Teched Out Teacher

Take Control of Your Email Settings

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 19:51:00 +0000

Have you ever received an email sent to a large group of people?

Of course you have.

Have you had the experience of a cluttered inbox resulting from person after person sending a "reply to all" when it a reply to the original sender would suffice and in many cases be more appropriate?

Of course you have.

Have you ever been that person who sent a reply to all, only to realize moments later that you wanted to reply only to the original sender? Yikes! I'm guessing the answer is yes to that as well.

What if I told you that you could change your default settings in Gmail to reply instead of reply to all?

You heard me right. In fact is a very simple process.

So simple, I have a feeling you will be wondering why you didn't do it sooner.

Take a look at my video.

Want to be notified any time I share more ideas here on the blog? Make sure you subscribe.

You can also follow me on Twitter @technotchr

Introducing I Have Who Has Webapps to Engage with Students in Virtual Classrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 23:21:00 +0000

In my classroom,

games were always a favorite. I have been wracking my brain trying to find a simple solution for translating this game into an online format that I can use with students virtually.

If you have followed me in other places like Twitter, IG, FB, or even my microcasts, you will likely have heard me talk about my discovery of #nocode app building at the beginning of 2020. Talk about great timing! After many restless nights, I finally figured out a way to turn this classroom favorite into a stand alone

the GREAT NEWS for you is that I am adding everything I create to my TPT store! Even better, you can sign up to become a BETA tester when new apps become available. In exchange for your feedback, I will let you have the app for FREE or at a reduced price. The early versions of the I Have, Who Has webapps are

The upside is that makes them really easy to implement right away. The downside is that you do not have the ability to customize it in any way. I am already in development of a companion teacher app to allow for some customizability. The sooner you opt-in for the BETA group, the greater your chances of getting the companion app for free!

By now you may be wondering what the apps look like. Here's a little peak at the opening screen for the multiplication and division versions.

Did I mention that these are available separately or you can save $$ on the

As if that wasn't enough, we are approaching the Back to School season which means TPT is having their annual BTS sale! You can get up to 25% off the already reduced bundle price. This really is a steal. So, if you are ready to take a closer look, go ahead and click through to the webapps section of my store right now.

Remember to use the promo code BTS20 when you check out.

Back to School Goes Digital

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 21:38:00 +0000

Whether you are social distancing in your classroom or online, this one page grid makes a great "Getting to Know You" activity for the first week of school.

Teaching face to face? Print the page and distribute to students.

Distance learning? Use the TPT digital activity version to allow students to type their answers or draw with the pen tool.

Looking for different prompts? Use the TPT digital activity teacher tools with the blank grid page to add your own questions for students to answer.

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Spark Debate and Encourage Student Response to Real News

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 01:59:00 +0000

"Fake News" has continued to grow as a real issue and upper elementary is a great place to start some debate but where should you look for the "real news" and how can you share it easily with students in a format that will encourage open and polite debate? This blog post will address all of that!We all know Fake News is out there. How we handle it in the classroom can make all the difference. Do we ignore it? Of course not. Do we push our own political views? Nope that's not prudent for a teacher either. So what exactly should we be doing about Fake News?

My position is that we approach the phenomenon of Fake News like most things in education. Teachers should provide students with opportunities to gain knowledge, understanding, make comparisons, judgements, and engaging in collegial debate. On that point, you may disagree and if so, I welcome collegial debate in the comments below.

If on the other hand, you agree, then the next logical questions are how can teachers frame the conversation and where can we locate content in the form of real and fake news that is appropriate for sparking debate in the classroom? I have a few suggestions for that.

First, you should know that my experience is with upper elementary students and I have found that 4th & 5th grade students respond well to this type of debate. I'm certain older students would benefit from some of the ideas I am going to share too.

When introducing debate into the classroom, I have found it to be helpful to give students some structure. I have created a template that helps guide students as they form their arguments based on evidence from the text. You can grab it for free on TeachersPayTeachers for a limited time.

