ElemEdDept

Frontloading 5th Grade Math - The big standard

2011-11-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

This standard NS 2.1 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide with decimals; add with negative integers; subtract positive integers from negative integers; and verify the reasonableness of the results has always challenged everyone. The all-purpose "Today's Number" activity can be used all year to reinforce this standard.

Today's Number. Set a specific target number. Have students write expressions that are equal to that number. Often, teachers start by having the number of the day be the day's date. So today's number would be 13. At first, allow students to write any expression that equals 13. Spend time exploring patterns. Bit by bit, add constraints. Directions change in this way, "Today's number is 13. Write expressions that equal 13. You much include two operations - add or subtract and multiply or divide." Another constraint might include use one decimal number, and so on.

New Elements?

2011-11-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Math posts will have to take a back seat for one day. The New York Times reported that three new elements - Darmstadtium, Roentgenium, and Copernicium, have been added to the periodic table. There are more to come as well. See posts here. We introduce the periodic table in fifth grade in our McGraw-Hill Science series (click here, use casci05/redwood, and go to page 34 of 69). It might be a nice time to introduce Tom Lehrer's Element Song and its lyrics. Current classes might enjoy the Daniel Radcliff version. Here is a periodic table where visual images are associated with each element: http://www.rsc.org/chemsoc/visualelements/pages/pertable_j.htm

There is also a cool video with a melting spoon that can spur all sorts of conversations about elements.\

Finally, the Khan Academy has in intro of atoms and several ensuing videos that delve into the periodic table.

Frontloading for 4th grade division

2011-11-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

The second benchmark window brings a heavy duty standard for 4th graders: Number Sense 3.4 - Solve problems involving division of multidigit numbers by one-digit numbers. Notice the by one-digit numbers. That makes it easy to think about. Look at this problem: 2345 divided by 7.

Try Powers of Ten: Think multiples first. Would it be times 1 (quotient of 7)? Times 10 (quotient of 70)? Times 100 (quotient of 700)? Or times 1000 (quotient of 7000)?

Try times 500 (or half the quotient of times 1000, meaning 3500). You know the quotient is less than 500.

Try Multiples of 7: Think of the dividend 2345. Using our known multiplication facts 7 x 3 = 21 so 7 x 300 is 2100. The quotient is more than 300. 7 x 400 = 2800. The quotient is between 300 and 400, closer to 300.

Finding problems: Card Turn Over Use a deck of playing cards. Turn over 2, 3, or 4 cards for the dividend and 1 card for the divisor. Compete with friends for the quickest estimated answer or the quickest accurately calculated answer. Have fun.

Math Frontloading for 3rd grade multiplication and division

2011-11-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

In addition to learning more multiplication facts, third graders embark on a little bit of algebraic thinking. Surprised? Don't be! One of the critical standards in the second math benchmark window is for third graders to use division to check multiplication and multiplication to check division. In second grade, students learn about properties of 0 and 1 in multiplication. In addition, they move from skip counting to more formal multiplication by the skip counting numbers - 2, 5 and 10. Third graders learn to make skip counting more mathematical by writing skip counting as multiplication. In other words, the chant 2-4-6-8-10-12.... becomes 2 times 2 equals 4, and so on. Ideally, teachers are using the intuitive counting knowledge to build the use of math language and symbols to show the skip counting. That way, students can formalize their 0s, 1s, 2s, 4s, and 10s and also use that knowledge to extend to the other facts.

Using multiplication to check division is a natural extension of addition/subtraction "fact families" for young students. Here are some examples:

How can I find the answer to 12 divided by 4? One way to think of it is [what number] times 4 equals 12?

Here are some ways to frontload these third grade topics:
Name That Fact. Show a division fact card then name the inverse fact. For example: show the flash card 18 divided by 6. Students respond, "The inverse is 6 times 3 equals 18."

Multiplication and Division Fact Families. Give students two numbers. They could be two factors, a product and factor, a dividend and divisor, quotient and divisor, or quotient and dividend. From those to numbers, students write the entire four fact family (three facts for squares, numbers multiplied by themselves). For example: Give the students 18, 6. students write 18 divided by 6 equals 3; 18 divided by 3 equals 6; 6 times 3 equals 18, and; 3 times 6 equals 18.

Two Card Turn Over. Separate a deck of playing cards (or make a number card deck on index cards or card stock) into three piles. One pile will be 10s and face cards, one pile will be all the even numbered cards, and the remaining cards are not used for the game. The student turns over a 10 and an even number and writes the fact family that corresponds to the resulting number.

Math Frontloading for 2nd grade adding and subtracting.

2011-10-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some suggestions to preview upcoming math topics for second graders.
http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/subtractiontest.html

http://www.mrnussbaum.com/draggable.htm Draggable math is also an iPad/iPod app. For the computer version, look at the top of the page for “click here for the OLD draggable math”. Choose subtraction and your problem set up and GO! Also use this to generate random problems for students in your class who can work ahead, or to choose numbers for “Ballpark It”.

Play “Ballpark It”. First model it. Then whole class. Then tables. Then pairs. Then individuals. You can do this over several days/weeks. Write a minuend and subtrahend on the board. Ballpark the answer by using reasoning and number relatedness. Example 1: 782 – 49. Quickly ballpark to 732 because 49 is close to 50. Example 2: 473 – 84. Quickly ballpark to 390 because if 84 was 83, pretend 73 then to 400 and 10 more.

Use a think bubble. A retired 4th grade teacher used this expertly. She had her students learn strategies like Ballpark It then when they did actual lessons, as they wrote out their homework papers, they ballparked the answers in a think bubble by each homework problem before taking it home. It created a lot of persistence.

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_155_g_1_t_1.html?from=category_g_1_t_1.html
to model with base 10 blocks. Striving students will need narration from the teacher.

Play Race to Zero. Give each dyad a pair of dice. Choose and post the starting number (minuend). Each student rolls the dice for their personal subtrahend. They keep playing until someone reaches zero and is declared the winner of that round. If you do not have dice, use playing cards or number cards that you run off on cardstock.

Coming Right Up!

2011-10-27T00:14:00.000-07:00

It is time to look forward to the content in the second benchmark window. Some examples, of essential standards during this instruction time include:

Grade 2 – NS 2.2 Find the sum or difference of two whole numbers up to three digits long.
Grade 3 – NS 2.3 Use the inverse relationship of multiplication and division to compute and check results.
Grade 4 – NS 3.4 Solve problems involving division of multidigit numbers by one-digit numbers.
Grade 5 – NS 2.1 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide with decimals; add with negative integers; subtract positive integers from negative integers; and verify the reasonableness of the results.
Grade 6 – AF 1.1 Write and solve one-step linear equations in one variable.

In the upcoming days, I'll post fun and easy ways to work on these standards. You can, too!

Happy Birthday, Picasso!

2011-10-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

Richard Diebenkorn,
Cityscape I,(Landscape No. 1),
1963, Oil on canvas,
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Today is my uncle's birthday, and for some reason, I always remember it's Picasso's birthday, too. One (of the many) reasons that Riverside Unified differs from other districts is that we are committed to the arts. We retain an elementary music program. The itinerant teachers are all musicians and credentialed teachers. We have a districtwide Visual and Performing Arts plan and a specialist who is dedicated to K-12 arts education.

Every elementary school has a beautiful Picturing America portfolio of American Art. The portfolio includes an American artist who patterned some of his work after Picasso's. Californian Richard Diebenkorn's oil on canvas, Cityscape 1, is featured in the Picturing America portfolio. Lessons for K-12 can be found here. Preschool lessons can be found here. Students can see a film clip of Diebenkorn here.

You may also view the Picturing America gallery online here.

Open Resources for Writing

2011-10-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

The last post discussed expository (non-fiction) writing.
Take this challenge. 1) Wherever you are, stop and look around. 2) Choose an object, person, or place that you find interesting right now. 3) Prewrite - name the object and list as many things as you know, or want to know, about it. Organize those ideas into categories. 4) Draft a quick paragraph using your ideas. 5) Now read, view or listen to something about your subject. 6) Revise your writing (this means add, delete, rearrange information). You can also improve word choice, combine sentences, and clarify ideas. 7) Publish, if you like.

http://www.teachersdomain.org/ is an excellent resource to help complete Step 5. Teachers Domain is a free, digital media service provided for teachers. The content is from public broadcasting and its partners. Videos and other resources have been edited down to short clips. They can be searched by keyword or by standards. When teachers register on the site, they can bookmark resources, upload and rate materials.

Just for fun, search by keyword "pumpkin".

Shake It, Shake It, Baby!

