What’cha Doing This Summer?

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

What’cha Doing This Summer? —

When Kim pitched to me the idea of starting a book study of Harry Wong and Annette Brinkman this summer, I thought it was a great idea. Having a group of educators get together and discuss, model, and learn together about how we can help students better is always a great plan. If you have a chance, come and enjoy the great discussions we will have. We will post the days on the DSES Staff Information Calendar on your Google Calendar.

I also want to mention Twitter again. After you sign up for Twitter take a minute and search for some hashtags. Read or participate in a couple chats during the summer. They are about an hour long, but you don’t have to participate or even be there when it happens. You can read any chat that happened by searching the hashtag and reading through the tweets. The #tlap and read some of the tweets that are there. If you search for the #tlap hashtag on Monday nights at 7pm. you can read or participate as creative teachers from around the country discuss topics about improving professional practice. Another chat is #edchat that you can search or read and participate on Tuesdays at 5:00pm. If you are also interested in learning more about using tech in the classroom and how other educators use tech in their classes, Mondays at 6pm is #edtechchat. My favorite chat is one that I just found called #EduGladiators on Saturday mornings at 9:30am. Spend the hour or a few minutes reading some of the tweets and learn see what is happening around the country in education. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“Don’t buy complexity; the simpler you make your training, the better the results become.”

– Ryan Flaherty

What I’m watching —

Year End Gifts

I have to get in at least one more Gerry Brooks video before the end of the year.

Favorite Article This Week —

Talking to Yourself (Out Loud) Can Help You Learn

Just in case you hear me talking to myself you will know why.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Teachers. We have finished up SAGE and the scores look good. The scores are better than last year and the students are improving. This is all in part of every grade in the school. The 3rd grade scores reflect everything that has been done with the students from Preschool to 3rd grade. The scores in 4th and 5th grade show the work done with each student from time they started at our school until they test. Overall the scores have made good improvement. I can’t wait to see  the final scores after all is said and done. Thank you teachers for all you do with the students. Thank you specialists, paras, and aides. You are also a huge part in each student making improvements each and every year. Thank you everyone for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend. 

Twitterpated with Learning

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.

Twitterpated with Learning—

As teachers we should always be the head learner in our classroom. It can be anything, but we should learn something and then let our students what we have learned. Take a few minutes each week and talk to your students about something you learned and see how interested they are in it. That is one of the reasons I do this 5 point Friday each week. I figure that I should be learning something often and sharing it. One way I have kept up with learning new things is on Twitter. It seems silly to spend a little time on social media to learn about education, but it is a hot place for educational topics, if you know how to look. Many of the top education specialists, professors, administrators, and teachers like you are building a personal learning network to learn and grow from professionally. If you are interested, start small and take 5 minutes a week and do a little skimming and reading. So how do you start? Start by opening a twitter account at twitter.com. In your description write that you are a teacher and a few fun things about you. You can add to it or change it later. Add a picture. Then you are ready to do a little learning. Start by tweeting something and following a few people. Use the search and search a few people and click follow. If you have friends on twitter, follow them also. Here are a few suggestions. @gandersen07 @kimheki @dixie_sun @gcouros @alicekeeler @jmattmiller @burgess_shelley @bethhouf @burgessdave

Once you are following other teachers read a few tweets here and there and reply back to them to let them know your thoughts. to do that you hit the reply button and it will automatically add their name. Then you can write a short note and send it on its way. Check back later for a reply. You can also retweet their tweet to share it with your followers. If you have none, we will get you some. If you follow me, I will follow you and so will many of the others you follow. I will get into how to get into chats with other teachers around the world from our same grade level or just with educators in general. But that is another time.

Quote I’m pondering —

"If you have an arrogance that you have nothing new to learn, do not expect your students to have any different attitude." ― George Couros

What I’m watching —

The Death Crawl

When we think we can’t go another step or do one more thing.

Favorite Article This Week —

Data confirm the reason teachers should nag parents about missed assignments: it works

Parent communication is important as we teach students. Keeping them the loop about how they are doing in class can help their student do better.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Alma and Third Grade. Third grade had the idea of doing a pep rally for testing to get the 3-5 grade students excited and ready for the test. Alma ran with it and had the younger grades make posters and shot the footage for the video. Then she put together the pep rally and  gauntlet of high fives in the hallway. What a wonderful show of support to our upper grades knowing that everyone is behind them. Thank you third grade for the idea, and thank you All for making it a reality. Thank you for supporting our students. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.