Click the image to get your free copy for a limited time.

A template does very little good, if you can't find appropriate news articles to share. I have a couple favorites linked below that might help you get started.

DogoNews - This is a great source for real news written for kids. There are current events and articles are searchable by content area. Do you have students who require audio support? No problem. Want to embed the article in Google Classroom? Sure thing!

NewsELA - This is another great source for real news. You can search by grade level and a quick search on the term "Fake News" generated 17 sources. I like that because it's kind of hard to spark the debate between real and fake if all you offer students is the real news.

Of course both of those have free and paid levels. I've been quite content with the free level to accomplish my learning objectives. There are some nice bonuses to going Pro that you can check out for yourself. I will leave it for you to decide what you need.

Coming soon: quick preview of how students can use the template while reading the selected news article.

Podcast Episode 3 Cross-post

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 03:17:00 +0000

Hey there! I don't usually share this but I'm starting to rethink the things that I share and how I share them. So here goes nothing. This is a cross-post. Not sure when or where I embraced the mentality that cross-posting was less desirable. I'm giving that some serious reconsideration during 2018. Like many people, I maintain more than one presence on the Internet. Some are personal and some are professional. Today I want to let everyone who follows my professional presence here as the TechedOutTeacher aware of a podcast series that I have just recently begun.

My podcast is hosted on a website that was an extension of the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Science and Math teachers, an honor that was bestowed upon me in 2011. The podcast is called "How Does She Do It?" Each episode features specific tips and tricks I have accumulated during my 20+ years in education. So far, a few things I have covered include podcasting basics like recording audio and finding royalty free music and ways to streamline tasks like planning class parties or scheduling parent conferences. Each episode is about 10-15 minutes long and you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I get the question "How do you do __________?" or "Where did you learn to ___________?" This podcast is my answer. For now it is a bi-weekly podcast and there are 3 episodes available. Here are links if you are interested in checking it out.

Want to hear the 1st episode? Click here...

Want to read the transcript of the most recent episode? Click here...

Ready to subscribe via iTunes -- Click this link!

If you decide to listen, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Share them in the comments below and maybe even consider leaving me a voice message using Speakpipe on my podcast page.

New Year, New Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 03:53:00 +0000

2018 is here! I have to be honest, I knew that while I worked on my doctorate I was falling behind with my claim as the "Teched Out Teacher". Sure I have access to a lot of techie devices but there are so many things that I could be taking advantage of. There are so many tools, add-ons, widgets, apps, and the like. Even if I hadn't been consumed with scholarly reading and research, I have a feeling that I might not have been able to keep up with all the latest and greatest techie tools.

While I am at it, let me fully disclose that when I become aware of tech tools, tips, etc. now, I am often filled with a sense that I am no longer the Teched Out Teacher at all. There was a time when I was on the cusp of the newest ideas. There was a time when I was constantly discovering innovative ways to integrate the latest technology into our curriculum. Any more, I find myself second guessing whether I have anything valuable to share with others.

Do I have anything of value to share?

I've really been searching and reflecting on this point.

What value can I add for other teachers that people like Alice Keeler and Eric Curts haven't already shared?

I'll be honest, I don't exactly have the answer just yet but I do believe that my voice is important.

It may take me some time to have things to share that are my own innovations once again.

In the meantime, I plan to share my progress on the learning curve as I try to get back on the

Techie Track. Hopefully, some of what I share will be useful to anyone out there who stumbles on this blog.

So -

Tweet This

#RingIn2018 with Dollar Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 04:00:00 +0000

Over the years, I have found myself branching out to include technology across the curriculum. In particular, I have found my niche in STEM lessons. For the next two days, I will be joining in with a bunch of my colleagues on TeachersPayTeachers to offer a great deal on two of my favorite and newer products.

