Our Clean Change

Last week I decided to make a huge change for our family. Our diet had to get under control. Sugar and processed foods were taking over! At first I thought about Paleo, but its much too restrictive, especially for kids. So clean eating was my choice. We re-enrolled in emeals.com under the clean rating plan. This is very helpful to me as I learn the does and don'ts. We have had some delicious meals! E has been eating all of her fruits and veggies like a champ. She has had raw spinach as a snack two different times over the last week. 

Tonight we had Beef (aka venison in our house), spinach, and red quesadillas, not the most creative name, but the most delicious thing I have eaten in a long time!  We also had minted strawberries. Everything was so good I brought this dead blog back to life, you know to save FB another food post! 

I've had several people ask me about it, so I thought this would be a good way to share the details. I can't say I have complied 100%, but I am finding the more I follow the rules the less I want the junk. I had a brownie today and threw most of it away. I felt yucky! That is something I never would have done before. I usually would have gone back for another! 

This was from our first night. It is a spinach salad with grilled chicken, strawberries, and nectarines plus lots of fresh herbs. We had it along with these yummy grilled whole wheat pitas topped with olive oil and garlic.

I hope we're making this a lifestyle change. I don't see why it will not work for us. 

Since January, I have lost 25 pounds. Now I feel like I am at a plateau. So I also started CrossFit last week. I am not strong at all, but I am trying my hardest. I am very sore...so I know I'm doing something. 

Hopefully, I'll update the blog more with the details of our lifestyle change. I want to include some clean eating recipes we try also plus keep adding a few funny stories from those beautiful kiddos that opened this post!

Top 10 Tech Tools I Can't Live Without

I have really enjoyed learning about new technology resources in this class.

My Top 10 Tech Resources I Can't Live Without Are-
10. Glogster
9. Prezi
8. Blogger
7 .YouTube
6. Pinterest
5. My class iPADs
4. Go! Math teacher resources
3. My classroom projector
2. My laptop
1. My cellphone- It's old as dirt, but I still can not live without it.

Mobile Apps

What mobile apps are available for your subject area? List and describe at least 4 apps that could be used on a smartphone, iPod, or iPad in the classroom.

Some of my third graders favorite apps are listed below.

SparkleFish is a modern version of Mad Libs. Students are asked to record nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Their voices are then used in an animated story. It always brings plenty of laughs while learning the parts of speech.

Strip Designed (POW) is a great app to use while teaching sequence of events. Students use the camera to take pictures and turn themselves into a comic strip. It comes complete with speech bubbles and special effects.

All my students, especially the boys love Rocket Math. Students complete math problems to earn money to design a rocket. The more they get correct the better rocket they can build. The goal is for the rocket to reach outer space.

I know this is one that everyone has heard of, but my students love Stack the States. I am so glad because at the beginning of the school year many of my students didn't even know what state they live in. I'm not joking! This app has students answer geography/history related questions about states. It has a multiple choice answer section. If the students answer correctly the state is dropped and the students move it around to stack it. If they stack it to the goal line they earn a state to help complete their map. The goal is to completely fill a US map. They have to be careful though because the states can fall if they are stacked off balance.

Digital Citizenship

Why is it important to be a good digital citizen? What value does a good digital reputation have?

It is important to be a good digital citizen to understand etiquette, access, and laws related to technology. Digital citizenship helps you to respect yourself and others. An understanding of digital citizenship helps to protect a good digital reputation.

Your digital reputation is your behaviors in the online environment. It is the content that you post about yourself and others. This includes tagged photos, blog posts, and interactions on social networks. All of these will shape how you are defined by others not only online, but offline. This judgement is not only today, but in the future. 
A poor digital reputation can affect your friendships, relationships and even your job prospects - so protect your digital reputation.

3 kinds of material generators

I have used several of the material generators in my classroom.
I have used certificatemaker.com to create end of the year classroom awards for my students. The students vote for awards for their peers to win. The awards are given to receipents at our end of the year party. Everyone wins an award. It's great to see the smiles on their faces as the receive their awards.

