Literacy and Technology News
December 2017
Technology News and Information
iPad Presentation Tools
- Keynote- iPad version of PowerPoint and Google Slides
- Chatterpix- create 30-second "talking" photographs
- Shadow Puppet Edu- digital storytelling app
- Pic Collage Kids- photo collage maker
- Draw and Tell- similar to Educreations, this app allows students to add voice to their drawings
Computer Science Education Week
Students in grades 3-5 will be doing some coding during their 21st Century Skills class. 3-5 teachers, please contact me if you would like to schedule additional lessons on programming, or would like help incorporating this into your curriculum. K-2nd grade teachers: I would love to schedule a time to come in and teach a coding lesson (or lessons) using the iPads with your students. Please email me so we can get dates/times on the calendar!
We also have some new robots and apps available to give students hands-on experience with computer programming. Check out the links below and let me know if you'd like to co-teach a lesson with one of these awesome tools:
- K-2: Blue-Bot
- 2-5: Dash and Dot Robots
- 2-5: Ozobots
- K-5: Scratch Jr. App
- 3-5: Sphero
Not sure when you would be able to fit this into your schedule? Computer programming is science :) I'm looking forward to sharing this exciting opportunity with all of you again this year!
What's New With Digital Breakout EDU?
Breakout EDU is an awesome way to get your students solving problems, thinking critically, and working collaboratively all while having fun! If you teach K-2, breakouts can be completed as a whole class to help students build their problem-solving skills.
Check out these games made specifically for elementary students: Elementary Games.
If you see a game you like and need help setting it up, I'd love to assemble the resources and bring it in for you and your students. We currently have boxes, 3-digit locks, 4-digit locks, word locks, decoder glasses, an invisible ink pen, and black lights. If you need a digital lock, we can just make a "paper lock" where students write the answer and get it approved before opening.
PASD Professional Development
We have been using the PASD Professional Development Wiki for a few years and the Wiki has housed all of our training files and materials, such as info on technology, literacy, and teacher effectiveness.
In order to give you easier access and faster updates, the PD wiki has been moved over to Schoology as a course. Please join the course with the code DRN8V-5CNZX
If you are a K-5 teacher and have not used Schoology before, please follow the steps below to login:
- Go to pasd.schoology.com and enter your username (firstname_lastname) and email password.
- You will be redirected to a welcome screen. Please select the drop-down arrow next to "Courses" from the top menu bar and click "Join". Enter the course code (DRN8V-5CNZX) and click "Join".
- You are now enrolled in the course. To access content, click on any of the folders and the following page to find the content that was previously on the wiki.
If you have any questions or trouble logging in, please send me an email and I can stop by during CPT.
Technology Updates
- If you have not updated your iPad recently, do that this month. iOS 11 has had some updates/bug-fixes recently. Updating your devices once a month is a good habit to get into.
Projectors
- As we approach the holiday season, please be aware of where you are hanging Christmas lights. If they are on and hanging near your projector, they could interfere with the interactive pens and prevent them from working. If your pens stop working and you have Christmas lights up, please turn the lights off and check your pens before submitting a tech. ticket.
New Laptops
- If you recently received a new laptop and have questions about transferring files, saving/backing up data, adding projectors, printing, using the hovercam, etc., please check out the following document with the step-by-step directions and tips: Laptop Setup Help
November CPT Resources
December Technology Stars
Heidi Kajder
Greg May
Kellie Kreider
Literacy News and Information
Text Dependent Analysis Information
What is Text Dependent Analysis?
Pennsylvania Core Standards identifies text-dependent analysis as the ability to "draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research." Prompts to measure the TDA move beyond general reading comprehension to specific questions that require the use of text-dependent evidence. Another definition of a TDA is a detailed examination of the elements or structure of a text, by breaking it into its component parts to uncover interrelationships in order to draw a conclusion.
TDA's ask questions that require students to synthesize using specific evidence from the passage/passages read and then interpret and explain the meaning behind that evidence. In order to do this, students need instruction on close and careful reading of text so that they are learning from the text. Additionally, students need support writing from sources (use evidence from text to inform or make an argument) so they are able to use evidence and respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments presented in the texts they read.
What does a TDA question look like?
4th Grade TDA Example*: The authors of the passage describe Ed Young as a “deeply thoughtful man.” Write an essay analyzing how the authors support this statement. Use evidence from the passage to support your response.
