Never Discount the Power of Elective Classes

Flash Mob?....Nope that's just 6th grade orchestra students having an impromptu practice.

When designing a house, you must evaluate the added features compared to your budget.

Here's a little spatial reasoning...students figure out square footage as they design their houses.

Speaking and listening, anyone?  Yep, that's what they're doing as they prepare for their monologue auditions in drama, using BYOD to practice.

Reviewing the teacher's blog to help prepare for the assessment.

Songs for increasing memory of new learning...

Designing and measuring in FACS...

Oh, The Things We Teach...

Sometimes, we just need to have a little fun and remember the important things, such as....

The 12 pt gluing system...

After all, you don't want a science notebook that's pages stick together.

If you give a 6th grader a marker...

They will have markers on their nose...

To not turn our box of markers into a bag of Skittles...

It only stays pretty because of that reminder...

Speed and agility...

It's not just for PE...

I Still Love Stations!

I haven't written about them in a while, but stations remain a great way to build student engagement and increase students opportunities to build understanding and think critically.  Check out these stations from a Flyertime disability awareness lesson...

A clear learning objective and essential questions to guide learning.

Practicing sign language:  previously learned words plus their names.

Deciphering Braille

Using a Braille typewriter to create messages

Comparing and contrasting traditional written word with Braille writing

Name that Verb!

Here's a great example of identified learning targets for students.

Do you wonder if what you're teaching is the "right" thing?  How often do you look at your standards to ensure that the time you're spending on instruction is relevant and rigorous?  For example, if your standards state, "Students should be able to identify phases of the moon," then the learning should not include a research paper analyzing the phases of the moon.  Analyzing is a different skill than identifying, so let's play a game....Name that verb.

Directions:  Look at the wheel here to help you determine your learning target (aka learning objective, aka learning goal, etc....)

1)  In the below picture, the activity has students make rice krispy treats using visual directions, so what's the learning target?  Try to fill in the blank below....

Given a set of instructions, students will assemble (or another comparable verb at the apply level) a product.

2)  In the picture below, the activity has students make a foldable with visual representations for their vocabulary words.

Students will identify (or another appropriate verb in the remember/understand category) parts of a cell.

3)  In the below picture, the activity has students name the parts of plot in their novel.

Given a complete reading passage, students will sequence (or another appropriate verb in the remember/understand category) the main events of the story.

4)  In the below pictures, students in band are playing the scales.

Students will apply their knowledge of the scales by playing their instrument with 100% accuracy.

5)  In the picture below, students are working on engineering principles in Technology Education by designing a bridge.

Using a computer-generated model, students will construct (or another appropriate verb from the create level) weight balance to ensure the bridge is sustainable.

6)  In the below pictures, students take pictures of themselves and use a computer program to edit those pictures.

Students will manipulate (or another appropriate verb from the create level) a computer program to enhance graphics.

7)  In the below pictures, students are brainstorming terms associated with the American Revolution.

Given time to brainstorm, students will list (or another appropriate verb from the remember/understand level) people, places, and events related to the American Revolution.

Send me your predicted answers -- the first one to identify them correctly gets the reserved parking spot for 1 week!

Stay tuned for answers....

Status of the Class: Examples of Structured Learning Environment

There's a delicate balance between giving students freedom to design their own learning and providing the foundations skills students need to be successful.  In order for that balance to be successful, we must have strong structures in place to support independent learning in relation to learning standards.  See below the examples of how this delicate balance is achieved.

Status of the Class:  In this chart, the teacher is tracking students progress over time, ensuring that they use class time effectively to accomplish the learning objective.

Conferencing:  Using "Status of the Class," this teacher is able to track the students she's conferred with to support their writing.

Visual Supports:  Kids move their clothes pins based on their progress in the writing process.  Students have a visual support for the work to do in the revision process:  No dead words, embed sensory details and dialogue, and ensure NTSSWTSW, No Two Sentences Start With the Same Word for sentence variety.

Poetry as a Mini-Lesson:  Students learn skills such as allusion by enjoying a contemporary poem and identifying the allusions illustrated by the author.  

Poetry Mini-Lesson Part 2:  To further their understanding of the concept, students add to the poem, mimicking the tone and adding their own allusion.

Using the Toolbox:  As students independently write in Writer's Workshop, they use resources to help them structure their writing.

Tracking Student Learning:  As students read independently, the teacher confers with them to determine the application of previously taught content-area skills to their independent reading novel.  This keeps content fresh and relevant beyond the initial instruction.

Point of View:  While reading independently, this student identifies the narrator's point of view, furthering her understanding of current instructional standards.

History as a Plot:  This simple interdisciplinary connection helps students visualize the story of WWI.

Getting to "Got It!"

We all love that "ah ha" moment, that moment when students' eyes light up with the recognition that they've "got it!"  But that "ah ha" moment isn't the same for every kid.  As you look at these examples of how we differentiate to get all students to "got it," think about the techniques you use and if there are new strategies that might help build mastery for all kids.

Retakes: A- no need, B- student choice, C or below- must retake

Student retakes:  In this class, if you have an A, there's no need to retake the quiz.  A B is optional, and a score of C or below requires a retake.

Student Pacing:  All students must get to the publication stage in Writer's Workshop, but they work at a pace that fits their individual needs.

Self-Monitoring:  Teaching kids to monitor themselves, double-checking their work and revising helps them to master the necessary skills.

KWL Charts:  Having students identify what they know and compare that to the objectives, helps students understand what they still need to learn.

Rubrics:  Detailed rubrics help students set goals for future improvements and understand the gaps in their own learning.  Pairing providing clear examples of student work up front, students understand the learning that is expected of them.

Strategies for Success:  Helping students to identify the assessment criteria through highlighted words and underlined phrases helps them focus on what they should know and be able to do.

Data Walls:  These still make a difference as students watch their learning growth over time.

Student Pride:  Students track their personal best each year to remain focused on their own learning goals.

I've seen other great tools for helping kids to "get it."  Sometimes, it's as simple as taking a minute to require them to write in their agenda books (what might seem like a time waster, saves so much time in the end!).  Getting to "got it" requires that students know what to do.  Consider the systems you have in place so that students know what is expected of them.

By the Numbers...

Let's give our math teachers some props!  Implementing a new curriculum is never easy, but then add to it the fact that this curriculum is stretching students as never before, and the result is a challenging start to the year.

However, there's a reason we are the number one performing middle school in math...our math teachers, just like all of our TMS staff, have a plan to combat this challenge.  By creating authentic learning opportunities and giving students a chance to muddle through, they are designing lessons that enhance critical thinking.  Here are a few (there are so many more that I don't have documented) examples of how "everything is awesome" in math.  NOTE:  I already had a post entitled "Everything is Awesome!" so I compromised with "By the Numbers..."  Enjoy!

Making the abstract concrete with some kinesthetic learning.

Making numbers real in ways that conceptualize life.

 Sometimes we just have to learn the facts, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring - sing it with me...

And this is from last year, but let's face it. EVERYTHING IS AWESOME:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B63Yu9130E0Bbk5icUdWY1RXT0gySG1aUDd3Z0hpSURtQ0tv/view?usp=sharing