STEM and Reading PDs Follow Up

 

Thank you to everyone for attending the STEM and Reading PDs last week! Below you will find some additional resources and videos to assist you in implementing the strategies in your classroom.

 

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As you are working towards increasing or finding the time to fit independent reading into your blocks, check out some of the anchor charts, conferring documents, and videos below to assist you!

 

Independent Reading: Shopping for Books

 

 

 

Guided Reading Small Group: Conferring with Students (video)

 

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STEM can assist you in teaching the scientific method to your students, and can be done with everyday materials!

 

 

 

 

 

Setting the Stage for STEM (blog post)

http://teachoutsidethebox.com/2016/06/setting-stage-stem-beginning-school-year/

 

Storybook STEM: Bringing STEM and Literacy Together (blog post)

http://teachoutsidethebox.com/2016/11/bringing-stem-literacy-together/

 

 

 

 

Engagement PD Follow Up

Shout out to everyone for being fully engaged in November's Increasing Student Engagement PD!

I loved watching you develop your critical eye and using a rubric to peek into a first grade math lesson, hearing reflection on your practice taking place, and seeing all of your enthusiastically share your thoughts on the article "The Icing or the Cake?" in our Jigsaw activity.

Is engagement the icing or the cake?

According to ISNP teachers...

 

"Student engagement is both. The students must know the purpose (cake) foundation of activity -- why we are doing this -- and when this happens, they perform authentically (icing)!"

 

"Yes, it (the icing) is the only reason to eat the cake!"

 

"Student engagement is the icing. The very best feeling is when you can see the students engaged in the lessons."

 

"Cake! Without engagement, there is no learning."

 

"I think it's the cake - or at least one of its ingredients...Students can't learn if they're not engaged."

 

"Cake! If students aren't engaged, you aren't reaching them."

Based on the Google Forms Exit Ticket, I will be scheduling times to plan and model engagement strategies...for now, take a look at some of the videos and resources below!

 

 

 

Ways to Keep them ENGAGED...

1. Use an Engagement Strategy:

--Circle Chats: http://www.gottoteach.com/2014/08/circle-chats-cooperative-learning.html

--Using Think Pair Share (video below)

2. Avoid excessive use of worksheets, and offer CHOICE:

Tired of making copies? Do students rush through their worksheet? Use a learning menu instead! Menus allow for students to have choice in how they present their learning. By allowing students to choose the type of product, they are then more engaged and take ownership of their learning (providing artifacts of their learning process). Sample menu packets are in your mailboxes. See below for other options.

 -- Choice Board Blog: http://www.the-creative-classroom.com/2016/09/the-choice-of-engagement.html



Remember, even the highly engaged classroom will have multiple levels of engagement. The goal is to get a majority of students to be actively engaged. Please reach out to me if you need any ideas, etc. I will be observing during the month of December using the pink Engagement Rubric you received at the PD, and I will provide you with specific feedback once I've popped into your classroom.

How do you keep your students engaged?

Coach Corner: Week of 9.5.16

Thank you all for being willing to navigate through the growing pains of the new common planning model with me. I am here to partner with each of you and to see that you all “WIN”. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, or even to invite me into your room to participate, co-teach, or observe. I love being in classrooms with you and the students!!

 

Currently, my focus is on instructional planning and devising an intervention plan as I seek advice from all of you. I am so grateful that you all allow me to be a part of your teams…

 

Next week, I will be off campus at a Coach meeting on Monday, but then I will be common planning with all primary teams, and intermediate teams we will be creating our first USA Test Prep benchmark together.

 

Happy Weekend!

 

 

Article Study Follow Up...

Below is a link to the article that we discussed this Wednesday on classroom management techniques. If you scroll through the article, you can watch the videos that go with each section on the topics that we discussed. Thank you for your reflection and suggestions!!

http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol11/1115-vilen.aspx

 

Shark Spotlight!

Today in Mrs. Jones' class, students built catapults using spoons, tongue depressors, and rubber bands! They were investigating how the placement of the fulcrum effects distance. All students were so engaged and had to draw a diagram of their catapult and give an explanation of this investigation! Love seeing STEM lessons in action -- check with Mrs. Jones and she might be able to give you a date so that you could stop by to check out some STEM lessons too!

Project Based Learning

Don't let this happen to your students -- check out the tips below!

PBL is a wonderful way to increase student curiosity and creativity! During the months of April and May, it's also a nice way to keep students engaged and reinforce the skills/standards they've learned all year! According to the NEA (National Education Association),

"This model helps make learning relevant to students by establishing connections to life outside the classroom and by addressing real world issues. In the classroom, PBL gives teachers an opportunity to build relationships with students by acting as their coach, facilitator, and co-learner. In the school and beyond, the model further allows teachers opportunities to build relationships among colleagues and with those in the larger community. Student projects can be shared with other teachers, parents, and others who have a vested interest in the students' education." http://www.nea.org/tools/16963.htm



Below are some links to resources that can help you plan and implement PBL in your classroom.



Why PBL?
http://bie.org/about/why_pbl



PBL Essential Elements Checklist
(For teacher planning phase)
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/03/a-great-project-based-learning.html

Twenty Tips for Managing Project-Based Learning
(My favorite tip: #15 - Give Useful and Accessible Feedback)
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-pbl-project-based-learning-educators-andrew-miller


Please reach out to me if you need any help in the planning or facilitating of classroom projects -- I always love visiting when you have display days, too!!

