Technology & Literacy Centers

Well, today, Monday, was GREAT! I was so proud of my sweet babies! I did not have any criers, which is a good thing since we had 10 days off from school! Yay!

I am joining Christine's linky party from Hopping into First. Her linky party is for sharing the ways we use technology during our literacy centers. I was so excited to finally be able and sit down to share some things I do in my classroom during literacy centers. I think my classroom has different technology items for my students to use. However, of course I am wanting to get iPads, iPods. ( I did snatch my son's iPod Touch when he got his new iPhone for Christmas to take to school, but I don't know anything about them-I am pretty much "out of it" when it comes to cell phones and iPods!)

1.) Listening Center I have two listening centers. In my first listening center, it is the traditional "listening center".  After my students listen to a book, they will then discuss the story with their group.  This is also a time when they discuss different story elements we are focusing on at that time. They really love listening to stories!

In the second listening center, I use the listening center materials from Lakeshore Learning. I wrote grants at donorschoose.org to get these items and they have been fabulous! I have two different kits. One kit is on word families and the other kit is for phonics center.

2.) SmartBoard-my kids love, love, love when they get to visit the SmartBoard center. They love being able to play different games from websites, games I have made, or Lakeshore games for the SmartBoard.

3). Computer Center-First, I only have 2 computers in my room; 1 is hooked to the Smartboard and one isn't. They enjoy getting to use the computer to play online games. Some of their favorites have been starfall.com, abcya.com, scholastic.com and others.

4). Leapsters-I have 2 Leapsters with different games that I had funded at donorschoose.org! They love using these. Does anyone have headphones to go with yours? I think I need to purchase some and thought I would check.

5). Finally, I also have 2 Leapfrog Tag Readers-that were again funded via donorschoose.org. The books that I selected were all perfect. I definitely want to write another grant for some new ones!

I did want to mention that I have been extremely lucky with donorschoose.org over the past few years. My first project was funded in August 2007 and I have had many things funded so I can help my students become better and better! If you haven't tried it yet, you should definitely check it out. You never know what YOU could be missing out on!

Thanks Christine for hosting the technology linky party! I can't wait to read what others do during their literacy centers with technology! Christine is also offering a 25.00 giftcard to amazon.com-so be sure to link up and enter! Everybody loves amazon!

Tania from My Second Sense is giving away her Dr. Jean cd's and a dvd! this is a great one and I know you don't want to miss it! It ends April 23!





Heidi from Swamp Frog First Graders is giving away a Luna Interactive Projection Camera from Learning Resources...wow, this is a fantastic gift! It ends Friday, April 20!

Emily from Mon "Stars" of 2nd Grade is giving away certificates to TpT! Who doesn't just love winning those? I know I sure do! The giveaway ends April 21 so don't wait too late!

If you want to have the chance to win some great things, you need to go and check out Michelle's blog Our Sweet Success! She will be giving away items from her TpT store when she hits 100 followers on facebook, her blog, and TpT store! Too good to be true!



Tara from Little Minds at Work is having a "wowwie, wow, wow" giveaway! She is giving away 100.00 gift certificate to Teacher's Pay Teachers! I mean, all I can say is WOW! It ends April 24!





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Boo! and I NEED HELP!

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! LOL, my Spring Break would be over too soon! Oh well, I guess that is the way the ball bounces, right? I'm sure my kiddos will come in feeling the same way-I just hope I don't have anybody that cries this morning....I might just have to sit down and cry with them! LOL, seriously, I do have two kiddos that tend to cry after a longer weekend about missing their mommies-I just tell them that I miss my mommy too but the good news is that they get to go home and see their mommy after school and I don't! They just look at me like I am crazy!

One more thing, I totally need some help from you guys! I would love for you to send me what your school/county uses for report cards AND interims-especially if they reflect the new common core standards.  I would be so very appreciative if you would share with me so I can forward it to my county advisors since both are going to replaced.

Look for my giveaway information tonight or tomorrow night! I apologize for it being so late-I left my camera at school over break and I wasn't feeling too antsy to go back and get it-isn't that awful? Have a great MONDAY-YUCK!



Jillian from Just Tinkerin' Around is having a Totally, Terrific, Tinkerin' Giveaway to celebrate her followers! She has some great items and I feel sure you would want to win them, just like me! It ends Wednesday, April 18th!



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Check these out!

A - B - Seymour: Social Studies Pack is Finally Done....Giveaway Ti...: This post is going to be short and sweet! The good news is that I FINALLY finished my Social Studies Careers and Economics Pack!! :) I me...

Run Miss Nelson's Got Her Camera is having some fabulous giveaways at her site! She is hosting different giveaways for things that every teacher needs! Don't you just know they are all great? Go click above to check out them out.






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1..2..3.. Teach With Me: Earth Day Center Packet Giveaway! 3 Ring Binder Id...

