Curriculum Times
April 2016: Volume 2, Issue 8
This issue's Table of Contents
- Ted Talks in Lots of Languages
- Rigorous Language Instruction
- Availability of Foreign Language Materials as Open Educational Resources
- Rubrics for All Modes
Secondary Integration
- Relating to the Class of 2017
Any Given Child
- AGC Resources
- AGC-T Professional Development Institute
Social Studies
- Earth Day
- Global Collaboration
- OCCT/EOI Updates
Early Childhood
- Learning Station Tips
Science
- Genes in Space
- HHMI: Science BioInteractive
- Summer Science Institute
- Sol Hirsch Grants
- Staying Current with Science
- Curriculum Pacing
Fine Arts
- Deadlines
- Opportunities
- Kudos
Gifted & Talented
- Creative and Critical Thinking, and Problem-Solving
- Third Annual Chess Tournament
Mathematics
- Organizing and Storing all the Stuff...
- Desmos
- Summer Learning
Tech Bytes
- Learning Management Systems
- Reading Strategy: Read Aloud Resource
- Literacy Station Tip: Writing
Curriculum Contact of the Month
- Mary Jane Snedeker - AC for Social Studies & Advanced Placement
About Us
Archived Editions
TED Talks in Lots of Languages
Source: TEDx
TEDx talks are given all over the world, in a wide variety of languages. Find excellent authentic content in your target language by browsing TED talks by language: http://tedxtalks.ted.com/pages/languages
Rigorous Language Instruction
Check out A Recipe for Rigor in World Languages.
This article on 90%+ Target language includes strategies to increase target language use in your classroom.
Click on "Designing Rigorous Tasks" and “Performance Tasks and Integrated Performance Assessments” for a ton of authentic resources!
Availability of Foreign Language Materials as Open Educational Resources
Source: COERLL
The Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning, recently posted a blog entry listing repositories with language learning materials as well as criteria for evaluating their content. You may want to bookmark this post; it contains many useful resources.
Rubrics for All Modes
Check out these rubrics - courtesy the Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey. You'll find rubrics for different levels to assess interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive tasks, based on the ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners.
Relating to the Class of 2017
Since the 1990’s educators have been talking about rigor, relevance, and relationships. A challenge in developing relevance is that our students have grown up in a very different world than the one many of us did. It can be difficult to relate content to the real world when the real world students live in is so dissimilar. The following are some examples of how their world is different from The Mindset List by Beloit College. This list is published every August by Beloit College to remind the professors that the cultural references they make may mean nothing to their students. It also serves, however, to remind educators that these students face some serious issues about the future of the class and their role in the future of the nation. The digital technology that affords them privacy from their parents, robs them of their privacy amid the “big data” of the NSA and Google. How will the absence of instant on-line approval impact their performance in the classroom and work place? (Nief, R., McBride, T., & Westerberg, C. 2015. The Mindset List for the Class of 2018. https://www.beloit.edu/mindset/previouslists/2018/)
The Seniors of 2017
- They weren’t born when the federal building in Oklahoma City was bombed.
- Women have always attended the Virginia Military Institute and the Citadel.
- Joe Camel has never introduced one of them to smoking.
- Hello Dolly...cloning has always been a fact, not science fiction.
- Ads for prescription drugs, noting their disturbing side effects, have always flooded the airwaves.
- When they see wire-rimmed glasses, they think Harry Potter, not John Lennon.
- Parents have always been able to rely on a ratings system to judge violence on TV.
- Women have always been dribbling, and occasionally dunking, in the WNBA.
- Bill Gates has always been the richest man in the U.S.
- Ferris Bueller and Sloane Peterson could be their parents
- Amazon has never been just a river in South America.
- As they started to crawl, so did the news across the bottom of the television screen.
- As kids they may well have seen Chicken Run but probably never got chicken pox.
- They have known only two presidents.
- There have always been blue M&Ms, but no tan ones.
- They have never attended a concert in a smoke-filled arena
- They have never seen an airplane “ticket.”
- A significant percentage of them will enter college already displaying some hearing loss.
- Simba has always had trouble waiting to be King.
- Little Caesar has always been proclaiming “Pizza Pizza.”