Fifth grade teachers are especially likely to understand when I say that teaching Force and Motion can be a challenge. Even so, it has become one of my favorite topics. My Bowling Ball Scenario Task Cards are a great way to approach North Carolina Essential Standard 5.P.1 and for a s~~hort time you can get it~~ ~~for only $1.00~~ (offer expired on 1/1/18)

For a long time, my favorite way to review science vocabulary with the whole class has been I Have, Who Has games. My students love to make it a race to beat their previous time. A few months ago, I discovered Boom LearningSM

If you haven't seen this app, you should really check it out. I love task cards and I love digital tools. You can see how it works if you check out my Weather and Vocabulary Review Deck.

Boom Cards play on modern browsers (released in the last three years) on interactive whiteboards, computers, tablets, desktops, laptops, netbooks, Chromebooks, iPads, iPhones, Android tablets and phones, and Kindle-Fire tablets. Boom Cards apps are also available. Not sure your browser is modern enough? Try a free Boom Cards deck first. When you redeem your purchase, Boom Learning opens an account for you if you do not already have one.

There is a really great deal going on until ~~Dec. 31, 2017~~. (offer expired but keep reading to see the offer for 2018)

For TpT customers new to Boom Cards, Boom Learning will give you, for one year, a free account that lets you track student progress for up to 80 students. At the end of that year, you may renew or choose not to renew. If you do not renew, you will be able to continue using Boom Cards with the Fast Play feature. Fast Play does not track individual progress." You will always have access to your decks be able to play them with Fast Play.

Starting Jan. 1, 2018 the free trial will be 150 students for 3 months, still a good deal ~~but if you like the idea of a full year free then you should ACT NOW!~~ (FAST PLAY is an option with or without a membership. That means that you do NOT have to make any other purchase once you have bought a deck on TpT.)

Of course you can click the links I provided above to go straight to my two Dollar Deals but if you really want to #RingIn2018 with some great products, you should also go to TeachersPayTeachers and put the hashtag in the search bar. (Clicking the link will automate the search for you.)

Dollar Deals ended when we Rang in 2018 - don't miss out on future deals - Click one of the options to follow me so you will always have the most up to date information!

Happy New Year!

TPT Cyber17

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 00:59:00 +0000

The CyberMonday Sales aren't only for holiday shopping. Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting their annual CyberMonday (+Bonus Tuesday) sale event. The entire site is participating and many teachers are marking everything 20% off which increases your discount to 25% off the original prices. Beat the rush and load up your cart tonight. Then just remember to use the Promo code Cyber17 when you are ready to check out on Monday or Tuesday.

This is one of the items you can snatch up at a bargain when you visit my store. Find it in the Seasonal and Holiday Desk Name Tags bundle.

You can also snatch up the FREE Christmas Around the World Tic Tac Toe Project file.

Don't forget to add your classroom wish list to your holiday shopping. Happy Holidays!!

Pumpkin Investigation - Making Predictions and Comparing Results

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sat, 28 Oct 2017 23:35:00 +0000

Happy Fall Y'all!

I don't know about you but I do enjoy the crisp air in the autumn morning and the way the sunshine warms me up through the day. When I was a kid, we dressed up in our Halloween costumes and paraded around the school before our classroom parties. In my part of the U.S. that is a tradition of days gone by. No more Halloween parties for us. If you find yourself in the same boat then you know how hard it is to hold the attention of the kids who are consumed with the eagerness of heading home, dressing up, and going out to Trick-or-Treat!

Back in 2010 I found myself in just that predicament with a group of 3rd grade students. That's when the a-ha moment happened. Third graders learn about the parts of a plant. The pumpkin investigation was my solution. With a few plastic table cloths from Dollar Tree to contain the mess and a pumpkin for each student, we got to work. The idea was simple. First we will estimate weight, height, and number of seeds in our pumpkins. Then I shared a method for calculating a more accurate estimate for the number of seeds. You can see the explanation here. We used a calculator for that part because it involves multiplying the number of lines on a pumpkin by 16. Then we weighed the pumpkins by first weighing each student without their pumpkin and then weighing the student again while they held their pumpkin. We subtracted the two weights to find the weight of each pumpkin. Each student also measured the height of their pumpkin. Next we cut the pumpkin open and pulled the pulp and seeds out onto paper plates on the table cloths. It was a warm afternoon and we were able to do all the messy stuff outside. Students counted the actual number of seeds in their pumpkin and we made a graph. Finally we came up with an average number of seeds for the whole class. We also checked the research by dividing the actual number of seeds found in each pumpkin by 16 to see if the answer matched the number of lines on the pumpkin.

