Wednesday, December 16

Today's Content:

• Tier 1 Priorities: Close Reading & Abydos strategies in 8th grade ELAR

Falcon Focus: Tier 1 Priorities

8th Grade ELAR has been teaching their 3rd six weeks content in the context of the Holocaust.  Students have practiced close reading to analyze a wide variety of genres, including poetry, narrative nonfiction, and drama, and focus in heavily on the theme and possible lessons learned, as they are expressed in the content.  The products that result from that close reading are quite powerful; if you haven't wandered down the 30 hall lately, you definitely should.  Here are some examples of some of the great student work.

Blackout Poetry -  Pre-AP students were asked select a page from Elie Weisel's Night that they believed were particularly meaningful; students then had to complete a blackout poem from their page.  

Tip: To read these, find the words that are still visible and string them together. 

Poetry imitation - All students practiced poetry imitation, an Abydos writing strategy that encourages students to explore and try on the stylistic and thematic choices of strong writers.  

The original poem ("First They Came" by Martin Niemoller)

Students samples of imitated poetry

So, with all of that said, I hope everyone has a wonderful (and restful!) winter break!  

And remember...

It's a great day to be a Falcon!

Friday, December 11

Today's Content:

• Digital Learning: Mark Biggs uses ShowMe for test review

Falcon Focus:  Digital Learning

In an effort to streamline test review, Mark Biggs uses ShowMe to review tests with students digitally.  ShowMe is an app and online community that allows anyone to create lessons or reviews on a whiteboard space.  Mark uses ShowMe by recording his thought process as he works through the different problems on a test.  This makes his thinking visible for students so that they can better understand the thought process in working the problems. 

After a test, students have the opportunity to review their own test alongside the test recording.  They have the option to go back and re-watch different problems, or skip ahead to just the problems that they missed.  

Click here to view the entire test review.

If you have any questions about ShowMe or are interested in recording your test, you can ask Mark Biggs, Mary Terry, or Rashel Larson.

It's a great day to be a Falcon!

Friday, December 4

Today's Content:

• SIOP: Flipped Classroom in Lindsay Cato's 7th Grade Science
• Problem of Practice: Writing & thinking critically about students' art
• Tier 1 Priorities:  Check-in from the 11/18 faculty meeting

Falcon Focus:  SIOP

Lindsay Cato has started flipping her classroom by recording previews of her daily lessons.  Each 3-7 minute video includes the daily warm-up, a brief explanation of concepts and activities for the day, and key academic vocabulary.  Students will have access to the videos via YouTube, and are also encouraged to come in before or after school.  The target audience are her LEP students; however, it will benefit all of her kids!  

Lindsay's first Screencastify broadcast

If you have any questions about Screencastify or are interested in flipping parts of your class, talk to Lindsay, Mary Terry, or Rashel Larson.

Falcon Focus: Problem of Practice

Rebekah Luckett's select art class created still lifes of objects personal to them.  Students were instructed to select 7 objects so dear to them that the would want to rescue them above all other possessions.  After completing the art work using a variety of mediums, students then went on to reflect on and write about their artwork.  Why were these objects important?  What do those objects reveal about me as an individual?  

The class then reflected on each other.  How had the other artworks impacted them?  What did they notice about the other students' pieces?  Finally, they summed up the group reflections in a hashtag.  #checkoutthefronthallway



Falcon Focus: Tier 1 Priorities

Finally, a follow-up to our faculty meeting on 11/18.  At the end of the meeting we used Padlet as a means to reflect on the Tier 1 priorities and instructional practices that we are focusing on across the different content areas.  Clearly, there's quite a bit of overlap from one content area to another, and you guys did a great job of reflecting on specific strategies and areas you wanted to focus on in your classroom.

Please let me know if you have any questions about any of the Tier 1 Priorties, or if there is some way that I can support you in implementing any of this.  I hope everyone has a great day, and remember...

It's a great day to be a Falcon!