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, the Great California Shakeout takes place. All RUSD facilities will participate in a drill for earthquake readiness. Join us:

Take a look at the overall Shakeout website: http://www.shakeout.org/
Look at California's page: http://www.shakeout.org/counties/index.php/Riverside/
Play Beat The Quake: http://www.dropcoverholdon.org/beatthequake/game/
Record Your REAL Shakers at Did You Feel It?: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/
Search for Earthquake Resources (free) at Teachers' Domain: http://www.teachersdomain.org/

Everyone Has a (Digital) Story To Tell

2011-10-18T05:57:00.000-07:00

Join the Inland Area Reading Council this Saturday at Phood on Main in Riverside from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. Angel Van Horn, teacher and author of the parent involvement curriculum Parent Engagement Leadership Initiative.

email RSVP to bpeter1005sbcglobal.net or call Loretta C at 951-784-9199

Get Write To It!

2011-10-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

This coming week, all students will sit for an assessment in writing. While packaged writing programs abound, process writing is a completely acceptable method of teaching writing. Even Wikipedia includes the steps:

Prewriting

Drafting

Writing

Revising

Publishing

The California Framework includes a section in each grade about the writing process, emphasizing that writig is more than just written conversation. "Of particular interest here are ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions (p.30)". The fourth grade section lends a a helping hand on one of the more difficult stages, revision. A lesson frame can be found on page 123 of the document (p 132 in the pdf). The International Reading Association's web location, readwritethink, has a full description of the writing process.

Educators will know that researchers have placed emphasis on writing, especially nonfiction writing as is detailed in Doug Reeves' studies of 90/90/90 schools that are 90 percent poverty students, 90 percent minority and where 90 percent of students meet state standards.

Other recent opinions on writing have caught my eye, leading me to write this entry:
Valerie Strauss' feature, Answer Sheet, in the Washington Post: "Too many tests, not enough term papers".
Seth Godin's Blog, "Talker's Block".
and Jerry Weisman's bit in Harvard Business Review that brings dictation technology together with improved communication, "The Benefits of Speaking Aloud".

Write. Tell me what you think.

Big Week

2011-10-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

At least 3 major activities are underway this week...it must be October.

Wednesday is Walk to School Day. The Riverside Unified School District schools participating include Alcott, Tomas Rivera, Emerson, Hawthorne, Jefferson, Lake Mathews, Liberty, Magnolia, Madison, Pachappa and Woodcrest elementary schools, and Frank Augustus Miller Middle School. Read the Press-Enterprise story about it here: and find more information at http://www.walktoschool.org/.

On Thursday, preschoolers and kindergarteners will join others worldwide in an attempt to break the record for the most people reading the same book on the same day. This year, they will Read for the Record by reading and hearing Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Ann Dewdney. Find more information and read the online version at http://www.readfortherecord.org/.

Sunday is the Citrus Classic Bike Ride which offers five different route lengths. Proceeds fund projects that will directly impact the student school experience, including the Riverside Educational Enrichment Foundation, REEF. Find more information at http://www.riversideca.gov/citrusclassic/.

Somebody Knows My Name

2011-09-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

For the last few weeks, school principals in Riverside Unified have been delivering their annual summit. The summit is a time for the principal to publicly review state test data and student learning outcomes. They discuss the efficacy of programs and actions taken last year and share the details of initiatives planned for this year. Most compelling piece thusfar?

A principal who said, fighting back a tear, "This mom shared with me that she selected my school because I know each student by name."

How would school...or society for that matter... be different if we knew each other by name?

The Sky is Falling!

2011-09-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today, TONS of space junk will fall to the earth.

Your chances of getting hit? 1 in 3,200. Here's a story about the odds of being beaned by a falling space object.
Weight of the object? 6.5 tons or 14,300 pounds - as much as 2 African elephants.
Get updates at the NASA site for the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).
Find out about one company's solution to refueling satellites in space and cleaning up space debris.
Read all about the 22,000 known pieces of orbital debris.
Download a powerpoint on orbital debris. Email the Orbital Debris Scientist with your questions.

For fun, read Chicken Little, where we first learn the expression "The Sky is Falling"

Or have the story read to you.

Toward a More Perfect Union

2011-09-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the our Constitution. We pay special attention to the rights and the responsibilities of being an citizen of the United States of America. Teachers can find resources at the Elementary Education History-Social Science Web Page.

Serve.

2011-09-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

Timely as ever, two media pieces have drawn my attention to the importance of service. Not the form of service offered by first responders, emergency planners, or crisis interventionists. This form of service is every day, day-after-day for years running.

It is the service provided by teachers in the public school system.

One piece is a review written by Kathryn Bacon on the Education At a Glance 2011 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation. It offers three important points. First, currently, more than 30% of college educated people aged 55 to 64, worldwide, are in the U.S. Of the 81 million recent college graduates aged 25 to 34, 20% hale from the U.S. Secondly, the unemployment rate for high school drop outs is 15.8%, but for college graduates it drops to 4.9%. Lastly, college graduates earn about 87% more over their lifetime than high school graduates who don’t go on to college.

The other piece is a blogpost at Growing Good Schools written by Eric Juli, urban educator, whose first week of school included attending the funeral of one of his students. College readiness and college completion is not a philosophical matter. It is a matter of survival for individuals and for our nation. Developing our citizens is as important as responding to emergencies.

Mr. Juli's title tells it all: This is Life or Death.

10th Anniversary

2011-09-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

Today has been designated as a Day of Service and Remembrance. As with other special national days, this day gives us an opportunity to share our history, traditions, and legacy with young people.

This is a Test.

2011-09-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Analyzing assessment outcomes helps us improve our instructional timing, strategies, and outcomes. In a recent exploration, we learned that by mid-year, third graders were struggling with several standards. Three particular reading and writing standards stood out: extracting information from text, structure of reference materials, and revising drafts. There are many rationalizations about why those standards cannot be assessed well in multiple choice. Let's suspend those arguments for a minute. Let's say we want our students to do well on these standards. Take a trip to http://www.starsamplequestions.org/ where the California Department of Education provides samples. This link will show a sample question for the reference materials standard
This link will show a sample for the revision standard.

Educators have additional resources for question types. Our task, then, is to utilize this information to make sure that students master these grade level standards and can demonstrate that mastery on the California Standards Test. It makes our instruction more focused, objective, and robust.

If adults don't learn from the assessment outcomes, what is the point of giving the assessment? THIS is the test.

Labor Day

2011-09-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

The teacher in me wishes to address Labor Day like I do most special days in the U.S. This day is a time for us to contemplate our history, our traditions, and our legacy. These are the common experiences that bring us together as Americans. They allow us to partake in one of the most important aspects of a democracy as great as ours: learn about a topic, formulate and opinion, and live it.

History: Library of Congress, The Shanker Blog, and more.
Traditions: Why We Celebrate, Patterns of Celebration, and more.
Legacy: Striking a Deal, Working and Workers, and more.

Go to the Children's Digital Library and search for "working" to get books in many languages that can be read online.

The HEAT is on!

2011-08-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

Well, in lieu of today's planned blog bidding farewell to summer, here are some

Cool Activities for Hot Weather:

- Short Vowel Word Sorts from ReadWriteThink
- Get your coin boxes out (students LOVE to count coins). Play fewest coins wins. Roll two dice. The first dice is the tens, the second is the ones. Students scramble to build that amount. The student who uses the fewest coins to correctly represent the amount wins.
- Play "My mother went..." The first person chooses and place then adds a word. The second person says the first person's word and their own. Example: #1: My mother went camping and she brought a tent. #2: My mother went camping. She brought a tent and a sleeping bag, etc. Send your mother to school, the store, the mountains, the farm, the city, the auto repair shop, the track meet and many other places.
- Play Counting Change
- Make cards from word categories. Who can list the most farm animals? zoo animals? trees? States by heart? Countries? If you have students list the words on cards, then they can be mixed up and separated.
- Concentration is always a winner. Give each student 2 index cards. They write one part on the one card and the second part on another. They mix their cards and play concentration. The parts could be a word/definition, word/illustration, math fact/product, city/state, exponent notation/standard number form or anything else you can think up.
- Learn about primes with the Sieve of Erathosthenes
- Get your math center kits out.

Twenty-first Century Bloom's

2011-07-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Web 2.0 Tools for Bloom's Taxonomy

shared by Samantha Penney, samantha.penney@gmail.com, under a Creative Commons License, attribution, no derivatives

10 ways to encourage student reflection

2011-06-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

This is a cross-post from the June 11, 2011 post on the blog What Ed Said. Posted with permission of blogger Edna Sackson. Edna is a teacher in an International Baccalaureate PYP school in Melbourne, Australia.

