Week 2.3

Growing Excellence (+10 for ALL) 

We have made it through 7 weeks with our new instructional delivery model.  I would like to encourage you to look at the graphic to your right from TES.  If we think about instruction, we must always ask ourselves how much our students are working in each component compared to how much you are working.  Remember our students learn more by doing, and the more they do, the more they learn.

DON'T FORGET!!!
The 2nd 6 weeks formative assessment is due to your principal on Friday, October 23.  Instructions to submit your formative assessment are HERE

New Exit Ticket Tech Tool
GoFormative is a great way to pose questions or have kids take a quiz.  To try it out as a student, take my quiz and test your knowledge on our instructional delivery model.  If you take the quiz, and leave your name on question 4, you will be register for a Sonic drink.


Accommodations for Testing
Below are links to accommodations for students taking STAAR.

• Linguistic accommodations for ESL students.
• STAAR Accommodations (see Accommodation Triangle)
• Type 1 Accommodations are available to all students, 504 or Special Education students. 
• Read each accommodation to see if a student qualifies because each accommodation has its own set of qualifiers.

Accommodation Triangle
Accommodation decisions are made by the appropriate team of people.
Ask your counselor or diagnostician if you have questions about accommodations.

 College AND Career 

One of the things that is most interesting to me is the number of students who do not think that college or a post-secondary education is within their reach.  Here is data that supports that fact, and we, as educators, can and must do something about that.

My reflections on the @gatesed Learning Forum: where we’ve come and where we’re headed: http://t.co/QnQK0gSP8A pic.twitter.com/hDlgzyLeed

— Dan Greenstein (@dan_greenstein) October 9, 2015

 Google Me This 
Creating a Google Form in Google Classroom

 Upcoming Dates 

• 10/19 - 10/23 - School Bus Driver Appreciation Week
• Fri, 10/23 - End of 3 Wks (2nd 6 Wk Formative Assessment Due)
• Mon, 11/9 - Begin 2nd 6 Weeks Formative Assessments
• Fri, 11/13 - End of 2nd 6 Weeks & Deadline to enter 2nd FA Data into DMAC 
• Mon, 11/16 - Response to Assessment 

 What I'm Learning
Have you started your Twitter or Google+ Accounts?  Educators across the world are learning tons of information and not spending a lot of time doing it.  If you're not using these fantastic tools for professional learning, here are some videos to get you started in both.

• Twitter for Teachers
• Google+

If you want to learn about Google Hangout, watch this video.  You can't use Google Hangout unless you have a Google+ account established.

Week 2.2

Growing Excellence (+10 for ALL) 
Growing excellence is all about teaching kids to have a growth mindset.  How we respond to failure depends on whether or not we have a fixed or growth mindset.  I encourage you to watch the video below with your kids and use this activity to help your kids find their Growth Mindset.

College AND Career 
Tom Sheppard and Layne Boxell are teaching our very first College and Career Prep class at THS.  The purpose of the class is ensure that every freshman is exposed to the following concepts:

Lady Eagles Pinked Out
for Cancer Awareness

• A world with a wide variety of careers.
• The types of postsecondary institutions and the process to enter college or technical school.
• Expository writing to support English 1
• Vocabulary acquisition
• Study skills including note-taking, organization and time management
• Earning credits in every course this year.

College and career prep is a very interactive and fun class.  The kids are learning so much about what they must do now to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to pursue an education beyond high school.  I would like to thank Layne and Tom for their creativity in helping every student discover all that they can be once they graduate from THS.

1st 6 Weeks Passing Rate
The freshman passing rate for the 1st 6 weeks is 87% which is 7% better than our freshman passing rate for the 1st 6 weeks last year.  College and Career Prep is starting off on the right foot, and we look forward to even more freshman success next 6 weeks.


Google Me This 

Kindergarten students
are researching careers!

Interactive Choice Board using Google Docs are great for extension menus for students.

