5 Things That Changed The Way I Teach

First off, I apologize for not putting up a blog last week and being a few hours late this week. I had family in town and forgot to post before they came in. 

Secondly, I had such a great time at the EMU (Educational Meet Up) sponsored by CCSD last week and can't wait to attend another one! Check it out and join us if you are a CCSD teacher, you won't regret it! 

Anyways... enough of that awesomeness (It's a word right?) and on with the show! Here are 5 things (applications, websites,  etc.) that have changed the way that I teach both in and out of the classroom. 

1. Twitter- This has to be the greatest thing to happen to me as a teacher. I have been on Twitter since 2007 with a personal account and I had seen the articles on using it as an educator. I just didn't have enough time or interest to sign up as an educator. I finally did thanks to a push from Jon (aka ipadsammy) and am so glad that I did! There are so many great people on Twitter that have helped me out.. the list is too long to count. I have built up my PLN (Professional Learning Network) and they have helped me from getting free books to teaching me about different educational events and even Skyping with Mrs. Moses(@MoTechChef)! I would love to keep going on but will have to save it for another post... On to the next one! 
2. ReadWorks- Readworks has saved me so many times when it comes to teaching reading. Readworks is free to sign up and has awesome lesson plans for each grade level. They also have novel studies to go along with the older kids. One of my favorite things about Readworks is that each lesson plan has a book to go along with it. What if you don't have the book? Well Readworks steps in and gives you a list of multiple books to use. They also provide you with a script to use, worksheets, and answer keys to go along with the lesson. This is a great tool for new and old teachers alike. 
3. Sumdog- I love using this in my classroom and so do my kiddos! Sumdog is an online game where your students can practice reading, writing, and mathematics. While you have to pay for the reading and writing, a good portion of the math games are free. This is great for students at any age, is very addicting, and very user friendly. My class ended up purchasing the year subscription for mathematics, reading, and writing. We couldn't be more excited. Sumdog allows the teacher to control the learning of their students, and it also figures out what level the student is on to keep them engaged. This is a teacher and student favorite in my class. 
4. Geddit- While it is hard to use Geddit in my own class, I think that this is a great tool for teachers looking to assess their students during a lesson Geddit allows teachers to understand the learning confidence of the student right there. This is not only free but great to use for those educators who are working in a 1:1 classroom. The best part? It works across all devices so you can start that B.Y.O.D. day right away! It is super easy to use and the the man behind Geddit is always accessible on Twitter! Check out Justin here. 
5. K-5 Math Teaching Resources- This has to be the one of the best resources for math games ever (along with Teachers Pay Teachers). Here, teachers can find their grade level and standard easily, then print the games all for free. The games are really fun and engaging for the kids and they all align to CCSS. I usually put my games in page protectors so that the kids can write on top of them with whiteboard markers and ta-da! Instant engagement, differentiation, and it only took me 20 minutes to prep. This is a great edition to add to your must have list. 

So there you have it, my list of 5 things that have changed the way I teach. There are a TON of resources out there and there are a lot more that have changed the way I teach. I hope that these 5 are diverse enough to get you started thinking about doing cool and exciting things in your classroom

Keep on searching the internet and share your favorite websites with me!

Have a great rest of the week and don't forget to share your favorite resources with me, I can't wait to see what you use in your class!