Just found a great compilation of resources from a blog. These resources are for Language Arts Common Core for fourth grade but 3rd and fifth grades are linked below the download.

Some of the resource are single download from Teachers Pay Teachers. You can download these by creating an account -- really simple and no cost.

Some of the resources are online games and interactives. Even if you have no plan to use the common core next year, these are some amazing resources.

HoJo's Teaching Adventure

 Pinterest

Have you used PINTEREST as a classroom or instructional resource?????
Pretty cool ideas. Need an invite? ..... Let me know.

Professional Development in Our District

Almost the end of the year…

Seems like we all get so busy during the school year that we just don’t have time to do much beyond what we are required to do at school. Last summer I began to learn about Personal Learning Networks or PLN’s. As my PLN grew, I found lots of opportunities for Professional Development online. Some were free and some cost very little. (The last one I did was Virtual Teaching Expo’s Everything’s Intermediate… a four hour course, costing $19.95; before that I was doing a series with Whole Brain Teaching that cost $1.99 per hour).
As we were all frantic to get our portfolio’s done, I asked if we could use these hours. (You get a receipt for the ones that you pay for, and most give you a PD certificate). The Administration in our District has approved these online Professional Development hours under the following conditions:
1. You must get the Professional Development approved by your administrator; and
2. You must be willing to share what you have learned in a faculty meeting, or by other arrangement.

I am willing to pass along what I find online to all of you via our website http://hmktech.blogspot.com and I would hope that if any of you find something good, you will share also. (Just shoot me an email about it with the website). I will also be passing along information about other Education Blogs that I find. I am not going to send out a separate email each time that I post. I did that intermittently this year and some folks did not like that practice. So… if you want to keep up with the Blog, bookmark and subscribe to it (At the very bottom of the page); or Follow by Email ~ this will email you when the site is updated, (email will not come from me); or just check it every week or two.

I am also willing to play detective and find stuff for Staff members. If there is something that you need/want to know more about that is educational, or technology based, let me know and I will see what I can find for you.

Hope the rest of the year goes smoothly for all of you!

Online Professional Development

ONLINE Professional Development

In my last post I mentioned that the District will let us do some online professional development. As I did all of mine prior to this decision, the sites and information that I am providing here HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED. If you see something here that you would like to delve into, YOU need to go to your administrator and get it approved for yourself. You cannot just go in and say “This was on the website and I did it” and then expect it to be automatically approved.
That being said…. Here are a few sites that have Professional Development:

The Annenberg Project: This is the first PD site that I ever used. They have some great stuff. It is all Video on Demand, which lets you watch, when you want.  You can also get college credit for a minimal fee.  http://www.learner.org/index.html  

Whole Brain Learning: An interesting and different look at teaching and classroom management. I use several of the activities and techniques in my classroom. They use podcast on demand also; and some live feed stuff.  http://www.wholebrainteaching.com/

Virtual Teaching Expo: I did this one most recently. They currently have five options, ranging from K-6. The session that I attended was “Everything’s Intermediate” – featuring Interactive Notebooking; Integrating Technology;  Modifying Math Instruction to Increase Student Understanding; and Successful Strategies for English Language Learners. I really liked the Interactive Notebooking session and got some great ideas out of the others. One of the instructor’s presentation style made me insane but I still would have taken the course, if I knew that ahead of time. Their sessions are live on a certain “Launch Date” and then on-demand after that. You can also contact the presenters. If you sign up before the launch date you get a virtual Goodie Bag of handouts and freebies,that are related to the session. http://virtualteachingexpo.com/howitworks.php