Flocabulary

Since (teaching) life has come to a screeching, soggy halt due to Hurricane Sandy, I thought I would take some time today to get back on the blog-wagon. I hope this finds you warm, dry, and safe - and Godspeed to those of you who are in (or have survived) harm's way with this storm!

One of my students' favorite things to do this year is to listen and learn from songs and music videos from Flocabulary. Flocabulary is basically rap music for the classroom. It's clean, fun, and totally catchy. I love it. Here's the other catch - it's not free. I know, "Boooooo" - but understandable. They've got a product to sell, and fortunately, they do post free videos and songs to use in your classroom. Whenever I use a Flocabulary song to back up what I'm teaching, my students remember it and what it's about. They still can tell you the order of classification for living things from listening to "Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach." Two of the freebies right now are "I'll Be The President" on the presidential election process and "Check and Balances" for the three branches of government. Sometimes the resources are just the song, and other times they include a music video. Lyrics are on the same page, so the students can sing along (and they will...loudly and over and over again). There are also review questions and lesson plans for each song as well.

Many of the songs on the Flocabulary website are also available on iTunes for $0.99 each. You can also purchase full albums of their music such as "Math Rap" and "Beats, Rhymes, and Science." I'm pretty sure that, with the exception of the language arts songs, most of it is available on iTunes. There are also student guides (with the lyrics and vocabulary activities) and accompanying CDs of music available for purchase on the Flocabulary site if you are interested. I downloaded the songs on iTunes I thought would help my students the most and made playlists on my iPads and iPod for them to listen to as a station and in their spare time.

I've taken a while to post about Flocabulary, not just because life happens but I have been completely bummed about the fact that you now have to pay for the Week in Rap. It use to be that you could subscribe to the Week in Rap and each Friday they would e-mail you the video for the current events of the week - set to song. However, that is no longer the case and I'm not going to pay $5 a month for it. There are pricing plans for teachers on the Flocabulary website and you can test drive it with a free trial, but you'll have to check it out a decide for yourself.

http://flocabulary.com/

Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

One of the things I wanted to do when I started this blog was share some of the opportunities I have had to meet and work with teachers across the United States. Somehow, I haven't got around to it, but there's no better time to start than now.

So, while everyone else is gun-ho on football tonight (no, thank you, teaching is my only sport), I want to share with you my experience at the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. This is a summer math and science academy for teachers in grades 3-5, sponsored by professional golfer Phil Mickelson and ExxonMobil. It is held in Jersey City, New Jersey, just a hop, skip, and subway ride from New York City (as in, you will see the Statue of Liberty every day from your hotel room, as well as the skyline). The training provided to you is courtesy of the National Science Teachers Association and the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics. About 200 teachers from across the United States are selected to attend each year. A parent or teacher can nominate you, or you can apply to attend yourself here.

I attended the first national academy back in July 2009. I had been browsing on Grant Wrangler for grants, and a link for "MEMTA" (as we alumni like to refer to it) popped up. Oh, if you would have only known me back then. I was a "good teacher," I guess, but my world...wasn't very big. And I knew it. I've always had an idea of the kind of teacher I wanted to be, but at the time I had no idea how to get there. Maybe, I thought, where I was at was all there was. This, however, sounded like what I was looking for - to learn more about the best ways to reach students, with the best teachers. Did I have a voluminous resume with lots of presentation experience or prestigious awards? Oh, heavens, no. To put it in runner's terms, I was "good for my age group," but not a top finisher. But, if you never try, the answer will always be "no."

 So, at 9 PM on October 30th (the deadline being the 31st), I went for it. I typed my application right on the online form and hit send - and little did I know, it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life as an educator.

MEMTA was an experience like no other. The exposure to the National Science and Math standards was priceless, as I was about to begin National Board Certification. Not only was the professional development top-notch (what you would expect from a national academy), but the way the teachers were treated that week was exemplary as well. In short, the staff and teachers at MEMTA treated us like super stars. As a relatively new(er) teacher at the time, that was almost overwhelming for me. New(er) teachers have to "fight" for everything, whether it's for respect or a bookcase. To be treated so first class (I don't want to give too much away because if you go I want you to be as WOWED as I was), well, I almost didn't know how to act - and then I got a handle on myself.



MEMTA was featured on the CBS Early Show during
our academy. Why, yes, that is Harry Smith!

