Showing posts with label back to the archive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label back to the archive. Show all posts

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Exactly one year ago today...I started writin' on this blog

Exactly one year ago today...I started writin' on this blog.

Happy ONE YEAR Blogiversary to me.
Are you singin'?
Should I blow out some candles?
Do I need to make a wish?

One year ago...I had no idea what I was gettin' myself into.
I didn't know that I would make friends with people around the world.
I didn't know that I would grow tremendously as a teacher.
I didn't know that I would learn so much.
I didn't know that my brain would be non-stop thinkin'.
I didn't know people would actually read what I wrote.
I didn't know that I was funny...okay well maybe that's an 
exaggeration...I've always known I was funny.
Yes, I'm braggin'...

I'm goin' to link up with Angela from The Teacher's Desk 6 for
Throwback Thursday, Nick from
Sweet Rhyme-Pure Reason for Back to the Archive and
The Teaching Tribune for Throwback Thursday.
 

Anyways...I'm goin' to throw it back to my very first post...
You can read it here.

Readin' that first post was bittersweet for me...
as I typed that, I was sittin' in my Nitty's livin' room
and now as I type this...I am sittin' in my parents livin'
room after returnin' from her memorial dinner.
It was beautiful...pictures to come on Saturday.
Oh...how much my life has changed in one year.
At the end of the day...I'm truly blessed and I'm thankful.
150 posts later(Yes...it's 150 today too!)
Again....150 posts later,
I know Nitty would be proud of me.
I'm proud of me.

Y'all know how much I love linky parties.
That's my jam.
So...I thought it only appropriate that I do
some reflectin' and think about some
tips and tricks that I wish I I would've known
on my first day of bloggin'.
I'm linkin' up with Teaching Trio
for Technology Thursday since bloggin' is technology.

I'd like to say THANK YOU to
Jessica at Ideas by Jivey for her Techy Tips and
Megan from I Teach. What's Your Superpower? for her
Blog, Baby, Blog series.
These posts have been the best help with Technology
and hopefully, their suggestions will have the same impact on you.
If you don't follow them...you should.

I'm nowhere as tech savvy as these two ladies, but I do have
a couple of tips that might be worth your while.

Even if it takes you a week...reply.
There's a reason you're bloggin'...you've got somethin' to say.
Am I right?
You want to be heard.
You want someone to read what you have written.
If you don't reply...you aren't makin' connections and
basically...you are tellin' the person that took their precious
time to read your blog and comment...
that they aren't important enough for you to take your time
to read what they have written and reply.
That's rude.
Don't be rude.
Be courteous.
Reply.
Most bloggers like to reply via email.
If you reply to someone's comment on your own blog...
not through email, but on your actual blog,
there's a chance people are not goin' to come back to your
blog to see your comment.
That's just the way it goes.
Which leads into the next tip...

This is a tricky one.
Some of you probably have no idea that you are even
considered a no-reply blogger and that's okay, but
now's the time to fix that.
Read here and here.
It will make more sense.

Want to know the fastest way to lose followers?
Only postin' about items you have in your store.
It's true.
If I follow a blog that ONLY writes about their products
on TpT, TN, or Educents....BOOM....I'm clickin'
UNFOLLOW.
Sorry...I'm not sorry.

This is the one that just about sends me over the edge.
I read a lot of blogs and I like to reply to what I'm readin'.
See above.
It takes me twice as long to go through blogs when I'm
sittin' fightin' with my keyboard over whether or not
I've typed the capthca phrase, word verification, no robot thing...
whatever it is...appropriately.
Sometimes it's itty-bitty numbers that I can barely see
and other times it's make-believe words with squiggly letters.
I gave up tryin' to reply on my phone or ipad.
Please for my sanity, fix this.
This will help you here.
I bet by followin' the instructions you will
be helpin' to lower many peoples' blood pressure.
Consider it a Random Act of Kindness.