- Astronauts have always spent well over a year in a single space flight.
- All their lives, Whitney Houston has always been declaring “I Will Always Love You.”
- Video games have always had ratings.
- Music has always been available via free downloads.
- Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.
AGC Resources
Click to access RESOURCES FOR AN ARTS RICH CLASSROOM
AGC-T Professional Development Institute Update
As part of the ten month arts integration institute developed in accordance with the Kennedy Center’s definition of arts integration, approximately 20 TPS teachers attended the following workshops:
Music Across the Curriculum, presented by Libby Sublett, Riverfield Country Day School Music Specialist offered participants the opportunity to discover strategies to teach content areas incorporating music.
Fred Barton, Ashland University, Ohio and Project Zero Classroom, Harvard University, presented Creating a Culture of Thinking in Classrooms and Schools. Fred offered several strategies including changing the way you respond to a student’s answer/response to encourage thinking. Rather than confirming a correct or incorrect answer try responding to a student’s answer/response with “What makes you say that?” This simple strategy requires the student to think deeper without the fear of labeling their answer as “right” or “wrong”.
Earth Day
On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was observed. It was founded by Sen. Gaylord Nelson, an environmentalist, to educate people in the importance of the environment and to advocate for conservation and sustainability. Earth Day paved the way for many environmental organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency. It also helped to create support for legislative acts such as the Clean Air Act. Today, Earth Day encourages the importance of long-term ecological sustainability. It helps us to be aware of the demand for clean water, air, and land. More than 200 million people in 141 countries celebrate Earth Day every April 22nd. What will you do to make our Tulsa community more sustainable? How will you encourage your students to advocate for a healthier environment and a sustainable life?
The theme of Earth Day 2016 is Trees for the Earth. Trees for the Earth is a campaign to plant 7.8 Billion trees around the world, one for every person on the planet, by the Earth Day’s 50th anniversary in 2020.
Links to various resources:
Link to an article written by by Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day
United States Environmental Protection Agency
NEA - variety of lesson ideas and links to articles
PLT - Project Learning Tree - environmental books - reading list for K-12
Earth Day Toolkit - created by the Earth Day network, suggestions for getting involved
Climate Education Toolkit - lesson ideas for K-12 - Science, Social Studies, Math and ELA
National Geographic - variety of lesson ideas for all grades and subjects
Lesson ideas:
- Read The Lorax with your students then complete one or several of these lessons to help students understand the importance of sustainable resources, especially trees.
- Host a solar cook-out for your class or school to teach students about a renewable and sustainable alternative form of energy — solar energy! Step by step directions can be found here.
- Download Zero Carbon, a free app for the iPhone and iPad to have students calculate their individual carbon footprint by looking at their daily habits. Once one knows the amount of greenhouse gases his/her lifestyle is producing, this app offers tips on reducing that number. Zero Carbon also shows how individuals’ statistics stack up against world averages.
- View short video clips on climate change, global warming, ozone holes and more. Have students find visuals and data to support the information discussed in the video.
Global Collaboration - Are my classrooms building "docks" or are we together "building bridges" with classrooms of the world?
In our interconnected world of today, students are presented with a lot of opportunities for inquiry, investigation, and interdisciplinary learning that crosses both curricular content and national borders. In recent years, technology adoption in schools and the personal ownership of cell phones by students has allowed for meaningful and accessible use of web-based tools and apps for learning that could include global collaborations. Some of these tools are:
Periscope
SnagIt
Padlet
Voxer
Kahoot!
SoundTrap
Thinglink
Nearpod
Skype
Flat Stanley
Google Earth
We encourage you to investigate the use of these tools in your classroom! Click here for an article for more information on using these tools. Teaching and Learning resources can be found in this ASCD update as well. Check out the Flat Projects website and the Unicef website for global project ideas for K-12 classrooms.
OCCT/EOI Update
This year will be the first year that some of your students test online. In order for them to become familiar with the online test format and functions, please provide your class an opportunity to practice.
