behavior

I'm questioning...

• how stern should I be?
• what do the students need?
• how much ownership can a give a child without losing their respect?
• where should the roles stand?
• is it easier when you start in the beginning of the year and have your own room?
• when do you just "tell" to avoid arguing? is there a better way?
• how do I avoid becoming...remaining a behaviorist
  

in-class thoughts

First, I should have been writing down my ideas earlier, I'll just jot some notes down so I can be sure to remember some ideas for next year:

Math

• Make word wall for math that is added to each unit. Kids have math journals that they write in regularly using the words and the daily objective with notes from class. This should be used for formative assessment.
  
• Find a time for math boxes if using EDM
  

Lit

• interactive journals will be used the whole year.
• We need to have casual reading conferences to make sense out of reading logs or forced reading hw.

Community

• Point system works well now, but the losing teams need to have meaningful consequences.
• We need to work on building teams up before they are expected to just work together.
  

Literacy: Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

Sheep in a Jeep is a great book to teach rhyming!

Graphophonics: the way readers translate letters to sounds

Goal of Reading: getting meaning from text. This requires the manipulation of complex processes

Interactive model of reading: Process goes from page > head > ... > page > head

National Reading Panel's 5 big focuses

1. phonemic awareness
2. phonics
3. fluency
4. vocabulary
5. comprehension

A Poem for Fun: When Tillie Ate The Chili
by Jack Prelutsky

When Tillie ate the chili,
She erupted from her seat,
She gulped a quart of water,
And fled screaming down the street,
She coughed, she wheezed, she sputtered,
She ran totally amok,
She set a new world record
As she raced around the block.

Tillie's mouth was full of fire,
Tillie's eyes were red with tears,
She was smoking from her nostrils,
She was steaming from her ears,
She cooled off an hour later,
Showing perfect self-control
As she said, "What tasty chili,
I should like another bowl."

Phonemic Awareness

• understanding how spoken language can be broken down into individual sounds (without seeing the letters)
  
• phoneme: the smallest meaningful unit of sound in spoken language, /h/ means h sounds
• serves as an umbrella concept for different sounds awareness

Phonics

• the oral and visual combination of sound and letter

PA and Phonics helps readers

• see the connection between what is said and read
• maniplate sound and letters
• understand how words work in reading and spelling
• *** They are the starter motors of reading comprehension

song: The sounds in the words are /c/ /a/ /t/, /c/ /a/ /t/, /c/ /a/ /t/, and the word is cat. (wheels on the bus)

Common types of Phonemic Awareness:

• isolating: hear and isolate initial, medial, or final parts of words, hear /b/ at end of cab.
• segmenting: pronounce each phoneme in order, /b/ /a/ /t/ comes from bat.
• blending: combine phonemes to make a word, /b/ /a/ /t/ makes bat
• manipulating: add/delete/replace souns to make new word, add a /t/ to 'an' makes ant

ELL students

• each lang has own phonemic structure
• learn the differences (both the student and teacher needs to learn them)
• differentiate instruction

Activity: Elkonin Box

• Insert: /sh/ /ee/ /p/
  
• good activity for learning sounds and chunks of sounds.
• can use either coins, markers, or actual letter cards/magnets/noodles

Tip: always use real words when teaching, but accept fake ones from kids if they understand the concepts.

literacy: The Writing Cycle

1. Prewriting (collecting/planning): generating ideas
   
2. drafting: 'getting it down'
   
3. revising: 'making it work'
   
4. editing: 'getting it right'
   
5. publishing: taking it public

Collecting Strategies:

• Create Lists: rules to live by, that's not fair, times that I needed courage, the best day ever, if I had three wishes, if I could talk to ... etc.
• Use list to make another list with see, hear, smell, taste, feel from one topic
• Borrowings and jumpoffs: everyone will start from one idea, can use a book, quote, song, art, etc.
• Punctum: take a foudn line and use a found picture, then write a scene. Use magazine cut outs and poems.
• Mindmapping
• Keep a 'thinks I love' heart handout where kids write out topics that they love. Kids can then go back to the topics if they have nothing to write about.
• Buddy journals: students choose a fake role, one person writes about something wanted, then the other writes why they can't have it (in character)
  

Literacy: Spelling

* Students need awareness of spelling based on experiences and explicit teaching
* ideas

• give individualized spelling tests
• use post-it notes to gather what words students need
• make spelling mini lessons bases on students needs (from above)

Notes from Reading Essentials (Regie Routman)

• Matters so the reader can make sense of the written message
• Set up the environment for teaching spelling, see pg 162
• Invented spelling leads to students understanding the spelling system versus becoming rote spellers
• Have high expectations, see spelling strategies chart, pg 163
• Use a word-wall effectively (make it yourself, make it flexible, hold students accountable), see 165-168

Literacy: Writer's Worshop

Why should we use Writer's workshop?