Everyone that I have ever come into contact with in the bloggy world
is super helpful.  Don't be afraid to ask for help if you don't know somethin'.
Need help?  I'm here for you, buddy.
Here's my email: butterflialisun@gmail.com
I don't know everything and I won't ever pretend to, BUT...
I can guarantee if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer,
I will do everything in my power to find someone who does.
I have some super smart bloggy friends.

I hope that some of these Tips & Tricks are helpful to you.
I'm seriously glad I was able to reflect...one year later.
With that bein' said...
I'm goin' to also link up with my sweet friend
Jennifer from Mrs. Laffin's Laughings for
Positive Thinking Thursday.

Source

Happy Thursday, friends!
Make sure if you eat a piece of cake to celebrate
my blogiversary...that you eat a bite or two for me too!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Technology Thursday...Thursday Throwback...Positive Thinking Thursday...Teacher Tip Thursday

Today I'm linkin' up with
The Teaching Tribune for Teacher Tip Thursday,
Teaching Trio for Technology Thursday,
Angela from The Teacher's Desk 6 for Throwback Thursday,
Nick from Sweet Rhyme & Pure Reason for Back to the Archive
and last, but certainly not least...
Jennifer from Mrs. Laffin's Laughings for Positive Thinking Thursday.

First things first...
I have to tell myself this every single day of my life.
Family first.
Go home...it will still be there tomorrow.
Agreed?

I'm goin' to do a techy throwback again to somethin' that I think
would benefit every grade level.

&

The Hour of Code is COMIN' BACK
Mark your calendars for December 8th through the 14th, 2014.
I know this is a long way away, but you DON'T want to miss this!

My technology throwback:

The Hour of Code

I got an email from Donors Choose at the end of October titled "The Hour of Code is coming".  I quickly read through it and then saved it in my inbox.  Several days later, my Admin said we needed to watch a short video about "The Hour of Code" that our District wanted us to watch.  The next day our mornin' announcements had a video that had music and the words "The Hour of Code is coming in 32 days".  The kids were all askin'...."What is the Hour of Code?"  BOOM...it was everywhere!
So, I got onto Computer Science Education Week's website with the help of my pod bestie, J.R., to find a short video to entice the kids even more.

So...what does this even mean you might be askin'...
  
Basically, durin' Computer Science Education Week, we will spend at least one hour writin' code in our classroom.   My students and I will choose from a variety of one hour tutorials in order to participate.  I've read that no prior experience seems to be needed and it states that computers are optional.
Read here to find out more about the Hour of Code.
Here are some more places to find info:
Code.org
(sign up on Code.org to get a coupon for 10GB storage on Dropbox for
organizin' an Hour of Code in your classroom)
Gettingsmart
Scratch
(Accordin' to the tech genius in my class...this is the BEST site ever for kids to program their own games and animations.  I truly value his opinion.  He has gotten several of my kids hooked on this site.)
Code Academy
Khan Academy-Computer programming
CodeHS
10 places where anyone can learn to code
Hopscotch

I'm definitely intrigued and will be doin' some more research on the Hour of Code to pick out exactly what we will be doin' durin' the week.

Is anyone else participatin' in this?


Read about and see how we used the Hour of Code in my classroom...here.
I PROMISE YOU...You want to do this with your kids!!!



My sweet friend Laura from Learning, Lessons, and Life was talkin'
about movie theater popcorn the other day and it got me thinkin' about
how much I LOVE POPCORN.
My other sweet friend AMC from Elementary AMC has also 
been subjected to havin' to hear about my obsession with 
movie theater popcorn.  She probably wishes I would just get up 
off my couch already and go get some. 

Surely I'm not the only one that does this???




WHAAAAAAAT?!
How have I gone my whole life without knowin' there was such a
thing as National Popcorn Day? 
It occurs on January 19th.
You need to write this in your calendar too...RIGHT NOW...
you seriously aren't movin' fast enough...we CAN'T miss this!
This is almost...almost...as excitin' as the Hour of Code comin' back.

Happy Thursday, friends!