I have also used discoveryeducation.com to create word searches with Alabama History vocabulary words. These were used when students completed tests early.

Another of my favorite material generators is quia.com. I use it to make review games before testing. Last year I used it with the Pearson Reading Street series. This year I use it to review skills taught in the Go! Math series. I usually make a Jeopardy type game and spilt the class into teams. All students have a individual whiteboard and must work out the problem. If a team does not answer correctly, the next team gets a chance to answer to score the points.

Instructional Software

Drill and practice-provides exercises for students to work example items, usually one at a time. Students receive feedback on their progress.
Examples-
http://www.mcsdk12.org/curr/old_site/Subjects/Math_Drill.htm
multiplication.com


Tutorial-an entire instructional sequence on a specific topic, similar to a teacher's classroom instruction.
Examples-
http://www.webmath.com/
http://www.free-training-tutorial.com/typing-tutorial.html
http://aaamath.com/grade3.htm#topic1
http://www.kidsolr.com/math/fractions.html

Simulations-a computerized model of a real or imagined system that is designed to teach how the system works.
Examples-
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmsc/content/simulation/
http://kids.discovery.com/games/build-play/build-a-coaster


Instructional Games-add game like rules and/or competition to learning activities
Examples-
http://www.funbrain.com/
http://www.abcya.com/third_grade_computers.htm


Problem Solving-functions focus on fostering competent skills in or approaches to general problem-solving ability, or provide opportunities to practice solving various kinds of content-area problems
Examples-
http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/problemsolving.html
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/math/problemsolving.html

Should Students Play Games (software) in school?

After reviewing the background reading articles (the last link would not open) from the textbook I did not change my position. I do believe that students should be allowed to play software games at school. There are so many great, educational games that are available that correlate with the Course of Study that I believe this type of activity is beneficial to students. I even use them as a whole class review for my third grade math class. The students are much more involved in a review using a Jeopardy game than they are just using a study guide and pencil.

The background articles reported negative results with extreme usage. Just like everything else software games should be used in moderation.

Web 2.0 Resources

How did I like the resources we had to use for this project?

Glogster
I really like the idea of Glogster. I will probably use it in the future in my classroom. I like that you can have all of your links and video for a lesson plan in one place. I found the website to load very slowly on occasion and I found that frustrating.
Famous African Americans with ties to Alabama


Animoto
I have used Animoto several times in the past both personally and professionally. I find it is very easy and quick to use. It is a great way to incorporate technology into any lesson.
Famous African Americans with ties to Alabama video


FAKE Book
I think this is so cute! My students are obsessed with Facebook, but thankfully most of their parents do not allow them to have it since they are only in the third grade. They would love to use this to complete a research project. I would have to purchase the full version so the ads would be removed. They are such a distraction.
Rosa Parks Fakebook
Martin Luther King, Jr. Fakebook

Introduce Yourself

To all my friends and family, I haven't gone crazy. I know you know me! I started graduate school this week. It is an education technology class. We have to do weekly blog posts. This week's topic is introduce yourself.

So here it goes-
I am a Christian wife, mom to two (a 3 1/2 year old girl and 3 month old boy), and a teacher. I have been married for five years to my best friend. We live in my husband's hometown. It has taken me a while to get used to living in a small town without all the conveniences of a big city. You can't replace the support and love in a small town though.
I love, love being a mom. Our children have brought so much joy and definitely completed our lives. The adjustment from one child to two children has been pretty easy for us. Baby brother fits right in with our crazy schedule/routine.
I finally graduated with my bachelor's degree from Troy University in the fall of 2010. I got a job at the school where I interned and hope my children attend. Since beginning my teaching career I have taught fourth grade Alabama History, fourth grade reading, and now third grade math, science, and social studies. I love my job, students, and school.
I am working to earn my Master's degree in Library Media. I do not really have plans to leave the classroom any time soon, but if the perfect opportunity presents itself I want to be ready. More pay would be nice too!
Life is good! I have been blessed with far more than I deserve.