We have the official announcement from Freebie Man, and the list of winners for this month's blog contest!

This Freebie Man contest was about Teacher Jokes, and boy did you give us some good ones.  Here is a list of our favorite jokes submitted:

Submitted by John

Why was the Algebra book so sad?
Because it had so many problems.

Sumitted by Krista

Teacher: How can you make so many mistakes in just one day?
Pupil: I get up early!

Submitted by Ashley

One of the best parts of my job is the funny things kids say!
True kindergarten Quotes:

-”My Uncle lives far away… He lives in a place called Hamsterdam… I think they have lots of hamsters there”

-”Ok kids, it time to go to recess”
(Very Worried)” But Mrs. Cahill…. I don’t know how to do recess…”

-”My grandpa only has four teeth… well he has more but he keeps those in a cup.”

Submitted by Shawn

What is the math teacher’s favorite sum? A summer trip to Big Sky Montana!

Submitted by Charlotte

A mother wakes up her son and says, “You have to get up and go to school.”

Son says, “I don’t want to go.”

Mom says, “Give me a reason you don’t want to go.”

Son says, “Everyone hates me there.”

Mom says, “You have to go.

Son says, “Give me a reason I have to go.”

Mom says, “You are the principal.”

Submitted by Kelly

In a class discussion about seasons, one of my little ones responded with this answer:

Question: What are the four seasons?
Student Response: salt, pepper, ketchup, and mustard

Submitted by Kristin

Q: What do you do with a dead chemistry teacher??

A: Barium!!!!

Submitted by Tim

“Isn’t the principal a dummy!” said a boy to a girl.

“Say, do you know who I am?” asked the girl.
“No.”
“I’m the principal’s daughter.”

“And do you know who I am?” asked the boy.
“No,” she replied.
“Thank goodness!”

We couldn't pick just one winner....so we decided to pick 8!  Those with the winning entries (listed above) have been emailed with additional information about how to redeem their prize and schedule their luxury stay in Big Sky, Montana!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest!  To read the rest of the many entries, check out the comments back at the original blog post.

See you next time!

-Freebie Man

Most of you know me for my fuzzy blue bunny slippers, love for everything tech, and a passion for studying 21st century education...

You may not know... in my free time I'm also a Zumba fitness instructor.  I've been teaching Zumba (a latin-inspired dance fitness class) for two and 1/2 years..  After class last night, I was mingling with some of my students, many of whom, coincidentally, are classroom teachers. 

We were sharing health and fitness tips and talking about staying awesome at work, in the classroom, and at home with families. 

Here are some health and fitness tips we all came up with that I thought I would share: 

1.)  Start your day with the right food - for your body. Everyone knows the famous saying "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" - but that's especially true when you're faced with a roomfull of children at 7:00am!  But between getting the kids ready, packing some lunches, and even just finding matching shoes (or slippers!), sometimes it's hard to find time to make a proper breakfast.  Tip:  Always keep quick on-the-go breakfast items in the house.  Fresh fruit, granola bars, yogurt.

2.) Start your day with the right food - for your mind.  
Daily morning aspirations are a great way to start the day and head into school with a positive mindset.   Look in the mirror every morning and aloud tell yourself how great you are today.  "I'm the best teacher I can be!"  or "Today I'm going to be Super Mom!"  or "At tonight's game, I'm going to be Coach of the Year!"   (Sure... you can shut the door so your family doesn't hear you!)

 3.)  Ensuring a healthy work environment.
Staying healthy is the most crucial component to being and staying fit.  When your job exposes you to social environments where germs can run wild, it's important to be prepared.  Make sure you sanitize your classroom or work environment as often as possible.  Wipes, sprays, and liquid sanitizers are always things to keep on hand.  Many teachers will do a "supply" drive in the beginning of the year and accept donations from parents... don't forget to request cleaning supplies!

4.)  Snacks are your friend!
Busy day?  Running around on your feet all day definately keeps you active.  Healthy snacks throughout the day, and a light lunch, are a great way to get the needed calories, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to keep you fueled and energetic.  Some of our favorite "classroom friendly" snacks suggested were almonds, carrot sticks, yogurt, individual applesauce cups, and fresh fruit.

