Tag Archives: E-book

January 3, 2013 · 8:45 PM

Unlock the Teacher is Thrilled to Share a New Teacher Author

"If I Could be a Monster" Written by RoseAnn McHugh~2nd Grade Teacher

“If I Could be a Monster” Written by Rose Ann McHugh~2nd Grade Teacher

 

The Unlock the Teacher team is proud to share If I Could be a Monster a creative eBook written by one of our favorite 2nd grade teachers Rose Ann McHugh.  Rose Ann not only wrote this book, she illustrated it too!  She has been sitting on all these wonderful book ideas for years and one day her and I had a conversation about Mysteries on the Beach and how fun it is to write and publish and eBook… and before I knew it she was sharing this very special book with me; it is sure to delight the minds of many young people.

Please check out Rose Ann McHugh’s first book, “If I Could be a Monster” on sale now at Barnes and Noble.com

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things~

Denise

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October 1, 2012 · 6:53 PM

20,000 Views…we can do it!

Thank you to all of our readers, who have been supporting our work as we have taking the last 1.5 years to write our series of books…stay tuned, work on our academic eBooks and get back int he schools to conduct professional development and student workshops.

Our entire team feels so blessed to be able to do what we do for the betterment of the educational process…for parents, teachers and most importantly for the child(ren).

Please continue to share the good in education, share your favorite learning tool here with our readers and seek to see the good in the life of those children that are placed before you…they are our future!

Together we can do great things!

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise and the entire Unlock the Teacher Team

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January 2, 2012 · 12:08 PM

Great Writing Website Resources for Writers Young and Old for 2012

The Key to Unlocking your Writing Potential...Dare to Dream~BIG!

Happy New Year! 2012 is sure to be a fabulous year chuck full of amazing new discoveries. If you are thinking of writing, like to write or have a child or classroom of students who like to write, here are some sites we recommend that provide advice on writing, pay for writing and stand as a good educational resource for writers young and old.

If you have a site that you like or follow an agent who is super fabulous and blogs about writing, please share.  It is in this collaboration and sharing of knowledge that we all grow and learn.

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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November 28, 2011 · 7:10 AM

Recommended Holiday Gifts for Teachers

The time of year is upon us, when we take time out to show the teacher(s) in our lives, just how much we appreciate them and all they do for our children…our future!  During the school year, on average a child spend 7+ hours a day with his/her teacher.  This is 35 hours+ a week.  Once we get our children up, we might have one rushed hour a day before school then maybe (and this is a stretch) we might have three quality hours after school before they go to bed.  That is approximately 4 hours a day we have with our children. This is 20 hours during the week from Monday-Friday.

Given all this, it is clear to see the importance of choosing just the right school (because our children spend a lot of time in them) and appreciating the wonderful teachers who give of their time and talent to help prepare our children for the future.

The following are our recommended gift ideas (NOTE: Many are items I received and appreciated  over the many years in education.)

  • Dry Erase Markers
  • Sharpie Pens ~All Colors ~Thin, Regular and Poster Tip (a true treasure)
  • A camera donated to the classroom is a gift indeed (*I received this one year and it is a gift that still gives back to education!) Kodak Easy Share is cost effective and reliable.
  • Colored Printing Paper
  • Target Gift Card (most teachers use for classroom anyway)
  • Office Depot Gift Card
  • Visa, Mastercard or Amex Gift Cards…gives educators the choice to shop at teacher stores, online etc.
  • Barnes and Noble Gift Card~ I have not met one teacher in my years in classroom or now working with many, who do not purchase books for their classroom…Given that we sell our academic eBooks at BarnesandNoble.com, we are bias and LOVE this book store!
  • An Electric Pencil Sharpener
  • An Assortment of Purple, Red and Green Pens
  • An Assortment of Yellow High Lighters
  • A Case of Clorox Wipes…no kidding, unless there is a child allergic, teachers LOVE this item…we all want to be germ free!
  • A Case of White Printer Paper
  • A Packet of Assorted Construction Paper

I hope everyone has a fabulous week!

