Friday, February 8, 2008
Etech Conference
Many of the ideas currently in use at Laurelville Elementary came from this School Net Conference. The use of the online learning program, Study Island came from a discussion with the vendor at a conference four years ago.
Posting grades online for students and parents was discussed in several sessions three years ago. After visiting with several vendors, I decided to use Engrade.
The use of LCD and DLP projectors with doc cameras in writing workshop, has made sharing student work easy. All of the fifth and sixth grade classes at Laurelville use this technology daily. This idea came from a session I attended several years ago presented by a language arts teacher.
Each year there are sessions on digital media in the classroom. This has helped with sharing pictures of students hard at work.
Last year I attended sessions on blogging. Needless to say, this attempt at keeping parents and students informed came from those sessions.
I attended a session Wednesday about using Audacity. This is sound recording/editing software. I use it to edit songs that we sing in the class. It is also a useful tool for recording podcasts. A podcast is an audio broadcast that has been converted to an MP3 file or other audio file format for playback in a digital music player or computer.
A couple of ideas that I hope to use in the future are clickers and digital books. Clickers are infrared remotes. Each students gets one and they answer questions projected on the white board. At einstruction, they have a clicker that works with Study Island. The clickers anonymously keep track of each student's answer. This way each student is thinking about the question, instead of just a few students.
As you can see, many of the uses of technology in language arts at Laurelville Elementary originated from the Etech Conference. Each year I am excited to see the new ideas and find great uses in the classroom.
Friday, January 25, 2008
What Doesn't Matter
Student partners went through the article and looked for trivial details, unnecessary adverbs and adjectives, and minor facts, opinions, and quotes that didn't help understand the article.
Once the highlighting was completed, student partners were combined to make teams of four. The four students compared each team's work and discussed their decisions.
Scotty D. took over as the teacher next, and students looked at the article with the projector. With Brianne managing the computer, the class as a whole had to agree on what wasn't important. Today, students will use what text that is left as they search for the W's and write a gist statement.
This is how the article looked when they finished. If you look at what is not highlighted, you should be able to see the important details, and get the gist.
Tuesday, October 11—Stanley usually seems to know where he's going. He moves quickly over rocky ground and across puddles. He works hard and he's almost always on the move. Stanley is a robot car.
Last week, 23 teams—including the Stanford University team that built Stanley—gathered in the Mojave Desert in Nevada to compete in a special race known as the Grand Challenge. The race was special because none of the cars had drivers.
Stanley completed the dangerous 150-mile course through the desert in six hours and 53 minutes, earning the Stanford team a $2 million prize from the Department of Defense. Of the 23 teams that competed, only five actually finished. The others were stumped by mechanical or technological problems.
Sebastian Thrun, the lead robotics engineer for the Stanford team, realizes that driver-free, robot cars like Stanley still seem like something from a science-fiction film. "People by and large don't believe in this stuff," he said. "They've seen too many failures." This year's Grand Challenge was much more successful than last year's, when no vehicle was able to travel more than eight miles.
Friday, January 18, 2008
What Makes Reading Important?
They must answer the following questions:
Why do you believe reading is important?
How do you think reading skills will help you throughout your life?
In addition, they must interview either a parent or grandparent and ask them these questions to find out their opinions about reading.
It will be interesting to hear opinions. I wonder if there will be much difference between students and their parents/grandparents?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Key Words to Reading
Not to be outdone by 6A, the 6B class came up with the list above and beyond all lists. Partners worked through their Scholastic News for key words that helped the reader know when an important point is about to come. Listed below are words that the discerning reader will use as keys to getting it.
Why- makes you think about a “W” detail; reason
but- opposite; something else is happening
and- tells that there is going to be another example
I think- tells you somebody's opinion; gives an example [I wonder, I thought, I know, I pictured]
because- gives you a reason for something
or- tells something different
said- tells somebody's opinion
who- makes you think about a “W” detail; person
however- something else is happening
about- gives more information
also- tells something is coming
what- makes you think about a “W” detail
show(s)- tells you more detail
when- makes you think about a “W” details; time
If..., then- shows a relationship
Each/ for example- - elaborates or tells more information
where- makes you think about a “W” detail; place
results in- causes, effect, finished product
point is- main idea, gist
difference- something else
GREAT JOB to both classes for their hard work and outstanding effort!
