Content Literacy: Visualization

*I received these books from our Librarian, I got permission before I started ripping books apart.  but man was it fun!  

I was wanting to create pictures based off the words and feelings from what was written on the pages of a book.  There have been a few really cool pictures and artworks that I have seen on Pinterest regarding drawings and sketches on book pages.  We had a few minutes left in one of my classes and I thought, Hey!  I am gonna try this out!

Might be a fun Visualization Exercise for some...  but make sure you get the Librarian's approval first!  

Dooms Day Preppers

Dooms Day Preppers Prezi here

Training After Tough Mudder

I have always been athletic and "in shape" without having to stick to a regular exercise routine.  I ran track in middle and high school and absolutely loved it!  I ran the hurdles, because they seemed different and I always had to be different from everyone else....  

I like being special, what can I say

Now that I have had two wonderful babies and I guess I have to officially say that I am growing up, ugh, I have tried to find a workout ---something-- that I can really get into.

Enter Mud Obstacle Races.  I started talking about the Tough Mudder earlier in the Spring of 2013 to my colleagues at school. A few of them were interested.  So we all got really excited, started talking some more, then summer break hit.  I don't know about them, but I think I might have worked out a total of 4 times over the summer.  Don't get me wrong, I love working out!  I love the challenge, the music, the therapy and the courage of it all, but with 2 children (one 11 and the other 2) life just gets in the way.  

Once August came around and school started again, I was actually able to get back into a routine.  Even better, a small crew of colleagues joined me (they still do on occasion).  

My Tough Mudder crew started talking again and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were actually serious about doing it, I was thrilled.  Nervous, for the 12 miles and electricity that was in my future, but the rush and excitement of this event was beyond words.  

This little crew and the Tough Mudder event were a total game changer in my workout motivation and routine.  I felt the best I EVER had in my life (and I was an athlete in my glory days of high school!).  

I can share with you that I successfully completed the Tough Mudder KY 2013 this past October.  (I didn't do all of the obstacles, but I honestly attempted the first half, the second half were just gonna have to wait until next time because I couldn't feel my limbs due to the cold).  I wrapped myself in a little shiny thermal blanket and hiked my way to the end.  Hiked being the key word here.  

Yes, that was in October and now that it's the end of November, I'm kinda bummed.  I don't have the rush of a "Tough Mudder event coming up in a few weeks so I have to train my butt off" and working out in the cold can be a challenge.  I tried working out indoors, but after training outside and getting in that habit, I just can't make that switch to be inside.  It feels weird, like trying to brush your teeth with your opposite hand, it's just wrong.

So, for Christmas I decided to ask for 2 things:  1) outside workout gear for the cold and 2) another mud obstacle course to train for.  Thankfully, my husband has agreed to do one with me in April.  :)  Now training for the Warrior Dash!  

I am attaching my training schedule so that I can share and hopefully inspire someone else to workout, but also to hold myself accountable!  

This training schedule actually came from Scott Colby and his Tough Mudder Workout, he has vimeo videos and everything if you need help with some of the exercises.  Click here for his info.

Here is my "pretty version" of Colby's interval and training schedule.  As the weeks continue, the # of  times you complete the circuits on each day increases, but we will cross that bridge when we get there :)

If you so choose to follow this with me, let me know how your doing!

Mr. Hall - Sub 111813

Hey there Mr. Hall!  Here is the schedule and all the "to do's" for today.  Have a great time!!

Mentor - Announcements and Storyboard for Video 3.
1st Hour - Speak Up worksheets, Stand Up 2 Cancer videos here and here
2nd - planning
3rd - Art Journal Powerpoint here, worksheet is printed, or found here
4th - Line and Pattern in Profiles, worksheet printed, or found here.
5th - same as 3rd
6th - The One and Only Ivan

Ms. Mitchell has printed everything for me just in case.
Let me know if you have comments, questions, concerns!

Ashley

Shades of Meaning

In last week's activity, I formally assessed that my students a. need help writing complete sentences, b. need time to create their own sentences, instead of copying what I say or what they see on the board and c. they can see what element/principle is used in an artwork, but they need practice describing how it's used.  