Go to the following website: oklahoma.measuredprogress.org/student
Provide the Username: practice
Provide the Password: (EOI) oklahoma; (grades 6-8) testing
Learning Station Tips
It’s spring! Your Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students are growing and changing every day! Reading, writing, speaking and listening is now embedded in the work of every student and adult in our primary classrooms. What should you expect to see and hear in every Tulsa Public Schools balanced literacy early childhood classroom?
One of our district’s early childhood guiding principles is that each child learns in unique ways. Learning centers provide children with a broad range of experiences so each child is able to find activities and learning materials that match their interest level and their level of development. Learning centers are used to foster involvement, promote independence in learning, and encourage responsibility and decision making.
Independent learning opportunities can be organized in many ways. Some centers or work stations can provide children with specific practice in skills such as literacy or math. Inquiry or exploratory centers can focus on a theme with multiple skills embedded in the themed learning activities.
The basic centers found in TPS early childhood classrooms include:
- Language & Literacy Center
- Reading Center & Book Corner
- Writing Center
- Listening Center
- Math Center
- Block Center
- Science & Discovery Center
- Sensory Table
- Dramatic Play & Pretend Center
- Art Center
- Computer Center
- Manipulatives
What should you hear in a balanced literacy classroom? The teacher will be facilitating whole-group or small-group instruction by explaining, modeling, asking questions, giving feedback, and reinforcing students’ efforts. The teacher may be working with students individually, either conferencing or personalizing instruction. Students may be engaged in whole-group and small-group instruction by answering questions and talking about books. A literacy focused classroom is not necessarily a quiet classroom. There will always be a discreet hum of student’s voices engaged in meaningful and purposeful discussions with their peers and teacher about reading and writing.
The physical classroom will be a print-rich environment that includes and celebrates many examples of student work. The room is organized in such a way that students can be responsible for their choices, knowledgeable about the ways to interact with materials and clear about how to clean up and maintain a comfortable learning environment for all.
Designated work areas include a whole-group instruction area, a small-group instruction area, a location for student conferences, at least three literacy work stations, and quiet areas for students to think and reflect.
Whole group instruction is a place where the classroom learning community is built. This is where all students gather for read aloud, shared reading, mini-lessons, and other large-group activities.
- It includes an interactive white board, projector, and/or easel for instruction.
- It is an area with limited distractions and should face away from the classroom doorway.
- Students need enough space to sit comfortably without disturbing their neighbors.
- Seating areas can be designated to meet individual needs.
A conference area can be facilitated at the small group instruction table or at student work areas located around the room.
Literacy work stations include the library work station, the writing work station, and the word work station (other stations are optional and can also be included). Literacy work stations included meaningful and engaging learning activities that allow students to practice skills/concepts that have previously being introduced in whole-group and small-group settings.
- The library work station is often described as the heart of a literacy-focused classroom.
- A typical classroom library contains a variety of books, both fiction and informational text, that are leveled for readers of different abilities.
- The way the library is organized and labeled will help students make appropriate reading selections. It can also help students return books to the right place.
- be organized by theme, author, or genre.
- include special displays that are changed regularly.
- feature books with covers facing out.
- Rotate book selections often (about 1/3 of the books each month) and have a minimum of 5 to 10 more books than the number of students in your class to provide for choice and variety.
- Provide soft cushions, carpet, comfortable chairs, private nooks and crannies, and lots of light to make the library an attractive, cozy inviting corner/area of the classroom.
- Any time a book is shared in a read aloud, place it in the library for students to visit again.
- Activities in the library work station are focused on reading and talking about books. They can include rereading familiar books, reading independent-level texts, listening to books, looking at pictures in a book and telling the story, sharing favorite parts of books with a partner, and reading books aloud to stuffed animals.
The word work station is the place where students interact with letters, sounds, and words.
- The word work station will change throughout the school year as students’ needs change.
- Numerous word work stations can be placed around the classroom to accommodate individual or partner access.
- Activities included in the word work station could include sorting letters, making letters, doing ABC puzzles, sorting words, making words, illustrating words, doing word hunts, putting words in alphabetically order, and playing word games. Students could also engage in name activities, letter pattern activities, high-frequency word activities, and vocabulary activities.
- iRead software (Kindergarten only) can also be used as a word work station activity.