5.) Shake it, Lift it, Pump it or just Move it!
You don't have to bench press 100 pounds to work out!  Or even be a member of a gym.  But daily exercise is important...and not just for losing weight and staying fit.  Just for your overall energy levels.  When you work out and stay active, you have more energy during your days.  And with a classroom full of middle schoolers (insert your grade here) who doesn't need all the help they can get?  If you aren't active right now... it's ok! Start small.   A walk around the campus with some fellow teachers after school.  A bike ride with your spouse after dinner. Jumping rope with your children. 

6.)  Group fitness: for the body, mind, and soul!
Ok...so we are all a little biased!  We all come to Zumba class together twice a week and we're pretty much a family.  But there are so many benefits of group fitness classes I just had to mention.  First, most local gyms have a wide variety of class types...so you never get bored!  Secondly, there is some accountability involved.  If your fellow classmates notice you aren't in class... they are likely to pester you and be sure to say "see you next time".  But mostly... it's a great social event to meet new people and make amazing friends.   It's your support group and a lot of fun. 

7.)  Park in never-never-land.
Steps add up.  Especially when you are heading into work in the morning, why not get your heart rate up just a tad?  If you're like me, you often like to search for the "best" parking spot every morning or when you head to the market.  But "best" doesn't necessarily mean "closest".   Try finding the parking spot that is the furthest from your destination.  This gets you walking just a bit more every day!   Eventually it turns into a fun game... how far away can I get today!?

What things do you do in YOUR daily routine that help you stay healthy and fit?
Please share your tips in the comments below.

So maybe I just have iPads on the brain since today is SimpleK12's Day of Learning all about iPads...

Or maybe it is because it seems to be one of the hottest discussions in education right now. 

Or because inside SimpleK12's Teacher Learning Community, everyone's sharing their iPad resouces!

Either way,  I stumbled upon this GREAT resource that one of the Community Members shared and I had just to post it.  It's an iPad Lesson Plan for Kindergarten and was shared by Reba Gordon Matthews.

==> Download a copy of this lesson plan now.

"This is an iPad Experience Lesson Plan for Kindergarteners. It focuses on Language Arts and Mathematics. It incorporates various apps to support kinders with phonemic awareness, number counting, and the enjoyment of read-alouds."

==> Download Reba's lesson plan to view, use, and adapt to meet your needs.

THANKS Reba for sharing this great lesson plan with all of us.  And thanks to all the other members who are sharing their favorite resources as well.

A little more about Reba (this came directly from her Community profile):

I have been teaching for the past 23 years. I have taught Pre-School - 6th grade. I am currently wearing three hats at my school site. I teach computer science, facilitate NASA curriculum lessons, and I am the Site Ed Tech. I have two passions: 1. I am dedicated to assisting at-risk young people with academic tutoring and technology training so that they overcome any of their life obstacles. 2. I love teaching and learning new technologies that will enhance teaching and assist with student achievement. Last of all, a friend and I co-founded The Jamal Gordon-Hill Foundation, which focuses its volunteer work mainly with at-risk young men between the ages of 10- 25. I am the mother of three wonderful sons and four fantastic grandsons.

==> Download a copy of Reba's lesson plan here.

Have you registered for our upcoming Day of Learning yet?  This is one event you don't want to miss out on!

Click here for more details, and free webinar registration.

WHAT: iPad Day of Learning

WHEN: The Afternoon of May 15, 2012

WHO: All are invited, but space is limited

COST: Free!

Enjoy four back-to-back presentations all focusing on the free Apps, practical teaching advice, and innovative ideas that make the iPad a useful classroom tool.

iPad Day of Learning Webinar Titles

• 20 Free iPad Apps Educators Can't Live Without!
• Easily Create Detailed Classroom Observations with iPad Apps
• iPad Applications for Math Intervention
• Create Your Own eBook with iBooks Author

Registering for each webinar individually is easier than ever with one-click registration inside the Teacher Learning Community.

I look forward to seeing you at these upcoming webinars!

Kimberly

Administrators are some of the busiest educators out there... they don't really have the time to search for the BEST-of-the-BEST free web tools.  Especially when there are literally THOUSANDS to choose from.  That's why I've decided to compile a list of tools that should be included in every 21st Century School Leader's Toolbox. 

