An Idea

OK, so I’m throwing this idea out into the universe and am hoping that I can make it happen. The fifth grade curriculum in North Carolina has students explore the 50 states of the United States. I was trying to think of a creative and engaging way to do this during this school year. In the past, I’ve done everything from reports to parade floats to power point presentations. This year, thanks to the recent changes to Facebook’s timeline, I’m thinking that the 50 states may get Facebook pages. So, if a state were to have a Facebook page, what would it look like? I’m working on a mock page for North Carolina (our home state) to get some ideas straight to show my students.

What do you think? What would the Facebook page of a state include? Classtools has their own version of a Fakebook page. I’m debating using this one or what I want to do. It’s lacking the timeline component, which is I think is important to this project. I could use it and just use “posts” to reflect events, since you can manipulate the dates. I like how you can reorder the posts once you have them in. I’m a bit wary of the “automatic image insertion” but you can add your own.

Here’s what I’ve come up with as a starting point… please offer suggestions!

 

The Number Line: A Rant

This week, my students are learning to convert fractions to decimals (and back again). They are also learning to compare and order fractions and decimals. I always teach this concept using a number line. Most elementary classrooms post a number line in some shape or form, so it is not something unfamiliar to them. The longer I teach though, the more counter-productive, I find the standard number line. Today, I rant…

1. Why are number lines labeled left to right? Digits on a number line are not words. They don’t need to be read that way. Think about a decimal point. It’s on the right side of a whole number. That means that the digits to the right represent a value less than a whole. Why does a number line show the opposite?

2. When you read standard numbers, the farther you go to the left, the larger the number (ones, tens, hundreds, etc.). Number lines don’t reflect this.

3. It’s a number line, not a number line segment. Please add the arrows to both ends. Numbers extend infinitely in each direction. Hence, the concept of infinity.

4. Number lines are actually just snapshots of a larger line. They do not start (or stop) at zero. Zero doesn’t even have to be on the snapshot that you are using.

My number line looks more like this one. Am I crazy?

Grandfather Tang

  Anytime I can integrate math and literature, I jump on the chance. Grandfather Tang’s Story is a story that I have always loved and have used across grade levels. There are many ways to use this tangram tale, but this year I brought the tale to my fifth grade students and took it to more advanced math.

 

We started out by making our own tangram set from a blank sheet of cardstock paper. Every student made their own set. Here’s how we did it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More discussion questions:

1. Which triangles are congruent? Which are similar?

2. Are all triangles congruent? Are all triangles similar? Are all right triangles similar? How do you know?

3. Is there another shape or shapes that are always similar?

4. Is there any shape that would always be congruent?

5. Can you put it back into a square? I was surprised how many students struggled with this, rather than working backwards. Then again, it was great insight into how my students think. 

 

As you read the book with your students, have them recreate the animals of the story using their own tangrams. You’ll be surprised how many students struggle this activity. It will probably be your students who are not traditionally good with math. My best math student had the worst time with this. We are now doing additional activities to enhance spatial reasoning in class. His tablemates also loved being able to help him in a math activity. His frustration was also healthy too!

 

Check out this link to MATHWIRE for additional resources.

 

My Favorite Graphic Organizer

I use graphic organizers all the time in all of my classes. There are tons of awesome ones out there on the internet and in teacher resource books that you can run off for your students to use or project on your interactive whiteboard. I am a big fan of ones that my students can create from scratch in their notes or on blank paper. I prefer these because I know that my students can recreate them as a learning tool in their own studies. If they always associate them with a handout or pre-made graphic, students do not always make the connection of how to use them on their own. Below is my favorite graphic organizer format that can be used across the curriculum and in many formats. Besides that, it’s super easy to draw and offers lots of room in each section!

 

 

 

 

Spelling City

 

If you are a classroom teacher and teach spelling and have students who like to play (oops, I mean learn) on the computer and like free stuff, Spelling City is for you. Did I mention that you should like free stuff?

 

Spelling City is a high quality spelling and vocabulary review site that can be customized by you (here’s my page). Students can access it from home or school. It works great on an interactive whiteboard. It can be used individually, with partners, or in small groups. The review games address word definitions, proper usage, and spelling. The test is a great way to allow students individual practice, or even to make up a spelling test if the student is absent on test day.

