Let's Make a @SmorePages, @Tackk, or @Canva!

This week is all about creating with easy to use tools!  My good friend Janet Corder (who is one of the kindest and most brilliant people I know!) has developed an AWESOME challenge for you to use Smore or Tackk page.

You can learn more about Smore, Tackk, and see Janet's challenge for you HERE.

I love Smore, but even more so I'm a little obsessed with Canva.  I use Canva for everything we do at my school!  It's less interactive than Smore or Tackk, but it allows me to create these flyers and posters for our school and events that look like they're professionally made!

So what's your challenge this week?  Create a Smore page, Tackk page, or a Canva design for something you're doing in you classroom/school and share it on social media using the #EduLS hashtag!

Easy right?  Have fun!

Click the link to claim your badge! https://credly.com/claim/38580/7F2-CB3C-5D3 

Let's Play ConnectED Bingo #StuConnect! Challenge 7

Last week's challenge was AMAZING!  I absolutely loved reading all the #LoveTeaching tweets!  It was constant encouragement throughout last week!

This week's challenge comes from my good friend Brad Gustafson!  Brad is a Principal in Minnesota.  He has worked with a few of his connected friends to design a Bingo game taking place in the month of February!  Here's more info from Brad:

This week’s Educator Learning Series challenge is called “ConnectED BINGO.” We’re inviting classrooms everywhere to join us. The goal is to foster a genuine love of reading through social interaction and great literature.  ConnectED BINGO contains some really neat mini-challenges and special activities from educators across the country.  It’s awesome!! This video contains a short introduction from Brad Gustafson, along with a special instructions from students/educators from Minnesota, New York, and New Jersey. http://youtu.be/2ojHv5JR6SI

Join us as we play ConnectED BINGO and celebrate “I Love to Read” month in style…with your friends from #EduLs

BINGO boards can be printed from this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxQP80CJnm8EelZzSUt5bS12Sk0/view?usp=sharing

So what are you waiting for?  Get you, your school, your classroom, your child, a bingo board and let's join together to share a love of reading!

Tweet out photos this week of kids (or you!) working on the Bingo boards and completing challenges and make sure you use the #StuConnect and #EduLS hashtags!

Click to claim your badge https://credly.com/claim/38132/06E-9EFE-8CF

Why I #LoveTeaching: Challenge 6

I am so very excited about this week's challenge and all the amazingness that is going to come of it.

I recently wrote a blog post entitled "Why I Will Never Quit".  The post talked about how too often I hear people leaving our profession for one reason or another.  But for me, these kids mean far too much for me to ever walk out on them.

Not too long ago I met two guys, virtually.  First I met Gary Abud.  Gary is an Instructional Coach in Michigan and is the 2014 Michigan Teacher of the Year!  Then last month I got a chance to chat with Sean McComb.  Sean is a teacher in Maryland is the NATIONAL Teacher of the Year for 2014.  Their two brilliant minds have brought you this weeks challenge.

The first thing you can do is watch Sean's quick challenge video HERE.

Then you can watch the PowToon video that Gary made HERE with a little more information.

Gary also wrote a quick blog post that goes into a little more depth of the #LoveTeaching movement this week.  You can read his post HERE.

So what is your challenge this week?  Your challenge is exactly what it says above.  Your challenge is to each day this week share a reason why you Love Teaching using the hashtags #LoveTeaching AND #EduLS.  Let's flood the internet with all of the things that Teachers love about their profession.  Let's do it through blog posts, pictures, drawings, stories, phrases, all kinds of things!

So what are you waiting for? Let's start now!

Click here to claim your badge once finishing this week's challenge. https://credly.com/claim/37681/175-250C-EAA

Write a Blog! Challenge 5

This week's challenge is brought to you by my good friend Jon Harper.  Jon is a Vice Principal in Maryland.  If you haven't heard of Jon or checked out his blog posts you must.  He is one of my favorite blog writers ever.  Which leads us into this week's challenge....

You can start by watching Jon's challenge video HERE.  And you can find the post he references in the video by clicking HERE.

This week's challenge is to write your very own blog post!  If you already have a blog, then your challenge this week is to dust it off, write a new post, and share it via the #EduLS hashtag on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, or instagram!

Blogging is something I never thought I would do, but completely fell in love with.  It helps me reflect and it provides a place for me to come back to weeks, months, or years later down the road and see my growth from that point on.  I know that I personally can't wait to read all the blog posts this week and learn right along side of you!

A few of my favorite blogs/bloggers are

Pernille Ripp: http://pernillesripp.com/
Justin Tarte: http://www.justintarte.com/
Erin Klein: http://www.kleinspiration.com/
Vicki Davis: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/
Benjamin Gilpin: http://colorfulprincipal.blogspot.com/
Brad Gustafson: https://adjustingcourse.wordpress.com/
Jimmy Casas: http://jimmycasas.blogspot.com/
Tony Sinanis: http://leadingmotivatedlearners.blogspot.com/


So take some time to watch Jon's video, check out his blog, my blog or countless others!  Happy blogging!

Click the following link to claim your badge! https://credly.com/claim/37165/489-34DE-963