Another fabulous free website!

Festisite.com  Heard of it?  I am loving it right now!

Yeah, I know, it isn't the prettiest site design, BUT...............

The product of this amazing free web based program is amaze-balls!  Everyone has heard of wordle.net and tagxedo.com by now.  Ya know, word clouds.  Well, this is like a word cloud on crack!  My biggest issue with word clouds is the jumble that you are left with.  Great for brainstorming, but not much else.  Enter: Festisite.  

This website lets you type or copy & paste your own text and create shapes ......wait for it..............and the words retain their order and meaning!  Fascinating!  They offer a spiral, heart, maze, or waves.  Hey, they'll even make a banner out of your writing to hang in hallway (I hope you have a few reams of paper--they print one letter per page.) 

So easy, just go to their website  www.festisite.com, and choose "Instant Creativity" from the pull down menu.  From that menu, choose text layout.  

Then, all you have to do is enter your writing. 

click the "Layout Text" after you've chosen your shape

And then this magical website generates a .pdf file of your twisted up writing.....all words in perfect order!  

BAM!  (arrows not included) 

Simple as that.  I truly hope you can utilize this website.  It's free, and would work for any grade level any subject.  

Happy Sunday!

Blog Stalking and test stressing.....

     I don't know about you, but I am really OVER testing at this point.  I feel we've done what we need to do in the classroom, and my kids are ready for these tests.  Do ya hear me scary assessment-creators?!

*No more freaking out, making sure my kids recognize the format of the questions.
*No more sleepless nights worrying that I didn't practice with them enough on their test taking strategies.
I trust my kids, and I know, they got this!

     One tip we've been using this year to tackle those grueling passages is a short summary next to each paragraph.  And by short, I mean 2-3 words or a picture.  Just something to jog their memory to the main idea of that paragraph, without having to go through the whole thing all over again.  Warning: when we first started they were obsessed with drawing.  I had to have a "come to Jesus" and remind them this isn't supposed to be the next Sistine Chapel, just a little doodle....no more than 30 seconds spent on it.  This has been a timesaver and I've really noticed their comprehension has improved since we started this strategy.

     It's just that time of year.  We're all worrying about those monster state assessments.  It might be Common Core, or maybe the fear-inducing STAAR test; but we all worry.  Why?  We love our kids, and we want them to show all the learning they've done this year!

Miss Salinas

     One of my colleagues, Miss Salinas has started posting some pretty rad stuff on TPT.  She's a reading specialist, and she really knows her stuff!  Best of all, she's bilingual & is making resources in BOTH english and spanish.  She has some really great workstations; everything from text features to word walls, vocabulary, poetry, and also some test taking workstations.  I am a believer in her strategies.  I have seen my kids using them, and their scores are climbing up!  So, if you get a minute sometime between lesson planning and spring fever.......stop by and say hi to Miss Salinas.  Tell her I sent ya.......



What do you think of her stuff?  Do you have a tried-and-true test taking tip? Leave me a comment!

Braaaaaaaains.......Freebies, Zombies, & Homographs

Match made in heaven?!  Possibly.  I, much like my students, am obsessed with zombies.  I look forward to the Walking Dead each week, and I habitually watch episodes on Hulu to get my fix.

Zombie Homographs Full Version

Playing on what my students (and myself) are interested in, I created a zombie workstation!  Vocabulary is a huge struggle in my class, and we do whatever we can to practice and understand new words.  I tell them everyday the only way to grow their vocabulary is to read.  Plain and simple.

But zombies, they listen to zombies.
This station includes 4 different activities which are tried and true.  Task Cards, a no brainer.  A Matching game; match the word with the 2 different definitions.  A Scoot! game (one of our favorites) Tape the cards to their desks & let them scoot to the next desk each couple of minutes.....great for those kinetic learners.  Lastly, a gallery walk.  Tape the cards around the room & in the hallway; your students can walk around and show what they know!

It's Saturday & I'm feeling saucy!  Click on the pic below for a freebie version of this station.  If you like-y, swing by my TPT for the full version.

If anyone has any other ideas for teaching vocabulary, please share! Leave me a comment if you download, I'd love to hear from ya!

April Currently

well, I'm a little late with this one but hey......better late than never!

I've been a little busy these past few months.  Getting ready for my first STAAR test as a 5th grade teacher, knee surgery, and just life in general.