Split Screen Teaching

Optimal learning occurs when student are active particpants in their own learning, rather than passive recipients of teacher-delivered content. For this to be effective, students really need to think about their learning. I worked with a group of teachers recently who felt their young students were not capable of writing meaningful reflections for their end-of-semester reports. That might be true. But only if reflection and meta-cognition are not integral parts of the learning int heir classes.
How do we encourage students to think about their learning?
1. Focus on process, as much as on content.
Guy Claxton calls this 'split screen teaching.' Think about the learning process. Talk about the learning process. It's not just about tasks and results or material to be covered.
2. Focus on learning, not on teaching.
Stop thinking about how to teach the content. Ask yourself: How best will learning take place? How can I actively involve every student? How will this help them develop as learners? Share this with the learners.
3. Always know why.
Make sure you and your students know the purpose of every task and of how it will advance the learning.
4. Invite students in.
Encourage student to plan on how they will learn and to reflect on the learning process. Tell them they own their learning.
5. Allow time.
Make sure students have time to stop and think about why and how they learned, not just what. Give them five minutes at the end of a lesson to record their reflections.
6. Ask the right questions.
How might you find this out? What skills did you use? How did your group function? What worked and what didn't? What connections did you make? How was your thinking pushed? Why did you choose the approach you did? What did you enjoy and why? How could you have done it differently?
7. Write it down.
Have students record their reflections and date them, so that you (and they) can see the process of their thinking. Use a journal, a class blog or post-it notes that can be quickly collected and pasted somewhere.
8. Use thinking routines.
Project Zero's Visible Thinking suggests explicit thinking routines which encourage students to think about their learning. Try Connect, Extend, Challenge or 3, 2, 1 Bridge.
9. Make feedback meaningful.
Refer to learning attitudes and skill development, not just tasks and content. Refer to process and process, not just product. Avoid saying "Well done!" "Great work!" "You could have put in more effort." "You completed this task successfully" "Your essay is comprehensive". This isn't feedback about learning!
10. Model
Talk about your own learning. Tell them what you learned and how you learned it. Talk about how your thinking has changed and how your skills have developed. Learning is continuous...

A Learner's Work is Never Done

2011-06-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

This week, hundreds of teachers (elementary math, Pythagoras Project, Read 180, CELDT training) are attending sessions to refine their professional practice, to collaborate with colleagues and to deepen their own content knowledge. Here is a beautiful statement by teachers expressing their vision of math learning:

Summer Learning: Water Cycle Gr 5

2011-06-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

Once per month, AIMS Hands-on Math and Science emails free activities. Some of these would be perfect for summer time learning. The recent arrival, Mini-Water Cycle (click here) is perfect for a home activity. Directions are clear. All you need is a plastic bag, a plastic cup, tape, paper, and pencil. Just read, do, and extend.

Links:

California Science Standards

AIMS sign up for free activities

US Geological Survey site for Water Sciences with diagram

Farewell Sixth Graders

2011-06-02T07:36:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is promotion day for most sixth graders, so I bid adieu today. Congratulations sixth grade class. You are halfway to your high school graduation. When you started first grade in 2005, we had high hopes for you and you delivered. As a class, you have been the highest performing on the California Standards Test in reading, each year besting the cohorts of students who preceded you. Nearly so in math where just one year was a shade off. In this past year, you have impressed us by performing community service, leading the Pledge of Allegiance for the Board of Education, joining the 100-Mile Run Club at your school, and sending winners ahead in History Day and Science Fair. You have caused us to sharpen our skills as education professionals. We have learned more about learning to read, reading to learn and offering access and equity to each and every student.

As you go forward there will be many opportunities. Seize the chances to do well and follow your passions. You are intelligent. You are strong. We are here to support you and look forward to your high school graduation in 2017 and your college graduation in 2022. See you there.

Memorial Day

2011-05-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Monday, we honor those in the American military who have made the ultimate sacrifice. A great opportunity presents itself to talk about sacrifice, commitment, honor, memory. It could be a time to explore, compare, contrast the many aspects of defense and diplomacy in situations large and small. We can talk about past, present, and future. We can once again celebrate the diversity between Americans and the common threads amongst us.

A History of Memorial Day

A More Perfect Union Bookshelf Collection (each RUSD School has a set)

Arlington National Cemetery

Blacks in the Military

Colonel Mitchell Paige

Commander John H. Balch

Civil War 150

Picturing America Collection (each RUSD elementary school has a set)

Riverside National Cemetery

Soldier's Memorial Day

Staff Sargeant Ysmael R. Villegas

Write ON With Reading

2011-05-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Great learning for the rest of the week!

Write an essay, "Why I Love to Read," and submit it to the Inland Empire Council of the California Reading Association.

K-5: Max 250 word, 1 page
6-12: Max 500 word, 2 pages

Simple as that. Read the direction page (click), be sure to attach the nomination form, and mail to California Reading Association, 638 Camino De Los Mares, Suite H130/476, San Clemente, CA 92673.

Due May 31.

Honoring Teachers

2011-05-11T05:16:00.000-07:00

Today is California Day of the Teacher. Uncharacteristically, I would like to offer a personal perspective. Teachers, you are among the most important people in the world. You literally shape the future each day. Although it is impossible for you to know which moment in your day will live on forever, you conduct yourself as if any might. You take a spark of interest/excitement/effort and transform it into an engine strong enough to power a life mission/dream/vision. Each day, you put aside your personal pain, your own family, your private dreams in order to squelch the pain, honor the families, and support the dreams of children.

Thank you.

A Frog's Life: Free Learning

2011-04-29T05:49:00.001-07:00

Sign up for the free newsletter from the Math and Science organization, AIMS and you will get links to free activities periodically. It's rare that I consider ALL of the activities to be strong for classroom instruction, but the April newsletter had four winners. I'll highlight each one on the blog.
The four activities were:
K-2 A Frog's Life
3 - 5 Pleased as Punch
6 - 9 Product Testing
and a sudoku-like math puzzle called One-In-A-Line

A Frog's Life is robust in that
- it refers to some children's literature (From Tadpole to Frog and From Caterpillar to Butterfly)
- YouTube has a silent video showing the early stages of growth titled Gray Tree Frog Growing Up
- eHow has an explanatory video about the frog life cycle that has rich academic language (tadpole, frog spawn, vegetation, resorb, gills, nutrition, terrestrial). Sadly, no visuals. Do not start the video in front of your students. Cue it up in advance because it begins with a mystery advertisement.
- a teacher has posted a cute claymation video as well. This one moves REALLY fast, so you'll have to stop and start it.
- UEN (Utah Education Network) has a link to a simple yet vocabulary rich page about the life cycle

In the California content standards for science, life cycle is a second grade standard. Third grade has adaptations. Fourth grade has producers, consumers and interaction with the environment. Fifth grade has specialized structures for respiration (among other things). Sixth grade has energy and matter in an ecosystem. Go to the link for the science standards above, use control+F to find life sciences and you can easily review your grade level standards. Then check out the appropriate chapters in our science book.

Enjoy your froggy learning.

The Countdown

2011-04-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

How will you spend the next five weeks? The school year is winding down and the summer learning season is winding up (children are always learning).

This week state testing is finishing up. State testing is like a final for the year. Students have been learning all sorts of things during the year. They learn standards and more. At year's end, they take a final to have a record of their learning based on that single measure.

The next five weeks give us the opportunity to learn even more. Here are some things to think about (from a student perspective):
Learn about something you always wanted to know about.
Learn something you can teach someone else.
Just explore resources to see what you might want to learn.
Investigate something you heard on the news or in your social network.
Read a book, wiki, post, or note about another avid learner and be inspired.
Ask a friend if they'd like to learn something together.
Skype an expert and ask about their area of expertise.
Learn something that will prepare you for school next year.
Learn something that will prepare you for school in 10 years.

No matter what take advantage of the next five weeks to learn and learn and learn.

Resurrecting The Commons

2011-04-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

As often happens, my recent thinking has been dominated by ideas, events, and people that are merging paths in my life:

Passover - the meal, the tradition, the people and Esther Weisberg from whom I once rented a room. She welcomed me into her home, once invited me to seder and tried to help me understand its significance and rituals.
Slavery - a struggle important in the Passover holiday, in my heritage, in this weekend's movie The Conspirator, and in this year's 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Easter -the meals, the sunrise, the service, the traditions and practices.
Generations - as I watched people emerge from church in casual clothes, many dressed in black (WHAT! black! on Easter? Festival of Spring, flowered clothes and light shoes?) I got to wondering how wonderful it is that the US is us. I shared some learning time (I learned as much as I hope they did) with a classroom of third graders this week, and what a delight. They are so smart and so capable and so in need of learning experiences that help them develop, understand their world, and contribute to it meaningfully.

... and the commons which is defined as having three aspects. The commons cannot be commodified, they are inclusive rather than exclusive, and are meant to be preserved regardless of their return of capital.

In my view, public education is a cornerstone of American commons. Schools help us understand more of our likenesses and helps us to learn about them. School gives us a place to interact with people we might not come across otherwise. School gives us a reason to care about and for each other.

