Technology in Room 24

     To wrap up our biography unit, each student read a just right biography and created a slide show in Googleslide.  Each slide show had the same requirements: Tell the audience, who was this person, who was in his/her life, what was the time period like, struggles and major accomplishments. Also which text features were helpful in understanding the subject's life. While this was a fast paced creation, 3 days on computer, 1 slide per day, it took some time for all of the 24 presentations to be made to the class. We have finally concluded all presentations. They were awesome and many student's slide shows generated interest for classmates to read about the biographical subject! Who could ask for more?!
      I am thrilled when students really "get into" a project and that is what happened in our classroom! It is amazing how students in third grade learn and master a new concept using technology! We experienced some very creative presentation. In some cases, I hadn't seen this kind of interest and creativity with other mediums used previously for final presentations. I think we have some budding graphic designers!!
     That brings me to the main reason for this blog post....Please go on line and have your child show you his or her slide show. Follow up fun could be allowing your child to create endless slide shows. What better typing practice and learning and growing in an area that will be so useful in future schooling and life. My daughters loved making power-point shows (there was no Google slide show back then!) about any and every topic....All About Me, Getting To Know My Dog and My Summer Vacation were just a few. They learned to insert photos and create hyperlinks to related web pages. They really enjoyed showing off their shows to the rest of the family too!
     I can't tell you how many presentations they've each done in their school career and it all began on those long, hot summer days with nothing in particular to do!! This is truly a situation of getting better at creation by doing. Typing practice can be boring, but making your own slide shows adds the creative aspect and we are back to something interesting and fun to do. Just be sure your child uses the skills they are practicing daily on typingweb. Typing with all of their fingers in the correct spots! I have had a few students create a slide show of their own already! Also I always try to show off any work classmates do during snack time.

Math - Measurement and Data

       Recently, students worked to complete six different learning stations as part of our lessons on area and perimeter. Each math class began with a mini-lesson utilizing a video, followed by a brief discussion of the days teaching point.
       Then students were off to one of 6 stations that were designed with a video that focused on a specific skill. After the video, a practice page or game allowed the students at that station to apply the skill that was presented. Some videos incorporated a very structured note-taking page, which has added benefits because taking notes from a video is required for some parts of SBAC Performace Task. Other videos presented strategies that were then utilized with on-line practice. Again, a more intriguing way to incorporate what can be rather mundane practice. As students participated in the station activities, I circulated helping students practice, while observing and assessing individual's abilities with the tasks.
       This strategy worked particularly well for a unit on area and perimeter because students' video of the day reminded and retaught the skills and strategies in a slightly different way, avoiding the "talking head" in the front of the classroom.
       Incorporating technology for independent learning, working with other class members to complete tasks and applying skills to gain concepts are all jobs of a third grader in the world of the Common Core. We are working together to master these challenges!

Biographies!

As I continue to read a series of books about George Washington, we will look at the topic (s) the author covers. In other words, is this a full life biography or specific to a certain period in George Washington's life. We will look at  the text structure, author's style and tone and finally we will discuss how the artwork adds to the author's message and style! Wooo!, that is a tall order, but we will have fun doing it together!

The first book in the series is Who was George Washington. We have completed this full life biography. Our big take away from reading this biography is: Even though George Washington wanted to do other things, he let his beliefs about what he though his country should be guide his actions and his decisions about supporting a cause he believed in. We especially liked this book because we all saw George Washington as a real person with fears and insecurities, but one who persevered, learned and grew as an incredible leader. His life can be an inspiration to all our lives.

Farmer George, Plants a Nation is biography that focuses on the George Washington as an inventor, scientist, and visionary. This text has a very sophisticated style with diary excerpts and paintings on each page. We are discussing the way in which these paintings fit with the formal tone of the book. 

Our final comprehension check will be a look at George's significant accomplishments that are outlined in this book. We will  analyze the way in which they effected the new Nation.

Now for some fun! George Did It outlines the uncharted territory of creating the job of the first president of the United States. The road was filled with humorous stories and the cartoons fit with the funny style of writing! 

Our final comprehension focus for this book will be to reflect on Who was George Washington as a person and what can we learn from this portion of his life.

Finally, George Washington's Teeth is a very specific biography capturing the life long problems George Washington had with his teeth. The book is written in verse and yet another cartoon style of illustration completes the silliness with the unusual topic!

Our final comprehension focus will involve all four text. We will each determine a text that has helped us get to know George Washington the best and sight the author's style, artwork or text structure to support our feelings.

As I continue to read aloud George Washington books, students have complete their own biography group reading book. Ask your child who they read with and what subject they learned about. We had groups reading Ben Franklin, Harry Houdini, Sacajawea and Harriet Tubman books.
At this point students are choosing their own independent reading book. We have a wide variety to choose from, so each person can find a book with a just right reading level and a subject that he/she is interested in learning about.

Biographies and More!

