are working on, and even give them feedback in their notebook! Wonderful!

And the beauty of this is that it doesn’t matter which device the kiddo uses, their work will be there! Genius!!!

Click here to read another great blog post about using Evernote in the classroom from:

Hope this gives you some ideas! One more day of 2011! Enjoy it!!!

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Happy 2012

For my second blog post ever, I thought I’d join A Teacher’s Treasure and link up again. Happy New Year everyone!

My Personal Goals:

1. Do at least one agility trial with my corgi dog.
2. Keep going to the gym at least twice a week.
3. Learn to cook. The hubby does all the cooking while I grade papers, blog stalk, plan… Seriously, the only things I really know how to make are grilled cheese and tacos…not so impressive…
4. Keep blogging and blog hopping. Everyone’s amazing teacher blogs have truly changed the way I teach. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

My Professional Goals:

1. Be a better teacher (always).
2. Finish my Masters/Reading Specialist credential in May. Yay!!!
3. Start a TpT store. TpT has also changed the way I teach! Thank you amazing teachers out there who create amazing stuff!
4. Create more stuff for my students and share it!
5. Stay calm at all times. I feel like I freak out sometimes, and I know it’s important to keep the big picture in mind. I need one of those keep calm pictures from Pinterest. ☺

Happy New Year everyone!

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Linky Party

This is my very first blog post EVER! Since I love obsessively stalking following everyone else's teaching blogs and stealing amazing ideas, I thought I would give it a shot. And what better way than to join in my blogging idols' linky party (I am just hoping I can get it to link up correctly... I've got my fingers crossed!)! Hopefully this will be a great way to get to know me. 

11. Favorite movie

I loved Bridesmaids. I laughed so hard I cried. 


10. Favorite TV series

My all time favorite TV series is FRIENDS. Reruns are always on my TV, and I can just about relate anything in life to FRIENDS, and I hate when people don't know what I'm talking about. 

My new favorite TV series is Person of Interest! 


9. Favorite restaurant


I L-O-V-E Mexican food. My go-to is a little taco shop by our house called Sun Tacos. Yum! 


8. Favorite new thing you tried


Doing agility classes with one of the dogs. This is way too much fun!


7. Favorite gift you received 


My iPad, of course. It was a gift to myself, but that still counts, right...?!?!? I have found some amazing ways to use it in the classroom to make my life so much easier! Plus I just love, love, love it. 


6. Favorite thing you pinned

      




How can you choose just one...? I picked a few of my faves to share with you. Thank you Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade and Caitlin at Kindergarten Smiles for the great Elf on a Shelf resources and ideas! I can't wait to do that next year!


5. Favorite blog post


This one because it's the only one!


4. Favorite accomplishment 


Accompanying the superintendent of our school district, two board members, and a principal to Auburn, Maine to attend a Leveraging Learning workshop. We learned all about implementing iPads in primary grade classrooms. It was a HUGE honor to go, and I learned SO much!!!


3. Favorite picture

Doesn't that just warm your heart...?!?


2. Favorite memory

Adopting our 11 year old corgi, Abby. We were literally walking down the street with our other two and a lady came out of her house and asked if we wanted another one! The hubby later said this was like asking a "normal" person if they wanted a million dollars. So...we walked up the hill with two dogs, and down the hill with three. Now I can't imagine life without her! 


1. Goals for 2012


Be a better teacher (always), complete my Masters/Reading Specialist credential in May (yipeee!), do at least one agility trial with the dog, keep going to the gym twice a week (I haven't gotten sick once this year, and I'm convinced this is why. You know...that gross cough that starts around October and doesn't go away until, oh, I don't know, May....?!? I also make the kids use hand sanitizer before they even think about coming in the classrom. How do you stay healthy in the germ magnet classrooms we live work in...?), and of course, blog. :)  


Happy New Year everyone! 

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