5th Grade TDA Example*: The passages discuss the impact that people have had on the bald eagle. Write an essay analyzing how people are helping the bald eagle increase in numbers. Use information from all three passages to support your response.
6th Grade TDA Example*: The passage and the poem address a similar theme. Write an essay analyzing how the passage and the poem develop this theme. Use evidence from both the passage and the poem to support your response.
7th Grade TDA Example *: The drama focuses on events in the life of Florence Nightingale. Write an essay analyzing how the three-scene structure of the drama emphasizes certain characteristics of Florence. Use evidence from the drama to support your response.
8th Grade TDA Example*: The editorial focuses on teen use of text messaging. Write an essay analyzing how the author develops the main argument in the editorial. Use evidence from the editorial to support your response.
* From PDE's PSSA Released Items
General Academic Vocabulary
Students frequently come across general academic vocabulary during the course of the school day. Do students really know what these words mean? See below for lists of general academic vocabulary students should know and understand across the grade levels.
General Academic Vocabulary Terms for K-2nd Grade
General Academic Vocabulary Terms for 3rd-5th Grade
General Academic Vocabulary Terms for 6th-12th Grade
Some strategies to teach and assess general academic vocabulary:
* Use a knowledge rating chart/checklist for students to self-assess their vocabulary knowledge and understanding
* Use academic word walls: Keeps the words in play and visible in the classroom
* Include academic language often in your speech and in assessment questions
* Focus on an academic word of the week
Source: www.collinsed.com
Four Kinds of Writing in Math
Bill Atwood shares various math writing prompts that can be easily incorporated into math lessons encouraging students to explain how they got their answer. Read more here. Additionally, use the links below for ready-to-use math writing prompts for your grade level.
- Grades K-3 Math Writing Prompts
- Grades 4-6 Math Writing Prompts
- Grades 7-12 Math Writing Prompts
ReadWorks’ Article-A-Day: Another tool for your instructional toolbox
By Terri Brier & Lindsey Walters
Looking for grade-level texts that are high interest, BUILD stamina, BUILD vocabulary and BUILD the reading and writing connection?
Check out the new TOOL on ReadWorks - Article-A-DayTM
Article-A-DayTM is a 10-minute daily routine that dramatically increases your students’ background knowledge, vocabulary, and stamina. These three components are critical for our students’ reading comprehension.
All of the articles are related by topic. For each topic, ReadWorks connects five information articles. Teachers can select article sets by grade level and/or Lexile Level. Research has proven that when students read articles that are related, they learn exponentially more knowledge!
The Article-A-Day routine consists of:
1. Setting a purpose for reading
2. Reading the article independently
3. Documenting knowledge learned
4. Sharing with peers
Many teachers enjoy the online feature that allows them to assign article sets to students. The students can document their learning electronically. To support differentiation, there are audio versions of the articles as well as starter frames for the “Book of Knowledge” writing activity.
Enjoy building your students’ reading comprehension with this new tool!!
PSSA Information
PSSA Test Changes
- Reduction of multiple choice questions from 68 to 48 items for both grades 4 and 8
- No change in distribution percentage of questions in the 4 reporting categories
- Roughly 20 minutes overall reduction of testing time for both grades 4 and 8
MATH TEST CHANGES
- Reduction of multiple choice questions from 72 to 52 items for all grades 3-8
- No change in distribution percentage of questions in the 5 reporting categories
- No change in number of open-ended questions (3 items); as a result, this will count as 23% of the overall test (was 17%)
ELA TEST CHANGES
- Grade 3:
- No Writing Prompt
- Stand Alone multiple choice reduced from 18 to 9 items
- No change in the number of Short Answer questions (2)
- 4 Reporting Categories (was 5)
- Roughly 40 minutes overall reduction of testing time
- Grades 4-8:
- No Writing Prompt
- Stand Alone multiple choice reduced from 18 to 9 items
- No change to the weight of the Text-Dependent Analysis (16 points); as a result, this will now count as 25% of the overall test (was 19%)
- 4 Reporting Categories (was 5)
- Roughly 15 minutes overall reduction of testing time
PSSA RELEASED ITEMS
NEW ITEM SAMPLERS - PDE
Here is the link to the newly released PSSA samplers:
ELA: http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Assessment%20and%20Accountability/PSSA/Pages/ELAs.aspx#tab-1
Math: http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Assessment%20and%20Accountability/PSSA/Pages/Mathematics.aspx#tab-1
As a reminder, the 2017-2018 PSSA will not have a stand-alone writing prompt included - only the open-ended response question (3rd grade)/TDA question (4th-8th grade) will remain. The newly released samplers (linked below) do have a writing prompt included - PDE clarified why those are included in the screenshot below.