I get a lot of:  "The artist used line, shape and color."  "The artist used line to make the rocks."  "The artist used color in the fish."

So, I did some research and found a Content Literacy activity I wanted to try "Shades of Meaning".  I had some paintcolor bookmarks from Home Deport that I cut in half and passed out to each group.  We reviewed and listed the elements and principles on the board, then I let each group pick one.  They wrote the E/P in the first box, then we looked at an artwork and they wrote adjectives in the other boxes describing the E/P in the artwork.  (This took awhile).  Then, we passed around the paint chips and groups got to write sentences based on the adjectives from another group.  

I think in the future, I will have artworks placed on the walls with descriptive sentences next to them, or make a powerpoint of some artworks and students write the sentences as we talk about them.  

Here are the paint chips from the activity.  If I had enough, I might give each student a paintchip as well, not just the group.  Time to stock up  :)  

The One and Only Ivan

So, I have finally found a book that I love, love, love and have incorporated it into my art class.  The book is The One and Only Ivan, website can be found here.  My kids loved this book, they really got into it, there are even questions and mini-activities that can be done throughout the reading.

In an attempt to incorporate reading into the art class, I read this book to them whenever we had extra time, you know that last 10 minutes of the class or day when the closer is done and you are searching through your bag of tricks to keep their attention.  Totally grab this book, start reading, pass it around, let them read.

Video Flipbooks inspired by blublu.org

A while back I saw a video by blublu.org and I immediately thought "I want to do this!" The video can be found here, it's almost 10 minutes long, so prepare yourself.  It's basically a large scale flip book - still motion video, so I tried this out in my art class a couple weeks ago.  We watched the video and started out making small scale flip books from wads of post-it notes.  They worked great!  Then I attempted to have the students go larger and integrate a 2D plus 3D element.  I gave the example of a drawing of a ball rolling down the hallway, then maybe a few shots of a real ball rolling down the hallway, then back to the drawing.  Let's just say it is still a work in progress....

I don't think I "chunked" it down enough for complete understanding, and I left it too open.

I think for next time, I will still start small with the flip books (that was a success), then as a class we can decide on the sequence and we all just do it together.

Here is one student's flip book.  I took photos of all of his drawings and then pieced them together in a keynote powerpoint and made a Quicktime recording.

Why I love my kindle even more!!!

So, I am in the midst of writing yet another grad paper (last one for this class, yeah!) and we had a class meeting on campus yesterday.  I decided to attend because a. I love meeting people face to face and asking clarifying questions (so much can be lost in an email) but also b. APA format scares me/confuses me and I want to make sure that I am somewhere on the right path.  

The meeting was very nice, just our professor and 2 other students, and we talked, got to know each other a little more and got all of our questions answered.  One of my questions happened to be about my kindle and adding a reference from a downloaded book into my paper in APA format.

I am currently reading Making Learning Visible (MLV), from a Project Zero and Reggio Emilia partnership and I love it!  I am applying many of the strategies and practices into my own teaching and love the outcomes!  Anyway, so my question happened to be 1. how to properly cite my source in my reference section of my paper, but also 2. how to site my in-text reference and 3. how in the world do I find a page number when all I can see are % at the bottom?    it was a lengthy question

My professor showed me a neat little trick that I can do with the Kindle that eased all my worries!  I had to do a few little steps first....
1. I downloaded the Kindle app onto my Mac laptop.
2. I logged in and "opened" my MLV book
3.  I highlighted a section that I wanted to add to my paper
4. Copied said section 
5. Opened a pages document
6. Pasted said section into document and .....BAM!!!

Not only is my highlighted section there, BUT there is also a cited reference with Kindle reference page numbers!!   Hello, does it for you!  It's amazing!

Long story short, copy and paste from kindle book into a document and it cites it for you.   

Now, I only get to read 5 more articles, synthesize them into my paper, finish writing my paper and I am good to go!  Where's the coffee....... 

