Gettin' crafty: QR code dice for practically free!

This past week I spent 3 days in Truckee at the CUE Rock Star teacher tech camp. The Rock Star camp format is by far my favorite with two hour, hands-on sessions that give teachers time to explore and create. Each day has a different theme and each session is repeated in the morning and afternoon. So the only downfall (if there is one) is that presenters don't get to attend any other sessions. There were so many amazing sessions that I would have loved to attend! One of these was Melissa Hero's day 3 session "What to Do Once You Flip". Her session resources can be found here. One of the teachers who attended Melissa's session was raving about the QR code cubes with questions. I had to learn more. Melissa shared her blog post on the topic. 

Inspired by her post, I decided I would try to make my own. However, the first thing I discovered was that 10 wooden blocks cost around 12 bucks on Amazon. Not super expensive, but it meant I would have to wait. I asked my husband if we could just buy a 1x1 piece of wood and cut it with the table saw. That had to be cheaper than 12 bucks and I could get it right away! Patience is not a strength of mine. 

As luck would have it, we had a 1x1 in our back yard. My husband says it's 10 years old or so! Free! Awesome. He cut off the concrete and started cutting it into cubes. And then sanded them all with our little motorized sander. We ended up with 38 cubes! Cost so far? Nothing!

Treasure

Got power tools?

Cut and sanded!

While he was hard at work cutting and sanding, I made the QR codes. You can read Melissa and Krissy's posts for more details, but basically I created 6 Google slides, each with a reflection question, and made it "view only". Then, I created a QR code for each slide. I use the Chrome extension Shorten Me, but you can also go to Goo.gl to shorten your url and create a QR code as well.

Here is an example of one of the slides.

Then, I created a Google Doc with a table for the 6 different questions and QR codes and printed it out. 

Off to the store for Mod Podge and brushes. Total cost?

 

Or just 33 cents a cube. 

The coolest thing about this project is the Google slides. That means you can change the questions. Or insert an image. Or add a video! The possibilities are endless. 

Now, if only the glue would dry!

NCS Blended Learning Summer Tech Camp Resources- Google Power

This blog post includes a variety of resources for Natomas Charter School's upcoming blended learning summer tech camp. 
Tweet out to  #NCSTC14

1. Writing sprint: Open a Google Doc. What are your summer plans for fun? What do you hope to learn today and tomorrow?
2. Collaborative Google Doc Sing-a-long with Google!
3. #CAedchat -- another cool way to use a Google Doc! Tweet out questions for a Twitter chat!

Additional Google resources can be found at my website: http://goo.gl/gZoRXG


Choose your own adventure :)

Big ideas...

Joe Wood's NCS resource: nuts and bolts

For your afternoon work time...
NCS PD Portal- All things Google!
or...
Becoming a Google Master!

A New and Excellent Drive Guide

NCS Blended Learning Summer Camp Resources- Blogging

This blog post includes my resources for Natomas Charter School's upcoming blended learning summer tech camp. 
Tweet out to  #NCSTC14

Richard Byrne says, “Start a blog” is my first response to anyone that asks, “what should I do to start using technology in my classroom?” There are many things that teachers can do with blogs, but they all fit into two broad purposes; sharing and discussing." 
 http://richardbyrnepresents.com/blogging-in-school/

Richard Byrne's blog post about blogging in school (above) is a great place to start if you're thinking about classroom blogging. Here are some questions we'll try to answer:

What is blogging?
Why should I blog?
Where do I start?

Every Teacher Should Have a Blog from Richard Byrne



Flip it... Blog exploration!

Blogging Scavenger Hunt

NCS PD Portal- Blogging Resources

summer time

Rogue sunflower in my yard

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Looking towards the koi pond

I love summer. Sleeping in. Staying up late. Sitting in the back yard with a book all day if you feel like it. Last week at book club, it felt like summer even though I still had four days of school left. We sat outside in the garden sipping pinot grigio and strawberry lemonade under the pine trees in Camino. It was heaven. We laughed and talked about vacation plans and families and sandals. School was already out for my book club friends, and their summer spirit was contagious. 

