March 2006

How May I Help You?

Please email me if you want to do something special together.

Tech Note

Another Keyboard Shortcut

Ever signed up for anything online and you had to choose the state where you are located? So you click the drop down button and scroll through the A through V states to get to Virginia. A faster way is to tab to the state box, hit the V key which will bring up Vermont. Hit the V key again and Virginia appears! Then just tab onto the next cell to be answered.

Useful Things for Teachers

Did you know that Turbo Tax provides Tax Preparation and Online filing? Check out all the others on the IRS page.

Freeware- Memory Lifter - Use this software to create question and answer sessions. You can add voice to read the questions and even video clips.

Time Left is a count down alarm clock for your computer. Also uses the atomic clock server to adjust the time on your computer.

"Perfectly Puddy-Ful"

The Elementary Resource Teachers have a shared folder called Puddy. It's rights protected so we have to be logged in as ourselves to access this folder. Whenever we create a lesson we upload it to Puddy so that all the other Resource Teachers can access it as well. This gives us greater opportunities to make sure that all county teachers have access to the same wonderful resources. When you see one of us in your building, ask us to show you what is on Puddy. You may find a lesson, website, PowerPoint, or Inspiration that you can use. Sometimes you share great things with us. We put these in Puddy as well.

A new Causes of the Civil War lesson has been developed by your ITRTs and your Elementary Resource Teachers. Ask one of us to pull it from Puddy for you.

Thanks to Janet Madison from Amelon for her history PowerPoints for fourth grade. We have these stored on Puddy as well.

Jennifer Kish and Kristy Gugino from Central have some second grade PowerPoints on Puddy. Their PowerPoints include Famous Americans, China, Egypt, and one that compares China and Egypt

Just For Fun

I have heard many times that the SOLs limit a teacher's creativity. I disagree! Why can't you write your spelling words on shamroks and make a mobile out of them. Or create a chain using green and yellow links. On each link you could have students answer a reading comprehension question or content area question. Below I am listing some Saint Patrick's Day sites. If you think of a unique way to use these sites, email me and I will forward it on to others. And tis true, many of our fairy tales came from the Celtic Lands. Of course, are ye really acertain that they be merely fiction?

The Activity Place
Send a St. Patrick's Day Card
Lucky's Tic Tac Toe
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Billy Bear's St. Patrick's Day Fun
St. Patrick Customs & Traditions
St. Patrick's Day Kinder Art
St. Patty's Day Online Games
St. Partick's Day Fun at Kids Domain
Primary Games
Dr. George's On Science Site: How to Catch a Leprechaun
ClassBrain's Virtual Ireland

Too Cool!

Web cams that allow you to watch for leprehauns!
Watch the Leprechaun

Featured Links

TEACHERS & STAFF: I have tried to capture the best sites to tie into this nine week's Virginia Standards of Learning. If you need something more on a particular topic, please email me. Please take a few moments to browse not only these but the links you will find on the portaportal pages of colleagues. You can get to their portals by clicking here. If you wish to have links for a special lesson, let me know. I will be happy to assist you! All of these links will be added to the Amherst County SOL Links Page.

A web buddy of mine reminded me of this graphic organizer site which can be a great resource for anyone.

Prompt Generator

Word Wall lists and cards
Colorful Printable Cards and board games for phonics
Aaron Shepard's Reader's Theatre
Paragraph Maker
Brainchild Online Assessments provide multiple choice test practicing for students.

If you are reviewing regions of the United States or any other concept that would require grouping of states, you might want to try the "Map Maker" Utility site. Teachers can use the site to create maps needed for lessons, or assign students to create the maps

$$$$$ Economics $$$$$

Economics and Geography Lessons for 32 Children's Books by Montgomery County Public Schools ** EcEdWeb Resources - A whole page of resources K-12 ** Lemonade Stand A simulation ** Econopolis ** Kidsbank ** Online Elementary lessons - list compiled by Martha Hopkins ** ** Inventions/Innovations/Entrepreneurs by Teresa Moore @ Stonewall **Budget your Money on Planet Knab Virtual Game ** Where's George ** Wants and Needs PPT ** Primary Economics Jeopardy by Mandy Roberts ** Economics Definitions Jeopardy by Trevor Singleton ** 1st grade- Goods-Services lesson -- Student page --

Staff Developments

Gail Moore and I are doing a Staff Development on Excel March 7 and creating WebPages on March 16. Hope to see you there!

Literacy Link: How can I use my classroom computer to support Literacy?

This month: Comprehension Ideas using Inspiration

Retell - Student can retell (write) a story and use graphics to illustrate. Non readers can put pictures in correct order to retell story.

Summarize - Same as above but limit to fewer bubbles. Use activity above and delete the less important bubbles.

Main Idea - Using activity above and group ideas together to help decide on one main idea.

Predict - Create a two table template and have students create text boxes with predictions for the first table. In the second table they can create text boxes with ifacts that really happened.

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