Inspired by Crayons ...

This now hangs in my classroom.

Inspired by Crayons Melted Crayon Art

One day I was surfing through Pinterest and came across some examples of Melted Crayon Art.  So being a little crafty I decided to learn more about this type of art and give it a shot.  During my research I discovered many different types of melted crayon art.  Some people used canvas while other used foam core boards, and yet a few used wood planks to attach the crayons to.  Then I noticed that some people left the wrapper on the crayons while others removed them.  


Inspire:
Materials:

• Foam Core Board 16x20
• A Rainbow of Crayons
• Hot Glue Gun & Sticks
• Black Letters
• Mod Podge
• Foam Brush
• A Tab for a Pop Can  
• Heat Gun/Hair Dryer 

Directions:

• Arrange your crayons in the order you want them on the board leaving white space on the sides and top (incase you want to frame it later).
• Using your hot glue gun glue down the crayons.  I left the wrapper on the crayons they seem to attach to the board better that way.
• Arrange the black letters to spell out the word you want to spell.  For example; Inspire, Dream, Hope, Faith, and etc... 
• Using Mod Podge and the foam brush glue down the letters.
• Allow the Mod Podge to dry.
• Using a heat gun or hair dryer start melting the crayons.  You will want to prop up the board so it will allow the melted crayons to run down the board.  Go slowly so that you don't have a flood of melted crayons.
• Allow the melted crayons to cool.
• I applied another coat of Mod Podge over the entire surface of the board to give it a finished look.
• Flip your board over and attach the the pop can tab using your hot glue gun to the top of the board making sure you center it.

Be as creative as you want with this project and use the colors you like.  I picked out a rainbow you could do different shades of blue, purple, red, and etc... 

Chicken Soup for the Summer Soul

Chicken Soup for the Summer Soul ...

As the temperature rises this summer the less and less I want to cook.  To help get me motivated in cooking I decided to visit my Pinterest Board for Crockpot recipes.  After looking through my saved recipes I remembered that I had pinned a very yummy looking Crockpot Chicken and Noodle Soup that I wanted to try.

Tech Tip:

• Use a visual pin board such as Pinterest to help you save and organize recipes.
• If you use Pinterest it helps to divide your boards by categories such as Chicken Recipes, Crockpot Recipes, Cupcakes, and etc... 

Recipe: I did change the original recipe just a hair.

Ingredients:

• 26 oz of chicken stock (Swanson)
• 1 packet of chicken flavor boost (Swanson)
• 2 cups of water
• One 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
• 1 small package of frozen sweet corn
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup Egg noodles
• 2 cups grilled chicken breasts chopped/shredded 

Directions: 

Add everything but the noodles into the crockpot and cook on Low for 5-6 hours, the last hour turn the temperature on High, and add the noodles.  Once the noodles are tender and ready, enjoy.

I have a feeling that I will not have any leftovers tonight.

Quizlet .... Making it Simple

Quizlet Making it Simple 

I recently learned about an online web tool called Quizlet thanks to a webinar.  As soon as the webinar was over I made my 1st online flashcards for my technology class.

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards

Quizlet lets you quickly make your own digital flashcards, quizzes, the speller, and other games tied to your vocabulary words.  What I really love about this is that I can embed the flashcards into my classroom website.  You can also share these digital flashcards on your classroom twitter, blog, or even Faceboook.


Since I just learned about this free web tool I haven't had a chance to use it in the classroom.  Though my son who will be in Honors English in the fall had a summer assignment and we both sat down and created digital flashcards for his assignment.

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards

Tech Tip:

• Embed your flashcards to your classroom website, blog, or wiki.
• If you use the quiz feature have your students show you their score before they close the page.

ClassDojo

ClassDojo....Classroom Management Application

Since I teach in a computer lab setting I like to reward my students with a little free time on the computers.  I was racking my brain trying to come up with ways to better keep track of my students behavior, so that I can reward them.  I thought about having a marble jar for each class, since I am going to have 4 keyboarding classes, 2 computer apps classes, and 2 social studies classes I decided that was way too many marbles.  I might even lose my marbles if I tried that approach.  


This summer I attended a webinar that introduced a classroom management application called ClassDojo.  I think this application will be the answer to my dilemma.  I can set up all of my classes via my computer which only took a few minutes.  I will then be able to reward positive points to my students or add negative points for behavior issues. 



You may be wondering "What is ClassDojo?"
ClassDojo is a tool that helps teachers boost classroom engagement and improve student behavior quickly and easily, with just one click! It also lets teachers communicate behavior data with parents and students. Best of all, it’s completely free!


Behavior management finally made positive
• Award feedback points for specific behaviors,
   learning habits, and accomplishments in class
• Everything is logged in realtime - with just one click


I will be able to use this application via my phono, iPad, or computer.  When little Jonny just will not stay on task I can record it easily, instantly, and have a report for his parents.

Screen Shot of My Classes

I am looking forward to tying this application in my classroom this fall.