For more ideas, check out Digital Differentiation and watch the Google Slide

5 Hidden Features in Google Apps that Everyone should be Using


Upcoming Dates 

• 10/12 - 10/16 - Food Service Worker Appreciation Week
• 10/19 - 10/23 - School Bus Driver Appreciation Week
• Fri, 10/23 - End of 3 Wks (2nd 6 Wk Formative Assessment Due)
• Mon, 11/9 - Begin 2nd 6 Weeks Formative Assessments
• Fri, 11/13 - End of 2nd 6 Weeks & Deadline to enter 2nd FA Data into DMAC

What I'm Learning

This week I'm learning how being a connected educator helps us be more effective in the classroom.

• Connected Educator Month Calendar

AMAZING RACE

The Amazing Race is a friendly contest that I created with some administrators around the country to encourage people to use Twitter and other social media tools for professional development.  If you would like to participate, let me know, and I'll be glad to help you any way that I can.

Week 1 Tasks

Start	Roadblock	Detour	Finish Line
Create a Twitter account Here’s a video to help you make your account.	Check out Convert your Peeps into Tweeps and pick 10 people to follow.	Participate in one of following teacher chats #EdThink on Sun at 9 p.m CST or #TchElite on Tue at 3:45 p.m. CST OR Participate in the following student chat #StuConnect chat on October 8th at 9:30am CST (see link).	Share a link, blog, video, or picture with someone in your organization.  Also share with @johnwink90

September WOW Award Winners

Congratulations to our September WOW Award winners who were recognized today.

TPS - Heather Haley

TES - Veronica Wilkerson

TMS - Kallie Boxell

THS - Annie Thompson

Food Service - Pam Vandre

Maintenance and Transportation - Billy Coleman

Week 2.1

Google Me This - 
Check out the NEW TISD Staff Calendar 
CLICK the tab above this post next to HOME that says TISD Staff Calendar.  It is a Google Calendar that you can view here and also on your Google Calendar at calendar.google.com.  

To add the TISD Staff Calendar to your calendar:

1. Go to the TISD Staff Calendar link above.
2. At the bottom right, corner of the calendar, click the +Google Calendar button. (see right)
3. Say "Yes, add this calendar" when prompted.

Here are the steps to see all of your calendears on your Google Calendar (see right)

• Click the left down arrow by "My Calendars" on the left side of the screen.
• Click the box to the left of TISD Staff Training Calendar and make sure a color shows.
•  Do the same for any other calendar that you need or want to view.
• To change the color of a calendar, click on the calendar and then click the down arrow to the right side of the title.  Then change the color.

If you are using Google Classroom, Connecting Google Calendar and your Google Classroom is a neat article that show even more tricks including sharing your classroom calendar with your parents.






Growing Excellence (+10 for ALL) 
Note-taking Promotes Higher Levels of Learning
We only retain at most 10% of what we hear.  So if kids have nothing to do while they are listening to your instruction, what will they retain?  Chances are that they will retain nothing.  Note-taking is a high yield strategy (SEE HERE for the RESEARCH), but note-taking is often thought of as a skill not very condusive to kids that doodle and draw.  Well, there are many benefits to note-taking and all of them help all kids learn more information in your classroom.  See "The Biggest Benefits to Note-taking, and the video below to help your doodlers and drawers use art to take good notes in a manner that works best for them.

Source:  Pinterest

College AND Career 
PSAT is a practice SAT test that students in grades 9-11 can take to see what they have learned in high school, but more importantly what they need to succeed in college.  To learn more about PSAT, CLICK HERE.  At the end of October, we have about 60 underclassmen taking this test.  If you would like to learn more about the test, click the links below to see what each test looks like.

• Reading Test
• Writing and Language Test
• Math Test

Coding in Mrs. Brown's Chemistry Class
Academic, College & Career Preparation

Upcoming Dates 

Just a reminder all of these dates are on the TISD Staff Calendar (above).