The writing work station is a place where students devote time and attention to writing.
- An effective writing work station gives students ample exposure to the purposes for writing.
- A small table or desk can serve as the writing station. The materials and supplies must be organized and easily accessible to the writer. Use stacking trays for storing paper and place writing implements in labeled containers. Have a just a few materials and supplies out at one time.
- The writing station should contain a variety of writing utensils such as colored pencils, markers, crayons, pens, rubber stamps, and/or ink pads. It should also contain different types of paper (lined, unlined, construction paper, colored paper, envelopes, and decorated paper), blank books for students to create and illustrate, and other writing tools such as tape, stapler, child-safe scissors, and anything else that might spur writing.
- Rotating materials/supplies to something new (different colored pens and paper) will help motivate and maintain interest in writing.
- Writing prompts or a help board can facilitate students becoming independent writers. The help board can include prompts for writing, such as, magazine photos, pictures, and real objects.
- Reference materials or tools for help can be included such as a word books, research journals (to jot ideas for writing), picture dictionaries, and a beginning thesaurus.
- Numerous writing stations can be located around the classroom to accommodate individual or partner access.
- Activities can include writing in journals, making a list, and developing a descriptive paragraph. The student could make a card, complete a survey, create a book, compose messages to the teacher and to peers, and write an original story. Students can respond in writing to what they are reading. The student could also engage in “expert writing”, writing a research report, and peer editing. For younger students, this may also be where students practice correct letter formation.
Excerpts from: Pre-K & K Programs with Purpose 2011 and Smart Start Guide to Balanced Literacy 2015-16
Genes in Space
The goal of Genes in Space is to foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking among young innovators bridging the biological and physical sciences. Aviation leaders, biotech innovators, space explorers, and STEM enthusiasts have joined hands to create this challenge. For more information, check out genesinspace.org/contest-usa!
HHMI: BioInteractive Workshop
19th Annual ConocoPhillips & Phillips 66 Summer Science Institute for Middle School Teachers
Come join a five-day learning experience, full of fun and excitement at the picturesque OSSM campus in the center of Oklahoma City. Back by popular demand, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and OSSM are sponsoring the Summer Science Institute for the 19th consecutive year. The Institute is aimed at providing middle school science teachers with knowledge and hands-on experience in Geoscience, Life and Physical Sciences. You can enhance your science background while being offered new opportunities to transfer knowledge and skills to classroom instruction. Two field trips will provide unique first hand learning experience in two of the world-class facilities in Oklahoma City. Participants of this science institute will come away enriched, entertained, inspired, and connected. All participants will receive a $300 stipend and lab supplies (approximately $100-200 value).
The deadline to receive your registration form by email or fax is Friday, April 29, 2016 or your mail should be postmarked by Friday, April 22, 2016.
For any additional questions/concerns, please feel free to contact Dr. Mark Li, director of the program by email mail or phone at 405-522-1917.
National Weather Association Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants
Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants are awarded annually to teachers/educators of grades K–12 to help improve the education of their students, school and/or community in the science of meteorology. The Grant is intended to allow teachers to:
- Purchase scientific materials and / or equipment for the classroom, school or community.
- Begin new school and / or community science outreach and education programs.
- Enhance and / or expand existing meteorology / science education programs.
- Attend accredited courses, workshops and / or conferences related to meteorology that will significantly enhance their teaching activities.
Science Resources Galore
- Popular Science Magazine Stay up to date all the time on the hottest topics in popular science!
- The Genetic Science Learning Center at The University of Utah is a nationally and internationally-recognized education program that translates science and health for non-experts. In addition to genetics, we address all areas of life science and health as well as other scientific fields. The GSLC's websites are one of the most used science sites on the Internet. In 2013, they received almost 20 million visits, which came from virtually every country in the world
- This past month, Mystery Science had so much fun prototyping robotic fingers, creating model eyes, and playing games that trick the brain. Now we’re ready to announce our new unit: The Human Machine! The Human Machine is aligned to the 4th Grade NGSS standards and designed for students ages 8-11. Mystery Science is currently free and has unit plans from 2nd grade to 6th.
