One More Thing...

So I know my last post said that I was wrapping things up with this blog assignment, but as many of you know, there is always one more thing you think of or want to change. In this case, I was finding it annoying that whenever I clicked one of my links I navigated away from my Blogger page and had to hit the back button to return. This is fine if all you do is navigate away to one page, but if there are links to click on that page, and more on the next, well, you've pretty much entered a digital labyrinth! After a little research, I found a great article on how to make sure all the links on your blog open in a new tab (happy dance!)
I'm not a coder, but this was pretty easy to do. Here's the link if you wish to make your blog more navigable.

Wrapping Things Up

It's almost the end of the semester and time to finish adding all the pieces of my blog. It has been an interesting spring and I've had the opportunity to learn about and play with so many new technologies that I didn't know existed. I hope to continue with the blogging experience, whether it looks like this one or not. I've found it to be a helpful tool for gathering ideas and technologies into one place, and have since found other teacher blogs which are helpful. I think that in this digital age, the more we can help one another, the better.

April is Poem in Your Pocket Month

The Academy of American Poets is holding its annual Poem in Your Pocket day on April 30th. The basic premise is that you print out and carry around a favorite poem and share it with others. You can also Tweet your selection on the 30th by using the hashtag #pocketpoem.

Here is my selection:

Storm Ending by Jean Toomer

Thunder blossoms gorgeously above our heads,
Great, hollow, bell-like flowers,
Rumbling in the wind,
Stretching clappers to strike our ears . . .
Full-lipped flowers
Bitten by the sun
Bleeding rain
Dripping rain like golden honey—
And the sweet earth flying from the thunder.

Click on the link below to find your own poem for your pocket.

Printable Pocket Poems

Survey Monkey

 So I got to play around with Survey Monkey today which was fun. It was a pretty easy way to quickly generate a simple quiz which could be used in the classroom. Test yourself and have fun!

Create your own user feedback survey

Roald Dahl

It's quite possible that some of you have gone through life without the joy of having picked up one of Roald Dahl's wickedly delicious books. If you only read one Roald Dahl book in your life, I suggest you pick up 'Matilda', the story of a girl who desperately wants to go to school and learn, the terrible headmistress, Miss Trunchbull and the brave Miss Honey. One of my favorite quotes from the book:

‘Do you think that all children’s books ought to have funny bits in them?’ Miss Honey asked.

‘I do,’ Matilda said. ‘Children are not so serious as grown-ups and love to laugh.”  

Roald Dahl also wrote two autobiographies which are interesting reads. Once you read 'Boy' you'll fail to be surprised that so many of his children's books are quite dark and that the adults or unpleasant children in them will often come to a sticky end. His book 'Going Solo' details his career in the Royal Air force during World War II.

Add a few copies of Roald Dahl's books to your classroom bookshelf.

The Gift of a Snow Day

Today is a snow day, so no work for me. This has been the perfect opportunity to play around with some of the online tools and apps which we are exploring in class. I had some fun editing photos with Picasa and have been trying to figure out the best way to put a usable calendar on my blog. It seems that the best and most useful way to do this was to create a page dedicated to that purpose. Anything else looked too unwieldy and not very user friendly.

The Power of Twitter

Sometimes you can find some great online tools that give help in a fun and informative way.  Twitter feeds can sometimes do a wonderful job of educating and inspiring. One of my favorites is from Grammar Girl.Using the power of another favorite online tool, YouTube, I learned how to embed the Grammar Girl Twitter feed onto my blog so that you too can enjoy.

Nature Is A Work of Art

Sometimes you don't  need to go to an art museum to see a beautiful painting. Sometimes nature can create a stunning canvas. This photo was taken at sunset in early spring.  I edited the original image using Picasa to create a more artistic photo.

Image before editing.                                                                   Image after editing.

How about using visual images as story starters in your classroom? The possibilities are endless.

Welcome to Wonderland

You've found me! Welcome to my blog; I hope to create a helpful resource for elementary school teachers to help with the teaching of creative writing. It goes without saying that book recommendations will probably find their way here too - it's hard to be a writer without being a reader! As the weeks progress, I hope to add more links to useful tools to help you in your classroom and to hopefully give you some ideas and inspiration.

I'll leave you with a favorite quote:

"Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift."
                        Kate DiCamillo