Relevant Websites (for my students)

The other day I was reflecting on my lesson on fairytales and the students' use of Google docs. Now, I love Google docs and highly recommend it, but my students have never had a typing class. They opt for the hunt and peck method, which drives me crazy. It is quite baffling that the affluent district that I teach in does not offer typing to elementary students. So, I decided to search the web for a good free typing program. Please click on the following link:

Typing

Also, for those students that can type quickly and would like to know how fast they type they should visit the link below:

Fast Typing

Study the States and Capitals

Want to read faster?

As I was surfing the web this morning I stumbled upon a web application that claims to help individuals read quicker. All you have to do is type in text, change the settings, and click play. It is really quite interesting. You should check it out. Click on the following link: Speed reader

Great Grammar Website

The other day I was in Google Reader and I came across a great website. The site is an excellent way for students to practice their grammar skills. Thanks Mr.C's Class blog. Click on the link to play Grammar Ninja!!

Book Help

I am an avid reader, because I love books. Books are amazing and allow me to escape to "another world." However, sometimes I have difficulty deciding what to read next. The other day I came across a website that can recommend what to read next
http://bookseer.com . Also, I found one that is good for students http://www.plcmc.org/bookhive/ . Have fun reading!!

Freedom

I recently voted in NJ, because it is important to vote. So often people take opportunity for granted, such as voting. Voting is just one of the many things that make America great. Check out the video below (it was actually sent to me by a student--thanks A.M!)

Cool & Fun Website

I was just surfing the internet when I found this fun website called, "Spell with Flickr."  Flickr is a database of pictures taken by individuals.  The site allows you to type in any word and will compile a list of pictures to create the word.  Visit the site Spell with Flickr.  I've a sample below.

Rewarding & Fun Weekend

This weekend my wife and I along with some friends went into the city for a fun evening.  We all started by going to a fantastic rodizio; rodizio is a Brazilian style restaurant that is all you can eat meat.  It was awesome!  I had some delicious flank steak, lamb, ribs, etc...  Then we went to see West Side Story on Broadway; the show was fantastic and featured my sister's close friend.  Afterwards, we went to an amazing dessert place called Max Brenners; the chocolate is so delicious.
Then on Sunday morning my wife & I did a breast cancer walk in Parsippany.  We walked with my brother-in-law's company and raised a lot of money for research.  I recommend you visit the website and support the cause (Making Strides Against Breast Cancer).

Mr. Dictionary

So, the school year has started and is off to a fantastic start. I've been inspired already by one of my students. Mr. Dictionary is now his moniker; one of the reasons is because he walks around with a dictionary and tries to learn a word a day. One cool website I found that could help him and other "wordsmiths" is a site called podictionary.com .
Another reason why I really enjoy having this student in my class is because the first day I asked him why he was so quite; he replied, "My dad taught me that it is better to say something that has quality rather than stuff in quantity."

Back to School

Summer has come and gone. Now it is time to start the school year, and I can't wait. I always enjoy the beginning of the year, because I get to meet a whole new group of great kids. I thoroughly look forward to creating new memories with the students and sharing knowledge.

On a side note- the first student from my homeroom, and the first from Mrs. Pitzer's homeroom to comment on my blog will receive extra credit in English! (I can't wait to start blogging with both classes!)

End of the School Year

Wow! I can't believe the school year is over after today. It always goes so fast, and I never get to everything I planned. Each year I revamp my lessons and activities in order to create a better classroom environment. It will be sad to see this group of students leave; they've all become important people in my life. That is probably the best part of being a teacher; being able to create memories with so many different kids. I hope that some will remember me and come back to visit.
The other day one of my students from the past came back to say hello. She decided after her 8th grade graduation she wanted to stop by to say hi. I could not believe how much this student grew and matured. It was absolutely wonderful being able to see her again and wish her luck in the big leagues (high school). She told me she really enjoyed 5th grade and being in my class (things like this make teaching worthwhile).
I know I'll miss the kids, but summer will be a much needed rest. Also, I know next year I'll meet a whole new crop of students and create new memories.

Movies

I'll be succinct. I love movies (all different types). If you share the same thoughts, you should check out this really cool movie search engine I just found called nanocrowd. I think I'll use it to help me pick a flick to watch this weekend!

Music

Right now I'm listening to my ipod and doing school work. It's amazing how music can aid in the speed at which I accomplish my work. Occasionally I will play music using pandora.com or grooveshark.com for my students. Sometimes I will play "Kagan's Music for the Mind" when my students are reading & writing.
Personally, my music taste is quite eclectic. I'll listen to anything, and normally it depends what type of mood I'm in; I listen to everything from Jack Johnson, Green Day, Less than Jake, the Beatles, Metallica, Nickelback, Dave Matthews, and so many more artists. The world would be bleak without music.

Fun with Poetry

Recently I had my students rewrite songs using their own words, but keep the rhythm of the music.  The class was really excited and the lesson turned into a huge success.  Students created some humorous parodies, and I've posted some below.

May is here!!

