My First Lesson Freebie--Counting Coins Up to $1.00

Well, last week our school got two class sets of iPads!  It is AMAZING, and my class has already used them twice, plus I used them for my tutoring students.  (Yes. We are required to tutor 7 year olds.)  So ever since we used them the first time, my little brain has been working overtime to think of MORE ways we can use them besides just practicing our math facts, sight words, etc.  I came up with the idea that the students can "show what they know" using the CAMERA on the iPads (or the iPod Touches, for that matter)!

So I created a lesson in which the kids can use work mats to count coins equaling different amounts.  Then my plan is for them to snap a picture of their completed work mat.  Have you heard of the Bump App?  When the assignment is completed, each student will "bump" their iPad with my own device, and I'll have ALL of their work on my iPad.  From there, I can assess their work and hopefully upload it to our classroom blog.  WHOO HOO!  Can you tell I'm excited about using the iPads?!  :)  It's great to have something to get me excited, because I've been pretty burned out lately, to be honest.  And it's only January.  Sigh.  Long way to go till summer.  :)

If you like this activity and think you can use it, please let me know!  This is my first time really creating a lesson, so I would love to have some feedback.

You can download the lesson at Teachers Pay Teachers by clicking the link below:

Show Me the Money: Counting Coins up to $1.00

Thanks for stopping by!

3rd post's a charm.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you're not supposed to post more than once a day, blah blah blah.  Look, I never post, and I've gotta do it when I get the time, which, as one can tell, is almost never!  LOL.

So anyway, one last printable poster freebie for those who may be interested.

This is the strategy we use at our school for math story problems.  It is used from 2nd-4th grades, so the students become very familiar with it, and I've actually had a middle school teacher email me to tell me that one of her students told her "Mrs. Cockrell taught me this way," so I was quite proud.  :)

It's called CUBES, and I hope it will be helpful for someone!  If so, please leave me a comment and share the love with your teamies.  :)

CUBES math strategy poster

Fun with Picnik--some freebies

I am sad to report that Picnik will be closing in April!  SO SO SAD!  It is the BEST. EVER.  Boo hiss.

Anyway, I was playing around on Picnik and created a couple of fun little posters.  Check them out if you'd like.

Call the Wambulance poster-light blue

Call the Wambulance poster-light pink

Boss of Applesauce poster

The wambulance poster came from all the whiny babies in my class that try to get out of the classroom constantly because they "hurt their finger/hand/arm/leg/foot/face/ear/fill in the blank."  OK, so I don't ACTUALLY tell them I'm going to "call the wambulance."  But I think it.  And I DO tell them, "If I have to SQUINT to see the cut on your finger, you don't need a band aid, and you certainly don't need to go to the nurse."  They are (slowly) starting to grasp the concept (some of them).  :)  Nonetheless, the wambulance could come visit my classroom about 40 bajillion times a day.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Class Dojo Parent Letter

If you would like to use/edit and use the letter I sent to my parents about the Class Dojo website, please feel free to snag it:

Class Dojo Parent Letter

Not sure why Google Docs won't properly upload the cuter version of this letter, but it won't.

I also have no idea how to embed the document so you can see a preview; sorry!  :)

Hope this will be helpful for someone.

11 in '11 Linky Party

I am apparently all about the Linky Parties this week.  Never fear, I go back to work on Tuesday, and then I'm sure it'll be back to how it was before Christmas break: not posting at all!  Haha, just kidding (I hope)!


Anyway, moving right along into the more exciting things--things about YOURS TRULY.  I know.  You're waiting with bated breath, aren't you?


Thanks to Hadar at Miss Kindergarten and Kristin at A Teeny Tiny Teacher for hosting--great idea!


Here are my 11 things from 2011:

11. Favorite movie you watched:

That's a tough one since we NEVER go to the movies!  The most recent movie I saw was Breaking Dawn, and I'm sure not going to say that one (lol) even though I enjoyed it for what it is and enjoyed the books.  OK, I guess I'll go with the final Harry Potter movie because I've spent so much time with Harry and his friends over the last, what?  10 years or so?  Such an amazing series, and I was so sad to see the movies come to an end, because that meant that it was all over.  Tho thad.  :)

10. Favorite TV series:


Oh gosh, I am the worst of the worst tv-aholic.  Seriously, you can ask the hubcap (husband).  I watch a ton of shows, though not NEARLY as many as I did before dear little one was born.  :)  I have to choose:


Parenthood (Absolutely brilliant and touching)

9. Favorite restaurant:


I love food even more than I love T.V.  If that's possible.  God, I'm a glutton!  LOL.  I think being pregnant made me worse since I had an excuse to eat like a teenage boy!  (And since I'm still nursing, I'm still using that as an excuse to continue doing so!)  LOL.  I think I'll go with Anamia's, a local favorite.

8. Favorite new thing you tried:


PINTEREST!

FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!

