Desktop Learning Adventures

I have simple but strict criteria for books I read aloud to my class: I have to like the books I'm reading. These five books are my perennial favorites, guaranteed to have your students wanting more! The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis  The first time I read this book was as a read-aloud to my class. That may not have been the  wisest decision on my part for a couple of reasons. First,  as I was reading aloud,  there were times in the story I was laughing so hard at the antics of Kenny and his 13 year-old brother, Byron, I had to re-read that passage again so the kids could understand me. Secondly, I like historical fiction because kids can learn about events through the stories, with plots and characters that help the events unfold. In this case, when I got to the actual historical event at the church in Birmingham,it was hard to go on because I got all choked up. On the plus side, kids wanted to know more about what actually...

I'll admit it. I was late to jump on the I-Love-Pinterest train. Friends everywhere were touting the glories of a new site called Pinterest, and asked if I had joined yet.  NO!  I guess it's like anything new for me. My first reactive, "NO" is peppered with dubious caution.  I'll just wait in the wings to see if it all blows up. Worst case scenario: I might actually like it! Eventually, I succumbed to the allure and signed up, still kicking and screaming the whole way (silently, of course- I didn't want to look like a Pinterest sissy). OK, now what? I'm here. What do I do with it? I had no idea what to pin, where to find the pins, and more importantly, what did I do with the pins when I found them, and what the heck are boards? Worse yet, what if I break Pinterest because I don''t know what I am doing!!?!! Mild hysteria sets in, but I shake it off. In the interest of full disclosure, as far as technology goes, I know enough to be a danger...