What I didn't expect from attending MEMTA is probably what has changed how I teach the most. Not only did I attend this academy with other teachers from across the United States (that were all amazing and to this day I still consider out of my league), but I learned from them. I learned things about technology and teaching that week, just from listening to other teachers, that I never would have known otherwise. I learned what issues affect teachers in different states - some different, some the same as those in West Virginia. My view of my role as a teacher and the possibilities available in education changed overnight. I am still am in contact with several of the teachers who attended  MEMTA that year, and probably will be forever. I came away from MEMTA convinced that networking is the most powerful professional development you can provide an educator.

I realize it's October 6th on a Saturday night, but if I can crank out "something" in a handful of hours before the deadline, you surely can give some consideration to applying to the Mickelson ExxonMobil Academy this year. Don't tell yourself it isn't possible. Sometimes, the only way to get going in the direction you want is to put yourself on the right road. Nobody else is going to do it for you - just take the keys (computer keys, in this instance)...and drive.

http://www.sendmyteacher.com/index.html

FREE Financial Literacy Resources from Visa

Here's a way to gain some economics resources...without spending a penny!
Practical Money Skills, a program sponsored by Visa, provides teachers with fun, interactive ways to help students learn to be smart spenders and savers. All you have to do as a teacher is go to their website and order the materials you would like for your classroom - and it's FREE. I've know about this one for a few weeks, but I wanted to wait and post about it until after I had received my order - and I can tell you that neither you or your students will be disappointed! Here's a rundown of some of the resources from Practical Money Skills that I think you'll want to check out:
Marvel Comic Book - With the movie coming out this summer, your students will enjoy reading about Spiderman and friends as they learn about managing finances...and save the world while they're at it! It's definitely geared more for upper elementary and middle school. There's also a free teacher's guide to download as well.
Money 101 Booklet - This handy little guide teaches your students important facts about saving and spending, with some fun facts and websites thrown in the mix, too. After viewing it, I'd like to get enough for each student in my class.
And now for the games!!! I was most eager about getting these to try out, because...well, you're never too old to learn to play new games. Each game came on separate CDs to run on the computer. The games run directly from the CD (you can't download them to your computer, but that's only a minor inconvenience). All of them ran perfectly and were high quality, interactive, and beneficial to learning about money and finances.
Peter Pig's Money Counter - Eh, this one was okay...if you teach K-2 (third graders might like it at the beginning of the year). Upper grades...no. Just no. However, for learning the value of different coins and counting change, this is a super resource. Students have to move the coins on the screen as they count and represent different amounts of money. I can see this being great to use on an interactive whiteboard as a class review or as a station.

Money Metropolis - Very cute (in a cartoonish sort of way), very interactive. My girls especially like it. After designing your character, your students choose a financial goal (from buying a game to going on a trip). They then have to buy and perform chores around town (which they choose from an interactive map) to meet their financial goal. The "chores" are all interactive, from mowing the lawn to sorting books at the library. You get paid if you do your job accurately and in a timely manner - another great concept to get across.
Financial Football - Oh, my. Every fifth grade boy's dream game. It looks and sounds like the NFL, right down to the background music and the animated players. You can choose your NFL team and the opposing team, as well as the level of difficulty ("rookie" is the suggested level for ages 11-14; the age levels go up to high school). As you make your plays, you answer questions about financial literacy. Best of all, there's a free app for Financial Football you can download to your iPad that's just as cool as the computer version. It's so authentically football that your students will forget they are learning.
Financial Soccer - Okay, I liked this one better than Financial Football simply because I understand soccer better than football. It's very authentically done in the style of the Soccer World Cup (which I don't know much about but my students were pretty impressed). The same concept of Financial Football is there, except it's a different ball game. There's a little more strategy with Financial Soccer though; the harder questions are closer to the best shots for the goal. Both Financial Football and Financial Soccer would be enjoyed by students in grades 5 and up, up through high school.
These are just a few of the resources available on Practical Money Skills. Check it out and choose a few things for your class! You literally have nothing to lose!
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/resources/free_materials/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/financial-football-hd/id387095643?mt=8

APP Time: Symmetry Shuffle

It's difficult...but it's so cute! You'll play it as much as the kids!

Symmetry Shuffle ($1.99) is an app that makes you think. By this time in the year, we're all in standardized test review mode (or about to be when we go back to s-c-h-o-o-l tomorrow). This is a great, adorable app to review the geometry concepts of slide (translation), flip (reflection), and turn (rotation).

