Friday Focus - January 31, 2014

Image from Venosdale

Events Next Week:
Friday - National Wear Red Day
Pride Assembly 2:15.  We will have to start "Stuck for a Buck" around 2:00. Just like last year we will make announcements for students with $1 to come down early to tape me to the wall.  I'll need extra help for passing out awards since I'll just be able to hold the microphone.

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Assessments: I'm still working on rescheduling MAP testing from the cold days and times for those that need another session to finish. I am also on crunch time with next week being my last week for ACCESS testing of our ELL students, so please be patient with me.

*At this week's school board meeting I shared the following video to show how we are trying to get our students to not only be Bucket Fillers at school, but also in the community. Please feel free to share it with your students: Bucket Fillers 13-14

*Are you still trying to think of something for Digital Learning Day? Here's an idea: K-12 Virtual Valentines Project - a project designed by teachers to teach students geographical awareness and cultural understanding while connecting with classrooms all around the world for Valentine's Day.  Go HERE to find out more under the "About the Project" tab or sign your class up. Must sign up by February 4th.

*Now that the Middle School has decided to implement iPads 1:1 next year you may start having teachers wanting to come observe. I've already been asked by a couple and told them that you all have amazing things happening with many different ways that you are integrating technology.  I thank you in advance for your willingness to share with others so that our students can continue to benefit after they leave us and move on to the middle school.

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh my!
*Ever praised a student for finally having a great day and then wishing you wouldn't have jinxed it all? Here's a great article on that problem: Why You Shouldn't Respond When a Difficult Student Has a Good Day.
*The next few blog posts are on the topic of students having ownership of their formative assessment data (I know this topic is a goal for several of you):
  -Formative Assessment: Wall Displays and Conversations in First Grade
  -Value Added: Moving Assessments from "Inflicted" to "Student Owned"
  -The Literacy Teacher's Playbook: Four Steps for Turning Assessment into Goal-Driven Instruction  (this one is podcast, but gives a transcript to read if you aren't familiar with downloading podcasts)

Friday Focus - January 24, 2014

I have never been as sick as I was this week, yet still felt such guilt over being out for three straight days.  I was so thankful for all of the amazing professionals in our school that kept everything running so smoothly that I wasn't even needed!  I returned not quite at a 100% and with very little energy, but it was your cheerful faces, encouraging words and the entertaining conversations with students at recess/lunch that picked me up. Thank you!!

Events Next Week:
Monday - 2nd quarter report cards will be printed at 7:30 a.m.
Tuesday - Staff Talent meeting at 11:30 in the Art Room. (I checked with Mrs. O'Toole and it is seriously safe for anyone not wanting to be on stage. Even the most stage fright person will be able to handle this talent act!)
Thursday - I'll be out of the building in the morning for the DART Principals meeting

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*I'm working on getting caught up on emails from being out. I plan to touch base with those of you that need another MAP test session Friday afternoon. I will also run a report of what students need to complete tests (if you haven't already had both sessions) to schedule times for students to come to the lab to finish.
*February 5th is National Digital Learning Day. What can YOU do for you classroom to support that concept? There are tips and toolkits HERE to get started. I would love to help out in a classroom if you've got something new you want to try and just want an extra hand or need help getting started.  In conjunction with this day, I've been asked by one of the DPI Education Consultants to put together a brief video showing how our students are benefiting from iPads.  I haven't come up with a "storyline" for this video yet, but definitely know I'll be needing to get some "footage" of students working with iPads in your rooms for this. Please let me know if you have any ideas to help me.
*My iPad crashed this weekend and had to be restored back to factory settings, which means I lost everything on it. Fortunately, most of what I use on it is "in the cloud" (like Evernote), but my favorite to-do app was not backed up.  So, if I had something on my to-do list for any of you (like scheduling a meeting, answering a question, etc) please don't hesitate to remind me.  I use the app, because my brain won't remember.

iPad Tip of the Week:
*I've shared this before, but thought it would be good to share again after seeing some of you get tired of typing your entire email address in multiple times for logins.  You can create a shortcut on your iPad so you only have to type a couple letters and it does the rest for you. Here's how:
If the video doesn't work, try going to this link or you might have to use your laptop to view it.

