February 5, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy TGIF to all... and to all a Happy February! That's right my friends... it is FEBRUARY (and please note this Fast Friday Focus will cover the next two weeks). That means that we are more than halfway thru the school year and we have accomplished so many awesome things this year! We have solidified our integration of Genius Hour so that it is becoming a more consistent K - 5 experience; we have successfully integrated the new TC Units of Study for Reading and Writing Workshop to help enhance our craft and challenge our students to explore different skills as readers and authors; we have made great use of our Chromebook cart in Grades 3, 4 & 5 so that Google Apps For Education (Google Docs, Slides, etc.) is becoming the norm; we are empowering our students even more through opportunities like facilitating their own fundraisers and leading professional development for us; we have embraced the EdCamp model for our professional and personal development and the results have been incredibly positive; our Shared Decision Making Team has provided a space to have conversations about how HW could look at Cantiague considering the research and our community; we had a blast during Global Play Day and there wasn't a device in sight; we have successfully integrated the F&P Benchmark Assessment as our main reading assessment; we have embedded translations into our video updates to give access to more of our families; we have expanded our ENL program and our team has done a commendable job supporting our over 30 ELLs; and the list could go on and on but overall, it has been an awesome half year point for us and I am excited about what the rest of the year will bring our way!

This will also be the final update before the February break so I want to wish you all a wonderful and restful break! It is definitely coming at a good time and it will give us an opportunity to re-energize before we tackle the second half of the year... before we know it, we will be dealing with the end of the year MADNESS! 

In other news, please be on the lookout for an email about a voluntary lunch gathering next week somewhere in the building to pick up and explore the Spheros that have been ordered for each classroom.

Also, I want to thank everyone for making my one day of teaching Kindergarten such a success on Monday... thank you Ginny, Ally, Risa & everyone else who checked in! It was a really fun day with a brilliant and adorable bunch of kids (awesome work Mandy) and although I loved every minute of it, I missed the rest of the kids and school... there was a tiny void. So, I guess the next time someone asks me if I miss the classroom, I know what my answer will be.

Finally, please note that Friday, March 4 will be the final day to submit a new referral to the IST/CST team. If a child has not presented as an issue thus far, then they are making the necessary progress, which is a wonderful thing. On the other hand, if a child is not making appropriate progress based on different data points, then please bring them up for a discussion with our amazing team! 
  

#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Global Play Day was an awesome experience at Cantiague this year - thank you all for participating! I had so much fun visiting the classrooms and seeing the children involved in so many fun, collaborative and "old school" games (Monopoly, Sorry, etc.) and there was not a device in sight! Thank you all for making time in your busy schedules to embrace this opportunity for some unstructured play time, which is critical for the development of 21st Century Skills and the overall development of our children!  

• Visiting the gym for the awesome Kindergarten Gym & Me Event! Thank you to Rob and Phil (and our awesome 5th grade helpers) for making this event so much fun and so incredibly engaging for our students and their families! There were so many skills that were worked on throughout the different stations but the one common theme was that everyone was having a BLAST! A special thanks to our K Team for supporting this event - awesome work all around!   

• Visiting the library and watching the fourth graders engrossed in the development of their book trailers/reviews! This was the first time they were working on creating an audio review for a book of choice and they were totally immersed in the experience and were excited to share the books they had selected and why they had made those selections. Thank you Michelle for giving our children a way to have a voice in the library experience... figuratively and literally!  

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this link for 10 of the Best Google Docs Add Ons For Teachers! 

Blogs Worth Reading...
Mindful Facilitation: Don't Do Something, Just Stand There by Laura Thomas

Peer Editing by Dana Johansen 

3 Reasons Students Should Own Your Twitter Account by Kayla Delzer


Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Alayne who shares an important reflection on how to work with some of our more involved learners... 


Meet Juan* (not an actual student). Juan is an English Language Learner (ELL) who just arrived in our school from Mexico. Juan has had limited exposure to the English language since he is only 5 years of age and in Kindergarten. The mainstream teacher begins to fret and wonder, “How am I going to be able to teach Juan?” This is a common feeling amongst educators. Our role in teaching ENL at Cantiague is to create a supportive classroom for students like Juan. One in which he or any other student feels comfortable to take a “risk.” The classroom should be a place for student's cultures and traditions to be accepted and celebrated. The students that we work with are always excited to share information perhaps about where they or their families are from and what makes them unique. Not only does this support ELLs in the classroom, but it also teaches their peers about new cultures and diversity.

