First Day of School

This blog post might be better titled, "First weeks of School."  Here's a round-up of past blog posts that I would definitely incorporate into my first weeks back to school.  I use these each year with my new crop of students.  Teachers make the best recyclers.

(Capri Sun Wallets by Jen and lil O)


• The Typxwritxr - This quick overhead (or handout) brings home the idea of "we are all in this together."  You can use this ditty with multiple age groups in any subject area or discipline.
• Captain, Crew, Cargo Metaphor - This metaphor never goes out of style with students and it sets the stage for the rest of the school year.  Plus, you get the message when a student tells you they feel like "cargo."
• The Icon Finder - If you haven't jazzed up your e-learning presence yet, absolutely use Icon Finder to do so.  See the cute Facebook and Twitter icons I used on the right side of this blog?  Fun, eh?  Icon Finder is loaded with engaging icons for any occasion or subject.
• DIY Artwork - Speaking of making things engaging, did you decorate your classroom yet?  If you still have bare walls, see if this do-it-yourself decor might work for you and your students.  Plus, it makes great gifts.
• Relate, Create, Donate/Lesson & Project Planning - For some school districts, lesson planning is prescribed or pre-planned by someone other than the classroom teacher.  For the rest of us, try using this easy model from the great state of Maryland for lesson and project planning.
• Mod Podge for Education - I return to school next week.  For my post-Labor Day-back-to-school goers (yes, you detect a hint of envy there), you still have time to craftucate!  See what you think of this Mod Podge project from lil O and I.  Send pics of your creations to entertain us.  After all, lil O is one of those post-Labor Day-back-to-school goers.

Lucky kid,

Jen

Drop caps how-to

id you see my pre-Mother's Day post on May 7th?  If not, scroll down to it.  Isn't the first letter fancy?  Hey, just like the "D" to the left is fancy in "Did?"

Aren't you wondering how I jazzed up my "D?"

Simply stuff, fabulous blog reader.  Just visit Daily Drop Cap, choose your letter and follow the instructions below each letter.  It does require copying and pasting HTML code, but its 2011, I am confident you can do that, yes?

This drop cap stuff is thoroughly entertaining to me. 

Grinning from ear-to-ear,

en


PS - Do you think I could use the drop cap letters to make more DIY artwork for my classroom?  Remember this post here?  My wheels are spinning.

Paint swatch activities

I don't know about you, but I am haunted by things that are free. Two of my biggest haunts - FedEx envelopes and paint swatches.  Paint swatches, in particularly, are like sirens calling my name at Home Depot and Lowe's.  I can barely walk by the paint section without caressing a colored swatch and dreaming how (or why?) I need a swatch collection.  Must be genetic, little O loves them, too.

Thankfully, teaching gives me an excuse.  Free swatches + gorgeously inspiring colors + students = An activity.  Here's what I've come up with so far....

Pick a color.....

Convenient way to group students (Thank you, Linda, Nathan and Jordyn)....

Choose a swatch.....

Colorful way to debrief a lesson with exit tickets.....

Pick up some of the multi-color paint swatches.....handy for mini-KWLs.....

And mini-KWLS....

Mickey friends, I bet you have a way to put these to teaching and learning use.....

Fabulous blog reader (or follower), what clever ideas do you have for paint swatches?  Are there free items that haunt you?  As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Please use the comments section below (no password required, so comment away - Yippee!).

UPDATE:  Here's another idea how to use paint swatches.

Best,

Jen

Tech Tuesday - Tagxedo and Wordle

Two of my favorite freebie web-tools are Tagxedo and Wordle.  Yes, I know everyone knows about Wordle, but most are unfamiliar with Tagxedo.  They both are similar - tag cloud generators - however, Tagxedo makes the coolest shapes with their tag clouds, see?

In case you aren't sure what a tag cloud generator is it basically takes words and phrases (that either you enter yourself or you tell it to grab from a URL) and displays them in a "word splash" form based on frequency.  For example, if you say "Butterflies" 100x in a website, it will make the world "butterflies" bigger since you used it so often.  This video helps to understand Tagxedo.  Here is a slide show which shows the many uses of Wordle (which can also be applied to the lovely Tagxedo).

I like to use either web tool for:

• Get to know you introductions
• Debriefing a concept or lesson
• Assessing prior knowledge on a subject
• Just to be cool (since they are so pleasing to the eye)

Special tip:  To enter phrases, use the "~" sign  (the tilde sign) in between words.  Not a hyphen, the ~ sign is the one you need.  You know, the one you use in Spanish?  If you think of other creative uses of Tagxedo or Wordle, do share them in the comment section below.

Happy Tech Day,
Jen