Blogs, Pins & Tweets...Oh My!!
*Amber Teamann ‏@8Amber8 "A Typical Day Should Include Stretching For All" Worth a read! http://venspired.com/?p=6126 
*A great reminder about Anchor Charts: Form vs. Function

Click HERE to download free

Monday Musings - January 20, 2014

Reflecting on Survey Results...

I want to thank you all for your thoughtful reflections on your student survey results.  As I read through the Survey Analysis forms (I'm not finished with all of them yet) I couldn't help, but notice some very thoughtful reflections that included:

• Increase in an area that was low at the beginning of the year. This is due to the teacher focusing on this area with his/her students.
• Sharing survey results with the class for further discussion. This was especially common on the item for student respect for one another. 
• Plans for the remainder of the year that include continuing on with intentional strategies that resulted after the first survey results, as well as additional ideas generated after the second survey.

Speaking of surveys, it's time for my administrator survey so that I can reflect on the feedback that you have for me.  I will be emailing you a link to a google form this week. I appreciate your time in completing this to help me with my professional growth.

Friday Focus - January 17, 2014

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*We had many great tech demonstrations at the Tech Showcase. Our student presenters did an amazing job of being able to explain how to use the apps they are using in the classrooms and showed that they are learning while having fun.  I heard many positive comments from parents/community members about the great things we are doing at Dodgeland!
*I've already heard some students excitedly tell me at lunch that they're MAP score went up.  When I asked each why they think it went up, they each said it was because they read every day and use their strategies from Daily 5.  When one student told me her score went down for ready, she said she knew she didn't try as well as she should have and needs to read more.  It is great to hear our students having a growth mindset!

Events Next Week:
Tuesday - Grade Level Meetings (agenda below)
Friday - Early Release at 12:20 for Report/Planning Day.
Monday, January 27 2nd qtr grades due by 7:30 am

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*For Tuesday's grade level meetings we will be doing a mid-year check on how we're working together as PLC's.  I will be putting a blank "Evolutionary Checklist for Professional Learning Teams" in your boxes. Please spend a few minutes to rate your team and bring it to the meeting to discuss.  This is the same tool that we used at the start of the year as we created our norms...now's the time to check our PLC progress.  I know we won't all have MAP data, but would like to also talk about how we will be using data with students.
*Thank you for your patience in trying to find me with MAP testing going on. I will also be working on ACCESS testing of our ELL students.  Mrs. Fobes/Mrs. Nehls will be doing most of the testing, however, I am completing the speaking and full kindergarten assessments (which are both 1:1 assessments) so I may seem to be MIA for a while.

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!
*Blog post about using iPads: Reflection and Engagement
*Increasing Math Literacy with iPads

Julie Daniel Davis ‏@chargerrific  Critical thinking often leads to ungoogleable answers. #byotchat

Friday Focus - January 10, 2014

A short and sweet post, due to a short and sweet week...

Great things I Noticed this Week:
I didn't get into many classrooms with the short week (and working on the "background" work to get MAP testing ready), but I was amazed by how on-task students were after winter break and then two unexpected snow days.  It was as if nothing was out of the ordinary for them and it was business as usual.  I know that can be attributed to your efficient routines/procedures and focus on learning.
 
Events Next Week:
Monday - Elementary Staff Meeting, agenda HERE
Technology Show Case 6:00-7:45 (Please make sure students clean the hallway by their lockers as we are planning for many guests in our building for this event!)
Tuesday - Badger Attire Day
10:00 3-5th grades NetSmartz Presentation
10:45 K-2nd grades NetZmartz Presentation
3:05 - New Teachers (and optional for all) EP Documentation Log Training
Friday - Staff Social Lunch (5th Grade/Breselow/Huelsman)

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Plans are underway for the Spring Art Show to be held on Tuesday, March 18th after school.  Just like last year we will have student art work on display for parents to be able to order items for our Spring fundraiser.  Mr. Mane would love for students to have additional work on display as options  just as they did last year, but it must meet specific criteria (Mr. Mane will email those details).  Some of you might even have some tech created items that might be great options.
*The 2nd student surveys should be given to students by the 15th...that is also the date that the "submit" button shows up in the form for you in mylearningplan.  That's why those of you over achievers (who put me to shame with my procrastination skills) have not seen the submit button yet.

