Top 3 posts for 2011 Linky

Happy 2012! When I started this blog in May 2011, my intent was to focus mostly on couponing and saving money, but over the summer it evolved into a platform for me to share all of the new things I discovered about teaching through Twitter, blog-hopping, and Pinterest.

Fern Smith is hosting a really fun linky party where we can share our top 3 blog posts for 2011. Fern does a really good job on her blog by not only sharing all of her awesome teacher wisdom, but also all of the great deals she comes across through couponing.

Here are my top 3 posts for 2011 - check it out and join in on the fun. You may discover a few new blogs you want to follow this year. Teachers love to share what they do, and by doing so, we all become better teachers and mentors to the most important people in the world...our students.

Top 3 Posts for 2011

#1 The Life Cycle of a Snowman 
September 19, 2011 - 5,805 pageviews
In 2nd grade we are learning about the states of matter: solid, liquid, gas.  What better way to learn about this than to have a snowman visit our school and melt away throughout the day? The students really enjoyed watching him change but were a little sad when we "cooked" him into gas ;-)

Fill balloons with water  - small, medium, and large - and place in  bowls with the tied  side down so  it will create a  flat surface.  Lay something on top of the  balloons to create a flat surface on top. Once frozen, remove balloon and stack balls using salt to help them adhe - re to each other. Cut out decorations with felt and stick to ice.

#2 I LOVE Pinterest! 

July 23, 2011 - 1,521 pageviews

Have you heard of Pinterest yet?  If not, you should go check it out.  It's a great way to display items that interest you AND keep track of all the cool stuff you come across and then forget about.  My boards include teacher stuff, techie stuff, pretty stuff and more!  Michelle's Math in the Middle is hosting a linky party so you can  follow people that interest you.

  

This is a quick and easy link-up.  All you need is:

1. A teacher blog, where you will write a quick little post telling your readers about this Linky Party ~ Then go link it HERE
2. A Pinterest account
3. The Follow Me on Pinterest Button displayed on your blog

#3 A Four-Year Old Blog Post 

August 24, 2011 765 pagevews

My husband sent me a link to a blog post I wrote exactly 4 years ago on August 24, 2007.  At the time, my friends and I all had blogs where we would share family photos and write about our lives.  With the advent of Facebook, we eventually abandoned our blogs and joined the millions in Facebookland.  For a while there was a trend where we had to write 100 things about ourselves then tag someone else to do the same thing.  I remember taking a lot of time to come up with the 100 things about myself and I am please to say that after 4 years there have been very few changes.  Below is the original post with the changes and comments in red.  I hope this helps know the Frugal Teacher a little better: Read more...

I am including a #4 because it is another post about Pinterest. Once I got on Pinterest and started sharing items from my blog on my boards, my blog traffic increased significantly: 

#4 The POWER of Pinterest and a Useful Writing Tool - 

November 6, 2011 - 725 pageviews

A funny thing happened today. I was looking around my "stats" page just to see where most of my blog traffic is coming from.  I was NOT surprised to see that the majority of my traffic is coming from Pinterest! Over the past few months a lot of teachers have jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon. It's a great place to share and keep a visual record of all the great ideas out there!  One of the sources listed on the stats page was a blog I have never visited: In No Simple Language. There was a post about Pinterest and all of the cool things this blogger has discovered there. One of the "cool" things was this:

Thank you Fern and the other 60+ teachers who have participated in this Linky. I hope that we can all continue to help and inspire each other in 2012!

Celebrating Diversity

I would like to welcome my first guest blogger, Dan Gilbert of Primrose Schools. Please enjoy his article about celebrating diversity: 

Celebrating Diversity with Your Children

“We live in a diverse world. By teaching children to appreciate other cultures from an early age, you will help them develop compassion and seek out shared values,” said Dr. Mary Zurn, vice president of education for Primrose Schools. When considering the concept of diversity and all of the nuances and complexities that come with it, it may seem difficult to impart the lessons of tolerance and acceptance to your children. However, Primrose Schools suggests that by instead focusing on the unique cultural and historical differences between races, you can make teaching preschool children and older children about diversity a fun and loose exercise.

A child’s idea of the world is very minute and grounded, and they primarily think of normal people as those they see on a regular day-to-day basis. These people include their family, school, and those around their neighborhood. An interesting way to teach children about the wonderful diversity of the world is to explain different cultures to them through irregular means. Global music is one good example, as is sports and even the multitude of wildlife around them. This will not only foster a grounded cultural understanding, but they will be intrigued and willing to learn more about their global community. 

Teaching children about cultural diversity is one of the most important lessons you can impart to them. It not only helps your children build character, but they will learn to appreciate differences in culture (including your own). In addition to this, a well-rounded education in diversity will help children grow to be a compassionate, accepting adult, who respects and values the differences in other people. 

If you are still looking for tips on explaining diversity to young children, use one or all of these following suggestions. These suggestions will help you celebrate diverse cultures in the classroom or at home:

Explain and Share Your Family History

To understand others, one must first understand themselves. An interesting quote that helps drive this point home is "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to fulfill it," by the late Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana. Explain pictures of individual members of your family to children and talk about their rich cultural heritages. Keep in mind that Children are often intrigued by stories, so share a small tidbit of information about each person so that it will stick more fervently in their budding minds. 