To play Symmetry Shuffle, you select an object (ranging from sneakers to robots), the number of objects in your grid, and an easy or hard level. The object is to move your object to cover all the pictures in the least amount of moves - with the fastest time. Sounds easy, right? Nope! It requires a lot of thinking, rotating, flipping, and second guessing yourself - kind of like that game they have on all the tables at Cracker Barrel, Tricky Triangle. It's spatial and logical reasoning at its finest - and your students will be putting into practice the concept of transformations - even though they'll think they are just solving a puzzle!

The graphics on Symmetry Shuffle look hand drawn, but in a cute (there's that word again!), quaint way that's a nice change from the bright, in-your-face graphics of a lot of games. The sounds are soft and pleasant, too. The only major difference between the easy and hard versions of this app is that you can't "retrace" your puzzle pieces in the hard version without loosing one of your moves. Some of the objects are easier to see where you need to flip and rotate, but none are so stumping that they will frustrate. Your students will love the strategy behind it and timing themselves to beat their peers as they shuffle to cover the puzzle grid. Oh, and many of the touch features on this app involve a "double tap," which can be a puzzle in itself at first. Make sure to review the instruction first so everyone is aware of how to "move."

Have fun shuffling!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/symmetry-shuffle/id387650111?mt=8

APP Time: Brain Pop

I wasn't planning on doing a post in the middle of the week, but right now I'm too tired to do anything else so I might as well. For those of you that don't know, Brain Pop is an animated approach to online learning. The website chronicles the educational adventures of Tim and Moby (a robot with a kickin' personality) as they answer letters about a wide range of topics - from photosynthesis to the Civil War, and everything in between and beyond. At the end of each short, punchy movie, there is a quiz to test student comprehension of the topic, along with printable organizers and vocabulary. Although using all the full features of Brain Pop requires a subscription, there are several free movies for viewing as well...

...Which brings me to today's app! In addition to the website, there is a FREE Brain Pop app! If you have a subscription to Brain Pop, then you are able to log in and watch any and all movies from your iPad/iPod/iPhone. Even if you don't have a subscription, you can watch the movie of the day and numerous free movies as you can online.

What I like most about the Brain Pop app is that all of the movies are captioned (on the online version they are not)!!! At the bottom of the screen, students can read what Tim and Moby are explaining (or in Moby's case beeping) as they watch and listen. I think this is great for students who may have trouble staying focused on the dialogue of the movie or that aren't auditory learners. There is a quiz at the end of each movie, and scores are added to the "Hall of Fame" list so you could go back and see how well the student answered the questions.

What do you have to lose? At the very least, your students will enjoy "watching cartoons" while learning something along the way. Best of all, it's free!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brainpop-featured-movie/id364894352?mt=8

APP Time: Math Motion HD

When I first received an iPad, one of the things I was most struck by was that it wasn't just touch sensitive but responded to motion as well. The app Math Motion HD ($1.99) is fun and fractions at its finest. Actually, its fun, fractions, decimals, percentages, and visual representations. Out of all of my math apps, this one is my favorite to introduce along with the fraction unit in Everyday Mathematics. Yes, there are Everyday Math apps, but every so often they are available for FREE so I would wait if you don't have them yet. Math Motion HD is worth having to reinforce fraction concepts and parts of a whole.

The focal point of Math Motion HD is a solid fraction stick (on the game it is referred to as a number line, but it greatly resembles the fraction stick concept in Everyday Math). The object is to direct a "falling star" onto the number line in the correct place for the given fraction. Instead of touching the screen to manipulate the app, you must tilt the entire iPad (or iPod touch) in the correct direction. You have to estimate where the star should drop to represent the presented fraction. If you are incorrect, different levels of hints are given to show were the fraction is on the number line. On the first incorrect response, an arrow will point in the direction you should tilt the iPad. The second time, the number line breaks into units (such as fourths or eights). The third time, three random fractions appear on the number line along with the units. I like this because it allows the students to correct themselves instead of just being wrong and moving on. The visual respresentation is great!

As you move through the 24 levels (it is a fast moving game, thank goodness!), the numbers you are trying to represent on the fraction line evolve to decimals, percentages, improper fractions, and a combination of both. The number line eventually respresents more than just "one" to make it more challenging. At one level, the number line represents negative integers, but does so in a way that students could figure it out without being confused (it's actually a great way to introduce the concept!). There is a beginner, medium, and hard version of the game so you can adjust it to meet your students' needs. Even the score is shown as a fraction :)

This app will make your students think and keep them focused on fractions while having a blast! To find out more, visit the link below to get in motion for math!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/motion-math/id392489333?mt=8