           Hooray, May is here!  I don't know about you, but the month of May sure is busy.  My calendar is filled with so many things: weddings, baby showers, birthdays (mine), etc... How do I keep track of it all?  I use the website www.rememberthemilk.com .  For gift ideas I often search using google shopping or worio.com.
           The school year is finishing up and there are so many things I still have to accomplish.  But, it is also imperative that I take a moment to sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful weather.  You should stop and smell the roses too!

Spring Break

     Wow! I can't believe the break is over.  I did nothing over the break, and it was wonderful.  My batteries are recharged and I'm ready to go back to school.  Actually, I did get the opportunity this past week to sleep late, read a novel, watch some movies ("Slumdog Millionaire" was really great, but "Seven Pounds" was pretty awful), relax with my wife, and take my dog on ridiculously long walks.  I discovered a website called pizzashare, which enables the browser to search for good pizza locations wherever they might be in the US.
     I'm really excited to go back to work tomorrow, because my students are about to begin my favorite social studies project.  They will be researching life during colonial times, coming up with a family name (based on real census date from that period), pretending to open up a shop that focuses on a specific trade, and make skits for "Ye Olde Colonial Faire!"

Poetry

Currently my English class is studying poetry.  I heard about this poem from a workshop I attended and felt like sharing it with everybody.  Feel free to leave comments.

"Booger Love" by Brod Bagert (taken from his book Giant Children)


I love this little booger,
All shiny, green, and black.
You can hold it for a minute,
But I want my booger back.

It stays right where I put it,
It sure knows how to stick.
And if it gets too dry...?
It just needs a little lick.

I can hold it on my finger,
I can flick it in the air,
I can stick it underneath a desk,
Or underneath a chair.

I can make a ball and roll it
Just to see which way it goes.
I love this booger anywhere...
Except inside my nose.

Here is a great poetry website:  http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm

Great website

The other day I found and started using immediately a great website--

http://www.superteachertools.com/

This site enables the user (for free) to generate class lists and use them for a variety of purposes. Also, they send the list to your email, so that you can save it for future use. You can use the site to randomly generate names, groups, and other activities. I recommend all educators to check out the site.

Hooray March is Almost Gone!!

             I can't believe how fast time goes by! Anyone who is a teacher is feeling a sense of jubilation, because March is almost gone. It is the longest and dreariest month of the year (no breaks and bad weather). This month was a lot of fun in my classroom. My students did a research report on their wikispace page (link is located on blog). These reports came out really awesome.
            The students were required to read a novel about a famous woman and do some additional research on her. Then they had to type the information into the wiki. Next they had to do a slideshow on their person using www.slidelicious.com . Then they had to create a works cited page using www.bibme.org.  You should check them out!!

I also learned a bunch of useless information about food from various sources:
Groaking is watching people eating in the hope that they will offer you some.
Pound cake got its name because the original recipe called for one pound of butter.
M&Ms stands for the last names of Forrest Mars Sr. and Bruce Murrie (candy makers). The candy was developed so soldiers could eat sweets without getting their fingers sticky.
Cashews can help prevent tooth decay.

Challenge for my students

Play the game at the bottom of my blog. It is a geography game that tests your knowledge of the world. If you beat or match my Travel IQ of 100, I will give you extra credit for social studies. I only ask that you try and don't get too frustrated. The game is a lot of fun!!

Message from a friend

This website has tremendous potential. It can be used for a variety of activities. The website is at the bottom of the picture.

Brain Test

A friend sent me this really neat color test. Visit the link and see how well you do:

http://www.humorsphere.com/fun/8787/colortest.swf

SS Lesson Idea

I just visited a fun website that places a picture of a person and places it on an image of a person from any year you choose. It is quite addictive and funny, and can be used in an educational setting. The site is www.yearbookyourself.com. It is a site that could be used for a social studies lesson on the lifestyles over the years, or could be used for language arts for creative writing. I think this site can have many different applications.

Hopefully, my students will get a big kick out of this site and it will jump start their creativity.

Weekend Thoughts

Wow! What a beautiful weekend; I'm so glad I was able to go out and enjoy some of the great weather. It was really nice being able to go to the park with my wife and dog for some relaxation.

Oh yeah, I also found another neat site for students: www.magmypic.com
The site is just for fun, but I suppose teachers could use it for literature; students could create an avatar based on a character, or draw a picture and scan it onto the computer, and then use the website. Teachers could also use pictures with this website as picture prompts to spark some creative writing.

Also, another great website for students or teachers to use "provides the tools for you to build up an argument or description of an event, person or historical period by placing items in a virtual box." http://museumbox.e2bn.org/index.php

My Personality (According to Typealyzer)

Today I visited a site that supposedly analyzes your personality via your blog. This is the website http://www.typealyzer.com/index.php?lang=en

Here is what it said about my personality:

ESTP - The Doers

The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

Things That Make Me Happy

Last week, I did not have the best week. As a matter of fact, I was really grumpy, because of all the negative stuff that was happening in my life. My computer crashed; which really stinks because I use it all the time for work and grad school. My garage door opener broke; which also stunk, because I had to continously move my wife's car in and out of the garage.

