I just got back from attending Ed Expo 2012– a huge convention for teacher store owners where we get to see all of the brand new classroom products that are being introduced this year. As a former teacher, I look forward to this event every single year and can’t wait to get my hands on and try out all of the cool, new teacher tools. This year, I wanted to share my top 10 finds with you!
#10: EZ Grader Large Print Edition- We all use our EZ Graders all of the time to make quick work of that never-ending pile of papers that need to be graded. Now, you don’t have to squint at your EZ Grader anymore! This new edition is just a little larger than the original green version and is much easier on the eyes.
#9: Learning Resources Letter Construction Kit: This box of plastic straight edges and curves can be used to construct any letter of the alphabet. It’s great for little hands that are working on letter formation and letter recognition. A terrific tool for those of you using the Handwriting Without Tears program in the classroom.
#8: Pacon Dry Erase Foam Board- Pacon gave their regular, old pieces of foam board an update with a slick, white dry erase surface. These boards are fairly large in size and are so light in weight, you could use them in many places throughout the classroom. You could even cut the boards down into smaller individual sizes for your students.
#7: Memory on Hand- As teachers continue to use technology in their classroom, they need a way to bring all of those Power Point presentations back and forth between school and home. Now you can use Memory on Hand, a thumb drive bracelet that can hook around your wrist or around the handle of your purse or book bag. Keep your files at your fingertips.
#6: Kagan Learning Chips and Cubes- Although these are not a brand new product for Kagan, these are two of my all-time favorite learning tools. With the roll of a die or the pick of a chip, students are prompted to answer questions about the current lesson making it a simple way for teachers to assess comprehension.
#5: Teach Stix- This cute, new product developed by a speech therapist will make word walls a snap. Common sight words have been printed on cloth with a sticky backing making them easy to put on any surface. You can cover walls, doors, windows, or your ceiling. The best part is that these words can be removed without leaving any residue and can be used over and over again.
#4: Trend Enterprises Owls- We saw many new classroom decorations for the 2012 back-to-school season, but none could compare to the sweet, colorful Owl-Stars created by Trend Enterprises. Whooooo will have the cutest classroom this year? Anyone who chooses Owl-Stars as their classroom theme!
#3: Classroom Complete Press Interactive Whiteboard Software- We are finally seeing some great software starting to be developed for the interactive whiteboard. The software developed by Classroom Complete Press is exceptional. With 80 content-rich, interactive pages on each title, your students will love learning!
#2: Smart Fab- These little rolls of light-weight fabric will pack a heavy punch on classroom bulletin boards this fall. Ditch the background paper and use smart fab to get rid of those nasty wrinkles and staple holes. Plus, you can create anything you can imagine with this material.
#1: Shell Education Core of Writing Series- Common Core is coming to a classroom near you, and we are finally seeing some of our manufacturers creating teacher resources that align with these new standards. The Core of Writing Series by Shell Education is one of the best resources I have seen so far. Get your students writing today!
Question for the Teacher: What are your two favorite teaching tools this year?
