Apps & Clip Art

OK. I wasn't going to do a post today because I just started back to work yesterday and I am a big wimp who is tired. I even posted two of these on the FB page (sorry for the doubling up, FB peeps!) but then I decided a quick one.

If you are interested ...

Silent Film Director is free until ... Sunday, I think?

I made this little clip of my niece dancing like two weeks ago (before it was free, of course!). Thought this year I might try a book trailer or two. Maybe a curriculum related clip ... funny weather or social studies or something?

and Shake a Phrase is free TODAY (8/17).

Source: itunes.apple.com via Angie on Pinterest

This one's new to me but it looks fun.


Then Melonheadz just joined Teacher's Notebook and is holding a sale. Her Etsy store is having a sale, too. Check out her blog for info. I got the colored cat and superhero ones and may, by the end of the weekend, break down and get a couple more. We've already discussed my clip art problem. ;]

Source: teachersnotebook.com via Angie on Pinterest

Also look at this cute Scrappin Doodle's collection. The line art (b&w version) will come with it for free (if you buy the color) before the end of the month. Sign up for her Friday Newsletter and get a monthly discount code for purchases as well as a weekly freebie.

Source: scrappindoodles.com via Angie on Pinterest

Debating on pictures of our library. Interesting or no? Very fine balance, I think. Commiserate with me on the stupid lack of walls. But FUN blue wall. And some shelf top displays. I don't put out a lot in the way of decor because of being so open. Things walk away. (I don't mean to make it sound like I'm surrounded by kleptos cause I'm not. It's just the nature of working in a hallway. :/)

Tomorrow will be a Lunch Lady post. Nothing super involved ... just like a line or two about each. Finally read them all! Then I'll be back for What Are You Reading Monday? Just picked up my last Babymouse from the library so that will also be coming next week. Naptime. Or clean up mess time? Or laundry time? Or exercise time? #decisions




PS I owe two people emails! Will get those files out to you tomorrow!

Reading is Dino-mite! bookmarks

So I won't be doing this too much because I don't want to drive people nuts with bookmarks and displays. There are other things to talk about! But I'm kind of having fun with it at the moment. Sooo ... here's one dino-bookmark freebie. If you're interested in more ... or the coordinating color library display signs ... head on over to the TPT store.

PS Just for fun? I'll send the pdf file of color library display posters along with the coordinating bookmarks (if I have them) to the first two people to comment below with their favorite combo from my little TPT store. Make sure I can find your email (either in your blogger profile or on your blog)!


PS#2 It will tell you in the TPT files but just so you know from here as well ... the clip art comes from KPM Doodles! Check out her button in the sidebar.

NBC repost

For those of you who are members of the Nerdy Book Club ... this is a repost. Not a member of the NBC yet? YOU SHOULD BE!!! Post originally appeared here. ;]

photo credit: radioher via photo pin cc

My Top Ten EPIC Heroes. Or Heroines!

Two loves (well, three if you count chocolate chip cookies and four if you count my family … but I digress): books. And movies. Can I say that here? But not any kind of movie. EPIC movies. Which often come from EPIC books. Or cases where they should have made an EPIC movie from the EPIC book. This journey has been called a basis for all things EPIC. In some ways I follow those guidelines in determining what is EPIC. Other times? It's just me.


In No Particular Order Because I Love All of Them and Boy Is This a Random List

* Harry Potter. Not to be too fangirl but Harry Potter! Because of course … he follows the classic road. He comes from humble beginnings and is unsure when he is first called. He faces challenges and temptations with his friends and a wiser, older mentor. He sacrifices everything (OH! Hopefully that is not a spoiler for anyone?) in order to achieve redemption. Plus he has Hedwig. Can an owl count as a mythical creature? I love owls. They are EPIC.

*Frodo and Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Remember this quote?  “It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were.... Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frod, I do understand... There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and its worth fighting for” (from Tolkien’s The Two Towers). LOVE IT. Most definitely EPIC. Is that not why we read? And to your writers out there … thank you. For sharing those stories with us.

*Morris Lessmore. Started as a short film. Then became an app. Is now a book! I argue that he is an epic hero. He rises from a place left in shambles and is called when he finds the books. They are his helpers and mentors as he shares his love of stories with anyone who will listen. This is a wonderful story that we can share for years to come. EPIC.