 

You can add your own spelling lists like I have, but there are already many pre-made searchable lists. Whether you are using dolch words or a specific reading/phonics program, there is a good chance that you can find your lists already available to you and your students. There is  a premium (translation: paid) version of Spelling City. I haven’t used it because I haven’t felt the need. The free part is awesome! I have to admit that I haven’t been able to spend as much time as I’d like in the Teacher Resource section, but it is chock-full of ideas and links. I can’t wait to dive into that even more.

 

If you are already a Spelling City user, what keeps you coming back? If you use another online spelling review site, what are you using?

Centers… I Mean Stations

Hi. My name is Kelly. I teach upper grades students using centers…. I mean learning stations. Older kids don’t dooooooo (over-emphasis on the drawn out sarcastic “do”) centers. I disagree. I don’t care what you call them. My students do awesome work when working in smaller groups with a specific focus for each group. Here’s a little peek into the types of learning stations that I use.

 

My stations are more like 4 activities to complete within a day, during a set period of time, with a designated peer group. Students spend about 20 minutes per day completing each of the 4 activities. The activities are independent, small group, partner or teacher-led. These are the basic outlines of each station in my Language Arts block:

1. COMPUTER: This could be anything from research to Edmodo (for reading response) to Study Island (for skill practice) to learning games like Spelling City.

2. BOOK STUDY: This month we are reading The Journal of William Thomas Emerson as a novel connection to our American Revolution unit of study. Students have a set number of pages to read each day and a series of discussion questions. This is done in their 4-5 student groups or they can break into pairs within their group.

3. LITERATURE CONNECTION: This week, our additional literature connection is a series of short biographical passages about women of the Revolution. Students are connecting what they are reading in their novel with this non-fiction information to create a broader picture of the late 1700′s. They are also able to connect fictional and non-fictional information to formulate questions for study later. I am leading this group, as many of the passages, need some additional help to “digest.” There are also EOG style questions to tie into these shorter passages to focus on different elements of literature.

4. BIOGRAPHICAL/TIMELINE STUDIES: Students are using research, trade books, the internet and other resources to create flip books about personalities from the American Revolution. They are also combining a variety of sources to create a timeline of events leading up to the war. They can work together for ideas but each student is required to create their own product.

 

Again, these stations take about 20 minutes per day. Students rotate through the stations and have developed a great working strategy. Groups change members as our stations change focus. It’s not perfect, but it can be done. I get to work with all of my students in small groups every day. When my student intern is here, she also gets to work with all groups. I do know, for sure, that my students say they prefer it to whole group instruction! Give it a try. Over the next few weeks, I will keep track of some of the types of activities we are doing. If you are an upper grades teacher doing learning stations, please share your strategies and ideas!

Note to Self

Dear self,

I was too tired to do my homework tonight. I realize that it was very important for me to grade that math assignment. I know that I need that information as soon as possible so that I can make sure my students have mastered that part of fractions. I promise I will do it tomorrow. Today I taught all day, managed to have 2 meetings, helped set up science fair tables, helped my twins with their homework, played with my 6 month old, helped cook supper, sat down to eat with the family, did the dishes, finished the twins’ science fair project with them, fed the baby, got everyone to sleep, and even set the coffee pot for in the morning. It’s 8:45 pm and I could push myself to get a few more things finished, but tonight I choose me. I give myself permission to not think about school, to go to bed early, and to get a good night’s sleep. Everyone will be happier tomorrow that I am well rested than that my math papers are graded. Trust me. If you have any questions, feel free get in touch. You know where to find me.

Thanks,
Me

It sure seems silly to write myself an excuse note to go to bed early. Yet, how many times do we deny ourselves our basic needs because of our dedication to our jobs/classes/students? Don’t even get me started on actually eating lunch at school. I mean, who has time for that?! If there is any thing that I try to impress on new teachers, it is that taking care of yourself and family is a number one priority. If only I always took my own advice,.. Good night friends. Give yourself permission to be human, too.

Flat Stanley in a Flat World

Today in education we hear a lot of talk about having flat classrooms. Who would have guessed that Jeff Brown would have perfected this concept in 1964 when he wrote the original Flat Stanley book? In recent years, Flat Stanley has taken on new life and is having new world-wide adventures. Check out some of his adventures at http://www.flatstanleybooks.com/. If you have reluctant readers, I haven’t met a child who didn’t love Flat Stanley. In fact, it’s even my dad’s favorite book!

