Week of January 29

Thursday Thoughts January 29

 

 

 

I enjoyed meeting with so many teachers today for the mid year reviews.  During the course of the conversations, I kept thinking of how far we have moved out of our comfort zone.  Everyone is working so hard to provide the best instruction possible for ALL learners.  The differentiation in the classrooms is unbelievable and we have come so far with our technology use.  Just think, this time next year, we will have tablets in every classroom (fingers crossed).  I am excited about the great work taking place here.  We continue to be on the MOVE in every way and I am so proud of you.

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Craig Gendreau.  The 1st grade performance tonight was fantastic.  When the students sang the final song, "Take Me Home Country Road", I had to hold back a tear....seriously I did.  Craig has this remarkable ability to select songs that little people can sing that will just make you feel good.  Not only has he perfected the elementary school performance, but he has stepped up and taken a leadership role with technology at our school.  He applied and has been accepted to serve on the Vanguard Team.  This team, consisting of Craig, Leigh and Tanis, will help lead the charge in personalized learning at our school.  Craig, thank you for bringing down the house at every performance and for your willingness to serve the school in an additional capacity. 

 

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

 

Start Something: 13 Teacher Strategies For Digital Collaboration

by TeachThought Staff 1/08/2015

Teacher collaboration is among the cornerstones of school improvement. When teachers connect–for the right reasons–good things happen.
The ability to connect is increased exponentially through technology. Digital collaboration by teachers has an infinite numbers out possible outcomes, from formal teacher improvement, to informal connecting for people that get you. A global teacher’s lounge, if you will.
Social media-based professional development is another possible outcome when teachers connect. In contrast to sit-and-get, impersonal training, self-selected and self-directed PD has the potential for just in time, just enough, just for me qualities. The following infographic Mia MacMeekin takes these kinds of ideas and itemizes them, coming up with thirteen strategies for digital collaboration by teachers. She has a few ideas on the graphic, and we’ve added our own below.
Let us know in the comments what strategies you find useful for digital collaboration.
Start Something: 13 Teacher Strategies For Digital Collaboration
1. Co-author a book, blog post, essay, or conference session.
2. Join an edcamp, twitter chat, or blog community (ahem).
3. Follow mentors, colleagues, and inspiring thought leaders on social media.
4. Email someone and ask for help, or thank them for what they do.
5. Comment on an idea that forces you to consider a new perspective.
6. Start something useful and/or fun, local or global, digital or physical.
7. Step out of your comfort zone.
8. Discuss both critical and practical issues around your classroom.
9. Co-create something you’ve long hoped someone else would–an app, a community, a curriculum. Even a PowerPoint or Prezi that clarifies some often misunderstood academic topic.
10. Ask for help, details, resources, or ideas.
11. Join Me–or us. Meet people, connect groups, create potential in education.
12. Enter into new terms with your local school leadership to push for innovation, resources, and better training.
13. Organize your curriculum, your professional learning network, your RSS feed, or even a local event of your own, even if it’s only 4 or 5 colleagues for a book club at Starbucks.

Start Something: 13 Teacher Strategies For Digital Collaboration

Technology Tidbits

http://pbskids.org/designsquad/- Cool site that might serve as a resource for Genius Hour.

News & Notes

For those of you whose children are hardshipped to Fulton County Schools, please note the deadline.

Deadline is Feb. 17 for hardship transfer applications

Parents will use an online form, available through the Student Assignment Office’s website, to enter and submit their information. Hard copy applications are not required this year, with the exception of medical transfers which require pertinent medical provider’s signatures and documentation.

 

Week of January 22

Thursday Thoughts January 22

I have conducted 30 minute observations in over twenty classrooms within the past two weeks and I can honestly say that being in the classrooms is the best part of my day.  When I walk around your classroom and witness the hard work that you put into the lessons and the love that you have for the students, I truly feel like I am among superheroes.  I don't mean that I see you leaping over tall buildings or moving faster than a speeding train; however I see you juggling 3 or more groups for just about every subject.  I see that you've created countless center activities and games per subject.  I see that even if you are not as tech savvy as you would like, you are trying new things and allowing the kids to lead the way.  I see that you are collaborating and spending hours finding resources, writing lesson plans and assessing students.  You are setting the standard for great teaching and learning!