- Teach with your iPad science apps are the most abundant in iTunes. There are several solar systems, and periodic table. If you search science in iTunes, you will find pages. The only thing science apps are missing is a projection app.
- The Science Spot is a resource for junior high science teachers and students.
- Curious Little Apps seeks out and reviews the very best educational iPad apps for kids that inspire creativity and encourage hands-on learning
- Edheads is an online educational resource that provides free science and math games and activities that promote critical thinking. Choose from Simple Machines, Virtual Knee Surgery or Stem Cell Heart Repair, among others. All activities meet state and national standards.
- Med Myst is one of the games at Rice University's Center for Technology in Teaching & Learning. In 1995, Rice University established the Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning (CTTL) to address the ways in which information technology can expand and enrich education on the Rice campus as well as in other settings. The mission of CTTL is to undertake research that makes technologies for learning more productive, accessible, and engaging. Our recent focus has been on the use of games in science and health education.
- HippoCampus is a free, core academic web site that delivers rich multimedia content--videos, animations, and simulations--on general education subjects to middle-school and high-school teachers and college professors, and their students, free of charge. Teachers project HippoCampus content during classroom learning and assign it for computer labs and homework. Students use the site in the evenings for study and exam prep. Users do not need to register or log in to use the site.
Science Curriculum Pacing
Where are you in your curriculum? If you are following the pacing calendars, you should be in the following units as you begin the fourth quarter:
Biology – Finish Unit 5 – Interdependence and Behavior of Organisms
Physical Science – Finish Unit 4 – Energy, Move into Unit 5 Waves and Their Applications
8th grade – Finish Unit 6 – Earth and Human Activity
7th grade (JH/MS) – Finish Unit 5 – Earth’s Systems, Move into Unit 6 – Earth’s Place in the Universe
6th grade – Finish Unit 4 – Ecosystems, Move into Unit 5 – Earth and Human Activity
5th grade – Unit 4 – Earth’s Place in the Universe
4th grade – Finish Unit 3 – Energy, Move into Unit 4 – Earth’s Place in the Universe
3rd grade – Finish Unit 3 – Heredity, Move into Unit 4 – Unity and Diversity
2nd grade – Unit 4 – Physical Science beginning with matter
1st grade – Unit 4 – Physical Science beginning with matter
K grade – Unit 4 – Physical Science Matter and Mixtures
Don’t forget to check out the Curriculum and Instruction webpage and the TPS Curriculum Resources pages to keep up to date.
We are in the process of revising the current science curriculum. If you are interested in helping, please email LeeAnne Jimenez for more information.
Deadlines
April 4 - District Honor Jazz 2nd Rehearsal (Edison HS, 7:00 pm)
April 5 - District Honor Jazz all day Clinic (Edison HS, 9:00 - 3:30)
April 7/8 - Set up of the District Art Show (Wilson, 7:00 -7:00 pm)
April 8 - All City Orchestra Contest (Edison HS, 9:00-12:00)
April 8 - Elementary Music Teacher’s Meeting (Patrick Henry, 4:00-5:00 pm)
April 11/15 - District Art Show open to the public (Wilson, 8:00-4:30)
April 12 - Community reception for the District Art Show (Wilson, 4:00-7:00 pm)
April 15 - Kravis Summer Arts - Early Bird Enrollment (TPS Website)
April 19 - Elementary Music Teacher’s Meeting (Patrick Henry, 4:00-5:00 pm)
April 19-27 - OSSAA State Band/Solo/Ensemble Contest Various TBS
Opportunities
- Deadline for Music and Art Assessment reports to Erin Lester has passed. Please contact the Fine Arts Office with any questions that you might have so we may assist you if you have not yet turned in your forms.
- All school sites are asked to create one or two centerpieces to adorn the tables at the Employee Banquet April 21, 2016. The theme this year is “Tropical Paradise to the Stars (TPS)” Delivery information will be coming shortly.
- Spotlight Children’s Theater Auditions April 28th and 29th. Parts are for children ages 10-18.