Optical Illusions

My 7th graders made optical illusions this week, we looked at organic vs. geometric lines and warm vs. cool colors.  Everyone really enjoyed this little art activity.  Next time, I might add a value component where the edges are darker and a "light source" is hitting the top of the area to really make it pop!  A few days into the activity I had them switch with someone at their table and do a peer critique.  I made a template that I project on the smart board to facilitate this activity.  It looks like this:

_____________'s Feedback

I see_________________.

I think _________________.

I wonder____________________.

The peer write's their name at the top and then provides feedback based on what they see so far, what they think they can do to improve/finish, and then offer a suggestion for higher level.  I thought it was really interesting to find out that a lot of the students were extremely supportive and encouraging, but also continued to provide feedback even after the activity.  They even asked to work on writing complete sentences in art because they want to be confident when providing feedback to their peers.  WIN - WIN!!!  

YMCA Fall Festival 2013

My school had the honor for the second year in a row to plan, create and "perform" the YMCA Fall Festival here in Lexington.  Last year, our theme was "Mysteries of Ancient Egypt" and we scared the little pants off of some of the kiddos.  Granted, the little ones cried at first, but then they came rushing back through to do it again!  We made a scary haunted room which featured all the mysteries of Ancient Egypt.  It was pretty grand with the set design, costumes, props, etc.  

This year, we wanted it to be a little more kid and activity friendly.  So, we picked the theme "China" and created a room where there were art activities, costumes, coordination activities and a dress up photo booth (which one of our teachers loved!  she wouldn't stop trying on all the clothes!)  love you Mrs. Galla!

Our activities included calligraphy (both stencils and with brushes), zodiac calendars and puppets, tangrams, scrolls, a literacy table with featured books and student designed bookmarks, a Chopsticks Challenge, sky lantern riddles, Panda habitat games, costumes and masks about the 8 Immortals, Feng Shui design, and a photo booth with outfits and props.  I am so thankful to work with such amazing and creative teachers!

Many of our teachers and students "worked" the event..... I say "worked" loosely because it was so much fun!! 

Lots of laughs, lots of pictures and a very good time.  What I love most about times like this is getting to know my students even more.  One instant that will stay with me:  The YMCA provided some pizzas for me and my students while we were setting up the room during the day.  The pizzas were delivered and most of the students sat down and one student started passing out the plates, bottled waters, and offering pizza boxes.  In true Ashley Baker "I must get this done now before I forget" fashion, I grabbed a slice and kept working.  The student said "No, no Mrs. Baker, we are all going to sit as a family and eat."  

What can I say to that!  Other than "Yes, sir, thank you" and I sat, ate and enjoyed my company, my family.  

It's PGP time!!

It's that time again for those in the teaching profession for Professional Growth Plans! 

 I kinda enjoy these self-eval times and reflecting on what I am doing in the classroom and seeing ways I can improve.  This year, our school is a pilot school for the new PGES format.  It's very informative with relevant examples and specific ways to improve.  That was my weekend project, reading through the PGES and putting it into my own words for understanding.  I know, this takes up a TON of time, but let me tell you, it was worth it!  I feel confident in the material and creating my PGP on 2 topics/areas for growth was pretty easy.  

PGP Topic #1

PGP Topic #2

The Global Achievement Gap

In my Grad class right now, one of the books we are reading/studying is The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner.  It is really interesting and scarily very true.  The first chapter discusses how the world and economy are "flattened" and our students need to be able to successfully practice and execute certain skills to be able to compete for survival.  These skills need to be promoted in the classroom.  

I made a table and did some more research on this.  I voiced to my professor that conceptually, we know what needs to be done, but how we implement this in the classroom is where the Professional Development needs to support our teachers.