In teaching, we have found that the most effective way to reach our students and encourage their sense of inquiry and curiosity is to form a trusting and supportive relationship with them. This goal begins with the classroom environment created their first day of school. Allowing students to share their experiences and showing them that making mistakes is not only acceptable, but it is the way we learn, encourages them to engage in critical thinking and develops within each student an eagerness to learn, which in turn will facilitate language mastery. 

As in anything in life there are always struggles and times of frustration in teaching ELLs. Often times we begin to think, “Does Juan understand me?” We may even raise our voices to elicit a response when in reality student’s like Juan have nothing wrong with their hearing. As ENL instructors, we are even challenged to solve the “pieces of the puzzle” as to Juan’s educational background and life experiences. Many times parents are unable to communicate the child’s prior experiences, or are not upfront and do not share everything about their child’s previous educational experiences from their native country. An ELLs parents view and expectations about ENL may also be skewed in what they are expecting from their child learning a second language. Often times as an ENL teacher, we become curious and begin to question whether students like Juan are still going thru a “Silent Period” after so many months of being in an English speaking school or is there something else going on separate of the ENL component?

All of these challenges have crossed our minds at one time or another here at Cantiague. A student like Juan is not atypical and as teachers we know there is not a “one size fits all” lesson. Some students have more motivation than others while some get acclimated or comfortable in a shorter time. If we continue to modify assignments and utilize things such as technology and visuals in the classroom ultimately it will help ELLs achieve success. 

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, February 8
"A" Week
Mindful Monday as part of PTA Health Awareness Week - dress comfortably so we can do some stretching and mindful breathing!

Tuesday, February 9 

FEO Cancelled
Team Up Tuesday as part of PTA Health Awareness Week - wear your favorite team gear!

Wednesday, February 10

Workout Wednesday as part of PTA Health Awareness Week - wear your favorite workout gear for some school-wide exercise!

Thursday, February 11

CST @ 1:20pm
Cultural Arts!
Red Day as part of PTA Health Awareness Week - wear red for healthy heart awareness!

Friday, February 12

Happy TGIF & Happy February Break!
Jump-A-Thon Friday as part of PTA Health Awareness Week - dress comfortably and get ready to JUMP! Art and Music will be replaced with gym for the day and Lois and Clare will push in to the Gym to support the Jump-A-Thon! 

Check out the schedule here... 

8:40 - Gr. 4
9:25- Gr. 2
10:10- Gr. 5 
10:55- Gr. 3
1:20- Kindergarten 
2:00- Gr. 1

Monday, February 22
"B" Week
Welcome Back!

Tuesday, February 23 

FEO for teachers only - district-wide grade level/team meetings!
DNA In-House Visit for Grade 5

Wednesday, February 24

Gr. 1 Literacy Check-In Meeting at 11:05am

Thursday, February 25

CST @ 1:20pm
FINAL Cultural Arts!
Board of Education Meeting - 7:15pm MS Library

Friday, February 26
Happy TGIF!

Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• Our next whole staff FEO will be in March!
• Don't forget that PTA Health Awareness Week is next week... dress comfy each day!
• All F&P testing should be complete next week!
• Our mobile MakerSpace is almost up and running... info to come soon!
• Gr. 5 teachers... check your calendars because the CSE Meetings for MS begin this month!

January 29, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday to everyone as we head into the final weekend of January... I cannot believe it is going to be Groundhog Day on Tuesday as we kick off February! So exciting to know that we are speeding towards the 100th Day of school - what an amazing year of learning it has been from the integration of the Maker Space movement to our experiences with different tech resources such as AudioBoom, Google Apps, etc. to the continued development of reading and writing workshops... it has been an AWESOME year and I am reminded on a daily basis about how lucky I am to be a lead learner here at Cantiague!

I want to take a moment to thank everyone for welcoming our guests from Port Washington and Lynbrook on Thursday. We visited many classrooms and they were able to talk to many teachers and students about the Genius Hour experience and needless to say, they were blown away. The one comment both principals made (separately) was how incredible the culture of the building was and that the positive tone at Cantiague permeated every space and interaction. They couldn't get over the healthy relationships that existed between adults and children. I know we have talked a lot about culture but it is incredibly reassuring to know that even our visitors can quickly get a feel for what it means to be part of the Cantiague community - thank you!