As we transform public education, I hope we keep the commons right in the thick of things.

Photo by Shaunette Babbs under Creative Commons license.

Teacher Power

2011-04-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

In early March, I got some correspondence from a former student asking if teacher, Jamey Whitney, was still working in the district. Student and teacher have been corresponding since then an forwarded me some of their communication. This student came from another state mid-year in fourth grade. He had been struggling and in trouble. Mr. Whitney took an interest in him. By end of fifth grade, he was accelerated in two subjects. He was student body president of his high school, went to Occidental College on a full scholarship. He is currently a neurosurgery resident and doing well. Here are a few quotes from his letter. "My parents told me [that] you thought I was going to be successful some day. No previous teacher had made such a prediction, and actually predicted the opposite." "I think the thing you did which was so special and perhaps very simple was believe in me. I started out [mid-fourth grade] behind coming from [another state] and by the end of 5th grade was taking math 1 year ahead." "I may have made your day with my email, but you made my life." Photo by D.B. Blas from Flickr Creative Commons License

Four Schools Recognized by California Business For Education Excellence

2011-04-01T05:40:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the students, parents, and staff of Madison Elementary for claiming the STAR school award. Franklin, Kennedy, and Lake Mathews got the SCHOLAR award level. Get more information at www.cbeefoundation.org

5 Ways to Make It to Spring Break

2011-03-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

With spring break just two days away, everyone is looking for meaningful ways to freshen things up. Here are 5 ideas: 1. Play Word Bowl. Give each table group a bowl (box or envelope) and index cards or cut scratch paper. Explain that throughout the day, they will collect academic words. When they see, hear or read an interesting word, write it out on one card and place the card in the bowl. At the end of the day, play some games with the words. Do a word sort where students categorize the words. Share how they decided to categorize then write that word sort down. Then they scramble, re-categorize, discuss, and record the word sort. 2. Play Related Word. Have a 5 minute fun dialogue with your students about how people are related - brothers, sisters, cousins, on-your-mother's side, etc. Compare to how words can be related - roots, prefix, suffix, synonym, antonym, word family, homophone, homograph, shades of meaning, figurative, scientific. Write those "prompts" on the board. First person says a word. The next person has to say a related word. Model once or twice for students. If they need prompting Model with one word. For example - spring, pulley, pullman, fireman, firefly, fireplace, placard, place, placement, location.... 3. Count Around the Class. Everyone stands and counts by (an amount). The object is to do it several times, getting faster and faster each time. Great for primary grades skip counting (make sure you do forward and backward). Some upper grade examples: count backwards by 1/4 starting with 7, count by -3 starting with 39 .... 4. One-Minute Speech. Model a one minute speech - written and spoken. If you can't thing of one, Scientific American's 60-Second Science podcasts or Voice of America English can provide an example. Be sure to screen for appropriateness of the topic. Work out a common outline with your class for their own speeches. Work out a common rubric for the written speech. Work out a common rubric for the spoken delivery. Brainstorm a list of acceptable speech topics. Have students work on a speech. Tomorrow, have "break out sessions" where students can sign up to hear some one minute speeches. Later, these can be developed into more complex projects. 5. Explore Your Ancillaries. Break out the Time For Kids Readers (and check out the website. They currently have a good lesson on the Bronx Zoo's missing cobra). Check out your enVision math center activities. Use the enVision online games whole group or individually. Get your math readers out. Have your students present one section of the upcoming unit in Social Studies or Science. Let them decide how to section the material and give them full use of the Promethean board. Do one of our online art lessons. Break out your Picturing America portfolio or use the online version and use the accompanying lesson to talk about great American art. Preview one of the books in your We the People Bookshelf related to the Constitution's birthday theme "Toward a More Perfect Union."

Riverside USD Top 5

2011-03-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, Riverside Unified was highlighted at the Chamber of Commerce's Good Morning Riverside gathering. See Riverside Live blog for March 18. Among the resources was the document pictured here and on schooltube.com - RUSD Top 5 (minute 6:41). FIVE: Instruction staff has worked right alongside advocates for new programs listed here - dual immersion, Core Knowledge, STEM. FOUR: Instruction staff works with the itinerant music teachers that start music instruction in the elementary schools. They develop a specialized strings group and send experienced music students to the secondary school-based music programs. We have supported a program well aligned with state and national standards. THREE: Instruction staff plays a key role in student competitions: History Day, Science Fair, Riverside County Art Show, Southern California Band Competitions and more. TWO: Instructional Technology is an integral and growing part of our daily work. ....so that leads us to.... ONE: RUSD a district of choice.

How To Host a Math and Science Family Night

2011-03-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Math Science Partnership (mspnet.org) for sharing this guiding video from the Partnership for Reform in Math and Science (prism2.mspnet.org) publicly.

How to Organize a Math and Science Family Night from MSPnet on Vimeo.
See sample resources here: implementation plan, planning checklist, budget/timeline, and evaluation form.

Thanks!

Preparing the Class of 2023

2011-03-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

This resume turned infographic MAY be the way our kindergarteners document their college-readiness or career-readiness. What should we be learning/doing/teaching/sharing to make sure they have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be successful?
See the news story here.

See one person's commentary here.

Filling Buckets

2011-03-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post by Principal Calhoun of Castle View Elementary School.

Have you filled a bucket today? This is now a daily occurrence at Castle View Elementary School. The concept is inspired by a book of the same name by Carol McCloud.

The concept is that everyone carries an invisible bucket. The purpose of the bucket is to hold good thoughts and feelings about yourself. Others can 'fill' your bucket when they show you kindness. A 'Bucket Filler' is someone who does and says nice things for others. Someone who does mean things, like a bully, is a 'Bucket Dipper'. The great thing is that when you fill someone's bucket, you fill your own as well.

At Castle View, we work to recognize others who fill our buckets. We have Bucket Notes anyone can fill out when someone does something nice for them. The Bucket Note reads: _____ filled my bucket today by ________. Students fill in the kind act and sign their own name. Bucket Notes are collected in every classroom throughout the week. On Fridays, one Bucket Note from each room is pulled for a Bucket Prize. Both the Bucket Filler (one who did a kind act) and the person who recognized them receive a Bucket Prize. We all work to be Bucket Fillers and not Bucket Dippers each and every day.

You can find out more at http://www.bucketfillers101.com/

Teachers Who Write - Save the Date: April 16

2011-03-17T06:22:00.002-07:00

Remember back in the day when you wrote prolifically? Can you remember a time when you read someone else's writing that had meaning for you? When you are reading blogs, tweets, magazines and newspapers do you say, "I could have done a better job writing this"? Do you think about your best writing teacher from time to time?

Well, on April 16 you can dust off your skills at the Spring Workshop Series of Making Meaningful Connections with Writing Instruction. The sessions are offered by the Inland Area Writing Project at UCR. $65.00 for a full day of support.

For more information, contact UCR: 951-827-3666 or sharent@ucr.edu
See flyer here.

Teachable Moments

2011-03-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

The sad news of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergencies in Japan (and other countries recently) has been combining with my thinking of school reform. Similar to other market innovations, I think real school reform will depend partly on good ideas that catch on - things that people pick up immediately.

One type of situation where I see that teachers are immediately willing to change is when they are offered "vetted", standards-based learning tasks that are well suited to their students' ages and interests. The tragedy in Japan is one such incident. Based on that, I offer this type of reform. When "teachable moments" such as this happen, if would be great if there was an immediate market offering of learning tasks aligned to the standards.

The perspective would have to vary since grade-level standards differ. Sixth graders, for example, might extend their learning about ancient civilizations to today's world. How do spatial and physical land features affect a people? Migration? They might write a persuasive composition (Writing Strategies 2.5) and making a presentation on problem and solution (Speaking 2.5). Once they have read and dialogued enough to form an opinion, they might apply their expository critique standards on author's conclusions (2.6), reasonable assertions (2.7) and propaganda (2.8). In contrast, third graders might read and discuss some basic economic features and what impact the disaster might have. They might use their standards on informational materials to gain an understanding of the country, the disaster, the people, the impacts.

Having an immediate response appropriate to specific grades would be a terrific support to teachers. Right now, there is the New York Times Learning Page, and some resources on CNN, a little in the LA Times, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology does a bit, but nothing like what I mean.

Pi Day is 3.14 (of course)

2011-03-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

3.1415926535

The day we celebrate Pi is less than one week away. Pi is a great contrast in itself. It is a math constant. It is an irrational number. The first several digits of pi are shown above, but pi actually goes on forever. Some resources to celebrate a fun math day:

National Council of Teachers of Math: Celebrate Pi Day
Annenberg Media: How Big is Infinity?
Game to Calculate Pi
Aims Foundation (free): Around and Across Activity

Traditional Reading and Reading Traditions

2011-03-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

As the world becomes increasingly digital, I find myself wondering often about reading. Last week as we all shared the Read Across America experience. We celebrated Dr. Seuss' and many other writers. Read Across America day always takes me back to my elementary classrooms, where I learned to read. Last week, I thought about Dick and Jane, Judy Bloom and the librarian at Vermont Square Library. I wondered how students are building reading traditions today. They have eBooks, interactive books, regular books and more.