Blogs, Pins & Tweets...Oh My!
*This is actually an interesting news article: Witchita Educators 'Experience' Poverty in Role-Playing Program

Monday Musings - January 6, 2014

I hope you're staying warm on this extremely freezing day!
An upcoming date I forgot on the Friday Focus is:
 Tuesday, Jan 14th Department of Justice presentation on "NetSmartz." 10:00 3-5th grades, 10:45 K-2nd grades

Monday Musings -Reading Resolutions

You all do such a great job of modeling yourselves as readers for students and sharing your "reading lives" with them. I see this as you talk about yourselves as readers in mini-lessons, share with students what you're reading, have books posted on your door, etc.  To continue sharing my "reading life" with you, here are my reading resolutions:



A new tradition for myself each New Year is to make Reading Resolutions, which I made last year in this post.  Just like any goal, I like to review my progress and make new goals. In 2013 my reading resolutions included:
  1. Use Goodreads to track my reading.  I have used it all year and love using Goodreads. I have found that I get many new book ideas added to my list, thanks to those that I follow on Goodreads that have similar book interests.
  2. Have family “Read-to-Self” time with my kids. With sports schedules, I haven't been as faithful to this as I would like. We read together everyday, but not as "read to self." I also realize that I often don't, because I don't trust that my son is reading. We just had a conversation about this and just as teachers need to extend that trust to their students that they are reading, I need to do the same at home with my own child!
 3. Read 1 professional book a month I wasn't faithful to finishing one each month, but I did read 12 total this year.
  4. Read 280 books. In this goal, 55 were to be for novels, professional books and kids' chapter books.  I hit 51, which is pretty darn close and I am almost certain that number would have been much lower if I hadn't made a goal at all (that's why goals are good to have!).  As for the rest adding up to 280 for picture books. I don't know. I wasn't faithful to adding books into Goodreads, because I would often read those books to my kids at bedtime, doze off and forget to put them in. I'm not going to put pressure/guilt on myself about recording these this year.
 I liked these goals last year and am going to basically stick with them again:
  2014 Reading Resolutions
 1. Read 55 books (not including picture books) 2. Read one professional book a month 3. Have family "Read to Self" time  

2014 Reading Challenge

Jessica has read 0 books toward her goal of 55 books.

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0 of 55 (0%)

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Friday Focus - January 3, 2014

Events Next Week:
Tuesday -staff pep band night at the basketball game
Friday- Consumable Supply Order due
   District newsletters due

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*For the month of January I'd love the Friday Celebrations announcements to be students sharing their Reading Resolutions or other New Year's Resolutions.  Please let me know if you have some that can join me for the announcements. I need some for today!! :)
*Mid-Year MAP testing is coming up.  I will have a schedule coming out to you hopefully by Monday as I coordinate with the middle/high school schedules.
*Please complete mid-year F&P Benchmarks (for students that were below level at the start of the year) by January 20th.
*Your 2nd student surveys for the Effectiveness Project should be given to students by January 15th.
*The January 13th Elementary PD Meeting agenda is not complete yet, but HERE hoping for someone to sign up to share a Tech Talk.
*If you have any students that you have concerns regarding possible retention and I'm not already aware if them, please let me know so we can start the SIT process.

Blogs, Pins & Tweets...Oh My!
*Debbie Clement ‏@KweezleQueen

4h

Virtual Field Trips! TERRIFIC Resources for all manner of Cyber trips together! #Kinderchat http://shrd.by/j3n8eg 

*From the blog "Sent from my iPad" here's a neat project packed with tech ideas: 3rd Grade Explorer Project
*A great blog post for those of you with blogging students: It Is Not Enough to be a Connected Educator Anymore
*Math chapter books

Paper tweet goals in 5th grade