Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Meet OSMO.... The hottest NEW technology for the primary classroom!


Meet OSMO.



He’s the newest kid on the technology block…. And he looks FABULOUS!


Osmo is a unique gaming accessory (actually comes as 

"accessory parts" that you add-on to your iPad)  that 

comes with games that will change the way 

your students play.


Osmo is crafted with reflective artificial 

intelligence, a groundbreaking technology that 

bridges the real and digital realms for unlimited 

possibilities of play.


Osmo currently comes with the following gaming abilities...

Tangram


Arrange tangible puzzle pieces into matching on‑screen shapes. Play with a friend or challenge yourself to more advanced levels as your handy‑work lights up with each victory




Newton

Use your creative noggin and inventive objects like a hand‑drawn basket, grandma’s glasses, dad’s keys, or anything around you to guide falling on‑screen balls into targeted zones.




Words

Be the first to guess and spell out the on‑screen hidden word by tossing down real‑life letters faster than your friends. A related picture gives the clue








What do you get in the Osmo box?

Everything you need to play Newton, Words, and 

Tangram: Osmo kit, wooden tangram shapes, and words tiles!

Games available free on AppStore.

Designed for the iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Mini, iPad Mini Retina, and iPad Air.


(iPads are not included in the Osmo kit!)



I JUST ORDERED

 MINE!

#soexcited  #OSMOisonhiswaytomyclassroom


I'm so excited to tell ya’ that I have a special link that YOU can use to get your OSMO for 50% off (just $45)
if you pre-order soon!

(Quantities are limited!)





Hop on Over...

10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

Are you watching the days of summer disappear like I am?  
{Sigh.}

It’s a love-hate relationship.

I hate to think about my “full-time” with my own kiddos ending…

But I am always excited to begin a new school year! And this 

year… I feel a little more excitement than usual!  You see, every 

summer I strive to set a few new professional goals for

myself.  Thanks to the inspiration of the amazingly talented 

teacher, Hope King, and her “Set the Stage to Engage” SDE 

session at the SDE conference this summer…along with the 

most moving and inspiring book I’ve read in years, 



I’m so excited about one of my goals for this year that I want 

school to start TODAY!

Wanna’ know what it is??

Well… You will have to hop on over to the BLOG HOPPIN’  site

to find out!  I’ve recently been asked to join that AMAZING group 

of educators as an author on the collaborative blog. 


And I’m one of today’s featured authors!


{Pinch me!  Is it real?!} #soexcited


The only hint I’ll give ya  is that It’s all about improving…


Student Engagement

AND…


There’s a FREEBIE waiting for you!


So go on…Get HOPPIN’!

Friday, July 25, 2014

Let's Celebrate!

Celebrate good times. Come on! 
(Doo, doo, doo, doo.   Doo, doo, doo, do!)

Ok. Ok.  That little ditty kinda' dates me.  But, hey!  I don't really care!
I'm in a celebratin' mood!

Ya' see, I've been celebrating my...

Mom-a-versary!

Hard to believe, but 13 years ago these little squeezers came into the world and made me a momma!
#doublyblessed #3pounders #wortheveryminuteof4monthsofbedrest

Aren't they adorable?!  {No bias, here!}

Well, today they look like this....
#growinguptoofast #howdidthishappen #slowdownplease 

So needless to say, I've been a little busy celebrating these miracles this week!
We have had a BLAST!  And we have so much more planned! 
#familyfun #celebratelife #followmeoninstagram


And if that isn't reason enough to CELEBRATE,

Then maybe this will be...


It's the LAST DAY OF "CHRISTMAS IN JULY!"

So get on over to the BLOG HOPPIN' site and check out what all of my fellow blog authors are offering for the last day of this epic sale!  

I think you will like what you find on sale in my store!  :)
It's something to celebrate! 





Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Today's Top Find: Center in a Minute!

It's that time of year...

Instagram is blowing up.   Facebook posts are exploding... 
and my Twitter feed keeps on chirping!

It's...

BACK-TO-SCHOOL PREP TIME!

And if you are anything like me, you are trying your best to make every waking moment count!

You want to "PRE-prepare" (Ooh!  I like that newly created word!) as many things for the upcoming school year as humanly possible.