*Liam from Frank Cottrell Boyce’s Cosmic. Not everyone may agree with me on this but Liam … he is an everyman hero (Dear English Professors From College, It’s been a while, I know. Did I just make that up?). He finds himself in incredible situations and manges to get himself out of them. Also he makes me LAUGH. Cases in point? “I said cockadoodle doo. I don’t usually.” “OK. You lot are my mission.” Space suits that made everyone look like “criminal tangerines.” Oh and he does lead a group out from oppression. Just see what happens when he starts at a new school and is mistaken for a teacher. EPIC.

*Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. No, there are no mystical powers here so it doesn’t exactly fit the definition of EPIC. Except in my book. Come on, anyone who can keep such a great attitude in the face of a family who thinks she should act in a manner more befitting a “lady”? That was her battle. And her Grandfather was, while by no means perfect, a loving and wise mentor. The book  does have an EPIC first line. Some of you will know what this really means. “By 1899, we had learned to tame the darkness but not the Texas heat.”

*Olive from The Books of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West. I will be honest … this one took me a while to really get “in” to. But I’m so glad I finally did. Olive is most definitely a reluctant heroine facing supernatural beings with the help of mystical creatures. Slightly spooky but not really. Still waiting for book number three. How EPIC would it be to be able to enter a world through a painting?

*Benny Imura from Jonathan Maberry’s series. (Fair warning … this is for the YA readers among us. NOT my current students!) It sounds so ridiculous but this is The Most Human of all zombie stories I’ve ever read (not that I’ve read anything close to all of them nor am I even a horror genre fan … this is NOT the author’s usual horror). Benny and his brother are called to dispatch zombies … sent by loved ones to save them from the neverending walk of the undead. UGH that sounds gross. But it is SO good! There are mentors and challenges and transformation. EPIC.

*Kira from Dan Well’s Partials. I will be the first to say that the actual execution of the story is not necessarily EPIC. I would have done some of the editing differently. That put aside? Kira is a heroine to be reckoned with. The world seems to have ended (no babies survive long after birth) and all are asked to do more than their fair share. She rises above with the help of friends and … others. I will definitely be back for more of this EPIC story!

*Gonna have to give a shout out here to my students. PETE THE CAT (Eric Litwin) is an EPIC hero. He faces all sorts of challenges and while he does not have any extraordinary assistance … he still succeeds. IT’S ALL GOOD. They tell me. And really … is that not what a hero is all about? Facing trials and new situations without getting upset?

*Otto Malpense from Mark Walden’s H.I.V.E. series. Don’t let the Higher Institute of Villanous Education fool you. This is an hero who must defend against dark forces at every turn. He has friends. Mentors. Enemies. Cool spy gadgets. Even a little bit of magic. Go. Read. Run that EPIC movie camera in your head!

Melonheadz Superhero Bookmarks

Haven't done any of these for a while ... thought I'd try it again. Most of the "quotes" had to come from the movies since, truthfully, I haven't read many of the comic books. Still can't figure out how to properly link a photo. So click HERE if you'd like to download. I got the clip art from the fabulous Melonheadz. You should totally go check out her work and then buy some. It is SUPER cute.

If you like this bookmarks and maybe would also enjoy some others (as well as some printable mini-posters for display) check out my brand new TPT shop here. I jumped on the bandwagon if only to support my afore-mentioned purchasing habit. It's pretty small right now ... a freebie how-to on book trailers and then the two bookmark and sign options. I hope it will grow!

Only TODAY and TOMORROW left in summer vacation. #bittersweet

Planning Ahead (Maybe)

So ... ever since discovering Pinterest my ink and Paypal budgets have multiplied. By an insane amount. Another area in which I need to learn to exercise more self control. :/ (The other two being CHOCOLATE and putting an amount of books I can actually read in a given period on hold at the library.) I thought I'd share some of my favorite purchases from the TPT Back to School sale.

With my luck many things will change this year and I won't get to use these.

And some say "Why are you buying lesson ideas? Aren't you supposed to come up with those?" But hey. If someone else has a great idea I'm gonna take advantage of it. Saves me time and may be a better activity. I tweak it for my kiddos!

Though seriously ... considering if I have enough original ideas to open my own store because all the shopping starts to get expensive. Plus my clip art habit. ;]

First up? (Not necessarily in order of how much I like it. Just first on this list.) Graphs Galore. Find it here.

