Weekly Update, February 22

Reflections on this week…

You may have noticed that I like to take pictures. It has been a hobby of mine since I was about 14, when I had dreams of becoming a famous photographer and getting rich off of my inspiring images. Now that I exist in reality (usually), taking pictures has become my convenient way to document life. I rarely delete any images, which is wreaking havoc on my storage space; I just don’t have the heart to hit that little trashcan icon when I see a picture that sparks a memory.

Anyway, I was feeling a little gloomy yesterday evening and I was frustrated with some technology, when I got sidetracked by the photo album on my phone. I flipped through all 300 + images and was reenergized by colorful classrooms, thoughtful student work, and dozens of smiling faces at MWE. I don’t remember being so happy when I was in school, and it just made me remember how lucky the kids are and how lucky I am to be with you all every day.

New BOOKS!!!!

Karyn Lewis has been bustin’ her librarian buns to gather more resources for our Literacy Library.

Watch this short video to see our newest additions.

http://youtu.be/JyPARleAw6s

Upcoming professional development opportunities and district meetings…

Science Curriculum Roll Out Meetings

Tuesday, February 26, 3:45-5:45

Spring Woods High School

Register in Eduphoria

Language Arts Curriculum Roll Out Meetings

Thursday, February 28, 3:30-5:00

Wilchester Elementary

Register in Eduphoria

Math Curriculum Roll Out Meetings

Tuesday, March 5, 3:30-5:00

Stratford High School

Register on Eduphoria

New Jersey Writing Project

Summer 2013

(Click HERE to download fliers)

Abydos 3-Week Summer Literacy Institute

WTC Library, June 10-27 (except Fridays)

http://eduphoria.springbranchisd.com/wshop/default.aspx?cid=3457

Abydos Reading Week (Grades 3-12)

WTC Library, July 8-12

http://eduphoria.springbranchisd.com/wshop/default.aspx?cid=3458

Abydos Grammar Week

WTC Library, July 22-25

http://eduphoria.springbranchisd.com/wshop/default.aspx?cid=3459

Some stuff I’ve been reading…

Reclaiming Your Teacher Mojo

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/01/29/tln_allen_teachermojo.html?tkn=QMOFZ3G0UBgDZsejuw5mzsJ5w0yormYdvd%2B%2F&cmp=ENL-TU-NEWS1

Projecting Possibilities for Writers: The How, What, & Why of Designing Units of Study

by Matt Glover & Mary Alice Berry

Free preview available from Heinemann: http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E04192/Projecting_Possibilities_for_Writers_Sample.pdf

Some sites/apps worth exploring…

Environmental Interdependency Videos

These videos were produced by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium specifically for 4^th and 5^th grade SBISD students when learning about ecosystems.

http://seewinter.com/calendar/tcbroadcast.html

An extensive and detailed App List

http://www.tcea.org/ipad

Some FREE (for a limited time) apps that look fun:

Nuclien

ABC Sounds Lite

Even  Monsters Get Sick

From Cheese

Pinocchio: Interactive Kids Storybook (free TODAY only)

PHLIP

Don’t forget, you can find more at…

Teacher Learners on Edmodo

Group code: 9fq5dz

Weekly Update, February 15

Reflections on this week…

I spent my Friday morning (after fighting the oppressive traffic on all freeways) at the University of Houston in a discussion on teaching and learning. I haven’t spent much time on campus since I graduated in December of 2004, and I found it a peaceful switch from the hour-plus I had spent in traffic. The key theme of the discussion this morning centered on the idea of disruption, but not in the sense you might think. It was about disruption in a positive sense…disruption to make change and improvement.

Once I redefined disruption in my head, I started to reflect on what it meant to my own life. I was probably feeling a little nostalgic sitting at UH, I’ll admit it, but I started thinking about what my dreams had been when I walked across that campus over eight years ago. I am definitely nowhere that I pictured myself. That doesn’t disappoint me, though, which is what really helped me to see how disruptions can become great things in our lives. I think it is more what we make of these disruptions, how we respond to them, that shapes our paths.

Anyway, I’m taking that idea into my weekend. When my son causes a disruption to my sleep at 6:00 tomorrow morning, I’m going to see what I can make of that. It will probably just be coffee, but we’ll see.

Upcoming professional development opportunities and district meetings…

Science Curriculum Meeting

February 26, 2013

3:45-5:45

Spring Woods High School

See email from D. Burken with links to register in Eduphoria

Earth Science Conference

February 23, 2013

8:00-3:30

Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land

Visit the TESTA site for more information: http://hunstem.uhd.edu/TESTA/

Using iPads to Enhance Teaching and Learning

Anytime!!!

Watch the recorded webinar at this link:

http://live.classroom20.com/1/post/2013/01/using-ipads-to-enhance-teaching-and-learning.html

Some stuff I’ve been reading…

“Exploring the Use of the iPad for Literacy Learning”

from The Reading Teacher, vol 66

Click HERE to read.