Saturday, I was listening to children's author Patrick Carman (Skeleton Creek, Trackers and more). His books are a hybrid of paper and online, but he kept saying, "We need to have kids turning more pages."
"Really?" I thought. "Surely he doesn't mean pages." Then I realized that his word pages includes electronic pages.

Sunday, I actually had a physical yearning for an actual paper version of a newspaper. Nostalgia, maybe. It was gray and cold outside. Reading the paper on Sunday was a ritual my parents had. I found myself wanting paper.

How ever you are building your reading traditions, whether it is traditional reading, digital reading or blended. Do it well and enjoy.

Awesome Science Fair

2011-02-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

Last week, UCR hosted our Science and Engineering Fair.

More than 250 entries were received and the UCR professors and graduate students were authentically impressed with the quality of the projects.

Winners will continue on to the County competition.

Write Right? Right!

2011-02-06T18:47:00.001-08:00

This week, all students in kindergarten through sixth grades will be asked to respond to a writing prompt. At a January meeting about assessment, one of my colleagues asked the question, "Why do we do writing?" Since then, I have thought about that question every single day.

"Writing" is described in at least 3 ways in the California Standards. There are writing strategies, written/oral conventions, and writing applications. Writing strategies includes parts of composition - organization and focus, research, editing, and revising. In my school days, conventions were referred to as grammar, mechanics, and usage. Writing applications are types of writing - narratives, information reports, literature responses, and summaries. Writing is included in the California common core standards as well.

The writing prompt is more about writing applications - knowing the features of a style of writing, and being able to draft and edit a composition in that style. Responding gives the student an opportunity to pull all the writing pieces together in an original piece of their own.

The full Reading/Language Arts Framework gives a more in-depth explanation of the three areas listed in the standards, but none of it sheds a light on the true importance of a learner being able to clearly express ideas. Writing is critical in every academic discipline, every career, and nearly every facet of life. Why write? It's a survival (or better yet - thrive-al) skill.

How Much Is A Million?

2011-02-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

Kennedy Elementary students have solved more than ONE MILLION math problems on our First In Math program. Kennedy has al1,067 students playing with an average of 980 math problems solved per student.

There are FIVE elementary schools that would be in over 1 million if they were the same size:

Harrison Elementary tops the list with an average of 1,173 problems solved by 524 students.

Hyatt is next with an average of 1,016 problems solved by 322 students.

Adams holds third with an average of 983 problems solved by 290 students.

Kennedy comes in fourth with 980 solved by 1067 students, and the final millionaire is

Highgrove with an average of 978 problems solved by 466 student playing.

How much is a million? A book the size of a regular sheet of printer paper with tiny stars would have 70 printed pages of stars to make a million. If you counted one number per second and stayed up all day and all night it would take you 11 1/2 days to count from 1 to 1 million!

See a drawing of a million penny wall.

Finally, 4 Riverside schools have made it to the "Top 100 in California" list: Harrison #85, Hyatt #96, Adams #98, and Woodcrest #100.

Debate and Diplomacy

2011-02-01T05:29:00.000-08:00

Debate and Diplomacy are always big topics in history. This weekend, they served as the theme for the RUSD History Day competition.

Fourth and fifth graders may make poster entries. Sixth graders compete alongside seventh and eighth graders in the junior categories of: historical paper, individual website, group website, documentary, and performance. Congratulations to Emerson, Rivera, and Victoria. All schools submitted quality projects. Here is a photo of the Emerson team.

Why Assess?

2011-01-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

Last week, a group of 20 or so educators met to talk about assessments. We called it the assessment roundtable and started off by saying we wanted to have a dialogue. Dialogue meaning really listen to the point of view being expressed, suspend our personal point of view for a minute and delve into the speaker's words, intent, and meaning.

In my opinion, the assessment question is one of competing "goods". High quality, assessments are necessary, yet they compete for other good things. They especially compete for time. The time demands on teachers and principals are so great - how do you assess well enough to know how to improve instruction, to improve content knowledge, to share best practices, while at the same time preserving enough time for classroom instruction, immediate feedback to students, collaborative conversations at staff and team meetings.

Over my 25+ years, I have come to believe that standards, assessment, and instruction are the foundational triangle of high-quality teaching and learning. A California Teachers Association article briefly describes the three. The Roundtable discussed the purposes of assessment. This Rick Stiggins article as an indepth look at the purposes.

The goal of the Roundtable is to gain a common understanding of the purposes of instruction, take a look at our current practices of instruction and together find ways to make the practices efficient and effective, minimizing time, maximizing utility, and prioritizing instruction.

The Roundtable will meet again in February to examine some possible alternatives - what duplication can be eliminated? Would timing changes help? What best practices have schools used for administering assessments? ....and more....

200 Countries 200 Years 4 Minutes

2011-01-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

Global health professor, Hans Rosling, animates data on health and wealth spanning 200 years. Too good not to share. Watch and enjoy. Click here.

State of the Union learning task choice board

2011-01-23T17:13:00.000-08:00

Click here for the learning task choice board.

Click here for additional resources.

What A Concept

2011-01-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

Elementary principals and assistant principals completed their beginning training session this week. One idea they learned about was a concept board for math. Here is an example from my recent school visit to Hawthorne Elementary. As I snapped the photo (do we "snap" photos anymore?), a youngster approached me and said, "I LOVE that board."

"Really?" I replied. "Why?"

"Because it makes math fun now."

"Very cool," I said, "how does it do that?"

"Well, when I get stuck, I just look up there and I know what to do," he replied.

"Outstanding. I guess I would love it, too then."

What an endorsement. 'nuff said.

Whaddayaknow????

2011-01-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

Reading experts talk about a very important contributor to reading achievement - background knowledge. Typically, background knowledge means students have had an opportunity to have experiences that are important to school folks.

What if we turned that around and recognized that all students know many things before they come to school. What if we found a way to tap into that? The bimonthly newsletter of the International Reading Association, Reading Today, recently published an article that shows the way. It shared the results of a yearlong study of skilled readers, probing how those students accelerated thier own learning of new and unfamiliar information.

There's an idea....find out what successful students do and replicate their methods.

Successful students in this study used:

1. Multimedia connections - students incorporate their multimedia knowledge.

2. Timeline connections - students can take a historical perspective.

3. Genre connections - students can use their knowledge of types of literature.

4. Emotional connections - students can connect emotionally to historic figures, events, or ideas.

5. Cultural connections - students associate new information to valued attributes such as bravery and courage.

This list of connections gives us other "learning handles" for students to use. They might not have been to a historic site, but they can use timeline, culture and emotion to access that material more deeply.

Dual Immersion Registration Begins Feb 28

2011-01-16T14:37:00.000-08:00

Registration for Dual Language Immersion begins February 28.

Information sessions will be held from 5:30 ot 6:30 at Washington Elementary School on the following days:

January 20

January 21

January 25

more information

Reading Rules!

2011-01-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

Three sources related to reading caught my attention this weekend: StoryTimeforMe, WordLens and NPRs Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle.

StoryTimeforMe is a website with interactive stories for children. A voice actor reads the book in an animated way and you can toggle highlighting for the words being read.

WordLens is an iPhone (and soon to be other phones I imagine) app that instantly translates printed words from English to Spanish or Spanish to English.

The puzzle highlighted why listening vocabulary and actual instruction in reading is important. Here are a few examples:

- grasps wasps

- bans swans

- rolls dolls

- wounds hounds

- gives wives

- halves valves

- sands wands

- breaks streaks

and

- does toes

Core Knowledge Information Meeting Set

2011-01-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

Parents are welcome to attend an informational meeting on the proposed Core Knowledge enrichment program, which is being considered for one of the District's existing schools. The informational meeting will take place:

Tuesday, January 11

Grant Education Center

4011 14th Street

at 6:30 pm

more detail

flyer in Spanish

Charge! Recharge! Charge!

2010-12-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

Last week, the elementary assistant principals were collaborating with one another about the evaluation process. In our standards-based learning community, there are performance standards for the teaching profession and for educational leadership, just as there are standards for academic content areas.

A recent modification to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession, a rubric has been added to describe levels of practice from emerging to innovation. The one we talked about most the other day was Standard 6.6, "Managing professional responsibilities to maintain motivation and commitment to all students" because the highest level of performance requires that a professional support "colleagues to maintain the motivation, resiliency, and energy to ensure that all students achieve." We all took this as documentation that times have changed.