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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November 21, 2011 · 8:30 PM

Recommended Level Books with Some of our Favorite Series for Pre-K to Grade 8

Working in education for many years and being an ELA teacher, I love to read, recommend and talk books with students of all ages.  I have compiled a list of books based on what students say they are reading as we go into schools, and some of my personal favorites that I have utilized in the classroom or read at home.  Unlock the Teacher loves to share the good in education, so we would love to know some of your favorite reads too.

Given that the holidays are just around the corner, please share your favorite books with us and we will post it here as we compile a Christmas Must Have List for Readers of All Ages. 

PreK

“Mrs. Bindergarten gets Ready for Kindergarten” by Joseph Slate

“Here we go Around the Mulberry Bush” by Will Hillenbrand

“The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn

“Dragon’s Alphabet Soup~Learn the ABC’s” an eBook by Rachel and Michael Yu

1st Grade

“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” an eBook  by Oceanhouse Media

“Frog and Toad are Friends” by Arnold Lobel in paper or eBook format

“Biscuit” Series by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

“Katie’s Exploring Adventure” an eBook written and illustrated by OLQM 1st Graders

“Katie’s Horse Adventure” an eBook written and illustrated by OLQM 1st graders

“Fox and Friends” Series by Edward Marshall

“Frog and Toad” Series  (My daughter loved this series.)

2nd Grade

“Biscuit” Series by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

“Little Critter” Series by Mercer Mayer

“Dragon” Series by Dav Pilkey

“Henry and Mudge” Series by Cynthia Rylant

Robert Munsch Books

Keven Henkes Books

“Nate the Great” Series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (My son loved this series.)

3rd/4th Grade

“Horrible Harry” Series by Suzie Kline

“Judy Moody” Series by Megan McDonald

“Cam Jansen” Series by David Adler

“Jigsaw Jones Mystery” Series by James Prellar

“Magic Tree House” Series by Mary Pope Osborn (paperback and eBook form) *Great to enhance imagination

“Junie B. Jones” Series by Barbara Park *Funny and good vocabulary builder

“Stink” Series by Megan McDonald

“Franny K. Stein” Series by Jim Benton

Matt Christopher Books

“Rainbow Magic” Series by Daisey Meadows

“The Adventures of the Beailey School Kids” Books by Debbie Dadey and Mearcia Thorton Jones

“Flat Stanley” Series by Jeff Brown

“Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle” Series by Betty MacDonald

“Pony Pals” Series by Jeanne Betancourt

“My Weird School” and “My Weird Daze” Series by Dan Gutman

“Nancy Drew” and “Clue Crew” by Carolyn Keene

“A to Z Mystery” Series by Ron Roy

“Black Lagoon Adventures” Series by Mike Thaler

“Katie Kazoo Switcheroo” Series by Nancy Krulik

“Amber Brown” Series by Paula Danzinger

“The Time Warp Trio” Series by Jan Scieszka

“Spring into Art and Poetry” an eBook and Poetry Unit by Denise Ball, Trisha Vaughn, Sue Atwell @ Unlock the Teacher

“Geronimo Stilton” Series

“Encyclopedia Brown” Series by Donald Sobol

“Boxcar Children” Series by Gertrude Warner

“Clementine” Series by Sara Pennypacker

“Animal Ark” Series by Ben Baglio

“Secrets of Droon” Series by Tony Abbott

“Wayside School” Series by Louis Sachar

5th/6th

“The Indian in the Cupboard” Series by Lynn Banks

“Fudge” Series by Judy Blume

E.B.White Books

“Michigan and American Chillers” by Jonathan Rand

Ronald Dahl Books

Beverly Cleary Books

“Little House” Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

“Eleanor Estes Books

“A Series of Unfortunate Events” Series by Lemony Snicket

“Harry Potter” Series by J.K. Rowling in eBook or Paper Format

“The Ranger’s Apprentice” Series *One of my favorite series!