Good news, STAAR Test is just a week away.  Bad news, STAAR Test is just a week away.  Lolz :)

So, guilty pleasures.  I have a few, but I'd say reality TV will be my downfall.  I am OBSESSED with it!  I love me some Teen Mom, The Little Couple, Dance Moms, and I'm sure there are more...I just can't think right now.  Thank God for DVR and Hulu, otherwise I'd never see my favorite shows.  

The other thing on my mind right now is my knee.  You know......the gimpy one.  So far, it looks like my surgery was a success!  It's been a bumpy road.  This whole "No weight on it for 8 weeks" thing has really cramped my style.  No shopping, no driving, no walking in general!  I have found a creative way to get around school.  It's a knee scooter, but I found it's way more effective to ride it like a horse.  The kids think it's hilarious, and I just like not having to "crutch it" everywhere.  Next week is the big day though.  I find out if I'll be able to walk on my knee, my Dr. calls it "as tolerated."  Oh, I'll tolerate it all right.  I'd do annnnnything to get off crutches!  

What's this word mean?

How many times a day do I hear this phrase uttered in my classroom?! I know the best way for my kids to learn new vocabulary is to read, but sometimes they need a little push! So....I thought I'd share my vocabulary routine with you. I use this as my morning work, and my kids are trained now. They come in, grab a dictionary, get out their vocabulary ring, and they get started acquiring those words! Pretty simple concept, 2 new words to explore each day. I put a paper with words on each table; I also mix it up with QR codes sometimes. Whether they scan a QR code, or read it off a paper; the format is the same. They are looking at the word, and a sentence using that new word. Not only do they have to look up the definition; they also have to find the correct definition based on the context clues. 2 TEKS, 1 task! They Frayer model each word, I use various headings....synonyms, antonyms, definition, use it in a sentence, part of speech. When they finish, they add their new word to their "vocabulary ring," which is actually just a collection of cards held together by a binder ring. They love it because they can flip through it, and they are also obsessed with clipping them to the legs of their desks for a unique storage solution. If you'd like to use the "amazing" words I use each week; check out my Vocabulary Routine packs. I follow Reading Street's curriculum, 10 new "amazing" words each week. Even if you don't use RS; they are still great vocabulary enrichment! I'm also putting together QR codes for each word for you techies out there! TEKS aligned!! How about y'all? What do you do to help your kiddos expand their knowledge base of vocabulary?

The Epic Battle.....

Teaching reading skills vs. teaching to a test.  Now that I'm teaching on a testing grade; this is a constant struggle for me.  In the wake of our first eye-opening benchmark test, I've realized (as much as I hate it) we're going to have to do some test prep!  So, I'm working with my amazing team to dissect our state madated standardized test, and come up with some STAAR-esque questions to go along with our authentic literature.  My kids love read alouds, and I refuse to deprive them of that--in lieu of workbooks with passages.  Those workbooks will have their place in our room; they are great practice BUT our kids also need to hear real stories, and be able to apply the skills and strategies we teach them to actual books!  *step off soap box*

What we've come up with are the same type 3-4 questions  for 4-5 different stories each week.  Each question will be aligned with one of our state standards, and is modeled after the same verbage used on our STAAR test.  We want our kids to get used to the confusing ways these questions are asked....so they will be able to show what they know!  We will rotate books and questions each day, and by the end of the week our kids should be familiar with the questions, and the best strategies to use in order to answer them.  

Click the pic for a free download of our first round of questions for the Uglified Duck by Willy Claflin. 

What about y'all?  What do you use to help your kids get ready for their "big test?"

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/STAAR-questions-5th-grade-TEKS-aligned-The-Uglified-Duck-922127Click the pic to download the free questions to go along with the Uglified Duck by Willy Claflin

    

I'm baaaaaaaackkkkk!

Ho. Lee. Moley!  It's been awhile!  I've had so much going on in my life the past few months.  From the loss of a dear friend and parent, to changing positions at school....it's been a bumpy ride!
Where to start?  I guess with the most painful news.  I lost my father suddenly back at the end of the summer.  He was my rock, one of the few people in my life I knew I could always count on.  His passing came without warning, and it's been a rough few months for my family.  We're coping and doing the best we can.  We live with his memory in our hearts, and knowing he will forever be my Big Joe.  I <3 u.

And then there's this whole fifth grade thing.  I moved to a self-contained fifth grade classroom this year.  On top of being the instructional technologist, I can say....my plate is full!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE fifth grade, and can't wait to share all the fun new ideas I've got going!  I've been really into QR codes this first part of the year.  Here's some long division practice I put together for a workstation.....you can click on the picture to learn more.