I made a 4 door foldable recording sheet to help guide students in the process of recording information. Some of my students needed extra support, so I made a version that included statements they could circle rather than requiring these students to write their own statements.

If you are interested in trying this project, you can save some time by purchasing my file. I've done a few things to improve the idea over the years, including the creation of separate pages for each step of the project with clear directions. This is great for projecting on a whiteboard.

My plan is to create a Google Sheets file where student data can be entered, resulting in real-time graph creation. I'd like to create one that is editable for individual classroom use and another that is form driven for global collaboration among classrooms that are using my file. If you are interested in either of those options, please leave a comment below so that I can determine whether or not this idea is worth pursuing.

If you want the file, head on over to my store.

Happy 4th of July!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 22:56:00 +0000

Fireworks... picnics... parades... shopping???

How do you like to celebrate the 4th of July?

My family will be enjoying most of the above.

I've been a little busy over the past few years working on my doctorate but now that I have "finishEdD"

I have a lot more time to work on providing quality products for other teachers.

I have been working on updating my calendar classroom packs for the new school year and although they are not all finished, now is a great time to make that purchase. I update these products every year and once you have made the purchase, you can download the updated version each year.

If you've been eyeing some of my I have, Who has sets, I am giving these a fresh look too.

If you are like me, you are always on the lookout for a good teacher deal.

I hope you will stop by and grab some of the resources in my store while they are marked down.

Flipgrid Certified

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 18:00:00 +0000

I am so excited to share the news. I just became Flipgrid Certified!
Fantastic, you say?
Wow, that's great - you say?
What in the world does that mean - you say?

Let me tell you...

Flipgrid is this incredible tool that I was introduced to this past spring. People are constantly asking me - "where do you find this stuff?" Typically my answer is "Tweetchats." If you don't participate in Tweetchats, you don't know what you are missing. That's a whole other post though.

Flipgrid is a way to give your students a voice and an audience. It is a way to hear what every student has to say about a topic. It is a way to increase accountability. It is a way to engage students with the multimedia that captures their attention outside of class.

Is it FREE? I know that is your next question.
Yes and no. Like all great tech, there is a free level and a paid level. You can absolutely get by on the free level. I sure have been. If and when you become SOLD on the benefits of the tool, you might decide the upgrade is worth it. I will probably utilize the resources of Donorschoose to seek funding to upgrade for the new school year. That is also a topic for another post.

How do I use it? - you ask...
Start by creating your admin account. Add a grid. (you only get 1 for free but that is ok because you get unlimited topics) Add your first topic and then share out the code using whatever method you prefer (Google classroom, email, Twitter, Remind101, etc.)

Students use the code to join. They record their response (up to 90 seconds) and snap a selfie. That's it!

Here are a few of my brainstorm ideas for using this really awesome tool...
1. Student responses to center work - increase accountability while you meet with a small group.
2. Group storytelling. The first person to record would start the story. The 2nd person continues from where the 1st left off and so on. This way, students must watch each of the responses in front of theirs. This idea takes a little more management because you do not want 2 people recording a response at the same time. Try giving the code to 1 student on an index card or sticky note and having them hand it off to another student when they finish with it.
3. Reading response. So many possibilities here.
4. Math talk. Take it digital. Show the work you did on a dry erase board and walk us through your thinking.

I could go on and on and on. In fact, I will probably dedicate several blog posts to specific Flipgrid topics throughout the coming school year.