This was not an especially riveting read, but it did give some interesting ideas for apps that might be used when addressing certain literacy skills. The bulk of the article talks about a study that looked at the use of iPads to teach certain skills within a fourth grade classroom.

Put Thinking to the Test

by: Conrad, Matthews, Zimmerman, Allen, & Keene

Many of you probably know about this book. Thank you to Mary-Catherine for the awesome recommendation, because I am loving the thinking behind this book. It is all about approaching testing as an additional genre to be studied. While we give kids so much time to consume various types of text, they really don’t get a lot of time to consume tests outside the actually testing time. The authors of this book look at approaching the testing genre. Good stuff!

Link to book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OBZ4IO/ref=oh_d__o00_details_o00__i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Some sites worth exploring…

Social studies—folklife/culture:

http://www.loc.gov/folklife/teachers/query-adv.php

Active learning strategies:

http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/tips/curriculum_and_instruction/great_active_learning_strategies.html

Digital Learning Day 2013

http://blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2013/02/06/digital-learning-day-2013-a-digital-toolbox-for-teachers/

Don’t forget, you can find more at…

·       http://simmonscorner.blogspot.com

·       Teacher Learners on Edmodo

Group code: 9fq5dz

Weekly Update

Reflections on this week…

I had forgotten about the little science nerd that was resting dormant in my head, but she was certainly awakened during the last two weeks by crickets and owl pellets. Who knew that things that are stereotypically “gross” could be so much fun?! Planning for a day in the lab opened my eyes to all of the opportunities that science can bring to our students, both in the realm of experiences and cross-curricular connections. I can’t wait to see what great things we make happen with the awesome resources we have available in the science lab.

Thanks to everyone who sent students to the lab on Cricket Day. If you couldn't fit it into your schedule, have no fear! The crickets have a more permanent home (thanks to Ericka), and students can observe them any time. The owl pellet lab was so much fun today! You can see a picture of the lady from the Audubon Society below (go Meg for getting that in order!).

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

·         West Houston Area Council of Teachers of English: An Evening with Authors

Thursday, March 7, 6:00 p.m.

See REGISTRATION FORM for more details

Register in Eduphoria: http://eduphoria.springbranchisd.com/wshop/default.aspx?cid=3454

·         Science 3D-2D

Teachers will learn how to go from hands-on to checking for understanding to ensure student success on the STAAR test.

February 12, 3:30-5:30

West Transition Campus, Room 1C

Register in Eduphoria: http://eduphoria.springbranchisd.com/wshop/default.aspx?cid=3390

Some stuff I’ve been reading…

                The February issue of Educational Leadership has some really cool articles centered on creativity. HERE is an article I found really informative, but I thought I would also share some quotes from another one of the articles that really stood out to me. These come from “Fundamentals of Creativity” by Ronald A. Beghetto and James C. Kaufman.

·         “Teachers who understand that creativity combines both originality and task appropriateness are in a better position to integrate student creativity into the everyday curriculum in ways that complement, rather than compete with, academic learning.”

·         “Research shows that creativity can suffer when people are promised rewards for creative work, when learning conditions stress competition and social comparisons, or when individuals are highly aware of being monitored and evaluated y others.”

·         “Students need to develop creative metacognition—a combination of creative self-knowledge (knowing one’s own creative strengths and limitations, both within a domain and as a general trait) and contextual knowledge (knowing when, where, how, and why to be creative).”

Some sites worth exploring…

·         PBS Kids Play!

An online, cross-curricular program for Pre-K to 1^st grade. It contains hundreds of interactive activities. Check it out!

https://www.pbskidsplay.org/

·         Kid Wings

This site teaches kids about the world of birds. It was recommended to me by the lady visiting from the Audubon Society this morning. It even has virtual owl pellet dissection.

http://www.kidwings.com/index.htm

·         Math League: Whole Numbers

This site is divided into two sections, “Using Whole Numbers” and “Operations and Their Properties.” The main Math League site also has some great sample problem solving contests. It is worth exploring

http://www.themathleague.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67

·         WatchKnowLearn

A decent resource for finding educational videos.

http://watchknowlearn.org/

HAPPY LEARNING!

Nurturing Poets

"Knowledge that is not passed through the heart is dangerous." --Georgia Heard

Buy on Amazon

Poetry is a genre that, until the last several years, has intimidated and eluded me. I always felt like I was missing some secret, encrypted message from the poets that others around me understood. It wasn't until a close friend and colleague of mine introduced me to Billy Collins and his beautiful poetry that I discovered my love for the genre. Reading and hearing poetry became more about the experience and the personal sensations that accompanied the experience. As a student, it had been about finding the meaning and analyzing every line, every syllable. 