A special shout out to Haley and Baylie for their outstanding finds (they even outdid the combination of Mrs. Bowers and me).
Discussion for tomorrow--check your grammar and spelling before commenting (See yesterday's Blog comments).
Monday, January 14, 2008
Get a Clue Without Words
Nothing replaces reading to get the meaning, but there are a lot of other clues if you know where to search. Using Scholastic News, we focused on some of the ways a reader can figure out the gist of an article.
Here are our NOTES for today.
Clues to Get the Gist
Use everything other than words to get the gist. Look at the title, sub-titles, headings, fonts, pictures, captions, etc.
The 6A Language Arts class worked first as partners, and then as a class and compiled this list of non-word ways to understand as article.
Title—gives an idea of the article’s topic
Font—different font like bold print means word or idea is important
Pictures—visualize the information
Captions—help understand the picture
Colored sections—important information/ makes you want to read them
Subtitles—provide details to go with the title
Headings—tells what the section is about
Timeline—gives dates events happened
Inserts—extra information that is not necessarily part of the story
Graphs—shows data/statistics
Questions—makes you think about main points
List compiled by 6A
Friday, January 11, 2008
Learning to Read, con'd
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Reading or You're Not a Little Kid Anymore
Although comprehension strategies are taught in the primary grades, the techniques should change as students enter the intermediate grades. That is our objective currently in language arts class.
Our notes from yesterday illustrate our focus:
01/07/08 NOTES Reading Nonfiction 1
1.Skim
2.Read & Highlight
3.List W’s
4.List facts
5.Write a topic sentence/Gist Statement
Basically we are breaking down nonfiction articles trying to glean the most important facts and information. One particularly difficult sentence from an article in Science News Online took almost one half hour just to figure out. The sentence is written with a complex style, and uses vocabulary that was unfamiliar to many sixth grade readers. These three copies of the sentence show the process we went through to break it down and make it easier to read.
"The team has withheld from its article critical code-breaking details that could abet would-be hackers."
The team has withheld from its article critical code-breaking details that could help would-be hackers.
The team withheld details that could help hackers.
Our goal is to break down the meaning to the simplest terms, to make reading and understanding easy. This takes an immense amount of hard work and brain power. Students have been giving a great amount of effort as they are learning new reading skills.
Topics of discussion include:
Learning to Read
You Don't Have to Get it All
What Did the Writer Feel/Think as he Wrote
Reading Rate
How the W's Guide Thoughts
Predict and Revise
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Clerihew Poems
Mrs. Cartee and Mr.T
I once had teacher named Cartee
I thought she was married to Mr.T
so I thought twice before breaking a rule
Because I figured he would call me a fool
Dakota B.
Kooky Teacher Named Mrs. Bower
There once was a kooky teacher named Mrs. Bowers,
To write a simple poem like this would take her quite a few hours,
Till one day she found hidden powers,
Then she could write stacks of paper taller than towers.
Kyle W.
The Dizzy Lizzy
There once was a girl named Lizzy,
she ran around in circles until she was dizzy.
Then one day she fell down hard on the ground,
and that is how she came across her favorite mound.
Brianne H.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Poetry, Clerihew Poems
Writing Workshop will focus on poetry for the next two weeks. We began working with free verse poems. Students listed topics they were interested in developing. Next, they picked one and worked on a "So What?" This is based on Nancie Atwell's Lessons That Change Writers. Atwell talks about the importance of knowing, "Why are you writing that," and, "what is the point?" She wants writers to think about the lesson, meaning, and/or moral.
Mrs. Bower, the Educational Specialist that is in each day during Writing Workshop to help students, taught about how to write a Clerihew poem. This type of poetry has four lines and is often written about a person. The first two lines rhyme and the last two lines rhyme. The poem is meant to be funny, so after a week of gray days the students enjoyed the "comic relief" that writing them brought.
I once had a teacher named McGuire
Someday he will have to retire
That'll be a sad time when he bids us "Good Bye"
I'm so sure all the cute girls will cry!