Seriously, if you haven't already clicked the link I think it's time.
Go check out Flipgrid now!

#BTS16 $10 giftcard giveaway for TeachersPayTeachers

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 20:15:00 +0000

Congratulations Tina! You are the winner of the TpT giftcard. I will be sending you the code via email shortly

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Monday is my first official day back for #BTS16. I thought it would be fun to kick off the 2016-2017 school year with a gift card for $10. If you want a chance to win you need to follow my blog and then leave a comment below that answers the following question: How do you plan to use technology in the classroom this year? Include your email address so that I can contact you if you are the lucky winner.

One lucky winner will be selected using Random.org at 10pm EST on Sunday, August 21st.

#BTS16 $10 giftcard giveaway for TeachersPayTeachers

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 20:15:00 +0000

Congratulations Tina! You are the winner of the TpT giftcard. I will be sending you the code via email shortly.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday is my first official day back for #BTS16. I thought it would be fun to kick off the 2016-2017 school year with a gift card for $10. If you want a chance to win you need to follow my blog and then leave a comment below that answers the following question: How do you plan to use technology in the classroom this year? Include your email address so that I can contact you if you are the lucky winner.

One lucky winner will be selected using Random.org at 10pm EST on Sunday, August 21st.

Break Out the Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 02:10:00 +0000

This past year I discovered another awesome OpenSource collaborative project for education and even though it seems relatively new, there are already a bunch of awesome resources available. The concept is based on the Escape Room entertainment venues that have been popping up in cities all over the place. It is really a simple idea. Decide on the content you want students to learn. Gather/create artifacts for students to use as they learn and embed clues that lead students to discovering the codes to unlock every lock. Ultimately the students will be able to open a box that will hold some type of reward.

I know my explanation is overly simplified and leaves out details that are important to successfully using the Breakout idea in class but if I gave you enough information to be interested in learning more of the specifics, then you really should head straight to Breakout.edu

Not sure what you think about it? Let me tell you that I am so sure my students are going to love it that I wrote 2 Donorschoose projects in order to stock up on word locks, number locks, key locks, lockout hasps, and the other supplies I will need. Now, if you've been a loyal follower of my blog even though I've neglected it for several years, you may remember that I am a HUGE fan of Donorschoose... and with good reason. My projects were funded within 48 hours of posting! Amazing, right?!

Of course the locks don't do me much good without some boxes that can be locked up. Thankfully there is an awesome Facebook group called Breakout EDU. Someone on there had the bright idea of asking a local cigar shop for their boxes. I found one locally that was willing to donate 20-30 boxes. SCORE! Only problem -- all that advertising. Obviously taking something with tobacco advertising to school is not happening. Enter the Dollar Store and some duck tape. In just a few minutes I was able to transform one of the boxes so that no one would ever know what it was before.

Is BreakOut a new idea to you or have you heard of it before? Have you tried BreakOut in your classroom? If so, what works for you and what do you wish you knew before you started using it? Any tips for the rest of us?

Please share your ideas and questions in the comments below.

Best and Most Linky Party

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I'm linking up with Christina Bainbridge for a fun Yearbook style glance at my TpT store just in time for the big Back to School Sale. If you didn't know it...the sale begins tomorrow Aug. 18th and I have my entire store discounted by 20% Add to that the discounts offered by TpT and you will get 28% off everything.

Remember to use the code BTS13 when you check out or the sale prices won't reflect properly.

Now for my Yearbook page.

You can click on any part of the image to go straight to the product. First up is my Teacher's Pet product - the Word Wall Heading cards. The pack has rainbow, pets, and a zebra theme included. If you haven't set up your word wall in the classroom yet, these might be just what you need. Printing them in color on glossy photo paper really makes them POP!

Next pick is the Most Likely to Help Your Students Succeed on the 5th Grade NC Science Test. This study guide is aligned to the new essential standards and makes reviewing for the test a cinch!

