graffiti galleries 2014: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Back to School Basics: Calendar Giveaway and Freebies

*
*

I switched alphabet and calendar days.

Sorry for any confusion this may bring!!

Welcome back for Day 2 of Back to School Basics, a week long feature with giveaways, freebies, and linky parties! Today I'm featuring products for Calendars!!! I use the calendar to keep track of time for appointments such as parent conferences, meetings, birthdays, celebrations, and holidays! For young learners, time beyond several weeks to a month is a hard concept to grasp. So why do we focus on the calendar? Calendar time can develop and foster math skills for primary concepts with repetition through instruction.

As a member of the leadership team for mathematics, I conducted math focus walks for our School Improvement Plan. During my walk, I was able to see calendar routines, math focus walls, math word walls, benchmarks and essential questions posted. This unique experience provided me with the inside on how different classrooms and different grade levels teach calendar routines.

There are three sources in which I've stalked for years! Mrs. Nelson provides a wonderful visual of what skills are taught and when she teaches them throughout the school year. Link here to view her scope and sequence!

My sweet Vegas friend, Shari Sloane of kidscount1234.com always does a wonderful job at teaching concepts with materials you can find in any classroom. She provides her kiddos with concrete applications to math concepts and provides teachers with free reproducibles for Calendar Journals. Don't you love free?!?

Mrs. Meacham is a hero of mine. When I started teaching, I was glued to her website for personal support. WARNING... you must allow at least 30 minutes to scan her website. You'll need at least a week to read all her content. Topics include Calendar Smartboard, Calendar Wall, Calendar Binders, Calendar Folders, Calendar Journals, and Calendar Songs. Ready to be amazed? Link here!

As a looping primary teacher, I'm constantly looking for ways to engage students with new concepts as we grow together on our journey to second grade. After searching through Teachers Pay Teachers, I found more than 3,500 files and more than 550 of those files are FREE!

I'd like to feature a few paid products...

Kathleen Pedersen of Growing Kinders has one of the best products I've seen this year! I scooped up these bad boys quick. Aligned to common core, the golden words, her calendar routines are a perfect fit for any classroom. Kathleen provides programmable pages to continue skills for kids or classes needing additional practice! My heart flutters!!!

AND

Kim Adsit and Shari Sloane, two powerful presenters, teamed up to create The Student Calendar Book. This 108 page file doesn't just include student pages but also includes directions, questions, and extension activities to align.

I may be a little biased here but I HEART this next product. This summer I worked to revise my Year-round Calendar with Seasonal Prompts. I provided monthly headers and calendar date cards, but what makes this product stand out from other calendar units are the seasonal prompts. Each month features 24 prompts to promote listening and speaking skills...COMMON CORE!

Sample Prompts

I created this next file for K/1 classrooms. I know the seasonal calendar prompts are a hit with my kiddos. They were always so eager to see what the next prompt would say! I want to tap into this excitement with my newest product. I uploaded Calendar Fun with Prompts tonight and I'm so excited.

My file includes three different sets of calendar cards: bird cages, dinosaurs, and zoo animals. I included three graphics for each theme. You can mix and match the graphics to create patterns. Also included are prompts for beginning reading, short vowels, long vowels, about me story starters, nursery rhymes/fairy tales, and beginning math. You'll find links to editable files embedded throughout the document to add names for birthdays, holidays, or even your own prompts!

Sample Prompts

You will have an opportunity to win each of the above copies! The requirement for entry is to follow all stores and can be done by clicking the product images above! One winner will be randomly selected on Saturday August 4th. You are only permitted to leave one comment. All other comments will be deleted. Please include an email!!!

Now for the freebies...

Deanna Jump has update this file for the 2012-2013 school year. This is a free Monthly Planning Calendar. It includes inspirational quotes and a place to keep track of important dates.

Leslie from Kindergarten Works also has a 2012-2013 calendar. Seeing similar products but how differently they can turn out show why we need an open marketplace like TpT around.

AND

Jodi from Fun in First Grade created her calendar with Thistlegirl graphics. I love these graphics. You can find a free download located on her fabulous blog!

Erin from Eberhart's Explorers has a student calendar journal page that has been floating around pinterest for a hot minute. I love the simplicity of this page!

For my Intermediate Teachers...

Stephanie from Teaching in Room 6 has a student calendar journal page that has also made its rounds on pinterest. I'm so excited to feature a calendar post for big kids too!

Kacey from Doodle Bugs Teaching has offered monthly calendar freebies for the past year. She has provided the latest in cute clipart and generous with timely post! I'm linking her free label from her store. This will include a few additional files other than calendars but we love free, right?!?

And Technology Lovers...

Denise from Sunny Days in Second Grade has themed activities which include days of the week, base ten blocks, skip counting, counting money, expanded form, patterning, time and estimating. File also includes new "math blast" pages with interactive practice and relevant links to online game sites. You can easily edit the file to meet the needs of your students.

My sweet friend Rachelle from What a Teacher Wants has been pumping out freebies for years. If you haven't already read her post and downloaded all her fantastic freebies, you'll want to link now! Her title makes me think... Sid the Science Kid!

