Work Less By Going Paperless: A Scanner Review

Work Less By Going Paperless

Are your file cabinets full of worksheets, ideas, and other miscellaneous goodies that you just can't let go of?  I’m constantly on the lookout for new and fresh ideas for my classroom and grew tired of looking at my cluttered file cabinet.  Organizing paperwork can be time consuming.  I usually end up having stacks of paperwork at the end of the year that I have to organize because I didn’t have time to put them away after I used them.  Well, if you are anything like me and have a tough time purging through your paper clutter I have a solution for you!  Go paperless! 

My secret to going paperless is my new gadget called the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300iScanner.  By the way this post isn’t sponsored in anyway.  When I received this device in the mail I was surprised at how compact this scanner was.  They even have a smaller version for on the go.  This device can scan up to 10 pages at a time and you can even sneak in a few more pages in afterwards or configure the program to ask if you would like to add more pages to the document.  The ScanSnap also scans double sided sheets so it saves you time.  It can scan up to 12 double-sided color or black & white pages per minute.  It scans your documents into PDF files, Jpegs, Word documents, Excel, or PowerPoint. 

(Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300iScanner)

(It is about the size of two 3 hole punchers.)

It literally took me a few hours to get all of my file folders packed with worksheets, paperwork, pictures, etc. in to digital files.  Now I just keep one copy of the worksheets that I need in my file cabinet and the rest on my hard drive.  The best part is that I don’t have to worry about losing my hardcopy. 

Another option that this scanner offers is that it allows me to scan my documents into Word.  Let’s pretend you have a paper copy of a handout that you would like to edit, but you lost your digital file.  Instead of retyping the whole thing over again, all you have to do is scan your document to word and edit the areas you need.

(This is what it looks like when you open it up.)

There are also many other practical uses for this device.  You can scan receipts, photos, cards, etc.   Its price tag is a bit hefty, but I consider it money well spent.  It can easily become a teacher’s best friend.  On Amazon, it currently costs about $260. 

If you use this device or another gadget that helps you with paper clutter, I’d love to hear from you.  I’m pretty new to this so if you have any tips you’ve discovered along the way please feel free to share with me your ideas.

  

Having fun with Dental Health and April Calendar Numbers Giveaway!

It's been way too long since my last post!  I wanted to catch you up on my dental health activities.  I know that it's a bit late, but I hope you can find a few ideas for next school year.

These are some of the books I read to the kids.  The book Why do I brush my teeth? Has many great activities that you can do with your students.  The book I Know Why I Brush My Teeth is about a boy who talks to his mother about dental health.  

We did an "egg"spiriment together.  I told the kids that the enamel on our teeth is similar to the shell on an egg.  They both help to protect what's beneath.  We put a boiled egg in a container with water and another egg in a container of cola.  The students kept an eye on the eggs for about a week to see if any changes occurred.  We discovered that the egg in the water did not change.  However, we did find some changes to the egg in the soda.  The shell turned brown and its shell became weaker.  You could rub off some of the egg shell.  This experiment really solidified the kids knowldege of how sugary drinks and food can break down the enamel on their teeth and lead to cavities and toothaches.

My students also learned about healthy and unhealthy foods for their teeth.  They worked in pairs to create a collage of food that were healthy (happy face) and unhealthy (sad face).  We glued the pictures onto a tooth shaped piece of paper.  

We graphed how many teeth each student lost.  I gave each of them a print out of a mouth.  They colored a tooth for each tooth they've lost so far.  

I bought vampire teeth in the month of October and saved it for dental health month.  I tried finding white teeth, but I had no luck.  We used cotton swabs as toothbrushes.  Each student had to demonstrate how to correctly brush their their teeth.  The students had so much fun practicing on these, especially because it was 3 dimensional.  The best part was that they got to keep their vampire teeth.  

Lastly, we worked on our dental health book.  If you would like a copy click HERE.  

It includes 5 Pages:

Front Cover

Egg Experiment

Healthy Foods For Your Teeth

Tools For Brushing

Healthy Smile

Click HERE to get these super cute April Calendar Numbers.  The first 5 people to leave a comment and follow my blog can get these for free.  All you have to do is leave me your email address in your comment and share how you are following me (Blog, TPT Store, Teachers Notebook)!

It Includes:

36 Number Cards with ABBC Pattern 

(Bunny, Rain Cloud, Rain Cloud, Umbrella)

Size of Cards: 2.5 X 2.5 inches

Print on White Cardstock and Laminate

Also includes cards for major April holidays and birthdays. 

Other Ideas for Calendar Cards:

*Use as number cards

*Use as patterning cards

*Use at math centers

*Use for flash cards, games, etc.