Mrs. Bower shared this example for all of the students (and they thought this was soooo funny).
One of the tools we used to help find rhyming words was the website www.rhymezone.com. This website makes it much easier when students choose to write poems that rhyme.
Check back to see some of the best student work!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Laurelville Reading Board
To comment go to our Reading Board.
This is one of the books that is listed for comments. I know this is one of many sixth grader's favorites, so tell us what you think.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Hear Your Writing
One of the best ways to improve writing is to read aloud your essay. ATandT Research Labs has a program that will read aloud for you. The program, called Text to Speech, reads what is written. This is a great tool to use when revising and editing in Writing Workshop.
According to ATandT:
Text-To-Speech, or TTS for short, is computer software that converts text into audible speech. You can try it yourself on our demo page. See our Home page for more information.
All you have to do is type or paste your writing into the text box (step 2) and click on the Speak button. To try it, just go to here.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Top 10 Thanks for Break
10. Get to go shopping
9. More video game time
8. More TV time
7. 24/7 recess
6. We can eat until we're fat
5. No tests
4. No homework
3. The girls don't have to deal with stupid boys
2. No more writing the Top 10
1. Don't have to fake laugh at Mr. McGuire's bad jokes
Great job to all of the students for all of their lists, except for the #1 reason!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Thanks at Thanksgiving
November 8, 2007
Dear Grandpa,
I would like to tell you how much I appreciate everything you have done for me. So get ready to be very amazed at my writing about my dedication to you.
I am very grateful when you take me to the camper every weekend. When we go there it's like we are in heaven. The reason why I think it's heaven is because it is just so peaceful there. The birds are always chirping and the deer are always grazing. When we go there we ride around on golf carts. Sometimes we work for the manager or sometimes we fish. I am very grateful because if you did not take me to the camper, I would be watching Addy, or siting in my room really bored. I would probably be planning a prank on Ashlee (Should I use water balloons filled with hot water or the old whipped cream in the hand prank?).
I am grateful that you were always there for me when Dad was not. If you would not have been there for me I would not have had any other boys to have fun with. Like that time in Tar Hollow when this kid laughed at me because I had no Dad around like most kids but I told him that I did have a Dad, my Grandpa. Since then you have been my substitute Dad.
Grandpa I can't tell you how grateful I am. Especially not in this little peace of writing but I am really grateful that you have done all those things for me. Thank you Grandpa.
Your Grandson,
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thank You Letter from 4th
This act of kindness made working together totally worth it.
Friday, November 9, 2007
3rd Grade Study Island Help
I was especially proud of how the sixth grade "teachers" showed their younger students how to find the correct response when they struggled. The sixth graders did an awesome job helping make the first experience on Study Island a positive learning experience.
Great Helpers!
Calendar of Events
November 20 Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00-7:30
November 21-26 No School--Thanksgiving Break
November 28-29 Author Sandra J. Phillipson Visits
November 29 Picture Retakes
December 7 Interim Reports
December 13 PTO Meeting @ 3:30
December 14 Holiday Craft Day
December 20 Christmas Break Begins
January 2 School Resumes
January 18 End of 2nd Nine Weeks
Monday, November 5, 2007
Awards Assembly
Today we had the Awards Assembly for the 1st nine weeks. Congratulations to all of the students that received awards. This is one of my favorite days of the school year because students get recognition for all of the hard work and effort they have put into school.
Great Job!
Some More Stars!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Halloween Parade
Here are just a few of the weirdos running around town.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Co-writing with 4th Grade
Mrs. Wolfe read the book aloud. The book is the story of a family's journeys home to their grandmother's home in the mountains. The visits are filled with "magic" memories. The sixth grade students did an excellent job as "teachers." They helped their students formulate responses that started with topic sentences, and supported their answer with details from the book.
Monday, October 22, 2007
1st Nine Weeks Ending
Students, as always, can check their grades on Engrade to see how they stand.
Opportunities for extra credit are winding down, but here is a chance:
What is the shortest sentence possible?
An answer showing effort is worth 1 point. The correct answer is worth 3 points.
Go for it!