Read Across America in our Library

It's Read Across America week and I am always ready to celebrate one of my all time favorite authors...Dr. Seuss! I think my dad has read his ABC book to me so many times that he could say the entire book by memory. Dr. Seuss certainly knew how to convey tough messages in memorable and meaningful ways that impact kids and adults (bigger kids) today. Besides being on display and read in our library, here are some ways we celebrated this week.

Happy Read Across America Week!

A photo posted by Lynnea Urbanowicz (@techiebookworm) on Mar 1, 2016 at 5:53am PST

1. We had a school-wide "book tasting" where kids took time to share books they love with each other and read a variety of books to get an idea of what they might read next.

2. Students dove into McElligot's pool using the green screen and drew pictures of the creatures they imagined might live there.

3. Students tried to read "Fox in Sox" as fast as they could without getting tongue twisted.

4. We were inspired by some of Dr. Seuss's most famous quotes.

Inspired by @miss5th

A photo posted by Lynnea Urbanowicz (@techiebookworm) on Mar 2, 2016 at 3:47pm PST

5. We of course...READ.

Keep reading and celebrating this week. Happy birthday Dr. Seuss!

March: Currently

It's a fairly cold and quiet Tuesday night at my house. Here's the "Currently" for March. Thanks Oh Boy It's Farley for always coming up with this monthly link up.

A few notes:
Listening...sometimes I find myself not turning anything on at all. Do you ever turn all background noise off to get things done?

Loving... I have been going through my inherited library office and school and finding all sort of treasures... VHS recording camera anyone? I am pretty sure I could start a museum for students to see what it was like before iPads and smart phones invaded.

Thinking... I am an aunt and live over 700 miles away. Sounds torturous...and it is! I cannot wait until Spring Break to see that little cutie again.

Wanting and Needing... warmer weather. But for now I will settle for a warm cup of Vanilla Comoro decaf tea.

Have a great week!

Valentine's Week: It's a Wrap!

I have a blog? I must have forgot this important bit of information over the last few months. A blogging break seems a gentle way to put it...but I am BACK!

...AND I am an aunt! One of the greatest moments of my life thus far. Holding a precious miracle in the first few days is a complete gift and I couldn't be more in love. Congratulations to my brother who is now a dad. Wow! I guess we are stepping into the official grown-ups stage of life. :)

I did not blog about our November...December...and even January business in the library, but I must say that I have loved finding new ways to get kids to check out different books. I have hid golden tickets, placed "Read Me!" signs, enhanced displays, and even wrapped books trying to get kids to not judge books by their covers. Well...the wrapping made another appearance in February with heart labels saying "You'll LOVE this book!" The kids went crazy over them. None were left after the very first day. This is not for the faint of heart because you will be wrapping like an underpaid elf! However, seeing their faces as they leave with a gem of a book in hand makes it totally worth it!

We also shared books that we loved and had a few of these chart paper beauties on display in our library. It gives kiddos a chance to learn what their peers are loving.

Happy LONG weekend! Until next time.

Techie Tuesday: Embed Instagram Pictures into your Blog

I was reading Five for Friday posts last week and came across Learning in Wonderland. How have I missed this incredible blog? I have no idea... but I did love how she used Instagram posts to highlight her week. Today's tech tip will show you how to do just that.

Sunday Scoop: October 17th

Thanks Kristen from Teaching Trio for hosting this Sunday tradition. I look forward to this link up every week. This honestly has helped me keep the momentum in blogging faithfully every week. Here's what's on for today.

I just love this picture from our huge family reunion. The word hallelujah serves as a reminder to give praise to God. For me, this picture helps serve as a reminder of the power of prayer and finding the hidden hallelujahs in each day. I hope you are enjoying your Sunday and find time to give thanks for all your little hallelujahs.

Find the hidden hallelujah in each day. #bethankful

A photo posted by Lynnea Urbanowicz (@techiebookworm) on Oct 14, 2015 at 5:25pm PDT

Don't forget to grab this week's bible verse freebie. ;)

Five for Friday: October 16th

It's Fri-YAY! A short week was a success. Sometimes these shorter weeks can actually make you feel more exhausted, but this one was great. I am so thankful for all the amazing people I work with (staff, students, and families). Today's 5 for Friday is pretty random, but a great reflection of my week. I had each number stand for something I did on that day of the week (1-Monday, 2-Tuesday, 3-Wednesday, 4-Thursday, and 5-Friday).

Monday (Happy Columbus Day): Woohoo! I finally am Google Certified. I put my day off to good use to take AND PASS my tests.

Tuesday (Institute Day): Look who is on my new stamps!!! I can't wait to write some letters this weekend.

Wednesday: I am loving this little treasure of a cookbook "Honey and Jam" by Hannah Queen and am planning some more Fall treats to bake this weekend. The Apple Cider Donut Cake was definitely a success... Excited to try something else in the Fall section.

Thursday: I am loving our two typing programs this year. We made the jump from type to learn to different programs that are web-based and provide differentiated instruction for grades K-5. We are using Typing Agent (K-3) and Typing Club (4-5).  I will type more as we keep learning about these two platforms.

Friday: Treat YO Self! I am enjoying this sticker delivery and celebrating a very productive week. I will be excited to put these little beauties on my planner. Thanks InkyDinkPrinting!

Have an awesome weekend everyone. Don't forget to see the rest of the link up over at Doodle Bugs Teaching.

Techie Tuesday: Creating "Use YOUR Head" Writing Templates

Welcome to this week's Techie Tuesday...complete with the strangest title ever! I am not really sure what I should call this project, but I am loving the possibilities. Today, I am going to walk through how to make cute head templates for all your writing activities this year.

Here are some ideas for use:

• Character Traits
• Use with "Children Make Terrible Pets" by Peter Brown and have kids draw animal bodies
• Seasonal activities (pumpkin, bat, snowman, leprechaun...)
• Thinking like a scientist/engineer and have them draw themselves as an innovator.

I have pictures of the first two ideas, but imagine the upgraded cuteness when these are not filled with pictures of me :)

   

To CREATE:
1. Take pictures of your students and download the pictures to your computer.

2. Open PowerPoint and Insert Pictures on each slide.

3. Crop the picture to outline your student's head.

4. Choose the circle format feature "Picture Styles" to create a circle of these heads. Make sure you double click on the photo to find any of these editing features.

There are also visual directions from the freebie below to help walk you through the process of adding your own pictures to these pages.

Hope this was helpful and sparked some creativity!

I have included a FREEBIE for Character Traits and Children Make Terrible Pets on TpT. You can use these to create your own for a wonderful class book. Please leave feedback with this freebie. :)

Click here to download your "Use YOUR Head" FREEBIE.