“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt,
kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”
—Albert Schweitzer
(1875-1965)Philosopher, Physician, Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Engaging All Learners
Studio Day April 2019
Monday, February 29, 2016
Quotable Quote
“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt,
kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”
—Albert Schweitzer
(1875-1965)Philosopher, Physician, Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Monday, February 22, 2016
Paine Campus Experiences Mini EdCamp
- Reading Workshop
- Google Classroom with Google Forms and Go Guardian
- Using Mentor Sentences to Enhance Language Skills
- Intervention Reading Strategies
- Multisensory Teaching
- ACT Practice Testing
- Cross Curricular Collaboration
- How Is Science Instruction Changing?
- How to Stay Happy, Healthy, Balanced in Teaching
- Piloting a Mini-Economy and Ball Chairs in the Classroom to enhance Classroom Management and Simulate Real World Math and Economics with Diverse Learners
- Using Data Notebooks
- Using CAFE menu to reach Common Core ELA Standards
- Student Research using our new database, PebbleGO
Friday, February 19, 2016
TEN TO TEEN: SEVEN WAYS TO HELP STRUGGLING READERS
From: NAESP
TEN TO TEEN: SEVEN WAYS TO HELP STRUGGLING READERS
By Carole Meyer
Principal, January/February 2016
In almost every middle school, there are students who struggle despite repeated intervention. In 2012-2013, 328 of the 736 students at Salk Middle School in Spokane, Washington, scored at Level 1 (below basic) or Level 2 (basic) on the state reading test. That means that 44 percent of our student body was not proficient in reading.
So in summer 2013, we set out to transform our reading program to help get every student reading at or above grade level before they leave our school. Here are seven strategies we’ve used to help students achieve significant reading gains.
1. Seek out research-based interventions. Starting out, I knew that to get district approval, any intervention we considered would have to be research based. So I conducted extensive research, including reviewing studies on the What Works Clearinghouse website. After careful analysis, I chose two programs to implement with our students who scored at Level 1 or 2 on our state reading test: a language and literacy intervention called Fast ForWord and an online reading tool called Reading Assistant.
2. Empower students with a dedicated teacher and a blended learning approach. Next, I hired an enthusiastic teacher, Shannon Gilfeather, to head up our program for struggling readers. Together, we decided to create a blended learning classroom because combining face-to-face and online instruction gives students more power and control over their learning. In addition, by providing opportunities for individualized, self-paced instruction, we can assist students in filling in the skills they’re missing and make sure those skills endure.
3. Target the root cause of students’ reading difficulties. In Gilfeather’s classroom, students work on the software 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Fast ForWord uses the principles of neuroplasticity to remediate the underlying difficulties that keep struggling readers and English-language learners from making progress. It works from the bottom up, developing cognitive skills like memory, attention, and processing speed, while concurrently addressing reading skills. By exercising students’ processing skills through intensive, adaptive activity, physical changes occur in the brain. This improves students’ skills in reading and helps them to get more from their instruction in other classes.
4. Provide one-on-one support to build fluency and comprehension. Research shows that guided oral reading instruction is an effective practice for building fluency. However, it’s difficult to do with only one teacher and a class full of students. So for individualized reading coaching, students also work on Reading Assistant 20 minutes a day, three days a week.
The program uses speech recognition technology to correct and support students as they read aloud. It provides an unbiased listener that allows students to practice—without judgment—at their own pace.
We’ve found this approach to be particularly helpful with students with auditory processing disorders because it allows them to practice reading aloud and then listen to recordings of themselves. This helps them understand where they’re making mistakes and helps them pay more attention the next time they read aloud.
5. Give students opportunities to write every day. While closely connected, writing is sometimes overlooked as a way to improve students’ reading skills. During the 2014-2015 school year, we implemented a buildingwide writing approach, and Gilfeather added a writing component to her blended learning classroom. Now, the class targets a specific writing skill each week and students write to a prompt daily.
