If you are a kid, waiting can be hard. Waiting while in a pediatrician’s office can be downright horrendous. Especially if you are waiting to get the dreaded flu shot. Yesterday’s family trip to pediatrician’s office for flu shots involved an hour-long wait even with an appointment. Despite being armed with a literal bag of…
Education
Chicka Chicka 1-2-3 DVD Review & Giveaway
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has always been a favorite. I first fell in love with in when teaching preschool and love that it has been a household staple for years. The rhythmic language used to teach kids about the alphabet is catchy and fun, especially when all the letters topple from the top of the…
New Leapfrog Community & Tag Book Giveaway!
Are you a fan of Leapfrog’s products like we are? Then you might want to check out their amazing new community site that features blogs and forums with product reviews coming soon. I’m part of the Leapfrog community and blog as part of the Leapfrog Teacher TAGvocates. My newest post is all about Traveling with…
Website of the Week: Discover the Forest
Discover the ForestHow did you spend your summer? We spent most of it outside between trips to the park, day camp, and regular visits to the pool. With school starting, kids will be spending more time indoors than out. Our school system has many merits but I am concerned that Little Miss Techie’s time for…
Can Games Be Teachers? Tech Savvy Mama Says Yes!
“Can educational games offer quality learning time disguised as fun?” That’s the key question that Nicole Tanner from What They Play posed to me. In her article, Games as Teachers, you can read my thoughts about what qualities software should have in order to be considered educational, if those characters from favorite shows are helpful…
Wall Street Journal: Pursuing an Academic Edge at Home
Going along with yesterday’s post about the summer slide (but also in the shameless self promotion category), I was recently interviewed by Wall Street Journal reporter, Joseph DeAvila for a story called Pursuing an Academic Edge at Home. The interview was more like a conversation helping him understand how schools choose the kinds of technologies…
LeapFrog’s New Tag Jr. is Perfect for Younger Readers
Finally Captain Computer has his own LeapFrog Tag device that is just for him- Tag Jr! Call it the second child syndrome but he always clamors for the things that his older sister has. Ever since Tag arrived in our home a year ago, he has always wanted his own. He loves sitting by Little…
Website of the Week- BookFlix
Little Miss Techie and I have had many conversations about fiction versus nonfiction books. She’s becoming more and more interested in nonfiction books, especially those that help her learn facts about topics that maybe a 5 ½ year old shouldn’t be so interested in such as the Titanic and The Civil War. Unfortunately, most of…
NECC: 30 Years & Look How Far We’ve Come!
I’m spending the next few days attending the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) being held here in DC at the gorgeous new convention center. NECC is the premier conference for any educator who is passionate about using technology in their classroom, school, or district. I’m happy to say that while I’m not a NECC newbie…
Learn By Playing Through SmartyCard This Summer
Today my colleagues and I waved goodbye as busses pulled away carrying off our students for the summer. As teachers, I welcome the start of summer but as a parent, I want to be sure that I’m striking a balance between the having fun, spending time being lazy, and learning. Many parents face the challenge…
