April Showers…
Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 
5:49 pm ()
April has started off rather wet here in Western Kentucky. As I type this, it is pretty much pouring down rain here and thundering. Yucky.
I have been kind of “absent” from the online world for the past several days (maybe even longer?). I’ve just been really busy at work, and when I get home I haven’t much felt like getting online really. The time just seems to fly by these days. Last Friday night I started feeling a little sick, and Saturday I work up and ended up having diarrhea all day (TMI, I know). That whole weekend was pretty much ruined. 
I was fine by Monday though. It was a 24 hour thing I guess.
This whole week I have been teaching the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders how to use Microsoft PowerPoint. Pretty much none of them have really used it before. I didn’t get a chance to do PowerPoint last year due to all the testing I had to do (way more than I do now). I wanted to make the assignment as easy as possible for everyone. Each grade has to do as many slides as the grade level they are in. (5th grade does 5 slides, 4th grade- 4 slides, 3rd- 3 slides) Except, they all also have to do a title slide in addition to their number of slides. Here’s what each class is working on:
5th Grade: Sense Poetry - Each student had to choose an emotion word (sadness, happiness, jealousy, anger, etc.) and then they had to write a sentence about their emotion word for each of the five senses. For example, if they chose ‘happiness’ they might say, “Happiness tastes like a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie my grandma made me.”
4th Grade: Fun for all Seasons - For each of the four seasons, they have to write what they like about or like to do during that season. I tried to make this as simple as possible for them because the 4th grade group is the roughest group in the school.
3rd Grade: Favorite Holidays - Each student picks their three favorite holidays and tells why they like that particular holiday.
The kids are really doing great with it and seem to be enjoying it a lot. I did some really pimped up versions of their assignments. I added transitions and sound and cool backgrounds and everything to get them excited about it. My plan worked. They can’t wait to add all of the clipart and things. I’m making them type everything first and making them keep everything boring old black and white until they finish their typing. I can’t wait to see what they all come up with! 
I showed 1st and 2nd grade this really cool website I found called Kerpoof. It’s similar to the software we have called KidPix, but this is WAY more user friendly for younger kids. My first graders really struggle with KidPix, but love Kerpoof! It is fun! I created an account on there myself. The best thing is- it is super kid friendly, and there’s no advertising. You can make drawings, pictures, stories, movies, and cards on there. Try it out! It’s fun to make things!
I also found another cool website called Glogster. I haven’t actually tried it out myself yet, but it looks really neat. Basically, you can create digital collages or posters. You can add interactive things to you posters as well, and they have tons of stuff on their site you can add to your creation. It’s pretty nifty! I’ve found a lot of other neat sites while at work this week and last week too, and I’ll share some more later.
I taught Kindergarten how to play Sebran. Sebran is a free game I downloaded. It’s great and has lots of mini-games that make it up. Kids of all ages love this game. There’s math parts (adding, subtracting, multiplying), memory matching games, hangman, and a great set of games called “rain” games where letters or numbers fall down the screen. This is GREAT for helping little ones learn where they keys are at on the keyboard. If you have a small child, I’d recommend this for them. Most of the activities are geared for say K-2, but my older kids love it too.
I am so behind on reading everyone’s blogs! 
I also haven’t been ab;e to really return comments lately. Sorry! :shame: I also owe a few people snail mail letters. Hopefully I can catch up on things next week during my spring break (yay!). I will also be updating my site next week. I need to upgrade to WordPress 2.5 and I think I’m going to be making some changes to the layout and/or adding more content.
Oh, one of the teachers at school was collecting money for Relay for Life. She said our principal agreed that if we we donated $5.00 we could wear jeans all week (this week). 
I donated right away!
I leave you with this bracelet I made my mom for Easter. I love it! I want to make myself one. 
It’s made of acrylic and glass beads, silver stars, and sterling silver.
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Filed in: Crafty, Education, Websites, Work ()
16 Comments so far
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Melissa scribbled this note on April 4th, 2008: 
[ Quote ]
YAY JEANS!!
I looove it when I can wear jeans to work! Those PowerPoint projects sound like such fun! I always remember unique things like that from school…I’m sure your students will too.
Not only are the project subjects creative, the skills will help them in the future too…especially in college and/or work. Glad to see you bloggin’! I know how that is though, when you just don’t feel like getting online. I go through that alllll the time!
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Friday is jeans day at my work and i get excited every friday! :star:
Your life sounds so busy!!1 It’s a wonder you manage to blog at all, but I’m glad you doo cause i love reading them love: That bracelet is soooo pretty. Did your mom love it?
Those websites look awesome. It must be so much fun to work w/ both computers and kids.
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omg, sorry to double comment but!
you’re thinking of making a webcomic??? that would be soooo cool! you totally should. If and when you ever have the time XD
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Wow, even your kindergarten students are using computers? Man, do I feel old or what! I never even had a computer class until I was thirteen.
It sounds like you’ve come up with a lot of fun things for your students.
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Hi,
I just read a post and thought you might want to know about ToonDoo.
http://www.ToonDoo.com is a free, online comic strip creator tool that allows you to create your own comic strips, publish and share it with the rest of the world.
Hundreds of teachers worldwide have still gone along and used toondoo with great impact in school, assignment, and presentation environments.
Not just that, it also comes with two cool features for creating your own avatar and uploading your photos and images.
Worth to try once atleast
T.R Prakashan
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Those are some awesome assignments for the kids. I hope they enjoy it. The other items were interesting as well.
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Today at the aquarium I saw a rainbow fish and thought of you. I tried taking a pic but he just kept getting away! LOL!
Good to see you back on the web! Missed you!
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powerpoint eh
congratulations on getting them all to use it lol.
:3 jeans. they’re so. jeanish lol. -
Glogster is cool, I have an account there. I haven’t been on it in a while though.
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Powerpoint! I’m not a fan of the program, but employers are and I’d have killed to have had it taught ( or even around, lol ) back in my school days. What a cool idea.
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Oh man! I totally loved sense poems.
I may have to play around with some of your assignments, even though I’m well past elementary school they seem like fun! -
Your 5th graders are doing sense poems?? That’s what I’m doing!
I remember KidPix. Those were the good ‘ol days. -
Thanks for sharing those kid-friendly websites. My nephews and nieces have discovered the internet already and this may just be the right place for them to spend their time online.
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Hurray for jean days!!! Although in my line of work (being a professional blogger) jean and PJ day is every day…lol. Also, I absolutely love your bracelet that you made that is ubber cute! Me wants.
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Yay for jeans. I love those. Those kids are lucky to have you. You come up with the funnest things for them. I would have loved to have you as my computer teacher in school when I was a kid. You make it sound so fun.
Ashley, you know I was teasing you,dear. I know you read my blog, and you know I read yours all the time. The entire time I was stitching the rainbow I was thing of what you would say. Cause I know you love rainbows. It isn’t very big, but I am still trying to find a rainbow to make for you & what to make for you, lol. One of these days, I am going to sit down & make cards for all my friends & mail them out. But shhh, you don’t know that, heehee.
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Wow, I wish I would have had you for my computer classes in elementary school! Our teachers would never let us do anything, and I had hardly been on the Internet at all until I was in junior high.
I’m also really behind on things but I’ve just been too busy and there’s really nothing I can do about it. I’m sure everyone realizes that you’re busy, too; I know I don’t hold it against you
The bracelet you made is so pretty! I used to make all kinds of things like that with those jewelery kits you can buy for kids, haha. I found some of them awhile back and I realized how weird I must have looked…
Anyway, I hope you’re doing well!
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