Long time, no news from Room 13! That’s what happens when we’re working hard! Here’s what has been keeping us busy:
GO Math
The students are doing great problem-solving in math. Every morning, they complete a Problem of the Day (POD) before the main math lesson. This week, we have been working on writing our own story problems. Here are examples, when the direction was to "Write a word problem to go with the algorithm 5 x 3 = 15."
Emily collects shells.
Payne buys hats.
Folktales
In language arts, we have been reading, enjoying and analyzing folktales from around the world. Reading and retelling folktales is a great way to master several Common Core Standards. Plus, it's fun! The class favorite is Lon Po Po, a Chinese Little Red Riding Hood. Today, we listened to an author read Petite Rouge (A Cajun Red Riding Hood) on YouTube. We are learning about the 6 main elements of folktales.
A simple setting (Long ago in a forest, or "In a windy valley in the windy middle of nowhere..." from Willa and the Wind by Janice M. Del Negro)
Strong characters that are good or bad.
A problem that is solved by the main character
Cultural clues (such as the gingko nuts and Chinese words in Lon Po Po)
A message (For example, "Being clever is better than being strong," from "Jamila and the Tiger")
Dear Families,
Thank you for spending your Thursday evening with me at Back to School Night. I loved meeting you and answering your questions. If you missed it, you can find my Back to School Night presentation here. Your child will bring their paperwork home in their green Homework Folder. Their homework over the weekend is to give you all the paperwork and to READ, READ, READ! Please return the field trip donation, the questionaire about your child, and the volunteer form ASAP. Thank you!
Technology Update
Joanie Bryant and I share a cart of Chromebooks between us. We are in need of headphones to fully utilize all the amazing applications on these devices. I have written a Donors Choose grant to fund our headphone purchase. If you would like to contribute to my headphone and splitter grant, please find it here.
**From now until September 3, please enter the code INSPIRE and your donation will be matched by Donors Choose (up to $100).
Students love looking at All About Me bag contents, above and below.
I said one of my goals for the 2014-2015 school year was to create a classroom blog with students. Here I am! I realized that before I can have students help me write blog posts, I had better learn to blog on my own. So, this is my first attempt.
We are focusing on wondering and questioning and technology in my classroom this year. As Erno Rubik (inventor of the Rubik's Cube), stated, "I believe [teaching] QUESTIONS are probably more important today than [teaching] ANSWERS." As I write this first post, I am full of questions, and I am wondering,
"What was I thinking?" and
"Will anyone read this?" and
"How will I teach third graders to blog?" and
"When is the best time to start this experiment?" and
"How do I make my blog look cool like all those other blogs I've seen?" and
"Why am I at school on a Saturday afternoon?"
As long as the questions that I'm asking lead me forward in my teaching and learning with children, I feel confident that I'll be a more insightful teacher if I embrace the WONDER. Welcome, and thank you for joining me this year. Oh, and see below for "The Why of Technology" video featuring Erno Rubik!
