Securing documents with a free pdf writer and a winner!!!

First congrats to Wendy at 1st grade fireworks.  She was the big winner of my 100 follower giveaway!!

My biggest frustration this last weekend was trying to figure out how to secure my pdfs for TPT.  I agree with another blogger when they said they thought they were following all the rules before they learned how to do this with Adobe.  I cannot afford Adobe's pdf writer right now, so I found a free one at http://www.pdfill.com/.  It took me forever to figure out how to secure my documents so I decided to save everyone some grief and show you how to do it!

Go to the website and click the free pdf writer on the left.

 Download the program onto your computer.

Open the document you want to secure in Adobe Reader and click the print icon.

Find where it says PDFill PDF & Image Writer.  Your computer will go through the motions of printing without anything coming out of your printer.  Then you will get a pop up that looks like the one below.

Mine automatically jumps to this window now.  If yours doesn't click PDF and then Security.  Do not fill in the password!!!  This is for opening the file!!  You want your buyers to open the file!

Just click Allow printing and click Create PDF File.  Close your document in Adobe and select the name you want your secured document to have.  I keep mine the same since it is the same file. 

When you open your document in Adobe Reader again, it will show that it is now secured!  You did it!!  Now that I figured  it out, I breeze through it.  Hopefully I saved you some time and sanity!

Crystal

Finished!

I don't promote my own products very often, so I hope you will forgive me this time.  I just finished Riddle me this! Addition 2.  I think I am a little burnt out on riddles.  I may make some more this summer.  Right now I need to figure out another creative outlet.



You can buy each separately.  I am working on the last combinations. I will have all of them in one pack probably this weekend.  It takes a long time for me to combine the separate packs.  If anyone knows a shortcut I am all ears.  I am also working on securing all my pdfs which is something I just learned to do.  I may do a tutorial on how to do it with a free pdf editor later in the week.  Wow I have a lot to cover this week!  No blogger block here!

One last reminder about my giveaway!  Only a few hours left!!!!

Crystal

Raising money for three extraordinary children

I am very busy working on my new packs and I am honored to use my blog today to share the stories of three beautiful, inspiring children!

This beautiful girl's family cannot afford her headstone.  Just over 2,500 has been raised and 3,500 is needed to completely pay for the stone.  Click the picture or this link (http://www.thirdgradebookworm.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-place-for-peace-fundraiser.html ) to see more details.  You get an amazing pack of materials for an incredible price!!



Read the incredible story of Charles and Emma.  Click the picture or here.


Updated!  Find the fundraiser here!
http://theprimarybuzz.blogspot.com/2013/04/fundraising-for-martin-richard-amazing.html



Do what you can for these awesome children even if it is just a prayer!

Just a couple of days left on my 100 follower giveaway!  Congrats to Lori R. who won the Conscious box giveaway!

Crystal

Coworker frustrations, more graphs, and the final hours of one giveaway!

I know it is a long title, but it has been another long week.  I want to say that I always try to be supportive.  I have given materials to other teachers.  I let them borrow whatever they need whenever they need it.  I think about other teachers when I run into activities and giveaways.  I feel that the success of the student is paramount.  I have worked with some teachers that were not open to technology, centers, or anything different.  I am not a perfect teacher.  I still have A LOT to learn.  I am forever growing, changing, reflecting, and really trying to be a better teacher.  This year has been rough for my first graders.  They started out with 5 adults; 3 teachers, one assistant teacher, and a lab person.  Within a few weeks their lab person changed three times.  We now have a great lab person!  I went on maternity leave at the end of September.  The permanent sub was great!!  However it was still another change.  By the time I got back in early November, one of our teachers had gone to kindergarten and my sub went into her spot.  Things finally settled down in early December when a teacher was found for the third spot or so we thought.  There are some people that are not meant to be teachers and I work with one.  The teacher will not listen to us.  The teacher lets the kids run wild.  Since we switch classes, the behavior they have learned in that one classroom has bled into the other classes.  I am so tired.  I am so frustrated.  There are moments every day that I fall into survival mode.  I hate teaching that way!!!  It just makes me wonder.  If you do not want to put the work and passion into it, why in the world would you go into teaching?  Trust me the summers off are not worth it.  What are your thoughts?

Okay I am done venting.....  Look at our awesome graphs this week!!

