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. 

December 18, 2015

Curriculum Connections...

Happy TGIF to everyone as we launch into the final week of the year before we kick off 2016! I would like to begin by wishing everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR (this is the final Fast Friday Focus of 2015) and may the new year be filled with health, happiness and only wonderful things for each of you and your loved ones - you all deserve the best because you pour your collectives hearts and souls into this space! 2015 was an awesome year for me, both professionally and personally (finishing the doctorate, doing lots of public speaking across the country and finding happiness in my personal life) and during many moments of craziness over the last year (there is never a dull moment), the one constant and certain thing in my life was #Cantiague - the kids, families and most importantly, each of you. Thank you for your support, patience and compassion over the last year. I know that I am kicking off 2016 as a better person, educator and father because of this space and the impact each of you has on me... THANK YOU for the #YearOfHappy!

Recently I have been thinking a lot about planning and how that impacts teaching and learning in our building each day. Much of my thinking has been anchored in our recent literacy check-in meetings where we have been discussing the integration of the new TC Units of Study and how these resources are impacting planning for literacy instruction and actual implementation. 

This notion of "planning" is one I have struggled with my entire career as an educator... I could never quite plan far enough ahead yet I always over planned to make sure every minute was accounted for in my classroom. I have run the spectrum of planning... planning week to week using a plan book; planning an entire unit of study in advance using a template; and planning day to day on sheets of loose leaf paper based on what I actually got accomplished on any given day with my students. The following graphic accurately captures what the "planning" experience looked like for me as a classroom teacher and even sometimes as a principal (be honest - how many of you can relate??)...  

Fortunately, with almost 20 years experience as an educator I can confidently say that although I may have yet to master the whole planning situation, I have come to understand how important it really is to plan for learning and teaching within our classrooms. Regardless of what style or approach or format an educator uses, the bottom line is that we must plan in advance to have some sort of trajectory for the learning we hope to see unfold in our classrooms. The way I see it, there are three stages of planning we could be engaging in that could have a positive impact on our students. 

The first stage of planning, and the one that I think is most effective and beneficial to maximizing the learning and teaching experience is unit planning. What do I mean by unit planning? I don't mean picking up the new TC Units of Study (reading or writing) and necessarily following them verbatim (although that may work for many educators). No, I mean thinking about a unit of study that would be most beneficial to students... YOUR students. Think about what you want your students to have accomplished at the end of the unit of study. What are the essential (big & overarching) questions they should be able to answer? What knowledge and skills should students have acquired at the end of a unit? (Could the TC Units of Study be the resource an educator uses as the anchor for a unit? Yes! But, the end goals should be established for the current group of students... TC Units of Study are a resource - they are not the curriculum). After identifying the essential questions and specific knowledge and skills, now take a few steps back and think about what evidence could be "collected" during a unit to show what children have learned. This is the time to think about how the learning during a unit of study will be assessed because starting with the assessment in mind and planning backwards from that point only increases the chances of academic success for learners. The final step in unit planning is thinking about the day to day learning experiences and the instruction that need to take place in order for the children to be able to answer the essential questions at the end of the unit.

A resource that is often used to facilitate this type of unit planning is the Understanding By Design model. The graphic below provides a great visual for the thinking that goes into this type of planning. What we know about systems thinking is that we plan ahead for our end goal - basically planning for our ideal situation - and working back from there. 

The second stage of planning considers all the logistics... scheduling, units of study across the different content areas and possibilities for interdisciplinary learning experiences. This is where the week to week planning gets refined and executed. If a teacher knows four students will be out of the classroom at reading at 9:30am twice during the week, they will plan around that to ensure that the children don't miss any new content. That stage of planning will also consider what was accomplished the week before and what the goal is for the following week. This stage of planning drills deeper than what might be considered when planning the entire unit of study. This is where an educator considers the daily learning experiences and how they might unfold in the classroom.

The final stage of planning is based on the data we collect from our students on a daily basis and this impacts the day to day instruction that unfolds in our classrooms. Yes, we may have planned a six week unit of study in writing workshop that focuses on poetry but if we notice that the majority of our students are struggling with a strategy or skill on any given day, then that should impact, and even dictate, the next day's mini-lesson. It might throw the unit of study slightly off course but ultimately, we must use data to guide and plan our instruction so that we are meeting the needs of our students and helping them work towards mastery of specific skills. The learning and teaching that unfolds in a classroom on a daily basis should not be solely based on a unit that was planned weeks in advance - it needs to be shaped and impacted by our students.

Although there is not one size fits all approach to planning, I do believe these three stages of planning will ultimately have the most positive impact on the teaching and learning that unfolds in our classrooms each day. Definitely a conversation we will continue moving forward and I hope that you will all join me in reflecting on your individual planning style and how we can collaborate to enhance our skills in this area!   


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Joe P. was working with the 5th graders in the second computer lab with the LEGO Robotics and the results were pretty awesome! First of all, the energy in the room was so positive and the buzz was indicative of the children being excited and interested in the activity at hand. After attempting to code the robots to do specific things, the children were beyond excited to try them out - it was amazing to watch! 

• Jen had her children working in small group math stations with each one being facilitated by an adult. The focus of the activities were place value and it was impressive to watch the children navigate most of the games and activities on their own. I watched two girls who had a blast playing a game to see who could get to 20 cubes (two 10 rods) first. Math stations are definitely spreading in our building... AWESOMENESS!