In times past, when required levels of performance were high, one could "knuckle down" for a period of time, reach the desired outcome then take a break. In this current era of continuous improvement, knuckling down is no longer an option. An educator must find ways to maintain high levels of energy and resiliency on a daily basis in order to reach the desired goals. Here are some resources we discussed that can help:

Schwartz, T. (2010, December 13). Six Ways to Refuel Your Energy Each Day. Message posted at Harvard Business Review http://www.hbr.org/

UCSF Human Resources. (retrieved December 2010). A Personal Strategy for Engaging and Building Your Resilience.

NASA, UCR, JPL and RUSD Launch Project

2010-12-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

RUSD students will be working with scientists and students at UC Riverside on a NASA project, "Down to Earth Climate Science Project". High school students will benefit by being offered up to $500 for science projects that utilize NASA studies. They will also be able to take a trip to the JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab) to see how information is collected and studied. Finally, UCR will provide support in earth science courses, typically taken by students who shy away from science. Read more in the Press-Enterprise article. Be sure to check out PUMAS, Practical Uses of Math and Science at the NASA site.

No Problem for Math

2010-12-13T11:56:00.001-08:00

Again this weekend, from Saturday morning to this morning, RUSD students solved more than 200,000 math problems. First, second and mthird place:
Most problems solved: Kennedy, Woodcrest, Harrison
Highest average number of stickers per student: Adams, Harrison, Sierra
Most students completing multiplication and division facts: Sierra, Adams, Highgrove

Congratulations to all.

Winter Concerts

2010-12-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

This week, three middle schools held their winter concerts. Elementary and middle schools join together to perform a few pieces that the children have learned since school started. I had the pleasure of attending the performance at Central Middle School last night. The place was PACKED with parents, siblings and other well wishers. All were great, but the jazz band was most impressive.....improvisations and all. Thank you students and music teachers for an enjoyable evening event.

RUSD students solved 270,000 problems

2010-12-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

More than 250,000 math problems were solved by RUSD students between 10 am Saturday morning and 7 am Monday morning. Many of our schools are participating in a pilot program with First In Math (FIM). FIM has levels for students from kindergarten through eighth grades. Children solve math problems and earn virtual stickers.

First, second and third place in three categories: total problems solved - Woodcrest, Kennedy, Harrison; highest average number of stickers per student - Adams, Harrison, Woodcrest, and; most students playing - Kennedy, Jefferson, Mountain View.

Nice work, everyone!

Get $15 for your school

2010-12-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

This Saturday and Sunday, Dec 4 and 5, make a in-store purchase at Borders books and get a $15 gift card for the public school of your choice. I usually don't post things that cost, but in this case, good. Buy.

3 Ways To Do Your Best in Math, Now Until January

2010-12-01T14:55:00.001-08:00

We have five weeks of prime learning time between Thanksgiving Break and the restart of school in January - three in school, two on break. Here are three easy ways to get the most out of this time.

1. Find out about math topics. What topics are you learning? Are there any topics that you need to or would like to review? Click the links below to see the Topic List for your grade.
Gr K Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6

2. Talk to your teacher about your own areas of focus. Report cards were completed recently, so your teacher will have a good idea about where you need to focus.

3. Utilize online resources. There are two main resources. One is enVision online textbook and resources. The other is First in Math Program, which is available at most schools.
enVision online resources: Make sure you have a login for your math textbook. If your teacher has already set your account, you might already have online tasks assigned to you. If you want to just explore, rather than have your personal account and assignments, go to the district elementary education page and click the link for online math textbook. Be sure to use the generic login, rusdstudent, and the generic password, classroom.
First in Math: This program offers game-like practice with math facts and facility with numbers. Most of our sites are participating in a pilot this year. Your school will have logins. If you want to explore this program, go to http://www.firstinmath.com/. Use LOVE as the login and MATH as the password. You will have to register on the site to see the demo.

Are you interested?

2010-11-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

If your children are in grades four through eight, please take time to respond to a three questions survey on the district web page (click here then look in left hand column). We are assessing interest in a STEM school. STEM schools focus on all or some of these areas: science, technology, engineering, and math.

Read For The Record: The Snowy Day

2010-10-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Preschoolers and kindergarteners are doing their best to break the world record for the highest number of people to hear or read the same book on the same day. Today's event is sponsored by Jumpstart in partnership with Pearson.

In 2009, more than two million children read Eric Carle's classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This year, students read Jack Ezra Keats' 1963 Caldecott Medal winner, The Snowy Day, a simple tale of a boy waking up to a snow-covered city and experimenting with footprints, snowmen, snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day.

Read the online version here.

Science Fair Question? Ask a Scientist!

2010-09-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

We are hosting a science fair expo this Saturday morning at Earhart Middle School. The sessions are designed for teachers, parents, and students. Scientists will be on site to consult about projects and experiment design.

9:00 - choose from 1) Science Fair Judges; 2) Good Science Fair Projects; 3) Why do a Project?

10:00 1) How to Run a Science Fair; 2) How to Prepare for the Interview; 3) What is Good Science

11:00 (repeat of 9:00 sessions)

12:00 (repeat of 10:00 sessions)

Scientists will be available throughout the day.

Location: Earhart Middle School, 20202 Aptos St, Riverside 92508

For more information, call Michael Horton 951-826-6729

The September Rush - you are not alone!

2010-09-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today's Harvard Business Review offers us some tips for breaking the September rush log jam...

- task list followed by 15 minutes of quick tasks followed by 35 minutes of uninterrupted "hard work" follow by a break....bye! I'm going to try it right now.

To read Paul Bregman's full blog, click here.

Fall Begins Today!

2010-09-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Whew! Unexpected hiatus from blogging, but since today is exactly one month from my last blog, I'd better reboot!

Today completes one month that school has been in session. Here are some tidbits about student learning through the end of October.

Reading: All grades K through 6 will complete Theme 1 and get partway through Theme 2. Click here to get a list of the stories for grades 2 through 6.

Writing: All grades will be having instruction in writing, which should include all the steps of the writing process - prewrite, draft, edit and revise, and finalize. Every grade will focus on the grade level standards for writing strategies (organization and resources), writing conventions (grammar and mechanics) and writing applications (type of writing). Click here for excerpts from the California framework on writing, listening and speaking.

Math: Grades 1 through 6 will learn Topics 1 through 5 before taking a Benchmark test near the end of October (Grade K learns Topics 1 through 4). Click here for the Math Topics in your child's grade.

Science, social science, art, physical education are the other subjects that teachers will be working on, though each teacher/grade level at each site determines the order of presentation. Your classroom teacher can give you more information about that.

Have a great year!

This is a first

2010-08-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Kindergarten Teacher,

Let me introduce you to one of your new students, my great-nephew, "Jack". I'd like you to know a few things about him. Jack is the hope of past and future generations. His great-grandpa, my dad "Mo", believed the in the transformational power of education. For the 80+ years that Mo graced this earth, he was an avid learner. He spent hours reading and figuring at his dining table in south central LA. He spent hours with us - Jack's grandma, great aunts and uncle, cousins close and distant, neighbors, aunt, uncles and Jack's dad at that same dining room table, making sure we learned as much as we could.

Mo didn't do it alone. He had mom's support and help from teachers like you. Mo did not know what the higher levels of learning would be, so trusted you to give us access to it. This partnership and focus on learning transported our family from slavery to Stanford in just two generations. We lost Mo in January, so sadly, Jack is the first child in our extended family who will not have Mo start school with him. We will do our best to carry on the tradition and ask that you do the same.

Be kind to Jack. Don't write him off. Get to know him. Have high expectations for him. Know that his parents both work hard to make ends meet and view school as important even if they can't be there as often as some parents are. Love Jack. I do not live near Jack, so I cannot be a daily influence on him like you will be. What I can do is pay your kindnesses forward to the children I do come in contact with daily. Be firm (at times, really firm). Demand that he learn - don't let him slide. Enjoy his enthusiasm. Teach him well.

Visually Capture the Essence of Success

2010-08-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

...and win the ACSA 2011 Celebrate Success Art Contest while you're at it. What a great way to start the year.... Teach some California Visual Arts Standards integrated with some writing, speaking and listening standards PLUS enter your students' work into an art contest sponsored by ACSA and Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost.

Entry rules are simple.

- Student must be in grade K - 12.

- Drawing is solely the original work of the student entrant.

- Paper must be no smaller than 8.5" x 11" and no larger than 11" . 17".

- Compositions may be oriented vertically or horizontally and can use any colorful medium.

- Entrants may submit one drawing.

- Entries become property of ACSA and F3 and will not be returned.

- Include with each entry on a separate piece of paper, *the student's full name, *age, *grade, *name of school, *name of district, *principal/teacher name, *principa/teacher contact number.