Here's the table:

Skill	What to do
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving	Have students help you figure out real-life problems.  Everyday things, fix stuff, research topics, plan events.  Help them analyze the problem, don’t just give them the answer.  Product, problem, ARMS chunking, test, reflect.
Leading by Influence	Join a team or organization, learn to work in a group.  Let them practice what to say, but they need to say it.
Agility and Adaptability	be flexible, think on your feet.  This too shall pass, attitude.
Initiative and Entrepreneurialism	Follow student interests.  Encourage them to take that interest to the next level.
Effective Oral and Written Conversation	Discuss, interact.  Debate about topics.  Write thank you notes.  Read their work and give feedback.  Practice speaking, writing and giving presentations.
Accessing and Analyzing Data	When conducting research on a computer, talk about what you found.  Can you trust the source, is it reliable.
Curiosity and Imagination	Encourage questions, always.  Explore interests, let them lead.  Provide the opportunity: research, materials, encouragement and environment.

From:

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/global-achievement-gap/

Interest-A-Lyzer

Over the summer, I completed my first grad class at Georgetown College.  It was pretty intense for my first class, lots of papers and everything crammed into 7 weeks.  I was drinking coffee when my husband was just going to bed, but I survived.  The class was an "Intro to the Gifted and Talented Program".  During this class, I read a book by Joseph Renzulli from Renzulli Learning.  He talks a lot about focusing on students' interest and differentiating the lesson to match the interests.  He even has his own Interest-a-lyzer, which is where I got my powerpoint questions.  His is about 6 pages long, and I thought that was a little extreme to give to my new middle school students on day 2 of class, so I made a powerpoint of a few questions and we all answered them together.  

Getting their answers back is both humorous and beneficial!  I get to know each student a little more and I can also line them up with projects that might be of interest!  

Something else we like to do is pick a topic that we (myself and the students) want to learn about and teach, then we make a big exhibit out of it.  We each have different and equally important roles, but the roles are tailored to what we are interested in.  Props, acting, set design, writing, etc.  In the end, we all learn the content, we learn communication and group work skills and we are engaged and proud of our end product.  

The book I read was:


Renzulli, J., Reis, S., & Thompson, A. (2009). Light up your child’s mind.  Little, Brown and Company.

I found it at our local library, highly recommend it!!

Below is the Interest Powerpoint I made into a movie so you could see it.

Bullying and Suicide Rotation

Bullying and Suicide Rotation

At the beginning of the year, we divide students into groups and teach different topics on a Rotating Schedule.  This year, I got to teach about Bullying and Suicide.  (fortunately, I didn’t have anyone crying).  It is such a heavy topic, I get nervous talking about it, but our students are champs!  They are so open and honest about it and what they should do!  I wanted to post my Unit and Lesson that I did, in case anyone else finds it helpful.  I definitely recommend the activities, our rotation was about 45 minutes long.  We had NO down time, the kids were engaged for all 45 minutes and they contributed and taught me a few things!  So, here we go.  also, if you have suggestions, please leave a comment!  I would love to hear them!

Unit:  Bullying and Suicide

Opener:  Small discussion.  I share with the students the topics that we are getting ready to talk about.  I ask them if anyone has ever seen the “Wizard of Oz”.  (they raise their hands, and I thank them for 1. sharing and 2. raising their hands)  Then I ask “Do you remember what the Lion was looking for?”  They raise their hands again.  (Awesome!)  Courage!  Yes, Courage!  Courage is our word of the hour; because, sometimes it takes Courage to stand up to bullying or to do something about it.

Small Group Activity:  Students form 2-3 person groups and are provided a graphic organizer.  I have different scenarios and actions printed on little slips.  Each group receives a scenario.  They read the scenario and then decide if they agree/disagree/not sure with the action that is stated.  They have to write and tell me the why behind their decision.  

[This activity came from Tolerance.org, for links to the activity click here.  For the Scenarios, click here and the graphic organizer click here.]

I put a timer on the Smartboard and give them maybe 5 minutes.  Then we share with the class.  This usually gets a really good conversation going, other kids are adding to the scenarios and some are sharing “inappropriate” actions that they would do, but that allows for corrections and deeper understandings to be made.  This activity took up most of the 45 time slot.  

When conversations are wrapping up, I thank them for sharing and we turn in the graphic organizers and slips.  I want to give them credit for their work and participation in this activity, so I need to go back and give Tiger Ticket credit. (Positive Reinforcement award system specific to our school.)

