Workshop Wednesday, Month Ahead, and Currently!!

I apologize for all the link ups in one post!!  I just want to participate in all of these great linky parties and I won't be blogging again until at least Saturday.  I am working in my room the rest of the day today and then we are headed for a little mini getaway to a water park that is 45 minutes away.  We are spending the night in a hotel for two nights with the kiddos!  They are SO excited.  When your kids are only ages 5 and 3, staying in a hotel just 45 minutes away is like another world to them:)

First, I am linking up with my buddy Jivey for her Workshop Wednesday.  

She has a new topic each week!

Don't you love her new button?

This week's topic is math websites.

There are so many great sites out there (many of them FREE!) but the one I use often costs money. Our school pays for a subscription to Castle Learning.  

There are free trials offered but I am not sure if individual teachers can sign up for the trial.

If your school does have grant funds or budget money for technology, this site is definitely worth looking into.  

I use it primarily with my AIS (academic intervention services) students.  With RTI (response to intervention), we are required to keep a lot of data!  This website differentiates instruction by common core standards and is such a helpful tool.

Here is a snapshot of an assignment's results by math CCSS (these are the AIS students only...sometimes the results can be quite scary).  

Red means that less than 65% of students mastered that standard.

Here is another snapshot of questions missed by each student for the assignment (names are not in the picture).

When students are working on an assignment, they can have the questions read to them.  This is great for my students who struggle in math that also have reading deficits.  This option can also be disabled by the teacher.

 The computer gives students hints if they answer the question incorrectly and prompts them to try again.  After students answer each question, there is an explanation and work shown for how to solve the problem.  I require my students to show their work and correct wrong answers on their scrap paper to turn in.

There are so many possibilities that you just have to check out if you think your district would be interested!

Next, I am linking up with the fabulous Jessica at Literacy Spark for her new 

"Anticipating the Month Ahead Linky".

Here are the rules:

• Share one thing you are looking forward to during the month of April.
• Share one thing you are dreading during the month of April.
• Share one thing that you hope to accomplish during the month of April.

Looking Forward To:  I am looking forward to an overnight scrapbooking retreat with my friends on April 19th!  I am far behind in scraping (just like everything else!) and this will be some wonderful girl time after a week of state tests:)
Dreading:  The two weeks of state assessments.  I get so worked up and this year is supposed to be particularly difficult for my poor students who have worked so hard.  Enough said!
Accomplish:  Get some scrapbooking done, finish another TPT product, organize my pile of kid's "memorabilia" collecting dust in the laundry room!

Finally, I am linking up with my total blog crush, Farley, at Oh'Boy Fourth Grade!

I am loving my "staycation" and getting some much needed work done at home.  

I also love the quality time with my own kiddos:)  

Sometimes when I go somewhere for vacation, I arrive home even more tired!  This wouldn't have worked well because I am already still worn down from this sinus infection that just won't go away.  I am on my second antibiotic and I feel somewhat better so I know it is working.  However, it is not going away!! Ugh!  I need some sunshine and warmer temperature I think:)  

Just do what you do best is my advice.  I often tell myself this and it makes me feel so much better when I am overwhelmed.  If I just concentrate on doing what I do best, everything else falls into place.  Everyone has their strengths!