Finally, the Best Couple pick goes to a pair of products that are great for teaching about Force and Motion. The "I Have, Who Has" game is a set of review cards that my students beg to play with for vocabulary review and the "Simple Machines Tic Tac Toe" gives students plenty of choices for independent and differentiated learning projects.

Stock up your cart and get these while they are on sale. Then check out the other teachers who linked up to share their Yearbook picks.

Back to School

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 01:29:00 +0000

It's that time of year again....

I'm making some changes and my focus will be changing a wee bit since I'm moving out of the STEM lab and returning to 4th grade self-contained this year. Perhaps I will do a better job of blogging?

Well, you've gotta start somewhere and I can't think of a better place than...

Please stop by my store and take advantage of the savings.

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Holiday Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 03:03:00 +0000

The CyberMonday Sales aren't only for holiday shopping. Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting their annual CyberMonday (+Bonus Tuesday) sale event. The entire site is participating and many teachers are marking everything 20% off which increases your discount to 28% off the original prices. Beat the rush and load up your cart tonight.

This is one of the items you can snatch up at a bargain when you visit my store. Don't forget to add your classroom wish list to your holiday shopping. Happy Holidays!!

DonorsChoose Link Up

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:23:00 +0000

If you're looking for a way to show your gratitude this holiday season, go check out this blog post. Teachers have linked up their DonorsChoose projects. I've chosen 6 projects to help out but there were 27 great projects linked up that could all use some support. Help spread the word. Donating to classrooms through DonorsChoose is a great way to get those last minute tax deductions before the end of the year.

While you're there you can also check out the other posts that are packed with freebies and ideas.
Some of the newest items are the Bowling Ball Basics unit with fun characters like Murray the Maintenance Man, 5 E posters, Lesson Plan Templates, and lots more.

Boot Camp with Steve Spangler

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 02:32:00 +0000

You may have seen a recent post about the $50 gift certificates I gave 4 beginning teachers for Steve Spangler materials. Surprising these teachers with the chance to start their teaching career with some great science resources was a highlight of my summer! As we head into the school year I have great news for you...

If you teach science in North Carolina or any neighboring state, you do NOT want to miss this! Steve Spangler is holding a Science Boot Camp in Greensboro, NC on October 3, 2012. If you don't know who he is, check out some of his videos on the Sick Science Youtube Channel. Steve is an outstanding teacher of teachers. He will definitely get you energized about teaching science.

In July 2011, I was fortunate to attend Steve's 3 day Science in the Rockies event.
If you want to know what you can expect from a day with Steve, read my blog posts.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

As soon as I found out Steve was coming to NC, I registered. What a deal! A day with Steve for $199. How about a better deal? That's right... let's all take $30 off the registration. Just use this code when you register: BC20135 Don't wait too long. Steve's workshops fill up quickly! Ready to find out more or register? Click here! If you're planning to go, I'd love to meet up with you there. Leave me a comment and we'll try to arrange a meet up the night before or something.

Back to School 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 01:52:00 +0000

It's that time of year!

Head over to my store and load up your shopping cart.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Techedoutteacher

Two brand new items discounted and on sale on top of that! Now is definitely the time to snatch them up! The Nameplate Super Pack and Word Wall Sampler Pack are great for starting the new year.

Going Buggy

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:33:00 +0000

I got this email today and thought there might be some of my followers who would want to know about it. If you teach insects, check into this. I know I plan on checking it out!

Hello,

I wanted to clue everyone in on an opportunity that I don't think many people know about. The Entomological Foundation is a non-profit that does insect education and outreach programs for K-12 students. Their website hosts some educational materials like lesson plans and activities for students. These "science projects" that teachers can do with their students are submitted by educators on an annual contest. Winners (there are always 5-10) each receive $100! I really feel that insect education is fascinating and holds great appeal to many students, but that many times insect biology gets shuffled to the back. I know many of you have great insect activities that could be shared! Also, the foundation website is a good resource even if you don't participate.