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Jennifer Birkmeyer.  As a new teacher, Jennifer has experienced the challenges that come with being a first year teacher.  Jennifer is constantly looking to increase her repertoire of instructional best practices and she is always willing to give 110% to her students.  She has a positive attitude and has truly become a valued member of her 2nd grade team.  In fact, Jennifer has not taken one sick or personal day this school year.   Jennifer, we thank you for what you are doing for students.

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

 

Imagination: The Forgotten 21st Century Skill?

www.scholastic.com  By Brian Smithon December 31, 2014

 

The world changes every day. There is always something new. New technology that we instantly wonder how we ever lived without, video games and 3-D movies that are hyper-realistic, and toys that let kids simulate everything from cooking on the grill to vacuuming.
These things are awesome and I love them all (except maybe for the noise that the play vacuum makes . . . I could live without that and still feel I lead a fulfilled life), but what they are slowly stealing from us is our sense of imagination. I am not the first (and I won’t be the last) to talk about this issue, but instead of just stating the problem, I want to offer a solution.


Antoinette Portis wrote a book called Not a Box and, in my humble opinion, it’s a must-have for every classroom. I was once asked what I thought the quintessential read-aloud book for kindergarten would be and (after I looked up the word quintessential to make sure I had the definition correct . . . and I did) I easily chose Not a Box.

Mobile users can view the video here.

This book is one of the first that I read to my class every year, and one that we revisit several times. The message is clear: use your imagination. The main character, a cleverly drawn rabbit, has a box. An off-page adult asks the rabbit why he’s standing on, beside, and in the box. The rabbit always responds, “It’s not a box.” The words and illustrations are both very simple but they serve as a powerful reminder that during the course of my day I have to allow time for my students to develop their imaginations. I keep this reminder at the front of my room all year.

To help inspire students to use their imagination there are four things that I do:

1. While the students are working on different projects or learning in our centers, I introduce situations where the solutions aren’t immediately evident by asking¸ “What if . . .?” or “How could . . .?”. These questions help take play to an imaginative level.
2. When we have an extra five minutes before lunch or some other transition, I will call out an item such as the playground slide and we brainstorm different things it could be. My favorite answer so far is they could lay at the top and the slide could be Rapunzel’s hair.
3. I give them time and space. I supervise, but I also encourage independence. I’ve found that when students are given time for physical activity that isn’t structured by the teacher, they will find a way to structure it on their own. This is when they can let their imagination take over. Four students and a patch of grass becomes good guys/bad guys, Power Rangers, or a choir that sings our calendar songs in a concert.
4. Finally, I read other books that talk about imagination such as:

• I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black
• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
• Stella: Star of the Sea by Marie-Louise Gay
• Alice the Fairy by David Shannon
• Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis

It is so easy, especially during the second half of the year, to lose sight of the fact that our students are still children. The end of the year seems so far away to our students (and many of their parents), but every teacher knows that it will be here before we know it. Teachers will soon be judged by what we have taught our students and because of that many will say that there isn’t enough time for “play” in school. I understand that point of view and I feel those pressures too, but when I look at those 21st century skills and how one of the three big areas is critical and creative thinking, I feel like I would doing a disservice by not making time for building imagination.

Technology Tidbits

http://www.kidsciencechallenge.com/#/home- Science games and videos

News & Notes

 The Fulton School Board approved additional instructional funds for each school for the remainder of the school year.  Stay tuned to learn how these funds will be used at Medlock.

In addition, last year you may have heard about the 21st Century media center transformation that took place at Centennial H.S. through their School Goveranance Seed Fund proposal.  The project was so successful, that the Fulton School Board has voted to renovate every FCS high school media center into a similiar model. 

