Technology Tuesday #2 - - - Got iPad?

Earlier this year I was honored to be asked by my school district to be trained to become an iPad trainer! I will be attending a day long training last this month and then I will be issued an iPad to use to train other teachers in my district on set-up and use. I will also be able to use it in my classroom! Can you say EX- CIT-ED!!!!!

Our district has begun an iPad initiative and at several schools, entire grade levels will be getting iPads. At other schools, every teacher will get one for their classroom. I teach at one of the school where all teachers will be issued an iPad, so you guessed it..that means I will have two...yes TWO to use in my classroom!!

In preparation for all this technology greatness...I have been searching for great resources for using the iPads in my classroom. When I first started looking, I was in app-overload. You have heard the saying " There's An App for That"...and they are not kidding. Right now I am wondering how I am going to get any teaching in, because I am going to be so busy showing my kiddos all the new apps for the iPads!

I have started a board over on Pinterest with lots of links to apps for the classroom.  You can click on the "Follow Me On Pinterest" button over on the left side of my blog and take a look.  But I am going to highlight a few of my faves here in today's post.  But before I talk about apps let me share a few links to some cool gadgets I have/am planning to purchase for the classroom for my iPads. These are truly MUST HAVES if you are going to be using iPads in the classroom....

1. Belkin Rockstar 5 Way headphone splitter...this can be used with an iPod Touch too..I got mine for less than $10 plus shipping from Amazon, but I have seen them as cheap as $7.  Can plug in up to 5 pairs of earbuds...voila...instant listening center!!!

2.Cheap iPad/iPhone chargers....I don't know about you, but we have tons of these around the house...but the colored ones are way too cute...and then are less than $3 each! Since one of my iPads will stay in my classroom all the time, I will need a few of these handy to keep it charged up.

3. Camera Connection kit... this $29 kit comes with two components: a USB adapter and an SD card adapter. Like its name implies, the intended use of these adapters is to transfer media from your camera to your iPad.  

Now to the really good stuff...the apps! Here are just a few I plan on adding to my iPad as soon as I get it. I know my kiddos are going to love these!! 

Free Apps

1. Go SkyWatch Planetarium for iPad- Easily and quickly identify and locate stars, planets, constellations and more by simply pointing to the sky. Your personal telescope to the wonders in the night sky. Go outside and explore the night sky.

2. Rocket Math Free- This program has multiple levels and is very interactive. The space theme keeps kids highly engaged...the Build Your Own Rocket feature is also lots of fun!

3. Stack the States- Really fun geography game! As you learn state capitals, shapes, geographic locations and more, you can actually touch, move and drop the animated states anywhere on the screen. Carefully build a stack of states that reaches the checkered line to win each level.

4. K12 Timed Reading Practice Lite- Free version. K12 Timed Reading Practice Lite lets readers in grades K-4 practice fluency, the ability to read smoothly and quickly.

Features
• 25 short, engaging stories for K-4 readers
• A variety of fiction and non-fiction
• 10 Flesh-Kincade reading levels between
• Track one reader's stories read, words per minute, percent above or below average reading rates, and what's next on the reading list
• View recommendations for moving up or down in reading difficulty based on recorded Words per Minute scores

5. Toontastic- Lights, Camera, Play! Toontastic is a Creative Learning tool that empowers kids to draw, animate, and share their own cartoons through imaginative play.

Paid Apps

1. K12 Timed Reading Practice- $1.99. Like the free version above but with more features than the free version. It  lets readers in levels K-4 practice fluency by reading short, timed stories. Improving fluency allows readers to read smoothly and quickly so they can focus on comprehension rather than on decoding words.

2. MathBoard- $4.99 a fantastic math learning tool for your iPad. -- MathBoard is appropriate for all ages from kindergarten (with simple addition and subtraction problems) to elementary school where learning multiplication and division can be a challenge. You can control the range of numbers you want to work with, the amount of questions you want to answer and even assign a time limit per quiz. MathBoard will make learning math fun. 

3. Mad Libs- $3.99- The fun fill in the blank activity we all remember is now an app. Great practice with parts of speech and as a jumping off point for writing!

These are just  a few of the great apps available. HERE is a link to the Apple Store- Education to look for those must have apps....now I am off to load up on iTunes cards....I have a feeling I am going to go a little crazy once I get my new iPads!

I won and in more ways than one.....