The next activity is watching a sweet, sweet slideshow that someone put together of a young man who committed suicide.  It’s just a slideshow of pictures with a song that plays along in the background.  Not a super heavy message, but I think it really hit home because it was age-relevant and it looks like something our kids would create.

For the link to the slideshow, click here.

After the video, (about 5 minutes) I passed out some Suicide Brochures that I received from our counseling office.  I turned to one of the pages that describes the signs of suicide.  I lead a conversation with the students about who to tell or talk to if you sense this happening and we discussed the signs.  

After that, we cleaned up the room and I gave them instructions for the next rotation.

It's Almost Here!!

Another school year is about to start and I am kinda happy, kinda sad.  I am extremely excited to see everyone and meet our new students, AND I am so excited about our activities and things we are going to learn; however, this summer has FLOWN by!!  Between Grad Classes and YMCA Summer Camps and Family Events, it has been crazy!  

That being said, I know I am grateful for the opportunity to be a teacher and have the summers to spend with my family and all the "kid craziness"!  

So, in the great words of my late Grandpa Peck, think of it this way...."you don't HAVE to do something, you GET to do something".  Have fun doing it and be thankful that you are blessed with this chance.  

Along that note, there are a LOT of things I get to do this week to prep for my classes!  ;)
One of those is welcoming my students to TLC and to my Mentor Group.  I made this newsletter to introduce myself, provide some communication information and set the tone for Student Success and Support!  You are more than welcome to use the template if you like.....enjoy!

Book Review: Light Up Your Child's Mind by Renzulli and Reis

Renzulli, J., Reis, S., & Thompson, A. (2009). Light up your child’s mind.  Little, Brown and Company.

Ch. 1
When a child is underachieving, school’s look for what’s “wrong”, because they don’t fit the system; instead of searching for interests to increase engagement.  We need to inspire a love of learning; get rid of passive rote learning.  Emphasis on creative-productive learning which is to develop an original something for positive impact on an audience.  3 ring Venn: task commitment, creativity and above avg. ability.  Schools seem in a “rut”, the GT child is not just the straight A’s, high GPA and perfect behavior kid.  Children are more than “consumers of knowledge”.  They need an opportunity to realize strengths and gain sense of purpose.

Ch. 2
The creatively gifted child.  Many of their characteristics do not conform to “appropriate school behavior”.  intense motivation, sensitivity, daydreaming, questioning rules and authority, carelessness, disorganization and obsessiveness.  **The same qualities we admire in the real world, we find distracting in the classroom.**
We can support by encouraging playfulness, being flexible, and encouraging individual and unusual ideas.

Ch. 3
Encourage child to become involved in a real investigative activity that springs from a personal interest or passion.  A “real problem” is like an essential question.  Make it real by making it personal.  There is no “right” answer and no solution (atleast to the children at that time).  real problem = solution, creating a real product for a real audience.  Start with their interests.  Introduce a mentor-in-print, menor-in-person or interact with a professional.  Teacher is a “guide-on-the-side”.  Don’t look AT something, look INTO something.  Decide on the audience first.  Lunch Bag Seminars - have students share product with small group over snacks in classroom.

Ch. 4
Students need to select their own interest for engagement.  Interests can change and/or fluctuate.  How to find interest? talk to them and explore possibilities.  Interest-A-Lyzer.  A child usually pursues interests at home or with extra-curricular activities, why not bring that into the classroom?  

Ch. 5
Let the student choose “role” in a project that fits their style.  Consider learning styles: audio/discussions, written/visuals, hands-on and kinesthetic.  Instructional styles inventory form pg. 92-99.  Ask them “How would you prefer to demonstrate what you have learned?” options pg. 104-105.

Ch. 6
Put it all together.  input (gathering info and materials), processing (manipulating input), output (creating a product).  Brainstorm to break it down, chunking, and try to find a problem to solve.  Webbing.  Ask context questions: where, who, when and what.  Make sure parents don’t overdo it with resources, it could turn the child off.  Product suggestions pg. 126-127.  Key questions:  What methods do professionals use to carry out their work?  What resources and materials do they need?  Find a website related to interests and look at jobs involved.  Use mentor-in-print and How-to books.  Project Management Plan pg. 134 Remember - Teacher is Managerial Assistant, “What can I do to help you?”  