 

Classically, classrooms do Flat Stanley projects, where students create a Flat Stanley to send to other people or classrooms around the world. They mail these Stanley’s and then wait… and wait… and wait. Last year, I “modernized” my version of the Flat Stanley project with the help of my Facebook and Twitter friends. Here’s a look at what we did.

 

1. Students made their own Flat Stanleys. This part, in my opinion, is essential because it personalizes the learning.

2. We developed a Google Form of questions that we wanted answered from our recipients. HERE is what we asked and how it looked. The students generated the questions based on their interest, but we also used data that we could plot later in a math data project.

3. I contacted friends, family members, and PLN members, asking them to participate in our project. I collected their information on another Google Form. This allowed me to gather the information easily and to create a “waiting list.”

4. We sent out our Flat Stanley’s to our first 22 participants, and we put our form link on the back of each Stanley. We asked that classrooms email us a photo of them with Stanley and fill out the information. We then asked those classes to pass along Stanley to someone that they knew.

5. Within a week, we have multiple responses and photos, and our Google form was filling up. We used Google Earth to find the places where Stanley visited. We even set up Skype calls with some of the classes to ask them more questions.

 

 

The kids had a great time collecting and aggregating information with digital tools, and our Stanley’s traveled around the world. It was so exciting to watch my students get “into” the learning that we were doing. It gave us authentic information to use for our data collection and presentation unit. It allowed us to learn geography with a real purpose. It most definitely expanded our world view. No matter how old your students are, projects like Flat Stanley are valuable learning experiences. They are also a great opportunity to take “old school” activities that have always had great value and to “flatten” them to meet the changing view of learning today.

 

Parent Communication

I am a firm believer in positive parent communication. I try to send good news to all of my parents throughout the year. But, I admit it, I am terrible about making phone calls. Something always happens and I forget, or it’s too late, or I’ve left the phone numbers at home. I finally developed a solution.

Have you ever gotten a stack of “A Note From Your Teacher” postcards that you really meant to use? Here’s your chance. At the start of a new quarter or semester, I get a postcard for each of my students. I address and stamp them and put them on my desk. Throughout the nine weeks, as the student does something “note-worthy” all I have to do is write the quick message and then drop the postcard in the school mailbox. A few days after I send a note, my student always comes in and mentions how they got the postcard. I’ve learned over time that it isn’t what you write or the event that you choose to reference. It is the fact that you send the note.  By addressing them all ahead of time, I don’ t lose track of who I’ve sent the notes too, and I don’t worry about leaving someone out. By keeping them on my desk, they are also another reminder to keep myself always looking for the best in my students! And, if you are bit geeky like me, I love making my own postcards too.

Multiplication to the Rescue

I teach in an area of high-stakes testing, where, once per year, students in grades 3-8 sit down for a two part, four hour math test. This test is divided into two parts, calculators and no calculators. For the test, each student gets a pencil, blank paper, and grid paper. Exciting, huh? I am not a fan of this testing method, and I have spoken out against it in many ways. But, I also am not one who will “refuse” to teach my students in a way that doesn’t prepare them for this specific type of testing and strategies for being successful with it. Many would not agree, but I don’t want them to be the ones that suffer any more than they do already. So, today I share my multiplication grid trick.

Starting with my third graders, I teach them to create this multiplication grid on their own graph paper in the first five minutes of the timed test. Many love it because they are convinced that they cannot multiply and this lets them “skip count.”

Why?

1. It gets them focused on the math.
2. It keeps them from having to draw circles and tallies for every multiplication problem they encounter.
3. They can use this one chart to solve problems with multiplication, division and many fraction operations (like equivalents and simplifying).

How?

1. This is something can practice ahead of time. Not only does creating it for the test help them in the actual test, the act of creating the chart helps them learn the facts originally. This is also something predictable for them that they feel that they can control. The confidence this brings is so valuable.
2. Time and careless errors can be reduced when students don’t have to re-solve the same fact problems over and over.
3. See the diagrams below for more tips.

CORRECTION to picture: it should say, to simplify the fraction, slide your fingers to the left. I will fix the graphic ASAP.

This is only the beginning of what can be done with a self-constructed tool!