Here's a great resource from the MiddleWeb website on choosing strong evidence to support your thesis and when evidence is not as good.
http://www.middleweb.com/28722/tools-to-help-writers-explain-good-evidence/
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Monday, March 14, 2016
Who's Asking the Questions?
Out of 210 easy to read pages, I've dog-eared 18 and scribbled 185 with reflective annotations. The sure sign of a good book and one you are going to want to read as SOON as you get the chance! And what do you know...this week just happens to be Question Week 2016, March 13-19! What better time to start exploring.
Last year as a 4th grade teacher, I could get my students to have academic conversations like the best of them. However, I struggled with shifting the focus from me asking the questions in teacher-guided discussions to them creating their own and sharing them in structured small groups and student-driven ones. Questioning for Classroom Discussion by Jackie Acree Walsh and Beth Dankert Sattes has answered my prayers!! These authors challenge teachers to remove themselves from the stage and invite students to take the responsibility for the thinking and meaning making. Moving from the current model of having students just answer teacher formulated questions to getting students to create and share the rich authentic questions they have, students learn content at a deeper level. However, the author's warn that it's not a random questioning free for all! They share the purposeful planning, process and practical, easy to implement strategies necessary to establish questioning for classroom discussions. Might this be the next book club?
Check it out here at this ASCD link -
http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Books/Overview/Questioning-for-Classroom-Discussion.aspx
We have an extra copy here in the District Office if you'd like to check it out!
Last year as a 4th grade teacher, I could get my students to have academic conversations like the best of them. However, I struggled with shifting the focus from me asking the questions in teacher-guided discussions to them creating their own and sharing them in structured small groups and student-driven ones. Questioning for Classroom Discussion by Jackie Acree Walsh and Beth Dankert Sattes has answered my prayers!! These authors challenge teachers to remove themselves from the stage and invite students to take the responsibility for the thinking and meaning making. Moving from the current model of having students just answer teacher formulated questions to getting students to create and share the rich authentic questions they have, students learn content at a deeper level. However, the author's warn that it's not a random questioning free for all! They share the purposeful planning, process and practical, easy to implement strategies necessary to establish questioning for classroom discussions. Might this be the next book club?
Check it out here at this ASCD link -
http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Books/Overview/Questioning-for-Classroom-Discussion.aspx
We have an extra copy here in the District Office if you'd like to check it out!
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Google Keep - Making To Do Lists AMAZING
Post it notes. Notes written on your hand. Emails to yourself. Multiple apps on your phone. How many ways do you try to remember to do something? I know for me, I relied on reminders and alarms on my phone but what if I didn't have access to my phone or it was stuffed in my desk drawer when the reminder alert sounded? There has got to be an easy way...oh look! There is! I introduce you to Google Keep.
Google Keep is a to do list and reminder app all rolled into one that integrates seamlessly with your Google accounts (including your RVUSD account and your personal gmail account) and allows you to make multiple lists with checkboxes nested within each list. You can assign due dates to the list, color code the lists, tag the lists to help keep them organized, and even share lists with other Google users.
Want to know more? Go to the Google Keep Help page to get instructions, or email your friendly neighborhood STEM CT (econrad@rvusd.org) to set up an appointment!
Google Keep is a to do list and reminder app all rolled into one that integrates seamlessly with your Google accounts (including your RVUSD account and your personal gmail account) and allows you to make multiple lists with checkboxes nested within each list. You can assign due dates to the list, color code the lists, tag the lists to help keep them organized, and even share lists with other Google users.
Want to know more? Go to the Google Keep Help page to get instructions, or email your friendly neighborhood STEM CT (econrad@rvusd.org) to set up an appointment!
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