Thursday, September 17, 2015
Twitter, 24/7 PD in the Palm of your Hands
I have had some conversations with teachers and administrators this fall about Twitter. The question coming up is how Twitter is such a popular site for teachers, and they want to know what people get out of it. All I can say is that if you are interested in learning what others outside of Tatum, Region 7, and even Texas, then you need to check out Twitter.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Week 1.5
Growing Excellence (+10 for ALL)
What's the point of DOK?
Depth of Knowlege (DOK) was developed by Norman Webb to help educators define the skill to be mastered at the right level of thinking, and within the context or parameters that are necessary to demonstrate mastery.
What's the point of DOK?
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| Mr. Daniels' IPC class starting the Bell Ringer immediately after the bell rings. |
For planning purposes in the IU template, your daily DOK question should be written in such a way that students should be able to answer that question as a result of your daily instruction. In other words it should drive the other components of your lesson for that day, and the components of your lesson plan should lead all students to be able to successfully answer your DOK question by the end of class.
Need a link to DOK question stems?
Take this link and hyperlink it to your Master IU template in the cell called DOK 3 Questions and always have a shortcut in your IU template to help you write your DOK 2 and 3 questions.
College AND Career
Greg Morris, our new Ag teacher has come in and picked up right where we left off last year in Ag Mechanics and in our FFA program. He is teaching our first ever dual credit course from Kilgore College in Welding, and he challenging our students to put their passion to work through projects. Below is a tractor project in his class right now. It is a 1927 McKormick Deering tractor, and it is being restored by several students who are being led by THS students, Jackson Howard and Cort Morris. The students are hoping to take the tractor to competition at the Houston and San Antonio Livestock shows next semester.
Google Me This - Revision History
Lost something? Go to revision history
If you ever wondered where something went or if someone messes up a file, don't sweat it. Just go to the revision history and find the last time it was correct.
Step 1 - Click File (left)
Step 2 - Click See Revision History (left)
Step 3 - Look at the Revision History (bottom) and click each edit that has been made to your document and restore the file to the last place it was correct.
Side Note - The file will not save changes made after the date of the revision that you restore.
Upcoming Dates
What I'm Learning
@edutopia: Research-backed methods that have 7x the effect on student engagement: http://t.co/uveHHI2kAJ. #stuvoice http://t.co/whXIsGD4d9
Matt Wachel and Steven Weber on the key to student engagement.
Need a link to DOK question stems?
Take this link and hyperlink it to your Master IU template in the cell called DOK 3 Questions and always have a shortcut in your IU template to help you write your DOK 2 and 3 questions.
College AND Career
Greg Morris, our new Ag teacher has come in and picked up right where we left off last year in Ag Mechanics and in our FFA program. He is teaching our first ever dual credit course from Kilgore College in Welding, and he challenging our students to put their passion to work through projects. Below is a tractor project in his class right now. It is a 1927 McKormick Deering tractor, and it is being restored by several students who are being led by THS students, Jackson Howard and Cort Morris. The students are hoping to take the tractor to competition at the Houston and San Antonio Livestock shows next semester.
Google Me This - Revision History
If you ever wondered where something went or if someone messes up a file, don't sweat it. Just go to the revision history and find the last time it was correct.
Step 1 - Click File (left)
Step 2 - Click See Revision History (left)
Step 3 - Look at the Revision History (bottom) and click each edit that has been made to your document and restore the file to the last place it was correct.
Side Note - The file will not save changes made after the date of the revision that you restore.
Upcoming Dates
- Mon, 9/28 - Begin formative assessments
- Fri, 10/2 - Deadline to enter FAs in DMAC
- Fri, 10/2 - End of 1st 6 weeks
- Wed, 10/7 - Early Release Day: Mandatory 504 Training for all staff at THS Auditorium
What I'm Learning
@edutopia: Research-backed methods that have 7x the effect on student engagement: http://t.co/uveHHI2kAJ. #stuvoice http://t.co/whXIsGD4d9
Matt Wachel and Steven Weber on the key to student engagement.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Week 1.4
Growing Excellence (+10 for ALL)
As we begin week 1.4, there are some awesome examples of learning taking place all over the district. I see lots of examples of students working hard and being actively engaged. Remember that we learn more by doing, and when kids are doing more each day, they are learning more each day.