- Entries must be postmarked no later than October 22, 2010.

- See flyer for other details

Summer daze

2010-08-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

guest post by Kris Ungerer

Ahhh! It's summer and time to relax... until 3 or so weeks prior to school. Then, for me, it's time to put my plans for the new school year together. When I plan, I like to have my feet up, my pj's on and warm tea nearby. Many teachers plan on weekends, after or before school; I like to complete my entire annual lesson plan prior to going to school the first day. No planning at the end of the day when I'm spent, or when I'm ill and have to make sub plans! It's important to me to have my plans in order, as ready as possible, before I arrive for the first teacher work day.

With a planning mind set, and time, I begin to plan using the computer program Excel. That way, next year I can build on what I've done before. (Later, team changes are easily done too!) Annually I adjust the plan to make it more meaningul for me and student learning. I find planning from all of the teacher guides helpful (challenge, support...) In this way, I know what is availbable for that day in each guide. Because my plans have greater variety, I am able to make final decisions about what I will use to meet the varying student levels. I just cross out what I don't use to keep accurate records of what I did do. By planning in the summer, I free valuable time during the year. I think it reduces my stress too! Believe it or not, I look forward to planning each year!

Pythagoras Progress: 'nough said.

2010-08-15T14:58:00.001-07:00

Click the image for a better view.

Pondering Infinity

2010-08-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Guest post by David Watring
The two week long Pythagoras Project allowed 78 RUSD teachers, including myself, to refresh their knowledge about math concepts and instruction with the help of local college and university instructors. While I am comfortable teaching math conceptually to 3rd through 6th graders, I must admit that there were some things I had learned via rote memory. I had no idea why some things in math were true...for instance, why infinity is a concept and not a number. It was this new knowledge that allowed me to become a better teacher of math when we encountered students who were part of the inaugural Pythagoras Academy this past week.

As we were discussing/sharing equivalent fractions for one, a student blurted out (Yes, I was allowing it at that time...) infinity over infinity. I accidently (on purpose) did not record it. That same student, when I turned and congratulated the class for giving me so many equivalents, raised his hand and politely stated, "You did not put my answer down." His answer had been infinity over infinity. The teachable moments over the next two days were amazing as students' thinking was challenged about why infinity over infinity did not equal one. We discussed infinity as a concept, not a number, and I was able to "make their brains swirl in their heads" (according to one student). I showed students how you can hold infinity between your hands and how infinity moves closer to zero as you increase the number of equal portions you break something up into (1/2,048 of a 1.5 x 12" piece of paper is pretty small). I had the opportunity to put my new knowledge to use, and I did.

The Pythagoras Project has given its participants the kind of useful information that can be applied in the classroom to enhance mathematics instruction, unlocking some of the mysterious "why's" for both teachers and students.

Get Your Science While It's Hot

2010-08-11T04:58:00.000-07:00

I may have taken too long to blog this, but UCR is hosting it's 11th STEP (Science, Technology, Education Partnership) Conference for teachers and students this October 13 and 14. The morning sessions have filled. Check here to register for the afternoon sessions for as long as they are available.

Win an HP Mini 311

2010-08-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Upload your lessons to the HP Teacher Experience Exchange and win a mini.

Sounds like a good deal to me. Perfect for Pythagoras teachers who are writing lesson plans this week. Deadline is October 29th.

Teachers' Learning and Learning Teachers

2010-08-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

Three new communities of learners among RUSD teachers started or expanded this past week.

Read 180 - about 95 teachers and several principals attended two different styles of training for Read 180. One style was the two day, "get your toes wet" style. When I stopped in, teachers were becoming familiar with the program components (rBook, lBook, System 44), the instructional model (intro in whole group followed by rotations for independent read/write and computer assisted learning and direct instruction witht the teacher, and culiminating with a short whole group session).

Pythagoras Project. Another 90 or so teachers spent a week together at RCC with RCC professors, a UCR professor, our partners at AECOM. They are learning BOTH - math and about teaching math. This is truly a new venture. We are really trying to understand each other - elementary, secondary, community college and state university WHILE figuring out how to meet the needs of our students.

Writing and Dual Immersion. Two smaller groups were working on writing and dual immersion. The writing process may seem simple (to people who write well) but learning to write is a critical and not-that-simple task. The same can be said of language learning and language teaching.

Visiting with teachers this week gave me renewed energy for this coming year.

Meet the class of 2023

2010-08-04T20:15:00.001-07:00

Mt. View Elementary hosted a Kindergarten Academy this week . . . the graduates of 2023. Principal Allbeck committed that the children would be well prepared for their preferred education or career path by the end of their stay at RUSD. Parents and students met one another and learned about partnering with the school.

Weave a Tapestry of Literacy

2010-07-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

California Reading Association is holding it's conference here in Riverside this year. October 15 and 16 we can all devote ourselves to learning more about learning....how cool is that? RUSD Retiree Loretta Cudney has been in touch with me about the event. It'll be a good one. Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, Kate Kinsella, Adria Klein, Lori Oczkus, Shane Templeton, Ruth Yopp.

For more information, see their website: http://www.californiareads.org/

Thrills AND Skills of Reading

2010-07-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

Literacy expert, Dorothy Strickland, addresses this issue of balance in her post "Teaching the Skills AND Thrills of Reading". In offering both sides, a teacher skillfully aligns standards, instruction and assessment.

Her 5 Rules of Thumb:
1. Teach skills in a way to gain meaning.
2. Each day, include time for both guided instruction and independent work.
3. Avoid teaching children as if they were empty receptacles for knowledge.
4. Integrate print and electronic materials effectively.
5. Always consider standardized test scores in light of informal assessment data.

Offering both the skills and thrills of reading is where a teacher-expert can demonstrate the art in the profession, in addition to the science of the profession. the art AND the science has long been a topic of teacher training and practice....an aspect addressed in the newly released Core Standards for the Teaching Profession. (More on that in a later post).

Both

2010-07-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

One way to have both fun and rigor is to plan strategically. For me, that means know the grade level standards, know how the year is laid out, plan the year in order to address content before state testing time, and add flourishes (that's the fun). Flourishes - flare for teacher style, time for student choice, opportunity to investigate topics independently. One tool we now have to make strategic planning possible is our document that aligns our reading books with the Californis State Standards.

You can view them all here. One sample is posted below

Grade 4 ela cst standards alignment draft june 2010

View more presentations from teamteach.

...........AND.............

2010-07-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Had a great conversation with a teacher-friend in the produce department of the grocery store (isn't that where some of the greatest conversations happen?). We talked for a while about all the very real pressures on classroom teachers for their time, a most precious resource. She talked about the need to do fun and interesting things, I agreed. Then we got into more tenuous territory....the discussion about rigor. I want the conjunction to be the word AND. I want interesting AND rigorous. Fun AND tough. Worthwhile AND challenging.

We can have both. Our own learning community can figure out how. Let's do it.

Subject Matter Content

2010-07-03T22:07:00.001-07:00

The post on common core standards has me thinking about subject content as an entry point to developing a community of professionals who commit the time it takes to reflect on teaching and learning. While difficult to do, the pay off is great in terms of student learning, personal efficacy, and just plain enjoyment of the work of teaching.

Again Milbrey McLaughlin, " Teachers' classroom choices are a product of their conceptions of the subject matter...and their conception of their students as learners..." The ...community which exists in a school ... plays a major role in how teachers see their work and their students ...."

Another resource would be Lucy West, whose work Content-Focused Coaching includes coaching moves and Principles of Learning that frame teaching and learning so that teachers can take time to reflect or to coach one another, but add depth to the conversation about their craft.

To the Core

2010-07-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

I had the refreshing opportunity to meet with Steven Dunlap today. Steve is a teacher at Highland Elementary School.

He has been selected for the California Academic Content Standards Commission. We had a great discussion about how the common core standards compare to the California Content Standards. Click here for comparison documents completed by the Sacramento County Office of Education. What is presented sooner? later? better? worse? missing? overemphasized?

As we talked about his experience serving on the Commission (and oh, what a learning experience these events can be), I was reminded of Milbrey McLaughlin's 2006 book on teacher learning communities. Subject content is one entry route to building community. No matter the outcome of common core standards, our actions around the standards can help us building community. According to McLaughlin, this work engages us in learning the content more deeply.

I enjoyed my conversation with Steve and look forward to talking to him and to you more about the academic disciplines, the standards be they California, common core or otherwise, and about teaching and learning.

PreSchool Is Taking Registrations

2010-06-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Preschool opens the world of learning to 3- and 4- year old children. Classes are located at 19 school sites throughout Riverside Unified. Every child develops language and early literacy skills through rich integrated content in all domains of early learning. Programs are free to qualifying families of children who are four or three years of age by December 2.

