Search results matching tag 'blogs to bookmark'

Blogs to Bookmark: Terrific Teachers

Anonymous — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:00:00 GMT

I'm impressed with teachers who manage to do amazing work in the classroom AND take time to share their ideas with others. I like the blogs on this list because the teachers that write them are full of inspiration that I can use at home with my kids, or tuck away for whenever I return to the classroom. While I don't know any of these teachers in "real life," I have a hunch that anyone who gets to work with them or spend time in their classrooms is feeling pretty appreciative.

(image source)

These teachers have really smart ideas for using literature in the classroom:

Mentor Texts: Reviews and lesson ideas organized by skill. Want to teach inferences, or irony, or metaphor, or mood? Stop by Mentor Texts first.
Keith Shrock's Teach With Picture Books is such an amazing resource! What skills can you teach with the book Enemy Pie? Keith will tell you. And he'll also give you a summary of the story, plus some before and after reading questions, lots of ideas for extending the instruction, and more.

For some fun teaching ideas and fun commentary:

First Grader at Last: Re-purpose some litter with these cute bugs.
Mrs. Jump's Class: This recent post about Creating Mental Images would be a blast for my boys. They adore surprise endings! And don't miss her printables!
Pancakes for Recess: LOVE her kid writing samples. (I also really like her blog design.)
Pre-K Pages: Loads of resources, like this awesome "get ready for a sub" activity.
Teach Preschool: Have fun with boxes, or tape, or sticks and yarn!

Many teachers, including some of the above, post their best lessons and printables on Teachers Pay Teachers. Do you know this site? It's a really smart way for teachers make a few extra dollars for work they are already creating, to support each other, and to quickly find great ideas for a reasonable price.

I know there are tons of terrific blogging teachers out there. Who are your favorites?

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Blogs to Bookmark: Terrific Teachers

Anonymous — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:00:00 GMT

(image source)

These teachers have really smart ideas for using literature in the classroom:

Mentor Texts: Reviews and lesson ideas organized by skill. Want to teach inferences, or irony, or metaphor, or mood? Stop by Mentor Texts first.
Keith Shrock's Teach With Picture Books is such an amazing resource! What skills can you teach with the book Enemy Pie? Keith will tell you. And he'll also give you a summary of the story, plus some before and after reading questions, lots of ideas for extending the instruction, and more.

For some fun teaching ideas and fun commentary:

First Grader at Last: Re-purpose some litter with these cute bugs.
Mrs. Jump's Class: This recent post about Creating Mental Images would be a blast for my boys. They adore surprise endings! And don't miss her printables!
Pancakes for Recess: LOVE her kid writing samples. (I also really like her blog design.)
Pre-K Pages: Loads of resources, like this awesome "get ready for a sub" activity.
Teach Preschool: Have fun with boxes, or tape, or sticks and yarn!

Blogs to Bookmark

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:54:00 GMT

In my recent bloggy reorganization project, I've created some handy tabs to guide you around Small Types. Note the flashy yellow words above. :) The "resources" tab includes recommendations, helpful products and sites, and links to my new monthly feature, creatively titled, Blogs to Bookmark.

(Cute bookmarks from Mmmcrafts)

Here's my list for March. This one is ~~kind of~~ really long since it's the first, and since I like a lot of blogs. (Sorry, can't help it!) I'll be more concise in the future.

I consistently find quality information/ideas/inspiration from these blogs. I've linked to them all here, even though a few are not directly related to literacy. You probably already have them bookmarked anyway because they're all just plain awesome:

Childhood 101: Smart advice on playing, learning and growing
Design Mom: Trustworthy tips on design and motherhood
Dinner: A Love Story: What does family dinner have to do with literacy? Plenty, actually.
Giver's Log: My favorite gift giving blog. Again, not specifically related to my blog topic, yet I somehow constantly find loads of print-rich home inspiration here.
Imagination Soup: Literacy ideas, reviews, educational reform... to help us raise inquisitive kids
Let's Explore: Ideas for playing and learning through exploration
Made By Joel: The coolest dad ever. Besides my husband, of course.
No Time for Flashcards: Activities for young children that support play, discovery and learning
Playful Learning: Simple, inspiring, lovely ideas and about a million well-organized resources to help you raise playful learners.
The Crafty Crow: A children's craft collective

And here are some of my newish favorites. These days I'm particularly drawn to play inspiration, sites with fun ideas for boys, and of course, quality literacy resources:

Book Loving Boys: The name says it all! Good stuff!
Classic Play: Great ideas for playtime with little ones
I Make Stuff: Crafts and stuff
Made: I especially love this boy series
Mini-Eco: Love the tutorials and "boredom busters"
Modern Parents Messy Kids: Design inspiration and play ideas
The Brothers Trimm: Fun activities for boys. And girls too!
Two2Read Blog: Raising a Reader: A new blog with excellent literacy advice

These are just a few of the smart bloggers who participate in the always informative and supportive We Teach community. If you're a parent or a teacher or both, you should join too!

ABC and 123 : Activities, activities, activities...
Beginning Reading Help: Want phonics ideas? Find them here.
Literacy Toolbox: Tools to support your child's literacy development
Naturally Educational: Activities and thought-provoking articles on educational topics
Pre-K Pages: Lesson ideas and printables for preschool and kindergarten teachers
Quirky Momma: Lots of activities for young kids. Check out her Activity a Day calendars.
Teach Mama: Practical, friendly advice and ideas to empower parents as the first and best teachers. Teach Mama Amy is also the fabulous founder of We Teach!
Teach With Picture Books: Want picture book reviews? Want ideas for extending the picture book reading experience? Every teacher should bookmark this one. Quick! And parents, you too!
The Activity Mom: Fun learning activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Also check out her premade activities available at Time for Tots.
The Book Chook: I think she knows everything there is to know about literacy!
Under the Golden Apple Tree: Homeschool mom sharing ideas to foster creativity, critical thinking and curiosity.

I know I've forgotten lots. That's why I'm doing a (shorter) version of this each month. So, what are your favorite blogs? Share in the comments!

Happy Surfing!