On another note, just a reminder that we should definitely be implementing our Digital Citizenship curriculum (scroll down to the reminders for the link) so we can educate our children about make sound digital choices. A friend recently pointed out that our digital footprint has become the new resume and thus we have to be conscious of everything we do and post online - starting from a young age. Bottom line is, education is power so let's empower our children with the education they need to be positive digital citizens!

Finally, please take a few minutes between now and Tuesday to go to the app store and download a couple of the apps associated with the Sphero ball robots (click here for some app recommendations) because we will be playing with them at the FEO this coming Tuesday. There will be Spheros for EVERY classroom, which will be a great launch to our soon to be released Mobile Maker Space. Feel free to start Googling how different schools are using Spheros (here is one informative link) to enhance the educational experience. This week's FEO will be an awesome one between Michelle's presentation on databases and the Spheros - let's get ready for some fun!  


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Enjoyed visiting so many different classrooms to see how Genius Hour has unfolded in Cantiague over the last two years - it was truly AWESOME! We spent time with Jessica, Rande, Melanie, Adam, Carly, Nancy, Donna, Christine, Allison, Marissa & Ally where we saw Genius Hour manifest in so many different ways but with one common thread... the kids were excited and engaged the entire time! I am so impressed by all of your (including everyone not listed above) efforts to integrate this child centered experience because I think it is important and powerful for all learners - BRAVO!   

• Kudos to Dale, Clare and Aimee on the 5th Grade Winter Concert - it was truly awesome! The kids performed beautifully and had a great time - it was fun and moving at the same time! Thank you to #Cantiague Team Music for helping inspire, nurture and motivate the musician in each of our kids!

• While visiting the Library with Michelle I had a chance to check out some of the audio book trailers/reviews created by our children in the upper grades and I was really impressed with their products! They successfully used Audioboom to create a 30 second book trailer that was then turned into a QR that anyone could access. Definitely take a few minutes to bring your kids down with some devices that have QR readers so they can check out the book trailers - they are worth your time!

Tech Tip of the Week...
Now that Google Classroom and the Chromebooks have really taken off, I thought everyone might love this Database of Chrome Apps and Extensions - there is SO MUCH we can do with Google for free - check them out!

Blogs Worth Reading...
Seeing Families as "Co-Creators" of our Schools by Larry Ferlazzo

The Most Underrated Trait of a Great Leader by John Spencer

Inquiry Based Learning (5 min. video) by Ralston Elementary School

Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Julie, Alayne & Caitlin - our amazing ENL Team! It is part of a series 

ENL: A Close Look

Teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) can be frustrating for teachers at times. We know how it feels to be bombarded with meeting the daily classroom demands.  At Cantiague, we have seen a big change in our student population.  Since September, 8 new students have entered into our ENL program.  Often times as educators we expect our ELLs to understand and perform given tasks at hand and they are unable to do so. We must think about how we would feel if we were to go to school in another country and not know the language.  As teachers, we try to respond to the needs of these students and here are expectations for ELLs depending on their proficiency level and below are a few reminders/tips for teaching ENL students.  Although, not one approach is guaranteed we hope you will at the very least find them helpful.  We are always available and happy to help aide student success. 

English Proficiency Level Expectations

Entering

Students should be able to…

• listen

• draw

• move

• choose

• point

• mime

• act out

Emerging

Students should be able to…

• name

• group

• categorize

• compare

• label

• respond

Transitioning

Students should be able to…

• recall

• define

• explain

• restate

• summarize

• describe

Expanding

Students should be able to…

• analyze

• create

• defend

• debate

• predict

Commanding

Student is reaching English language mastery

ENL Student Checklist

1. Motivate students by providing background knowledge
2. Speak a little more slowly (not louder); Avoid idioms
3. Demonstrate
4. Visuals, graphic organizers and pictures to make connections
5. Use simplified language 
6. 5-8 most important vocabulary words from the lesson (word bank)
7. Shorten length of writing assignments
8. Electronic dictionaries to translate (we have)
9. Outline lessons  (key concepts)
10. Accommodations – pairing, small peer groups 
11. Incorporate technology

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, February 1
"B" Week
All teacher plan books due to Tony by Thursday!

