Five for Friday...err..uh...Saturday?

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for a linky party. I know it says Friday but I'm posting today.

click here to check it out

Five random things about my week:

1. Over break I got a Hulu+ trial subscription. (I discovered Downton Abbey and had to see S2) This week I've spent my pre-bedtime time watching old school Real World. This week, Real World Season 4: London. I was like in middle school when it first aired and I think that MTV even showed music videos back then. 

2. I mentioned in an earlier post that my district had a snow day the Friday before break. This means on Monday when we came back to school we were playing holiday catch-up. In the morning I did Polar Express with hot chocolate, Secret Santa book exchange and for lunch our pizza party. In the afternoon my lovely room parents came in and did the Christmas party with the kiddos.

I think I'm coming around to postponing the parties. It was a nice easy transition back into school.

3. I laminated allllll of my centers for January and I cut them out. (This amazes me because I am not a fan of this task) On Monday during centers I introduced the kiddos to all of our new centers and they were psyched. I was really impressed with how well they did with some of the centers.

I made number bonds with missing parts and wholes and even two missing parts and they've done very well so far

We needed more number pattern practice and one girl flew through these!

4. I really missed my students. It was so good to see them and we had a good week. Over break I took down all of the December decorations, crafts, and writings. The hallway seems bare and my room is no longer sparkly and full of decorations. So I decided to do a writing craftivity from A Cupcake for the Teacher on Friday. I was calling kids to the back group table to add marshmallows and glitter while they independently were coloring and doing the writing prompt I chose. For the most part they worked so well. I was impressed. Now I have something to hang in the hallway!

click here to check out her blog post

5. I am really enjoying having a classroom iPad. Ideally I'd have a 1:1 ratio with them but I will start with one. Each day I have a student of the day and they are allowed to use it during Daily 5 (I'm still not up to all 5 every day but that's another post all together). During center time a student is allowed to use it as well. I've downloaded a dozen or more free apps and one paid app. Below is a screenshot of the paid app. It's called AirDisplay. You download the app and install the program on your Mac/PC. You can then use the iPad as a second monitor or use it to mirror your computer screen.

I just bought it Tuesday and I mostly use it to mirror my screen I am able to walk around the room and control my computer and now with a stylus I can use a writing program (OneNote) so I can have kids use the stylus to write on worksheets and the like. I have a ceiling projector to project my computer onto my screen so this gives me more versatility. Very nifty.

the app is $9.99 and that is quite pricey for me for an app but if it means more interaction for  the kids it was worth it