I don't naturally think of graphing. Kids still need that skill. And hey ... I could improve on it myself since I'm more and more interested in designing infographics (I know ... makes no sense, does it?).

Thought I could integrate them pretty easily into storytimes or booktalks. There's a zoo one, a pet one, a "critters we fear" one, an AR test one (could totally have done without that but oh well), and a test scores one. Covers bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs, and line plotting.

Our campus math scores were not what we wanted them to be so this is my third attempt (first is always decimal place value and finding books in the non-fic area, second was our library data board (if you missed that last year as it came pretty late ... you'll see it again!), and now this one. Will be adding more, I think, with the iPad/iTouch stations in rotations. I hope.

I only bought the first one a couple weeks ago. Not even sure ... I guess with reader's theatre and fluency practice? Not as directly curriculum related. Just cooler than cool. Color (only WHY did they put the blue behind all of the masks? Total ink waster and you cut that part off.) and blackline. Find these Halloween themed masks here.

Library Centers. You know her! Super cute alternative to kind of boring reading logs. Find this one here. (And check out the other genre one.)

Sort of a reverse biography study. The info is given and the kiddos have to figure out WHO it is. Find it here.

Seasonal words on picture tiles so the kids can manipulate them and create new words. Sort of like a precursor to Scrabble or Words with Friends. Find it here.

Another area I don't naturally think of (I sound like a dummy. I mean, I do think of other areas. Just ... ELA is just my natural go-to. Branching out!) so these will be helpful. Might integrate them into specific content area rotation studies or just have them as an enrichment area. Find them here.






This is not even all. So ... go. Spend your money if you are so inclined.

What Are You Reading & Monday Cameo Made It

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.


The reading has slowed down. A LOT. *insert slightly sad face here* *but only slightly because hey! the kids!*

THIS WEEK
Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes (review when I finish all of them and do a LL post)
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute (same)
Babymouse Burns Rubber (same ... only a Babymouse post)

Black Heart by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cassell pulls off his best work yet on this one.

Bravo.

Does it have to be over?

The Third Gate by Lincoln Child
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think I like his work with Douglas Preston best ... but hey. Any good mysteries set in Egypt, right?





NEXT WEEK
I'm listening to Everlost by Neal Shusterman while I'm on the treadmill or bike. I'd better finish it!
I really must finish the professional books.
Plus I have 3 more Sisters 8 books checked out from the library.
And The Hollow City (Dan Wells) And my E-ARCS.
Apartment 101 is ... sort of dragging. The main characters are in high school but the story reads like an overly simplified juvenile fic, if that makes sense.
Trying to get through the E-ARC of In a Glass Grimly but the format is strange (2 page spreads so I have to zoom in to even read it and then turning the page is hard).
Gem (Holly Hobbie) and a Lunch Lady are waiting for me on the library hold shelf.






And my Monday Made It's? More like Monday About Two-Thirds Finished ...

These are going to go inside the Super Hero Stuff table supply boxes (PS Melonheadz clip art ... SO CUTE!). They are for, obviously, pencils. Bummer thing is they are about an inch too short to put the lid on if you have new pencils. Pencils won't stay new for long.

These ... I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do with them. Laminate and put sticks on the back. Then ... hmmm. Not really sure. Kids can use them to show books they like during book talks? Silly to make something I'm not sure what I'm even going to do with.

Imagine 7 or 8 of each of these (plus some flags I still have to make and the letters of the author's name) hanging as a fishing line banner from the ceiling of the library. Do you know what visit we are preparing for from these hints?

Powtoon Book Trailer

So I've been playing around with a new tool I heard about ... hmmm. I already can't even remember where.

POWTOON.

Here is the book trailer.




What do you think?
Now, it is still in beta so there were a couple of bugs. I can't say the interface was TOTALLY intuitive. But it didn't take long to figure out. I'm excited to play around some more.
They say they have an educator account which would facilitate downloading of videos. I sent in my info so we'll see what they say. The hard part is always "student accounts" if the kiddos are under 13. Now, I wouldn't suggest this for younger than 4th or 5th either way (see "not entirely intuitive interface") but once I get it down totally I think I could help them along. We'll see. I'm hoping yes because I really want to try using this more.
Or, even if the kids aren't doing it themselves, it certainly makes for more interesting presentations I could show them (on whatever topic). Or for professional development.
I like it. I think you'll be seeing it again. Keep it up, Powtoon! You've got the start of a good thing.