Coffee for the Brain
Instructional Insights for February 2016
The Benefits of Giving Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments
Here are some of the benefits of giving the interim assessments:
They are designed to support teaching and learning throughout the year
Can be administered multiple times throughout the year
They provide feedback to inform instruction:
Measures early and midyear progress
Identify specific areas of strength and weakness
Assess skills of incoming students
They prepare students for the spring ISAT tests
Build stamina
- Introduce students to the terminology, tools and format used on the ISAT
If you would like help giving the test, scoring the hand-scoring portion, analyzing your data, or using data to plan for instruction, please get in touch with me. I would love to help you with the process!
8 Pillars of Executive Function
"Executive control opens new doors to understanding and improving all aspects of a child’s capability." In this brief article, Dr. Adam Cox describes the 8 pillars of executive function.
Stray from the Conventional Wisdom: Show Writers How to Shape Writing with Grammar and Mechanics
Jeff Anderson offers some insight into effectively teaching writing, grammar and mechanics.
Strategies to Promote Critical Thinking in the Elementary Classroom
"What does critical thinking look and sound like in an elementary classroom?" This article highlights four key methods to promote critical thinking in students.
Igniting a Passion for Writing
Contact Me
Please feel free to email me anytime or catch me when I'm in your building. If I'm not in someone's room, I will be in either the staff lounge or conference room. My current schedule is:
Monday - Dalton Tuesday - Borah Wednesday - Skyway Thursday - Sorensen Friday - Coaches Meeting in the morning, afternoons by appointment
I will be in trainings all day on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and Thursday, Feb. 18, so I won't be in my schools those days.
Email: ccahoon@cdaschools.org
Location: coeur d'Alene School District
Phone: (208) 664-8241
Twitter: @ccahoon2