FREE!! All items in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store are FREE!!

Hi all,
I know it has been a while since I posted last as I have been super busy as a Learning Experience Designer with LSU Online. I wanted to post to let you know that I have made my entire Teachers Pay Teachers store free. As an educator and mom, it is very important to me that I do what I can to make sure that parents and teachers have access to the materials they need to help their kids and their students. Should you have any questions at all, please reach out to me.

You can access the free site by clicking on the image below or clicking on the link in the above paragraph.

Best,
Kristen Hernandez

Quiznetic...Make your lessons like no other

About 4 months ago I happened upon a site called Quiznetic. I created an account, tested out the software and found that I love it. Creating a game is very easy to do and you have the ability to have full control over the layout of the game and where players move as they progress through the questions. Quiznetic allows for multiple choice and numeric question types. I really like that you can add your own backgrounds or choose from a gallery of already created backgrounds.

Quiznetic takes gamification and classroom learning to a whole new level. With the style of a traditional board game, this is the ultimate gamified learning experience.
You can create a set of questions and build your own themed revision game for students to race each other around a track or path. Students join the game on their own devices and then have to answer questions to move their player on the game screen. You can display the game on an interactive white board at the front of the class so everyone can see where their player is in real-time. Students can answer the questions using laptops, tablets or phones!

Check out the features - https://quiznetic.com/#features

I encourage you to take a look at this site as I think you will find this to be a great addition to your technology toolbox.

Brain Based Learning Strategies with an Activity

Hello and happy Tuesday. I have been conducting professional development sessions recently on Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites and they have been going really well. I was introduced to the author Marcia Tate my first year of teaching. We began a book study and she came to my campus on a Saturday and we had the best Professional Learning I have ever been to. In the last 10 years I have had the opportunity to go to four of her training's. She is phenomenal and the best presenter I have ever had.

Even after 10 years I continue to use her Brain Based Learning strategies and activities with my students and teachers. I have had wonderful success with raising student achievement and motivation with the 20 strategies she presents in her book. Mrs. Tate has grown since I met her ten years ago and now she has quite a few books out now. They are all equally wonderful!

When I present the Professional Learning, I break it up into parts because trying to deliver 20 strategies in one or two hours is not a good idea and no one leaves with any valuable information...just a headache = )
In each session I like to go over no more than three 3 strategies because with focusing on just 3, teachers are able to get an understanding of the strategies, what they look like, how to implement them, and how to modify if needed.

When doing an activity, you will quickly learn that one activity could have multiple strategies in one...WINNER!

Today I am going to focus on the brain based learning strategy "Movement".

When the body is engaged during learning, the information can be put in one of the strongest memory systems - procedural or muscle memory. That is why people tend not to forget how to drive a car, ride a bike, or play the piano, even if they have not done so in a while. Rather than having students sit while their teachers do all the work, having them up and actively engaged in the content not only goes a long way toward ensuring that they pass any tests but that they will remember the information long after the test is over. Tate, M. L. (2003).

The Activity
Each person gets a paper which includes statements taught in the classroom setting. Each statement will be blank. Each participant will need to find someone who can answer the statement and initial. Each person must find 12 different people to answer and initial. 

Below you will find the activity and template that provides more in depth directions.

What I like to do when I present this strategy and activity is to do a, "What could be modified?" part in the PL to see what we could do to make it better.

It is suggested that if a student comes across someone who does not know the answer, they should just not move on to someone else. They should make that person their "Learning Buddy" and search for someone who knows the answer. The purpose of the activity is for everyone to gain knowledge and work together.

Another suggestion is that a person cannot sign more that one of the same square. We want each student to branch out = )

Here is the activity that I do with the teachers: People Search
Here is the template that you can use with your students: People Search Template
(Input your own content in the squares)

I hope you enjoy the strategy and the activity.

Please let me know if you have any questions at all.

Stay tuned for more strategies and activities = )

Wonderful FREE Printable Posters/Signs for Your Classroom

If you have yet to discover www.venspired.com you are missing out. She is beyond awesome and I love her posters. She has graciously allowed teachers to use and print her posters. Just to be on the safe side I contacted her for permission and she said, "Yes Indeed!". 

