Mrs. Tech

Groundhog Day: 15 Teaching Resources Groundhog Elementary Resources Groundhog Song Groundhog Day Puzzle Groundhog Day Word Search  Groundhog Day Resources

Black History Month is worth recognizing in any classroom because of the significance that many African American men and women have had on our country over the years. It is also important for our students to discuss how the course of history has changed because these strong men and women stood up for what they believed in and made a difference in the world around them. There are many websites that talk about Black History month that would be great to use in your classroom with your students. Some of these websites are: Time for Kids  (also free printables for teachers can be found here for grades K-6)  Book recommendations  and video interviews with authors  Timelines, Facts, and Issues Readers Theater Scripts, Lesson Plans, and more PBS book recommendations by grade level  Interactive Activity talking about African Americans Martin Luther King "I Have a Dream" Speech  If you are looking for some people to mention as you discuss B...

Canva is a web tool that is great for creating graphics that are fun and engaging for your viewers/followers. Canva comes already loaded full of great background images, text, templates, and more. Some you have to purchase the rights to, but there are a TON of great free options. There are a few different ways that I have used Canva in my classroom and personal life that you might like to use it for too!  1) Classroom Webpage Announcements: Is there a better way to post about a new field trip you're going on or event that you are having in class than with a creative invitation? Think of the best invitation you've ever made, and now think of just adding the information online and sharing it on your class website or via email with parents. Yes! Easy and fun. 2) Graphic Design Introduction: I taught a graphic design class (of sorts) for one semester and this was one of the first activities that we did. I just wanted students to fall in love with the ability to create so...

Kahoot is one of my all time favorite tools to use in the classroom for review games. My students absolutely love it. It is a fast paced game that students play on their devices or computers, while you show the question and answer options on your large screen at the front of the room. Your students can also play in groups if you are not a 1:1 classroom. Kahoot is super easy to set up. You can pick your own topic and then just create questions that go with it. When I was teaching 6th grade science, I used to take all of the questions off of the study guide and turn it into a Kahoot game to play the day before the test as review. Sometimes, I like to open the class with Kahoot to see what the students already know. We play through and see their scores. Then I teach the lesson about the topics that we just learned about in Kahoot. To end the class, or after the lesson has been taught in its entirety, I like to go back and play in "ghost mode" and have the students ...

Animoto  is a super fun tool that I discovered in one of my graduate classes. It basically combines pictures, text, and music to present information. I think that it is a great way for students to introduce themselves to a class. This is also a fun way for students to do biography presentations on someone that they read a book about. They can combine pictures of them with facts about their life to show their classmates who they are and why their life was worth studying. One of the best parts of Animoto is that the link to the video is accessible online. This is way easier as a teacher to pull up everyone's presentations than to put flash drives in your computer. It could also be fun to share the links with parents of a presentation that you have put together about an activity that you did in class or of a field trip that you went on! The possibilities are endless. Try it out & let me know what you think, Mrs. Tech *If you are more of a visual learner, check out m...

It's that time of year again! I love school, but what a celebration 100 days is. That means we're over halfway through and so I wanted to share with you some of my favorite online 100th Day of School activities that my students enjoy each year! These are all kid-friendly websites and most of them are free of any ads. Some are educational and others are just fun for early finishers or 100th Day Parties! Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments below! 80 days left? - Mrs. Tech 100 Snowballs Peg & Cat 100th Day of School  Starfall - Count to 100 Multiples Ghost Blaster (100 points) Interactive Number Chart - 100 Splat Square Give The Dog a Bone 100 Days Songs 100 Days Math

Martin Luther King Jr. is definitely a man worth discussing. Your students know that we get out of school for a day because of him, but do they know anything more than that? Do they know the freedoms that he fought for? I compiled a list of some great resources to use when teaching about MLK Jr. These are all kid-friendly websites and most of them are free of any ads.  Do you teach about Martin Luther King Jr. each year around this time?  Dream Big, - Mrs. Tech Lessons on Tolerance Lessons on Respect Seattle Times Tribute Information Page MLK Jr. Coloring Pages I Have a Dream Too! Speech  (A definite win in my class!) MLK Jr. Wordsearch The Meaning of the King Holiday (written by his wife) Full MLK Jr. Lesson for Grades 3-5   and Grades K-2 MLK Jr. Videos & Teacher Guides for Grades 6-8 Bonus: QR Codes for Videos on MLK Jr. which are part of my MLK Jr. Webquest !

Vocaroo  is a voice recording website that allows students to either upload a voice recording or to record their voice directly from the website (as long as the tablet or computer has microphone capabilities). Voice can be recorded as many times as necessary until it sounds right. Once the recording is complete, there are multiple ways for students to share their recordings. I typically have my students email me their link. Sometimes I have them do presentations this way and then I share them in class. One teacher had students read a children's book aloud to themselves and then they shared them with the Kindergarten teachers who now had read aloud items for her students. Another teacher I worked with taught Spanish and she had her students record themselves counting from 1 - 20 so that she could her how the students annunciation was coming along. Try it out & let me know what you think, Mrs. Tech *If you are more of a visual learner, check out my  "how to...

Tiki-Toki  is a virtual and interactive timeline creator. One of the best parts of creating a timeline online is that students have the ability to add direct links to websites (which provide additional information on a topic), add links to or embed videos (which bring the events to life, and to add pictures that stick with the viewer (even after they have stopped looking at the timeline). Tiki-Toki makes it easy to add all of these elements and more. Students can pick the time frame that their timeline encompasses, and then get to work on adding interactive elements to their timeline. Not only can students complete these timelines as project based assessments, but you, as the teacher, can create these awesome interactive timelines for students to visit throughout the course of your lesson to learn more about the topics that you are covering in class. Try it out & let me know what you think, Mrs. Tech *If you are more of a visual learner, check out my  "how to" ...

Storyboard That  is a great activity for prewriting that allows students to focus their ideas into a condensed picture form. They can choose the scene and characters as well as the way that they add the text into the blocks. Use this tool to have students organize their thoughts before they write a paper for your class. I have found that my students get better ideas and are more creative when they have a chance to put their thoughts on paper using minimal text, but lots of pictures. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and maybe those 1,000 words could turn into a great paper for your students. From here, they can write a rough draft and then complete their final draft. Try it out & let me know what you think, Mrs. Tech *If you are more of a visual learner, check out my  "how to" video  on using Storyboard That, as well as some way to use it in the classroom. **If you want to have your students try out Storyboard That, download  this to...