6. Accelerate student progress with real-time data. One feature we like about the online programs is that they give us real-time data so we can see what’s happening with each student. This also helps parents understand exactly which skills their students are missing and how we can target those skills.
Gilfeather also works with students to set weekly goals and do daily check-ins to see how they’re doing and where they need to improve. Her classroom also has data walls so students can document and track their progress, which makes their learning more tangible.
7. Evaluate students’ progress using multiple measures. In 2013-2014, the framework for K-12 Washington State assessments changed and, as such, we were unable to examine and complete a year-to-year state assessment data analysis. However, multiple measures, including pre- and post-assessment data, were examined.
Results
On the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), we compared the results of students who qualified for treatment and used the Fast ForWord program with the results of students who qualified for treatment but were unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts. Those who used Fast ForWord achieved average gains of two to four points on the MAP—more than twice as much growth as their peers who did not use the program.
Also examined were data from Reading Progress Indicator, a computerized assessment designed to measure the impact of the Fast ForWord products, as well as the STAR Reading assessment. While these students were all Level 1 and Level 2 readers, they achieved more than a year of growth in only one semester. Three separate semesters of growth data revealed average reading gains ranging from 1.4 to 1.7 grade levels in the Fast ForWord program, and 1.1 to 2.1 grade levels on the STAR Reading assessment.
Of course, we also wanted to see if these gains were transferring to the classroom. So we looked at students’ pass rates across all six of their classes and saw that they were passing more than 90 percent of their classes. While we didn’t expect the pass rates to be that high after such a short period of time, the shift was definitely a positive byproduct of the program.
Overall, our reading intervention program has helped students shift their mindsets toward becoming better readers, and more than 50 students in the program read more than 1 million words during the year. Our target students now take more accountability for their learning because they can see the real-time progress they are making. Anecdotally, students say they can think faster, complete difficult tasks with more ease, and they have more confidence and are experiencing more success in each of their classes.
Carole Meyer is principal of Salk Middle School in Spokane, Washington.
TEN TO TEEN: SEVEN WAYS TO HELP STRUGGLING READERS
By Carole Meyer
Principal, January/February 2016
In almost every middle school, there are students who struggle despite repeated intervention. In 2012-2013, 328 of the 736 students at Salk Middle School in Spokane, Washington, scored at Level 1 (below basic) or Level 2 (basic) on the state reading test. That means that 44 percent of our student body was not proficient in reading.
So in summer 2013, we set out to transform our reading program to help get every student reading at or above grade level before they leave our school. Here are seven strategies we’ve used to help students achieve significant reading gains.
1. Seek out research-based interventions. Starting out, I knew that to get district approval, any intervention we considered would have to be research based. So I conducted extensive research, including reviewing studies on the What Works Clearinghouse website. After careful analysis, I chose two programs to implement with our students who scored at Level 1 or 2 on our state reading test: a language and literacy intervention called Fast ForWord and an online reading tool called Reading Assistant.
2. Empower students with a dedicated teacher and a blended learning approach. Next, I hired an enthusiastic teacher, Shannon Gilfeather, to head up our program for struggling readers. Together, we decided to create a blended learning classroom because combining face-to-face and online instruction gives students more power and control over their learning. In addition, by providing opportunities for individualized, self-paced instruction, we can assist students in filling in the skills they’re missing and make sure those skills endure.
3. Target the root cause of students’ reading difficulties. In Gilfeather’s classroom, students work on the software 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Fast ForWord uses the principles of neuroplasticity to remediate the underlying difficulties that keep struggling readers and English-language learners from making progress. It works from the bottom up, developing cognitive skills like memory, attention, and processing speed, while concurrently addressing reading skills. By exercising students’ processing skills through intensive, adaptive activity, physical changes occur in the brain. This improves students’ skills in reading and helps them to get more from their instruction in other classes.