One of the major things that got me through the week was my puppy. She always makes me smile. Even though I was grumpy, as soon as I came home to her tail wagging and tongue licking, my face broke into a smile and laughter. It's amazing how my dog, Baci, can turn my bad mood into one of happiness.

It is the little things in life that can truly make a bad day do a 180 and create a great day!

Neat Websites

Ok, so I guess I really do waste my time sometimes. Last night I spent a majority of my time staring at my computer screen. I visited several websites that really stunk. But, a few I visited were pretty cool, but useless. So I thought I'd share them:

www.joshhosler.biz (visit this site to see the #1 song on the day you were born)

http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp (visit this site for interesting info about the day you were born)

Hope you enjoy these websites!

Endless "Pastabilities"

The other night my wife and I went out for dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day. The food was delicious; the restaurant was an entire "Italian Village." We had a really good meal, and afterwards went to the marketplace.

I was not planning on spending more money, but then I saw "it." It was a pasta bowl; I've been searching for a nice deep pasta bowl with handles for a long time now. Finally, my search was over. The bowl was imported from Italy, has handles, is deep enough for pasta dishes, and has a very simple design of tomatoes on the bottom and outside of the bowl. I'm looking very forward to using it to serve future meals.

It's the small things in life that make me happy, like a pasta bowl. "The pastabilities are endless!"

Empathy is Essential

I was just thinking this morning about bullies. Bullies are normally people with low self esteem. Unfortunately, bullying exists in multiple forms: physical, verbal, and today tech bullying. Tech bullying is when you talk badly about others via texting on a cellphone or instant messaging.

I am aware that bullying exists in my classroom this year. The unfortunate thing is that I do not hear it directly and there are only certain actions I can take. First and foremost I address the issue with my whole class or a specific group of students. Then as a class we brainstorm strategies to prevent bullying. Hopefully, then we'll put those strategies into practice. The ultimate goal is to continue to have a classroom community full of happy students and an environment that is conducive to education.

One thing I tell my students is to try to empathize with the student being bullied; in other words, "How would you feel if you were being bullied?" It is essential to empathize with the situation so that students will act appropriately.

Visit this site to learn more about bullying: www.thatsnotcool.com

No one wants to be bullied. Therefore, "Treat others as you would like to be treated!"

Neat Websites

Just recently I got back from my walk with Baci, and on the walk my mind was wandering. I was thinking about all of the great tech sites that I've visited just this past week. I thought I would share them with those of you that read my blog. Next to each I'll add a brief description.

Flickr.com (you can share photos and videos)

Rememberthemilk.com (you can create lists, share lists, set reminders, create a widget to add to your igoogle or blog)

Eyechartmaker.com (this is just for fun-you create an eye chart saying anything that can be added to a website)

Lunapic.com (you can edit any picture and then save your new version and use it on docs or webpages)

Toondoo.com (create your own comic strip and put it on your blog or website)

These are just a few of the cool sites I've visited this week. I know, I know, it's like tech overstimulation. But, I suggest you at least visit one from my list.

Tech Excitement

I'm very excited that my students really enjoy creating blogs. I have to tell you, this is the first time I've used them, and I think they are great. So far the feedback I've been receiving from my classes has been terrific and one of enthusiasm.

I think blogs are a great way to convey your thoughts and feelings via a digital platform. At first I was nervous using this technology, but as I become more comfortable, I plan on using it even more.

I remember back to when I was a kid and I heard about this thing called the "internet." Now computers and technology are so advanced that the "internet" has become the norm. I wonder what the future holds for tech and can't wait to discover all of the possibilities.

Snow Days

Woo hoo! Snow day! I just woke up and feel very refreshed. I also took my dog (seen on the blog) out for a nice long walk. Normally, I would be at work right now, but school was canceled due to inclement weather.

I love the snow. It is so beautiful to watch it fall and it always creates an awesome white landscape. I also think it's really cool how sometimes the snow on the trees along streets can create what appears to be white tunnels.

Sometimes I wonder who likes snow days more- the students or the teachers. I remember growing up and my parents popping their heads in my door to say, "You have a snow day." Wow, what a feeling knowing I was going to get to play outside all day in the snow. Now, as a teacher, I love hearing my phone ring in the morning with the message, "Schools are closed today." Wow, what a feeling knowing I am going to get to play outside all day in the snow (with my dog). Some feelings never change; most adults don't appreciate snow days unless they work for a school district and it is because I do that I LOVE SNOW DAYS!

What a week!

Wow! Talk about an interesting and busy week. Over the course of a few days we witnessed a new President being inaugurated, saw the Dow continue on its rollercoaster, and learned all about microscopes. My students seem to really enjoy learning about microscopes, and are very excited to look at slides.

On a side note we learned some "useless information." In 1801 20% of the people in America were slaves, bats eat 600 insects per hour, and in 1500 BCE egyptian women thought it was attractive to shave their heads.

Also, my dog (seen on the blog), learned a new trick. She is now able to jump over a 4 ft. high gate at doggie daycare and open the door (which has a handle). I think to myself--oh the joys of owning a dog, but....she certainly is fun!!