Yoo hoo! Symbaloo!

Check out my symbaloo webmix for professional learning.  I continually update it and use it for my favorites!

Grammar Noticings

Have you noticed that your D.O.L.'s are not doing the trick?  Research has indicated, over the years, that it doesn't.  Why take the 5 minutes to figure out what is missing?  The time is being spent with students not understanding the "whys" behind it all.  Consider this type of work something they would do after they have a strong hold on this content.  This should be done during the editing of an actual writing piece anyways in order to provide meaning and context to grammar.

Research-
http://scira.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/RMGreer2013.pdf

http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/why-daily-oral-language-d-o-l-doesnt-work/

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/679

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-grammar-a-better-way-steve-peha


Rather, teach grammar by "noticing" and mentor texts.  Show students correct sentences and discuss why an author has written it that way or how it would change if something was added or taken away.  Be brave...step out of the cookie cutter box of "how we've always done it" and see if you notice a difference.  There are lots of great resources for you to turn to!

https://twitter.com/writeguyjeff

http://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Anderson/e/B001JRZ594

http://www.amazon.com/Common-Core-Grammar-Toolkit-Standards/dp/1596672471/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395191186&sr=1-1&keywords=sean+ruday

http://www.amazon.com/Janet-Angelillo/e/B001IOF8V8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1395191224&sr=1-2-ent

Ideas for Anchor Charts

Have you ever had a time where you're not sure how to create a chart, based upon an idea?  Here are a few resources for you to pull from when creating your charts, as mentioned in our Teacher's College training.

1.  Chart Chums:  This is a free resource that can be accessed through the internet to find pictures of great charts.  I could sit there all day checking them out.  You may even want to save them and put them into files that make sense to you. Take a look, click on the icon below.

 

2. Smarter Charts: From the makers of chart chums, shown above.  This is a book of charts that has been organized for you to sift through the charts you need.  We are definitely going to be making a purchase of this text for our teachers! Want to make a purchase or check out the price, click on the picture below.

 

 

Remind 101

Thanks to Aileen, Kristin and Abby for sharing such a valuable tool with our teachers! What a great way to get the "message" out.  It's free, it's fun, and it's easy!

Symbaloo-OOO-OOOO

In addition to updating the blog, I've also updated Symbaloo.  This is the spot where I share great websites in a "favorites" sort of fashion.  I encourage teachers to set up their own symbaloo and even create webmixes by topic for students to access.  For example, a teacher might be teaching about the civil war and create a webmix that has links to different civil war sources.  These can be shared with grade level teams and teachers can take turns creating them and sharing them. Or it could even be used as a home screen on your classroom computers for students to access sites that you have chosen as appropriate.

Here is the link to a symbaloo I use and update for professional learning at our school.  Hope it is useful to you or at least inspires you to create your own.

http://www.symbaloo.com/shared/AAAAAm1I5T4AA41_HCjVTQ==

TCRWP Vimeos

What a great time to catch up on watching some fabulous teaching in action! It's summertime, but that doesn't have to hold you back from doing a little learning.  Maybe you can even catch a video by the pool with a poolside cold beverage. No matter what, you'll have some great options at this site. 

TCRWP has been gracious enough to provide free videos for you to see those common core standards being taught in action.  Click below to check it out!

Just Watch It!

Sometimes taking in all of this common core information is just too much! Why not do it on your own time, in your own way?  I'm all about reading articles and books to stay "in the know," but sometimes I'd like to just see it in action.  Here are a few informative and helpful sites that allow me to see my learning in a real world setting:

The Teaching Channel-

Engage NY-

Educore-