For more information contact:

Martha Jackson, Coordinator

Early Childhood and Family Education

Riverside Unified School District 951-352-8290 x65301

Digital Tools for PLCs

2010-06-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to be blogging about reading resources, but I got sidetracked.

Many of my team members are moving from our colocated office environment to remote locations (school sites). We have been search for tools for remote teams. We have tried Yammer, Twitter, web sites, Blackboard discussions, texts, Pronto, GoToMeetings, emails, Nings, Haikus, Weblockers, shared drives, and blogs. We want to try wikis, twikis, and more. So far, we like Wimba's Pronto the best. It offers instant messaging, group chats, desktop sharing, audio calls and video chats. We'll see what develops.

Our team needs tools, but we also need to partner with teachers and we need to support teacher collaboration. I found a post worth reading, "Using Digital Tools to Support PLCs: Part 1". Guest writer Bam Bam Bigelow makes this point,"...I'm not sure that PLC advocates and supporters realize just how difficult collaboration really is for classroom teachers."

I am also interested in learning from others. What tools facilitate collaboration with your professional learning community (PLC)?

Resources for Understanding Fractions

2010-06-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Not an endorsement, just passing along a free resource.

Webinar for online fraction tools by Conceptua. The notice makes the claim that Common Core Standards are supported as well as some of the principles of Singapore Math. Introduction session lasts 40 minutes.

Three sessions to choose from
Thursday, June 17 from 3:30 to 4:10 Eastern time click here
Thursday, June 24 from 3:30 to 4:10 Eastern time click here
Wednesday, June 30 from 3:30 to 4:10 Eastern time click here

That's all I know, but the suggestion came from a trusted source. Website is www.conceptuamath.com and email is info@conceptuamath.com

Eat Your Words, Literally!

2010-06-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

Synesthesia - (syn) "together", and (aisthesis) "sensation" causes a second sensory or cognitive pathway to be activated along with the first one. For example, a person may see printed letters in color even though they are printed in black and white. In other forms, some people might "see" sounds, "feel" colors, or "taste" words.

Tasting words (lexical-gustatory synesthesia)

Hearing colors

2+ 2 = yellow

Kid's Page About Synesthesia

Online Synesthesia Test (requires registration) and its author, David Eagleman

Wikipedia page

Whatever Happened to Dick and Jane?

2010-06-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Reading expert Elfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert writes an interesting blogpost about how Dick and Jane came to be and how there was once an emphasis on texts with repeated high frequency words. Read her blog here.

Last Day

2010-06-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Have a fantastic last day of school. Stay posted by checking this blog periodically.
Accelerated Reader (AR) will remain active over the summer. This will allow your child to track his or her reading over the summer. To find out more about Accelerated Reader, check out:

this review at the ReadingOnline website
the Wikipedia article
the official AR website
Institute for Education Science review of AR impact on general reading achievement

Read to learn about faraway places. Read to learn about unfamiliar things. Read to imagine. Read to share experiences. Read just because.

Disneyland Hosts Distinguished Schools Ceremony

2010-06-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

Friday, we celebrate the signature practices that produced outstanding student achievement results, earning four of our elementary schools the distinguished school award.

Benjamin Franklin Elementary

Practice 1: Standards Based Planning and Collaboration

Practice 2: Focus on Mathematics and Science

Mark Twain Elementary
Practice 1: Data Driven Decisionmaking in a Professional Learning Community

Practice 2: Promoting Student Success Through Technology

Washington Elementary

Practice 1: Grade Level Weekly Collaboration

Practice 2: Extra Dose Academic Support Program

Woodcrest Elementary

Practice 1: Collaboration

Practice 2: Tutoring, Teaming and Technology

In Memory

2010-05-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

Honoring those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms and liberties of our great country.

A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution

2010-05-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

Preamble

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of libery to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Today is our kick-off celebrating the "We the People Bookshelf" received by each school library in Riverside Unified.

All About the Preamble, Wikipedia

The Constitution, National Archives

The Constitution by section, Cornell Law School

All About the Constitution, Wikipedia

The Constitution, Smithsonian

Primary Resource Documents Related to the Constitution, Library of Congress

Is America (Really) Online?

2010-05-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

As America Online (AOL) celebrates its 25th anniversary, I think back to how marvelous I thought the dial-up service was. Before AOL, getting online (at least for me) was quite an adventure and was not always easy. Today, I think we also lost a little something with the point-and-click easy use sites such as this - the ability to program.

Programming is what makes computers, internet, etc. work. A program gives the machine instructions on how to read the clicks, handle the documents, carry out your wishes. Without programming, we are mere users, not producers.

MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten Group has invented a language called SCRATCH which is designed specifically for children and can be distributed freely. Learn more at scratch.mit.edu. Really get online. Become a producer.

Girl on a Mission

2010-05-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Board of Education recognized many students. Among them was Torrey Mahall, author of The Search for the Golden Mission. During a trip to all of the California missions, Torrey kept notes. Later, she wrote a mystery about the missions. Torrey is a girl on a mission!

Thank you to our classified team members

2010-05-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

This week is Classified Employees Week. School folks are typically referred to as certificated (with some sort of teaching or administrative certificate) or classified. The definitions are not clear, but this week, that does not matter.

We celebrate the classified members of our team, the members of our team you are most likely to meet first - custodians, secretaries, nutrition workers, transportation, business, health office, library personnel, and many more roles.

To all of you, and unclassified THANK YOU!

School Leaders Welcome

2010-05-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Cal State San Bernardino is extending its application deadline for its Preliminary Administrative Services Credential program. It takes approximately 4 quarters to complete and prepares candidates in the following areas: budget, accountability, school foundations, teacher supervision, and more. Five RUSD teachers participated last year, and the ones I spoke to found the program to be high quality.

A Teacher Changed My Life (Trajectory)

2010-05-11T05:51:00.000-07:00

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and tomorrow is the "big day", California Day of the Teacher. I am reminded of a conversation I had with a friend last week. This person is not an educator and shared with me that, with all the recent school news, he had been thinking about teachers. "The thing about teachers," he said, "is they don't just change a day or a moment. They can change the outcome of a person's entire life." This week, and especially tomorrow, I give thanks for and appreciation to my most influential teachers. First, my parents. Next, Sisters Glenn Anne, Barbara and Imelda (and many others). Work-life teachers Cathy Morford, Glenn King, Dan Whalen, and many many many more.

Historic Performance

2010-05-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations go to Aylin Hemstridge of Rivera Elementary who won a special award at this weekend's National History Day Competition. She garnered the Geographical Excellence Award. This award is given for best use of a geographic theme to show the interdependence of history and geography. The award is sponsored by the California Geographical Society and the California Geographic Alliance. Now that's a unique Mother's Day gift.

RUSD will represent the State of California at the national level of the competition in June. Holly Everson of Earhart Middle School will present her Junior Individual Exhibit.

Congrats and Good Luck!

March to Your Own Drummer

2010-05-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last evening, the first of our elementary band concerts for Spring 2010 took place at King High. Elementary students from Franklin, Twain, Woodcrest, and Taft showed off their skills for their school and home families. The elementary bands were joined by Miller Jazz Band and music students and by King High's very skilled band. Later, Kennedy and Rivera students exchanged places with the first group. Kudos to elementary music teachers who travel between sites, supporting this program and supporting our students in exploring personal interests.

Another group of elementary students will be performing today through Sunday as well. History Day contestants who made it through to the state level competition will be presenting their work in Pasadena.

Find your own rhythm, and march to your drummer.

Photo courtesy of peasap under a Creative Commons license.

Inland Graduate Blasts Off

2010-05-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson took off from southern Kazakhstan on April 2, headed for the International Space Station, where she will use her fluent Russian language skills to communicate with other astronauts at the Station. Dyson became interested in being an astronaut when she was in the 11th grade. She went on to study chemistry at Cal State Fullerton where she was a sprinter and a long jumper. She went on to complete a Ph.D. in chemistry at UC Davis.

California Standards Tests Continue

2010-05-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Continuing through next week, students in grades two through sixth are sitting for the California Standards Tests. These assessments are based on the grade level standards. All year long, student have been learning their grade level standards, and now they will show what they know. The California Department of Education (CDE) releases some questions each year so that teachers can see samples of the questions in order to make sure that the daily level of learning is on par with how rigorous the testing will be at year's end.

The CDE now has a site for parents: http://www.starsamplequestions.org/
as well as extensive parent guides: www.starsamplequestions.org/information.html

Children's Digital Library

2010-04-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Ran across this resource (again) while surfing this morning: Children's Digital Library.

Today's favorite is Insect Soup. This book is also free to read at author Barry Louis Polisar's website. How cool is that? I might suggest pairing this book with some expository (nonfiction) text, real recipes, and poems for two voices from Paul Fleishman's Joyful Noise and/or I Am Phoenix.