You Oughta Know

I'm super pumped to be linking up with Jasmine over at Buzzing with Mrs. McClain for the You Oughta Know blog hop! I love the premise of this blog hop- just share something that you think other teachers should know about. I chose to share my favorite website to help students study- cram.

Cram is a digital and mobile flashcard system to help students study. You can create your own flashcards, or choose ones that others have created and published as "public."

Seriously, it couldn't be easier to search for flashcards, and there are A TON of them available. As I'm writing this there are 96,734,555 flash card sets available to search through.  I did a quick search for "multiplication facts" and come up with 1,073 results.

That isn't to say they were all high quality, some were seriously below my students ability (think ones and twos tables) and some where just plain wrong (5 x 12 will never be 48), but I like the variety available.

I generally use the "create a flashcard the most in my classroom. When we have an upcoming test, I load important terms into Cram. If my students were older, I would ask them to create their own flashcards, but we are still learning to study in addition to learning the information.

In the "description" section I put in my last name in addition to the subject matter to make it easier for the students to find when they search. Once they find the flashcards, they have tons of choices for how to study.

The first way just to use them as traditional flashcards. See the card, check your answer on the back. You can cycle through them over and over again in the order you entered them or in alphabetical order. This isn't the most efficient way to study, in my opinion. Going over the ones you have learned already over and over again isn't the best use of time. 

The "memorize" tab is the one I find most useful. As you go through flashcards, you mark each one as right or wrong as you check your answer. Once you complete the first round, you go through the ones you got wrong again. After you complete that, you are back to going over the ones you got wrong again, and so on. This helps the kids focus on the information they are struggling with and not waste time on things they already know. 

There is also a "test" section, but I am not crazy about it. You have to match the front of the cards to the back of the cards, and it can be seriously confusing. I don't use this option very much. There is a game section, too, but I only let my student use that at home or if they have mastered the current flashcards. For really tough topics, there is also an option to add a hint for the answer. I love that! It gives one more chance to have the information come from the student.

Finally, the app. I love a good app! You can do everything you can do on the website, but on the go. This is where I use them in my own classroom- through our iPads. It's a great way to allow some independent studying. I sometimes use them as a station during classroom learning, as well. 

Best part of all, Cram is free to use. There is an upgrade option if you would like an ad-free experience with image enhanced flashcards, but I have not had a need for it. The ads do get annoying, but not enough that I feel the need to pay to get rid of them. 

Head on over to the rest of the blogs on the blog hop to check out some fun new ideas!

An InLinkz Link-up

Currently 2015!

I can't believe it is almost 2015! I think it always seems like a year has gone by quickly, but I seriously feel like life has hit fast forward since I had a baby. It's all just flying by! Linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for Currently.

Listening: I used to think that the best sound in the world was a sleeping baby, but now I think it is the sound of my husband cleaning the kitchen while the baby sleeps. Now this is vacation.

Loving: My quiet night at home with the family for New Year's Eve. I was out and about in Boston this afternoon taking my son to a check up at the Boston Children's Hospital (they are AMAZING) and I was seriously amazed at how packed it was already. I am happy to sit at home quietly with my hubby and son and enjoy a little family time.

Thinking: I can't believe I still have a half a week of vacation! I don't go back until Monday. This two whole weeks off has been fantastic. My house is clean, relatively organized, and I have spent so much time with my family. I have really had a fantastic vacation.

Wanting: A big bowl of ice cream! I am not going to lie, this is going to become a reality when I finish blogging.... :)

Needing: To pack up the Christmas decorations! The in-laws are coming over for Christmas tomorrow, so I felt obligated to leave them up until after that. They live pretty far away in the middle of nowhere Maine, so we usually don't see them on the actual holiday. Paired with the unpredictable weather they deal with (I always thought we got a lot of snow in Massachusetts!) and my hubby's strange work schedule, it's a challenge to find the time to get together. They are totally coming down as soon as the shin-dig is over tomorrow.

Yes: I have to be better about following a budget. I have to admit, I am a total spendaholic. My husband was watching a comedian once that said that men and women are fundamentally different because a woman will spend $2 on a $5 item she doesn't need just because it's on sale, and a man will spend $5 on a $2 item because he needs it and doesn't want to shop around. So true! I am going to tell you my dirty secret.... when my husband and I bought our current house, he had to convert a guest bedroom into a closet for all my clothes and shoes.  Seriously- I had a closet designer put together a layout for wall to wall shelving, and my husband installed it all. It's kind of amazing, actually. Now that I have a little one, I over shop for him, too. I have to get better about it!
Maybe: I want to improve my running distance. Maybe a half marathon in 2015??
I Wish: I would LOVE to go on a vacation. I am such a travel bug, and we haven't gone on a big trip in a year and a half! We have done a few weeks at the beach, but that is close and something we do every year. We usually go on a big trip every year, but we couldn't when I was pregnant and now my little one is too small to fly. Maybe this summer? If not, definitely next year!