If you're a tech savvy Principal or an Administrator that goes "ga-ga" for web tools, here's your chance to share your favorites. Join me and have some fun while learning about the best free educational web tools for school leaders.

I'll start us out.  Here's my Top 10 List of Web Tools for Administrators:

1. Google+ Hangout – Conduct virtual meetings with faculty and parents.
    
2. Dropbox – Replace the filing cabinet in your office w/ this tool! Access important documents while out and about.
    
3. Facebook – Keep parents, teachers and students informed with the latest news, events, activities, and general announcements.
    
4. Google Docs Worksheet – Develop school schedules & have teachers comment on areas they see as problematic. 
    
5. Screencast-o-matic – Easily record and share videos, tutorials, announcements with school stakeholders.
    
6. Twitter – Form a Personal Learning Network (PLN) by connecting globally with other administrators, while staying up-to-date on the latest in education.
    
7. Google Forms – Collect classroom walk through and observation data.
    
8. TitanPad – Conduct real-time collaboration with staff using this document creation site that doesn't require registration.
    
9. TED Talks – Have instant access to insightful presentations.
    
10. LiveBinder – Organize all of your resources in an online 3-ring Binder.

Now it's YOUR turn . . .

What's missing from my list?  What else belongs in a 21st Century School Leader's Toolbox?

Share the names of specific web tools down below in the comments.  Please explain why you have chosen the tools or how you use them.

Freebie Man is back, collecting the best Teacher Jokes from all of our readers.

If you haven't told us about your favorite joke yet, head over to last week's blog post and leave a us a comment.

Your favorite joke just may win you a FREE stay at a luxury condo in Big Sky Montana for you and your family.

That’s right, a luxurious getaway! You work hard, and it’s time to smile, laugh, and celebrate the summer in Big Sky Montana - on us.

To enter, all you need to do is make us laugh.  Go back to the original blog post for more details and to enter the contest.

Here are a couple of our favorites so far...

Entry from Charlotte Ballard

A mother wakes up her son and says, “You have to get up and go to school.”

Son says, “I don’t want to go.”

Mom says, “Give me a reason you don’t want to go.”

Son says, “Everyone hates me there.”

Mom says, “You have to go.

Son says, “Give me a reason I have to go.”

Mom says, “You are the principal.”

Entry from Noel Feria

Quoting Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk: “The teacher was fascinated and she went over to her and she said, “What are you drawing?” And the girl said, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” And the teacher said, “But nobody knows what God looks like.” And the girl said, “They will in a minute.”".

Entry from John

Why was the Algebra book so sad?
Because it had so many problems.

Click here for more contest details, to view other entries and to enter your own favorite joke.

I look forward to reading your entry!

-Freebie Man

I think we can agree, Technology is a huge part of 21st Century learning.

Awhile back, one of my teammates, Lisa, thought she had a great list about 21st Century teaching, and she definitely did! (Click here to see Lisa's list now.)

She created one of our most popular blog posts EVER! But members of our Personal Learning Network (PLN), were able to add to her list, and they've left over One Hundred and Fifty comments! That's the BEST part about 21st Century learning...using technology to join together with others to learn, share, and grow.

Back by popular demand, and this time in Spanish, here are 21 Signs You're a 21st Century Teacher.

Hope you enjoy!

