Books in Sixth

I woke up this morning with the Post - PLC2015 blues.  Have you ever felt that way about a 3-day conference?  I seriously doubt it.  These past three days have been the most purposeful, the most useful, and the most meaningful use of my time as an educator.  And I woke up this morning missing the people, missing the excitement, and missing the joy of discovery surrounding this event. So what made this conference so different? #1 - Energy When you fill a place with leaders who truly believe in what they are doing, you begin to infect all with the same beliefs and excitement; energy spreads.  I will credit this to the awesome PLEFS and their leaders.  The minute I walked in the door, I saw their smiles, their energy, their excitement, and this continued throughout the opening sessions, during and between our breakout sessions, and through to the closing sessions.  They created this environment that motivated and energized the masses.  Great Jo...

While visiting my first Edcamp in Charlotte, NC this past February, I realized there were a lot more school districts out there with 1:1 initiatives.  In fact, the Edcamp itself was held in a Personalized Learning Model School.  The physical space was amazing and every classroom had working group spaces for students using all variety of materials from tables and chairs to bean bags and stools.  I never figured out what tablet/device their students use, but I knew immediately what they didn't have; The Amplify Tablet. While there, I created a new word called "APPHAUSTED".  This is how I felt as local and visiting educators rattled off app after app after app after app after, throw in a web-based tool, app after app......that they use in their classroom, some for the simplest of things.  I remember thinking over and over again.....Well, I wont write that one down, because our tablets already do that.  Well, I wont write that one down, because our tablets al...

So here are a few ways we are doing it.  How are you? Reading Fluency:  I use AIMS Web data (student lexile levels) to pair students into leveled partners.  Then I select coordinating grade level selections for students to practice reading fluency 4 days a week.  Right now I have about 4 different grade level texts going on in my room at once.  Students read for one minute with partners, taking turns practicing their awesome fluency skills. I teach the students how to listen to each other, track for their partner, and graph their WPM.  The students read the same selection 4 days in a row, then after reading on the 4th day, they write a summary.  After 4 times, they know what it is about, and those difficult words on day 1 are no longer difficult. We make goals based on their data and work towards those goals until the next assessment.  I have found a lot of success with this and it provides for some great individualized data for each student. ...

I must apologize for neglecting my blog now for so long, but this year has been one of change, challenge, and struggle for us at NWMS; so many professional and personal struggles have overwhelmed our staff this year.  We continue to hold on and stay strong.  That's the good news! Here is what's up with the tablets.  We are now about 4 months into tablet deployment and I have to say, it has been seamless.  The tablets are working great!  Gone are the days........ right, you remember those.  Connectivity is a dream as we no longer have to worry about the dreaded grey fans.  The only time we lose it is when the whole system goes down for all computers, but that is super rare.The quality of the device itself is just awesome;  strong glass, innovative protective cases, high quality chargers, keyboards,etc.  No issues there. It has been extremely beneficial that the concept behind the "personalized learning"  initiative has been rede...

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 issu...

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...