• I was in Ally's room during reading workshop and the children were doing an amazing job. Their ability to sustain engagement for partner reading (see saw reading to be specific) for an extended period time was really impressive. I also had the chance to interview one of her kids, Michael, about the workshop experience and you can listen to that short clip here!  

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check this list of 9 interesting tech resources: 9 Digital Tools For Your Classroom Toolbelt! It features some resources that work really nicely with Google so I thought it was worth a share. Let me know if you try anything out and how it goes!

Blogs Worth Reading...
5 Reasons To Throw Out Mandatory Lesson Plans by Ross Cooper

Inspiration: An Educator's Fuel by Elena Aguilar

Responding To The NYS Common Core Task Force Report by Tim Dawkins & Lisa Meade

Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from our second grade team who shares their tips for implementing a thorough and meaningful Genius Hour experience (as an outsider, I think it is an excellent step-by-step guide for any grade level to use for Genius Hour)...


Genius Hour Experience (Second Grade Style)

Last year, we launched our Genius Hour experience in second grade.  After the first “go around” we reflected on our experience.  We realized what we loved, but also what we wanted to make better.  This year is off to a great start!  Here is what Genius Hour looks like in our room the second time around...  

1. We started our first session by discussing our passions.  We gave each child a piece of paper with 2 dots. We asked them to draw something from those two dots that they love.  Students wrote the topic of their drawing/idea on an index card. Each student filed the index card in their Genius Hour index card box.  Some topics included beaches, nature, American Girl Dolls, hockey etc.

2. In our next session, we gave each child a piece of paper with a squiggly line and challenged them to turn that line into something they love or feel passionate about, completely different from the last session.  Students drew cars, Pandas, Hawaii, diamonds etc. Just like the last session, students wrote this new topic on a different colored index card and filed it in their Genius Hour box.

3. In the next session, we revisited their drawings and cards. We asked them to make a decision about which topic they would like to stick with for this round of Genius Hour.  They spent some time thinking and deciding. Students selected the card they chose to further research.  We collected this card.

4. In the next session, we gave back their topic index cards and asked students to brainstorm what he/she already knows about this topic, in the “K” section of KWL.  They had to really think about everything they knew and jot it down. 

5. Next session, we asked students to generate questions he/she has on their topic of choice. It was a great lesson to show students that we may still have questions on things we already love. They wrote down everything they are curious about or want to know more about! We also explained that “good” questions are not yes or no question; it needs to be something that you can find lots of information on. 

6. After that, each child needed to reflect on all their questions and pick the 5 they wanted to take through the process of researching.  We spent a lot of time focusing on the kinds of questions they should ask.

7. In our next session, students wrote down their five questions (one on each index cards) and teachers stapled their topic card on top, followed by the five index cards into a booklet. Students filed this booklet into their Genius Hour box.

8. Before the next Genius Hour, we sent a note home to each family with their child’s topic and asked parents to help us prepare students by sending in materials that their children can use for researching. We also encouraged the kids to check out books for the library on their topic. We asked for things like books, magazines, websites, articles, apps, or anything else that would help his/her child learn more on this passion topic.

9. After that, the kids were ready to start their research in class.  Students were provided with several sessions to find answers to their questions.  Some students realized that the materials they brought in were either very helpful or not helpful at all for the questions he/she have on their topic. Students were given opportunities to look for other materials in school or at home before the next Genius Hour session.  At this point, most students have completed their research and are ready for the next step! 

10. Future sessions: From there, we will give children the opportunity to pick how they would like to present their information and findings.  Last year, we had students make books, scrap books, dioramas, posters, video presentations, PowerPoints, Sock Puppet, and Show Me presentations.  This year, we have so many more ideas on ways for the students to present.  QR codes, Google Slides, new Apps, coding, and so many other cool ways to present findings.  We tell the kids…..The Sky is the Limit!

11. Finally, we will allow time for each child to share their passion project with the class.  This is such a wonderful opportunity for the students to build confidence and feel proud of all their hard work.  We can’t wait to see how it all turns out this year! Stay tuned on Twitter to see the final presentations! 

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, December 21

"A" Week
Happy Manga Monday... Please join me for the Holiday Luncheon starting at 11am in the Faculty Room... a little THANK YOU from me to you!

Tuesday, December 22

F.E.O. for all staff - articulation between grade levels about literacy instruction

Wednesday, December 23

Surprise Grade 5 Staff vs. Student Volleyball Game at 1:30pm

DRESS DOWN and be comfy!

HAPPY HOLIDAY BREAK!!!!

Monday, January 4

"B" Week
Happy New Year... May 2016 be AMAZING! Welcome Back!

Tuesday, January 5 

F.E.O. facilitated by CAs!

Wednesday, January 6

Happy Wednesday! 

Thursday, January 7

CST at 1:20pm
Cultural Arts

Friday, January 8

Happy TGIF!

Reminders... 

• F&P Testing will begin the week of Jan. 11 and will continue through the February break;
• Co-teachers should sign up for 2 full days of testing; all other teachers should sign up for 3 full days of testing;
• Jan. 12th will be a DOUBLE FEO, till about 4:30pm and it will be our first ever #EdCampFEO... think about any sessions you want to facilitate!