I love the messages on the posters and the color schemes. She also has some great information on teaching Gifted students and STEM. I also love her Pinterest page!!

Here are a few examples as she has tons and I mean that!!

      

I hope you enjoy the work of Krissy Venosdale!

9 McGraw-Hill APPS FREE!

Hi everyone! I wanted to let you know that there are some Literacy and Mathematics McGraw-Hill apps FREE. I have been using a lot of the McGraw-Hill apps with students for awhile and they are wonderful. I hope you are able to download the apps listed below and use them with your kiddos.

Click on the images below to download the apps.

Happy Downloading!!

Literacy
    

Mathematics

          

Staff Development Strategies with a Technology Twist

Hi everybody and good morning! I wanted to blog about a site that I learned about in February and have been using ever since. I really enjoy it and the great ideas that are provided! I know as educators we are always looking for new strategies and ways to engage our audience. 

The site is called Professional Learning Communities: Staff Development Strategies. The strategies that are posted are really great and can be used with students, teachers, and/or principals. The ideas are innovative and incorporate a modern twist. I love the use of technology integration in a lot of them. 

I really like that you can choose your audience, different categories, and learning styles. There are many different aspects of this site as the Staff Development Strategies is only one part. Make sure to check out the Lesson Plans that are chalk full of great technology integration ideas. The goal of the site is to provide best practices for integrating technology into the classroom. 

I love it and I hope you are able to use this information with your students, teachers, and/or principals.

You do not need to sign up to access to site.

To check out the full site click here-->http://teach.oetc.org

Appitic

Today's topic is on APPitic and it is one of my favorite sites. This site has an amazing list of Apps for Education. I really enjoy the information on Bloom's Taxonomy and all the apps that meet the different levels of Bloom's. It is always great to find interactive activities that hit all the levels of Bloom's.

You can find the following topics on APPitic:

• Themes
• STEM
• Content Areas
• Preschool
• Special Education
• Challenge Based Learning
• Flipped Classroom
• Bloom's Taxonomy
• Multiple Intelligences
• Physical Education
• ISTE-NETS
• Spanish
• Teachers

I love the extensive list and that everything I need can be found within one site. As an educator we spend hours and hours looking for the best resources to use in the classroom and end up after many hours...just finding one or two really good resources. It is nice to stumble across a site that meets your needs fully.

APPitic even has a Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube page. If you are a fan of Twitter, then you can find them there too.

I am so thankful that I found APPitic and have been able to share the wonderful resources that are available. If I were you, I would definitely add it your technology toolbox. It is a winner in my book! Shout out to the creator of APPitic, Alline Sada.

Infuse Learning

I am excited to blog about Infuse Learning. I have used many different student response services like Poll Everywhere, Hot Potato, Socrative, Discovery Education, Google Forms, and many more. I even use the classroom response systems (love them). Well we know not every district or school can afford a set of classroom response systems, so we need to have other routes. It is extremely important to assess our students before, during, and after classroom instruction. You don't have to do a full out assessment, but just questioning for understanding is important. 

I love Infuse Learning as I have found it very easy to set up and use with students. The online program allows you to push questions, prompts, and quizzes out to students' devices in a private virtual classroom. Only the students you set up on your account can access your quizzes/tests if you set your class up as private. There is an option for Open Enrollment which all the student would need would be the room id to enter.

You can include pictures in your test which I really really like!!! Imagine the possibilities (math, science, social studies, reading, music, art, physical education, etc..). I also enjoy that you can set a language for each student if you wish and allow for students to listen to the audio of a question. Awesome!!!

I also love that it is free and that it works with any Internet-connected device including iPads and Android tablets. You can even use it on a smartphone = )

This site scores big on my book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Learn more about Infuse Learning in the video below.

Have Fun!!

FREE Creative Writing App..Your Students will Love It!!

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite apps for creative writing. The name of the app is Bill Atkinson PhotoCard - Postcards. 

And guess what?? It is FREE!! Yes I said FREE!!