Details for the competition can be found at:

http://www.entfdn.org/projectcontest.php

Examples of winning projects can be found at:

http://www.entfdn.org/scienceprojects.php

Monday Mathematics: QR Code Measurement Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Who doesn't love a good mystery? QR Codes are a fun way to infuse technology into a lesson along with a little mystery. The code in and of itself provides the mystery. Here is one of my favorite QR Code projects from this past year.
Here is the step by step QR Code Poster Project.
First you need to download the file. It is only $3.00
Then print the section that is labeled for the poster project.
Cut out each code on the lines. Be careful not to cut the line that is for folding.

After you cut it out, it should look like this.

Next, fold on each line to create a thin flap for gluing.

Dab some glue on the flap.

Press the flap down onto the poster paper and hold for a few seconds.

You now have a flap that can be lifted up to reveal the mystery information.

Now it is time to reveal the mystery. Using the QR code reader, students scan the barcode.

Use the clue to determine the fact that should be written under the flap.

Repeat the process for all of the QR codes and then hang the poster on display.

If you decide to purchase this project and use it with your students, I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave me a comment or send me some feedback on TeachersPayTeachers.com

Thanks!

Facebook Posting Party

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 01:00:00 +0000

A bunch of "Top Teachers" have gotten together to host a Facebook Posting Party. Chances are you are here as a result of that. Thanks for taking time to stop by. I know some of you have yet to begin your summer vacation and others have just barely begun but if you are like all the other "Top Teachers" out there, you are already "Gearing Up" for what the 2012-2013 school year is going to bring.

With that in mind, I decided to pull together a bunch of my favorite creations to give you for FREE! This 17 page PDF will give you a taste of the types of products I like to make. I'm always glad to create new sets and I may already have elaborated on some of the ideas you will see. I'd welcome your feedback in the comments section and would even consider doing some more custom design if you have a need. Most of my design work results in a theme set that runs between $3.00 and $6.00 depending on what you want in it.

Don't forget to go back to the facebook page and click on some of the other Top Teachers to see what kinds of information they share on their blogs and what FREE item they may have posted.

Web 2.0 Tools - Weekly Update (weekly)

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Kaiser, EdD.) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Weekly digest of Web 2.0 bookmarks.

Regular-Expressions.info - Regex Tutorial, Examples and Reference - Regexp Patterns

Tags: regex, programming, tutorial, software, excel, microsoft

about:blank

ok

Tags: Bookmarks
- - By Baneroom Kraw
Website Snapshot Service

Tags: tools, webdesign, screenshot, thumbnail, web2.0, web, screenshots, javascript
Tribal Wars

My game

Tags: Bookmarks, web, 2.0
- - By Baneroom Kraw
Formspring

Share your perspective on anything.

Tags: formspring, facebook, tools, web2.0, widget, networking, network, Collaboration, web, social
- - By Janos Haits
Embedly | Embed any URL through one powerful API

The Next Generation Social CDN
Embedly provides a powerful API to convert standard URLs into embedded videos, images, and rich article previews from 233 leading providers.

Tags: embed, embedding, API, widget, embedly, html, Design, web, tools, web2.0, social, media, collaboration, business, 2.0, webapps
- - By Janos Haits
Kiosked | Web Wide Shop

Tags: image, shopping, web2.0, business, 2.0, web, tools, social, Collaboration
MightyText - Send & Receive SMS Text Messages from Computer | Android Sync

Text from your computer. Sync'd with your Android phone.

Tags: mightytext, sms, text, chrome, google, mobile, web2.0, tools, social, android, media, webapps, Software, Collaboration
- - By Janos Haits
Integrate Your Apps | Zapier - Sync the Web

A zap is a combination of a trigger and an action. Our dashboard lets you pause, unpause and test your zaps.

Tags: sync, API, Zapier, ifttt, automation, trigger, Apps, webapps, web2.0, web, tools, Software, Collaboration, social
- - By Janos Haits
Ubokia - What do YOU want?