Listen to Cultural Music

Another unique way of sharing your family's cultural history is by playing music from your culture. By either playing music from your family's country of origin, region of the United States, or music you sang yourself as a child, you impart to them the wisdom of a time long ago. This will not only bring a historical relevance to your relationship, but make a child eager to learn more. Once this exercise is finished, follow up by asking your child to point out the differences and similarities between different types of music. 

Read Books

It's safe to say that reading to your child is one of the best ways to stimulate their minds and get them interested in the world around them. The rich characters and storylines can lead to very in depth discussions on culture and race as a whole. Some suggestions:

• Todd Parr: It's Okay to Be Different

• Shane Derolf: The Crayon Box That Talked

Make Up Your Own Suggestions

Continue searching for various opportunities for your child to meet and interact with children from different ethnic backgrounds. These real life interactions will stick with your child for the rest of their lives, and will mark an important starting point for their cultural journey.

Tip: These suggestions can easily be applied to classroom exercises as well if you are a teacher. Your students can bring in pictures or tell stories they know about their family history. All of the other suggestions can be done as a class. This would be a good way for children to interact amongst a diverse group. 

Can Homework Encourage Creativity?

I recently participated in an #elemchat Twitter Chat about homework (here is the transcript). Many teachers give meaningless homework which is nothing more than busy work. My children attend a Fine Arts Academy (charter school) where the approach to learning is a little different. Although they have the usual math problems and book reports, they also have the opportunity to get creative with their homework assignments. The teachers are aware that all students learn differently and so they give options for homework and projects.  For instance, instead of just doing a report, students are given the option to make posters/books/artwork, create songs, cook, use technology, choreograph a dance, or dramatize it with live action, photography, or video. I love that the students are given choices. My son enjoys using technology and makes really good Prezis.

Click on the > to progess through the Prezi

My youngest daughter is very "hands-on" and recently worked with a group to create this magnificent crispy rice relief map of Texas. What I like about these kinds of assignments is the time and effort my kids put in to them. My son is very "techie" but my daughter is more "artsy" so they can choose assignments that work well with their learning style.

  

As a teacher, I want to offer my students options as well. Instead of the usual "write your spelling words 2 times" and "do 50 math problems", I want the students to be able to use Spelling City, make rainbow words by using 2 or 3 crayons to write the words, or create "pyramids" with the words:

P

Py

Pyr

Pyra

Pyram

Pyrami

Pyramid

Pyramids

In math they can use sites like Cool Math, take pictures of patterns in our world, or make cootie catchers to learn math facts:

The possibilities are limitless.SO! As teachers...no matter where we teach...it is our job to tune in to our students and pull the very best out of them! It's easy to get in to a rut and use the same assignments from year to year, but that's not the kind of teacher I want to be. How about you?

Last post of the summer countdown...

I have enjoyed counting down to the first day of school by sharing what I have learned about the Daily 5, teaching, and technology from my PLN (Personal Learning Network) on My Countdown To... page. But the time has come to retire it for a while.  I will continue posting my progress and new discoveries here on my home page.  These will be easier to track and for you to make comments on.  So without further delay...

THE LAST POST OF THE SUMMER COUNTDOWN TO...

THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!

Community Generosity

Our "Meet the Teacher" night was last Thursday and I was so pleased that most of my students showed up to meet me.  I am very excited about the new year and all of the joys and challenges it will bring.  


Our school is a Title 1 school which means that a high percentage of our students live at the poverty level. Some families struggle to buy all of the uniforms and supplies necessary to start the school year.  The cost for these items can reach up to $200 (or more) per child. Families with more than one child get hit even harder.  


The Miller/Coors Brewery is very close to our school and on the night of "Meet the Teacher" a group of employees brought a GENEROUS donation of school supplies to us!  This is so awesome because some of our students will show up to school without their supplies (which makes them feel bad). Now we will be able to provide ALL of our students with everything they need!  

A BIG Thank you to Miller/Coors Brewery 

in Fort Worth, Texas!  

Collage created by Ginny Limer (G-Photography)

About One - Family Management at your Fingertips!

I am not the best at keeping track of family pictures, scrapbooking, or recording family memories.  For a while I had a personal blog where I would post pictures and write about family events and milestones, but there really wasn't a way to organize it. I am sure that just like me, many of you tech-savvy folks out there would rather have an online family management system that is easy to use and offers an organized and fun way to record family information and events. 


About One has come up with a great solution! Now you can enter information about your family as it happens! You won't forget a single special event or moment using this online system. It's really easy to set up. Here is a quick video overview:

The "Education" feature interests me because I have 3 teenagers who will be applying for college over the next several years. This section helps record school info, teachers, counselors, GPA's, and SAT/ACT test scores so when it comes time for filling out college applications, the information will be right at your fingertips! You can add documents, pictures, and record important events when they happen - no more racking your brain trying to remember when your daughter went to her first dance...it's right there!
I love this program and cannot wait to spend time exploring it and adding more info.  I believe this is something I will definitely use on a daily basis.  Other features include a family bulletin board, newsletter, medical information, and a place to document important possessions. If you have a busy family or just want to have your life at your fingertips, you really need to check About One out and take advantage of their FREE 30 day trial offer!
*All opinions are my own - A FREE year's subscription was received as compensation for this post.

