Red, White, Blue...and Learning!

While most schools are either out for the summer or are on a break this week, a select few may actually have some classes. 

Whether you can personally use these ideas and activities or know someone who can, I hope they are fun and educational! 

Have a wonderful Independence Day everyone! 

Enjoy the links listed below! 

Independence Day Activities Pack

Free 4th of July Pack

Free Independence Day Journal

4th of July Educational Fun

Independence Day Online Games

The Shot Heard 'Round the World

June's Most Popular Posts

Here are the most popular posts during the month of June*: 

*Stats posted below were current as of June 27, 2013

Posts

Entry	Pageviews
Fun End of the School Year Ideas May 10, 2013, 2 comments	584
Summer, please SLOW DOWN! Jul 12, 2012, 2 comments	148
Funny Education Cartoons Feb 19, 2013	113
Dr. Seuss in the Computer Lab Feb 25, 2012, 2 comments	111
A Bit of Humor & Inspiration Jun 14, 2012, 2 comments	51
Upcoming Holidays and Events Jan 12, 2012, 1 comment	34
Ready for the Year! Aug 12, 2012, 4 comments	34
Online Resources to Help Avoid the "Summer Slide" Jun 14, 2013, 1 comment	33
May's Most Popular Posts May 31, 2013, 1 comment	32
TpT: $1 Sale!! Jun 19, 2013	30

Pages

Entry	Pageviews
Ed Tech ABC's Nov 14, 2012	25
My Live Binders May 24, 2013	20
Blogs to Love! May 24, 2013, 2 comments	20
My Social Media Links Jun 7, 2013, 2 comments	18

Online Science Fun!

Kids love Science! While most kids prefer for it to be hands on, sometimes that's not always available. 

There are many ways to still get Science knowledge and learning without the setup and cleanup of materials, etc. 

Below are a few links to many fun online Science games for elementary and PreK children of all ages! 

I hope they are useful and fun! Enjoy! 

Turtle Diary: Science

Learn 4 Good: Science Games for Kids

Primary Games: Science

Kidopo: Science Games

EdHeads: Simple Machines

TpT: $1 Sale!!

I've decided to drop the price of 5 of my TpT products to only $1 for today and tomorrow only: June 19-20! 

After that, they will return to full price. 

Stock up for next year! The links to the products are listed below.  

Happy Shopping! 

Farm Animal Fun

Homophones: Reference Lists and Activities

Book Celebrations

Seasonal Glyphs

Beginning of Year Math Facts Assessment 

Fun Links & Summer Ideas

Lately I've come across a few game sites and some other fun summer kid ideas that I feel the need to share! We all know that kids can get bored over the summer months, so here's hoping these ideas and links will help out kids of all ages! 

Whether they enjoy technology or hands on activities, hopefully there is something here for everyone. 

Enjoy! 

Summertime Fun: Pinterest Board

Highlights Kids

Watermelon Activities

Room Recess: Educational Games

Online Resources to Help Avoid the "Summer Slide"

As a teacher, one of the big frustrations at the beginning of every school year, is having to reteach skills to students that were taught to them at the previous grade level. 

While it's nice to have summers off, it really can "hurt" students in terms of the academic knowledge that can be lost. 

It's vital to let parents know the importance of reading, practicing basic math facts, etc. during the summer months. The more they engage in these type of activities, the more they'll retain. 

Below are some links with great resources, tips, and online activities to help students avoid the Summer Slide. 

Educational Games & Activities by Grade

12 Great Resources to Keep Math Skills Sharp

Help Your Kids Stop the Summer Brain Drain

48 Summer Websites for Kids & Teachers

Top 10 Tips for Summer Reading

Teachers vs. Summer

I know that like many of you I hate it when non-educators make it sound like teachers do not deserve to have the summer months off. As we all know, we put in more than a year's worth of work into 10 months' time! Many of us use the summer to plan, create new resources, work a side job, take classes, etc. 

Below are links to tips and ways to use your summer to its fullest!! While it's nice to have the time to begin preparing for the new school year, it's also important to take a break! 

I hope these links are helpful to many of you! Enjoy your Summer!!!

Top 10 To Do's for Teachers During Summer

10 Ways Teachers Can Be Productive During Summer Break

Summer Planning

Make the Most of Your Summer

Lesson Planning Fun

What Teachers Do During the Summer

Learn & Search

With today's vast resources online, it's become easier for teachers and educators to learn about the latest in education. Teachers learn best from each other and we always seem so willing to share our resources and expertise with one another. 

With that said, I am including links below to sites that will allow educators to search for great PD resources or education technology tools and resources. If you know of any others, please feel free to share. 

Thanks! 

Tioki: Connect with other Educators

EduStruct: Digital Learning Environment

EdShelf: Reviews and Recommendations of Ed Tools

Quixey: The Search Engine for Apps

Bundlenut: Create Bundles of Links