Inside Bell's Brain

I LOVE technology, and I was thrilled when I discovered the awesome number of apps that were FREE today!  I don't know how long they'll be free, so don't wait to download them.  Clearly I haven't had time to use them all, but I wrote a little blurb so you know a little about what each appears to do.  (I have had some of the McGraw Hill ones for a while since they were free last time, and they're WONDERFUL!)  I also noted some awesome discounted apps below that might interest you.  Have fun! My Favorites ELL Teacher GPS - I'm a HUGE believer in high quality professional development; I love to present to others, and I love to learn from others.  When I saw this app, I almost jumped from my seat from excitement!  Most teachers today don't get the training they need for English learners in their teacher training program, yet ELs are one of the highest growing diverse populations of students!  I always try to provide great PD for my co-teachers, but this app

As most of you already know, Alabama experienced a little bit of an emergency situation yesterday!  SNOWPOCALYPSE 2014!  We don't typically experience this kind of weather so our vehicles and roads just aren't ready for those conditions.  It was a tremendous blessing that our loved ones arrived back home after quite a busy day yesterday. (Here's a picture of my snowy baby playing outside this morning!) Since we're out of school for two days, I've been busy working on some TpT products!  My original plan was to wait until Friday to host a sale on my Chinese New Year Burrito Booklet ...but I'm TOO EXCITED!  So, in honor of Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) starting this Friday, I'm running a half-off sale through the end of the celebration! But, wait!  There's more!  I've also decided to run a half-off sale on my other products in honor of the Snowpocalypse!  Don't go back to school unprepared...snatch up some of these products while the

There are so many great educational apps out there that it's almost impossible to keep up with them all.  I LOVE technology, but it can be overwhelming at times to know what and when to integrate it with your "pencil and paper" instruction.  That's why I did a little research for your classroom and mine!  The apps in this post are currently FREE (checked again this morning), though some are always offered as free apps.  I downloaded them too...but I haven't played them all yet, so I can't vouch for each one.  The descriptions and concepts behind each one, however, look like they'll be definite wins in your small group centers or daily practice work.   Reading and language apps Word Wizard The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare Gappy's Mystery Letters Kindergarten Bingo ABC Wildlife Space Voyager Letters   Math apps Place Value Chart Algebrainiac : Multiplication Table Chalkboard Mathematics Counting Dots CyberChase Space

I am THRILLED that I just jumped in on my VERY FIRST linky party!  Check out this link to grab some awesome FREE resources from some amazingly innovative teachers.  I already snatched mine up!  Yours truly is at #25 with my Accommodati ons Labels.  I hope they help a lot of teachers; I know they have been a great time-saver for me.  I know I've already posted them once on my blog, but hopefully I will have more fun freebies up on my TPT store before my next opportunity to linky !  Don't miss out on this linky party...these freebies may only be available for a limited time!  (Image above provided by The Primary Gal.)

This year, one of my focus areas has been to incorporate more Whole Brain Teaching strategies in my daily instruction.  In my opinion, one of the best - and certainly most fun - components of WBT is "call and response".  These "attention grabbers" are very popular on Pinterest; you can find so many premade posters out there with creative calls and responses for teachers and students.  But I wanted something a little more individualized for my classroom, so I made my own!  I printed each page (pair) on a different color of bright paper.  I cut out each phrase using several designs of craft scissors and glued each pair onto a large posterboard.  (See photo below.)  My students really enjoy them; it makes a big difference in student engagement and adds variety to our lessons.  I'm sharing the file with you so you can do the same!  It will be free for the first 24 hours, so grab this one while it's HOT! NOTE: I took out some phrases from