Kudos
- Dania Santiago at Zarrow Elementary for setting up the Superintendent’s Display Case for March
- Julie Thomas and Clancy Gray at Edison HS, Rusty Roberts, Rob Wakeley and Cindy Gharibvand at Booker T. Washington HS, Larry Green at Central HS, and Julie Clark at Rogers HS for the numerous student wins at the Regional Scholastic Arts Competition
- Patti Duncan at Hale HS for being elected as the Bartow Award Recipient for Excellence in Music Education. She will be honored at a luncheon at the Tulsa Arts & Humanities Council
- Booker T Washington, Central, Hale, Edison and Rogers music teachers for a tremendous showing at OSSAA Solo and Ensemble Contest on March 5th. 121 students qualified for the OSSAA State Solo and Ensemble Contest to be held in April. Thanks Karen Miller, Julie Boucher, Liza Villarreal, Eric Ryan-Johnson, Patty Duncan, Nathan Greenwood, and Melisa Jones-Chunu for your outstanding work with our music students.
- Carnegie, Celia Clinton, Marshall, Eisenhower, Grimes, Kendall Whittier, Patrick Henry, Penn, Chouteau, Marshall, and Whitman Elementary music teachers and 3rd/4th grade students that participated in the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra Link Up Program in conjunction with Carnegie Hall. The performance was spectacular!
- Congratulations to the Edison High School and Middle Schools Orchestras, and their director Nathan Greenwood and Lacie Savage for receiving “Sweepstakes” at OSSAA state competition.
- Congratulations to Kristina Vassella for achieving district Teacher of the Year finalist for the 2015-16 school year.
Creative and Critical Thinking, and Problem-Solving
A cardboard box in the hands of a child; watch inspiration and imagination come to life. Encouraging creative play and critical thinking develops 21st century skills that will prepare our children to be next generation innovators.
“Mike sits at his desk and studies the quadratic formula, and soon his mind formulates new and exciting ways to re-organize the numbers scribbled before him. Grace has a box of old telephone and TV parts, and along with a few household tools, begins to work on her own invention. Will dribbles up and down the field, trying to perfect the curved shot on goal. Rachel sits in the meadow overlooking the mountains while staring at the blank canvas and holding the palette of oil paint.” (Compass Point, 2-12-2015).
We often observe creative thought and problem solving in students but students need differentiated support to develop creatively. Creativity comes easily for some students; others need direction, some need examples and modeling before they are willing to think and discuss independently. Yet others are performance oriented students who regurgitate from a textbook, who sit quietly waiting for ideas to miraculously appear on the board and rarely risk offering ideas, fearing they might be wrong.
Creative and critical thinking skills are necessary tools for our students to think fluently (produce multiple ideas), flexibly (extend ideas into many directions, from different points of view) with originality (novel, unique ideas) and elaboration (embellish to make more elegant, to focus on detail and specific characteristics) to conceive what we can’t yet imagine.
Infusing creative and critical thinking techniques helps students recognize their own creativeness, develop independence, creates high energy, open-mindedness, a great sense of humor, and students who are attracted to complex problems rather than running from them. It breathes life into teaching and learning.
Strategies and glossary for developing creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
A few creativity websites to help incorporate creative thinking into your classroom:
Imagination Foundation - “power of creative play” resources
Mycoted – lots of creativity techniques for the classroom
Third Annual Chess Tournament
The Gifted and Talented department will host its 3rd Annual Chess Tournament. This year, elementary through 8th grade students are eligible to participate. Participation is capped at 200 to guarantee that students get to play eight rounds. Your students must be accompanied by a staff member from your site. Trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place overall, and medals will be awarded for winners at each grade level.
- Tournament-May 10th
- 8:00-3:00
- Wilson Teaching and Learning
- Chess Registration/RSVP site
- Specific instructions and procedures will be sent to sites after registration closes March 30th.
If you or your gifted teacher/gifted site contact have questions, please contact Linnea Van Eman.
Organizing and Storing all the Stuff...
The first year of teaching a new curriculum can leave the most seasoned teachers sweating in “survival mode”. The curriculum is not yet familiar, so analyzing and studying the curriculum first is essential. Once the lessons are studied and planned, materials need to be collected or created. Having templates, manipulatives, and other material easily accessible, is critical towards efficiently and effectively teaching. The less time spent transitioning and distributing materials, the more time spent toward teaching and learning.