• Friday, Oct 2 - End of the 1st 6 Weeks
• Monday, Oct 5 - Begin 1st Week of 2nd 6 Weeks (Week 2.1)
• Mon, 10/5 - Begin Response to Assessment Data (CLICK HERE FOR PROCESS)
• Wed, 10/7 - Early Release Day: Mandatory 504 Training for all staff at THS Auditorium
• Fri, 10/23 - End of 3 Wks (2nd 6 Wk Formative Assessment Due)

 What I'm Learning

STAAR Testing Time Limits

Coding and collaborative learning in action
Mrs. Brown's Chemistry Class

House Bill 743 requires that STAAR assessments be designed so that 85% of students can complete the grades 3–5 assessments in two hours and 85% of students can complete the grades 6–8 assessments in three hours. During the 2015–2016 school year, TEA will redesign the STAAR grades 4 and 7 writing tests so they will be completed in one four-hour administration.  These redesigned writing assessments will be administered beginning in spring 2016.  In addition, TEA will gather data during the spring 2016 administrations to determine how to adjust the remaining grades 3–8 assessments to meet the testing time requirements of HB 743. The remaining redesigned grades 3-8 assessments will be administered beginning in spring 2017.


Using @Remind to Share Nonfiction with Students by Bill Ferriter

Region 7 Digital Leadership Smore - by Andy Adams

Survey Reveal's Students Mobile Device Preferences

Vocaroo your Kids into Self-Directed Learning

Kids miss instructional time each time they have to leave the classroom to take an oral administration of a test or each time they have to wait for the teacher to answer questions.  Vocaroo (CLICK HERE) is a cool tool that will keep kids in class so they can take their test with a tablet and earbuds, but the powerful potential in  Vocaroo is that it doesn't have to be a tool just for oral administrations.  Below are 5 ways that you can use Vocaroo to enhance your instruction and strengthen student engagement at the same time.

Listen to my vocaroos below and click the record and upload voice button if you want to experiment with vocaroo and make one of your very own.

THE BEST PART about Vocaroo is that it is EASY to USE.  Honestly, I make each 45 second Vocaroo in about 2 minutes from start to finish which also includes embedding it into this post.  I hope you will check it out.

Oral Administration of Tests


Record and upload voice >>


Bell Ringers & Exit Tickets


Audio recording >>
Collaborative Learning Groups


Voice Recorder >>


QR Codes for Independent Tasks


Voice Recorder >>

Vocaroo QR Code
Try it out!

Science Fairs


Online recording software >>


Vocaroo 
Drop a comment or an idea of how we can use Vocaroo to meet the needs of kids while simultaneously creating an environment that challenges kids to take charge and be self-directed in their learning.

Week 1.6

Growing Excellence (+10 for ALL) 
As we prepare to give students their 1st formative assessments for the year next week, ask yourself these questions:

•  what is your plan to use the data to drive your instruction?  
• What is your plan to get the students to analyze their data to identify their strengths (GLOWS) and make a plans to address areas in need of improvement (GROWS).  

If we want students to own their learning, it is critical that we communicate their performance to them in such a way that they look at their data is an opportunity for growth.  The link below is the epitome of what formative assessments should do for kids and teachers.

Be sure to look at the DMAC Response to Assessment link above to help you pull the 6 reports you need to drive the right response to their performance through your future instruction and personalized intervention.

Formative Assessment Should Ask Students and Teachers #atplc pic.twitter.com/JW2v5A98RI

— Steven Weber (@curriculumblog) September 11, 2015

 College AND Career  - Graduation Coaches

Above are the dates of the ACT test.
Please share this information with a junior or
senior or a parent of one.

THS Principal, Allen Koch, has implemented a new concept at the high school this year to help every senior graduate.  Several THS teachers have taken on the task of coaching 1 senior this year to help them graduate.  They will be coaching them on monitoring their grades to ensure that they pass every class and earn the necessary credits to graduate.  In addition they will be coaching seniors to make sure that they pass all EOCs in order to graduate.  Our goal is to get 100% of the class of 2016 to graduation day, and THS teachers and staff are coaching our seniors to make sure that they reach that goal.