I have had the pleasure of using this app with students and teachers and it has been a huge hit!!

What I love about it is not only do they practice their writing, but they also learn the format of a postcard and adding a stamp when mailing.

The students begin by choosing a picture for the front of their postcard, in which they can use the camera from their iPad or iTouch to take pictures (field trips, playground, around the school, geometrical shapes, science experiments, etc..) or they can use the beautiful images within the the app.

Once the image is in place they can begin their writing based on the image they chose. The writing that comes from the students is amazing. They have a blast and they love that they are able to choose and change many things within their postcards. 

This app would be great to use for any subject and grade level, but here are a few ideas I have that will get you started:

• Students take a picture of something in nature and they are to write as though they are that picture.
• Students take pictures while on a field trip, use the app to tell others about their favorite part of the field trip.
• Students choose an image within the app and are challenged to be as descriptive as they can about the image. Let them know that when you read their postcard you want to feel as though you are that image.
• Students take pictures and write about famous people, states, countries, ancient times, key vocabulary, authors, composers, etc..
• Students create a postcard based on Science safety rules and write about the proper ways to act in a lab setting.
• Students use this app to help them better understand difficult vocabulary words and math problems. They take a picture of the word, what it is or looks like, and then they write about it as if they were teaching someone else.

Click to Download

There are other add-ons within the app like stickers. I have the students add stickers and other fun stuff after they have written their postcard.

Once the students complete their postcard, they can email them to their teacher or to family members. If the students forgets the stamp, it will prompt them that every postcard needs a stamp before mailing = )

Creating a Mock Election using Google Forms

I wanted to post about using Google Forms to create a Mock Election for the upcoming election. This is a great way to get your students involved since they are not able to vote yet. I worked with one of my librarians to get the form created and the webpage set up. This has been such an awesome experience!

To learn how to set up a Google Form, check out this article:

http://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=87809

Embed a form in a website or blog

If you'd like to embed your form in a website or blog after you create and save your form, click the More actions drop-down menu at the top of the form, select the Embed option, and paste the URL into your site or blog.

 

Science Bob..Rocks!

I would love to tell you about a wonderful Science site that I think ROCKS!

It is Science Bob!

www.sciencebob.com

Science Bob is a fun, interactive site that has several different areas for kids to choose from. There are videos, experiments, science fair ideas, and a research help link with a plethora of fantastic links to other sites.

I know as a Science teacher and now Educational Technology Specialist, I am always looking for resources that will really excite kids about learning and discovering Science. I believe a huge part of understanding Science is about exploring and digging deeper into each concept. I love this site because it is eye catching and will really get students pumped up about what they are learning. This site can be used for a lesson launcher, media inserts in your lessons, the lesson itself, and just about anywhere you want to add it.

If I were you, I would surely make Science Bob a part of my Science Technology Toolbox.

Join me at www.teacherplayground.com 

and 

www.facebook.com/teacherplayground

LearnBoost: Lesson Plan Maker

I had the chance to get to learn a lot about LearnBoost and I am very impressed with what I see.

This great free tool for Lesson Plan building is awesome and did I mention it was FREE = )

LearnBoost has a lesson plan component that helps you connect planning and instruction to grading and assessment in an instant.There is so much more to LearnBoost, but I just love the ease of use for lesson planning.

To me one of the best parts of this lesson planner is that allows you to include images, videos, charts, maps, and text clippings in your lesson plans. You can even share your lesson plans with your fellow teachers and all media included will be available to them as well.

The lesson planner has a section for Reflection after the lesson in order to tweak for the next time you teach it. I believe in reflecting after a lesson so I love this part.

Give it a try!

Kristen = )

Triptico...Awesome Technology Resource

Have you heard of Triptico? I love using this program with students and teachers. It has been very successful and to mention it is FREE, yes I said FREE!! You do have to download it, but it is well worth it.

Here is description of Triptico:

Triptico's desktop app contains over twenty interactive, fully-customisable resources for you to use in your classroom... and it's completely free!

