New Blog Find.....WOW!

I love it when I find new blogs

Ok, so I'm reading Facebook and looking at my blog friends sites. Normal Saturday morning for me, but today was different. WOW! what did I find.....

I was checking in with Lessons from the Middle and found my way though her post to Kleinspiration. Lessons in the Middle was hilighting a blog post on using Padlet in the classroom. 

So I went on over to Kleinspiration to check out the post. WOW! is all I can say. She has some outside of the box ways of looking at Padlet that I wouldn't have thought of. Boy did I learn a few things.

So I continued to search her site and found my way to a post about www.mentormob.com. I"m in love with this new site. I hadn't heard of it before, but it is well worth checking out. Head on over and check out www.mentormob.com.

App of the Day

Evernote

Link:  https://evernote.com/

Why?: I absolutely love this app there are so many features that I haven't touched yet, but still I'm in love.  For starters, I can access it from my PC, MAC, IPad, and Android phone. I can even share my Evernote books with anyone.

I love the organization that I can place the notes that I take within notebooks for organizing my notes by topic. I can even place pictures within the notes to help remember what I"m seeing and taking notes over. Even better, I can search when I forget where I filed things.

My Best Use: interface Conference at Tan-Tar-A. I loved the notes when I arrived home because of the integration on pictures.

Cool Find Sunday

Look what I just found......

Math Questioning prompts:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Questioning-Prompts-for-Teachers

My kids will tell you that I'm a stickler for having them figure out what they are learning rather than telling them what they need to know. I love this easy list of questioning strategies to help kids find their way to the answer or right strategy.

Currently April

Listening: Radio as I work is calming. 

Loving: The weather has turned to beautiful here is Missouri. The in between stage between the blizzards and blistering humid heat.

Thinking: I've been reflecting on my Interface conference back in February. I went to the best session on 

Technical Writing in Science. She presented the book Questions, Claims, and Evidence as a resources to get kids thinking about their science writing along with her notebooking process. I just need to make it work for me. 

Wanting- Really thinking about implementing some combination of self-directed learning and station rotation in the classroom. 

Needing: Exercise. I'm good some days, and horrible most. I need to get my butt in gear.

Advice: I struggle with 6 grades daily who won't try for fear of being wrong. My message is always the same, you have to show me where you are for me to be able to help you. If you can show me an attempt, I can help you fix the thinking to get your learning on the right track toward mastery. 

Standards Based vs. Standards Referenced

http://www.maine.gov/education/sbs/documents/RobertMarzanoResearchSBS.pdf

Clear distinctions...

This is one of the clearest ways that I have found to look at Standards Based and Standards Referenced Grading. 

Currently

Listening- Well, It is almost 11 p.m. and the house is quiet except for the distant TV show, the dogs snoring, and the bird hollering, "Pretty Bird."

Loving- Spring break...It has been very nice to not have a schedule and to do as I please.

Thinking- I haven't done a thing for school all week. I know I brought it home somewhere. Maybe this weekend.....

Wanting- I've got to find some more math games. I used some task cards before Spring Break and the kids loved them. For Science, I've had the kids going on the IPads and learning at their own pace. They are loving it, but it is hard for me to keep up with.

Needing- I've really slacked on the running. I have to get back out there and get it going again. I feel so much better when I'm making good choices.

Like, Love, Hate- Self Explanatory.


Thank you to Farley at
for the Currently!

Interface 2013 Items

Here is the link to the Interface 2013 conference items.

It has been a nice break from the normal to be at Interface 2013 this year. I love coming to this conference as I return to the classroom energized and ready to implement some of the fun strategies that I have learned.

I"ve had a few good take-a-ways this year:

1. I became a Math and Science Superhero today at a session. Learning a great fun way to get families to come out for a Math and Science night at school.

2. The science notebooking strategy was reconfirmed as an important implementation in the classroom. I didn't do one this year, but have missed it with my students. It will go high on the to do list for next year.

3. I really learned how to customize Google chrome today at a session that showed me tons to cool ways to use the Google apps and integrate them into using Chrome.

4. I got some problem-solving ideas for turning any math question into a higher order thinking question.

5. I also went to a session and received a CD with tons of math and science websites. There were so many that there was no way that I could check them all out. I'm excited to share those with the teachers at school.


All in all, I always get some good things to go back to school and implement. I hope that my presentation is received well tomorrow and it is informative and helpful to people.

Currently

Gotta thank Farley for the currently's. I find so many good blogs from the links.

Listening: Internet Radio... Music is calming and inspiring to me. It provides the motivation to get things done and keeps me moving.

