Tech Tip Tuesday ... Snowflakes!

I grew up in Houston, so paper snowflakes were pretty much the only ones we ever saw. 

I don't think my snowflakes were ever this pretty. In fact, I'm pretty sure that all of my snowflakes were made on recycled copy paper from my mom's work (which means that every snowflake I ever made was on the back of some Church Bulletin or Order of Worship that had one too many typos. 

Paper snowflakes are still fun, but there are all kinds of online sites where students (and you!) can create amazing snowflakes for projects like winter poetry or even a math lesson about symmetry!

You've got to check these out:

• Make a Flake by Barkley - create your own fabulous flake by using the "scissors" to cut away at the folded "paper". Oh, how wonderful to have an UNDO button if you accidentally snip the wrong spot!  When you're finished, Save your flake for others to see in the gallery! You can also email your flake to a friend or download your flake to your computer to use for any type of winter project!
• SnowDays by Popular Front - This is one of the best online snowflake sites I've seen! Create your own flake, or catch one of the MILLIONS of falling flakes. I mean literally - millions! As of Monday morning, there had been 10,241,786 snowflakes created on this site!
• Snowflake Workshop - this site is new to me this year, and what a treasure! This one actually gives you very clear instructions on how to draw the lines with a "pencil" (use the "eraser" if you make a mistake), then click on the "scissors" to cut out the flake. Like the other sites, it gives you a chance to add your name, then the snowflake shows up in a fun gallery for all the world to see and enjoy.
• Snowflake Designer - this snowflake site is a little different. You choose your type of scissors, then start snipping away. It gives you an instant preview of your beautiful creation. When you are finished, just simply click the "Copy to Clipboard" button, and your design is ready to be pasted into any other document! (I had to load Shockwave for this site to work correctly for me, but it was quick and painless!)

Whether you use these sites just for fun, as part of a classroom activity, or individual student project, I hope you enjoy them!

My hope for all of us this year is that we smile more often, we laugh more often, and we are more open to trying new and innovative things in our classrooms with our students. 

So, how 'bout a little snowflake humor???