Tuesday, February 2 

FEO - All Staff - Library @ 3PM

Wednesday, February 3

Kindergarten Gym& Me (Brotman & Grossman at 8:45am; Thomas at 9:30am)
PD with JoEllen - Gr. 4 & 5 in the 2nd Comp. Lab

Thursday, February 4

Incoming Kindergarten Registration
PD with JoEllen - Gr. 2 & 3 in the 2nd Comp. Lab
CST @ 1:20pm
Cultural Arts!

Friday, February 5

Incoming Kindergarten Registration
PD with JoEllen - Gr. K & 1 in the 2nd Comp. Lab
Gr. 3 is on a trip today - be safe & responsible
Happy TGIF!

Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• Our next whole staff FEO will be Tues. Feb. 23rd - district-wide grade level team meetings! 
• Don't forget that PTA Health Awareness Week is coming up next week... mark your calendars because there will be a Spirit Day each day!
• We should be wrapping up F&P testing - please get those data points to Lisa and Maureen so we can figure out what kids might need reading support!
• Our mobile MakerSpace is almost up and running... info to come soon!

January 22, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday to everyone and here is to as little snow as possible... who wants a SNOW DAY on Saturday anyway?? LOL! I guess in the end at least we know the children (our own and our Cantiague kids) will be able to enjoy it in a carefree and relaxed way. Not sure what the snow fall totals are slated to reach but I am prepared for a weekend of binge show watching and some NFL Playoffs - totally rooting for the Panthers and Broncos!

I want to thank you all for your reflections, comments and passing conversations about the topic of homework, which has been a recurring theme here in the Fast Friday Focus. Allison's reflection forced me to pause (I was shaking my head in agreement throughout that reflection) and Tali's reflection gave me hope that not all homework has to be a bad thing. Those positive possibilities related to homework continue this week with a reflection from our amazing kindergarten team who share the nightly activities that encourage children to extend their learning in fun and meaningful ways. Their reflection has challenged me to think about this whole notion of "rebranding homework" so that it develops a positive reputation because of its meaningfulness and importance to children... I am working on a personal blog post on the very subject to come soon!

As it relates to homework and our practices here at Cantiague, please come prepared for a discussion at our February 2nd FEO. Several of us will share a proposal from the Shared Decision Making Team about a change in homework "policy" here at Cantiague, which I think is a great opportunity for us. Although my goal is not to micromanage the homework experience at our school, I do think consistency in practice (amount, quality and frequency) is critical to our long term success as a space that places learning at the center of everything we do. So, please come prepared to share your practices and beliefs as they relate to homework but also take a moment to review the research about homework too (shared in last week's Fast Friday Focus, which you can scroll down to find) because our decisions must be informed and rooted in research to ensure that we are doing what is in the best interest of children. We can no longer give homework just because that is the way it has always been done - we are better than that and our children deserve better. 

Ok... I am temporarily coming down off my homework soapbox and look forward to our conversation, planning session and collaboration on February 2nd where we will leave the room with a standard practice as it relates to homework. Looking long term, beyond the upcoming discussion about homework, we will be revisiting the conversation about implementing unit plans (using the UbD model) later this year as we being to plan for the 2016-2017 school year. I have really enjoyed the literacy check in conversations where we have closely analyzed units of study in reading and writing and I think we must employ that unit planning approach in mathematics, science and social studies... I am really excited about our next steps as a staff! 


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Enjoyed visiting Rande's room while the children were using the Chromebooks during their writing workshop block. The children were researching various self-selected topics to learn as much as possible to eventually present in written form (and possibly other forms). The children were so engaged and they were accessing everything from websites to YouTube videos to learn about their topics of interest. It was awesome to watch because every child was working and every children was successfully gathering notes for their pieces - AWESOMENESS! 

• In Melanie's classroom, the children were engaged in their nonfiction writing unit during writing workshop and it was really interesting to watch. The children were writing about topics that they were "experts" about including everything from hockey to chess to baking. Their goal was to develop a book about their self-selected topic and create a nonfiction informational text on the subject comprised of multiple chapters. Although this was incredibly challenging and the children needed support, it was impressive to see what some of the authors had produced - it is definitely a challenging unit of study!

