Books in Sixth

Tablet roll out is right around the corner.  So where is all the excitement?? This time around things are different and I can't quite put into words the sense of cautious anticipation we are all feeling. When the tablets left us last year, I will have to say, there was a great sense of relief from students and teachers; relieved to be released of the pressure to use something that was often unreliable and for an initiative that was misunderstood.  We went on "doing school" as we always had and the year ended just like every other year. But, through the rest of last school year, as I sat on the PACE teacher advisory committee, I had the privilege to see the careful planning and preparation month after month; the many hours spent turning this bus around; the collaboration with Amplify and how they listened to the teachers and modified their programming to incorporate teacher feedback and improve classroom functionality; the ingenuity of our PACE leaders in creating a

So I'm sure you have heard the tablets are coming back.   We all knew this was in the works and an agreement has been made. So what's gonna be different this time around. The Device Itself:  Check out the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0VhDJ4QdSo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUENu7hY4RTjh_fIayi3zJnw Connectivity: Our mobiles have been rewired and a WAP has been installed in each mobile.  Plus, the problems downtown with our "Internet Traffic" have been resolved. Teacher Involvement:  This and the next four are part of a redesign to include stakeholders that will help "shepherd the process" of tablet role out.  PACE Task Teams have been formed and include staff and teacher representatives from a number of schools.  These teams have begun meeting to define and prioritize the issues and take action steps to resolve them.  I serve on the PACE Teacher Project Team and at our first meeting we brainstormed and recorded all the issues ass

Robin Britt has been BUSY!!!!  Check out this great video he put together on the way I approach personalized learning through flexing the environment. This model has evolved in my EC Inclusion class through the years and was inspired by Guided Reading Group experience I had teaching at the elementary level.  When I moved into the middle school, I was unsure how to structure my Language Arts Classes. I quickly learned that whole group was not the answer and I needed to do something else to meet the individual needs of my students. Hence, the Instructional Support Group. Check it out! (Click play or click the link below.)   http://youtu.be/XJDxM2KFv-g Disclaimer:  When I first watched this, I was like "Who is that person on the screen?"... so serious....and professional.....But then I thought....You know what?...... I am passionate about this model........ and it not only produces academic gains, but it also helps me really get to know my students....that's PA

It's a New Year and with that comes a time to renew, refocus, and regroup.  Although I am over a month late..... So the tablets are on their way back; as it looks now, next school year.  We have received numerous requests from the county to fill out questionnaires and reflections about the PACE initiative, giving teacher's a voice and opinion.  Our in house Technology guy has also sent out his own call for feedback and opened discussions about how it will look and run in our school; what worked and what didn't.  And tomorrow I attend the first county PACE meeting as the teacher representative from my school. (I should get all the updates on the initiative there.)  Post soon to follow. Meanwhile, the wifi fairies have been diligently been rewiring and placing WAPS in every mobile.  Yay! I just completed a really cool video; actually Robin Britt (AKA:  TECH. GUY) just completed a really cool video about "Personalizing by flexing the environment".  Link soon to