View from my back deck

Today is my first day of summer. I'm in love already. I haven't written a blog post since April and I am so excited to have time to write. In my back yard I can hear the pond and the water fountain, and the aspen leaves if only just a little. Tri tip is smoking on the BBQ and the sunflowers from Green Acres have been planted.

Green Acres sunflowers!

Summer Bucket List

1. Read. I have so many books in my to-be-read pile! 
2. Write. 
3. Take one vacation to the ocean and disconnect. I did this last year and I loved it.
4. Connect with people I haven't had time to see during the school year. I have two "playdates" scheduled with admin friends this summer. I'm looking forward to visiting and getting recharged for a new school year.
5. Kayak. My kayaks currently reside in Truckee and I miss them!
6. Walk or run or both. I need to get back in the exercise groove!

I hope you have a fabulous summer!

It's Monday! What are you reading? Anything! I'm finally reading! #springbreak

From Jen Vincent's blog at www.teachmentortexts.com 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and I decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them. Read more at: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/#ixzz2zZ5jttiS

Finally!

I love this weekly #IMWAYR challenge, and I have been missing it! Being on Spring break and having time to read has been amazing. I've been feeling really guilty about not reading- my email signature has been stuck on The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler for months! I finally finished it up last weekend, and I know Lizzy, the second grader who recommended it to me, will be happy to hear the news! I've also been feeling guilty about my progress, or lack thereof, towards my Goodreads goal of 109 books this year. I'm still behind, but I have read 9 books so far this break and I'm not finished yet! Yes, I am on my way. Thanks, Goodreads!

Here's what I've been reading over my Spring break!

My current read:

What have you been reading lately?

Mom, Dad, and Warren Miller. The best presenting advice ever.

I love my mom and dad. I think they are amazing. My dad just turned 70 this month and he hikes and skis and is involved in his community- he’s on the Truckee airport board, running the local cleanup day, and he’s even Santa to about 300 kids every year. Yep, my dad is Santa.

My mom rocks, too. She loves to travel, so much that she was my roomie at CUE Rockstar Napa, painting during the day and enjoying Napa dining in the evening with me. And last year, the night before the Truckee Rockstar camp, my parents opened their home to 20 complete strangers- conference presenters and attendees for a BBQ, croquet, and conversation. 

One of the things I love most about my mom is how thoughtful she is with gifts. At my age, I don’t even expect gifts anymore, but she always seems to select just the right thing: a running watch, the perfect Life Is Good t-shirt, or a yummy bottle of wine for a special occasion.

But one of my favorite gifts ever wasn’t even for me. My mom subscribed to Sierra Heritage magazine for my husband one year for Christmas. My husband is a history buff and this fun and funky magazine published in Auburn always has a great history story, beautiful photography, and ideas for local hikes and vacations. We found an idea for a great trip to Mammoth in this magazine! It also features a column by Warren Miller, one of the oldest names in the world of skiing, who has been producing ski action movies since 1949. This month’s column by Warren Miller has some of the best advice for presenters EVER. 

In his column this month “Why Not?” Reflections with Warren Miller, he talks about getting his start.

      In the Sun Valley Opera House in November of 1950, thirteen people paid a dollar to see my first feature length ski film, “Deep and Light”. That meant there were 337 empty seats. My income for the evening was 40% of that thirteen dollars, or $4.20.
      After the show that night, I learned a couple of very important lessons from the theater manager that I have never forgotten: 1) Entertain the people that show up and feel sorry for the people who did not and assume that they had not heard about the showing of the film, and 2) You will work all of your life to be a success overnight. Since I have not worked my entire life yet, this lack of success is apparent as I am still writing My Biography.

Warren’s rule #1 I think is the best presenting advice ever. Last year, the night before my first ever Rockstar, I was terrified. Terrified of the shreds, and even more terrified that no one would attend my session. I wish someone had told me his rule before last summer, even though all of my sessions were well-attended and I was relieved! But in Napa this past February, and even the last Saturday session at #CUE14 in Palm Springs, some of my sessions were small. But I loved them! And I did what he said- and gave the best I had to the awesome people who joined me. I love Warren’s advice, and even if just one person joins me, we will have an amazing time learning together. If no one joins me, you’ll find me heading to a different room to join in on the fun. 

I love Warren's advice. Don’t sweat the size of the crowd. Just be awesome!