Well, my friends... Today I found a gem of a resource that I can prepare in just a short amount of time that is going to help me out IMMENSELY this school year.  

Let me set the stage... 


Your plan is to get into work a little early to prep a small group activity for a few of your kinder-groups.  Well...you intentionally hit snooze a few too many times accidentally oversleep, make it into school a little late...then get side-tracked my the staff "talker"...  AND your principal informs you that you have a last minute mandatory meeting during your prep time... leaving you with no prepared small group game/activity for the day.

EVER HAPPEN TO YOU???

Well, folks.. Here is your answer to that dilemma!  

These little sets are the PERFECT resource to buy now and PRE-prep for the year!  Anytime you have "one of those" days... WA-LA!  You pull out one of these babies... and your are ready to go!

       

       
 


Each center is based off of a Kindergarten Reading Foundational standard and allows students to work on phonological awareness, phonics, or a combination of the two.  There are two options for playing - Memory and Go Fish - using the same set of cards.  Both are easy to understand and require little teacher direction. 
LOVE.THEM.   

Furthermore, these sets include multiple half-sheet "exit slips" so that you can use these centers during RTI or Literacy Centers! {If you're not familiar with exit slips, they are a quick assessment that you can do at the end of a lesson/activity to assess student performance on a particular skill.}

Check out this example...

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

{Insert HAPPY DANCE here!}

Goodbye unprepared/unprepped days!

Hello unexpected principal drop-in observation!

I'm going to be so PRE-prepared for the year!!!


And OOOHHH!!! 
I almost forgot one of the BEST parts about my "Find of the Day!"

It's on SALE!!!  
It IS Christmas in July, you know!
{Do it quick! It's only on sale for 2 more days! There is a bundle too!}

And no...this is not a creation of mine, friend!  You'll need to hop on over to The Inspired Apple to read more about this awesome resource! (Or simply click on the product images above to go directly to the TPT links.)
 

EEKS!  Don't you just love a good find and a good deal?!  #reasonilovefollowingblogs 

Keep hoppin' over to BLOG HOPPIN'  too to find more incredible daily Christmas in July sales by clicking below!


Monday, July 21, 2014

Teachers Be Shoppin'... and another SALE item!

I'm linkin' up with my bloggin' bestie, Elizabeth, from Kickin' It In Kindergarten for an awesome linky party I know YOU can relate to!

Check it out...


Oh yah... You know it's true.  If you are a teacher, you have been spending time (perhaps LOTS of time) shopping for your classroom.  

It's just unavoidable!  

So my smart, smart friend Elizabeth had the brilliant idea of doing a linky party so we can all post the great deals and epic resources we are finding, in hopes of making all of our lives easier!   If we share our steals and deals, then we can all save money, be more efficient and of course, have incredibly cute classrooms filled with ingenious materials!

So here is one of my recent purchases...straight from Etsy.com!


It's a student "Write the Room" apron!  

LOVE.IT.

I don't know about you, but I have spent a few years watching my "littles" walk around the classroom when at my "Write the Room" center, balancing clipboards, pencils and papers in their tiny hands.   It is a meaningful, standards-based activity...but the logistics of balancing all the materials needed was kind of a hot mess for a 5 year old.

So... I when I found these online... I.FELL.IN.LOVE.

I actually bought my first Write-the-Room aprons this spring...but come on!  I have to have some cute chevron ones too!!! #styleaddiction

So, I can seriously attest to how perfectly they work in the classroom and how much the kiddos love using them.   

I actually call them "tool belts" in my classroom, so the boys feel like they are manly in them too!  {I was sure to order some boy-friendly material/patterns too! Just sayin' sometimes boys and "aprons" don't mix.  But a "toolbelt"... oh yah!}

Check out a few more of the material options they offer...




If you think you may like to have a few of these babies for your classroom, check out I LOVE TEACHING on Etsy.com!

Just click HERE to visit her store!

Or heck! If you are handy with a sewing machine and  you can find the time....make some of your own!   

AND... 

Speaking of "Write the Room" centers,
I'm putting one of my favorite "Write the Room" TPT products on sale!  
It is Christmas in July, you know!

Grab it by clicking on the image above! 


Dont' forget to head on over to BLOG HOPPIN' to see what all of my other blogging buddies have on sale today too!