Ch. 7
Guide on the side.  Support a Growth Mindset vs. Fixed mindset.  Take “safe risks” and learn something new.  Praise the product, not the kid.  Appropriate feedback: 1. done well 2. needs improvement 3. edit, learning from field 4. expand skills/experiences, next steps 5. Talk like a serious adult to a serious young person.  Always have an audience, adds accountability and real world situation.  In modeling behavior, show interest, passion, dedication and fun!  Einstein: “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.”

Ch. 8
Twice Exceptional.  Modify lesson plans, oral vs. written.  These gifted students have difficulty going through school with different learning factors, they need the right kinds of support.  Focus on developing the talent, while compensating for the disability.  They tend to develop systems that work for them.  Help them read and annotate, put in their own words.  Chunking really large tasks.  Practice SQ3R.  Teach and practice study skills.  More on the HOW than the WHAT. 

Ch. 9
Gifted Underachiever.  aggressive, withdrawn or both.  Classroom environment that could lead to underachieving:  minimal effort work accepted by teachers, rote learning, conformity and an unchallenging curriculum.  A slow pace and unchallenging work inhibit abilities.  They don’t develop the skills to learn.  Try Curriculum compacting, scheduling them time to practice/study/be curious.  Encourage “good peer” connections, don’t hang out with the “cool kids” that hate school.  Encourage extracurricular activities.    They need to feel usefully challenged.

Ch. 10
ORE - opportunity, resources, encouragement.  Focus on positives and interests, not what the child is doing “wrong”.  Form a parent - teacher alliance.  Enrichment Facilitator: 1. students love after school clubs, 2. end product with their interests and passions 3. each do roles that they pick
Teacher can give survey: 10 things students would like to learn.  Interest-A-Lyzer and after school activities.  Invite parents and community for involvement.  SEM project examples pg. 224-225

www.gifted.edu/sem or www.gifted.edu/clusters for examples.  

Crayon Rubbings, Fossils and Robot Dinosaurs

For Week 2 and 3 I was away for the BGWP and wasn't able to participate with the YMCA Summer Camp Activities.  I was bummed, the BGWP was a lot of fun and I learned and practiced some new strategies, but I am an artist and will always prefer to be making or painting something.  That being said, Week 4 for YMCA Activities brings on a study of fossils.  First, we went on a Nature Walk and gathered leaves.  Then we brought them back to our activity table and using white printer paper and naked crayons (without the paper, geez!) we made Nature Rubbings.  

If you are not familiar with these, here are the steps to jog your memory:  1. take a leaf and place it face down on the table.  2.  Place a white piece of paper over your leaf.  3.  Take the paperless/naked crayon and lay it down flat, like it's taking a nap  4.  Rub the crayon back and forth over the paper and the lines and details of the leaf will begin to appear.

We talked about how this is kinda what a fossil looks like, but it's in rock or stone.

We talked about how fossils are made (thanks to Bradley, my son, and his plethora of boys' books and dinosaur knowledge).  Then we made our own fossils.  Now, the first group made theirs out of a recipe I found on the internet.  It was on the Education.com website, so I figured it was pretty legit.  However, it was a mess.  The recipe was also inconsistent, the heat from summertime didn't help and the "dough" was either sticky (like sticking to your hands and table sticky) or it was too dry and cracked and fell apart.  So, we did the best we could with what we had and I switched it up the next day.  I went to Wal-mart and got the Air Dry clay.  SOOOOOOO much better!  I know it's more expensive, but it's simple AND there's very little mess.  I also picked up some poster paint and little watercolor paint palettes to 
color our fossils.  (I know that isn't legit to all you Science Teachers, but hey, live a little!)  
The Flour and Salt Recipe Lesson Plan and info can be found here.  
This recipe makes these little "sugar cookie" patties and after a day of 80 degree heat, they still aren't dry and they are breaking apart very easily.  Just FYI.