• While visiting Mandy's room, the children were finishing a project connected to Martin Luther King Jr. and the kids were writing about ways that they were going to be more like MLK Jr. Although this was a sophisticated and challenging idea, the children were highly engaged and were generating some appropriate and incredibly positive ideas - it was awesome to watch!

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this article about how to share links with your students (really great resources and tips): 10 Ways For Teachers To Share Links in Class! 

Blogs Worth Reading...
10 Classroom Management Strategies That Really Work by Allie Magnunson 

Give Me A Break by Lindsey Peltak 

Teaching Good Study Habits: Minute by Minute by Heather Lambert

Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Ally, Mandy & Risa, who share a totally different take on HW and the possibilities it can offer if framed in a certain way where children have choice and don't feel like they are doing "HW" every night. A MUST read!

Reframing Homework

As the saying goes “all I really needed to know I learned in Kindergarten,” however, the times they are a changing.  A day in the life of a Kindergartener has evolved both in the classroom and at home.  The kindergarten experience does not only include life skills (sharing, working with others, learning how to be a student) but now also includes the basic reading, writing and math skills to jumpstart a lifelong love of learning.  With this in mind we have reframed what homework looks like in Kindergarten. Though the skills in Kindergarten are basic, the way homework is presented can be transformed and applied to any skill level.

Homework should involve choice.  The students are given opportunities to own their learning experiences at home. The value is placed on the process, and not the product. Twice a week our children bring home a just right book of their choice to read with their families.  It does not involve writing, recording, a log or even a signature.  They are reading simply to build a love of reading.  The children are excited and empowered to show off their new skills with each book they bring home, and feel little pressure to do anything besides read.  Reading at home is something many of them have grown to look forward to and we wouldn’t want it any other way!

On another night the children practice their sight words using a “word study menu”.  We have provided them with different activities to choose from that tap in to different modalities and interests.  These are as simple as writing their words in the steam in the shower, tracing words on a family member’s back, cheering the words like a cheer leader or building the words out of legos or different materials.   The children look forward to these activities and we are seeing a new level excitement surrounding learning their sight words.  What they see as a fun project, game, or activity is helping to build their foundational skills.
While there are other nights that include math homework, writing tasks, or other activities based on what we are learning in school, these tasks are kept short and simple. 

After spending the entire school day learning, working and listening, they have little capacity to do much more, so we’ve found anything beyond that lacks value and purpose! 

When homework is developmentally appropriate it relieves pressure and instead reframes it into a stress free, flexible, and most importantly positive learning experience.  We’ve learned that when it comes to homework less is more in every way… less stress, less time and less pressure is more excitement, more smiles, and a more authentic learning experience.

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, January 25
"A" Week
Gr. 2 Literacy Check-In at 2:15pm

Tuesday, January 26 

Incoming Kindergarten Registration
PTA Meeting at 8:45am in the Library
FEO - District-wide grade level teacher meetings

Wednesday, January 27

Incoming Kindergarten Registration
Gr. 5 Winter Concert @10:30am for rehearsal (Gr. 3 & 4 invited); 7pm for families

Thursday, January 28

Incoming Kindergarten Registration
Visitors in the building to learn about Genius Hour
CST @ 1:20pm
Cultural Arts!

Friday, January 22

Incoming Kindergarten Registration
Happy TGIF!

Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• Our next whole staff FEO will be Tues. Feb. 2nd in our library where we will be discussing HW!
• Don't forget that PTA Health Awareness Week is coming up before the February break... mark your calendars!

January 15, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy TGIF to each of you - I hope we all have an amazing 3 day weekend! I know I am looking forward to the extra day off to hang out with Paul and Felix (and maybe do some more TV binge watching - I have to finish the 3rd season of House of Cards). I want to thank you all for making our first ever EdCamp style FEO an overall success. Although a couple of sessions hit some glitches (looking for someone to lead the conversation), overall, the approach seemed to work well and there were a lot of great conversations and exchange of ideas. I think the EdCamp model is an important way to flip professional development opportunities so that we have more choice and voice in our learning... which is also something we try hard to achieve with the children. Thank you again!