Louis Lowry Books

7th/8th

“Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls

“Winning Season” Series by Rich Wallace

“The Adventures of Wishbone” Series by Nancy Butcher

“Harry Potter” Series by JK Rowling

“The Ranger’s Apprentice” Series *One of my all time favorite series!

Louis Lowry Books

Here are a few good websites for additional information on leveled readers:

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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August 6, 2011 · 8:46 PM

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Student Workshop Responses Have Been Great…Thank You!

Response to our Common Core State Standards Workshops has Been Amazingly Successful…Thank You!

Unlock the Teacher workshop pictures in schools for the 2010/2011 School Year

Although we worked in schools this past school year 2010/2011 to help align building curriculum to the Common Core State Standards , since we posted our workshops to prepare our calendar for next school year, the response has been amazing!  We are thrilled with the response and inquiring emails are great…we are happy to answer any questions and we work with all schools to include but not limited to public, private and charter.

On this blog alone, we are averaging 40-100 views a day for our workshops and our subscriptions for our blog have doubled. (Note: Since this blog post was written, this blog has surpasses 750,000 views and averages 400-600 views a day. 6/2021)

As we continue to prepare for next year’s schedule, we are also finishing up a few academic eBooks.

Outside of our Common Core State Standards Workshops another hot topic of inquiry from our readers is our Anti-Bullying Workshops.  Brief examples of these workshops will be posted soon.

The positive responses from educators has been so rewarding, as they are my colleagues. To have such great emails commenting that you like what we are trying to do is very humbling and synergistic.

We appreciate all the emails, comments and questions.  We are also trying to write grants now to be able to provide workshops for those schools who have asked but cannot afford it for their staff or students.

Thank you!

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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June 29, 2011 · 2:44 PM

“How to ePublish” Workshop at the University of Detroit Mercy~A Way to Share Your Talents with Others While Building Revenue for College

University of Detroit Mercy

Event Calendar

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Workshop: How to ePublish

This “How to ePublish” workshop covers the “how” and “why” to ePublishing, how to develop a basic social framework/platform and how to maximize earning potential.

In this three-phase, 2.5 hour workshop, participants will be introduced to and participate in:

  • Phase I:          ePublishing – the how and why component
  • Phase II:        Develop an ePublishing Framework
  • Phase III:       Marketing Nuts and Bolts – Maximize Earning Potential and learn how to utilize experience as ePublishing tools and      ePublish with Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com

Price: $75.00 per participant with 15% per participant being donated back to UDM.
**NOTE: July 13th workshop is being donated to Dr. Gibney’s education students by Denise Ball, Unlock the Teacher LLC Chief Executive Officer and a 2010 UDM alum.

This workshop is designed for individuals 16 and older.   This workshop is ideal for:

  • Teens and college students looking to utilize current writing created in the classroom to create a revenue source for college and add to academic portfolio
  • Educators and administrators looking to find creative revenue resources for field trips, adding technology to the classroom and to further the learning experience
  • Professionals looking to share knowledge and earn additional revenue for retirement
  • Anyone looking to learn publishing tools of the 21st century

Denise Ball, an Unlock the Teacher LLC educator, has seventeen years of experience in education.  She has published and sold curriculum and eBooks designed to enhance the academic process.  Denise is a passionate person who draws in her audience and takes them on a “How to ePublish” journey sure to educate and inform.

Commerce & Finance Building, Room 213, 9:00AM – 11:30AM

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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June 27, 2011 · 8:30 PM

Teacher Resource Websites~Great Tool for Parents too this Summer

 

Parents are the first responders in regards to education.  The following sites can be viewed by parent(s) and or caregiver and lessons or objectives can be giving for children ages 6 to 18 each day to enhance learning over the summer. Many of these sites have free educational webinars or videos where parent and child can learn together and have some educational fun! 20 minutes on computer at one of these sites can help your child explore and learn.  Great ideas can be extrapolated from these sites, in regards to family outings, educational vacations, field trips and fun summertime projects at home.