Shark Spotlight!

Below, one of Mrs. Swales' Kindergarten students got up from his seat and went to use the Word Wall to help him during writing! It was obvious that Mrs. Swales taught this strategy to her students -- what a wonderful way to make her Word Wall interactive and useful!

 

 

 

 

In Ms. Komisak's 5th grade classroom, the students have a Connections Wall, where they stick Stop and Jot notes with connections they have made while reading with the class, or during Independent Daily Reading. They write the connection and a small explanation! Such a cool way to build classroom culture while displaying reading comprehension through student work!

 

 

 

I'm so proud to be a SHARK!

Rigorous Centers PD Follow Up

Shoutout to Heather and Jada for co-facilitating our Rigorous Centers PD! I loved hearing the discussions in the PD, but also seeing how many wheels this PD got turning and the reflection taking place. I'd love to sit with teams to look at stations and best practices that go along with them. We can also discuss creating a community of independent learners...for now, take a look at some of the videos and resources below!


Math:
Check out the video linked below from Debbie Diller on math stations! She has a great series called "Moving into Math Stations" with videos from running stations to storing manipulatives -- definitely worth the time to watch.
https://youtu.be/xUKvXWFUd68

Here's a first grade blog sharing how this teacher structures math stations, and how she rotates them -- she even includes a reading station in her rotation for her students to read math stories/books!
http://firstgradefrogblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/build-math-centers.html

Another video of 4th grade students explaining their stations, and then working in them!
https://youtu.be/Z_vDV_UkP_0




Reading:

This blog post shares how this teacher creates task cards that can fit with any reading material and she shares links to free resources:
http://onestopteachershop.com/2014/06/no-fuss-literacy-centers.html

My favorite Teaching Channel teacher, Jenna, has amazing videos from her classroom that share how she manages, introduces, and runs her stations! Her tips can help both primary and intermediate classrooms!
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/introducing-reading-work-stations

Vocabulary PD Follow Up

Wow! I was impressed with the collaboration and instructional discussions that took place at our Vocabulary PD! Thank you all for your insight, questions, and positive mindsets!

 

 

I was happy to receive many questions and requests for more activity ideas via the exit tickets. Below are a few questions with responses and I will share more activity ideas to specific grade levels in the upcoming weeks! Thank you all for jumping in whole heartedly and reflecting on your practice! We work at a great school!

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1. When you teach all subjects, which types of words (Tiers 1-3) are most effective for students to have in the classroom word walls?

 

        Tier 2 words would be best for word walls -- remember Tier 1 words are words that students speak with on a daily basis. Yet, for kindergarten or first grade, sight words would be beneficial (which probably fall under Tier 1). It's always a good idea to display or make Tier 3 words available to students as well, but word walls should focus on high frequency words. Students could also have personal word walls in folders, that they keep different words than those on display on a word wall.

 

Here is a link to a great article/site about word walls and making them interactive!

http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/word_walls

 

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2. How do you know what words they don't know?

 

          There is no way to know every students' vocabulary knowledge. But after working with students and conferring with them on different topics/activities, you can start to do some formative assessments. Tier 2 words are those words that can be used across contexts and are high frequency words, but that doesn't mean that they understand the meaning. Here's an idea from the article "Doing It Differently: Tips for Teaching Vocabulary":

• Ask each child to create a chart where he/she writes down words of choice, and rates each one as "know it," "sort of know it," or "don't know it at all."
• Then, on the same paper, have them write a definition or "my guess on meaning" for the words they know and kind of know (No dictionaries!)

Before they turn in these pre-reading charts, be sure to emphasize this is not about "being right" but that they are providing you with information to guide next steps in class vocabulary instruction.

http://cicobb.typepad.com/files/vocabulary-notebook.pdf

This would be a great formative assessment piece before reading a text and could be adjusted for any grade level or content area!

You can read more on this through the following link to the article on edutopia:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/vocabulary-instruction-teaching-tips-rebecca-alber

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3. What are some ideas that can be used for vocabulary notebooks?

       

        Below are a few links to different ways to set up vocabulary notebooks, or templates to use. If you are interested in finding out more, send me an email and I will happily book a time to come and sit with you to develop something that works for you and your students!

 

http://www.helloliteracy.com/2011/08/marzanos-six-steps-for-vocabulary.html

 

http://cicobb.typepad.com/files/vocabulary-notebook.pdf

 

http://sde.ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/BAVSample.pdf

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If you've made it to the end of this long blog post, HOORAY! Thank you for taking the time to look at my follow up on vocabulary. For a chance to win a trip to my Teacher Treasure Box, post a comment with a reaction to this post, a way you've incorporated something from our Vocabulary PD, or share a vocabulary tip that you use in your classroom (you could even post a picture!). Happy posting!!

SHARK Spotlight!

Before our vocabulary PD, tiered vocabulary was spotted in Mrs. Campbell's fourth grade classroom! Check out her anchor chart below and the vocabulary that fits into each category!

 

 

Mrs. Greco and the first grade team use vocabulary folders in their classrooms to have students make visual connections with their words, and also write sentences as a class to see the words in context! Wonderful word work!

 

Happy 2016 -- Upcoming PD!

Welcome back Shark fam! I'm looking forward to continuing best practices and sharing in you and your students' successes in this new year!

Are you curious yet what our Wednesday (1/13) after school PD will be focused on? Here's a sneak peak...Can't wait to see you there (Don't forget your Interactive Notebook)!