Teaching Tip of the Day - Zip Grade

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I know scantrons aren't the rage of education these days, but I found a way to make them less of a hassle for when you do use them.  Download the app: Zip Grade.  It acts as a scantron machine on your smart phone device.  Need answer sheets? No more begging colleagues to help a sista out and give you a stack of scantrons OR no more hoarding scantrons for when you "really need them" and they're no where to be found.  Go to zipgrade.com to print answer keys directly from their site.  For the first 100 graded papers, it's free.  If you want to grade more than that, it's only $1.99.  I think yes.

How I used it today: I hate assigning reading for homework (even though I teach English) because assessing who read the next day is always messy.  Not this time.  I made a multiple choice quiz for the rest of the reading selection and handed students a scantron as they walked in.  When they settled down and were quiet, I handed out the questions.  When they were done with the quiz they were to read their AR books.  While they read I "graded" their quizzes just by using the camera on my class iPad over their answer keys.  The app graded all the quizzes in less than a minute.  I also had immediate results on how students answered the questions... meaning, the app provides data as to how many students chose letter A, B, C, D, or E for each question. For example, if 9 students guessed the correct answer was A, but the real answer was really B and only 3 students got that question right, it's worth looking at why this happened. This really helps with knowing what you might have missed while teaching.  I will, for sure, be purchasing this app.

Pros:

• Easy Access - on my phone or iPad
• Less Time - I don't have to go anywhere to do my grading and I don't put off the grading because of a dreadful walk (Funny story - ONE time I had to throw out a stack of student response scantrons because I waited too long to grade them because I never felt like getting out of my flow and going to the room that had the grading machine... awful!!!)
• Immediate Data- It was easy to review today after the quiz because I knew exactly which questions students struggled on
• Easy to use - not that a scantron is hard to use... but it's a dying breed.  Some veterans don't even know how to use the machine - let alone newbies.

Cons:

• Money out-of-pocket - Not a large price to pay though
• Negative Rep - Scantrons don't get much respect these days in the teaching field, but can be used for quick feedback

Tip of the Day - "Back-to-School" Night

My school just hosted a "Back-to-School" Night for parents to come to each class to get an overview of what to expect from each class for the year.  At the very last minute, I remembered how I bought picture frames from Ikea for class stations.  I whipped these bad boys out and quickly created signs using MS Publisher.  Near every handout, I had a sign to easily identify what it was.  I received a lot of compliments (from other teachers).  I guess I can assume that parents liked it too.  I may do a survey with the names I received to get feedback on the night as a whole. Just speaking out loud here...

Idea of the Day- Ebates

Get a $10 gift card and cash back for doing something you already do through Ebates!

The site is easy to use - sign up for an account. Choose where you want your gift card from (I chose Target). Browse through their extensive list of online retailers (I mostly use LOFT) and click the store you were already going to shop from.  Make your purchase... That's it.  You'll receive cash back every time your cash back amount hits $5.

This isn't a get rich scheme - but its a good way to take charge of the purchases you already are making online.  With Christmas around the corner, it would be nice to see some of your own money back in your pocket where it belongs.

If you sign up through my link, and make the $25 in the allotted time (it was a couple months I believe) then I get $10 cash back.  And then you can solicit your own friends and family too to get $10 back for each of them!

Here are only a few retailers that are associated with Ebates:

• LOFT - 6% cash back
• WALMART - 1% cash back
• Bath and Body Works - 2% cash back
• Macy's - 6% cash back

Teaching Tip of the Day - Donors Choose

About a week before school started, I signed up for a class project on donorschoose.org. I decided I would request a class iPad(with case) for students to use (instead of them using my personal iPad).  I didn't think much of the project which cost around $700... I figured "who knows" and "we'll see."  Well, I sure did see! KIA Motors of America sponsored half the cost of the project. Then, my mom jumped on board with a donation and used the code "Inspire" for donorschoose to double her donation.  Then, with the help of other people from the community (who I've never met) we met our goal in only about 2 weeks.

Outfit of the Day - Leopard and Royal Blue

My room at school is still SO hot.  At certain points during the day I think it is almost cruel to have students in there... but I don't have many other options.  We can escape to the library where three other classes are scheduled to be in there at the same time... which doesn't leave me much room to teach and my kids much room to learn.  I haven't come home yet from school feeling clean.  I have had a continual film on my body every day.  I think you get the picture... and I think many of you know exactly what I'm talking about.

On to the pretty things... I got this leopard print fly away back blouse with royal blue along the edges at Marshalls for about $13.  I wasn't sure if I would wear it to school, but with my preface being about how hot my room is, I used this blouse as an option.  I layered a royal blue tank underneath so that there would be no inappropriate skin exposure.  I paired this lovely top with white Bermuda shorts (from TJ Maxx a while ago) and a braided flat pair of brown sandals. Oh yeah... and my usual watch which I still love.