If you're not on Pinterest you are missing out!!! Also, if you are not on Pinterest you probably are getting more things crossed off your summer to-do-list than I am! ;)

But seriously, Pinterest is a HUGE resource for everyone, especially educators! Last year my partner teacher and I created an engaging Language Arts curriculum, that covered ALL of our district's standards by using several Pinterest ideas. The kids LOVED all of the projects that they got to create, and the best part is they LEARNED so much! Who would of thought? ;)

I have also used Pinterest to find math activities to go along with our lessons. The students would get so excited when they found out we were "making something" in math! I really relied on Pinterest ideas when teaching the Investigation lessons in our curriculum. Having the kids do a hands-on project during the investigation made them a little less painful! If you teach math, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about! ;)

Pinterest is also a wonderful way to find general classroom ideas. I have found so many ways to organize my classroom by searching pins. And as we all know classroom organization is SO important!

I have learned this the hard way! ;)

Honestly, I could go on and on about all of the resources I have found and used from Pinterest. But the best way to see what I'm talking about is to visit my boards. 

As an experienced "pinner" I do have one solid piece of good advice if you are just getting started. When you create your boards, make them very specific. When I first joined Pinterest I had one board for teaching ideas. I soon found that I needed a more specific way to organize my pins if I really wanted to us them. (Which I did and do.)

Currently I have created 43 boards for teaching/ school ideas and will probably add more. This may sound like a lot, but I find having several boards makes all of the resources more usable. After all, you wouldn't put all of your master copies in one folder or binder, would you?

It just wouldn't make sense. 

Are you a seasoned "pinner"? I would love to follow your boards and share ideas!

If you are new to Pinterest, I hope you find it as useful as I have!

5 ways to use ClassBadges

Class Badges: Digital Recognition and Motivation

Teachers are always looking for ways to motivate students. In an ideal world we would like everyone young mind to be intrinsically motivated but we don't live in an ideal world so we have to find other ways to get their minds moving!

One way to motivate students is by using Class Badges. I think of Class Badges as a virtual pat on the back or a way to say "attaboy" or "attagirl". Students love being recognized and they love using technology. So if students get to log-on to an  account to see their badges, it could really be a powerful tool. And just think! Parents could log on to their child's account and see their accomplishments at home!

Okay, some of you may think that students won't be motivated by a badge that is just some clipart on a website. But, from my experience they are! Our third and fourth grade students have used IXL to practice math concepts for the past two years. After they complete a concept area they get a virtual award. They LOVE going to their awards page and checking out their accomplishments! Very powerful!

Right now I am thinking of using badges for AR, Math Tests, Writing Prompts, Blog Posts, and completion of Projects. I have also thought about using it for behavior but I think that might get tedious.

What do you think about the use of Class Badges? What type of badges would you create?

Oh Twitter...

I never thought I would be a tweeter... I don't think I am quite yet, but I have a feeling I will be soon. That's how it goes with NEW technology. You don't think you need it, you will never use, what you have is all you need... And then BAM you are sucked in and can't imagine not using it! How did you ever survive without it!? We are constantly evolving!

So the second challenge for our district's Summer Tech Challenge was to create and use a twitter account to connect with other awesome educators. Well the first part of the challenge was easy for me. I created a twitter account clear back in January after our district's Google Summit. The first people I started to follow were my partner teacher, a third grade class in our building, and of course The Voice. A very small, but dynamic group! ;)

And that's where the story ends, I haven't logged on to my account since that cold January day. That is until yesterday when I dusted off my handle and started exploring the possibilities twitter has for me. 

The first thing I saw when I logged back into my long lost account was the name of the person who won The Voice the night before! SPOILER ALERT!!! The husband and I had DVRed the finale and were planning to watch it later. Boo! (Notice I left our the winner's name in case you haven't watched it yet either. You're welcome!)

But, after I stopped pouting (I wanted someone else to win.) I got back to the real reason I logged onto my account in the first place, to connect with other educators and to expand my PLN!

I have started to follow a few new people and know that the list will indeed get longer. I have to admit that twitter is still a little intimidating to me, but I'm sure in no time I will be saying "How did I ever survive without it!?"

Are you on twitter? If so follow me @jamispeidel

Modern Teachers

I just finished reading the article The 10 Skills Modern Teachers Must Have from edudemic. This article got me thinking about how "plugged in" teachers really need to be! I think it's very important for teachers to stay current with technology and know how to use it to create learning opportunities for their students.

After all, how can you teach 21st Century Learners if you are not a 21st Century Teacher?

This article outlined ten skills teachers must have to be successful in the modern classroom. I personally think you need more than ten skills, but it is definitely a place to start! No need to get overwhelmed, right?

Okay, so here is a list of the ten things you "must have" to be a modern teacher: 

1.) Build Your PLN

2.) Establish Real Relationships

3.) Understand Where Technology Fits in Education

4.) Know How to Find Useful Resources

5.) Manage Your Online Reputation

6.) Know How to Correctly Blog

7.) Slow Down

8.) Make Social Media Work For You

9.) Don't Be Afraid of Failing

10.) Know When to Disconnect 

I think I have a few of these skills already in place and can use them proficiently. I know that I definitely am not afraid of failing and am willing to try. I have several ideas for the coming school year and most of them involve pushing myself to use technology in a new way. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes!

I'm also great at finding useful resources. My Pinterest board is overflowing with wonderful ideas. And yes, I have used a lot of them in the classroom. I'm not just using my boards as an on-line hoarding spot, promise! ;)

I feel that I know how to "correctly blog", but this will be a great way to practice! This will also help me widen my PLN. I'm so excited to start connecting with other educators in the district, state, and beyond!

I know that I need to get better at "disconnecting" especially from Pinterest! I constantly find myself pinning away! From my phone, iPAD, laptop... You get the picture, right?

I know that I need to work on a few more of the items on this list, but I'm hoping that I will feel a little more proficient after completing the Summer Tech Challenge.

It's a big cyber-world out there and I feel like I am just starting to explore it on an educational level.

So what do you think? Are you a "modern teacher"?

Hello Blog World!

Well I finally did it... Welcome to my teacher blog!

This is not my first experience with the blog world. A few years ago I was completely obsessed with posting daily on my craft blog. It was such a fun way to connect with other talented people all over the world! Oh my, what great ideas they all had!

But of course, all good things must come to an end. In other words, I graduated from college and started my first teaching job. And as we all know new teachers have no time for anything else except for planning, grading, and creating things for their classroom.

Now that I am an "experienced" teacher, I hope to find that perfect balance between life, school, and blogging. :)

I'm going to start by using this blog as a way to complete our district's Summer Tech Challenge, Thanks for creating this +Mickie Mueller! Hopefully when I'm finished with the challenge you will continue to see great things, ideas, and The Best from 4S!

Stay tuned...