Here are some pics:

Goo and Iced Sidewalk Chalk

For week one at the YMCA Summer Camps, we looked at substances that were or could be solid, liquid and gas.  

I found 2 activities on Pinterest that looked really fun that also matched the Standards.  The first is the Goo, you know, that goopy slimy stuff.  It was actually a LOT easier to make than I expected!  We used a bottle of generic store brand white glue, water, food coloring, borax, a bowl, spatula and then a sharpie to write the kids names on the baggies so they could take it home with them.  I also read somewhere you can add glitter to the mixture and make it sparkly (maybe next time I will try that!).

It turned out really well, super easy to make, the kids helped with each of the steps and loved playing with it.  The ages of the kids range from kindergarten to 5th grade.  Definitely a keeper!  Here are some pics:

The full recipe and ingredients and all that can be found here. 

The next activity we did was play with Iced Sidewalk Chalk.  Now, this I made at home the night before and brought it in a cooler.  The kids LOVED the ice and drawing on the black pavement of the mini parking lot we had.  They drew, they played, they made stamps with their hands and they begged for more.  This one is also a keeper!  It wasn't too bad to mix at home either and then just grab the ice cube trays and stick 'em in a cooler and you're good to go.  Here are some pics:

Description, information and the site I used is found here.  

All in all, I think Week One was a success.  The kids all had a great time, I tried to incorporate the Science behind everything, but I was also afraid I might tell them something incorrect.  So, I stuck to the basics and kept it simple.  This summer is going to be a blast!!

**Now, I am not a Science teacher, I just went through the ES and MS Standards for FCPS and did my best interpretations and then searched on Pinterest for activities that matched up.  If you are a Science Teacher, plus advise but don't criticize, and if you want, please use the activities in your classroom or at home.  I will write a little reflection after each activity and let you know if it was a flop, or a Huge Hit!  

Ode to Binkie

Under pillows

in the car

peeking from under the bed

bunny noses

little frog smiles

comforts at night

midday naptime

purple

pink

and froggy green

"I need my bink before I get mean!"

They are everywhere I put my keys

my purse

the kitchen

the kitchen sink

Car glove box

5 under the couch

washer

dryer

bubby's toy box

At night

they like to disappear

when needing them is most dear

"Where is that little thing?"

I ask around

usually I can find them abound

But they like to hide

when we need them most

I swear we have like 25!

3 in each room

just in case

in my bag, the pantry

and next to the vase

We step on them, trip and kick, but when she cries

"What the heck!"

Where are you bink?

I think aloud

Ssshhhshshshshssshhhh

--but she's out --

Don't.Make.A.Sound.........   ..  . ..    ....zzzzz

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Over the course of the 2012-2013 school year, I participated in our Faculty Book Club and oh, man!  We had a blast!  Just us girls, laughing, giggling, eating snacks and talking about these book characters.  We sometimes referred to our meetings as our "book club sleepovers".  I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to see these girls again.  

I was so excited, in fact, that I already read 1 of 2 books that we are reading and meeting up about over the summer.  This first book is called "Second Chance Summer" and it's by Morgan Matson.  It kind of takes place at a family lake house (which was interesting b/c at the time, I was with family visiting the in-laws at their house on a lake, so the setting was perfect!).  

The main character's name is Taylor and her and her family go to the lakehouse to spend time together.  She runs into some old friends and an ex-boyfriend who she "dated" when she was like 11-12.  (Do kids even do that?)  The last time she was at the lakehouse, something happened and now she has to face her old "buddies" as well as deal with a family member who has gotten really sick.  

**WARNING**  There are parts where I was holding the book up to my face really close so my son wouldn't see Mommy crying, and then when I got myself pulled together, UGH, again here come the tears.  

I definitely recommend this book, some editing errors (pet-peeve of mine), but all-in-all.....thumbs up!!  :)

Now, I can't wait for our "book club sleepover" to chat about this book, among other things.  :)  

Jude Cover Shoot

This image is from a Book Cover Shoot that we did with an English class.  I found some really cool images on Pinterest and wanted to create our own with the book we just read.  The Book was Jude, by Kate Morgenroth.  Pretty good book, great High School lesson.  The students really got into it!  