DIY "Daily 5" Anchor Charts!

Student/teacher made anchor charts for the classroom help the student "own" the rules and will be less likely to break them:

To see more visit My Classroom...

Another Great Deal at Vistaprint!

I just ordered this *FREE rubber stamp from Vistaprint!

My students use a planner everyday to record homework assignments and other important information.  I also use the planner to communicate with the parents and let them know how their child's day went.  If they had a great day, I usually put a sticker or stamp. Using stickers every day can get expensive and stamp pads are messy.  This stamp is self-inking and will make the end-of-day pack up time go much more smoothly.

*Paid shipping costs
**I was not compensated for this post, however the link to Vistaprint is a referral link and I will earn a small payment for every order from this link.

Countown to the first day of school...

....and my Summer Reading Program is in full swing!


I have already read The Daily 5 and; Places and Spaces but I will be taking another look at them, along with the others, as I plan for the upcoming school year. Web 2.0 is a must read for any teacher who wants to integrate technology into the classroom.  It covers blogging, social networking, podcasts & vodcasts, applications, and much more! I started reading it in the bookstore today and couldn't put it down.  Unfortunately, the bookstore price was $35.00 but I was able to download it for $12.95.  Some of the other books are available for download at a lower price also. The Amazon widget above has links to books and downloads.  The links showing prices are for the books.  Generally, the downloads are at least 50% less!  Now that's a frugal find!

Join me as I count down to the first day of school on my Countdown to... page.  I will share my thoughts and activities leading up to the first day of school!


*I am an amazon Affiliate and receive a small commission for items sold. No compensation was received for this post. 
All opinions are my own.

Attention Teachers: Amazon Product Review

     In 2nd grade, the priority is reading, reading, reading, and math, math, math! science/social studies is generally taught at the end of the day and, I have to admit, there are some weeks when we only get to science once or twice. It all works out in the end, but it would be nice to have science on a more consistent basis.....READ MORE...

Educational Insights Science Challenge of the Week     

What do you think? 

*This is my personal opinion.  Although I am an amazon Affiliate and receive a small commission for items sold, no compensation was received for this post.

A Blast From the Past

I wrote this post in August 2007 while I was working as a paraprofessional and finishing up my degree and teacher certification. I had forgotten about it until recently when I was scrolling through a now-abandoned personal blog.  The TAKS test in Texas is about to become the STAR test, but the idea is still the same...high stakes testing and accountability.  It's a little long and heavy-handed (give me a break, it was for a class), but I believe it is still relevant....

Standardized Testing: Creativity Lost

Get creative with these FREE cards from Vistaprint!

I just ordered 250 FREE* cards from Vistaprint!  Instead of making a business card, I made Mrs. Morgan's Super Bucks.  The students will earn these cards for good behavior and other achievements and can be redeemed for homework, computer time, or a pencil/eraser.  I am so excited!

 Click HERE to order yours today at Vistaprint!

*Paid shipping costs

**I was not compensated for this post, however the link to Vistaprint is a referral link and I will earn a small payment for every order from this link.

My latest product review:

Check out My Classroom page for my latest review: 
Product Review From ReallyGoodStuff:*
Really Good Welcome Journals - Primary

So proud of Our Yearbook!

I have been the yearbook rep at my school for 4 years and have thoroughly enjoyed working with *School Annual Publishing.

• The book is produced completely online - no picture developing, cutting, or pasting.  
• All of the school portraits are uploaded and can be flowed into the class pages with one easy click.  
• The candid photos can be uploaded into categorized folders and then placed on the pages by simply clicking and dragging. 
• A special photo upload link is also available for parents and students.
• School Annual offers a huge selection of designs and clip art to make your book unique and special.
• Products and prices vary based on your needs.  Our school made a 56 page, full color, soft-cover book with the "Flashbax" insert for under $15 per book!
• Customer service and tech support is excellent
• Production time is less than 6 weeks

If you are involved in producing your school's yearbook please check out School Annual Publishing before signing next year's contract!

A wide variety of covers are available to choose from or you can  use your own customized cover.

After you create your template for the class pages, "flowing" in the pictures is a breeze.

Creating "events" pages is fun and easy with the huge selection of clip art and background designs.

The "Flashbax" section recaps the year's events and trends - the kids love it!

*This is not a paid advertisement. I truly believe in this product and want to share it with others.

WooHoo Field Day Tomorrow!

My students are so excited for field day. Our PE teacher really makes it a wonderful day.  She has stations set up around the playground for the students rotate through.  I am so excited about spending the whole day outside relaxing and spending time with my kids.  I love to teach, but we all need a play day every once in a while!  What kinds of fun things are you doing to celebrate a wonderful year of hard work and learning?