4. Provide one-on-one support to build fluency and comprehension. Research shows that guided oral reading instruction is an effective practice for building fluency. However, it’s difficult to do with only one teacher and a class full of students. So for individualized reading coaching, students also work on Reading Assistant 20 minutes a day, three days a week.
The program uses speech recognition technology to correct and support students as they read aloud. It provides an unbiased listener that allows students to practice—without judgment—at their own pace.
We’ve found this approach to be particularly helpful with students with auditory processing disorders because it allows them to practice reading aloud and then listen to recordings of themselves. This helps them understand where they’re making mistakes and helps them pay more attention the next time they read aloud.
5. Give students opportunities to write every day. While closely connected, writing is sometimes overlooked as a way to improve students’ reading skills. During the 2014-2015 school year, we implemented a buildingwide writing approach, and Gilfeather added a writing component to her blended learning classroom. Now, the class targets a specific writing skill each week and students write to a prompt daily.
6. Accelerate student progress with real-time data. One feature we like about the online programs is that they give us real-time data so we can see what’s happening with each student. This also helps parents understand exactly which skills their students are missing and how we can target those skills.
Gilfeather also works with students to set weekly goals and do daily check-ins to see how they’re doing and where they need to improve. Her classroom also has data walls so students can document and track their progress, which makes their learning more tangible.
7. Evaluate students’ progress using multiple measures. In 2013-2014, the framework for K-12 Washington State assessments changed and, as such, we were unable to examine and complete a year-to-year state assessment data analysis. However, multiple measures, including pre- and post-assessment data, were examined.
Results
On the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), we compared the results of students who qualified for treatment and used the Fast ForWord program with the results of students who qualified for treatment but were unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts. Those who used Fast ForWord achieved average gains of two to four points on the MAP—more than twice as much growth as their peers who did not use the program.
Also examined were data from Reading Progress Indicator, a computerized assessment designed to measure the impact of the Fast ForWord products, as well as the STAR Reading assessment. While these students were all Level 1 and Level 2 readers, they achieved more than a year of growth in only one semester. Three separate semesters of growth data revealed average reading gains ranging from 1.4 to 1.7 grade levels in the Fast ForWord program, and 1.1 to 2.1 grade levels on the STAR Reading assessment.
Of course, we also wanted to see if these gains were transferring to the classroom. So we looked at students’ pass rates across all six of their classes and saw that they were passing more than 90 percent of their classes. While we didn’t expect the pass rates to be that high after such a short period of time, the shift was definitely a positive byproduct of the program.
Overall, our reading intervention program has helped students shift their mindsets toward becoming better readers, and more than 50 students in the program read more than 1 million words during the year. Our target students now take more accountability for their learning because they can see the real-time progress they are making. Anecdotally, students say they can think faster, complete difficult tasks with more ease, and they have more confidence and are experiencing more success in each of their classes.
Carole Meyer is principal of Salk Middle School in Spokane, Washington.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Edutopia: 12 Ways to Nurture a Love of Reading
12 Ways to Nurture a Love of Reading
by
As a classroom teacher, nurturing a love of reading in my students was almost an obsession. This continued when I had a child. Here are twelve ways to nurture a love of reading in kids.
1. Reflect on reading. We will only do things that we enjoy doing or feel are worth it. When kids have a positive reading experience -- one in which they learned something or felt deeply engrossed in a story -- guide them to name those positive experiences. They need to think and talk about the experience, to mentally register the positive impact, as this may motivate them to repeat the activity.
2. Listen to audiobooks. There are so many benefits we can glean from listening to audiobooks. We can set aside the mechanical skills we need to read and just focus on plot, characters, and accents; we can lose ourselves in a story. For struggling readers, this is a treat. This is one way to give them occasional access to age-appropriate texts and to get them hooked into reading.