Homework... what can I say? I have been thinking long and hard about this topic over the last couple of months and the truth is, I am not a fan. The main reason my opinion of homework has shifted so dramatically over the last few years is because of my experiences as a parent. Here is the deal- helping Paul with his homework is not always necessarily that much fun... actually, it is rarely fun. It is frustrating, slow, time consuming and rarely does it lead him to a deeper understanding or appreciation for something he learned about in school. In fact, for him, homework is just something he has to get done because his teachers tell him to and he never wants to disappoint his teachers. So, if our kids don't want to do the homework and their only motivation is to be compliant and please someone else, does the homework actually have any sustainability or value? From my lens, the answer is no. Maybe I'm missing the mark... maybe there is some value to homework but I have yet to see it. 

Don't get me wrong, my opinion about homework has evolved over time but the greatest shift came in the last four years. When I was a classroom teacher I gave homework every single night because I thought that was the sign of a "good" teacher. I gave math worksheets, reading with some sort of log or reflection and some type of word work every single night. I gave homework because that is all I knew as a student. I did try and give less homework because I remember homework being such a struggle for me. My parents are immigrants and although they were able to speak English, they weren't able to help me with my homework. I remember having dozens of math problems each night and reading from textbooks and answering questions and having book reports and projects, with little adult support. I remember homework being something I dreaded and often got me into trouble at school because I invariably made mistakes or didn't complete the assignments. Trust me, that wasn't fun or easy. Even though my experiences with homework weren't necessarily positive, I still couldn't do away with it as a teacher. Homework had always been given and I was convinced that the parents of my students were going to judge me by how much homework I gave and the quality of the assignments. 

I guess one could say that I was somewhat indifferent to homework. I didn't love it but felt it was a norm within schools and thus it should be given each night. That thinking stayed with me even into my first few years as a principal. Then Paul got to 3rd grade and all of that changed. Homework suddenly became the bane of my existence... in fact, I think I dreaded homework just as much as Paul did at that point (actually, I might have dreaded it more). Homework became the "black hole" of our time together - it sucked out the fun and took away time from the things we actually wanted to do together (build Lego sets, read books for fun and play video games). Homework became a source of tension and stress in our home... and it was something both of us were feeling and taking out on each other. Homework was more of a battle than it was an extension of the learning in school.

That is when I realized something had to change and I started doing some research about the impact of homework on the academic experience of students. And guess what? I couldn't find any research that showed a direct correlation between the practice of giving homework and academic success within school. I read a lot of Alfie Kohn's work, who did extensive research about homework and actually found that homework could have a negative impact on children and their families (click here to see a summary of his research findings). It wasn't the only research I came across - in fact there were dozens of studies that show homework has no positive impact in elementary school and even middle school. Yet, homework is the norm... not the exception and I don't understand why if there is no research to support the practice. 

Research shows us that people learn through social interactions and thus we encourage collaborative inquiry in our classrooms - we are not forcing students to work in silent isolation. Research shows that positive reinforcement is a way to get students to model desired behaviors instead of acting out and thus we implement behavior plans and reward positive behaviors - we are not just relying on consequences and punishments to change behaviors. Research shows us that children learn better in smaller chunks of time because of their short attention span and thus we keep our direct instruction to 20 minutes or less - we are not lecturing for hours on end in the hopes that children will learn. I would argue that we don't use research enough in schools to guide our practice but we do use it in many instances and yet when it comes to homework, we do the opposite? Why? What are the benefits of homework? How is homework impacting our students in a positive way? How is homework supporting or extending the learning from within the classroom? If we don't have the answers to questions like these then the time has come for us to revisit homework; to reconsider homework; to potentially re-brand homework!

I don't know that we are ready to completely throw out homework but I do think the time has come for us to reconsider what it looks like for our students by considering the research. I look forward to continuing this conversation and hearing input from everyone so that we can make an informed decision together that is in the best interest of students... which is the norm at Cantiague!


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Huge shout out must go to Tali's students who facilitated the AudioBoom session at our EdCamp FEO on Tuesday - their work was nothing short of amazing. Their presentation at the start was short but informative and then their ability to facilitate and lead small learning groups of teachers was impressive - BRAVO! I would never have been able to do that as a 4th grader. Thank you Tali for preparing them for success! 

• In Adam's room I had a chance to watch the children revise their letters about reading. This is a new unit of study in writer's workshop that second grade is trying where the children are reflecting on specific aspects of a text in letter form. The children were so excited to share their letters with me and I was so impressed by the content and product - WOW!

