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Mar 24, 2015

Tech Tuesday

Today I am linking up with Marie from Once upon a Classroom for her Tech Tuesday.  I have been wanting to link up for the past several weeks and there just always seems to be some crisis that pops up and gets in my way.  But I finally made it this week, although it is a tad bit late. 


I am loving the app Plickers.  It is a fast easy way to assess where your students are at.  You go to their website here and sign up, no worries it is free.  Then download the app to your phone or iPad. Next you will need to print an answer card off of the website for each student in your class.  It is click and print, super easy.  Each card has lets the student answer a question with A, B, C or D.  


You can assign just the number to each student or enter their name into the app and set up the number of questions you will be asking. Now you are ready to assess.  You just pose the question to your students, orally or projected on your smart board. Each student holds up their card with it pointing in the correct direction displaying their choice...A, B, C or D. Next you quickly scan the room with your phone or iPad and the app does all the work for you.


You can just view the answers on your device and you will be able to see who still needs help with mastery.  As a second option I have projected the answers up on the smart board and that way we can discuss what the different answers were and what the correct choice should have been. It is a great opportunity for the students to explain the reasoning behind the answer they chose.

I first saw this app at a tech conference last June. My first thought was, this is so cool, then I was thinking, how will this work in kindergarten. Much to my surprise it works pretty great.  The kiddos learn quickly which direction to hold their card to display the different answer choices. I keep meaning to take a picture of my kiddos participating, but we are usually caught up in the excitement and I forget.  If you do teach K and want some easy premade assessment question cards to be used with this app check out Mary at Sharing Kinderdarten.  She has them for several Math and ELA standards. She even made a how to video for you visual learners.



As you can see the possibilities are endless with this app. Hope you all have a great week!


Mar 1, 2015

March Currently

Hey gang, can you believe it is March already?  I think I say that almost every month.  Where does the time go?? Well it is time to join Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade for her Currently, one of my favorite linky’s.



Listeningmy boys are watching the Walking Dead and I am not paying attention, but blogging.  I know this will probably be unpopular, but I have just never really gotten into the show.

Lovingmy new truck.  I actually have had it for 2 weeks now and it is wonderful.  My old suburban had 290,000 miles on it and it was having motor issues.  It still looked great, since the hubby owns an auto body repair shop and he had painted it last year for me. But, after thinking about it we decided to get something new.  My only request was leather heated seats, I loved having those in my suburban, but other than that I really didn’t care what we ended up with.  We decided on a truck so that we could ride in comfort to the races.  It is like a luxury car on the inside.  I have a new favorite feature besides the leather heated seats, the Bluetooth for my phone.  I love just being able to say “call Roger”.   

ThinkingI can’t wait for Wednesday.  We are leaving for our annual family vacation.  We are taking our boys to the NASCAR race in Las Vegas for 6 days.  I know they miss school and I miss school.  But we don’t get to pick the dates that they hold the race.  This will be our 9th year and it is always a blast!

WantingI spent all day yesterday finishing up my report cards and prepping for conferences.  I have 20 conferences smashed into Monday and Tuesday from 1-4pm each day.  I just want them to be OVER!  I am dreading having to tell a few parents that their kiddo may not quite be ready to move on in June.  I hate that part.  I do love though, when I get to tell a parent how much progress their child has made. I think the other reason I want them to be over is because I know once I finish we are hitting the road for VEGAS!!

NeedingI have to finish up my sub plans for our trip.  I am a little, ok a lot OCD about my sub plans.  I leave VERY detailed plans.  Like 3-4 pages per day that I am gone and about a zillion sticky notes on books, binders, etc.  One of our new teachers subbed for me last year and teases me that my plans are the best because they give minute by minute directions.  I just want my kiddos to feel comfortable and that it is just like when I am there. I stress out about missing, even though it is just this one time for the whole year.

Spring Break Plans...We don’t start spring break until March 30th.  So we have 4 weeks to go.  I will be taking it easy for the most part.  In between relaxing and hanging out with my boys I do have some organization items I would like to cross of my listreorganize the linen closet, clean out the boys drawers from winter and give the clothes that no longer fit to our local church thrift store. With the incredibly fast rate the boys have been growing lately we end up giving away stuff that is almost like new often times.  I also want to reorganize my classroom library.  I know it is going to be a super exciting week! I so live on the edge!


Be sure to check out all the other great currently posts.  What are you “Currently” up to? I would love to read your thoughts and comments!  Make it a great week friends!


Saturday Slimdown

Well I am back linking up with Teaching with a Touch of Pixie Dust for Slimdown Saturday.  


A little late I know.  I spent all day yesterday working on report cards and conference prep so I could enjoy today.  I am still going even though I have not reported in a few weeks.  Here is how it is going.


 I have lost an additional pound since I last linked up for a total loss of 9 pounds.  Now that is not nearly as far as I had hoped to be by this time.  I have been trying to eat clean for almost 8 weeks, so that is just slightly more than 1 pound a week.  That is not biggest loser speed, but I have a real life and don’t live on a ranch where I have time to workout 2-3 times a day and a kitchen full of just healthy foods to prepare for meals.  I need to keep it in perspective and be happy that I am at least making progress.

I am proud of myself that I am sticking to it even though I am not seeing the “big” results yet.  I will say I know I have had a bigger change in inches because my clothes are fitting better.

I know what I need to do to kick it up.  The same thing I have been saying for 8 weeks nowEXERCISE!!! That’s it.  That is the catalyst that I am missing and I realize that.  I need to stop making the excusesI’m tiredI really need toyou get the idea.  That is what I need to better at this week, making it a priority no matter what.  It should be actually easier this week and that goes along with my goal for the week.

When you read my goal you were probably thinking, what? Well we are leaving on Wednesday for 6 days in Las Vegas for a family vacation to the NASCAR races.  So my goal is to try to keep eating clean as much as possible and still feel like I am enjoying my time with my family.  On the other hand it will make my goal of more exercise much easier.  I won’t have school, so I won’t be spent by 6pm.  Usually my hubby and I go down to the hotel gym each morning for a workout and then there is a ton of walking to the track, around the track, on the strip.  So I should definitely make my previous goals of 10,000 steps a day no problem. I just need to keep my eating in check so I don’t ruin all the great exercise I am going to do and the progress I have made so far.

My quote for this week is



I loved this and thought it was a great thought to keep on the front of my mind.  How are your goals going?  Make it a great week friends!