I love winning stuff! To be honest...does any one NOT love winning stuff?  Tonight I logged onto my email account and there in my inbox was a message saying I had won a $25 TpT gift certificate.

Who gave me this great gift...well it was Brittany over at Sweet Seconds! Thanks girl!! It was part of her 200 followers giveaway! So excited!




And guess what else I am excited about? I now have 43 followers! How awesome is that...considering my blog is only 8 days new! I am going to have a giveaway when I reach 75...wanna help me get more followers? Tell your friends.... Thanks again Brittany!  And thank you to all my followers.

Linking Up With Made It Monday

At the suggestion of Kim from Finding Joy in 6th Grade, I am linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for her Made it Monday linky.

Yesterday I posted HERE about making this wedding cake over the weekend for one of my teacher friends who got married on Saturday evening.  

Yes, I know it is not teacher related, but I thought it turned out great and wanted to share. I had not made a wedding cake in over 5 years..not since I started teaching. I used to own my own cake design business before I became a teacher and made about 50-60 wedding cakes a year.  Many people have asked me why I am teaching and not making cakes. The answer is that I am more passionate about teaching than I ever was about baking.  And let's face it, once the cake is cut and eaten every one forgets what it looked like and after a while, what it tasted like. With teacher, my impact is life-changing (or at least I hope it is) an hopefully my students will remember me longer than anyone ever has remembered my cakes.

I always share with my students that I used to be a baker..they love this and always ask me to make things for them....which I do. Their favorites are my red velvet cupcakes and my brownies.  Its a win-win..I can use treats to bribe them (to study extra hard for a test, to be on their best behavior for a special visitor, to try extra hard to stay focused, to read that extra book each 9 weeks), and they get a sweet reward!

Well, I am off to make a few mini cakes...a couple we are friends with  coming over this evening to do a tasting for their upcoming wedding in October!

Post #4 Today- Kleinspiration's MEGA Giveaway

I am not believing that this is my 4th post today...so proud of myself. There is so much going on out in bloggerland today and I couldn't resist sharing....

Erin over at Kleinspiration is having a a HUGE giveaway to celebrate having 1,000 followers...there are all kinds of books, software/memberships, and great stuff from other bloggers from their TpT stores.

And YOU could be a winner...so head on over there and check it out!!!

Currently......July

Wow! This is my 3rd post today...I am on a roll!!

Found this cuteness over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade's blog!! So I decided to jump on the old bandwagon...especially now that I now  know how to use PicMonkey to edit these things!!!

So here goes.....

Head on over to Oh' Boy 4th Grade's blog and link up!!

Weekend Wrap Up....

Where did the weekend go? Oh yeah....I was busier than a hive of bees!!!  I didn't even get a chance to post yesterday...that is how busy I was. What was I doing?? I am glad you asked!


I'll give you a hint..it involved turning my oven on with the temps here in the South hovering around 105 degree, lots of flour, sugar, and icing all for a special friend on her special day.

Okay, I'll just go ahead and tell you....I was making this!!

One of my teacher-friends got married yesterday and she asked me to make her wedding cake. Before I became a teacher I had my own cake design business, called PattiCakes. I still bake cakes for friends form time to time, but teaching takes up so much of my time, and making cakes is very time consuming too, so I only do it for friends.

Here are a few pictures of the cake in-progress.....

I always share with my students that I used to be a baker..and bring them samples of different treats throughout the year. They love it and always ask me to make and bring in stuff. We are a C.A.T.C.H. school so we limit the sweets..but every once in a while it is a great treat for my students..their favorites are my brownies and red velvet cupcakes!

My giveaway ended yesterday and I was excited to pick a winner. Check out the post HERE to find out who won.

Finally, I have been reading up on starting my TpT store. I am not real creative, but I am going to give it a shot..I am going to start with some items for Social Studies...my favorite subject.  Keep your eyes peels (one on my favorite idioms to talk about with my students)...for a post about the launch of my TpT store.

Well I am off to read some more blogs and brainstorm ideas for TpT....enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

And The Winner Is.....

...Heidi from My (Not So) Elementary Life won my $20 Target Gift Card giveaway.  Thank you to everyone who entered. I will be doing another giveaway when I reach 75 followers.....so if you are just stalking and have not officially become one of my followers, do it now!

Congrats Heidi...I sent you an email!!