NEW ITEM SAMPLERS - GOOGLE FILE
All released item samplers (reading, math, science) have been added to Google.
This link has released items from 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7ehLTVLzOgFYTM4aHpxd1ZNZGc?usp=sharing
TDA, WRITING PROMPT, AND LANGUAGE QUESTIONS
The TDA, writing prompt, and language files have been updated with info from the newly released item samplers....All can be found here:
Language: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7ehLTVLzOgFOFk1MGEwdVBxeDg?usp=sharing
TDA: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7ehLTVLzOgFN3hpZ3lLMXhOSFU?usp=sharing
Writing Prompt: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7ehLTVLzOgFcVItRUVWVmJOQW8?usp=sharing
MATH OPEN ENDED RESPONSE QUESTIONS
Copies of all open-ended response math questions from the released items have been added to a file on Google. It is sorted by grade level and question. In each folder is the open ended response question, the rubric, and the scored samples. There are about 7 open-ended response questions per grade. Feel free to use as practice or to model how to complete, if it fits and you're interested.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7ehLTVLzOgFRUtUWlBFNlNVVHM?usp=sharing
ANCHORS/ELIGIBLE CONTENT SAMPLE QUESTIONS
There is an updated anchors/eligible content document that has the newly released sample items added under the appropriate categories. Your grade levels document can be found in this folder. This is helpful to see what a question addressing a particular anchor/eligible content looks like on a PSSA sample question.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
This document can also be found in your grade level folder and includes question stems from the released items. This is helpful to see how questions are being worded and would allow us to model questions asked in the classroom in a similar format.
Parent/Family Literacy Newsletters
September Parent/Family Literacy Newsletter
Maximize Your Professional Learning with Social Media
Are you looking to stay up-to-date on current trends in education, but struggling to find the time or resources? Do you have an Amazon cart full of texts you have aspirations of finishing over summer break, but don’t make it through half of them? You’re not alone! Consider following your favorite education leaders and experts on Twitter or subscribing to their blogs to be notified of new posts. Social media is a powerful tool that can help us maximize our professional learning in minimal time.
Take a look at Pennsylvania Department of Education's Twitter (@PADeptofEd) for information and updates as well as highlights from other Pennsylvania schools.
Whom are YOU following and what can we be learning? Share with us right here next month!
Lancaster-Lebanon Reading Council presents.......
Total Participation Techniques
Updates
Cafe Update
Journeys Update
Journeys benchmark assessment #2 testing window is December 4th-8th with scores due by December 15th. Benchmark assessment must be given by the end of the given assessment window. You can give it earlier.
- There is only one section for benchmark #2: the reading complex text section. This section can be given paper and pencil or through Think Central.
- The paper copy of the assessment and rubric for grading can be found in the elementary common assessment Google file. That is where the most current copy of the assessment is kept.
Write Steps Update
Newsletter Archive
Reading Incentive Programs
Phillies Reading Program
Email community@phillies.com or click here for more information or to sign up.
Hershey Bears Roaring to Read Program
Contests and Competitions
Letters About Literature
* Students are asked to read a book, poem, or speech and write to the author about how the book affected them personally
* Due January 12th
My Teacher is an Olympian
* Students are asked to write three original reasons explaining why their nominee shows one or all of the following qualities of an Olympian: friendship, solidarity, and fair play. They must also illustrate their reasons.
* All entries must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2017
* 12/4-12/8: Journeys Unit 2 Test (Grades 3-5)
* 12/15: Journeys Unit 2 scores due (Grades 3-5)
* 1/2-1/8: Kindergarten DRA Testing
* 1/16: Narrative Writing scores due (Kindergarten and 1st Grade)
* 1/16: HSIW scores due (Kindergarten and 1st Grade)
* 1/22: DRA scores due (Kindergarten)
* 1/22-1/26: Journeys #3 Testing (3rd-5th Grade)
* 1/22-2/2: Study Island Benchmark Testing (3rd-5th Grade)
* 2/2: Journeys #3 Scores Due (3rd-5th Grade)
* 2/9: Study Island Constructed Respond Scores Due (3rd-5th Grade)