4. Generate excitement about words. When reading with kids, identify a word or two per reading session that you can get them excited about, a new word, one that they might, or might not, want to use. Find the joy in discovering a new combination of sounds, of a word that precisely describes a feeling or place. Then, repeat it aloud, and use it in different ways. Just play with it, and have fun. Don't identify too many words per reading session, just one or two will do. Reading is all about words. (On that note, for younger kids, see this beautiful picture book, The Boy Who Loved Words.)
5. Learn about what boys need. My approach to teaching reading in middle school changed radically after I read, Reading Don't Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men by Michael Smith and Jeffrey Wilhelm. As I implemented ideas based on this book, I saw my male students' interest and appreciation for reading skyrocket. I've applied these same ideas while raising my son. Essentially, it's offering them lots of nonfiction and texts that have practical application -- and it has worked for my son, too.
6. Read educational graphic novels. Offer kids a variety of genres, including educational graphic novels. Two very popular and exceptionally well-written graphic novels are: Resistance, a three-part graphic novel about the French resistance to the Nazis, and Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang, a three-part graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion. My son has read each of these several times.
7. Read books over and over. Many young children love hearing the same book over and over. Continue this practice as kids get older. Give older kids permission to read books again and again. Ask them what they're experiencing as they reread books: What new insights do they get from the story? How do they see things differently? What did they appreciate this time?
8. Ask kids for their opinion. Ask kids how you think you could nurture their love of reading. Engage them in this process as an active participant. Ask them what gets them excited about reading, what makes them love it. The next suggestion was my 12-year-old son's suggestion when I asked him for his opinion.
9. Talk about the story. During the story, stop and talk with kids about what's happening. Talk about the characters. Ask them to make predictions. Ask them to make connections. These are all basic reading comprehension strategies, but they are also strategies to get kids more deeply engaged in the reading.
10. Teach kids how to read. When I began teaching sixth grade, I undertook a three-year action research project about how I could nurture a love of reading in my students. One of the unexpected findings I arrived at was that I needed to make sure I was explicitly teaching my students how to read. Appreciating narratives, words, character development, or whatever we learned from nonfiction texts wasn't enough. My kids wouldn't love doing something that was really hard. I had to make sure I knew their reading levels and that I helped them fill the gaps in their reading skills.
11. Model being a reader. Teachers and parents: read in front of your kids. Talk about reading. Talk about why you read. Make connections between your life and the world and things you've read. Model how reading enriches your life -- maybe through your ability to read recipes, or to assemble a piece of furniture, or to research a question on the internet.
12. Take field trips related to reading. Go to the library for a field trip, (or go on the weekends, parents). Go to a bookstore just to hang out and browse the books. Walk around and talk to kids about what you're seeing in the library or bookstore. What calls your attention? Which titles? Which book covers? Ask them what they notice. Read the backs of books. Get excited. Flip through books. Wander into a section you'd never go to. Send kids on a treasure hunt: find a book about stamp collecting, find a book about ancient Rome, find a memoir by someone with whom you have something in common.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
UABRI Gifts TCS with Professional Development Library
Many thanks to Dr. Boyd Rogan and UAB Regional Inservice Center for providing a large assortment of professional development books for our TCS professional library.
Analyzing Data at Paine Primary
Over the next week, all teachers at Paine Primary will meet with the reading and math coaches to analyze their students' data. STAR and STAR Early Literacy are used to assess reading progress; STAR Math and Global Scholar are used to assess progress in math.
Teachers look for strengths and struggles in their classrooms. They look for the rate of growth between August and January. They will create a plan to help students who are not growing as much as they would expect. Teachers are asked to consider these questions as they look at their students' reading data:
- What do we KNOW as a result of examining these data?
- What do we THINK (hunches) as a result of examining these data?
- What do we WANT to know as a result of examining these data?
- How can we USE these data for instructional decision-making?
Reading Nonfiction
Second grade teachers are using nonfiction texts to prepare students to read and understand complex texts.
Mrs. Johnson models questioning and finding evidence in an informational text about ants.