When I met with the students, I showed them some sample images of what we wanted to create and then I asked what could be in the background, midground and foreground depending on what the character went through and some things from his life.  It was a great discussion and the students came up with some really cool ideas.  We decided on the above, after about 8 pictures and some cropping.  

Great way to summarize the book and digitally express their ideas and summaries.

PTSA Award!

I had the privilege of attending the FCPS PTSA Luncheon yesterday and our school's PTSA won an award!  Back in the fall, our school partnered up with the Northside YMCA and we collaborated on a "haunted house" with the theme of Mysteries of Ancient Egypt.  All classes and disciplines were involved with students creating projects, outfits, activities, displays... everything!  Our students even worked the event, and they LOVED it!  Both the students and the YMCA are begging for a 2013-2014 repeat!  I can't wait to lead another event!

Bring it on!  It was SO much fun, busy and stressful, but SO much fun!!

Bodies Exhibit @ TLC Museum

TLC Bodies Exhibit

Our classes have been collaborating on a TLC Bodies Exhibit that displays projects and activities from our Biology and Health Standards.  

So, what will you see?  Well, we have sculpted and created a Respiratory System with organs and learned about the functions of each organ.  We have sculpted a Human Circulatory System with organs and learned about the functions of these organs.  We did some vitamins and minerals research to see what is most beneficial to these bodily systems  and then created an Eat This Not That poster complete with pictures, calorie and fat gram info AND what exercise you would need to do to burn off the eaten calories.  We collaborated with KY Nurses from the University of Kentucky.  (Thanks Rachel!)

We also took a field trip to the Kentucky Science Center to visit the official Bodies Exhibit.  To check it out click here.

Biology class dissected some animals and we are currently testing out some methods to preserve the organs.  

More pictures to come, but here are a few to see what we have so far.

Social Media in the Classroom

So, here is my proposal for using Social Media in the classroom.  My school would like me to lead a PD regarding utilizing some internet resources.  I love using Instagram for pictures and sending them out via twitter and then obviously this Blog.  I am currently testing out Kidblog and Edmodo to determine which is more "user-friendly" and also which ones the students prefer. 

Any thoughts/comments/suggestion?
If you have used these in your classroom, do you like them?  What would you recommend?

..........................................................................................

Go Paperless!!

Goal: 

Improving Classroom Management and Communication through incorporating 21^st Century Skills that will improve teacher, student, parent communication; improve school-wide Customer Service for students, parents, staff/faculty; increasing Global communication opportunities and upholding school-wide initiative for Sustainability.

Objectives:

(1)   Identify and experience 21^st Century Skills in the classroom.

a.      See handout and activity - TBD

(2)  Identify and experience how Digital/Social Media can improve communication and customer service in the classroom as well as for teacher, student, parent and staff/faculty collaboration.

a.      Pinterest – (Instagram) – photos of really well done products to advertise to others

b.      Twitter – (Instagram) – snapshots of daily life, goings-on in the classroom, etc.

c.       Blogs – finished piece to display nice images, videos along with written reflections/descriptions, etc.

d.      Kidblog – teacher creates master blog, students have blogs (does not inter-face well after graduation); testing in progress

e.      Edmodo – Teacher/student/classroom “facebook”, post assignments, planners, grades, conduct quizzes, post comments; testing in progress.

(3)  Global Communication Opportunities

a.      Quadblogging – associated with Kidblog, link up with Global communities and collaborate on projects.

b.      Skype

c.       Facetime

(4)  Sustainability, Why go Paperless?

a.      HIPPA – The federal government established the timetable with Congress’ passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which included the so-called HITECH Act. (Education is next, let’s get ahead of the game)

b.      Money saved from printer paper

                                                              i.      School Year 2012-2013:  estimated printer paper cost:  $1,000

                                                           ii.      GOAL:  School Year 2013-2014: estimated printer paper cost: $500

                                                         iii.      School Savings:  $500.00

Ashley Baker

May 5, 2013