Scott Eppler (right) has integrated technology into his Collaborative Learning activities. In his world geography class his students follow along in his focus lesson on the E-R-A activity to prepare them for the 1st 6 weeks formative assessment. As they are following along, they are collaborating in groups of 3 as they work together to complete their personal copy of the E-R-A on Chromebooks.
The keys to collaborative learning are clear expectations for behavior and successfully completing the task. Collaboration accelerates learning when students are required to create their own products to demonstrate mastery, and when they are challenged to learn from their peers to complete the task. Collaborative learning also gives the teacher opportunities to gather informal data on individual students and the class as a whole.
Looking for a good DOK Question?
CLICK HERE
College AND Career
Students in grades 5-9 can earn a scholarship right now. Go to http://matchthepromise.org/, and learn all about it. Parents can start saving for their child’s college, and if awarded, the scholarship will contribute matching funds to the student's account. To qualify, the family income must be below $100,000. Another prerequisite to the scholarship is that the parent must enroll in the Texas Tuition Promise Fund.
Google Me This
Sharing Google Docs can be tricky. Once you click the share button, here are some reminders on what sharing documents actually entails. If you need help with this, ask Google (help button), ask your peers, ask your MITS or ask me.
Upcoming Dates
What I'm Learning
Scott Eppler (right) has integrated technology into his Collaborative Learning activities. In his world geography class his students follow along in his focus lesson on the E-R-A activity to prepare them for the 1st 6 weeks formative assessment. As they are following along, they are collaborating in groups of 3 as they work together to complete their personal copy of the E-R-A on Chromebooks.
The keys to collaborative learning are clear expectations for behavior and successfully completing the task. Collaboration accelerates learning when students are required to create their own products to demonstrate mastery, and when they are challenged to learn from their peers to complete the task. Collaborative learning also gives the teacher opportunities to gather informal data on individual students and the class as a whole.
Looking for a good DOK Question?
CLICK HERE
College AND Career
Students in grades 5-9 can earn a scholarship right now. Go to http://matchthepromise.org/, and learn all about it. Parents can start saving for their child’s college, and if awarded, the scholarship will contribute matching funds to the student's account. To qualify, the family income must be below $100,000. Another prerequisite to the scholarship is that the parent must enroll in the Texas Tuition Promise Fund.
Google Me This
Sharing Google Docs can be tricky. Once you click the share button, here are some reminders on what sharing documents actually entails. If you need help with this, ask Google (help button), ask your peers, ask your MITS or ask me.
Upcoming Dates
- Fri., 9/11 - End of 3 Weeks Grading Period
- Week of 9/14 - Communicate to parents if students are failing at 3 weeks.
- Fri., 9/11 - Formative Assessment Answer Keys emailed to Principal
- Mon, 9/28 - Begin formative assessments
- Fri, 10/2 - Deadline to enter FAs in DMAC
- Fri, 10/2 - End of 1st 6 weeks
- Wed, 10/7 - Early Release Day: Mandatory 504 Training for all staff at THS Auditorium
What I'm Learning
- Homework Battles - When Parent Help Negatively affect Student via +MindShift
- Interesting Graphic on Assessment for Learning
- The Surprising Science of Praise
Here is a great graphic by @SylviaDuckworth that illustrates how far we can go with technology.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Week 1.3
Growing Excellence (+10 for ALL)
What happens when the bell rings to start your class? The bell ringer sets the tone not only for learning but also for your expectations for working and learning. What is working for you in your bell ringer activities? Leave a comment below.