Off to watch the ball drop... Happy New Year everyone!

Sparking Student Motivation: Baseball Review Game

Linking up with one of my favorite bloggers, Joanne at Head Over Heels for Teaching, for Spark Student Motivation Saturday.

Planning lessons to engage and motivate my kiddos is one of my favorite things to do. Seriously! Research shows that they are more likely to learn when they are engaged- we all know that. Beyond that, I just enjoy my day a lot more when we get to have fun! If the kids are happy, they are more likely to participate and listen. Motivation is especially important on test review day. Fifth grade is the first year of middle school in my district, so the kids are getting used to a higher level of independence. A great motivational and engaging review day activity is just what they need. Higher engagement and interest means better recall, which means better test scores. Win for everyone! So, what do I do? We play baseball!

To start, I project this image on my whiteboard. The kids are broken up into random groups, and each group is given a different color dry erase marker.  I have a practice test, a bucket of numbers, and a bucket of "runs." This will make sense soon, I promise.

Each group comes up and chooses a number from the bucket. Whatever number they get is the problem we will be working on from the practice test.

The group works together to get an answer. Everyone has to talk with their group, even if they are unsure. This lets the kids that really understand the topic help those who don't understand as well. While they are working, all the other groups are trying to solve it, too. If the group that is "up to bat" gets it wrong, it goes to the next group with no additional time to work. You have to be ready with your answer when the question comes to you! This keeps them all working and on task because they never know when they will have the opportunity to score another point. Once everyone is ready, the group answers. If they get it right, they get to choose from the "run" bucket.

 The choices are:

• Single - move one base
• Double - move two bases
• Triple- move three bases
• Homerun- score!
• Steal- steal the next base if you are already on base. If you were out last time, you can't steal!
• Out - your player is off the diamond and back to the dugout. 

 Here's where the diamond comes in. The designated hitter from the group draws their player on the correct base, depending on what they choose. This is totally their favorite part.

Since there are so many teams playing, it can look like the bases are loaded pretty easily. My kids that LOVE sports debated this with me for a while, because they thought they should get 3 points if they got a homerun. However, if the bases are loaded with other teams, I don't think that counts. :)

Every time a player reaches home, the scorekeeper records one point in the scoreboard. The game gets really exciting near the end, because depending on what a group draws they could win it all or lose it all in just one turn. 

So, there it is! Test review with baseball. This game is a great way to help kids work collaboratively, ensure engagement, and practice for an upcoming test. I'm a big fan! What do you do to spark student motivation?

December Currently

Linking up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for the December Currently!

Listening:

The Newsroom is SO good. I love this show! I'm super bummed that it is in it's final season. If you haven't checked it out, you should. It's smart, funny, and current. Love it.

Loving:

Christmas decorations everywhere! I love it. I am extra festive this year, maybe it is because its my son's first Christmas? I'm not sure- but I LOVE it all. The music, the lights, the decorations, the movies, you name it. LOVE.

Thinking:

The next three weeks are going to be tough. You guys all know what I'm talking about- the kids are amped up, the days are short, and we are in the thick of the curriculum. It's not going to be pretty.

Wanting:

A vacation! I desperately, desperately want a vacation. My district (and most other ones in my state) did not have the week off for Thanksgiving. We only got 2 days- Thursday and Friday. So, needless to say, I'm ready for the break! 18 days until 2 glorious weeks of peace, quiet, and snuggling with my little guy. I can't wait!

Needing:

Seriously- I can't WAIT for the TpT sale! I have my wishlist full of things that I want to buy, and I am ready to fill my cart and check out. I'm practically counting the minutes until the sale starts. WOO! My store is participating, too. Don't forget- the code is TPTCYBER.

Giving:

It's the holidays, and I feel like giving. If you would like to enter to win a free copy of my newest TpT product, Probe Notebooks. To enter, make sure you follow me on bloglovin' and TPT and then comment below. I will use a random number generator to select a winner! In the meantime, check out my blog post about how I use them in the classroom.

Happy December!

Week of Thanks

Linking up with BlogHoppin' for a week of Thanks!

I'm a lucky girl. I have a lot to be thankful for! I'm totally cheating and linking up a few today, so I can enjoy all the things I am thankful for this weekend.

A - A good book

I am a total reading fanatic. I can't get enough!  Once summer, I read almost 100 books while on vacation in Paris. It was better than watching the local TV and only understanding half of what was said! Whenever my little dude is napping, I'm reading. I don't have much time anymore, but I still get in at least a book or two each month. Here are some of my recent favorites.

And the classics I love reading to my son:

N - New friends

There is a lot of new staff at my school. We generally have pretty low turnover, but this year a lot of people transfered or moved to new districts. Half of my team is new this year. I have to say- I love them all! We all have really complementary personalities and get along well. We all share ideas and resources, and our teaching styles are pretty similar. A good team makes life a better place!