21 señales que eres un Profesor del Siglo XXI

1. Requieres que tus estudiantes usen variedad de recursos para sus trabajos de investigación...y citan bitácoras (blogs), “podcasts” y entrevistas que han conducido a través de Skype.
2. Tus estudiantes trabajan en proyectos colaborativos...con estudiantes en Australia.
3. Provees actualizaciones semanales de la clases a tus padres de familia...a través de tu “blog”.
4. Tus estudiantes participan en clases...tuiteando sus preguntas y comentarios.
5. Pides a tus estudiantes que hagan un estudio y elaboren reportes sobre un tema controversial...y evalúas los videos enviados.
6. Preparas a tu maestro sustituto con instrucciones detalladas....vía podcasts.
7. Pides a tus estudiantes que hagan un estudio sobre un personaje fictico o histórico...y crean perfiles de red social simulados de su personaje.
8. Tus estudiantes crean una guía de estudio...trabajando juntos en un “wiki” grupal .
9. Compartes tus planes de clases con amigos maestros...alrededor del mundo.
10. El presupuesto de tu aula es apretado...pero no importa puesto que hay tantos recursos gratis en la red que puedes usar.
11. Te das cuenta sobre la importancia del desarrollo profesional...y lees “blogs”, te unes a comunidades en línea y tuiteas para tu desarrollo personal.
12. Llevas a tus estudiantes en una excursión a las Gran Muralla China...sin salir de tu aula de clases.
13. Tus estudiantes comparten historias sobre sus vacaciones de verano...a través de un repositorio de fotos en línea.
14. Visitas el museo de Louvre con tus estudiantes...y no gasta un centavo.
15. Enseñas a tus estudiantes a no ser intimidadores (“bullies”)...o “cyberbullies”.
16. Haces que tus estudiantes entreguen sus teléfonos celulares antes de comenzar la clase...porque planeas utilizarlos en clase.
17. Requieres que tus estudiantes hagan un resumen de un capítulo reciente...y que te lo entreguen a través de un mensaje de texto.
18. Muestras el trabajo original de tus estudiantes...al mundo.
19. Disfrutas tu café de la mañana...mientras lees tus “feeds” RSS.
20. Estás leyendo esto.
21. Tuiteas esta página, escribes un blog sober la misma, “te gusta”, o se la envías a alguien más por correo.
22. EXTRA:  Eres miembro de Teacher Learning Community...¡o has animado a otro maestro a que se una!

**Special thank you to our Twitter friend, Jose Popoff, who kindly translated the very popular "21 Signs You're a 21st Century Teacher" blog post.**

About the translator...

Jose Popoff is an innovative Physics teacher with 11-years experience living in Honduras C.A., the very heart of the American continent. Teaching for him is a passion rather than a job. He has presented conferences about the implementation of technology in the classrooms and is willing to make global connections in an effort to becoming a more active and participant global citizen. To learn more about Jose, you can check out his website and follow him on Twitter @josepopoff.

P.S. Want to have your blog post featured by SimpleK12 like Jose's? Click here to find out how you can be a SimpleK12 Guest Blogger too.
 

Do you...

• want your students succeeding as much as possible?
• like to keep up with the latest education trends?
• wish you had some new ideas and techniques to try in your classroom?
• have at least one iPad available for classroom use?

If you answered YES to any of the above, you MUST attend our upcoming iPad Day of Learning.

Click here for more details, and free webinar registration.

WHAT: iPad Day of Learning

WHEN: The Afternoon of May 15, 2012

WHO: All are invited, but space is limited

COST: Free!

Enjoy four back-to-back presentations all focusing on the free Apps, practical teaching advice, and innovative ideas that make the iPad a useful classroom tool.

iPad Day of Learning Webinar Titles

• 20 Free iPad Apps Educators Can't Live Without!
• Easily Create Detailed Classroom Observations with iPad Apps
• iPad Applications for Math Intervention
• Create Your Own eBook with iBooks Author

Registering for each webinar individually is easier than ever with one-click registration inside the Teacher Learning Community.

I look forward to seeing you at these upcoming webinars!

Kimberly

Are you a forward thinking educator, administrator, trainer, or consultant that has a thing-or-two to share with today's educational leaders?

We need you! 

But more importantly, school administrators around the world need your help.

Click here to apply

We are actively looking for webinar leaders to present engaging and relevant topics to 100s of school leaders during one of our Administrator Days of Learning.

We might be looking for you if you...

-  Are currently (or previously were) a school administrator and have a unique experience to share

-  Are a teacher with valuable information that could help school administrators excel in the 21st century

- Have conducted a training session or seminar for schools leaders in the past, at either a conference or in your own organization

- Have a successful blog or work page where you regularly share your work with school leaders and have presentation skills to transfer your work to  a presentation

- Have trained classroom teachers in the past, but could easily adapt your presentation to be relevant to school leaders

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A TOPIC.

There are lots of great perks to being accepted as a webinar presenter...and unlike conferences, there are no travel expenses...you can do it all online in your PJ's!

After submitting your topic, our content review board will be in touch with those we are interested in and will be asking for additional information about your experience and references.