Bloggiesta

Hmmm. I thought it sounded like fun. But now I'm not exactly sure what I want to do. Should have planned ahead. By Friday night my brain is somewhat fried.


1) Well, I've never added a follow button just cause I know there aren't all that many of you (THOUGH I DO APPRECIATE THE ONES WHO ARE!). Seemed kind of silly for the numbers I see on the dashboard and in Google Reader. That's how I follow most blogs. Google Reader. But maybe I will, anyway.

2) Reorder the sidebar. It's kind of unhelpful.

3) Add a Pin It button to posts with printable signs and bookmarks.

4) Figure out a review style. I read pretty fast and rarely take notes as I go. So ... my reviews are not all that helpful. They're more like ... general impressions. Anyway. Ponder. It'd be cool to come up with a ratings system other than the stars on Goodreads. Though in a pinch that works.

5) Work on a blog backup. Just in case. I keep meaning to do that with my personal one since it's the closest thing I have to a journal. Never do.

6) Brainstorm some new post topics. ESPECIALLY topics that would lend themselves to pictures.  Not pictures of the kids at school, cause that's not allowed. But pics in general.

7) Commenting. DO IT MORE. I started the commenting challenge over at Mother Reader back in ... when was it. January? February? Then I got sick and let it drop.
(This one's not done ... but I have commented on a few. More to come! There are lots of great blogs out there!)



But now I will go take a Tylenol because CURSE YOU POLLEN my head hurts.



8) Let's see if it works ... I added a signature.
Lame. Didn't work. What did I do wrong. Or maybe it will only work on NEW posts. Not updated ones.

9) Playing around with some social media icons. Only one I've added right now is Pinterest. Color actually works, which is cool. What I really want is to have them in a horizontal row in the lower right of the blog header. That will take more HTML knowledge than I currently have. But come June it will make for a good project.

This Just Pinned #4

School Type Stuff

Like this series of animal research centers. Would just like it even more if I could figure out how to make it without using so much paper! And remaking it to be less tundra centered and just animals in general.



Learning to properly use Evernote and Dropbox is on my To Do list this summer.


This one is ironic because ... because I am super frustrated with our space right now. Not only do I need to keep library classroom management where it needs to be, apparently I also need to work on the "hallway." Cause we are IN the hallway with no walls and so help me, this does not feel like an environment where anyone can learn, no matter how hard I try. It's too loud and there are too many people walking through at inopportune times. :/



Not School Type Stuff






I just gained five pounds looking at this picture.

Thoughtful Thursday

Ummm ... not so much.

Bookfair? And (WORSE if that can be possible) ... bookfair acounting. The numbers never match!
High Stakes Testing?
Lots o' other drama in the "grand scheme not important but surely annoying day to day"?
Dumb pollen that makes me sneeze and my head want to explode?

photo credit: barbourians via photopin cc

Can I have a repeat spring break? Pretty please?


Today I had to throw together a PreK storytime cause I didn't think I'd be there but I was. Standby favorite that NEVER fails to please? MO WILLEMS and Piggie and Elephant. I love how excited they got. Actually stayed in their seats and listened to the stories. And laughed. PreK doesn't always do that. ;] Of course then only five of them had brought their books back. That's what you get for having bookfair the week after spring break.


Back on Friday with This Just Pinned. And next week, hopefully, with some finalized plans for and beginnings of cool animal research (first grade), alternate energy sources research (fifth grade), and book trailers (book clubs). That'd be cool, right? And maybe a Hunger Games movie review.

Actually, I still need to see Hugo. I bought it. But I haven't watched it. YET.


Dear Bookclub that Meets on Friday,
So ... I haven't read the book yet. PLEASE FORGIVE ME. Cinder looks really good. But I'm still waiting for the library hold to come through.

Earth Day type Bookmarks

Since it's just fun to make these and use my clip art (again, both of these are from Scrappin' Doodles) ... use if you can. Come back again another day if you can't!


Love our Planet

Forest Friends

It's Monday! What I've Been Reading

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.


So for bookfair week this is pretty decent. Actually thought I'd get more picture books in. Really I did get lots of glancing ... but then it would get busy and I'd have to set the book down and then I'd forget. And for a couple days the district filter was blocking Goodreads, anyway. Sigh.

This week? This week is testing. Yay. :/



Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. I mean, I guess I'd heard about Jefferson and Sally. But this book really brings home what it must have been like for their children.

The author does a great job of explaining just how difficult it is to explain how the man that wrote the Declaration of Independence could own slaves. Could father children and still keep their mother a slave, and have the children live as slaves, never openly acknowledging their existence.

Definitely an upper middle school or high school read, just for the length and complexity of the story.


Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stayed up too late finishing this one!

Very intriguing. Take historical fiction and mix it with some mystery and royal intrigue ... plus some romance. Not too much, but enough to make it interesting.

Oh. And a likable assassin. That's a GIRL.

You've got a winner! Can't wait for number two. Have to wait. But can't!

I did get a little ... not sure what the word is. A little tired of hearing about Mortain. One has to build the mythology, though. So it's still an awesome start to a series.

Please don't forget Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, though! Love THIS series for me. And Theodosia for me, too. But also love Theodosia for my students. :]


Bailey by Harry Bliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great for the beginning of the year. Well, really any time. But especially then.

Plus I love the whole decision about which collar to wear. :]


One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Super fun penguin story. Will definitely be adding this one to the story rotation.

And maybe a silly short intro to an explorers research activity.


Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Had this on my TBR list for a long time ... it was high time to read it.

And, I am glad to report, it was definitely worth it. Great story. A little bit of a sad story ... but there's enough hope, there, too, to make it great.

I hope I don't ever have to recommend it to a student because they are going through a similar experience. I hope it will always be just because it is a good story.

View all my reviews


Next Week--some combination or another of the following ...
The Nick of Time
Schooled
Ashfall
The Mighty Miss Malone
One Year in Coal Harbor
Show Me a Story
Secret Letters
Choice Words
Reading Is Our Business
Throne of Fire (I KNOW ... I've owned it since the first week it came out and still it is on the TBR pile)

This Just Pinned #3

Do you know how desperately I want to make these? I wonder how many minutes on the treadmill this would equate to. Or, more realistically stated, how many sizes I would go up if I ate some.





OOOH! I do like this one!





Not back or down. Up. And ahead.










I foresee some time being wasted on this site. And some useful stuff being made, too.

Tech Tuesday ... Animation-ish

I've been playing with this a bit on their free two-week trial. I need to ask them ... read some news reports from Jan of this year that it will be updated in "early summer 2012" (along with the debut of an i-Pad app!).
If I bought it now would I get that update? If not I will probably wait because this will take some getting used to and I am a perfectionist (totally against the "ish" principle, I know). Plus the school year's almost out so I'd have more time to play with it in the summer and use any finished products next year. Yes, we do still have two months. But I've got a lot personally going on in those two months as well so I might just wait for the new one. Still. This is fun! I do want!

Get your info here.

Source: shop.fablevisionlearning.com via Angie on Pinterest

Think of cool book trailers. Or (if you had the license for school) projects kids could do ... show the water cycle, or a plant growing, or the phases of the moon.