If you are looking for ways to encourage the spirit of giving, Operation Shoebox has ideas for you.  You can choose something to collect – cell phones, phone cards, ink cartridges, clothing for soldiers or the numerous items soldiers need (good use for heat-resistant Halloween candy).  What a great way for students to learn organization and planning skills, [...]

   
The OCEAN, THE SOUTH POLE, A DESERT, A ROAD - You can probably guess that I lean toward costumes that cannot be bought at a Halloween store.  I start with something from my basement, get out my glue gun and go from there!  I like the costume ideas at Family Education because they are very creative [...]

We had great fun one Christmas writing our Christmas card in comics book form. Writing comics is a creative way for students to learn to write dialog.  You can reinforce everyday dialogs for ESOL and foreign language students by having them write conversations for comics characters.  MakeBeliefsComix gives students the tools to create simple comics.  It [...]

Along with excellent products, Carson-Dellosa Publishing has Free Ideas for Teachers.  These are a little more tightly tied to Carson-Dellosa products than I usually like, but they’re good for quick bulletin board ideas and quick teaching ideas for bulletin boards.  This is only useful for early elementary grades.

I can’t believe BrainPOP.com has been around for 10 years and this is the first time I have found it.  BrainPOP creates short educational animated cartoons that are tied to state standards.  The graphics and style are really current, similar to popular cartoons on TV.  The range of material is extensive.  BrainPOP itself is geared [...]

I  was just searching through a drawer and found a Trainer’s Warehouse catalog from 2003!  Now I have purged my catalogs more recently than that and I have tried to end my habit of keeping stacks of magazines and catalogs “just in case there’s something interesting,” so this catalog must have been really interesting!  Of course, [...]

I love the musical Billy Elliot.  Watching young performers always inspires me, maybe because it gives me hope for kids who have not yet discovered how to share their talents.  The song Electricity is one of my favorites and I’d be a little embarrassed to admit how many times I have played it at full volume [...]

SHMOOP is still a Beta test (meaning it hasn’t been fully tested and is still being developed), but if what I’ve seen is part of the package, it’s definitely going to be a hit.  Their mission is to make learning and writing more fun and relevant for students in the digital age.  Who can argue [...]

Storytelling enhances communication skills and promotes creativity.  It improves both presentation skills and listening skills.  It gives teachers a way to introduce discussions about diversity, ethics and decision-making.  Storytelling teaches respect for elders and gives students a chance to express their own feelings.  Story Arts Online offers lesson plans and activities developed by storyteller Heather [...]

That’s what I used to say about my son Michael.  Compared to my oldest daughter who was always immersed in a book,  when my son was little he loved anything on a screen – videos, computer games, video games, the internet.  I worried a little in the earlier years, but at the same time I [...]