I will proudly confess myself to be a learner of poetry. I would be hard pressed if asked to identify the rhyme scheme of a poem, but I can tell you some of my favorite poets. I can tell you what it is about a certain poem that speaks to me. I can even, every now and then, squeak out my own poem that captures an emotion that no other format can express.

Georgia Heard's keynote address at TCTELA spoke to my own experience with poetry. Why poetry? Because, she explained, seeing the world like a poet requires a different sort of view. It teaches us to:

• appreciate the small moments
• see poetry in the everyday
• see beauty in the unlovely
• fill ourselves with curiosity and wonder
• experiment with the possibilities of language
• and examine our emotions, the good and the bad.

The problem is, as I well remember from my time as both a student and a teacher, poetry in school often teaches the opposite. It makes poetry out to be some exclusive club of snobby, erudite weirdos. Instead, as Ms. Heard urged in her speech, poetry in schools should welcome all students to the "club." She presented her three layers of understanding poetry approach.

Layer 1: Invitation

This layer is about getting students comfortable with seeing and reading poetry.

• Use poetry in morning meanings in all content areas.
• Introduce students to Found Poetry.
• Display poems in the environment--make your school or classroom an anthology.
• Invite students to write their own poetry to display.
• Don't restrict younger students to the usual poets (Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky).
• Choose poems that are accessible and relevant.

Layer 2: Connection

This layer is about helping students connect with poetry on a personal level.

• Have students create self-portrait anthologies.
• Have students search through books to find a poem that connects with them emotionally. Then have them reflect in writing. Finally, let them write their own poem in response.
• Continue the activities in layer one, giving students more power over owning the poetry.

Layer 3: Understanding & Analysis

This layer focuses on helping students move into the more complicated world of analyzing poetry. 

• Highlight the importance of re-reading poems. 
• Live with a poem for a week:
• Monday-What do you notice?
• Tuesday/Wednesday-Activities to explore (i.e. illustrate the poem, act out, read aloud performances)
• Thursday-Focus on craft and structure (How is the poem built and why?)
• Friday-Look at other related poems by the same author or with related themes
• Help students understand the dual meanings present in poetry. You can say one thing and mean something completely different. 
• Practice visualizing the poetry and get students to draw their mind pictures. 

Check out Georgia Heard's website at www.georgiaheard.com, where you can find information about her books. 

Jeffrey Boy

"Writing is waiting for a place to happen." -Jeff Anderson

A group of hungry teachers being served plates of catered hotel food is probably not the most receptive of audiences, but it seems that nothing gets Mr. Jeff Anderson down. There is something about the combination of his height and his goofy enthusiasm that makes him inspirationally contagious  It helps that he begins his presentations with uplifting songs (a trick that I plan to remember).

Mr. Anderson connected to the conference theme (walking in others shoes) by having us reflect on the conditions we needed to write and connect that to how we create places for our students to write. The concept wasn't an especially new one among the audience at my table; they all had specific ways that they worked to create places for their students to write.

What stuck out most to me was a comment Mr. Anderson made about making our actions conscious. He said that writing is a path to this consciousness. Writing makes the abstract more concrete, and students need a place where they feel confident to explore and learn this process.

For those curious minds wondering, "What the heck was the song that he used?" It was "Some Nights" by Fun. The key lyrics he used to spur on audience reflection...

What do I stand for? What do I stand for?

Also, let's face it, this song stays with you...for days. Happy writing!

TCTELA: Vocab Gal

This year's TCTELA conference theme was "2 Walk in my Shoes," a theme inspired by one of my very favorite characters in all of literature, Atticus Finch. I thought that I would be able to post my reflections in just a couple of posts, but as I drafted I realized that would not be the case. So...here is post one of ?

Vocab Gal

A couple of hours with Sarah Ressler Wright from Ohio was a great way to kick-off the weekend. I was worried that I took too much of a risk in deciding to begin with a session about vocabulary, but I left feeling so much more enthusiasm towards vocabulary instruction in general.

The Vocab Gal isn't just about having her students memorize a list of words and definitions. She challenges them to use those words in and out of class. Probably her most powerful tool in facilitating this is her own commitment to using the vocabulary terms in her own instruction. It becomes a game for everyone. The list-on-Monday-quiz-on-Friday approach is gone. Students don't look up definitions in the dictionary  Instead, they are provided with opportunities to explore a word's meaning and use it in relevant contexts.

Here is a link to Ressler's presentation from the conference: http://info.sadlier.com/Portals/95641/docs/TCTELA%20presentation.pdf

Check out her blog for great, downloadable resources:
www.vocabgal.com

School Clubs Form

You can use the link below to access the form to fill out for school clubs.

https://docs.google.com/a/springbranchisd.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dDRXOHdvdDB0TlVwZmJkX3c3VnNUakE6MQ