• Risa's students were hard at work revising their writing pieces during writer's workshop. The children had generated different lists as part of their list and labels unit and after selecting their favorite one, they were revising it in preparation for publication. It was so impressive to watch how thoughtful they were being about their work and revisions - AWESOME!  

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this article about how to use Periscope (free app that links to Twitter) in the classroom... Periscope: Connecting Classrooms to the World

Blogs Worth Reading...
10 Surefire Ideas To Remove Writing Roadblocks by Regie Routman

Let's Debate HW by Kristi Mraz 

4 Stories That HW Tells Children about School, Learning & Life by Shawna Coppola

Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Allison, who shares her perspectives on HW and why she doesn't feel compelled to give a lot to her students. A MUST read!

I spend countless hours each week sitting on the sidelines of Tyler’s basketball games with other parents of elementary and middle school aged children. The one “hot topic” that consistently comes up is…HOMEWORK. Inevitably, someone is complaining about the fact that their child is spending too many precious hours completing meaningless and ridiculous homework. First graders expected to read 20 minutes a night and struggling to fill in reading logs, Third graders writing monotonous spelling sentences each week, second graders writing responses to literature on a daily basis, and 7th graders doing pages and pages from the math text book every night. Knowing that I teach in the #1 school in New York  (yup, that's right), they always turn to me and say, “Allison, what do you think about all of this homework? In Jericho, your kids must be spending HOURS on their work at home.” 

Everyone is shocked to hear my response when I explain that my principal has shared several research based articles which show that homework in elementary school has no impact on academic success. I share that my fifth grade colleagues and I have made a conscious decision to do away with reading logs, and really limit the amount of homework we give each night. My friends are shocked to hear that we have done away with our vocabulary workbook and instead we have looked for authentic ways to have our kids engage in meaningful word study work. Friends are surprised to learn that on most nights our kids are given a maximum of five math problems to practice at home, and that our students are never told what to read or write about at home - we try and give our kids freedom and flexibility. 

Instead of excessive amounts of homework, we encourage our kids to explore their interests and passions in their free time. We want them to read for pleasure and write for real reasons. We expect them to play outside and enjoy time with their families whenever possible. We respect the fact that our kids have very busy extracurricular lives - whether they go to an after school religious school or a sport, they are growing in other ways and pursuing other interests. We recognize that during the school day we challenge our children and expect a lot of our ten-year old "babies" - they are still children. Everybody deserves a little “down time”. 

Does everyone agree with our practices? Not necessarily. Do we get questions? Yes. In fact, the parents in our class used to question whether or not our students would be prepared for middle school, given our homework philosophy (or lack thereof). Our answer is that our kids are prepared for middle school because we foster a positive attitude towards learning, make connections with our kids (and their families), build self - esteem, address social emotional skills, and create a learning environment that fosters independence and empowers our kids. In my opinion, these skills are way more important than any book report, spelling assignment, or workbook page that so many teachers and kids are wasting precious time on each and every night. 

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, January 18
"A" Week
SCHOOL CLOSED for MLK Jr. 

Tuesday, January 19 

Gr. 1 Literacy Check-In Meeting at 10:15am
Gr. 5 Literacy Check-In Meeting at 11am
FEO Cancelled

Wednesday, January 20

Gr. 3 Literacy Check-In Meeting at 2:15pm

Thursday, January 21

CST @ 1:20pm
Ice Cream Sale - Indoor lunch schedule
Cultural Arts!

Friday, January 22

Happy TGIF!
Kindergarten Literacy Check-In Meeting at 1:30pm

Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• There FEO on Tuesday, Jan. 26 are district-wide grade level meetings!
• Don't forget incoming kindergarten registration is happening during the week of Jan. 25th 

January 8, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday to all... the first Friday 0f 2016... such an awesome and powerful thing! It means a blank calendar. It means a fresh start. It means a new year. I equate it to an amazing opportunity! It’s the perfect time to evaluate where we’ve been, where we’re now, and where we’re going tomorrow and beyond. It’s a time for us to bring back that September enthusiasm, relentless joy, and excitement for what we get to do as members of the #Cantiague community... the best school on the planet!