Download Triptico

I  would say it is one of the Best Web 2.0 resources out there. It has a sleak and sophisticated look. When you see it, you won't even believe that this is FREE. I had spent so much time looking for free interactive activities to use to meet the needs of my students and teachers, with little luck. When I found Triptico, I was so excited and I had to show the class I was teaching at the time and they were so pumped. I had some teachers yelling out with excitement!!

I hope you enjoy it!

Apps for the One-iPad Classroom

from Tech Notes (TCEA)

If you only have one iPad, what are the best apps to put on it for student use? The apps below come highly recommended from TCEA, and they're all FREE!

BrainPOP Featured Movie, BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week, or BrainPOP: Pelicula del Dia are great for centers. Develop a set of standard questions for students to answer about the movie each day. The questions can focus on whatever comprehension or writing skill you are practicing at the time, such as main idea or vocabulary.

SpellingCity is a tremendous way for students to practice spelling words, and it works for grades K-12. Students can access lists created by others to study through one of the seven included games. Vocabulary practice, including for the SAT, is also included. 

Have students in grades 2 through 12 create a fast puppet show about something they are currently studying using the appPuppet Pals HD. One free theme set is included; others may be purchased. If you want more sets, look at buying the Director's Pass, which includes all current and future content for $2.99.

Students can access Flash-based web games and practice many different skills by using Rover - The Browser for Educationinstead of Safari. From Discovery Education, Rover streams filtered educational Flash content to the iPad. 

Create a fast book with more than 50 story starters usingScribble Press. Scribble Press for iPad is a book creation platform that allows kids to imagine, create, and share their own stories with great drawing and writing tools. Students can use their own photos, the included sticker album, or the 500 drawing tools in the app to illustrate their stories.

Students of any age can practice their vocabulary words or math facts together using the app StoryLines for Schools. One student selects a vocabulary word from several included lists or types in a word and definition of his own. The next student must illustrate the word The final student gives the drawing a title. The storyline then is played back for all to see.

Have a "Scribe of the Day" whose responsibility it is to take notes of what the class does that particular day using QuickVoice Recorder. This one-touch app is simple enough for even a first grade student to use. When the recording is done, it can be emailed to the teacher to post on a class website or blog.

Practice knowledge of important dates in U. S. history by playing others on the History Line app. A series of historical events are presented on the screen; students place the events onto a timeline at the bottom of the screen in the correct sequence. When the event placed on the line is correct, the date appears.

Free Apps Today

The following educational iOS apps are free. Download the apps as soon as possible as they can go to paid status at any time.

These apps are really good and you know as teachers it seems like nothing is free and everything teacher wise is expensive. When I saw this list, I jumped on the chance. I hope you do too! 

ABC Champ (spelling game; normally $1.99)

ACT (math lessons; normally $9.99)

Algebra Card Clutter (fast math game)

Astronomical Terms

Ben & Bob Chipmunks (interactive book)

Biology Glossary

Bodie, California (Museum Planet presents a narrated, digital photo tour of the historic ghost mining town Bodie, California; normally $2.99)

Buzzle (normally $1.99)

Cars in Sandbox: Space Rover (normally $8.99; introduce young children to the Mars Rover and the Moon Rover)

Cyberchase: Ruckus Reader (interactive book; one free story included free; others available for in-app purchase)

Different Book (opposites)

Earthquake Terminology

Elements App - Chemistry Periodic Table (very nicely done)

Explore with Farmer Jon

Fox and the Grapes by Tinytapps

Hide Run Growl (interactive book; normally $1.99)

Hookitty-Tookitty-Tah (interactive book; normally $2.99)

Hurricane by American Red Cross (great for tracking hurricanes, emergency preparedness, and more)

IBM Think (a wonderful app about how progress is made)

iReading HD - Sleeping Beauty (interactive book)

iStory Bally, the Balloon Dog (interactive book; normally $2.99)

iStory to the Rescue (interactive book; normally $2.99)

Jeff the Mis-Fish (interactive book)

JM Abel with No Navel (interactive book)

JM The Naughty Eagle Chicks (interactive book)

JM Untying the Knot (interactive book)