Step 1: Organize materials into labeled tubs or baskets
I prefer to leave all manipulatives on a shelf so they can be accessible as needed.
This system is efficient because no time is wasted putting things away and getting them out of storage. What if you don’t have the space or resources for this kind of storage system? An alternative is to store the manipulatives in clear, re-sealable bags that are labeled and stored with other math manipulatives that are not being used. It is so important to store manipulatives so they are easily found without opening bags or having to read labels. Some teachers create table tubs with needed manipulatives per student or table. Find a quick and easy organizational system that works best for you to optimize class time.
Step 2: Organize Fluency templates
In Kindergarten, fluency templates are often used more than once. For my class I created a table of fluency templates for each module. The fluency template lesson number, name and lessons that each template is used are included in the table. So when a template is used in another lesson or module, it is documented. That way, when moving on to the next module, templates needed are listed, making it easier to pull those templates together to store with module materials.
Other lesson templates can be organized in the same manner as fluency templates. Create a table of lesson templates including the lesson, name of template and lessons in which the template is used.
Step 3: Store module lessons and materials
Storing module lessons and materials can be done in many ways. I like to have a tub or drawers where all materials are stored if possible.
Some possible suggestions for storing templates and lessons are drawers or tubs containing hanging file folders that can be labeled by module. Since a hanging file won’t support the full module, you may wish to organize the files by topics. For example, the hanging file could be labeled: Module 1 Topic A.
In my classroom, I put the Module book in a file folder along with the fluency and lesson templates. My students do not have workbooks, so I copy all Problem Sets, Exit Tickets and Homework for two weeks and put them in my weekly work tub that I call my “Sub Tub.” It is a small tub with hanging file folders that are labeled Monday-Friday. I put the current weeks’ work in the hanging file folders along with fluency and lesson templates needed. I put the second weeks’ work in the back of the tub to be filed at the end of the week. As lessons are taught I file the fluency and lesson templates back into my math tub unless needed again for that week. Lesson materials, such as personal boards, markers, and erasers are kept on a shelf for students to easily access whenever needed. These items could also be kept inside of student desks or in tubs on desks or tables.
Create a system that will be effective in your classroom. Pick a method that will be easily maintained, even during the busiest time of year. Staying organized will lead to less time wasted in search of materials and will resolve the problem of searching high and low for that missing template. Managing materials effectively will take some extra time in the beginning; however, once the nuts and bolts are in place, you can spend valuable time doing the real preparation-analyzing the curriculum and preparing to teach.
This post is authored by Eureka Math teacher-writer Shelley Petre
Desmos - Free Online Calculator
Don’t have graphing calculators for your classroom? Try Desmos. Desmos is a free online calculator that is easy to use and costs nothing. It is also available as an app for the ipad. Graphing calculators are a great tool for instruction not centered around the techniques for graphing. They allow for making connection between algebraic expressions and features of graphs.
Summer PD Opportunities for Teachers - stipends available!
There are many professional development opportunities this summer geared towards math teachers. Two that are part of the Math Science Partnerships Grants are the Oklahoma Algebraic Thinking and the Oklahoma Mathematics Advancement Project. The OKAT is a one year grant intended to bring together math teachers for Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 and provide them with insight into the standards and give them instructional resources. The OK-MAP is a three year grant intended to train teachers to write and share quality lessons for use by other teachers. Both projects have a stipend to accommodate teachers for their time. The applications and additional information for both the OKAT and the OK-Map have been posted.
Learning Management Systems
Two great options (both offer free versions and work well with PowerSchool) are HaikuLearning and Canvas.
Sign up for a HaikuLearning Solo Teacher Account here.
Sign up for Canvas 'try it' or 'build it' account here (the difference is explained on their site.)
Reading Strategy: Read Aloud Resource
Effective read-alouds provide an ideal situation to embed rich, direct vocabulary instruction as well as enhance reading comprehension. Text Talk lessons are planned interactive read aloud lessons created by educators involved in Utah’s Reading First project. Each lesson was developed to allow children to talk about the text and acquire new vocabulary, so each lesson contains explicit vocabulary instruction and interspersed discussion questions. Click here for over 100 Interactive Read Aloud lessons.
