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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Must Haves


Darling Little Learners

I am hooking up with Jennifer at Darling Little Learners to list my "Must Haves of 2012".  

#1    Downton Abbey

This show has been the best diversion a teacher could ask for!  Two years ago, I was scrolling through Netflix and found this British series on Masterpiece Theatre.  I was instantly hooked.  It is now it's third season, but if you haven't seen it, be sure to watch it from the beginning.  You can watch it for free at Hulu.  You can thank me later!

 #2   First in Math

My principal brought this Math Program to our school and it has been a HUGE success.  Our staff and students have really embraced it. I encompasses all math concepts by grade level.  Students earn stickers as they progress through the skills.  Each class has a "Player of the Day" who is rewarded by wearing a "Player of the Day" lanyard.  The students progress through levels that go from "Rookie" to "Mathematician".  I require my students to earn 100 stickers per week as homework.  Our school is currently #3 in Texas (1,530 stickers per student) and #87 in the entire country.  

 #3   All My Apples....
I can not lived without all my Apple products.  This is my latest addition and it is soooooo fast.  Call me a tech geek, but Apple has made my life so much easier.  I create, communicate, record, photograph, research, calculate, blog, listen, learn, etc....... all with ease thanks to Apple.  If my house was on fire, I would grab my family, my pets, and my Mac.....in that order!


#4    Ink Joy Pens by Papermate


I love these pens!  I am very particular about my writing tools, especially with all the grading I do.  These pens are as smooth as they advertise and never leak out extra ink.  They come in so many vibrant colors!  I prefer not to grade with red.  And my students know that the white pens belong to me! 
#5  Ancestry.com
1st Row, Second Adult from Left, my Grandmother
2nd Row, Second from Left, my Grandfather
2nd Row, 3d from Right, my Grandmother's brother (killed in WWII)
2nd Row, Second from Right, my Grandfather's brother
I highly recommend exploring your family history.   I use Ancestry, but there are tons of free resources out there.  I'm close with my family, but there have been many things that have discovered that I would have never known with out the research resources provided by ancestry.  Once of the coolest things I discovered is that I am related to Lou Hoover, former First Lady.  Also, that my ancestors were among the first pioneer families that settled Ohio. They received a land grant as a reward for fighting in the Revolutionary War.  What will you find?

Just a quick reminder.....

My 200 Follower Giveaway ends today!  Don't miss your chance to enter!
at

14 comments:

  1. KellyJanuary 12, 2013 at 1:29 PM

    I haven't watched Downton Abbey, but I sure havc seen lots written aobut it the last several weeks. I guess I need to check it out.
    I do love good pens, so I'm definitely going to have to purchase some Ink Joy.

    Kelly @ I'm Not Your Grandpa, I'm Your Teacher

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    1. UnknownJanuary 12, 2013 at 8:43 PM

      Kelly,
      Thanks for stopping by! You're gonna love those Ink Joys!

      Diane

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  2. Collaboration CutiesJanuary 12, 2013 at 3:29 PM

    You are the 4th person that has said that they love Downton Abby!! I am going to have to check it out! Not that I have tons of time to watch tv, but I'll make time for a good show!

    I have an iPhone 5 too, and I got it after my iPhone 3 had to be buried! It is sooooo much faster!! It's crazy how you get used to a slow phone but then when you have a fast one you can't imagine being without it!

    I wonder if all teachers are particular about their pens, because I am the same way. I have not tried that pen yet. I usually like a thicker flow (or whatever you would call that) and I wasn't sure if they would be thick enough! I never grade in red either, I love bright colors! They are so happy!

    Thanks for sharing Diane!!
    Amanda
    Collaboration Cuties

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    1. UnknownJanuary 12, 2013 at 8:46 PM

      Hi Amanda!

      If you watch Downton, let me know if you like it. There's another British miniseries I feel in love with called North and South, set during the Industrial Revolution. It's only a few episodes and left me breathless!

      Diane

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  3. karen @ Smarticle ParticlesJanuary 12, 2013 at 4:12 PM

    I also love Downton Abbey. The two grandmothers crack me up. I'm also into genealogy. I have accumulated quite a bit of information, and it really is fascinating. I'm related to Green B. Jameson (gggg uncle). He was the chief engineer in charge of reinforcing the walls of the Alamo. When we found out about him, my son (who was in 4th grade at the time), told me that he was mentioned in his Social Studies book. We checked it out and sure enough he's in there.

    Take care,
    Karen
    LittleSecond-GradeSomebodies

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    1. UnknownJanuary 12, 2013 at 10:36 PM

      Karen,

      Wow! A defender of the Alamo! How cool is that! I am a huge Texas history buff. I used to teach 4th grade Texas History and loved it. The Alamo the most amazing story of heroism and sacrifice. I had jars of dirt from every battle of the Texas Revolution in my classroom. Crazy, huh? I loved telling the kids about all the Revolution battles while holding a piece of them in my hand. Are you a member of the Daughters of the Texas Revolution? God bless Green Jameson!

      Diane

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  4. Darling Little LearnersJanuary 12, 2013 at 4:57 PM

    Thank you for linking up. I love my apple products as well. It makes my life SOO much easier and I love how iCloud shares everything between each device.

    Jennifer
    Darling Little Learners

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    1. UnknownJanuary 12, 2013 at 10:37 PM

      Jennifer,

      You are welcome! I'm so glad you stopped by!

      Diane

      Delete
  5. ChrissyJanuary 12, 2013 at 11:33 PM

    You have such an interesting family history! You must have been so excited to discover those things. I'm your newest follower!
    --Chrissy
    Firstgradefoundme.blogspot.com

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  6. UnknownJanuary 13, 2013 at 12:04 AM

    Chrissy,

    Thanks! As they say, there's also a lot of nuts in my tree! Ha! Ha! Thanks for stopping by!

    Diane

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  7. The Wild RumpusJanuary 13, 2013 at 9:21 AM

    I think the season premiere of Downton Abbey saved me from a full-blown panic attack last weekend! I was able to forget about the stress at work with state testing on the horizon and focus on Lady Mary. Love it. I am also obsessed with my iProducts--don't know where I would be without them!

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  8. MeganJanuary 13, 2013 at 9:55 AM

    This list is you-100%! And thanks for getting me hooked on Downton Abbey!

    Megan
    I Teach. What's Your Super Power?

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    1. UnknownJanuary 13, 2013 at 12:44 PM

      You are welcome! The next thing I'm going to have you design is my family tree blog!

      Diane

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