Technology Tuesday! and Dollar Tree finds!

If you’ve been here long you know I LOVE LOVE using technology in the classroom!  I especially love it when technology can drive a concept home in a different way.  I’m a firm believer in presenting the same information in many, many ways.  In our classrooms (whether you have 15 or 30 students) we are blessed with a variety of kiddos.  Not a single one the same.  This is obvious in personality, prior knowledge, etc.  But, it is also true about their learning styles.  Some kiddos learn by using hands on activities (i.e. manipulatives), some learn from visual aids (i.e. posters, etc.), some learn by listening, some learn by writing…the list could go on and on.  I have found that especially in the younger grades, hands on activities and visual aids are HUGE.  Not that the others don’t exist, because they do.  But, often in the younger grades you are that child’s first experience with that concept or topic…they don’t have prior knowledge.  Providing them with memorable activities and visuals will imprint that concept/topic and allow them to be successful later.  To me, technology many times combines hands on with visual in a beautiful way.  This is especially true if you have a SMARTboard or a Promethean in your classroom!  So, today I want to share with you an incredible math resource that can be used in all grades and all math concepts.
McGraw Hill Education has an online interactive “Math Toolbox” (as I like to call it).  You can select your grade level (PreK-8) and then there are various game boards, story boards and workmats.  There are also various manipulatives to use!

There is also a text tool so you, as the teacher, can provide a problem for the students to work out.  Here is a simple addition one I made.  Then students can use the bears on the left to show their thinking.

Students can even use a pen tool to write the equation.  There is SO much available here as a resource.  There are also different backgrounds with ten frames, etc.  I LOVE this resource and it is hugely beneficial if you have any kind of interactive whiteboard as well!  This is one of my many go to resources!  I would love to hear how you find it useful in your classroom!  Please don’t take my word for it!  Go check it out HERE.
Now for something totally unrelated to technology, but I think you all will appreciate it!  I went to the Dollar Tree today and I walked in and saw this:
         
I’m sure most of you share my love of plastic containers!  So I thought I would share the abundance.  Hit up your local Dollar Tree and see what you find!
I also found these adorable color books! 












They are made of thin cardboard so I think they would hold up pretty well in a classroom library. They are perfect for beginning of the year kinders!
Just thought I would share these great finds with you!  Hope you enjoy!
Also…I have reached 200 followers!  I have a great giveaway that I’m announcing tomorrow, so stay tuned!