Tags: business, 2.0, web2.0, web, tools, social, shopping, search, webapps, collaboration
10 of the best apps for education | eSchool News

As iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches become included in curriculum, here are several education apps you might enjoy

Tags: iPad, apps
- - By Margaret Moore-Taylor
Lesson Plans and Student Activity Sheets

Tags: no_tag
Website Design Bangladesh. Branding, SEO, Hosting || Tarikz

Professional website design agency from Chittagong, Bangladesh providing affordable dynamic Web Design, Branding, Hosting and SEO services to customers worldwide.

Tags: no_tag
- - By johnrash
Top 10 Ways to Get Free Wi-Fi Anywhere You Go

Whether you're traveling or just trying to get out of the house a bit more, there's one thing that plagues us everywhere we go: Wi-Fi.

Tags: company, in, india, pune, SEO, worldwide, Transportation, provider, Experts, service, ERP, Software, for, Small, Business, Manufacturing, Peaksoft
- - By Alex K.
Mozilla Webmaker

Mozilla Webmaker wants to help you make something amazing with the web. We’ve got new tools for you to use, projects to help you get started, and a global community of creators — educators, filmmakers, journalists, developers, youth — all making and learning together.

Tags: mozilla, web 2.0, web, development, web apps
- - By Janos Haits
tarikz (tarikz2) on Twitter

Tags: no_tag
Tarikz-Web Design & SEO | Facebook

Tags: no_tag
Cue

Cue turns your email, contacts and calendar into an intelligent snapshot of your day. All you need to create a Cue account is an email address. Then you can begin linking your Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Google Calendar, Facebook and all the other accounts that you depend on every day. Cue pulls these accounts together and uses sophisticated algorithms to create a personalized overview of the events and activities of your day. Cue displays everything you need to stay one step ahead: phone numbers, addresses, contact details, confirmation numbers, files and more.

Tags: cue, web2.0, mobile, tools, software, collaboration, iphone, social, media, web
- - By Janos Haits
Beatsurfing | The Organic MIDI Controller Builder

Draw Your Own Controller
Work with the Controller you need, not the one you were given. Simply draw it on the screen with lines, polygons, circles and faders. Size, color, orientation and 3-Dimensional position are all yours to choose.

Tags: music, midi, controller, organic, builder, web2.0, webapps, Software, tools, media
- - By Janos Haits
Avocado — Some things work better in pairs.

Some things work better in pairs.
We understand couples. We understand the need for a super private, fast, reliable and fun way to stay connected to your partner when you’re out and about. Avocado is the best way to stay connected with your most important person. It’s like whispering sweet nothings in your partner’s ear — from miles away. It’s a private space just for the two of you to collect and share a life.

Tags: things, pairs, mobile, tools, web2.0, android, iphone, social, web, business, 2.0, webapps, Collaboration, Software
- - By Janos Haits
3 Simple Blogging Lessons We Can Learn From “The Writer”

Blogging and Writing are two different fields which seems like having two many similarities, So do you think that every Blogger who writes on their blog is a writer?

Tags: lessons, blogging, from, writer, simple, blog, tips
- - By Ehsan Ullah
Gabi

a very unique, superlative interface for browsing facebook

Tags: web2.0, web, tools, facebook, social, media, webapps, software
- - By Janos Haits
A Change For The Better

I have always stick it out with my reliable brand of topical anesthetics and I always patronized a certain manufacturer when it comes to my dental instruments. And advertising?

Tags: web, Medical, Template, dental, website
- - By ahxnamc ahxnamc
Rompehielo

Integrando TIC el primer día de clase con una actividad que rompa el hielo, lo que en inglés se denomina icebreaker.

Tags: Adultos, Bachillerato, EOI, ESO, Idiomas, Recursos, Redes
- - By M Jesús García San Martín

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Web 2.0 Tools group favorite links are here.