 

Great Learning Games~ www.funbrain.com

Large Resource for Language Arts, Reading and Writing~ www.mrsgoldsclass.com

Great Science and Math Activities~ www.edheads.com

Create Puzzles ~ www.edhelper.com

Educational Webinars~ www.pbs.org

Everything Jan Brett~ www.janbrett.com/

Great Science Site~ www.chem4kids.com

A Typing Site for Kids~ www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing

Everything Eric Carle~ www.eric-carle.com

A Variety of Activites~ www.apples4theteacher.com/

May we seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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June 13, 2011 · 1:24 PM

We are so Excited to Hear from Principals Around USA~Here is a Quick Contact List for Unlock the Teacher LLC and as Requested, a Synopsis of our Workshops

We are thrilled with the response to the workshops we have been using this year in some schools and the workshops we just created for the 2011-2012 school year.

A Brief Breakdown of Workshops

Common Core State Standards Workshops

Cornerstone for Successful Implementation –District Leaders,
Principals

Cornerstone for Successful Implementation – Building Leaders

Common Core State Standards “Nuts & Bolts”

Curriculum Alignment Part I

~Collaboration is Key!

Curriculum Alignment Part II

~Presentation and Mini-Group Workshop

Unlock the Teacher
LLC Workshops for Educators and Administrators

“How to Utilize ePublishing in the Classroom” Writing
Workshop for Grades 1-12

“ePublishing as an Educational Revenue Resource” Workshop

Unlock the Teacher
LLC Workshops for Students

Teen ePublishing Workshop

Anti-Bullying “Words Hurt” Workshop Session I (Grades K-3)

Anti-Bullying “You Can Make a Difference” Workshop Session
II (Grades 4-6)

Anti-Bullying “Words, Action, Character” Workshop Session
III Grades 7 & 8

Anti-Bullying “Getting the Big Picture” Workshop Session IV
(Grades 9-12)

“ePublishing and Writing” Workshop for Grades 1-12

 

We are beginning to pencil in training.

Please utilize the following information to contact us for teacher, principal or superintendent recommendations or availability:

Denise Ball

Unlock the Teacher LLC

Chief Executive Officer

Denise@unlocktheteacherllc.com

 

Trisha Vaughn

Unlock the Teacher LLC

Chief Financial Officer

trisha@unlocktheteacherllc.com

Sue Atwell

Unlock the Teacher LLC

Chief Marketing Officer

Sue@unlocktheteacherllc.com

Leave questions or comments on our website: www.unlocktheteacher.com

or teachme@unlocktheteacherllc.com

Our Mission

At Unlock the Teacher LLC, our mission is to make a difference for all by opening doors of education; the doors are many, they are unique and tailored to each individual, each student and each business.

“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” — Carl Rogers

May we seek kowledge in all things,

Denise

 

 

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June 11, 2011 · 11:55 AM

We Have Found an Amazing 7 Year-Old Writer and Her Mom Writes Too…Check out Her Blog

In one of our Writing Workshops in May, I was thrilled to spend time with Amy Foret.  She is a young mom who is a wife and a mother of two. Her articulate and well-read daughter is 7 and she has an amazing son who is 5.

Her daughter started reading when she was only 3 1/2, and has been writing stories since she started kindergarten. Now she is in second grade. She reads about a book a night, and writes at least one short story a week.

Please check out and welcome these new writers to WordPress and the writing arena.

For all of our readers who love to get great ideas on books to utilize in classroom or read to your child, we highly recommend Amy’s blog MY Garden Patch of Books.

Please check it our and share your thoughts here on your great reading finds 🙂

I am on my way to VA to meet with Trisha and conduct some Unlock the Teacher LLC “How to ePublish” Workshops…

Stay tuned as the next Katie’s Adventure eBook is almost ready to hit Barnes and Noble.com.  The OLQM first graders who wrote and illustrated the book did an amazing job!

You learn something every day if you pay attention.  ~Ray LeBlond

May we seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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