Techie Tuesday

Despite the fact that it was the first day of Kindergarten today, and I am beyond exhausted... anyone else ALWAYS up the night before the first day??? I can NEVER sleep!  I also made the mistake of wearing heels... ReAlLy?!?!  What was I thinking... that was a rookie mistake and I am NOT a rookie!

I HAVE to link up for Technology Tip Tuesday at Blog Hoppin'

You see I have this secret techie weapon... it is called The E-Beam

You see I wanted an interactive whiteboard... BADLY... but the money was NOT in the technology budget.  My principal was able to get her hands on a bunch of these last year for a FRACTION of the cost of a SMART or Promethean Board.  FRACTION.  We are talking less than $500 people.  It works with either ActiveInspire or SMART software and it is AWESOME.   You see because it is just this teeny tiny little gizmo at the top of my whiteboard I still have my whiteboard.  That is right, I still have my whiteboard!  I don't know about you but there are times when I just need to take out and EXPO and write... with those other pricey boards, you can't expo on that surface... no way!  I feel like I have the best of both worlds... love.

See it there at the top of my board.  Tiny.  It interacts with my projector and works with the pen (or you can even get a tablet) and it turns your whiteboard into an interactive surface.  

So write a grant, start a Donor's Choose project, or bug your administrator about your tech budget.  If you order enough I am sure you will get a discount, we did.  Interactive Boards for everyone!  I really don't know how I ever taught without it.  Happy Teaching.

Okay now I have to go put my feet up, beg hubsters to rub them, pull out the foot spa... something.  I really cannot believe what wearing heels all day did to my poor feet, so sad.  Tomorrow I may try and teach in slippers, I am sure no one will notice.  

Newbie Bloggers

Summer is the time for blog hopping, making new things for our classrooms, and maybe even a little chatting... some get to know you time!  So, I am joining up with a great blog hop from Third Grade is the Place for Me, to get to know a few of my fellow bloggers a bit better.   Since I am a newbie to the teaching blog world here is a little more about me:

    1.  what state you are in
    2.  your current teaching position

    3.  your teaching experience

    4.  when you started blogging

    5.  share a blogging tip / blogging resource

1. I live in the beautiful desert of Southern Utah, just a couple hours from VEGAS!  (It is HOT, HOT, HOT here!  But incredibly beautiful, just a few minutes from Zion's National Park.)

2. I am a Kindergarten Teacher (which is where my heart is) but I have also taught fifth grade, first grade, and reading recovery.

3. This is my ninth year of teaching (man that makes me feel old).

4. I started a family blog in October of 2007.  We were expecting our second child and our oldest daughter had just turned one.  I wanted to keep family and friends current on the happenings of our growing family.  I later started a classroom blog when I went back to teaching full time in August of 2010.  My teaching blog was only started this month, I am a newbie.  

5. Ladybug teacher files always has great tutorials she was heaven sent a couple summer's ago while I was setting up my classroom blog.  

Hope you learned a little more about me, it has been fun getting to know all of you a little better!