Mrs. Rish has students closely read a complex article about U.S. Presidents. This involves careful reading, reflecting, questioning, and rereading.
Why is nonfiction reading important for kids?
By Alice Bouis – Marketing Manager News-O-Matic, The Daily News App For Kids
On average, kids today spend less than 4 minutes a day reading nonfiction. Yes, 4 minutes. What can you actually read in 4 little minutes? How much can you truly understand and feel comfortable talking about later?
It is common knowledge that how much a child reads is important. Kids who read more will perform better, acquire a greater vocabulary and develop better critical thinking skills. However, what a child reads is also important. Statistics show that kids actually read an average of 25 minutes a day (which is very low compared to the 4 hours and 29 minutes a day they spend watching TV). Of those 25 minutes, just 4 are spent on nonfiction. But is that enough? How can reading nonfiction really help?
A study by Marzano underlined that nonfiction reading helps kids develop background knowledge. You might be thinking, “So what?” Well, that same study shows that background knowledge actually accounts for 33% of the variance in student achievement.
Educators now commonly assert that reading more nonfiction early on tremendously helps children reach the appropriate reading levels in later grade. An interesting report from ACT in 2006, Reading Between the Lines: What the ACT Reveals About College Readiness in Reading, states that “the clearest differentiator in reading between students who are college ready and students who are not is the ability to comprehend complex texts.” According to experts, nonfiction is a great way for kids to develop critical thinking and analytical skills and, you guessed it, the ability to read and understand complex texts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wyI_n20-SU
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Listening to High School Students
Dr. Jennifer Cardwell has made it a practice at HTHS to meet with students on a regular basis to ask for their input. Student voice is an important part of the decision making process. Last week at her Academic Learning Lunch, Dr. Cardwell invited randomly selected students to have lunch with her and to talk about next-steps that could positively impact students' learning experiences for 2016-17. Here are some of their comments:
What are the positive learning experiences you’ve had at HTHS? What are opportunities we provide that you think must be available next year, as well?
• Academies (multiple students said this)
• New perfect attendance recognition program
• Technology-use in the classroom
• Many students commented on accessibility of Chromebooks through library and their classrooms
• Rigor in advanced courses
• Calculators the library allows students to check out
• ACT prep that English and some math teachers conduct (several students even gave a shout-out to Leslie Terrell specifically)
• Remind 101 use (many freshmen commented on this)
• The way their teachers use Google Classroom
• The EMS program, specifically
• Co-Op
• Liked how some teachers were using learning targets to make students aware of what they were to learn during the lesson; multiple students referenced Dr. Stull’s Learning Targets and tests matching those – the students appreciated that
• Over and OVER students talked about how they appreciated their teachers who took the time to get to know them. Relationships were emphasized repeatedly.
What are some ideas to consider for next year?
• Engineering classes are great but crowded – more sections of Engineering
• If a teacher makes an assignment that is a large project, should consider giving time frame that would include a weekend in case students have busy work or athletic schedules during weeknights.
• Students without cell phones can’t access Remind101; make sure there are other forms of communication with students
• If a student takes Physics, should have had Algebra II with trig first so course won’t be so difficult.
• “Some of my general courses could be a little more difficult – some of mine go too slowly” (to which Dr. Cardwell replied that the student should have been in more advanced courses, maybe…he agreed)
• Would like more CTE courses, like welding and cosmetology. Explained how Co-Op could fulfill some of that for them.
• Would like student buses to long-distance away games
• Would like to see a pep rally for any team that makes it to state
According to Dr. Cardwell, "The students spoke so positively about many of their classes and teachers. We have amazing students who really are interested in learning, and who desire that their teachers know them as individuals. If you’ve never conducted student surveys in your classrooms to get feedback on your course, I encourage you to do that (Google Form is great). Students like knowing their opinions are valued. Overall, our students are very appreciative of their educational experiences at HTHS, thanks to each of you."