And Class Dojo!  (If you don't know about Class Dojo or want to know more, please check out my post about it:  The Class Management Tool You Never Knew You Always Needed

7. Favorite gift you got:


My son!  My precious little angel!  :D  For Christmas, I got myself a new Canon Rebel T2i, which I still need to learn to use.  ;)

(6 months old)

6. Favorite thing you pinned:

5. Favorite blog post:  I have to choose one from my personal blog--it's my baby's birth story.  :)

The New Man in My Life @ thecockrells.blogspot.com

4. Best accomplishment:  Giving birth to my son (are you sensing a trend here?  sorry, but it's SUCH the best thing I've ever done!  LOL)

3. Favorite picture:

2. Favorite memory:


Giving birth to my son, haha, JUST KIDDING!  I think I'll go with those first 2 weeks after baby was born, my hubby (who is the BEST) got up with me EVERY TIME i had to nurse baby, making me coffee at 2 am and bringing me snacks to keep me awake and my energy up, writing down every time i took my pain pills, and all kinds of other things i couldn't do because i was recovering from the c-section and couldn't lift baby.  I will always remember how amazing he was during that difficult (joyous, yes, but also difficult) time.

1. Goal for 2012:


To find some BALANCE in my life--I hope to be a great teacher AND a great Mom, not have to choose one or the other; so hard!!  : /    See also: New Year's Resolutions Post


HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE, and keep on teachin' on!

New Year's Resolutions: Linky Party

Well, I am trying to finish off 2011 with a bang here since I have yet to get much posted on this new blog o' mine.  Good times!


Thanks to Mor @ A Teacher's Treasure for inviting me over to her Linky Party:

Great idea, and it's something I need to get thinking about anyway, so thank you for getting me motivated! :D

HERE ARE THE DIRECTIONS TO PARTICIPATE:

1. Copy and paste the above image to your post & link it to the party on the post.

2. Make sure you include both personal & professional goals.

3. No more then 3-5 goals for each.

Here are my 2012 New Year Resolutions:


PERSONAL:


1) Sign up for a new gym membership before I go back to work on January 3rd  (I cancelled my old one when I was preggers and never went.) and go to said gym for exercise (being specific lessens the chances for me to back out through loopholes-HA) at least once a week, preferably twice.
2) Read to baby every day.  (I know; I am a horrible, awful excuse for a mother/teacher.)
3) Cook at least every other week, even if it's something easy.
4) Make time for hubby; it's hard when there's a baby to take care of and dote on.  :)




PROFESSIONAL:


1) Try to look on the bright side and stop referring to my classroom as my "prison cell."  (It would be funnier if it weren't so true.)
2) Continue to develop new activities (including more Smartboard Word Work) for our Daily 5 rotations and just get Daily 5 streamlined in general.
3) Improve my time management so that I'm not doing lesson plans the Sunday before I teach them and so that I can leave school each day at a decent time (preferably by 4:00) to pick up aforementioned sweet baby.  :)
4) Keep my blog posting to at least once a week (classroom blog and this blog).




Thank you again to A Teacher's Treasure for hosting this great party--now maybe I'll actually stick to some/most/all of my goals!!??  One can dream...

Holy Cannoli Google Reader and My 1st Blog Award

HOLY HORSEY SAUCE, BATMAN!  I am usually big on checking my Google Reader DAILY to keep up with my teaching blogs (my home/DIY/personal blogs have taken the back burner since baby H was born), but I have completely slacked during the holidays.  Yes.  I am not exaggerating here.  Until this evening, I had not checked my Google Reader in probably 2 weeks.  And would you like to know how many new posts I had sitting there, just waiting for me to read them?!  You would?!  GOOD, because I am here to tell ya that I had 679 new posts!!!

(Click to see image larger)

Holy Horsey Sauce is RIGHT!  So yeah...probably going to have to mark lots of them as read without reading them, but what can ya do?  I have to like, take care of my son, and stuff.  :)

Moving on...

Yay for getting my very first ever BLOG AWARD!

I am so excited.  I LOVE blogging and have been doing it on a personal level since 2002, when I moved across the country to New York City.  Yep, that's almost a 3rd of my life.  WOW.

Anywho...

My new friend, Chrissy, over at First Grade Found Me, passed on the Liebster Blog Award to me.

I met Chrissy through Holly Bloggy Christmas when I got her name!  I got her gifts mailed off LATE (I know, I felt terrible, but I wanted to make something personal for her and not just buy something random, so I figured as long as it got there on time, it would work out ok).  I really hope she likes her gifts!

Please go check out Chrissy if you are not already a follower!

This award was created to spotlight up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers. If awarded you must:

1. Copy & paste the award on your blog.

2. Thank the giver & link back to them.

3. Reveal YOUR picks & leave a comment letting them know.

4. Hope your followers will share the love.

Oh boy, so picking 5 blogs to award--so hard; I follow SO MANY, so I had to search for ones that are newer with fewer followers, which is surprisingly hard!  Man, you teacher bloggers aren't kidding about your 8 billion followers, geez! LOL.  Here are my TWO picks to pass on the Liebster Award to--I had to give up on finding 5, sorry:

1) Sarah @ Waiting on the Butterflies  (she is hilarious, which you know is one of my fave qualities in a teacher/blogger/human)

2) Ms. Nicole @ Today in 2nd Grade (love her Invisible Elf shenanigans--cute idea!)


I seriously can't say how inspired I've been by so many awesome teaching blogs, and these are no different--be sure to check them out if you aren't a follower!

Happy almost New Year!  Can you buh-LEEVE it's almost 2012???