Primary Source Documents: 

Building a rich context for learning

You've heard the buzz words "Primary Source Documents", but what are they, why are they important, and where do you find them?

A primary source (also called original source or evidence) is an artifact, a document, a recording, or other source of information that was created at the time under study. It serves as an original source of information about the topic. (Wikipedia)

Here's a snapshot that might help answer why they are important.

http://www.middleweb.com/29094/teaching-the-watsons-go-to-birmingham/

Although this was submitted by a sixth grade teacher, it reminded me of the power of incorporating primary source documents as evidence to build students' understanding of narrative and informational texts, topics, and times in history. 

It left me asking myself these questions...

When I select short stories and novels as read alouds, interactive read alouds, and novel studies, do they allow for a rich web of conversation, meaning making and real world learning?

What primary sources can I "bundle" together with the literature to allow students to create deeper connections, paralleling their classroom learning with the real world of yesterday and today? 

So if we know primary source documents are important, where do we find them? Here are a few links that I found helpful. 

http://www.archives.gov/education/

https://calisphere.org/

http://library.mtsu.edu/tps/lessons.php

Five Strategies for Using Primary Source Documents in the Social Studies Classroom  http://www.discoveryeducation.com//feeds/www/media/pdf/Five%20Strategies.pdf

6 Free Online Resources for Primary Source Documents
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/online-resources-primary-source-documents-monica-burns

Teaching Students to Make Meaning and Ask Question

Teaching Students to Make Meaning and Ask Question

I've been reading this great book called Questioning for Classroom Discussion by Walsh & Sattes focused on how to move students toward meaningful conversations. Chapter 4 of their book , “Structured Small-Group Discussion”, is a great resource (K-8, across content areas) for teaching students about productive partner and small group work and how to develop their own questions. I have pulled out a few activities that I thought might be of interest which I thought were easily implemented. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/1TfVRD5

NGSS, California, and You: Resources, Testing, and More

California has officially adopted the Next Generation Science Standards as the state standards for grades K-12.  So why are we still giving the CST in 5th and 8th grade?  

Because the law says we have to.

Yes, even though we aren't teaching the 1998 standards, the test is still given.  Seems silly, but the law says that we have to give a test assessing science knowledge in 5th, 8th, and 10th grade and until a new test is written, we will continue to give the CST.

The process to adopting new standards and developing tests and resources is a long one and it take a while for the red tape to clear.

It goes like this:
Step 1) New standards are written, revised, drafted, revised, and adopted.  For NGSS, that was about 5 years in the making.

Step 2) A framework for education is written.  Once the standards are adopted then the work of writing the framework that will help teachers, test writers, and textbook publishers navigate the standards can begin.  The California NGSS Framework is currently being revised following a public draft period.  It will be edited based on suggestions from anyone who participated in the survey and released for a second public draft sometime in the summer.

Step 3) Once the framework is adopted by the state, then the test writers and textbook publishers can get to work.  We expect that a pilot version of the state test to replace the CST will be available as early as next year, depending on the development of the Framework.  Text book materials will probably be available for review in the 2017-18 school year, with probably adoption in the 2018-19 school year.

So we don't have materials until 2018-19?!

Technically, yes.  However, there are many free resources that are available from the National Science Teachers Association, the California Science Teachers Association, and organizations like NASA to help us along the way.  But don't forget the resources you have in your building or in our district; this is a time to work with your grade level partners across the district to pool your resources together and develop your own "text book."  And, of course, don't forget your friendly neighborhood STEM CT who will happily join in planning sessions, brainstorm with you, or comb the internet for resources to share with you!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! 

On a daily basis, I get teachers asking for help in finding appropriate, complex, thought provoking, engaging informational texts to use for close reading across the content areas. Newsela is a resource that many 5-8 teachers have been utilizing in our district. But what about for those students in the primary grades? Just this week, I discovered Newsela - Elementary, designed for elementary classrooms, starting in 2nd grade!!

Both versions of Newsela offer

• High interest, nonfiction text offered in 5 Lexile levels (for differentiation)
• Relevant, daily news articles
• Innovative ways to build reading comprehension 
• Pre-bundled text sets that tie to a common theme, topic, or standard

Check out Five Easy Ways to Use Newsela for quick and easy ways to bring Newsela into your classroom next week. 

Not sure how to convert AR to Lexile Level? This AR to Lexile Conversion Chart might help.

I just found an interesting article on the MiddleWeb website about teaching students to write strong paragraphs before focusing on multi-paragraph essays. This article focused on argument writing and has some great ideas. Here's the link: http://www.middleweb.com/29202/teach-students-to-write-strong-paragraphs/.  

So you have an Apple TV in your classroom, now what?

They magically appeared over night.  A mysterious little black box with a tiny shiny silver remote.

It's an Apple TV! Hurrah!  Wait, what do you do with it? How do you use it with your MacBook? Can kids use it?  So many questions!

Why should I use an Apple TV instead of connecting directly to the projector?

Check out this blog from "Educate 1-to-1"

1. You are the front of the room

2. Improved pedagogy

3. Instant Feedback

4. More dialogue

5. Improved motivation

What does an Apple TV do?
The short answer is that the Apple TV allows you to show anything that is on your MacBook computer, iPad, or iPhone on your projector screen (or even SMART Board!) without plugging in any cables to your device.  Your device has to be on the same wireless network as the Apple TV in order to work (your school network) and you have to be using an Apple branded device in order to connect - sorry Android fans!

How do I use an Apple TV with my computer?

1. Click the AirPlay icon  AirPlay icon in the menu bar, then choose your Apple TV under "Connect To AirPlay Display." The icon turns blue when your Mac is using an AirPlay display.
2. From the same AirPlay menu, choose either Extended Desktop or one of the mirroring options under "Use AirPlay Display To." 
3. To stop using your Apple TV as an AirPlay display, choose Disconnect AirPlay Display from the AirPlay menu. Or just press the Menu button on the Apple TV remote.

Check out this Help page from Apple

How do I use an Apple TV with my iPad or iPhone?

1. Connect your iOS device and your AirPlay device to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On your iOS device, swipe up from the bottom of your screen to open Control Center.
3. Tap AirPlay.

Check out this Help page from Apple

Great.  I'm connected.  Now what?

Here are some great suggestions from  "Inside the Classroom, Outside the Box"

1. Simple be untethered – freedom to move around.

2. Demonstrate apps or sites

3. Display pictures of student/teacher work

4. If you have more iPads in the room, students can share their screen on the Apple TV

5. Students/Teacher can present/share from anywhere in the room.

6. Annotate documents live with your students

7. Using iBooks and highlighting sections/words for discussion

8. Display Apps so all students can see on a big screen (Ex. ShowMe, Virtual Field Trip Apps etc)

So, give Apple TV a try.  Want more help? Email Erin Conrad, STEM CT!