Keep you fingers crossed that our Medlock Bridge Flexible Learning Classroom Seed Fund proposal will be approved.  This could be the start of something big!

 

Week of January 15

Thursday Thoughts January 15

I didn't watch the big game on Monday night.  I knew that the Oregon quarterback won the Heisman but I didn't know anything about the Ohio State quarterback, Cardale Jones. In fact, I am not sure that many people knew alot about him prior to Ohio's win over Alabama in the playoff.  But Monday night changed all of that.  Now Cardale Jones is a household name.  The fact that a third string quarterback could garner a win over a team like Oregon is impressive enough, however even more impressive is this young man's mindset shift regarding the importance of his education.  You see just two years ago, he made headlines for the tweet above.  At that time, he was coasting through school and close to being tossed out of college.     But he hung in there and was held accountable for his grades and actions.  The expectations were set and if he wanted to stay at Ohio State, he had to rise to them.  The rest is history.

As educators we have a responsibility to make sure that we don't allow students to coast.  High expectations and holding students accountable will have great results even if we are not present to see them.  I am sure that we have future BCS champions, politicians and even actors sitting in our classrooms.   But before they can fulfill their dreams, we have to make sure that we set the stage for that to happen.

 

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Janie Massey.  Janie does a remarkable job of working with students who are just below grade level proficiency. She is constantly seeking resources and materials that will help students succeed.  She prepares written progress updates for each of her students in the SST process and has often offered to participate in the meetings to brainstorm additional strategies that can be put in place for the child.  Janie has students that enter and exit EIP throughout the year, yet she never complains about how many students she has to serve without assistance.   Janie not only shares her expertise with homeroom teachers, but she also works directly with the teachers new to Medlock.  We appreciate all that Janie does to support Medlock students as well as teachers. 

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

Step by Step: Designing Personalized Learning Experiences For Students

Katrina Schwartz     November 28, 2014 

   

The phrase “personalized learning” gets tossed around a lot in education circles. Sometimes it’s used in the context of educational technology tools that offer lessons keyed to the academic level of individual students. Other times it’s referring to the personal touch of a teacher getting to know a student, learning about their interests and tailoring lessons to meet both their needs and their passion areas. As with most education jargon, the phrase isn’t fixed, but it usually connects to the idea that not all students need the same thing at the same time. It implies choice, multiple pathways to learning, many ways to demonstrate competency and resists the notion that all students learn the same way.

 

 

 

 

Technology Tidbits

ClassResponder - Real Time Student Response System

ClassResponder is a service that provides a nice way for teachers to distribute quizzes to students and gather results as soon as students answer the quiz questions. ClassResponder can be used through your web browser or through their free iPad apps. There is an app for teachers and an app for students. Students don't have to create accounts to participate. Students simply enter your classroom code to join your ClassResponder activities.

ClassResponder offers pre-made quizzes that teachers can use. The quizzes are designed for elementary school students. The pre-made quizzes are aligned to ELA Common Core standards. You don't have to use ClassResponder's pre-made quizzes. You can create your own multiple choice, true/false, and short answer quizzes in your ClassResponder account.

Applications for Education

ClassResponder, like other student response systems, could provide a good way to deliver short review quizzes to your students. You can use the service to make quizzes to use at the end of a lesson to quickly check for your students' understanding of your lesson's main points. You can turn on ClassResponder's instant feedback option for your students so that they don't have to wait until everyone is done before they see their own scores.

