Falcon Focus
May 11, 2015
Personal Learning Network (PLN's)
"PLNs are much more flexible, personalized, and real-time than conventional, place-based in-service education. Educators access their PLNs on their own time from their homes, a local coffee shop, or at work during breaks. They choose which sites to join, with whome to connect, and in which discussions to participate. If a teacher needs help with using technology as a learning tool, he can read FreeTech4Teachers, follow the hashtag #edtech and join Computer Technology group on Edmodo. If an instructional designer is contemplating a mobile solution, she can become active with the elearning guild or follow #mlearncon. Instead of waiting for a scheduled workshop, educators can seek help using their PLNs and enjoy immediate responses that pool the collective knowledge of network members"
The above article is an excerpt from the article The Connected Educator. Click on the title if you re interested in learning more about PLN's. Also, some cool hashtags to follow are:
#edtech
#Edslowchat
#proudtoteach
Next Few Meetings at a Glance - working agendas:
- DIY Writing Common Assessment Protocol was due May 8th. WAY TO GO KINDER AND FIRST GRADE!!!! Great analysis of your students compositions!! (we might have a little time after faculty meeting on Tuesday for the rest of you to complete this protocol)
- 5/12: Mini Session 3: Classroom Activities Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum Bring Homework (Specials Provide Snacks)
- Progress Monitoring protocol - May 13th first 30 min. of conference times - please meet in the conference room.
- 5/19: Mini Session 4: Text Types
Thank you to.....
Thanks Angelina for running the WatchDog program and the great reception last Friday morning! Your efforts are much appreciated.
Thank you to the 4th grade team, Kendal, Tammy & Sebrina for helping our 4th graders have an awesome Play Day despite the rain!
Thanks to all our kinder teachers for helping with the presentation and providing tours for the new Kindergarteners this past Thursday. We really appreciate your extra effort!
Also, a big thank you to all the Kinder teachers for taking time out of their summer to call all the new kindergarteners to schedule and then give the screeners. This information gives us some data when we are developing class lists and we couldn't do it without the summer time commitment of our kinder teachers!
Updates and FYI's
- May Character Quality - Positive Attitude
- Tis the Season for Spring Tours. Thanks for keeping the halls and tables nice and neat as we show potential new families around.
- Fire Drill on Monday afternoon
Final CFA for Math – Week of May 11th-22nd - get us the CFA and we will run copies. Also, if you would like to run the data through AWARE get Casey the answer sheet.
- Math CFA Data Analysis due on May 27th. Click here for the protocol.
- 2nd - 4th: Have grades uploaded by Friday afternoon for Progress Reports.
End Of Year RtI Schedule
- April 27th - May 15th EOY TPRI Window for Kinder, First, and Second Grades
- April 27th - May 1st: EOY IStation for third and fourth grade
- May 4th - May 29th: EOY DRA window for kinder, first, and second grades
- May 4th - May 15th: EOY AIMSweb Window for third and fourth grade
- May 11th - May 15th: CPAA testing for kinder, first, and second
- May 13th: Meet during conference times to discuss RtI data for the year
- May 22nd: Deadline for entering all TPRI information into TANGO
- Be sure that the blue Literacy Folders have all Benchmark writing and for K-2 the DRA levels are updated by the end of the school year.
- June 5th - Sixth six weeks Intervention Documentation Sheets due to Angelina.
Literacy Update
May 18th - Writing evidence walkthroughs - from C and I dept.
May 18th: Kelly Leach will meet quickly with individual kinder, first, third, and fourth grade teachers during conferences to discuss next steps, answer questions, and provide support.
Keller University
Be sure to check out the sessions presented by Math Solutions. Reasoning and Discourse. There are K-2 sessions and 3-5 sessions. Special attention will be given to how the new math TEKS have a high priority for students to build a deep understanding of mathematics and use that understanding to reason about problems.
Summer Learning Conference
July 20-23, 2015
Registration opens
on May 4.
You may browse the over 130 different sessions in the following ways:
1. Click here to view the Conference Catalog. (PDF)
2. Click here to view an interactive version of the Conference Catalog. (Requires Flash)
3. Click the tile on K-Cloud for Keller University. (Requires Flash)
4. Visit the Keller University category in Eduphoria Workshop.
Click here to access a Conference Planner!
E-mail Maria.Collins@kellerisd.net or Ashley.Hankins@kellerisd.net with questions.
Mentor Text
Resources from the faculty meeting:
- In the search field you can enter keywords
- Use a comma to separate multiple search terms (e.g., enter “making connections, persuasive” to locate books that will help you model these reading and writing strategies using a single read-aloud text)
- Use an asterisk to stand in for unknown suffixes (e.g., if you want books that exemplify persuasive writing, enter persua*, since the original tag may have been persuade, persuasion, or persuasive)
- You may also search by title and author
- Use the “tags” button on the toolbar to search the entire tag list
In preparation for Mini Session 3 on May 12th , please implement a mentor text in your classroom. Then the bring mentor text to share how you used it with your students.
Calendar
- IMPORTANT LINK: Click here to access the collaboration calendar. School events, due dates, and important information are found on this calendar. We work hard to keep it updated. Thanks!
Building our Learning Community #FESlearns
Getting Ready for May 14th
A Few Tips to Keep in Mind for May 14th
Ask students to bring in their own devices.
Ask parents to come in and help with technology.
Your teaching partners have amazing ideas just like you! Share those ideas!
Draggo page of bookmarks: http://draggo.com/donnahodge/technology-day-links#
Let parents know what Apps you may be using that day, so they can load them onto their child’s device if they choose to.
Be sure to tweet out and send in pictures of your day
Transforming Learning
Think back to the two Cs that you would like to develop on May 14th.
Create your plan of action for May 14th in your learning journal.
Think through these questions as you create your plan.
How will you use your technology intentionally?
What technology will you need to sign up for on the calendar?
Keep in mind that students will bring their own as well.
What help (parents/staff) will you need to follow through with your plan successfully?
27 Ways to Get Students to Innovate
Florence Info.
Email: laura.lockhart@kellerisd.net
Website: www.kellerisd.net
Location: 3095 Johnson Road, Southlake, TX, United States
Phone: 817-744-4700
Facebook: facebook.com/FlorenceElementary.com
Twitter: @FESfalcons