Loving: Weekends, Calm, Quiet..... I don't get much calm and quiet, so it is totally appreciated this morning.

Thinking: About all the work I need to get done. There is a list somewhere. I really need to get the powerpoint done for my conference presentation at the end of the month. I want to be prepared and just don't want to waste teachers' time. I would rather them participate in the presentation and feel that it is a valuable use of their time.

Wanting: Spring.... I have spring fever really bad this year. My house has been deep cleaned, and I'm ready for some warmer weather to head this way. 

Needing: To get over this cold.... Granted it isn't a bad cold, but who wants to feel bad. I've been using the Greens from IT WORKS!! They really really work, but I like all of their products that I've tried. I've used the Wraps and lost 30 pounds since May. I'm ready to start for an additional 30 pounds to get to my goal. 

Pet Peeves:  It is that time of year when 6th graders start to believe that their teachers are STUPID! Lies and Laziness are my biggest pet peeves. I'm getting lazy answers and worst of all lies. Silly kids, you'd think that they would learn that I always find out. 

CELEBRATING: I have to add some positiveness in this post.

1. Students are really starting to understand the SRR approach. They are wanting to see their assessment scores increase. 

2. I just booked a huge Scentsy event!!  Whoohooooo, that is hard to do with so many consultants.

3. Hitting the 30 pounds gone mark this week. They are staying off and I'm even exercising more. 5k's are getting easier to run.

SRR Progress

Progress with Standards Referenced Reporting

Raves....

1. Students are really really understanding the tracking and starting to see progress.

2. Math is so easy to transfer. I"m working on a process for Science.

3. I may have finally tackled the Middle School Earth Science NGSS document!!! BIG CHEERS!!

4. Science Learning Targets 90% complete.  WOOOHOOO!

5. NearPOD was a huge hit with my 6th graders. I will totally put some time into this app for the IPads.

6. I love the data sheet that our computer's teacher created for us to use with SRR. It is so completely easy to enter the data points and visually see how students are learning. 

Rants/Wants....

1. I need a better way to do some unobtrusive assessments as data points. Any ideas out there?

2. TIME.... It seems that I spend lots of time coming up with assessments now.

3. Proficiency scales....This is my next thing to tackle. We haven't even started on proficiency scales for science or math. This is my next big project.

4. District technology and all of their processes. ENOUGH SAID, moving on........ I so can't control this one.

Just found this quote over at Techie Teacher Tales. Head on over there to check out their wonderful site.

I Found a New APP!!!

I FOUND A NEW APP......

So my principal came to me weeks ago and said he was having NEARPOD put on my IPAD and the students IPADS. I had never heard of it, but I think I may love this app. 

For those of you that aren't familiar with it, do to www.nearpod.com, create a free account and play around with it. It is like powerpoint, but with more features and that the kids have right on the IPAD infront of them. I first create a PDF based file that has all of my info on it. Each page becomes a new slide in the app. I can add videos, quizzes, drawings, slideshows, searching the internet, but the very best part is .........

1.  I control the pace and what is on each IPAD. When I"m ready to move on, I slide my finger across the IPad and every IPad in the class moves on with me. 

2.  I get real time data from the quizzes, drawings, and poles that I create in the presentation. They show up right on my teacher IPAD where I can see them and alter instruction or assign grades. 

I"m so excited to try this next week and see what the kids think.

Step One....

So I began my mix of self-paced learning and guided math this morning. I started back from the break with a 1/2 year review test. Being in a school focused on moving 6th grade to Standards Referenced Learning next year, I often wonder if students are retaining the information that I present. From the preliminary data review, I'm please with the concepts that the students have retained. I could have guessed most of the ones that they didn't do well on.

I will continue the transition tomorrow. We will analyze the assessment tomorrow and start tracking by learning targets. The goal is to begin a data point for the learning targets that we have already covered. We'll see how it is to get all of the learning targets matched up with the questions and charted. I'm learning this all as I go.

Currently

Holiday break is winding to an end. I really don't want to head to bed, because that means that it is over. PD day tomorrow, then back to the normal routine.

I'm rolling out a refined math system for the new year. I've been experimenting with self-paced math, but have about half of each block of kids that aren't growing and thriving with keeping up and learning. I'm starting some guided math philosophy with those kids, while trying to keep the rest of the kids self-paced. In short making my life difficult while trying to make sure that everyone is learning. I didn't record a single math video this break, so I"m starting the new year behind, and will have to record several this weekend. Oh the fun of an experimenting teacher.

I have to thank Farley for the Currently's. I very much enjoy blog hopping and reading the Currently's that are out and about. Check out the trend at: http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2012/12/currently-january.html