K - Kids

I'm thankful for the kiddos. Without my students, I wouldn't have a job! More than that, though, I am thankful for their silly little smiles and funny comments. Every day I find something to laugh at. They are smart, sassy, and really incredible. I love my job, and I love the little ones that I work with all day.

S - Sharing ideas on with bloggy friends

You guys, I'm a serious teaching blog addict. I downloaded the bloglovin app on my phone and I read blogs all day! I swear, it's a sickness. They should make a 12 step program. Although, if they did I would have a serious lack of ideas. Reading about other teacher's ideas really inspires me! Maybe it's for the best- I'll keep my teacher blog addiction!

Thanks to all who entered the Moby Max giveaway! The winner is Beth M. You will be getting an email shortly!

Five for Friday (it's still Friday somewhere, maybe?)

Linking up for Five for Saturday Friday with Doodle Bugs!

I spent a little time updating the Teacher Discount Directory over the past few days. Man, I love this! I always feel like I need to spend my money carefully, because I don't exactly have a surplus. Getting a discount on something I really need want makes it feel so much better. Check it out! If you have something to add, leave a comment- I'd love to get it in there for everyone to be able to use.

I've totally hopped on the Go Noodle bandwagon. I should have tried it earlier! I thought my fifth graders would think it was silly and that they were "too cool" for it. Boy, was I wrong! I gave it a shot on Thursday while they were particularly off task. They LOVED it! They got their energy out, and were able to get back on task. Even my "cool" kids were into it! I tried it again the next day with the same results. I've set up a system where my kids can earn noodle time with good behavior... little do they know I would probably put it on anyway. Seriously fantastic website- but I've sure all of you out there have already tried it. I'm a late adopted. :)

We made it through Halloween. Thank goodness! My city does trick or treat the Saturday before Halloween, so my kiddos had a WHOLE WEEK of sugar crazed snack and lunch. Most of them planned to go out tonight in neighboring cities, as well. Holy moly- here's hoping they finish all their candy soon! I'm no fool- they got erasers for treats... and maybe just one treat at the end of the day. :) 

The erasers are from the Target Dollar Spot. So cute, right?? It was only $1 for 50 erasers! I have to say, though, at the end of the day I was thankful Halloween is only once a year.

How can I not show off my little guy on his first Halloween? He was a Dinosaur, and a cute one if I do say so myself. :)

My husband, my little guy, and I gave out candy to more than 200 trick or treaters. We kept track up to about 150- and that was about halfway through! I don't know how many for sure, but we went through 4 jumbo sized bags (which are the equivalent of 4 regular candy bags each). I did manage to save a few for us though. ;)

My little guy is getting so big... and I mean really big. He is in the 98th percentile for height and weight. Eek! He is only four months old... and already over 18 lbs and 27 inches. I think we've got a future linebacker on our hands!

The last thing I want to share is pretty scary. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is proposing a change to teacher licensure that would link our licenses to student test scores.  That's right- if my kinds are underperfoming on the high stakes test, then my license is at risk. What does that do for Special Education teachers? Inner city teachers? Teachers with overcrowded classrooms? It's a scary, scary thought. Thousands of emails have been sent to the DESE, my own included. Their response was "well, we aren't going to change it until the fall of 2015." That is less than a year away! It's a scary, scary time to be a teacher. For that matter, it's a scary time to be a student. My poor kids are over-tested, just as so many others are. I hope the pendulum swings back in the other direction soon. Ok- end rant.

Off to grade some math tests, but check back tomorrow for a GIVEAWAY! :)

Five for Friday

What a crazy few weeks! Is anyone else over this cold and snowy winter weather? I know I live in in a region that generally has pretty harsh winters, but I feel like this one took the cake. It's been brutally cold and exceptionally snowy. Ugh! The weatherman keeps saying that spring is coming, but I'll believe it when I see it this year!

I'm linking up with doodle bugs for Five for Friday!

1. My little one is getting big! I am 29 weeks, but measuring pretty far ahead- at all my doctor's appointments. So much so that I have to go for an ultrasound next week to check out just how big he is getting! Meanwhile, I'm patiently counting the days until I get to meet him (and wear non-maternity clothes!).

2. The tile is up in our bathroom! This picture is before it was grouted, but I am loving it. It's looking like our never-ending renovation will be (mostly) done by the end of the month. We can't wait to move in! Beyond that, we can't wait to get our normal lives back. :)

3. I saw this on the way to breakfast with a friend last Sunday. I couldn't stop laughing! The best part is hat it's on an old, beat up minivan. Hank's just keeping it real, people. 

4. My cat's new favorite place to sleep is under the covers, wrapped in my body pillow. What a strange place for a kitty to snuggle! I don't mind, though, it keeps the bed nice and warm for when I finally climb in at the end of the day. 

5. Watch for a freebie tomorrow... I've been working on a post outlining a fantastic ELA project!

Happy Pi Day! Hope you enjoyed a nice slice of pie to celebrate pi. :)