Do you have a Calendar "FREEBIE" product you'd like to feature? You are welcome to join my linky party here but it must be a direct link to a post on your blog or a FREEBIE product in your store! Please follow the rules, I hate having to remove links!!!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Back to School Basics! Common Core Giveaway and Freebies!!!

*
*

Welcome to Day 1 of Back to School Basics, a week long feature with giveaways and freebies! Today I'm featuring Common Core! Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard of Common Core State Standards. If not, you need to check out the official website here! Have you seen my Mastery Connect Widget on my sidebar? I have the same one for my phone too! You can pick up a widget for your blog here.

As a brief overview, forty-five states have agreed to implement a set of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in an effort to ensure equal learning from state to state. Common Core is a set of curriculum standards, covering Language Arts and Math, based on content students will need before entering college. The purpose is to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. They’re also designed to reflect knowledge and skills students will need for success in the real world. CCSS demands a more complex level of reading, thinking, speaking, and writing for all students. As implementation continues this year, many teachers are forced to prepare lessons and materials to align with the Common Core Standards.

Teacher Pay Teachers is an open marketplace for educators that offers many wonderful resources aligned with common core. In a recent search, I found more than 9,000 common core aligned products and almost 1,000 freebie files.

I’d like to feature a few fabulous paid products…

In July 2011, Deanna Jump featured her kid friendly Common Core Standards. This 200+ page document includes various color combinations to meet different classroom needs. I love the picture representation to align with each standard. Deanna has prepared files for Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

Deanna's Display

Common Core organization and accountability has never been so easy with Rachelle Smith's Common Core ELA Checklist and More. Keeping track of what standards are addressed, the dates of instruction, and percentage of class mastery has been simplified with this document. Rachelle has prepared Common Core Galore for Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grades.

Rachelle's Example

For successful implementation of Core Standards, students will need vocabulary support for key concepts. Anna Brantley's Common Core and More Word Wall provides visual clues with more than 200 vocabulary cards for Language Arts and Math. Anna has prepared files for Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

Anna's Vocabulary Preview

In June 2011, Deedee Wills created Common Core Kindergarten Math Assessments to align with Core Standards. Assessing individual students can be time consuming and frustrating. Deedee has developed forms for efficiency with whole group assessing. Included are forms to record student assessments, a few oral assessments, and WONDERFUL whole group assessments.

Deedee's Assessment Preview

As a math lead, I'm always looking for new and creative ways to support curriculum resources to support the standards. Erica Bohrer, Kacey Mclendon, and Hadar Maor have products in which promote number sense with phenomenal work stations!

I'm eager to use my fabulous Common Core files this school year! And now you will have an opportunity to win each of the above copies too!!! The requirement for entry is to follow all stores and can be done by clicking the product images above! One winner will be randomly selected on Saturday August 4th. You are only permitted to leave one comment. All other comments will be deleted. Please include an email!!!

Are you still wanting more?!?! We are teachers and always want more. I want to spotlight a few fantastic freebies.

Rachelle Smith has featured a powerful post with great links and downloads. I love that her county has made available scope and sequence for Kindergarten through 6th grade.

Libby Allen, a dual education teacher in California has prepared Kindergarten Standard Checklist in Spanish! Hello, need I say more?!?

Marsha McGuire, from A Differentiated Kindergarten, has provided a differentiated work station for write the room.

1st Grade Hip Hip Hooray has offered Common Core Skill Ring Assessment Pack for a freebie download. I actually love using skills rings in my work stations and was intrigued when I saw her file on TpT!

Do you have a Common Core "FREEBIE" product you'd like to feature? You are welcome to join my linky party here but it must be a direct link to a post on your blog or a FREEBIE product in your store! Please follow the rules, I hate having to remove links!!!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

URBANA PROJECT

Urbana Project est une asbl bruxelloise née de la volonté de mettre en avant les arts contemporains urbains en animant une réflexion globale de qualité autour de l’ensemble de disciplines telles que le Street Art, l’architecture, l’urbanisme, la mode, le design, etc. Urbana se donne pour mission de combler les lacunes dont souffre la représentation des arts urbains en Belgique.

Le Warm-Up du Kosmopolite Art Tour 2012 organisé par Urbana s’est tenu à Bruxelles avec Steve Locatelli, Sozyone et Metaparole. Photos et programme du Kosmopolite Art Tour 2012 à découvrir sur le blog d’Urbana Project.

Back to School Basics!

My summer seems to be a fleeting moment in time. As I walked through the doors of Target, I am reminded to make the best of the next three weeks. My body says, "RELAX"! My mind says, "I need to make, I need to clean, I need to unpack, I need to set up, I need.....!" Oh.MY!

I shuffled past the dollar spot trying desperately not to look at the bright color bins. A teacher loves a bargain. I won't get sucked in!!!! As I pass the dollar spot, I'm immediately drawn to all the Back to School clothes! My weakness! I persevered, turned the corner, walked through the shoe department, and ran smack dab in the middle of Back to School HEAVEN. Pencils, Papers, Glue! Like a roller coaster, I began feeling so many different emotions.

I'm sitting here thinking how I'll end the summer and think ahead to the school year. I decided to host a week long event, Back to School Basics. Each day I'll feature a post on the topics listed above. The post will include a wonderful giveaway and fantastic freebies. If you'd like to prepare, I'll host a linky so that you can share your favorite freebies on various topics!