 

 

News & Notes

I would like to welcome Kris McBride to MBES.  She is an Instructional Technology Coach from the iTeach Center at Kennesaw State University.  Kris will be working closely with our teachers this semester as we embark upon our Personalized Learning journey.  You will see Kris visiting classrooms, meeting with grade levels and providing support in many ways.  Kris is a former teacher and is serving in a support role for our school.  She has multiple schools; however when she is at Medlock, she will have an "office" in the Media Center.  You can reach her anytime via email: McBrideK2@fultonschools.org

 

 

Week of January 8

Thursday Thoughts January 8

 

 

 

I truly needed the time off and relished every moment of it. I enjoyed spending time with extended family and was able to spend quality time with my husband and children.   However, I must say that it felt good to come back this week and connect with my Medlock Family.  By now, you should know me well enough to know that I believe in putting family first.  I enjoy hearing about your family and I thank you for listening to the stories about mine.   But when I refer to the Medlock Family, I am alluding to a genuine bond that has been formed among the staff.  We are more than a group of people who come to work everyday and work with kids.  We are more than just a team.  We are a family.  We celebrate when others are successful.  We hurt when our colleagues hurt.  We share in the ups and downs of this job. We do what we can to lighten each other's load.  The cartoon Lilo and Stitch gives one of the best definitions of family that I can find.  In our Medlock Family, nobody gets left behind or forgotten. 

 

 Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Lindsay Padgett and Jaya Kottamasu.  Lindsay had the great fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it) of being my first 30 minute observation.  I want to applaud them for the creativity and instructional best practices that are being implemented in the classroom.  Not only was there alot of music and visual aides during the lesson, but there was also the use of technology and an overall focus on student engagement.  If you don't know, their students can start in the classroom at age three and are eligible to attend due to their special needs.  Our Pre K students don't attend specials and Lindsay's class does not even eat lunch in the cafeteria.  Therefore, Lindsay and Jaya are in the classroom with their students ALL day.   Each afternoon at dismissal, I see Lindsay walk some of her students to the front office to meet the parents where she engages in conversation about their day.  I know that parents can be a bit uneasy about sending their babies to "big kid" school but Lindsay puts their minds at ease.  Many thanks to Lindsay and Jaya for all they do for our youngest Mustangs.

 

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

 

The Right & Wrong Way To Use Technology For Learning

07/09/2013, TeachThought Staff,

So much in learning is subjective, which makes sense because so much in life itself is also subjective, and we learn in order to live. So it’s natural.
Grey areas abound–the usefulness and quality of the Common Core Standards. The importance of curiosity in learning. The evaluation of technology in learning. The utility of letter grades. (And alternatives to letter grades.)
For every educator dead-set on personalizing learning through technology in an outcomes-based K-12 classroom, there is another educator working to develop new learning models that extract the potential of self-directed learning, the role of play in learning, and better understanding the different levels of integration of technology in the learning process itself.
And it’s all good work.
What exactly technology does in learning is also subjective. We’ve offered a clumsy analogy in the past, but sometimes a simple T-chart clarifying “good and bad” is helpful, which is what Bill Ferriter of the wonderful Tempered Radical blog has done with the following image.
The Right & Wrong Way To Use Technology For Learning
Ferriter’s image begins simply enough, with a statement so many of your already believe (based on comments we’ve seen across social media and here on TeachThought as well).
Technology is a tool, not a learning outcome. (Learning is not about technology, mind you.)
But for those that need examples, it goes further, saying no to “developing apps” and “publishing animotos,” and yes to more general functions like “Raising Awareness” and “Starting Conversations.” (Our favorite is helping students find answers to their questions.)
Certainly it’s not true–in our grey area of our own we’re creating here–that creating animoto videos is “wrong” or producing videos is “bad,” but rather that technology should ideally function in pursuit of that awareness and that conversation, not the app or “the animoto.”

Of course you probably already know that, but here’s to clarifying.

 Technology Tidbits

http://www.funenglishgames.com/grammargames.html- good site for additional grammer practice. 

News & Notes

Congratulations Medlock Bridge!  We have been approved to participate in Cohort 1 in the FCS Personalized Learning Process (classroom tablets).  I wish I could say that the tablets will be in our classrooms before the end of the school year, but that does not appear to be the case.  We are starting the process which means that we will be one of the first schools to receive tablets, however there is much work to be done before we get them.  I will keep you posted.