Best Practices Weekly

Mrs. Harvey shared this site with me today. It is all about Best Practices, and has some great suggestions for Math and ELa.

I took the time to watch the first Math video, about estimation. Even though it focuses on elementary students, the thinking behind the presentation is solid, that when teaching a strategy such as estimation in multiplication, if we want the students to comprehend the concept, it means more than just telling them how to do something, it involves multiple solutions and rich discussion of the thought process of each solution.

Think about the Standards of Mathematical Practice and how many apply in such instruction.

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Estimation begs the very questions, "Does my answer make sense?" While many a students goal is to simply provide an answer, our desire should be that students come up with a reasonable answer.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. We want our students to think about numbers in a variety of ways. Multiplication can be a rather abstract concept to many students, even as time goes on. Presenting multiplication as "times" (abstract) and "groups of" (quantitative) helps students make stronger connections to the processes involved.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Did you see in the video the way he presented 2 thought processes and discussed their reasoning?
4. Model with mathematics. Manipulatives, drawings, diagrams, that promote the understanding. An area model is especially appropriate for multiplication.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision. Notice that this is paired with #1 in the diagram above. It's not just about getting an answer, it's about getting the best answer.
7. Look for and make use of structure. Patterns!
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. More patterns. Critical thinking!

Benchmark Ready

It's that time of year when we begin to reflect on this past year, and think about all of things we'll do differently next year! It will be an adjustment going to 140 minute Language Arts block. Hopefully, with a good plan in place, we can start next year off prepared!

Here's what a 140 minute Benchmark lesson plan template might look like:

Link to lesson plan template:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9XTG-oKj33jX0d3VU5DVldMTGc/edit?usp=sharing

Another way to keep organized is to use a calendar for keeping track of small group meetings:

Courtesy Mrs. Mason, Promise Road Elementary
Link to My Reader's Workshop Plan:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jz74i0ftvb2lk3q/Reader%27s%20Workshop%20Plan.docx

Another change in our curriculum will be the addition of The Article of the Week.This will rotate being taught one week by the Language Arts teachers, one week by the science teachers, and one week by the social studies teachers. 

You can find more information from the creators on the Vale Middle School website.

Comparison Activity

This is something you could use with your Success Time class, or as a quick, fun activity in your classroom.

Pictures and Words - Comparison Activity

It is in a Power Point format, instructions are on the first slide.

I Can Statements (6th Grade)

Here is a site that has 6th grade "I Can..." statements. "I Can..." statements put the language of Common Core (which is sometimes challenging to understand) into a more student and teacher friendly language. It is helpful for understanding what the learning goal of the standard is and a great tool to post in the room. You can google "I Can Statements" to find other versions.

6th Grade "I Can..." statements.

A new take on Vocabulary

Here is a video about teaching vocabulary. How do we normally teach vocabulary? We normally pre-teach vocabulary. But is this the most effective way, when very often students have no context in which to understand the meaning. In this video, the teacher uses an activity to "teach" vocabulary after the lesson has been taught. Now the students have a greater context to connect a word with its meaning. Interested in knowing more, check out the video of this 7th grade class in action.

Site of the Week - Your Turn!

I usually get my ideas for a site of week from someone I have had a conversation with, or from another blog, etc. I know that there are many good sites out there.

So here is your turn to contribute. If you have a good site that you know of or frequent, please post a comment below giving the site and any pertinent information about that site. Then when I or others check in, we can see some of what else is out there.

In the mean time, let me start things off this week.

 

getinthefold.blogspot.com Even though the last time this blog was posted in was in 2012, it has some great ideas for teaching reading with foldables. And remember, foldables are not just for elementary students!

And don't forget to share one or more of the sites you use in the comment section below.

New Reading Level Correlation Chart

Here is another Reading Level Correlation Chart. This one is the OFFICIAL chart, and has been put together by Ryan Glaze (ACS Curriculum Director) and Laura Swain (ACS Reading Coach for 3rd - 5th Grades).

Click here for PDF.

Site of the Week - Share My Lesson (AFT)

This site covers all subject matter and all grades. You should have gotten information about this in your mailbox. This site is provided by the AFT. Great resources for lessons and Common Core information! Click here or on image below for link.

Site of the Week - Learn Zillion

You can find a lesson (or more) on any given standard, Math and Language Arts.. Once you sign up (and signing up is free) you can search by grade, domain, and standard. Or you can just type in a topic in the search bar. For instance, if you type in Absolute Value, you might find this video.

Once you have gotten to the page with the video, you can also view the slides the video was created from, comments from the video's creator, see some guided practice questions, and more.

These videos could be part of a Success Time lesson, viewed in the computer lab, set up for a sub.

How to do a Close Read

Here are some resources on How to do a Close Read.

• Here is a PDF of information found here. 

• Here is a 2 minute and 47 second video about Close Reading. Part 1 (found on the same site.) 

• Here is the 3 minute Part 2 video - Describes what a Close Read looks like in a classroom.

• Here is a video (4 minutes and 22 seconds) that has an example of a Close Read. 

• Another example (10 minute and 46 second) of a 6th Grade Social Studies Close Read.

Reading and Benchmark Info

Click here for a WORD document about Guided Reading. (Courtesy of Laura Swain)

Click here for a PDF of a Guide to your Benchmark Toolkit Materials.

Lexile Conversion Chart

Link to PDF.

Here is a PDF copy of another Reading Level Correlation Chart from Laura Swain.

Site of the Week

ACS 3-5 Reading Coach has put together a "WIKI Space" with some good resources for reading teachers. I am sure that some of this instructional information applies beyond the 6th grade as well.

Here is a PDF with instructions on how to access the site!

Here is just some of the information you can access on this site.

Site of the Week

If you are not a subscriber to the "Teaching Channel," I hope you will consider it. It is a great resource with tons of information on a variety of topics. This is especially important as we transition to Common Core.

Here is a video addressing reading complex text and higher order questions for Grades 6 through 8.

Creative ways to teach vocabulary

From The Teaching Channel. (Click on the pic)

Here is another short one dealing from a Science teacher.

This is an activity using analogies from a Middle School teacher. Includes Smart Board file and worksheets.

Website of the Week!

The website of the week is worksheetworks.com

I found this site several years ago, and have shared it with as many as possible since. Great activities for all subject matter. These worksheets can be created to suit many different needs as they allow you to set some of the parameters. Then, it generates a new worksheet each time, even if you leave the parameters the same. These are then given as a PDF file with the answer key.

Great for subs, Success Time, or to reinforce a specific lesson!

Common Core Worksheets

From e-mail from Kelly Hodson.

Common Core Worksheets

Great resource for ELa and Math! Also added to links on right under "Teacher Websites."