Now is also a good time to reflect on teaching practices. In the coming weeks keep a record of how many fiction and non-fiction texts you read aloud to your class. Are you choosing one genre over another? Are there genres you haven’t read? You may need to adjust your lesson plans to provide students with a variety of literacy tasks.
Literacy Station Tip: Keep your Writing Station going throughout the year
After a while you may notice the work at the writing station is starting to wane. Add new materials to keep the writing station going all year. Only add one new item at a time for maximum effectiveness. Here are some ideas for keeping this station going: 1) Change the writing tools. Put in new decorative pencils or gel pens. Using a pencil or pen with a fun attachment can be a treat and inspire young writers. A student assigned to be the materials manager can help keep up with these new exciting tools. 2) Add a large stuffed animal or have the class pet write notes to the class at night then encourage students to write notes back. 3) Change the color of paper. Notebook and blank paper are available in multiple colors. Intermediate students may be re-inspired to write with black paper with gel pens.
Think about the quality of writing your students are doing at the writing station? Consider what you can do to help your students improve their writing. One example is you can ask whoever worked at the writing station to share what they wrote with the class as part of sharing time at the end of station time. You may develop this practice into an Author’s Chair strategy.
Curriculum Contact of the Month - Mary Jane Snedeker
Mary Jane joined the TPS Curriculum & Instruction team in 2012 as the Academic Coordinator for Social Studies. She enjoys working with teachers to help make the courses relevant and engaging to the students. She is passionate about connecting students to the world outside of Tulsa through virtual experiences, literature, travel, social media, primary sources and much more. She currently serves as the treasurer for OAGCT, board member for OKCSS and has enjoyed working with various community organizations to learn more about the history of Tulsa and Oklahoma.
Mary Jane is a native Texan, received her degrees from Texas A&M and taught various middle, high and AP Social Studies courses for 15 years before stepping into the role of District Service-Learning and Social Studies Coordinator for four years in Texas schools. Her family moved to Raleigh North Carolina for six years where she worked as an Instructional Coach and Gifted Coordinator for Middle Schools.
She is married to Sean, a baseball coach at ORU and they have two children, Sydney, who will graduate from the University of Texas in May and Sy, who is a junior at Jenks High School. Mary Jane enjoys attending baseball games, antiquing, shopping and traveling.
Email: snedema@tulsaschools.org
Website: http://academics.tulsaschools.org/ContentAreas/SocialStudiesK-12/tabid/49907/Default.aspx
Location: 2710 E 11th St, Tulsa, OK, United States
Phone: 918-925-1132
Twitter: @snedekermj
About Us
Cindy Barber, Academic Coordinator for Instructional Materials
Earon Cunningham, Director of Instructional Media & Library Services
Sharon Dautermann, Academic Coordinator for Elementary Curriculum Integration
Ayn Grubb, Academic Coordinator for Secondary ELA
Julie Hasfjord, Academic Coordinator for STEM
Gary Horner, Academic Coordinator for Secondary Math
Natalie Hutto, Academic Coordinator for Elementary ELA
LeeAnne Jimenez, Academic Coordinator for Science
Lea Ann Macomber, Music Coordinator
Andy McKenzie, Director of Early Childhood Services
LeeAnne Pepper, Academic Coordinator for Instructional Technology & Elementary Math
Vicki Ruzicka, Academic Coordinator for Instructional Media & Library Services
Mary Jane Snedeker, Academic Coordinator for Social Studies
Dr. Ann Tomlins, Director of Fine Arts
Dr. Linnea Van Eman, Coordinator of Gifted & Talented
Danielle Neves, Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Email: curriculum@tulsaschools.org
Website: academics.tulsaschools.org
Location: 2710 East 11th Street, Tulsa, OK 74104, United States
Phone: (918) 925-1130
Twitter: @TPSCurriculum
Archived Editions
Volume 2, Issue 2: October 2015
Volume 2, Issue 3: November 2015
Volume 2, Issue 4: December 2015
Volume 2, Issue 5: January 2016
Volume 2, Issue 6: February 2016
Volume 2, Issue 7: March 2016