Week of September 19

Thursday Thoughts- September 19th



Over the last couple of weeks I have had an opportunity to have encounters with former Medlock Bridge students.  I don't mean kids that have moved on to middle and high school.  I mean adults that were students at Medlock Bridge.  It was intriguing to hear about their experience and one adult acutally has a child that currently attends our school.  The other person is the designer of our Runapalooza shirts.  Although my memories of elementary school aren't too vivid, I can tell you that I don't remember a thing about the curriculum.  All I remember is that special teacher that made me feel like I was one in a million.  What will children remember about you when they become adults? 

Staff Spotlight:
I have finally started walk throughs and I can tell you that there are some amazing things going on in the classrooms.  I was able to view a couple of Kindergarten classes (Miller & Jackson) during their math time and it looks like Kindergarten has the station concept down to a science.  Their classrooms were a well oiled machine.  They had a chart identifying which students should be working in a particular station (the stations are numbered) and the students were working independently while the teacher administered a math assessment one child at a time.  I think there were at least 10 stations with about two students per station  (not a worksheet in sight). 
Very impressive ladies!!!


4C's: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking Skills

Collaboration – The Big C – Do Not Wait!

Posted by Kathy Adkins

Collaboration is one of the 4C’s that propels our district’s 21st century vision of learning along with Creativity, Critical Thinking and Communication. Collaboration is the big C that embraces the others and makes them stronger. Learners love to connect and share their knowledge in the classroom with each other and their desire to experience and share beyond walls is obvious. As they think, communicate and create collaboratively, the learning becomes larger. I am reminded of one collaborative project with first grade students, Hands Around the World, and how we worked to squeeze this project into the end of the year. It was a huge learning process for all learners including myself. Why should we wait to the end of the year when we have many resources and digital learning tools such as Edmodo and Wikispaces? Connect with a project or begin your own and collaboratively share your learners’ knowledge with others. Do not wait!

Five for Friday – Global Collaborative Connections

A great place to start is The Global Classroom Project, where teachers and students share on the global stage. Their wikispace shares ways to follow via twitter and facebook. Be sure to check out the Craze Crazes, under What’s Happening?
Projects by Jen, from Jen Wagner (creator of Wordle of the Day) provides projects for K-6 grades throughout the school year. OREO 2012 is a simple project for young learners and provides a wealth of resources to celebrate the 100th birthday of the OREO. Registration is now open with project lasting Sept. 17 – Oct. 12. Follow Jen Wagner on twitter @jenwagner.
Journey North offers collaborative sharing throughout the year. Currently Hummingbird Migration is being observed and reported weekly. Journey North now has an app to report sightings.
The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, CIESE, offers many ongoing and collaborative projects inspired by real time data.
Flat Stanley is a project that has truly embraced all ages. Be sure to check out current news and check the free IOS mobile app.
 
Technology Tidbits:

Check out the following websites:

http://www.hoodamath.com/index.html
Great site for math games for all grade levels


http://www.childrensmuseum.org/games
Interactive Science games

News and Notes:

You can earn 2 PLU's for free through Kennesaw State University- See below

K-12 Online and Blended Learning

Kennesaw State's first MOOC, K-12 Blended & Online Learning, will leverage KSU's existing technological strengths and infrastructure to provide innovative teaching and learning opportunities to a "massive" number of students at no cost. The MOOC will expand educational opportunities while showcasing the considerable talents of the Bagwell College of Education (BCOE) faculty. In addition, the MOOC will support KSU's strategic goals of increasing the number of degrees offered online, improving recruitment and becoming more engaged and prominent in the local community, Georgia, and the nation.
If you hold a Georgia K-12 teaching license or are just interested in learning more about blended and online learning, this MOOC may be for you.
The course is designed to introduce K-12 teachers and the community to blended and online learning through the instructional media of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Throughout the MOOC, participants will engage in community discourse and online interaction. The course's first level will include 20 contact hours for 2 PLUs. This level is for all participants. Participants will gain knowledge and understanding of what encompasses K-12 blended and online learning. They will watch videos and read key documents that address foundational knowledge about trends in K-12 online learning, iNACOL standards, engaged learning strategies, assessment and differentiation in the online learning environment. Learning will be assessed using strategies aligned to knowledge and understanding.

Visit this website for more info: http://mooc.kennesaw.edu/courses/k12_online_blended_learning.php