Freebies for Teachers: A Book to WIN!

Everyone makes mistakes—and sometimes a mistake leads to something even better! That lesson is beautifully explained in Beautiful Oops!, a new book from Workman Publishing and winner of a Learning magazine 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family. Written by Barney Saltzberg, Beautiful Oops! shows students that accidents aren’t always as they first appear; a splotch on a piece of paper can turn into a drawing of a creative creature!

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I’ve run across lots of fun freebies for teachers as a result of a happy accident. Submit a comment to our blog to let us know which of these freebies look like fun to you. One lucky reader will be randomly selected to win a copy of Beautiful Oops!. To be eligible, submit your comment by midnight EST on Monday, February 28, 2011. To learn more about the book, check out a fun video at the Workman site. Click here! (Update: Congratulations to Cindy, who won a copy of the book! Thanks to everyone for the wonderful comments.)

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Here’s a challenge your students are sure to embrace: the Samsung SUPERHERO Competition. Students in grades K-12 are invited to enter digital videos of 1 to 3 minutes in length in which they portray historical characters. Entries are due April 15, 2011. Each winning student receives $500 and his or her class receives a SAMCAM 860 document camera (valued at $799). To get the details and enter the competition, visit www.samsungk-12.com. Click here now!

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Don’t put your video camera away yet! Turn your attention to science and submit a video showing a homemade science experiment that uses the scientific method. Students of all ages are invited to participate; entries are due March 15, 2011. The top prize is $200 cash and a MicroViewer 500x digital microscope. This contest is sponsored by Learning Encounters. To get the details, visit www.leosciencelab.com.

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What could be more fun than free books? Here’s your chance to win! Orca Book Publishers is giving away a complete set of books from the Young Readers Collection PLUS a $50 Amazon gift card. Ready to enter? Click here now!

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The PBS Teachers Innovation Awards recognize teachers for the creative and innovative ways they engage their students. If you have innovative ideas—and if you use PBS resources to carry out those ideas—then you’ll want to find out more about this contest. Twelve winners will be selected to participate in a weeklong Innovation Immersion Experience in summer 2011 plus receive a wireless SMART Slate and a free PBS TeacherLine professional development course. Entries are due March 31, 2011. To learn more, click here now!

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Be sure to submit your comment to our blog for your chance to win!

Karen

36 thoughts on “Freebies for Teachers: A Book to WIN!

  1. The book Beautiful Oops sounds wonderful! I have many 1st graders tell me everyday “I made an oops can I have another one?” this book sounds great!

  2. I agree with everyone else – the book “Beautiful Oops” sounds like a wonderful read for all ages. Even as adults we still make “oops.” I’m always helping my students see the bright side of a mistake. Even if I don’t win the book, I think I’m going to buy it! Thanks for the idea!

  3. I entered the ORCA books contest, as my classroom students need access to more books! I would love to win the Beautiful Oops! book because I believe it will inspire student creativity!

  4. As a preschool teacher, I remind my students that there are no mistakes in preschool and I show them what else something can be if they feel they did not do something right. For example, art work, crafts and anything the children work on. I feel this book would be a wonderful asset to our classroom.

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  6. This looks like something that students would really enjoy. After all – superheroes are characters kids can relate to. I hope to win a book. 🙂

  7. The beautiful Oops book appeals to me because of the importance of showing children that all creativity is wonderful and valuable. Sometimes mistakes make the most beautiful and interesting art.

  8. As always, each option has its own merits and WOW! factor, so who can choose?

    I try to persuade my students that their mistakes lead to learning (I am an excellent role model!). I hope that “Beautiful Oops!” will be more convincing!

    Thank you for your endless search for great opportunities!

    Rhonda

  9. The Beautiful Oops book will be on my to-get-list,for sure! We all make oopses,every day..and some do lead to very creative outcomes. Thanks for keeping us up to date
    on the latest in literature!

  10. Oh, I would love to win the copy of the book, Beautiful Oops! I have some students this year that would definitely benefit from hearing this book. Thanks!

  11. Beautiful Oops sounds like a great book to teach students acceptance of themselves (including mistakes). The Orca contest looks great.

  12. This is the first time I’ve been as excited for my own (biological) children to enter as I am for my students! I also know LOTS of innovators and can’t wait to pass this along.

  13. I think this book would be great in any classroom. So many students are afraid to make mistakes. Where would we be without them. This is how we learn and create new ideas. I teach 5th grade and we all can benefit from Beautiful Oops! 🙂

  14. I just found this blog- so exciting! This book would be fantastic in any classroom because so many students are afraid of making a mistake because it is wrong. It’s so important to emphasize that we learn from mistakes and they’re okay. And they can be made into something beautiful!

  15. This book sounds like a great one for my classroom! Sometimes my children get really upset with themselves when they make a mistake like spilling their milk at snack time. They need to realize that making mistakes is a normal happening and it is ok.

  16. What a great book to teach, not only mistakes, but the grace of self-acceptance and to take each “oops” as a lesson in life. Timeless message!

  17. I love the idea of turning mistakes into something beautiful. As a special education teacher I am continuously looking for ways to show my students that mistakes are OK, and we can choose how we react to mistakes.

  18. What a great way to express that mistakes happen and can sometimes lead to greater things if you just look for the silver lining.

  19. I am getting older and will be retiring in a year or so. When I was doing my student teaching I witnessed my co-operating teacher perform a miracle. A bee flew into the classroom while we were in circle and she took a magazine and chanted a rhyme. The bee followed the magazine and right out the window. It was in that moment that I realized teachers can perform miracles in the classroom. I honestly hope that I have. The lives that we touch, the mistakes that we help turn around, the memories we hold are worth more than gold. I always say teachers are rich and one of these days no one can take the riches away!

  20. I’m teaching art right now and I’ve never heard so many, “I messed up”. I say at least once a day that in art you never “mess up”, you can always make it into something beautiful.

  21. I love to tell the children that we all learn from mistakes. This looks like a great book to support that theory.

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