Friday Flash
September 16, 2016
News to Note
This weekend, you will receive final intervention placement information via email. (I tried to get it done today and didn't quite get there.) Thank you again to the IST for your help in making these decisions! A few notes:
- A few tweaks to IA schedules naturally occur when starting interventions. I'll work on getting those updated and in boxes as soon as I can.
- We are expanding the use of Math U See as an intervention this year and will have one small group per grade. Since this is a relatively new practice, at this time Math U See as an intervention will take place during the first 20 minutes of math. Students may not miss whole group instruction or the opportunity to practice the skills, so we are planning for the first 20 minutes of math which is usually checking homework, math message, mental math and reflexes, Rocket Math, etc. These things should not be made up for students who are in Math U See.
- We will use the first few days of next week to train IAs as needed, plan for starting, and do a baseline progress monitor. Our goal will be for groups to start by Wednesday, or Thursday at the latest. Please let me know if this is a problem.
Thank you all, again, for what you do!
Something to Grow On...Promoting Positive Screen Time at School
For the next few weeks, I'd like to share some ideas from the below article. Enjoy!
by Victoria Olson
2. Promote metacognition
How do we get students to think about their learning more deeply? Screencasting apps like Explain Everything allow students to capture both audio and visual components of their learning, and more importantly, to playback their explanations. This is like game film for learning – students can self-assess and improve their work in a snap, and better yet, you can formatively assess their screencasts for just-in-time instructional support!
3. Provide different ways for students to show their work
There are so many ways that students can demonstrate their understanding of a concept, and the iPad magnifies the ability to differentiate to student needs. Perhaps some students are more visual and would like to create a collection of images to show their work. Perhaps others would rather write about the topic. Instead of asking for ALL students to show their work in one way, why not provide a choice of how they show their work?
Upcoming Dates
September 20 - ENL meeting at 2:45!
(required for teachers of ENL level 1-4, optional for anyone who wants to learn!)
September 21 - IA PD on Calkins conferring
September 26 - Learning Launch
Please be sure to submit your choice for the Learning Launch on this Google Form!
Kudos!
- Kudos to everyone for their flexibility, energy, and support with the Rocket Run! It was AMAZING!
- To Josh Southard from Angie Crider for meeting with ALL of the art teachers in the district to discuss how Canvas can be used in their area!
- To Ashley Wallace for helping out with a few things outside of her normal job description!
- To Emily Plumb from Ann Sweet for an AWESOME start in her new position! She is working her tail off and doing great things for kids!