So, I'm posting back-to-back because I just cannot leave for the Winter Break without a "Happy Holidays!" post.
Soooo....
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Whatever it is that you celebrate, soak in every moment of celebration. Fill your pores with the joy and excitement that come along with this time of year. Over the next couple weeks, take moments to pause, look around, and appreciate the small things. We get so busy this time of year, we often take for granted those small things... Don't.
I can't wait to step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life (though I do love my life), leave all deadlines and To-Do lists behind, and soak in time with my family and time by myself.
So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Winter Break, Happy New Year...!
CELEBRATE!
Oh, and one more thing...
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW TEACHER OF THE YEAR, MRS. KELLY GUTIERREZ!!!!! :)
Friday, December 17, 2010
Curriculum Connections -- DECEMBER!
Here are some updates from the wonderful world of curriculum and testing!!
Science Updates
Presented by Benika Thompson
Why is science important??
Science affects our health, environment, and economy. As elementary teachers, we can spark the interest in science so that students can see how it relates to their world now and in the future.
• Neither U.S.
• There was a lower percentage of U.S.
• Right now, 62% of current 5th graders are projected to pass the Biology EOC in high school.
Curriculum Reminders:
• Even though we are preparing for the new Essential Standards, the SCOS will be taught and tested through the 2011-2012 school year.
• There will be no transition year, however WSFCS will include gaps in revised pacing guides
• DPI is working to develop a toolkit to help with standards
• 2011-2010 – Field tests with Essential Standards. Teachers will be able to give feedback.
• 2012-2013 – EOG operational
How do we improve our science instruction?
± Teacher efficacy-teach without excuses
± Teach the standards
± Improved ethics
± Focus on student learning
For more information, check out these sites:
J Elementary SCOS (2004)
J K-12 2004 Units (caution drafts included)
J Links to Essential Standards and Updates (highly recommended)
J ACRE Updates (curriculum, accountability,
etc)
Math Updates
Presented by Velvet Simington
A study found a major difference between teachers in the United States versus teachers in other countries -- US teachers do not let their kids struggle and work through problems. When students were asked “What makes you smart in math?”, students in Japan United States
Students need to talk about their learning. “Mathematics: Standards for Mathematical Practice” was given to all grade chairs, but here are the highlights:
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
Mathematically proficient students find the meaning of the problem and plan a way to find a solution. They check their answers using a different method and ask, “Does this make sense?”
Reason abstractly and quantitatively
Students attend to the meaning of the problem and how to solve it, not just computing the numbers.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Students can justify their conclusions in a logical progression. They can ask questions to clarify or improve their answers.
Model with mathematics.
Students can apply mathematics to solve problems that occur in everyday life.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Students are familiar with the tools to solve math problems and are able to use them appropriately. (paper/pencil, calculator, ruler, computer, etc)
Attend to precision.
Proficient students try to communicate precisely to others. They can give clear explanations to others.
Look for and make use of structure.
Students look closely to find a pattern or structure to problems.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Students notice if calculations are repeated and look for shortcuts to solve.
Don't Forget!
-January 13th: Moore Elementary Spelling Bee (for 5th graders)
-January 14th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Science)
-January 18th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Reading)
-January 19th: Title I Literacy Breakfast
-January 19th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Math With a Calculator)
-January 20th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Math Without a Calculator)
-Week of January 24th: DIBELS MOY Benchmark Assessments
-February 2nd - 4th: Moore Elementary Science Fair (for 5th graders)
-January 13th: Moore Elementary Spelling Bee (for 5th graders)
-January 14th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Science)
-January 18th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Reading)
-January 19th: Title I Literacy Breakfast
-January 19th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Math With a Calculator)
-January 20th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Math Without a Calculator)
-Week of January 24th: DIBELS MOY Benchmark Assessments
-February 2nd - 4th: Moore Elementary Science Fair (for 5th graders)
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Power of One Conversation
I believe in the power of one conversation.
Be it with a friend, a family member, or (especially) a child, the words that color one conversation can have an everlasting impact.