• Our lives are worth writing about (consider, what in your life is worth writing about, model your own material)
• Writing is a craft that can be taught
• Drama or trouble is the writer's friend (and is fun to write about)

3 things writers need

1. time
2. choice
3. response (from readers)

Structure:

1. mini lesson: let writers inside the teacher's head (5-10 min.)
2. independent writing: build stamina first! (20-30 min.)
3. conference during independent writing
4. sharing: can also share parts of pieces (5-10 min.)

Other tips:

• Build an environment where students feel safe to take risks bc this is where the best writing comes out
• Writers learn from each other
• Teach the writers, don't fix the piece of writing (Lucy Cox)
• Instead of "do this" say "look for this"
• call students writers
• kids need scaffolded support / framework
• publish often so kids know it's important
• to sustain momentum, use writing partners and remember that not everything needs to be published

Links:
An amazing link by Katherine, full of resources
writersworkshophelp.blogspot.com

lesson learned

Consider your students:

1. Give clear expectations of how to act and what you want students to do.
2. Be sure students understand content. Answer questions as directly and honestly as you can.
3. Take advantage of teaching opportunities. Depth, not breadth.
4. Visually be aware of who needs questions answered. (aka, look for raised hands)
5. If uncomfortable with content, try to honestly explain why, don't avoid subject matter of students' interest if it is applicable to your lesson plans.
   
6. Apply new concepts to what students already know.
7. Reach for higher bloom's taxonomy.
8. Use visuals reasonably.
9. Have a clear direction for the lesson. Inform students of this plan (especially helpful for global thinkers).
   
10. Always have a reason for what is being taught, discussed, or viewed. Make sure students have a task to apply meaning to what is being done in class.
    

Justice & Diversity: multicultural approaches

Four Multicultural Approaches:

1. contributions: discussing cultures based on holidays and heroes
2. additive: adding content, themes, and perspectives to curriculum. Can be a side bar to text or a small lesson, not necessarily integrated
3. transformative: interweaving multiple perspectives into curriculum to transform student's views
4. social action: getting kids to act for change. visit tolerance.org and the Southern Poverty Law Center
   

attributes of a transformational lesson:

• multiple perspectives
• more than one lesson
• balance individual and group work
• individualization: give many ways to demonstrate learning
• give many ways to access learning
• use many types of materials
• include a critical analysis of understanding cultural assumptions

"Only when the curriculum canon is transformed to reflect cultural diversity will students .. be able to attain the knowledge, skills & perspectives needed to participate effectively in today's global society." -James Banks

Some fun ways to deliver instruction:

• visual representation
• use tactile items from the class
• songs
• primary resources (remind kids that they are acting)
• physical recall
  

Literacy: 3rd grade

Magnets are used to track where students are in the editing process. Cups with sticks work well also.




























This is an adaptation of The Daily Five which is a structured independent lit. program.



















Other ideas from the classroom/teacher:

• have writing peer conferences (realizing they might not actually work til Feb.)
  
• let the "best table" pick select choice reading areas around the room
• have a "book recommendation lake" (see photo at top)
• post pictures of students reading
• put books in the front of the room for read aloud
• when starting off, use colleagues, ask them what they do for literacy, use their curriculum at first, then get creative and adapt it
• use craigslist for books/ teacher supplies, even post that you're a teacher and need stuff
• put a pleasant lamp at your desk: on equals "I'm busy and can't be interrupted"
  

Literacy: the basics

To foster lifelong literacy:

1. you need something worth writing and reading about
2. you need something to DO with what you read/write.
3. you need something to SHARE from what you read and write.

Three Cue System:

1. Meaning: prior knowledge, words within text/pictures, ask: does it make sense?
2. Structure: natural language, English grammar, ask: does it sound right in English?
3. Visual: sounds and symbols, ask: does it look right (or close to right?)
   

Random ideas:

• Have students write reminders to each other, especially if a student is out sick.
• Use this sentence starter: "If you want to know me as a reader, you need to know ..."
  