Socrative is a great tech tool to use for bell ringers, exit tickets, independent learning and collaborative learning. Students can respond with true/false, multiple choice, likert scales and open ended responses. It also gathers the student data for you to drive interventions and extensions. Check out this 2 minute video to learn more about this helpful instructional tool.
If you would like to try it out as a student, take this quiz.
College AND Career - Formative Assessment
Part of getting kids prepared for college and career is making sure they pass their standardized tests. Our first formative assessment is coming up during week 1.6 (Week of September 28), and the deadline to have FA's completed and entered into DMAC is Friday, September 11. Below are links to help you create tests that are aligned to the rigor of the STAAR test.
PK-16 plans are in, and I hope that you will take time to take pictures of your college and career activities and send them to your principal or post them on Twitter.
Google Me This
Sign Up for TISD Staff Classroom.
Mr. Fite and I will be using this tool for ongoing professional development. Your principals will email you the instructions to sign up for the class.
What happens when the bell rings to start your class? The bell ringer sets the tone not only for learning but also for your expectations for working and learning. What is working for you in your bell ringer activities? Leave a comment below.
Socrative is a great tech tool to use for bell ringers, exit tickets, independent learning and collaborative learning. Students can respond with true/false, multiple choice, likert scales and open ended responses. It also gathers the student data for you to drive interventions and extensions. Check out this 2 minute video to learn more about this helpful instructional tool.
If you would like to try it out as a student, take this quiz.
- Go to Socrative.com
- Enter my class code, CGGM99K6
- Enter your name.
- Take the test.
College AND Career - Formative Assessment
Part of getting kids prepared for college and career is making sure they pass their standardized tests. Our first formative assessment is coming up during week 1.6 (Week of September 28), and the deadline to have FA's completed and entered into DMAC is Friday, September 11. Below are links to help you create tests that are aligned to the rigor of the STAAR test.
- Instructions for Formative Assessment Checklist - Look at Week 3 tasks
- CLICK HERE for Instructions on Creating a Test in TAG (DMAC)
PK-16 plans are in, and I hope that you will take time to take pictures of your college and career activities and send them to your principal or post them on Twitter.
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| Mrs. Mock's Third Grade Class is taking a weekly science safety quiz created in Google Forms. |
Sign Up for TISD Staff Classroom.
Mr. Fite and I will be using this tool for ongoing professional development. Your principals will email you the instructions to sign up for the class.
Google Comments
In Google, comments can come straight to your email if your notifications are set to receive an email each time a comment is left on your IU template. If you haven't set up your notifications in your IU template to receive emails when you receive a comment, please CLICK THIS LINK
Direct Message in a Google Comment
If you want a comment to go directly a specific person, type + and then the Tatumisd email address that you want it to get to. For example, you can comment directly to me by typing "+winkj@tatumisd.org" in your comment. I will be notified that you have communicated to me and I'll be able to respond to your comment.
Upcoming Dates
What I'm Learning
In Google, comments can come straight to your email if your notifications are set to receive an email each time a comment is left on your IU template. If you haven't set up your notifications in your IU template to receive emails when you receive a comment, please CLICK THIS LINK
Direct Message in a Google Comment
If you want a comment to go directly a specific person, type + and then the Tatumisd email address that you want it to get to. For example, you can comment directly to me by typing "+winkj@tatumisd.org" in your comment. I will be notified that you have communicated to me and I'll be able to respond to your comment.
Upcoming Dates
- Mon., 9/7 - Labor Day Holiday
- Fri., 9/11 - End of 3 Weeks Grading Period
- Fri., 9/11 - Formative Assessment Answer Keys emailed to Principal
What I'm Learning
- How Creating Writing Boosts Students Academically via +Edutopia
- 20 Things to Do instead of Homework (Primary & Elementary students)
- This video below is a great reminder of the ultimate lesson all kids must learn.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Getting Google Comments sent to your Email
If you're wondering how to set up your notifications for comments to come directly to your email, here you go.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Week 1.2
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| Kallie Boxell's 8th grade science students are engaged with a relevant bell ringer activity. |
The first week was excellent, and I hope that every kid you met was exposed to high expectations for excellence in every class. Consistency is the key to help every kid get their +10, and every teacher and administrator owns a part of consistency. This week, I am sharing links that I found on bell ringers and exit tickets. I hope you find them valuable as you plan for weeks 2 and 3.
