Grade 4 Projects

Mrs. Flesher's students just did some great projects. Check this out. Turn on the sound and enjoy!

fillanypdf

I spent lots of money several years ago to get a program that allows me to upload a PDF and fill it in right on my computer. I was thrilled to finally have a tool that saved me from printing out the form, filling it in by hand and then faxing it to the recipient. BUT...it costs lots of money. fillanypdf is a free web 2.0 tool that does the same thing and did I say it is free, free, free! Here's a quote directly from their site:

"FillAnyPDF.com is a website where you upload your PDF form and link to it so other people can fill it out and sign it online. No software is needed. Any PDF form can be used, even if it's not "interactive", so you can get started right away. You can even invite a group to fill out your forms and track the results. Anyone that collects signatures or filled out forms will find FillAnyPDF.com to be a valuable time-saving resource."

Try is out by clicking here. I think you'll find it very useful.

reBlog from Dkapuler: Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero

I found this fascinating quote today:

Explore is an excellent site for getting great educational videos. This site reminds me a lot of United Streaming but free. Once a person finds a video they are interested in they can either download it to their computer or view it on the web. These videos fall into different categories such as: environmental, human rights, health, philosophy, etc etc. Another great feature is that the films are broken down by grade level and there is a great photo area as well!!Dkapuler, Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero, Apr 2010

You should read the whole article.

A Travelers Guide to the Planets

The Educational Technology Guy shared a great science resource today from National Geographic. A Travelers Guide to the planet is an interactive resource that allows you and your students to study any of the planets. Pluto is still included however Earth is not listed. Click on the title of this post or here to go to the site. It takes a few seconds to load so be patient. The first screen will open with Mercury. Here you may learn more about that planet by clicking on visit or any of the buttons near the bottom. To check out another planet click on the symbols below the picture. Make sure you find the forward button near the bottom so the info can be read aloud. I am impressed and plan to use this right away with a 4th grade classroom.

Lightning Bug

Lightning Bug looks like a neat site to use for writing. The tag line says it all..."Your writing partner, helping you write a story from beginning to the end." First click on the title of the post to go to Lightning Bug. Take some time to explore this site by clicking on headings on the home page. Scroll to the bottom and find some other links that target writing. Great resource!

BrainPop Jr.

I love BrainPop and BrainPop Jr.. Both are great sites with engaging videos for students. The problem is that there is a cost for membership. If you haven't ever looked at these sites, take a peek today. Notice that they have a trial subscription so you can look at it for a week to decide if you want to purchase a subscription. I feel the price is reasonable for the product however I usually don't share sites that cost. What I want you to do is click here or go to the title of this post. Find Free Stuff on the home page of BrainPop Jr. and click on that. You'll find some great resources to use in the classroom. I was interested in the Internet Safety video and the other one on Bullying. Then I decided to go over and visit BrainPop. Not only do they have the trial subscription but they have free stuff there too! If you keep looking there is a free page of resources for educators. I'm saving up for a classroom subscription for next year but in the meantime, I'll use the free resources available to all teachers. Lots there! Enjoy!

Chalkboard Paint

I've been reading a lot about using chalkboard paint and was thinking I might like to paint a table using it. That's an idea I got from Instructables. As I was reading the directions, there was a link to Lisa Stewart's blog, Creative Goddess. She has a great video explaining how to make your own chalkboard paint with any color paint. Think about a blue or red wall in your classroom...one you can write on with a piece of chalk! And then you can erase it! WOW!

I'm adding Lisa's video here but it is on youTube so you will need to watch it at home. Thanks to Lisa Stewart for her great directions on making chalkboard paint! Don't forget that you click on the title of the post or click here to go directly to Lisa's blog.