Editor’s note: Guest contributor Nancy Barlow regularly blogs at The Teacher Geek. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Learnboost: Make All Of Your Classroom Management Digital

As a perfect complement to PlanbookEdu, try Learnboost - a web-based gradebook and management tool. The easy-to-use interface allows you to combine grades, data, attendance, calendars and  and integrated state standards into one seamless experience. Add Learnboost to your Google Apps, and you've just made your teaching life much, much easier. You will find clear, simple data reports and excellent customer service. One unique feature is that teachers can share with parents gradebooks, class calendars, and attendance records by creating a secure access code for each student. If you find yourself yearning for a one-stop-shop for all of your student management needs, this deserves a close look.

Thinking About Starting A Classroom Blog? Read This First

Silvia of the Langwitches blog has written an interesting article discussing student blogging as more than just technology integration. It's about literacy. She advocates that instead of just starting a blog for blogging's sake, think about the outcomes - they can go far beyond just "technology integration" and well into literacy and critical thinking skills. She then lists about a dozen student blogs of every grade level and subject, as examples of the kind of high-quality, student-centered, displays of critical thinking that we all want from our students. Use them as a model for your own student blogging quest.

The Teacher As Communicator

Have you ever sent an email that was misinterpreted? Do you want to speak up at staff meetings, but find yourself without the right words to say? Would you like to beef up your parent communication? The Simple K-12 Blog has a free download for teachers to assess and bring clarity to your messages. There's a large section on non-verbal communication behaviors. If you've gotten feedback from your administrator that you need to work on your communication skills, or if you just feel like you could do a better job at speaking, writing, and listening, then check out the free PDF.

App Of the Week: Green Eggs and Ham

Would you try it with a goat? A Dr. Seuss app, that is! More than just an e-Book, Oceanhouse Media’s Green Eggs and Ham is a beautiful and faithful-to-the-book app version.  It’s a joy to read, listen to, and follow along.   Check out all of their Dr. Seuss titles. Available for Android, Nook, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.