Additionally, the SAT and ACT tests are available for juniors and seniors to take right now. To the left are the posters at THS to sign up.  For registration information, go to the following links:

• For SAT, go to sat.org/register
• For ACT, go to actstudent.org

The most important test that kids will take in their education is one of these 2 tests.  Let's make it a priority to encourage them to take this test.  If you don't teach juniors and seniors, your kids should hear about the importance of these tests now so that they know there is a bigger test after STAAR that is even more important and more necessary than STAAR.





Google Me This - Collaborative Learning
If you are not following Alice Keeler, you should be.  She has tons of information (CLICK HERE) that will help you learn even more about GAFE (Google Apps for Education).  This week I want to encourage you to explore how Google Slides can help your kids collaborate.  For example each class can be assigned 1 Google slideshow, but every student will be responsible for creating their own slide to demonstrate their learning.  In collaborative groups, kids can be given a common task or problem to work on, but each student is responsible for creating his own slide to demonstrate his learning for the teacher and the class.  The beauty of collaboration through Google Slides is that kids can embed photos, YouTube videos and hyperlinks to show what they know, and they do that by learning with and from their peers.  Check out the graphic and link below from Alice to get even more ideas on how to use Google to accelerate learning.

Student Guide to Using Collaborative Google Slides http://t.co/GHyeDh70Pu pic.twitter.com/2iKWGSoSaO

— Alice Keeler (@alicekeeler) September 17, 2015

Give Oral Administrations in the Room with Vocaroo
Kids miss instructional time each time they have to leave the classroom to take an oral administration of a test.  Vocaroo (CLICK HERE) is a cool tool to keep kids in the class so they can take their test with a tablet and earbuds.  Listen to my vocaroo below and click the record and upload voice button to make one of your own.


Record and upload voice >>

  Upcoming Dates 

• Fri, 9/25 - Email migration to Google (CLICK HERE for more INFO)
• Mon, 9/28 - Begin formative assessments (CLICK HERE for INSTRUCTIONS & INFO)
• Fri, 10/2 - Deadline to enter FAs in DMAC  
• Fri, 10/2 - End of 1st 6 weeks
• Mon, 10/5 - Begin Response to Assessment Data (CLICK HERE FOR PROCESS)
• Wed, 10/7 - Early Release Day: Mandatory 504 Training for all staff at THS Auditorium
• Fri, 10/23 - End of 3 Wks (2nd 6 Wk Formative Assessment Due)

What I'm Learning

The 8 Minutes that Matter Most via +Edutopia

We Find What We Look For In Our Students – So What Do We See? via +Chris Wejr

One Size Does Not Fit All via +Ben Gilpin

Big week, guys: Rare 'Supermoon' Total Lunar Eclipse Coming Sunday: http://t.co/ErPnsoyTFc #scichat

— Bill Ferriter (@plugusin) September 21, 2015

Email Migration to Google

Since we are going Google with our digital workflow, we are finally ready to move to our email, contacts and calendars to Google as well. On Friday, September 25th at 5:00 p.m., Wes will be moving our email to Google.  Upon completion of this process, all of your email, contacts and calendar information will be moved to the corresponding Google app (mail/contacts/calendar).  

Here are some tips to prepare you for this change.

• Email will be unavailable beginning on Friday, September 25 at 5:00 p.m. until Monday, September 28th at 6:00 a.m.
• On Monday, you can begin to access your email by going to mail.google.com. You will log-in with your tatumisd username (full email address) and password.
• To access your Gmail on your phone, use the instructions below to use the Gmail app for the following device:
• Android phones
• Apple phones
• Your email address will stay the same (lastname first initial @tatumisd.org)
• Student email accounts will be created and will still be set to internal access only. 
• Email Migration FAQ

If you have ANY questions or concerns about this integration of email into the other Google products, please do not hesitate to contact your MITS.