Mrs. Tech

Okay. Okay. If you're anything like me, you've seen all of the GoNoodle videos all over social media. Of course I had no idea what GoNoodle was, and as a technology lover, I needed to know. So I looked into it and immediately fell in love. I have used many of the GoNoodle videos throughout the 1st-4th grade levels that I teach once a week for many different reasons. The kids love them and we always have a good time while we are watching them. I love that they offer both contemporary songs, as well as educational topics. My students love to learn how to dance using the tutorial videos, and they really come in handy during the rainy season for indoor recess. If you have been wanting to check out GoNoodle, but haven't known where to start, then watch this video that highlights some of the reasons why you should try it out. Do you use GoNoodle? Tell me about your experience in the comments. Happy Dancing, - Hilary

So for those of you that don't know, I am in my 7th year of college. Yes! I am CRAZY, but I just love learning and I always want to learn more or try something new. I completed my first degree (BS in Special Education & Elementary Education) in 4 years and got a job teaching 6th grade math. Two days after I walked across the stage at graduation, I began my Masters program (MA in Educational Technology). Two years later, I donned that lovely gown and crossed the stage once more (my dad is BIG on us walking at graduation). A masters still wasn't enough, so this past fall I began work on a Specialist degree in Educational Technology. So here I am in my 7th year of school.  Anyways, one thing that I learned pretty quickly in college was how important it was to know not only how to write a paper, but how to format one. Of course your professors expect that you already know how to write in APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian (who decided how to name these crazy formats anyways...

Keyboard shortcuts are so helpful and I know I use them all the time. They are one of the things that I love to cover with my students in the technology lab. Although they are not necessities, I think that they are helpful and fun to learn about. SCOOT is such a fun game to play with task cards and this group of SCOOT cards is Keyboard Keys focused. This SCOOT covers keyboard key functions as well as keyboard shortcuts. Another fun way to review keyboard key functions and shortcuts is with a game of I Have Who Has . This is a fast paced game that calls all students to pay attention as your review the content that is covered. If you want a bonus activity, make sure you check out my Computer Study Webquest to have students learn all about computers, how they originated, and to brainstorm what the future holds for this technology. If you take your kids to the computer lab, make sure to check out my Desktop Reminders Freebie . Happy learning, Hilary

Hey teachers - Do you teach your students how to use Microsoft Word? I know that many schools use tablets instead of full on computers, but if you still use computers, Word is such an important program to teach students how to use. Even if they grow up to use Google Docs (or whatever program has come out in 10+ years when our kids are in the workforce), they will still benefit from the skills they learned when operating Microsoft Word. As a K-12 technology teacher, I have used many different Microsoft Word activities that I have found on TpT, online, and all around. I created a few to fill in the gaps where I couldn't find what I was looking for. This Microsoft Word Game is a fabulous FREEBIE and is a fun way to start teaching your students about Microsoft Word, to use as a refresher, or to introduce Microsoft Word for the very first time. This Microsoft Word Introduction is the next step after the game - it starts with the very basic skills and tells students how to navig...

One of my favorite discoveries this year were the blocks in the Target dollar spot. There were so inexpensive and worked like a charm for the purpose of my classroom. I was getting ready to tutor a student who needs extra help with number sense. He always tells me that he isn't very good at math because he gets distracted thinking about what he could build or create. With this in mind, I thought about how fun it would be to give him a way to incorporate math and building and let his creativity run wild. This is where my idea for  counting block task cards  came to be. Your students will need to reset it after they complete each task, but they typically enjoy destorying their creations as much as they enjoy building them (or at least my boys do as they "hulk smash" everything). Grab this freebie here and let me know how it works for your class! Happy building, Hilary

Happy May! How many of you are done with school this month? I have two hands up high. I can't even believe my third year of teaching is almost over! I wanted to reach out and share some of my May resources that I thought you might be interested in! This fabulous freebie is fun for all those Star Wars lovers in your class as you discuss Star Wars Day or "May the Fourth be with you"! Snatch up this resource for only $1 to discuss Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) with your students.  Do your students ever wonder why we celebrate Mother's Day? Obviously our mother's are worth celebrating, but where did this holiday come from? Teach them about it with this webquest!  Still in school for Memorial Day? This is a great resource to use to discuss Memorial Day, with bonus webquests for Veteran's Day & Armed Forces Day all for only $2!  If you like to use web quests to teach about holidays, then grab my bundle with resources for almost e...

Do you ever feel like you are only one person and can only do so much? One day I sat down and wrote everything I needed and wanted to get done in a week and was completely overwhelmed by the amount of work that I needed to do. (I don't recommend doing this - it only leads to more stress). I am typically one of those "take it one day at a time" kind of girls, but I got a wild hair, tried something new, and ended up stressed out. Anyways, back to what I was saying. There are many facets to running a small business and one of the ones that seems most time consuming to me is social media. I try my best not to let social media consume my time, because I feel that face to face time is better than virtual time with those that I love. BUT social media is a necessary way to communicate and share your business in today's society. I am fully aware of this, and decided that I needed a plan on how to balance social media and my sanity/family time, while still being effective a...