My students did a wonderful job and they loved it!  Next week we get to tackle bar graphs and tally marks!

By the way you only have a few hours for the Conscious box/ Educents giveaway!  Check the giveaway page!!!!!

  Crystal

Quick check in

We are busy working on a science fair project tonight!  The scoop on this and the rest of our graphs tomorrow!!



Remember the giveaways!!!

Crystal

Survey fun!

This week my first graders are working on graphs.  I was determined that this would be one chapter this year they would love!  Each night my students are taking home a survey to complete.  We are using that survey to make a giant graph.  I am using Amanda Pauley's Math surveys for a year as a couple of the questions this week and as one of my centers.  I hope to use this great pack as a regular part of my math class next year!!



http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Surveys-for-the-Year

Here is our first graph, Would you like to be a pirate?  The girl and boy pirate along with the pirate hats are from my cute graphics!

 

Today we did Do you like to swim?  The splashes of water and the swimmers are another Cute Graphics creation!

Tomorrow's question is what is your favorite animal?  Friday will be what is your favorite ice cream flavor?  I will share more of our graphs later in the week!

You notice that I use cute graphics a lot.  It is because it is free and I am beginning on blogs and  TPT.  I tend to drool over the paid clip art.  Dots of Fun has some great clip art  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Dots-Of-Fun.  Tammy is very talented and someone I will have to meet, especially since we live about 20 minutes from each other!

Remember to check out the giveaways!  I have two going on!

Crystal

Computation, manipulatives and giveaway reminder!

So I had every intention of showing up another great TPT product tonight and how we used it in the classroom, but I forgot to take pictures!!!  Ahhh!!  So I will be bringing that to you tomorrow.

So I am going to give you a sneak peek of one of the Riddle me this packets I am working on! Click the picture!

I love using manipulatives!!  I use two sided counters,cubes, base ten blocks for computation.  I prefer the two sided counters with ten frames.  They are easier to manipulate and less likely to become a building contest.  However as we get into the bigger numbers, I do not have enough counters.  The math series we use is suggesting cubes.  I do have enough cubes.  Then a question popped into my head.  What manipulatives do you use when your class is working on computation?  The last time we pulled out cubes those that followed directions got 5 minutes of building time at the end.  Do you have any tricks to deal with playing vs working with materials?  Please comment and share!

Remember both the 100 follower giveaway and the Conscious box giveaway!  

Crystal

Two giveaways at one time!!! Yes I can!!

Educents has given me the opportunity to give away a one month subscription to the Concious box to celebrate Earth Day!

Conscious Box is dedicated to introducing you to the most ethical, sustainable, and honest businesses that create the purest products available. They scour the marketplace to find those that stand above the rest. Discovery defines the Conscious Box experience. Discovery leads to enlightenment, stronger understanding and better personal and planetary health. By finding conscious businesses that support your personal needs, you can do a lot for the world just by making responsible shopping decisions.


 

Educents presents products and gives incredible discounts. You have to check everyday because the deals change!

Right now Educents is supporting Boston by giving 200% of the proceeds (100% from the product matched by the company 100%) from the Conscious box to benefit those affected by the bombing.



Click the Educents logo above or off to the right to check out the benefit and the other awesome deals!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crystal

100 followers giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and Thank you!

Crystal

Stay tuned for a giveaway and a freebie!

I am recovering from an allergy/ Benadryl haze.  I am fervently working on the giveaway that starts tomorrow! If you can contribute please email me!!!

Thank you Collaboration cuties for the cute paper!  Here is a freebie while you wait!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Oceans-and-fields-background-paper

Crystal

Now for my stuff!

This week I have been focusing on the math centers my students are working on.  Today I am going to show you my creation in action.  I noticed that my students love working with riddles.  So I have made two packets (three more are in the works!) that practice their addition and subtraction.  Then they get to complete a fun kid friendly riddle!  This makes it self checking.  If the make a mistake in their computation then the answer to the riddle will not make sense!

       

        

 Here we are solving our problems!!  They are allowed to use counters if they do not have the facts memorized yet!

         

Now that they have solved the math problems, now they can solve the riddle!

               

You can download a preview for free!  Maybe I will get some time to finish the other packets then all 5 will be included in my giveaway this weekend!

There are new giveaways on the giveaway page!  Check them out!

Crystal