This month, I encourage you to look at what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what your heart truly desires in this moment. Maybe you’ve been skimping on self-care and establishing a new routine that encourages you to think of you is what you need (Felix, Paul & I have started walking together). Maybe you’ve been so wrapped up in work that you've forgotten how important what you do really is to everyone around you. Call a friend you haven’t checked in with for a while. Write a note to a family member to remind them how much you care. Evaluate what you’ve accomplished this year so far, and how you want to feel by the time the clock strikes the end of this school year in June.

Make it a goal to learn a little something new every single day. Maybe something you will use or maybe something you don't agree with or maybe something that aligns perfectly to your current practice... whatever the approach, resource or case, try and learn something new every single day that may or may not impact your practice. You know I have been preaching about the power of Twitter for years (almost 4 years now) and I applaud so many of us for getting connected to share the amazing stories of our learning spaces (every learning space has a Twitter presence and that is AWESOME) but maybe the time has come to digger a little deeper into the Twitterverse and start using it as a tool for your personal and professional development. Use it to connect with like minded educators; use it to read the blogs as a way to push yourself out of your comfort zone; use it as a way to find resources and materials that could enhance your craft; or who knows... maybe start tweeting about your own ideas, needs, passions and beliefs!

As we know, there will be challenges in the coming months, of course, and the stress of this semester will bring all kinds of highs and lows. But if we shift our perspective to refocus our minds (thank you MaryAnn and Milissa for reminding us about the importance of being mindful), refresh our hearts, and renew our commitments, there’s no telling what kind of miracles the rest of this year has in store. I hope you will join me in establishing (and maintaining) the following focal points for the rest of the year... purpose & positivity.


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• While in Rande's room I listened to an amazing conversation about research and how to present information in writing based on research conducted. The children were discussing (and understanding) ideas like a thesis statement and the difference between a site and cite! Kudos to the entire 5th grade team for tackling the whole idea of research while still letting kids research things they are passionate about - AWESOMENESS! 

• In Jessica's room the kids were working in small collaborative groups to create Educreations to show their understandings of Simple Machines and the end results were pretty impressive. All of the children were actively engaged in this alternative form of assessment - an activity that was fun and informative!

• Jen's kids were working hard in the computer lab checking out the comments their parents left them on the letters they shared via Google Docs - it was so awesome to watch! Not only were they learning how to write letters but they also learned how to use Google Docs to receive and respond to comments - talk about writing for an audience and purpose - WOW!  

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this interesting article about what we can learn from Minecraft... What Minecraft Can Teach You About Pedagogy. 

Blogs Worth Reading...
Be A Change Agent by George Couros

I Still Read To My 10 Year Old Son by Starr Sackstein 

20 Ways To Ditch Those Worksheets by Matt Miller

Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Tali, who shares something new she is trying in her classroom this year called Try It Tuesday, which replaces the traditional HW assignment on Tuesday nights (make sure you check out the video featuring the kids at the end). I think it is an awesome idea and a conversation we must have as a staff... look for more reflections on HW next week!

Through the years, I’ve noticed that for students to become lifelong learners, they need more opportunities to think about their thinking and more opportunities to teach, rather than just to listen or engage in a teacher-directed activity. As you know, it can often be a challenge to keep kids interested and engaged when doing nightly homework. So how do we keep them focused, excited and inspired? This year I tried something new called Try it Tuesdays!  Every Tuesday night instead of traditional homework, the children have to try something new. It’s kind of like Genius Hour at home with no limits! I have found that the kids are motivated and engaged to experiment, imagine, plan, create and improve their “designs,” whatever that may look like to them. I started this Try It Tuesday ritual and have found that it encourages appreciation and happiness in my classroom!

I wanted to know how my kids felt about Try it Tuesdays, so I asked them!  One of my techy kids videotaped our chat.  

Click below to find out what the kids think!

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, January 11
"B" Week
Gr. 4 Literacy Check In @11am

Tuesday, January 12 

Gr. 5 Author Visit - Library Closed
#EdCampFEO at 3pm for all staff - double meeting

Wednesday, January 13

Gr. 3 Earth Balloon - 1/2 Gym Closed
Shared Decision Making Team Meeting - 3pm

Thursday, January 14

CST @ 1:20pm
PTA Executive Board at 9am
Cultural Arts!

Friday, January 15

Happy TGIF!

Reminders... 

• Don't stop CODING... the kids love it so let's maintain it as a presence in our school!
• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• There is NO FEO on Tuesday, Jan. 19!
• Don't forget... F&P testing starts next week.