Word Nerds Chp. 5 freebie, IPads, and WINNER!

I am linking up with Sabra from Teaching with a Touch of Twang for a book study on Word Nerds!  

I am absolutely LOVING this book and all the amazing ideas for helping our students appreciate words!!  Check out the link ups for the other chapters if you haven't yet:

Chapter One: What's the Big Deal About Vocabulary Instruction?

Chapter Two: Classrooms the Foster Word Confidence

Chapter Three:  Making Introductions

 Chapter Four:  Squeezing the Juicy Words-Adding Synonyms and Antonyms

I am posting about Chapter Five: Active Vocabulary Practice today.

Chapter five is filled with many ways for students to practice vocabulary in both the whole group and small group or independent settings.  In this chapter the authors state, "One step of the instructional model is practicing new words in a variety of settings.  Our students love to act, draw, sing, and talk, and they thrive when they are engaged in active learning.  We rotate different types of practice activities during each vocabulary cycle..."

As I was reading the various whole group and small group/independent vocabulary activities, there were some new activities I had never heard of and variations of strategies I have tried in my class.  I wanted a way to remember all of their suggestions, so I made this reference guide to refer to quickly when lesson planning.  You can download it here for FREE!

This really sums up chapter five.  I hope you find this reference useful and enjoy trying a new way to provide active vocabulary practice in your classroom!

Next, I am linking up with Kristen from iTeach 1:1 and Aylin and Amanda from Daily Learning to the Core for their Technology Linky party!  This week's topic is all about iPads.

I had one iPad to use with my class this year (better than none!) and I just started to get my feet wet with some apps and ways to incorporate the one iPad with my students.

I have a pinterest board filling up with all the ideas I need to sift through this summer for the iPad.

This post by Stephanie at 3rd Grade Thoughts was a great starting point for me in incorporating iPads in math independent practice morning work time.  

With just one iPad available this year, (next year I am supposed to be getting three more!) I kept a schedule where I rotated the iPad use during math independent morning work time and during ELA Daily 5 (well, 4) rotations for word work.  I also used it during math intervention time with a few apps.  I was intrigued by this post of a Dewey Document Camera Stand also by 3rd Grade Thoughts and it is on my wish list.

My favorite blog post about my iPad was when I blogged about using the iPad as a checkout system for my classroom library here.

I can't wait to see how the iPad will enhance our classroom learning environment this year!

Finally, I am so excited to announce the winner of my Birthday/Blogiversary giveaway!  

The response was overwhelming and I am so thankful for all your support!!!  

I learn something new every day from this wonderful, supportive blogging world!

And...the winner is...Debby D.!! Check your email:)

Tried It Tuesday (a few hours early), Sales, and Giveaways!

I'm sure I am breaking some bloggy linky party rule by posting my Tried It Tuesday linky a few hours early but this post is loaded with some sale information (as if you didn't know about them) and some Giveaway shout outs!
First, my Tried It Tuesday is something small that I have been pinning for a few weeks after reading all the link ups about this topic from Tried It Tuesday!  Wow...my linky party is giving me so many new ideas and items that I have added to my to-do list!!  Sometimes, I am just a tad overwhelmed:)

What is Tried It Tuesday?  Read more about it here.

<center> <a href="http://fourthgradeflipper.blogspot.com/"><img src=" http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt15/04fallingstar/3AM%20Blog%20Design/3am_triedittuesday_3_zpsd7a240d4.png" width=225 height=225 border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center> Awesome linky button above designed by the talented Michelle at The 3am Teacher! My Tried It: QR Codes Okay, I am definitely NOT an expert and really have only tried two QR code activities, but they have been a HUGE hit with the students this past week!  I wanted to share this with you in case these little codes everywhere freak you out even half as much as they did me!  I just had NO idea how they would work and it was a little intimidating. So, if you are wondering what all this QR craze is and how it actually works, here are some simple steps that I completed in very little time! 1.  I downloaded the FREE app, Qrafter, for my (one and only) iPad:)  So easy!

2.  I printed these FREE parts of speech QR codes from Literacy Spark.  Thanks, Jessica!  She also blogged about how she made her own QR codes.  I haven't tried that yet:)

3.  I also downloaded and printed this FREE QR Code Line and Angles Scavenger Hunt from talented Kristin at iTeach 1:1.  Check out a ton of Freebies from Kristin here!

Also by Kristin, these Common Core aligned math QR task cards are on my wish list!   Hmmm...maybe there is a sale coming soon:)

I had some great inspiration too from this guest post on Minds-In-Bloom by  Math Teacher Timeout. So, one item I am going to stock up on are some QR code activities for the remainder of this year and next year.  There is a little sales event that I'm sure you have all heard about coming our way!
I am loading up my carts in preparation.

Teacher's Notebook is having a Teacher Appreciation Sale.  All items in my store are 20% off and TN is offering an additional 10% off from May 4-May 10!

All items in my Teachers Pay Teachers store are 20% off May 7th and May 8th with an additional 8% off at checkout using the code TAD13!!  Wahoo!  

Thanks Beth from Zip A Dee Doo Dah designs for the adorable button!

Last but not least, there are SO many Giveaways to mention right now!
There is my 500 Follower Giveaway that ends May 13th with over 50 prizes available and FOUR winners!  A total of $60 in Amazon gift cards will be given away in addition to many other amazing prizes:)

The sweet Mandy at Caffeine and Lesson Plans is having a 100 Follower giveaway that includes many prizes ($30 TPT gift card is one of them!).  

I am helping out with the fabulous Fab and Fun in 4th 100 Follower giveaway!  It ends in 3 days and includes lots of bloggers prizes!

The wonderful Jeanette at Third Grade Galore is having a 100 Follower Giveaway that you have to stop by and enter!

Magic Mistakes & Mayhem is having a 100 Follower Giveaway!  You have to check out her super blog.  Boy, did she reach 100 Followers fast!!

I would love it if you linked up anything you have "Tried" (new or old)!!!

iPad Help!!

Help!!  I recently received ONE iPad from our tech budget to use in my classroom!  Yay!!  You can imagine my excitement in getting one iPad to use with my class:)

However, the number of apps available is overwhelming me.  I started with four math apps and one ELA app for the students to take turns using on a rotating schedule during math center, math AIS (academic interventions services), and Daily 5 centers (I use more like a Daily 4).  The apps I downloaded so far are:

The students that have had the chance to use it this week really have loved it but I am not sure what apps I should really be using.  Please...does anyone have some good recommendations for fourth grade apps?  It would save me some legwork if I can hear from real teachers what has worked in their classrooms:)  

Also, I have been nutty about letting students use the iPad anywhere in the room except for a table where the iPad can be propped on this cover set up that came with it.  I told the students that they cannot carry it around the room.  You see, I also have responders in my room and it never fails that someone drops the responders when they use them.  This could be deadly for the iPad.  Am I being too paranoid?

Any help or advice you can take a moment to offer is greatly appreciated.  Thank you:)

Update:  Thank you for the comments so far!  I can't wait to check some of these out!!  The iPad I have has the otter box on it (thank you to Shasta Looper for your comment reminding me what that thingy is called) and my tech guy didn't say anything about the iPad being replaced if it is damaged in the otter box.  I guess I am paranoid they will take it away if I can't take care of it.  Also, the apps don't have to be free.  I am not sure how much I could spend but right now I only have 5 apps and am allowed to send some requisitions to the tech dept.