Take, for instance, the last conversation I ever had with my father. I'll never forget it.
Another example is a conversation my mom had with my siblings and me not long after the conversation with my father: "We can get through this... together."
There was a time my third grade teacher told me, "Jessie... You can DO anything. You can BE anything." (It was at that moment, fueled by that conversation, that I decided I wanted to be just like her and affect children's lives the way she had affected mine.)
My mom and third grade teacher may or may not remember those conversations, but I will never forget them. It was in these simple, succinct conversations that I built a foundation upon which all of my successes could be born. Conversations can be powerful. And if you know anything about children, you know they have a tendency to breathe in, to soak up every single word you say.
As an educator, I don't take conversations lightly. It may very well be a, "Good morning! So glad you're here!" or a "WOW! Look at those new shoes!" or even a "How'd the football game/soccer game/dance recital go?" These simple statements can provoke a conversation that lets a child know how much you care. In the fast-paced world of education, we tend to skip, hop, and jump through curriculum (and we sometimes have to!) without stopping to treat children as...well... children.
During the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, don't underestimate that what you say to a child today may be remembered for the next twenty years. Don't take for granted how important your words are to those tiny bodies around you. And don't forget how powerful one conversation can be.
What will you say to a child today that impacts the rest of his/her life?
Don't Forget!
-December 7th: Fluency Training for 3-5 7:30am-8:30am
-December 14th: Benika Thompson Visits to Discuss Science 9:45am
-December 17th: 4th Grade Content Specific Writing Scores Due in Moodle
-January 13th: Moore Elementary Spelling Bee (for 5th graders)
-January 14th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Science)
-January 18th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Reading)
-January 19th: Title I Literacy Breakfast
-January 19th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Math With a Calculator)
-January 20th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Math Without a Calculator)
-Week of January 24th: DIBELS MOY Benchmark Assessments
-January 26th-28th: Moore Elementary Science Fair (for 5th graders)
Be it with a friend, a family member, or (especially) a child, the words that color one conversation can have an everlasting impact.
Take, for instance, the last conversation I ever had with my father. I'll never forget it.
Another example is a conversation my mom had with my siblings and me not long after the conversation with my father: "We can get through this... together."
There was a time my third grade teacher told me, "Jessie... You can DO anything. You can BE anything." (It was at that moment, fueled by that conversation, that I decided I wanted to be just like her and affect children's lives the way she had affected mine.)
My mom and third grade teacher may or may not remember those conversations, but I will never forget them. It was in these simple, succinct conversations that I built a foundation upon which all of my successes could be born. Conversations can be powerful. And if you know anything about children, you know they have a tendency to breathe in, to soak up every single word you say.
As an educator, I don't take conversations lightly. It may very well be a, "Good morning! So glad you're here!" or a "WOW! Look at those new shoes!" or even a "How'd the football game/soccer game/dance recital go?" These simple statements can provoke a conversation that lets a child know how much you care. In the fast-paced world of education, we tend to skip, hop, and jump through curriculum (and we sometimes have to!) without stopping to treat children as...well... children.
During the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, don't underestimate that what you say to a child today may be remembered for the next twenty years. Don't take for granted how important your words are to those tiny bodies around you. And don't forget how powerful one conversation can be.
What will you say to a child today that impacts the rest of his/her life?
Don't Forget!
-December 7th: Fluency Training for 3-5 7:30am-8:30am
-December 14th: Benika Thompson Visits to Discuss Science 9:45am
-December 17th: 4th Grade Content Specific Writing Scores Due in Moodle
-January 13th: Moore Elementary Spelling Bee (for 5th graders)
-January 14th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Science)
-January 18th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Reading)
-January 19th: Title I Literacy Breakfast
-January 19th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Math With a Calculator)
-January 20th: 2nd Quarter Testing (Math Without a Calculator)
-Week of January 24th: DIBELS MOY Benchmark Assessments
-January 26th-28th: Moore Elementary Science Fair (for 5th graders)
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