What are the positive learning experiences you’ve had at HTHS? What are opportunities we provide that you think must be available next year, as well?
• Academies (multiple students said this)
• New perfect attendance recognition program
• Technology-use in the classroom
• Many students commented on accessibility of Chromebooks through library and their classrooms
• Rigor in advanced courses
• Calculators the library allows students to check out
• ACT prep that English and some math teachers conduct (several students even gave a shout-out to Leslie Terrell specifically)
• Remind 101 use (many freshmen commented on this)
• The way their teachers use Google Classroom
• The EMS program, specifically
• Co-Op
• Liked how some teachers were using learning targets to make students aware of what they were to learn during the lesson; multiple students referenced Dr. Stull’s Learning Targets and tests matching those – the students appreciated that
• Over and OVER students talked about how they appreciated their teachers who took the time to get to know them. Relationships were emphasized repeatedly.
What are some ideas to consider for next year?
• Engineering classes are great but crowded – more sections of Engineering
• If a teacher makes an assignment that is a large project, should consider giving time frame that would include a weekend in case students have busy work or athletic schedules during weeknights.
• Students without cell phones can’t access Remind101; make sure there are other forms of communication with students
• If a student takes Physics, should have had Algebra II with trig first so course won’t be so difficult.
• “Some of my general courses could be a little more difficult – some of mine go too slowly” (to which Dr. Cardwell replied that the student should have been in more advanced courses, maybe…he agreed)
• Would like more CTE courses, like welding and cosmetology. Explained how Co-Op could fulfill some of that for them.
• Would like student buses to long-distance away games
• Would like to see a pep rally for any team that makes it to state
According to Dr. Cardwell, "The students spoke so positively about many of their classes and teachers. We have amazing students who really are interested in learning, and who desire that their teachers know them as individuals. If you’ve never conducted student surveys in your classrooms to get feedback on your course, I encourage you to do that (Google Form is great). Students like knowing their opinions are valued. Overall, our students are very appreciative of their educational experiences at HTHS, thanks to each of you."
ACT Interim Science Assessment
Third, fourth and fifth graders have recently completed ACT Interim Assessments in Math, Reading, and Science. After taking the ACT Science Interim Assessment, fifth grade science teacher Ryan Hook had her students reflect on what the hardest part was and what they need to work on in order for students to feel more comfortable. Here is what they said:
The hardest part was when we had to figure out data that was not there.
I think we need to deal more with graphs and find data from graphs.
I did not expect decimals.
We should study more diagrams.
I think we should start focusing more on math in science.
The hardest part of the test was trying to get centimeters.
To do better on the test, I would like to practice math with science.
The hardest part was graphs.
To do better, we should work more with graphs.
The hardest part of the test was math.
To do better on the test, we need to do more math and science.
To get my score up, we could work more on the tables and graphs.
The hardest part was the illustrated graphs.
To do better on the test, we should go over diameter and graphs.
We could do more with graphs.
We could practice tables more.
We could maybe work with graphs to do better on the test.
It isn't a surprise that so many students wrote about math as the number one thing they need to focus on.
From: 2016 Alabama Course of Study: Science
The main goal of the Alabama course of study for science is to give all Alabama students a solid foundation in science and engineering. This course of study includes the most current scientific and engineering practices, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas our students need in order to become college and career ready.
The hardest part was when we had to figure out data that was not there.
I think we need to deal more with graphs and find data from graphs.
I did not expect decimals.
We should study more diagrams.
I think we should start focusing more on math in science.
The hardest part of the test was trying to get centimeters.
To do better on the test, I would like to practice math with science.
The hardest part was graphs.
To do better, we should work more with graphs.
The hardest part of the test was math.
To do better on the test, we need to do more math and science.
To get my score up, we could work more on the tables and graphs.
The hardest part was the illustrated graphs.
To do better on the test, we should go over diameter and graphs.
