iPad Apps I Love

Here I am....blogging....on my phone.....with Dragon!  I'm just talking away....to myself.  That may see odd, but I'll just email it to myself and WALLAH! a blog post will be done.  All I have to do is copy and paste it into blogger and add a pic or too and I am good to go!

The fantastic thing is that once you email it to yourself, you can copy and paste it into any document and be ready to go!!!  You can click on the icon below and download it onto your iPhone or iPad in a jiffy.  Did I mention that it is free?

I also got another new app for my iPad and have been playing with it.  Somehow <don't ask because I really don't know!!!> I made these 3 chalkboard backgrounds.  So, I thought I would share them since they are so popular!  They are very similar, but trust me...they are a little different in tone.  So similar in fact that I wasn't sure if I should be proud of myself or not!!  If you want them, all you have to do is right click them and save them.

 And, I even came up with this little bit of art when I was playing around, too!

If you want to take a look at downloading Art Rage for yourself, just click here!!

Also, if you haven't downloaded the Apps Gone Free app for your phone or iPad, I would get on it!  Everyday they send an update to let you know what apps 'have gone free'.  Some of the apps are always free, but then there are some that are usually in the $4-$6 range also.  I've gotten some very good educational apps for my classroom through this app.

I also found this awesome app for iPads and iPhones and had to share it with you.  It is one of the most relaxing apps I have found and I have to admit, the child in me made me buy it!!  It didn't cost much and it is great entertainment for kids <and teachers> that are stressed and need a break, waiting at the doctor's office, or wherever there is a lapse in activity.  I have to admit....it has me feeling pretty good about myself because I have produced some pretty fantastic designs!  Thumbs up for the Kaleidoscope App!

Heads Up:  I even use this with my behavior kids because it calms them right down and have written it into SEVERAL behavior plans!!  These were created on my phone!!  I have many more stored on my iPad, too!

Back To School Teacher Wishlist Linky

1.  Smead Poly Envelope--I used these for so many things!  I use them to let students carry take home books back and forth and I also use them to house my read aloud books and categorize them by unit.  They last a lot longer than Ziplocs and after 20 years of teaching I have replaced A LOT of Ziploc bags!

2.  Evercare Mega Cleaning Roller With 3-Foot Extendable Handle and the Evercare Roller Refills

These are the best ever!  A teacher in my school uses these when her class does crafts or they use the FORBIDDEN GLITTER.  It works like a masking tape lint roller only it is HUGE!  The kids use it to roll the small pieces of trash and glitter right up!  It works much better than a broom because it doesn't leave anything behind.  She also uses it to clean her carpet when the school's vacuum isn't working.  It is AWESOME!

3.  Headphone Splitters

Amanda Madden had these headphone splitters on her blog and showed how she used them with her iPads during listening centers.  Pretty cool!  Also, if you want to go cheap, you can get individual earbuds by the case at Dollar Tree but they don't last that long,

4.  Marcy Cardio Trampoline Trainer

I would love to have a trampoline in my classroom.  The theory behind it comes from my training as a RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) parent.  Jumping on one of these babies resets the brain and can calm almost any child if they jump for at least a minute.  The jumping up and down mimics the movements we make when we hold babies and bounce them when we are crying.  It helps stimulate the Lymbic System.  An alternative is to have students do jumping jacks, but those aren't as much fun and eventually it looks like a punishment.  When resetting the brain you don't want it to look like punishment....because then you get retaliation.  You simply want to say, "Go take some time to reset your brain and think about what your choices are."  I haven't seen a kid turn down a trampoline yet!

5.  Tree Hugger/Granola Things

As you can see I have a bunch of stuff here.  So, let me explain...I am trying to get healthier and it is hard.  So...I am just going to keep charging on and try to teach my kids to make better choices than I have in the past.  We are learning together.  So, first, I follow the Food Babe Blog and would LOVE to have her book, The Food Baby Way.  Castile Soap is a soap that doesn't have chemicals or toxins in it so it is great to use to clean everything.  The olive oil is good for cooking and for eczema--we put it right on our skin.   Both the Himalayan Salt and the Celtic Sea Salt have extra minerals that we don't naturally get anymore and best of all they REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE so you can have as much as you want!  You can also use them in a tub full of water to remove toxins and help with muscle aches. The spiral vegetable peeler is just a bonus for fun...I am hoping that if I twirl and whirl some of their food the kids will enjoy eating it more.  It is all psychological!  
6.  5 Mil Laminating Sheets

I laminate all of my centers with these heavy 5 Mil Laminating Sheets because they are much more sturdy than regular laminating which is usually only 3 Mil.  I don't know what I would do without these!
What are you doing to become healthier or make life easier?
Here is to wishing you a great year with lots of happy, hard-working kids!!

The Smokies--Retreat to Teaching

I am loving life!  We just got back from Cades Cove which is in the Tennessee side of the Smokies and we have gone 

BACK TO NATURE!!!

We counted 61 deer and even saw a little bear up in a tree!

So, here I am, up in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, and I am teaching.  Yes, you heard me.  Teaching.  My 7 year old found a games in a toy chest and brought me the game Word Sense to play.  I am busy writing unit and unit and lesson after lesson, but I saw this as an opportunity to get him to learn about the importance of vowels.  He has a hard time hearing them when he is writing....so maybe this will help!

If this were my own game, I would color the vowels a different color to help kids see that they need a vowel in each word.  This is a pretty easy game to play!  I think it would be great for small group, modeled play at first and then could be put put into a center later!

Now, I am off for a little hike up the mountain.  This is the LIFE!