• Kiperpoof: can you read if you don't know the words?
• researcher: Guy t. Buswell: readers do active things while reading
• don't make kids read aloud
• Don't do anything your students can do themselves!
• Make a list of non-negotiables (below are ours)

Our Non-negotiable in Literacy

1. have independent reading time with choice books
2. do read alouds
3. celebrate student's work
4. ignite student's interest in reading
5. give time to read for pleasure
6. have a diverse library in the classroom with different forms of media
7. work together (teachers + students = ownership of learning)
8. share the love of reading and writing
9. have star of the week and focus on the name and history of child
10. organize books by category, not just levels
11. have a this day in history
    
12. have a comfy reading corner where students feel safe
13. integrate subject matter
14. be open to different types of books

Effective Readers: (Taken from Burke Reading Interviews in class. Make own list with students. This will help students have ownership of poster and show strengths)

• take time to think about what is read
• use context
• make connections
• use resources
• figure out what is or is not important
• are aware of strategies for reading
• talk about what's read
  

Read Aloud:

• Stories help us look at other people indirectly. Stories are the way we share ourselves with each other. We must begin with our hearts then 'it' will click with our heads.
  
• Give students something to look for: ex: what might this book mean for me?

Have a Tea Party

1. on small pieces of paper, read quote rom first chapter, think " what is going on in this book" (teacher types up a mix of quotes on fun paper)
2. Share and talk about th quotes and what you think the book is about
3. walk and talk (to as many people as you can) sharing more guesses about the book
4. journal what you think will happen
5. read the book!
6. ---- later: brainstorm issues that matter from the book, ex: this character wants to belong
   

Two Read Aloud Books:

Sister Anne's Hands is about the racism a child faces and how she learns from it. (picture book)


Rules is about a 12 year old girl and her 8 year old brother who has Autism. (chapter book)

Key Components of a Literacy Program Graphic Organizer

Lesson: 'Heyeku'

Set expectations: Stay in seats. Be respectful to me and others. Try your hardest. Enjoy this project!

Set: Tell kids a personal story about a place you visited, include your perspective from where you were at the place.

Targets: Students will gain an understanding of perspective.

Input: Read a couple sample haikus. How to write a haiku: 5-7-5. Use interesting vocabulary! EX: Five syllables first, then seven in the middle, five more at the end

Modeling: Create a haiku as a class about the desk/chair.

Check for Understanding: Does everyone understand how to write a haiku?

Practice: Then tell kids to close their eyes. Think of a place. What do you see? smell? hear? how’s the weather? etc. Students now write their poems quietly.

Input: Discuss how to draw an eye from the perspective of someone seeing the subject matter in his or her poem. Use Utah as an example.

Modeling: Show techniques about how to use pastels. Tell clear instructions-no drawing on anything but the paper, stay in seats, work quietly.

Practice: Students now create their eyes.

Closure: Either display eyes or pick volunteers to read their poem and show their eye in front of the class. Discuss how perspectives are very unique and often unpredictable.

Notes from a PE teacher

The may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. -Carl W. Buechner

Three big ideas:

1. Don't keep kids out of PE for disciplinary reasons.
2. Reinforce specialist's management systems
3. Enjoy the energy kids have after PE

A good resource: PE Central

Homemade juggling balls

Art

We got to spend some time with an integrated arts teacher who had a wealth of ideas:



















Paint by rectangles.















Masks

















Mandalas made with CDs and yarn. * Ask high schools or businesses for their excess CDs (aka all the ads you get that'll get trashed anyway).






































Whole School Project: everyone makes a sea creature. Used Apoxy Clay for texture.
















Gesture drawing: humans are make of circles and ovals. Discuss where you bend. Look a at a wooden figure and self/volunteers. Kids from first grade and up can do this and enjoy it. *Good to revisit for time fillers. The image on the right is mine, but it was very comparable to the first graders who did the same project that day.
















Baskets made with dixie cups and yarn: good for studying cultures.











Follow the leader drawings by 2nd graders.

