Watch this video and then reflect on the message Rick Lavoie is sending to us. Spend a moment thinking about what this means to you as an educator and for the kids in your classroom.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Message from the Math Vertical Team
These are the place value illustrations we decided on in Vertical Teams today-
All grades:
Ones with a dot
Tens with a stick/strip/rod/long
Hundreds with a square/flat/mat
Primary grades: 1,000 with a long rectangle (representing how 10 squares/flats/mats put together in one strip will make a long rectangle).
At the end of 2nd grade, teachers will demonstrate to students how you can also stack the 10 groups of a hundred to form a cube.
3rd grade--begin representing 1,000 as a cube. Still demonstrate that 10 squares/flats/mats in one long rectangle is the same as 10 squares stacked together to form a cube.
4th & 5th: 1,000 is a cube
All grades will be mindful of using the vocabulary words interchangeably (ex. strip/rod) as well as showing students various ways to represent base ten amounts.
An idea that was mentioned for primary grades using Calendar Math--throughout the year, change what creates your "bundle" of ten. Instead of always representing a bundle as ten straws, use crayons or popsicle sticks. This will help begin to form the idea in the minds of our students that numbers can be represented in a variety of ways.
Thanks everyone!
Kyle
All grades:
Ones with a dot
Tens with a stick/strip/rod/long
Hundreds with a square/flat/mat
Primary grades: 1,000 with a long rectangle (representing how 10 squares/flats/mats put together in one strip will make a long rectangle).
At the end of 2nd grade, teachers will demonstrate to students how you can also stack the 10 groups of a hundred to form a cube.
3rd grade--begin representing 1,000 as a cube. Still demonstrate that 10 squares/flats/mats in one long rectangle is the same as 10 squares stacked together to form a cube.
4th & 5th: 1,000 is a cube
All grades will be mindful of using the vocabulary words interchangeably (ex. strip/rod) as well as showing students various ways to represent base ten amounts.
An idea that was mentioned for primary grades using Calendar Math--throughout the year, change what creates your "bundle" of ten. Instead of always representing a bundle as ten straws, use crayons or popsicle sticks. This will help begin to form the idea in the minds of our students that numbers can be represented in a variety of ways.
Thanks everyone!
Kyle
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Rules of Writing
Thought you all might like this quote about writing - and the rules we "think" govern it..
Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don't start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
~William Safire, "Great Rules of Writing"
Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don't start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
~William Safire, "Great Rules of Writing"
Monday, September 27, 2010
Morpheme Flip Book
After our discussion about vocabulary development during our vertical team meeting Tuesday, many of you will be thinking of ways to build stronger working vocabularies with the students in your classroom. Helping kids understand word structure is an effective way to guide kids to understand the meaning of new and multi-syllable words - as well as a tool to use (and make up) words in their written work. This video provides directions for creating a morpheme flip book. If you try this strategy, let me know if you need lists of prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
YouTube and Beyond
Over the past few weeks I've posted several videos from YouTube on this blog, however this is not the only source of media available. Check out this blog that lists numerous free media resources for teachers. I'll also list the link on the blog list for easy access.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/09/47-alternatives-to-using-youtube-in.html
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/09/47-alternatives-to-using-youtube-in.html
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Writing to Demonstrate Learning
Many of you are working to add variety and complexity to WTDL formative assessments. I will be putting several new graphic organizer templates (with directions) in the red pocket chart hanging to the left of the bulletin board. There are more templates available on the G drive - and there a several professional books on formative assessment on the bookshelf as well. Let me know what's working (or not working) with your students. I'd love to share some examples at a staff meeting, so please pass along copies of student work to me. Thanks for having open minds and being willing to "give a go" with new strategies and materials!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Going with the Flow
Many of you are trying new strategies in your classrooms this year...Positive Discipline, math workshop, Daily 5, Words Their Way, incorporating more thoughtful writing to learn and writing to demonstrate learning strategies...the list could go on. Remember to keep things in perspective as you give new ideas "a go" and realize that as you learn and grow as a teacher, there will be moments that shine, and moments that are less than stellar! Learn and laugh with the dips and celebrate with the high points. Here's a little story of a cat who can "go with the flow"...enjoy!
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