Kids iHelp - Analogy 1.0 (free set with more available through in-app purchase; excellent for practicing logical thinking skills)

Kids iHelp - Analogy 2.0 (free set with more available through in-app purchase; excellent for practicing logical thinking skills)

Luna Kettlebottom and the Magic Cauldron Society - Vlad and the Beanstalk (very cute interactive book; normally $2.99)

Luna Red (very cute interactive book about Red Riding Hood; normally $2.99)

Magic Clothes RD (interactive book)

Make A Scene: Farmyard

Meet Heckerty (interactive book)

Minds of Modern Mathematics

Mink (interactive phonics book)

MuseumApp (create your own museum exhibits; free registration required; normally $5.99)

My Vehicle Universe - an Interactive Educational Game

NASA Be a Martian

North Wind (interactive book)

Open Wide Snap (interactive book; normally $1.99)

PeterPan(Unabridged) (audio book; normally $16.99)

Princesses Learn German (interactive book)

Puss in Boots (interactive book; free the whole month of August)

The Race by Lily (interactive book by a little girl)

Reading for All Learners Little Book Free (interactive book)

Slice Wood (puzzle game)

Spacecraft 3D

Spanish Lingo - Numbers & Colors (normally $2.99)

SpellingCity

Spot the Jungle Animal

Star & Planet Finder HD

The Tale of Tortoise Buffett and Trader Hare (interactive book about finance for children; normally $1.99)

Tickle Stomp! An Educational Story (interactive book for preschoolers)

Vermeer (art works; normally $1.99)
World Explorer (normally $2.99)

Fuel the Brain...Interactive Games and More

Hi everyone, it's Kristen Hernandez from the Teacher Playground. I wanted to share with you one of my favorite educational game sites. I really love www.fuelthebrain.com. Fuel the Brain has numerous games, interactive activities, as well as printables to help enhance and practice key skills in the Math, Science, and Language Arts classroom. This site is mainly for elementary, but middle school level students could benefit from the review. The printables are great and you can easily make them into interactive flipcharts. 

Also if you like to embed flash into flipcharts, Fuel the Brain games embed very nicely.

Have fun with it!

Spelling City App

Spelling City allows kids to play six different word games using 10 different word lists from colors (K-1) to SAT Words (grades 10-12). The games include a really cool hangman-like game which, instead of a man being hung, involves a mouse stealing cheese from a plate right next to a sleeping cat. Get too many letters wrong and the cat wakes up!

The word lists also include one called "Hunger Games" and parents may also add their kids' own vocabulary/spelling lists (to use in the games) by signing up for a free account at www.vocabularyspellingcity.com.

Good Free Language Lab App: Core Words

Good Free App of the Day - Language Lab: Core Words

PrcPRC Core Words helps special needs individuals build their expressive vocabulary to direct activities, make requests, and reject and label common objects. It introduces 13 common words

(more, eat, drink, sleep, don't, play, make, work, read, stop, go, no, help) through a series of cute animations and offers the ability to customize by adding your own categories and photos.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/language-lab-core-words/id474446989?mt=8&uo=4

Super Teacher Tools

As an educator it can be hard to find free technology resources to use in the classroom, so when I stumbled upon Super Teacher Tools a year ago, I quickly bookmarked it and I have been hooked ever since. It is definitely a keeper! I love everything about it especially the Random Facts Desk screen saver. You should check it out if you haven't.

SuperTeacherTools.us is dedicated to providing technology tools for teaching that are quick and easy to download, learn, and start using in your classroom.

In the site, you will find a variety of review games, classroom management software, and other miscellaneous tools for educators.

Back 2 School Cyber Search Giveaway

Back 2 School Cyber Search Giveaway

Everyone wins over $45 in free gifts from 12 bloggers!

How would you like to download 12 teaching products worth over $45 dollars, absolutely free? If you head over to the Back to School Cyber Search, you can do just that! Twelve of your favorite grade 3 - 6 bloggers have teamed up and donated a total of one dozen great back to school products for everyone who participates.

http://bit.ly/R05cCi