Posted by Marsha on January 25, 2012
I am so on to my kids. I realize that simply asking if they have any homework is like asking how was school today. I’m setting myself up to receive a vague, one syllable response or grunt. It is not their fault. The problem is we have different ideas about what constitutes homework. My idea of homework includes the literal homework assignment of the day (the one that is due tomorrow) as well as reviewing notes from the day’s lessons, studying for up coming quizzes and tests, and working on projects whose due dates are in the near future. My intelligent sons, however, cleverly use this misunderstanding to avoid doing any more than the homework that is due tomorrow- bless their manipulative little hearts. So, rather than engage in a battle over definitions, I started asking homework questions in levels. NOT to my surprise, homework started taking on a new look in my house. Here are my levels of homework questions. (more…)
Posted by Kira on January 18, 2012
I recently did a training for the teachers at my school and taught them how to use GoogleDocs, which I am VERY fond of. In this training, I had them all sign up for a google account, which is free and easy. Then I had them get into groups and prepare a collaborative document. This is called “sharing” by google, and you can share any type of document. A “Document” is word processing, a “Spreadsheet” is Excel, and a “Presentation” is Powerpoint or Keynote. You can download these from google when you are done with them, and the presentation will even download as an actual powerpoint!
What a great way to get your students to (more…)
Posted by Barb on January 12, 2012
The next time you head off to a sporting event or friend’s house to watch the big game, be sure to mention how the NCAA has teamed up with DonorsChoose.orgin a campaign called “Fund the Future”. This partnership allows educators during a commercial (of course) to start the conversation about ways their friends, family, and even strangers can help teachers throughout the United States by funding (or practically funding) classroom projects.
If you are not familiar with DonorsChoose.org you should be. It is a unique site that allows classroom teachers to present ideas for projects, materials, or equipment to use with their students. (more…)
Posted by Marsha on January 4, 2012
Read alouds are not just beneficial for teaching reading; they are perfect for teaching writing, too. Quality literature, be it picture books or novels, are perfect for modeling craft and target skills we want our students to include in their writing. For example, with similes and metaphors like- “The trees stood still as giant statues. Somewhere behind us a train whistle blew, long and low, like a sad, sad song. And when their voices faded away it was as quiet as a dream.” and “…the snow below it was whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl.”- Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen, is a wonderful mentor text for teaching figurative language.
It is also perfect for showing the richness sensory details add to a piece of writing. For example- “Our feet crunched over the crisp snow and little gray footprints followed us. I had to run after him every now and then to keep up, and my short, round shadow bumped after me. We reached the line of pine trees, black and pointy against the sky…. The moon made his face into a silver mask. I could feel the cold, as if someone’s icy hand was palm-down on my back. My mouth felt furry, for the scarf over it was wet and warm.”
Tips for using mentor text when for teaching writing skills: (more…)
Posted by Kira on January 2, 2012
This weekend you can get our apps for a cool 20% off. Discount is automatic upon checkout at the shop! We hope you had a wonderful new year, now go make your Lesson Pop!
Posted by Marsha on December 17, 2011
Too often the only time we assess writing is when it is time for a school, district or state writing assessment. These assessments have their place, but the lessons learned from them don’t always lead to immediate instructional changes. It is important that writing teachers learn how to monitor students’ writing progress daily.
In order to monitor progress, one must have a measurable target. This starts in the planning phase of any lesson. By determining your target skills or mini-lessons, you’ve provided yourself with the measurable target to use to monitor progress.
After teaching a target skill, the best way to monitor progress is through informal observations made during independent writing time or conference time of daily writing workshop. (more…)
Tips For Parents: Better Ways to Ask The Homework Question