- 7 Bell Ringers for MS and HS English
- Math Bell Ringer - Financial Literacy Quiz
- Elementary STEM Activity
- 10 Exit Slip Prompts that will work in ANY Class
- See Twitter link below
Another tutor group/starter activity - How many words can you make out of the word 'education'? Pupils of all ages and abilities enjoy this
— Annabel Daniels (@Teacher20154) August 23, 2015
College AND Career
College and career should be in the forefront of every student's mind because they all need a career that will make them stable in life. To get that stable career, they will need some form of college or vocational education beyond high school. Your class is the training ground for College and Career. Please make sure that you connect your content to how it will help them in the future.
Check out Kim Permenter's class Twitter account. She will be using Twitter to show her followers and the TISD community what they are doing to promote college and career for every child. If you would like help starting a class Twitter account, let me know. It's very easy.
Students create their vehicle to cruise in to college and career! @JohnWink90 #TMSCandC #Excellence4ALL #TMS pic.twitter.com/vhVXe8lWzK
— TMSCandC (@TMSCandC) August 24, 2015
Google Me This
IU Templates
I have looked at a lot of plans this week and you are doing a great job planning for your instruction. As you plan for week 2 and beyond, remember that coaches, principals, and administrators will begin leaving comments based on what they review in your IU or based on what they see when they walk through your classroom.
Comments are feedback, and they will focus on the attributes of your work. We are all growing, so it is important to know that your feedback could encompass a combination of the following things:
- Positive comments on what is working in your classroom
- Observations of students connected or not connected to your instruction.
- Observations of what you are doing in the classroom and how it is enhancing student engagement.
- Feedback on the rigor of your lesson being aligned to the rigor of the standard.
- Suggestions to enhance the great things in place.
- Questions to help the observer learn more about your instruction.
Feedback should help you know what is working well and what you can do to strengthen engagement or rigor. The great part about feedback is that you can and should respond to the comments. What we see is based on our perception, so if you have questions or comments, you should feel comfortable REPLYing to the comment. If you have read the comment and don't need to reply, mark the comment RESOLVED so that all parties know the comment has been read.
Google Classroom
I know I have shared this before, but you may have not seen it. If you are using Google Classroom to manage your students' learning, this video will show you quickly how it works.
This article shows new features that are out and new features that are coming soon, like embedding Google Forms into Classroom for quizzes (exit ticket!!!).
Upcoming Dates
- Mon., 9/7 - Labor Day Holiday
- Fri., 9/11 - End of 3 Weeks Grading Period
- Fri., 9/11 - Formative Assessment Answer Keys emailed to Principal
What I'm Learning
- How can Introverted Students Collaborate?
- 10 Exit Slip Prompts that will work in ANY Class
- The Teaching Channel - AWESOME SITE to SUBSCRIBE to by EMAIL
Friday, August 21, 2015
Week 1.1: First Week of School! (8/24/2015)
Growing Excellence (+10 for ALL)
The first day of school is Day 1 of 180 in helping every kid grow this school year. I know there are a lot of things to do, but here are 3 things that are ESSENTIAL.
College AND Career
TPS, TES and TMS are submitting their PK-16 plans for the new school year, and THS has a comprehensive plan to integrate college and career into every single classroom this year. This plan is designed to intentionally teach our kids about the necessity to pursue a college AND career pathway beyond high school.
