Sunday Scoop 3-1-15

Wow, I can't believe it is March already! My last few months have been so full of conference presentations, ACCESS testing for ELLs, and attending FETC. Hopefully this month will slow down a little.

Things I have to do...

So, this week I have to figure out what to do about my car- a less-than-fun prospect. I'd been saving up money to replace the '95 Maxima I've been driving since college. I had planned to save for another year, then sell the Maxima and use that money in addition to what I'd saved to buy a new car, and cover inspections, taxes, tag/title, etc. Well, the universe had other plans, and I had an accident on the ice Thursday night. My Maxima is totaled. Since the car was so old, carrying full coverage cost more than 2x the car's value in a year, so I couldn't afford that and only carried liability. Which means, insurance isn't going to help replace my car. I started a great GoFundMe campaign where you can get items from my TPT store or a hand-crocheted item in exchange for a donation.  

And of course, it is down to Sunday and I need groceries, but there was a thick layer of ice on the ground when I woke up, so it looks like I'll be taking a hike to the local grocery this afternoon and getting what I can carry home with me, supplementing when the roads are better.

I'm also trying to choose a Seuss book (I have so many favorites) to read to the children at one of our elementary schools tomorrow morning (if we have school) for Read Across America Day. I'm really looking forward to this since my work is mostly centered around teacher training these days.

Things I hope to do...
Later this month, I'm speaking to my district's tech trainers about Aurasma and how it can be used in the classroom. I'm really looking forward to that as I am in love with Aurasma. I think it is so exciting and has so many great applications for education (maybe I should cover that in a tech tip Tuesday soon!). I have most of the presentation put together, but need to do more practice with the newer version of Aurasma studio (my account is still on the older version).

Also, later this month is the third meeting of the Technology for ELLs Focus Group I'm leading for teachers in my district. We've completed our study of the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, and we've learned a lot of great new tech items. I need to put together this meeting, where I plan to show a few new tools, teach them how to make a video using keynote, and then we'll have a discussion about app evaluation and choosing apps for the classroom. I have a plan- I just need to make the presentation!

Things I'm happy to do...
In two weeks, we're heading down to Gulfport, MS for Gulf Wars. For me, this event is historical reenactment, family reunion, and fun with friends all rolled into one. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's at least a *little* warmer there than it is here right now, so yay for that too!

Interested in what other teachers are up to this week? Hop on over to Teaching Trio to see other scoops!

Sunday Scoop 2-22-15

Another weekend, full of ice and snow, has come and gone. Most of the weekend I spent working on a few blog and TpT-related projects, as well as put finishing touches on my powerpoint for the workshop I'm leading tomorrow.

The last few weeks, Sunday has snuck up on me and I've missed the Sunday Scoop. However, here's this weeks!

In order to even get out for work in the morning, I first have to dig my car out from the few feet of snow it is buried under. Then, I have to arrive at the office early to set up for the workshop I'm leading tomorrow (Writing WIDA Expanded MPI Strands). Mostly, it's just a matter of setting up my projector and arranging a few tables- no biggie. And....dishes. Ugh. I've let them get a little out of control in my project-tunnel vision phase this weekend.

I hope to get my lunches made for the week this evening. I've stalled a little in my weight loss and want to get back on track. That means taking a healthy lunch with me so I don't eat snack foods or fast food. I also hope to get one night of restful sleep tonight. I didn't sleep well last night (my mind was racing), so I'm hoping tonight will be better.

One thing I'm happy to spend a little time on this evening is the new "History of St. Paddy's Day" video I'm putting together for my YouTube channel. It's going to be a fun little video and I'm having a blast putting it together.

Head on over to Teaching Trio to see what other teachers are up to!

Sunday Scoop

I missed it last week because I was on my way back from FETC 2015 in Orlando. But, I'm back at it this week!

We are still "ears-deep" in ACCESS testing here in Maryland. Each one of our district's nearly 20,000 sweet ELLs has to have their English language proficiency tested by February 13. As a coach in the central office, we go out to support testing in schools who have teachers on medical leave or who don't have positions filled. So....testing, testing, testing.

On February 9-10, I'll be presenting on ELLs in the PreK/K classroom at SDE's Maryland PreK/K conferences. If you'll be there, please stop by and say hi or attend my session!

Finally, I have to go grocery shopping because we have almost nothing to eat in the house. Maybe I'll give myself a break and just order grocery delivery online this week.

As far as things I hope to do, I'm really not asking much- get a little nap this afternoon since I didn't sleep well last night and just stay sane through this next week.

For what I'm happy to do- I opened submissions THIS MORNING for the Tech Tips for Teachers Ebook 2015! I'm thrilled and can't wait to see what this year's books will look like.

So that's it....the Sunday Scoop. If you're interested in what other teachers are doing, head on over to the Sunday Scoop Link-up at Teaching Trio!

Sunday Scoop

Here's this week's Sunday Scoop!

As always, stop by Teaching Trio to see what other teachers are up to this week!

Sunday Scoop

What are you up to this week? Here's my Sunday Scoop!

Check out what other teachers are up to over at Teaching Trio's Sunday Scoop Link-up.

Don't forget to tune in Tuesday for another Tech Tip Tuesday!

Sunday Scoop

Well folks, it's back to the grind! Can you believe winter break is already coming to a close? Seems like just yesterday I was counting down the days. While I was thinking about all the things that need to get done, I came across Teaching Trio's Sunday Scoop, so I decided to link up.

There's nothing like marking things off a list to make you feel like you've accomplished something. In fact, I'm guilty of making a list after I complete a series of tasks just so I can have the satisfaction of marking things off so I can feel accomplished. Shh! Don't tell anyone!

So, here's my Sunday Scoop. If you're so inclined, head on over to Teaching Trio via the button below and link up or see what other teachers are hoping to accomplish this week.

Here's my Sunday Scoop! Hope you enjoy!