Common Core Activities-Fractions

So this week, my class is entering into the world of fractions. Before CC standards, fractions weren't that daunting for my third graders, but now.. OMG! They struggle so much! Writing about mathematical thinking has been so tough for my ELL students, not to mention my kiddies with IEPs. We just keep on keeping on though. Ive even resorted to taking my Flex Math Block to continue practicing with the standards. Ive made a few sets of task cards and centers to use during this time. This is my most recent creation..and since I am currently out of school due to snow/ice on the roads, I thought I would share! The first person to comment gets the bundle for free! Make sure you leave me your email address!

If you miss the giveaway and would still like a set, CLICK HERE!

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

WELCOME TO MY VERY FIRST RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate my newfound skill of setting up a Rafflecopter giveaway, I have decided to host my very first giveaway here on TeachesThirdinGeorgia! Two lucky winners will be randomly chosen to recieve a set of my most recent clip arts- Alphabet Heroes. This is a set of 52 images--one for each letter of the alphabet--in both black/white and color. Fun right? Entering is simple, a quick follow or a pin or two and you're all set!

Here's a preview of what you will get!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Year's Worth of Work in One Big Bundle

So over the past year, I have been working on creating a complete set of Holiday themed Math activities for my students to use in the classroom to practice their multiplication facts. After a half day yesterday, I was finally able to complete the set with an Easter themed collection. This set has taken such a long time to complete, I just had to share. It is available in my TPT store right now!

Aren't they fun?? My kids just LOVE doing them during Flex Math time and they really do help with building fact fluency. With the bundle price, you save 30% off what you would pay if you bought them separately!

You can get them here

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Year-Round-Multiplication-Mosaic-Bundle-Holiday-Themed

Awesome Ipad Apps for Teachers and Students

With the rapid increase of technologically driven classrooms, teachers today have some AMAZING resources available to assist in teaching and productivity related tasks. A recent purchase of an Ipad has left me wondering how I ever functioned without mine. I have found SO many awesome apps lately that have really helped me keep things organized. I thought I would share a few of my favorites with everyone!

Errands (FREEBIE) 

This is a really helpful little app. It is available for free at the iTunes store. It is quite simple to navigate and lets you jot down your to-do list and create yourself a checklist. As you finish each task, you can select the task and mark it as complete, then that item moves off to the left under a completed tab. I absolutely love this one!

Time Optimizer

This App is also a free one found in the App Store. It has an awesome calendar/planner setup on it. It really helps keep me on track. Many times I will be out somewhere and remember a topic or subject that I need to review with certain kids and I will just open up this one and plug it into the calendar and go! I plan on using this A LOT more as we head toward testing time. 

Doceri

This is a paid app that I absolutely LOVE. It allows me to control my interactive whiteboard from the back of the classroom! It does cost to use it, but you do get a free trial download from the app store just for trying it. The only drawback is that you have to install the software on both your iPad and your computer. There is just a tiny bit of lag between the two devices but it does engage the kids! They think its magic when they see me write on the whiteboard without touching it!

Paper

Yep! Another freebie on this one! This is a handy little app that I use mostly during faculty meetings. I don't always have a pen and pencil with me but I do carry my iPad everywhere I go, along with a stylus. This app lets you create notebooks and jot down notes wherever and whenever you need them. Using your finger or pen, its a snap to quickly write down an important memo or reminder. I have several notebooks...one for faculty meetings, one for grade level meetings, reminders, and then one that is just a journal that I use for reflections/etc. 

There are so many more that are available for classroom use. Just a few that I have found for student use as well. Here are just a few..

1. Scholastic's Storia App (Free)
2. Accelerated Reader (Free)
3. Cursive Writing HD (Free)
4. Google Earth (Free)
5. G2 Math HD
6. StoryBots Storybooks (Free)
7. PBS Kids (Free)
8. Alphabet Car
9. Simplex Spell
10. Flashcard Ninja (Free)

Right now, I have all of these apps installed on my personal iPad and we use them all the time. My daughter loves the games and I love the productivity apps that help me keep my head on straight. I would love to hear any other suggestions that you might have!

Have a great week!
Randi

Manic Monday Linky Party!!

The weekends here at TeachesThirdinGeorgia are FLYING by! It seems like I can't get caught up with household things in time and always end up planning like a maniac on Sunday night. Anyone else in the same boat?

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To alleviate a little stress, I am hosting a fun little Manic Monday Linky Party on the blog to contribute a few ideas to those manic planners like me! Feel free to link your Freebies (LOVE THOSE) and your paid items. Please only one link per user! Hugs! Note: in the box below that says "your name", please enter the name of your product. That way we will all know what we are going to see! Thanks!

Grading Woes?? Tips and Tricks

Grading Woes! We've all said it...We've all done it.. That pile of papers on the kitchen table that needs to be graded speaks volumes. The bane of my teaching existence is the task of grading and recording the scores on those precious pieces of tree. What is it about recording grades that seems to leave a bitter taste in my mouth?

Perhaps it is the headache I get from trying to decipher strange lettering and wording. Or perhaps its the fumes off of my felt tip pen. Or perhaps it is the fact that I have papers in there that might have come from about three weeks ago. Does everyone grade like I do? Or is there a special grading gene that I didn't inherit? I've tried and tried to develop a system for getting these things graded and recorded in an easier fashion. It just doesn't work for me. I wish I had magic powers that would poof them into the gradebook just like that. That will never happen though..not in my wildest dreams, so Ive been searching for some tips and tricks to help me get things organized. Maybe some will help you too!

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1. Get an EZ Grader (or two) to keep at home, or in your purse.. I wonder if theres an iphone app that does the same thing??

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2. Grade as you go. Maybe keep your gradebook in hand while going around the room and record things as they are completed in class. This would help me A LOT! I like to give a lot of impromptu assessments to see when my kids are "getting it".

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3. Stagger when you give assessments so that you dont have so many papers to grade at once.

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4. Have student's write their numbers on all papers then when you collect assignments quickly go through the pile to see which ones are missing. Then paper clip them together and put a sticky note on them that says what assignments are missing.

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5.Grade assignments the day they come in (easier said than done), this will prevent them from pilling up. Also try to return papers or at least show students their grades as soon as they are graded this will prevent them from begging you. Student's also tend to love this practice.

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These are just a few that I have found. Any other tips and tricks that you all have in your pockets? I would love to hear them. But alas, I must go attempt to record some grades. Coffee? Check! Pen? Check! Here I go~!

A Very Tacky Christmas...Teacher style!

Last day of school! Woot! We were all so ready for Christmas break we decided to jump in and participate in our school's first Tacky Christmas competition. The grand prize was a week's worth of jean days! And my hilariously wonderful grade level team won it by a landslide! Look out blue jeans, here we come!

The good and bad of it all...

Ugh.. It was a rough day. These new standards are kicking my tail! And my kids just aren't getting our geometry standards. Third grade focuses on classifying quadrilaterals and the new stuff is throwing a kink into everything they've learned before. For example, today we learned that a square is a rectangle, but its also a quadrilateral, a parallelogram, and a trapezoid. But a rectangle is not a square..go figure. My class has 14 ELL students in it and this vocabulary is just blowing their poor little minds. Today's math lesson was a flop..I'm guessing we will go at it again tomorrow.

 

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On the other hand, today's science lesson went well. It too was on classification--just of rocks though. We got to investigate and test different rock samples for their color,streak,hardness,and luster. This one especially was fun when we all found samples of graphite! They were amazed when they realized it was pencil lead! Here are a few snaps of our investigation and the information we learned from it.