Remember the statistics. The high school diploma is not enough to make it in the 21st century, and the only way that kids will see the value in obtaining an education beyond high school is if we promote it consistently for 13 consecutive years in every classroom. Remember, your ability to inspire excellence can positively affect their trajectory and their commitment to College AND Career.
Google Me This
Each week I will drop an idea or two to help you integrate technology into your work and teaching seamlessly.
Device Management is key to Excellent Routines and Procedures
Tami Turner has an awesome strategy for device management. CLICK HERE Here is a video that she created to show you how to integrate technology management into her routines and procedures. This example of meticulous detail in device management is the reason why her excellence factor is extremely high. Since she invests lots of time on the front end creating a powerful structure for students to manage themselves with their devices, she banks lots of time to focus on what's most important, helping all kids learn and grow.
The Battle between Personal vs. TISD Google Accounts
If you have to request permission to see a document, make sure that you are in your TISD Google Account first. Since we are a GAFE school, settings are established to where you can access documents shared with your TISD account. A lot of times, accessing Google Docs from my phone or personal computer prompts the request for access page simply because my personal devices are set to my personal Google account.
DMAC Update
Several of you have been able to start navigating DMAC and creating tests in TAG. If you haven't done that yet, DON'T SWEAT IT. We will be offering training during the 2nd week of school. In the meantime, just get familiar with your essential skills for your content. Get comfortable with the IU template, and focus on creating the greatest learning environment for kids.
The first day of school is Day 1 of 180 in helping every kid grow this school year. I know there are a lot of things to do, but here are 3 things that are ESSENTIAL.
- Routines and procedures that empower students to own their learning environment will set the stage for excellence.
- Building strong relationships for learning are imperative and aligning our expectations for excellence from classroom to classroom are crucial.
- The pathway to excellence starts by focusing on the most essential things, not everything.
College AND Career
TPS, TES and TMS are submitting their PK-16 plans for the new school year, and THS has a comprehensive plan to integrate college and career into every single classroom this year. This plan is designed to intentionally teach our kids about the necessity to pursue a college AND career pathway beyond high school.
Remember the statistics. The high school diploma is not enough to make it in the 21st century, and the only way that kids will see the value in obtaining an education beyond high school is if we promote it consistently for 13 consecutive years in every classroom. Remember, your ability to inspire excellence can positively affect their trajectory and their commitment to College AND Career.
Google Me This
Each week I will drop an idea or two to help you integrate technology into your work and teaching seamlessly.
Device Management is key to Excellent Routines and Procedures
Tami Turner has an awesome strategy for device management. CLICK HERE Here is a video that she created to show you how to integrate technology management into her routines and procedures. This example of meticulous detail in device management is the reason why her excellence factor is extremely high. Since she invests lots of time on the front end creating a powerful structure for students to manage themselves with their devices, she banks lots of time to focus on what's most important, helping all kids learn and grow.
The Battle between Personal vs. TISD Google Accounts
If you have to request permission to see a document, make sure that you are in your TISD Google Account first. Since we are a GAFE school, settings are established to where you can access documents shared with your TISD account. A lot of times, accessing Google Docs from my phone or personal computer prompts the request for access page simply because my personal devices are set to my personal Google account.
DMAC Update
Several of you have been able to start navigating DMAC and creating tests in TAG. If you haven't done that yet, DON'T SWEAT IT. We will be offering training during the 2nd week of school. In the meantime, just get familiar with your essential skills for your content. Get comfortable with the IU template, and focus on creating the greatest learning environment for kids.
Twitter Chat - Thursday, August 27 at 8 p.m.
I will be leading a Twitter chat on the #atplc hashtag. This is a great professional learning opportunity for educators all over the globe to use Twitter to learn with and from one another. I invite you to take an hour to participate in the discussion or just follow the stream. When I connect with educators that I will never meet in real life, it shows me all of the possibilities out there for me to discover.
If you're into Twitter. Share your classroom and learning with us and the world by tagging @tatumisd to your Tweet or by using our Tatum ISD hashtag, #Excellence4ALL
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