Other ideas:

• Foil relief projects with cardboard, string, foil, and permanent markers.
• geometric and organic shapes: trace shapes and color each differently. Can lead into cartography.
• rubbings: leaves/ tile samples
• patterns: trace anything on a big circle
• bugs: connect wire (antennae, legs), CDs (3 for body), and cellophane for wings (get light covers from theatres)
  

For your classroom/bookshelf:

• The 5 Basic elements of shape poster
• Book: Harold and the Purple Crayon - the character draw what he wants. Kids can do this too and make their own story. Talk about lines he uses: straight lines, curved lines, zigzags, too. Reread and look at the shapes.
• Giant tangram set (laminated poster board)
• catalogs for pictures (flowers/ fashion / seeds)
• ART from Many Hands (multicultural)
• Teaching American History with Art Masterpeices
• Art for Fun
• Teaching teh 3 R's -Ann Green Gilpert-combines dance and science
• Insectlopedia
• Decorative symbols and motifs
• the usborne book of art ideas
• tales alive: storytelling and art
• The private Eye: jewelers lop
• The Jazz ABC's
• The Dot (encourage to draw)
• Not a Box (imagination with shapes)
• Museum Trip
• Look Closer
• When Pigasso Met Mootese
• Magazine: Arts and activities
  

Music

We sat in on a few music classes (K-6); here's some ideas:

• Display simple charts so kids know how to arrange themselves (sit in circle, sit in rows, etc)
• Adapt a simple tune to poetry = a song, which also equals easy to adapt to curriculum
• Handbells and chimes are awesome (as above)
• Its helpful as a teacher to make a "curriculum map" to give to specialists
• It's easy to adapt music and SOUND to science. Ideas: fill film containers with matching items (beans, crayons, marbles), then students have to find their partner.

Books to check out:

• Music Fact RAB
• The Time Song
• Can you Hear it?
• I will be your friend, songs for a peaceful world
• Dancing with the Indians
• Mole Music
• Muncha Muncha Muncha (rhythm)
• Hey, Little Ant
• I know an Old Lady (there's many variations)
• School House Rock
• Colonial Chimes of Dunkirk
  

CDs/Musicians to have on stock

• Dave Bubeck
• Barry Lam (world instruments)
• Vivaldi
• Classics for Children

Check out: Musically Aligned

My inspirations of the day:

• use fabric to decorate the walls
• have a plant in class
• get a xylophone
• use stickers for little kids-"lift of your sticker hand (right hand)"
  

SS: Project Based Learning, etc.

Critical Attributes of Project Based Learning

• projects are complex tasks
• based on challengin questions / problems
• focus on central concepts of discipline-depth!
• involve students-constructivist
• give students oppotunity to work autonomously
• over extended period of time (scaffold)
• culminate in a realistic product/presentaion
• are teacher facilitated bu not directed.

Good idea: The animals broke otu fot he zoo and want ice cream. The zoo keeper doesn't want them back! What do we do? (Dig: what do zoos offer society? are they good or bad?)

Go to: Project Based Learning online (and sign in)

Thought of the day: As a teacher, you have a powerful position. You can't avoid (and shouldn't) being value based. If questioned, go to Bill of Rights or Constitution (possible state/district) to back up actions. If a parent/guardian is upset tell them: "help me understand your perspective" and invite them to the classroom (if appropriate) -value multiple perspectives.

Be safe: call them all "places of worship"

Advice from a teacher:

• if watching a speech, let them learn! Fold a paper and discuss what's important (ex: strenghts and weaknesses of the country). Then when watching fill out what is spoken about (ex: Obama did talk about terrorism).
• posters: use cut out silhouettes and color for easy design
• Use a 5 themes of geography poster (above)
  

SS: Biographies: A Snapshot Approach

1/16

SS: Simulations

1/14

SS: Storypath

1/13

SS: Unit Planning / Assessment

On the right is the graphic organizer about Assessment. Here's a link to helpful assessment ideas.

Unit Planning
An intellectual engagement with a topic creating a meaningful synthesized experience

What to teach:
Use state/ district scope and sequence
Consider available curriculum (use a critical eye)
Consider student’s needs (experiences, previous knowledge, interests)

Choose a Central Question
Share it with the kids
Frame the unit

Assess:
Central to the discipline of study (relative to national standards)
Enduring understandings
Relates to learning targets
Reflects important understandings

Helpful Websites: Rubistar for creating rubrics. NWREL for 6+1 Trait™ Writing

Lessons within a unit

1. Learning target
2. Categorize learning (see types of targets)
3. EALRs addressed (standards)
4. Assessment instrument (select response, essay, performance, personal communication)
5. Criteria for assessment of target

SS: Doing History, etc.

