East Elementary Coaching Corner
A Place to Share Resources and Ideas
12/7-12/11
Learning walks will be happening this week. Also, as I finish up a couple of coaching cycles this week, I have blocked out some time to support 5th grade with iPads. Please let me know if there is any way that I can help or support you in these last weeks before break.
Ideas and Resources
My role is really about increasing student achievement by providing continuous, relevant, job-embedded professional development and support focused on the following areas:
- How to use a variety of technology, including the iPad, to support teaching/learning
- Ideas and strategies to support ELLs
- Differentiating for higher learners/GT
- Implementation of the 5 non-negotiables
Thing Link App Task Challenge
Each week I will be highlighting an app that I would like for you to try out in order to familiarize yourself with it so that you can more effectively integrate it into your instruction. The first person to show me the completed task will get a (small) prize from me.
This week I am highlighting ThingLink. ThingLink allows teachers and students to add content inside any image they choose, including photos, video and audio players, web links and more! This is a link to get you started with a free teacher account. Here you will find an entire blog related to using ThingLink in the classroom. Here is the link to the ThingLink Challenge.
Google Classroom
Google Classroom is a great tool to use to move your classroom to a more 'paperless' environment. Share links and resources with students. Assign, collect and give feedback on work electronically. Everything you Need to Know in Google Classroom Part 1 is a good resource to get you started.
VOCABULARY GAMES FOR STEP 6 OF 'MARZANO'S SIX STEPS FOR BUILDING VOCABULARY': Vocabulary Mini Games
Flocabulary is one of my (and my students') favorite resources. It is an incredibly engaging way to build content knowledge in a variety of curricular areas. As I was looking around on the site recently, I stumbled across this list of vocabulary games that can be incorporated into your reading rotations to build vocabulary skills. I have a paid membership so please see me if you would like to check out some of the other resources on the site.
Differentiating for Diverse Learners, on both ends of the average
This Edutopia article gives some strategies for easily differentiating based on individual needs and highlights some of my favorite tech resources that support differentiation, including Newsela and EDpuzzle.
- Newsela starts by selecting news stories published by newspapers that are likely to have some interest or relevance to students. (News sources include the Seattle Times,Orlando Sentinel, the Associated Press, the LA Times, and the Chicago Tribune.) Newsela has hired journalists to rewrite those stories at different grade levels. Each story is published at four different lexile levels as well as in its original form, for a total of five different reading levels. Students take short quizzes, aligned with Common Core standards to assess their comprehension.Because all students are reading about the same content/concepts , teachers can lead class discussions on the article topics with all students, no matter what their reading level, and because the articles are drawn from current news feeds, the topics are relevant and timely.
- EDpuzzle is a site that lets you take just about any video off the web (or create your own), edit it down to the portions you want, add audio notes and questions for students, and create virtual classrooms where you can monitor individual student work.
Coaching Cycles to begin in January!
The two open coaching cycles have been filled! I am excited to get to know these teachers better and support them in meeting their goals for students!
Kristin Allen East Instructional Coach
Email: kristin.allen@moffatsd.org
Phone: 970-826-6446
Twitter: @KristinAllen05