While the beginning of the week is off to a slow start with yet another surprise snow day and more bad weather pending , we have plenty to keep us busy once we arrive back at school. We have completed our study of the Mystery genre. We will begin our next genre study, Biographies this week. This is an exciting unit that has something for everyone! Whatever a student's interests are, there is a biography for him/her to read.
For our mentor text, (A text that we read, discuss, analyze then constantly refer back to throughout the unit.) I have chosen Milton Hershey's biography. I've chosen this biography for many reasons. First, I'm sure you've heard of my love of chocolate! (I said there was a biography for every interest! haha!) Seriously, Milton Hershey was born into a farm family. He wanted something different for his life. The biography tells about this man's ability to hang in and steadily move toward his goals while overcoming adversity. His steadfast approach is inspirational. Additionally, he truly believed in "paying-it-forward" which teaches a valuable lesson in and of its self.
After our initial reading, students will begin biography groups, while our whole class lessons will focus on a four book comparison over the next several weeks. The subject is George Washington. One text is his full life biography and the other three focus on an area of his life such as George Washington the farmer and scientist, George Washington's blunder ridden inauguration and finally, a book mixing poetry and cartoon artwork discussing George Washington's dental problems. (Wow! isn't that the odd combination.....poetry and bad teeth????)
Stay tuned for biography anchor charts. As we progress through the unit, I will post my classroom anchor charts discussing "What Good Biography Readers Do" as they read. Hopefully, this is one more way to promote conversation about what your child is currently reading.
In math, we are reviewing and advancing our thinking about addition and subtraction with regrouping in thousand place numbers. Students have had whole class lessons, have broken into groups to utilize video lessons on the iPad with follow up practice and have used our SMARTboard technology for practice with subtraction across zeros and checking the answer with addition. Technology is a great way to help keep what could be repetitive practice a bit more interesting!
Finally, last week all third grade students completed the first official English Language Arts practice for the SBAC testing. We still have Math Practice, a practice ELA Performance Assessment and a practice Math Performance Assessment yet to work through. Scores are not reported on the practice assessments, but the practice helps to raise the students confidence and give experience with managing the demands of a computerized assessment. Third graders will take the real SBAC assessment in May.
Just think........May!

Mysteries!

We have completed the whole class read aloud mystery, Lucky Lottery by Ron Roy. The students loved the book and we had MANY opportunities for shared thinking and discussion about features of mysteries.
Students have now moved into just right reading groups to more closely read and discuss a mystery with the support of other classmates. We will work in these groups for about a week and then each student will take on his/her own mystery book to apply all that has been learned and practiced in whole group and small group reading. These are the five book that we are sharing in 6 groups.

I have copied 2 anchor charts. These serve as the basis for our discussion in whole class and small group.  These questions can help you "speak the same language" when you and your child are discussing any mystery! Happy Sleuthing!

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of my students and their families! May 2015 bring you peace and happiness in all that you do!

      Nothing like returning from vacation and hitting the ground running! We will be working at a fast pace this week finishing up our non-fiction independent book projects! Most students are at a point of having written his/her summary and having added information about the two most helpful text features. These students are ready to copy all of this over on to a flip book and compete the illustrations. Some of this copying and artwork may be coming home for homework as we are moving on to a study of the mystery genre!

     This week I will begin our mystery read aloud, modeling the appropriate thinking and think notes for the genre. I like to use, Lucky Lottery an A to Z Mystery by Ron Roy. It is a just right model for many of the mystery characteristics students will be expected to recognize in their future group and independent reading. Some of the genre characteristics that we will experience together are cliff hangers, red herrings,  and an integral setting. Ron Roy is a very descriptive author using many similes and idioms that we discuss as a class. We will also visit Ron Roy's website. Stay tuned for future blogs with pictures of our in class anchor charts. If you are interested in talking to your child about the genre study or asking questions as they are reading, you will both be able to speak the same language.

     During our mystery study we will also listen/watch some mystery books being read to us on Tumble books to gain experience with note taking while watching and listening, not just as part of an independent reading activity. This is really a very specific skill set that will be needed when students take the Smarter Balanced Assessments later this year! Practice in this area is beneficial!

     Finally, you will see information coming home today concerning keyboarding homework. As I mentioned to many parents at conferences in December, it is critical for our students to master basic typing skills in order to show what they know on future testing. Aside from this very immediate concern, typing has become a critical skill for simply getting along in today’s world. No longer is keyboarding something that can be put off until middle school or high school.

      In the interest of addressing this concern, I have taken some time to research and find a program similar to Xtramath. The program that I found, TypingWeb allows students to practice keyboarding skills as part of his/her homework. I will receive a report that allows me to see student progress and minutes practiced. I will begin including this as a part of the nightly homework assignment.

     Please feel free to check out the website, so you will be familiar with the homework expectations for your child. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send me an email or call.

Penguins!!

      This week we are moving beyond the whole class teacher modeling, partner practice and independent trials of reading non-fiction about Antarctica to some small group work about some creatures that can only be found in the southern hemisphere ...Penguins! Our work in comparing 4 books from our text set and video clips about Antarctica is nearing completion. What could be better for some additional practice with classmates, than learning about the seventeen types of penguins in our world, many which reside in the waters around Antarctica!
       Students are reading in their "just right reading group"with guidance from a Good Reader's Packet and my daily visits for discussion. Each book offers similar yet different information about penguins. Group work allows a whole different opportunity for students to shine. The comfort of a group allows students to take on the role as reader, discussion starter and response composer with the support of others in the group. Sometimes, new work is not as challenging when several classmates work together. Once reading is completed student will work in their groups to teach the rest of the class about the specifics in their book.