1..2..3.. Teach With Me: Earth Day Center Packet Giveaway! 3 Ring Binder Id...: Happy Easter every one!! With Earth Day right around the corner and it being one of my most favorite things to teach, I have put together ...

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Book Exchange? What do YOU Think?

Oh gosh, it is already Tuesday and I haven't accomplished much on my Spring Break! However, last night I did get my Mother's Day purses cut out for the adorable craft I bought from Hador at teacherspayteachers.com. It only cost $3.00 and I just thought they were adorable. Check out how they are "supposed" to look after my kids finish decorating them! (Wish I could have gotten a better picture to show you, but this is the cutest little craft!) I will add it to the other things my kids make for Mother's Day.

UPDATE: Thanks Hadar for sending her link to better pictures: Just click here to go to her website-you won't want to leave, I feel sure! LOL

I was reading/stalking blogs last night and I came across a post by April at Chalk Talk: A Kindergarten Blog. Well, after I read it, I thought gosh, this would be so neat for teachers to do! They could exchange books with someone who needs books they don't need anymore, have duplicates copies of, etc. I just wondered if someone has done this before? Would anybody be interested in doing this? Would love to have your thoughts about doing this....not sure of the specifics, but I have a few ideas. Anyone, please reply! LOL

Spring Break....Already?

Holy Smokes! I have just been on my spring break for less than an hour and I am so excited but scared at the same time..................I don't want it to be over too soon! LOL, I read on lots of your blogs about how wonderful spring break was and how quickly it came and went. Well, I kept thinking that I hope my break will s-l-o-w down so I can enjoy it and remember it some! I have big plans for Spring Break-cleaning out and organizing my closets and getting stuff out of here! I wouldn't dare take before and after pictures, but who knows, I might just surprise myself and do it! 


Today is finally over and boy I am about whipped! This is how my day went: 5:00 AM, wake up, clean, get ready for school, check emails, out the door at 7:10 AM. 7:15 AM get to school and run around cleaning up and putting things away. See, today is a half day and also Parent Conferences from 12:00-7:00 PM. YES, you read that right!  7:50-My kiddos get to the room around. (Take lunch orders, do calendar, play songs, write thank you letters to the Mom who invited us over for an Egg Hunt on Monday. 
9:10-10:10 go to specials (Computer Lab and Library). Not too much time, but we did get to write thank you notes . They will get back from specials, clean up their work areas, get in line to go and get lunch from the cafeteria. We ate in the room-I love bringing the kids to the room to eat lunch-they are soooooo good! (Much better than in the cafeteria!) After lunch is cleaned up, they get out their BEE Books so we can pass out things to go home including their report cards. First time we have ever passed out report cards BEFORE conferences. Anyway, by 11:15 my bus riders were lined up and ready to go. I took my car riders out at 11:30 and they were all gone by 11:45. Conference stories will have to wait. Too tired to think........................LOL but I did want to share some fab giveaways with ya'll!


Kreative in Kinder: Latest Obsession and a SWEET GIVEAWAY!!: I am SO excited to share with you my class’s latest obsession toy lifesaver!! Seriously, we are in need of a twelve step program already. ...

 Lacey from Wild about Teaching wants to know.............how would YOU use her latest item in your classroom? Love it..... Hurry, it ends Monday night!

  Marlana from Lil' Country Kindergarten has 500 followers on Facebook! Congrats girl! She's having a giveaway for all the awesome followers! It ends April 10!

This is just too cute! Randi from Teach it With Class is having the cutest giveaway with 4 winners! Yep, that's right, I said 4! I sure hope I am one of the 4-I'll find out Monday night!

 Things in the blog world just keep getting better and better! Be sure to check this site out because  Teri from A Cupcake for the Teacher is having a fabulous giveaway! She is celebrating 1000 followers! Wow, that is definitely a great big thing to celebrate! I love Teri's TpT stuff; I have bought many of her cute things to do with my Kindergarten kids and they always love them! Her giveaway ends April 10 and the winners announced April 11-the day my sweet baby boy turns 13! Time is flying by!


This is a great giveaway right now going on! Nicole from Rowdy in Room 300 is giving her followers on her blog and TpT store a tens frame packet. Just send her an email....how easy is that?




 Tanya from First Grade is Fantabulous is celebrating her 1 year blog's anniversary! She has some great prizes-hoping to see my name in lights! It ends Monday, April 9th!


Marissa from Wild About First Grade is giving away gift cards to two of her favorite places-mine too! You'll have to go check out her site to see where they are to. Her giveaway ends Sunda night!





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1..2..3.. Teach With Me: Haiku Poems and a GOOD FRIDAY Giveaway!!

1..2..3.. Teach With Me: Haiku Poems and a GOOD FRIDAY Giveaway!!: Since April is Poetry Month, I wanted to share some poems my students worked on this week. I LOVE doing haiku poems. We made some in the f...






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