Here's the Graphic Organizer for reading (which is not directly related to the notes below):

Types of Targets:

1. Facts: Discrete ‘bits’ of information that have been verified objectively.
2. Concept: An idea that represents a class of related objects, values, ideas, etc. Concepts are labels or names that help us simplify or classify.
3. Generalization: A statement that shows relationships among concepts. It can show cause and effect or be definitional in that it helps define a general class of ides, people or things. It focuses on substantive learning and allows for teaching for depth of understanding.
4. Skills/processes: the ability to do something
5. Dispositions: Beliefs, attitudes, and values that can lead to actions. Can’t be forced, but fostered.

What is the purpose of social studies education?
Margaret A. Laughlin and Michael Hartoonian, paraphrased

• to learn social studies information
• to understand people as social beings
• to give students an all inclusive view of themselves, integrating analytic and intuitive thinking
• to develop students’ intellectual and problem-solving abilities
• to help build a better society (that is just)
• to foster the development of a positive self-concept

How do historians decide what is historically significant?
Contemporary: how important was the event to people at the time?
Profundity: how deeply were people affected by the event?
Quantity: how many people were affected by the event?
Durability: how long lasting were the effects of the event?
Relevance: how does it help us understand current issues and events?

“Educators prepare us for a multicultural society, schools do reshape our attitudes.” –M. McGuire (This can be great or terrible)

tid-bit: When morally questioning subject matter: don’t need to discuss perspectives, but do discuss causes and how to fix problems

a thought: If kids speak about religion: validate their beliefs. Discuss our freedom to choose and our differences.

Assessing student’s learning:
(students ask themselves)

• How will I judge the success of my learning?
• What’s the best way to present what I have learned?
• Why was it important to learn this?
• What have I learned about my classmates?
• Why did we do this?

Vote with your feet

• Stand on this side if you think this, stand on that side if you think that, or anywhere in between.
• Teach language of respect
• Revisit and define the question
• Be prepared for different views, be sure kids feel safe and able to be different
• Allow kids to change their position
• Play devil’s advocate if needed

Social Studies: Introduction & Doing History

Brief history of social studies in school:
1916 First Social Studies movement in the US due to high amounts of immigration. SS was to prepare US citizens for a democratic society.

1992 NCSS adopted new definition of SS (paraphrased): “the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence…to help young people develop ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in the interdependent world.”

2003 Civic Mission of Schools gave new definition: "to prepare students for living in a democratic society and interdependent world." This definition is more global with three goals which are to be informed and thoughtful, act politically, and have moral and civic virtues such as concern for others, social responsibility, and the belief in the capacity to make a difference. This last part of the definition is incredibly important, especially in urban schools with kids who face rough circumstances.

The mission also stated that even before the age of 9, children are able to develop social responsibility and interest in politics. This statement differs from what many educators, researchers, and child developmentalist believe. Therefore, teaching social studies is incredibly important.

Doing History
This curriculum was created by Linda Levstik and Keith Barton. They define SS as "about judgment, building and evaluating warranted and grounded interpretations. History is not just opinion, it's teaching how to gather and analyze information on the past. Historyical thinkingneeds to take place in a social context. We must also consider who writes most textbooks, and how their perspective may affect the text.

• Create a community of inquiry where students jointly pursue a problem or question, share sources of of information, share standards for evaluating information, build and critique interpretations, reflect on their findings.
• This is important because it is respectful towards student contributions, accounts differing views based on ethnicity/gender/culture/religion, gives skills for democracy and inquiry, creates empathy towards others (past and present), builds understanding for current events, and develps appreciation for historical understanding.

Lesson Activities for learning about your own history:

1. Brainstorm ideas
2. discuss with others
3. create a timeline of own life
   
4. analyze and evaluate events
5. select the most important event
6. collect historical information

We also discussed how it can be difficult to do this timeline assignment with children who have difficult circumstances (poverty, broken homes, foster, etc.). Some ideas to help kids are to:

• talk about the positive aspects
• validate their experiences, don't dismiss them
  
• add a timeline of what they want in their future
• tell them it's not their fault and
  
• explain that we are all different and have different lives
• their experiences are ok, "that's who you are"
• be sure to create a community where everyone belongs at school. People need a sense of belonging and will search for it which could lead to gangs or even worse circumstances than their current situation.
  

Teaching History for Citizenship...

I'm back, here's a link: Teaching History for Citizenship in the Elementary School.