We could do more with graphs.
We could practice tables more.
We could maybe work with graphs to do better on the test.
It isn't a surprise that so many students wrote about math as the number one thing they need to focus on.
From: 2016 Alabama Course of Study: Science
The main goal of the Alabama course of study for science is to give all Alabama students a solid foundation in science and engineering. This course of study includes the most current scientific and engineering practices, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas our students need in order to become college and career ready.
It is obvious that our standards and assessments call for far more than rote memorization of scientific facts. Science is problem solving, and our students must be equipped to solve problems all day long throughout their lives. Our students are aware that they will be required to think, use mathematics, and problem solve in science classes, on assessments, and throughout their lives.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Science Training at NASA
Five TCS teachers were selected to participate in three-day NASA Institutes at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. The goals of the training are to strengthen understanding of the new science course of study, to provide resources for teaching the science standards, and to develop a Learning Community network of educators throughout the state with the potential to maximize student success in science learning.
During the three-day NASA Institutes, participants are trained by education staff in the use of NASA education products specific to their grade bands and aligned to the new Alabama Course of Study: Science, tour the Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Museum, and develop model lessons and units. Participants also hear about real-world applications of the standards through discussion-style presentations by NASA subject-matter experts in science and engineering. Each day includes time for processing of the given information and for collaboration with grade-band colleagues from around the state to prepare model lessons and units incorporating the NASA resources.
During the three-day NASA Institutes, participants are trained by education staff in the use of NASA education products specific to their grade bands and aligned to the new Alabama Course of Study: Science, tour the Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Museum, and develop model lessons and units. Participants also hear about real-world applications of the standards through discussion-style presentations by NASA subject-matter experts in science and engineering. Each day includes time for processing of the given information and for collaboration with grade-band colleagues from around the state to prepare model lessons and units incorporating the NASA resources.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Third Graders Study Fossils
Andrea Moore's third graders have been studying how fossils provide evidence of organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago. Students are enjoying being paleontologists and finding the fossils of shells, shark teeth, and other items buried in plaster of Paris. This activity led to the conclusion that these fossils mostly likely indicate an ocean habitat of long ago.
Quotable Quote
A mission statement is meaningless if you and your team aren't on a mission. Know your why.
Elementary Assistant Principals and Coaches Attend Training
Assistant principals and academic coaches attended Powerful Conversations Network today. Participants are reading Leaders of their Own Learning to guide their studies this year. Attendees include Melanie Glover, Kristi Stacks, Donna Brumlow, Kelly McGough, Edra Perry, and Lisa Lothspeich.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Classroom Management by Michael Linsin
Check out this interesting and timely article that Kristi Stacks shared with the staff of PI. This classroom management blog is written by a veteran teacher named Michael Linsin. This is from a post he titled, “How to Drench Your Students in Learning.”
http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2016/01/30/how-to-drench-your-students-in-learning/
http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2016/01/30/how-to-drench-your-students-in-learning/
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Kindergarten Super Bowl of Math
Paine Primary students celebrated their annual Super Bowl of Math this week. Teachers prepared celebratory games and food, and many parents visited to assist with the activities.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Quotable Quote
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
—Mark Twain (1835-1910)
[Samuel Clemens] Humorist, Essayist, Novelist |
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Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Paine February Reading Challenge
Paine fourth grade students are being challenged to read 40 books this month. A separate goal is to read various genres throughout the month.
The above display is a replica of a bookshelf filled with books and a card for each student. The cards list the various genres. Each time a student reads a book, he/she puts a dot beside each genre. The dots and genres are color coded. (See code below) Believe it or not, right now the favorite genre is poetry!
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
CCRS Science Training
Representatives from all TCS schools assembled at the Lincoln Center to continue training on the new Alabama State Science Standards. The training is provided by the Alabama State Department of Education. The afternoon was spent back at the Trussville Board office, reflecting on new learning and on science resources for the upcoming years.
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