Nicky Knight came in for a second session and talked about several things. One of her focuses was on using equipment. We discussed the Slavonic Abacus and how we can use it in a variety of contexts. Originally last year, I had been using the abacus for the older children but it was good to see some ways that we could use it for the younger children. Many of my students are only just learning how to count and the day after the session I already was able to use it to count with the children. I do need to find a way to cover up the beads on one side though and will look to find that.
We also looked at the fly flips. Last year with my year 4s I had them practicing the fly flips as part of their flash card activity for math. With the younger children I will work at using these with the children. I want them to become familiar with the patterns which come up already in stages 1 and 2. I will start using them as a warmup occasionally before lessons.
We were also given a load of resources. For the next meeting we will look at two strategies in the ALIM booklets we received and be ready to talk with them. Hopefully over the long weekend I will have some time to look through those booklets and get things ready for the meeting (which is May 28th).
Today we also had the second part of the activboard training we had two weeks ago. I have already done this but attended so that I could get a bit of a refresher. Most of the stuff that was talked about were things that I regularly do in my flipcharts, though I did come across a few things that I didn't know (or that I just hadn't been using).
- Math and other activities under resources; there are several things (such as 100s charts) made up as pre-set activities for all subjects. Using these (or just being aware of them when I'm making flipchart) could potentially save me a lot of time.
- taking snapshots of children's faces to use in flipcharts. We were shown a quick and easy way to cut out children's faces from pictures to use on flipcharts. This could in personalizing flipcharts for children.
- Video - changing the videos to not autoplay (this will save a lot of headaches when activinspire crashes and I have to reopen flipcharts - I won't have to turn the videos off); taking snapshots during video playback easily (this allows us to create snapshots to sequence stories easily as well as doing it with the class and not having to do it beforehand - which gives the children more ownership of their learning).
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Maths Lesson Observation
Today I got to see a year 0 maths lesson with children working at stage 2. There were several things that the teacher did that I would like to take away.
Firstly, there were a variety of activities and the pace was pretty quick (though it didn't seem rushed). He first had them identify digits to 20, then had them count (using the flip board), then had them make sets of objects to 20, then pointed to numbers on the flip board and had them say them, then asked them to find the numbers on the flip board. So there were many skills that were needed for the children.
I had a look through the modeling book that he was using and I feel that I have been doing similar things lately (since the Maths PD we had a week or two ago), but that confirms what I've been doing. There were lots of cut outs glued in and lots of drawings.
The teacher also used counters (or in this case little plastic people) for the children to count, including using a counting tray. I have been using manipulatives, but I could be using a bit more. I will make an effort to use physical objects in my teaching in the future.
At the end of the lesson he also used the thumb stickers to have the children self assess how well they did. Each of them chose their own sticker and put it in the modeling book. This would be a useful addition to my lessons.
Firstly, there were a variety of activities and the pace was pretty quick (though it didn't seem rushed). He first had them identify digits to 20, then had them count (using the flip board), then had them make sets of objects to 20, then pointed to numbers on the flip board and had them say them, then asked them to find the numbers on the flip board. So there were many skills that were needed for the children.
I had a look through the modeling book that he was using and I feel that I have been doing similar things lately (since the Maths PD we had a week or two ago), but that confirms what I've been doing. There were lots of cut outs glued in and lots of drawings.
The teacher also used counters (or in this case little plastic people) for the children to count, including using a counting tray. I have been using manipulatives, but I could be using a bit more. I will make an effort to use physical objects in my teaching in the future.
At the end of the lesson he also used the thumb stickers to have the children self assess how well they did. Each of them chose their own sticker and put it in the modeling book. This would be a useful addition to my lessons.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Activboard Training
Today I had activboard training after school. It was the first part of the training, of which I had the second part last year. Though I knew most of the things we went over today, there were a few new things that we did and I would like to start using in my new flipcharts.
Things I learned and could potentially use:
- Draw word on board. Undo one letter at a time, redo to see it again.
- Draw in white to get children's attention. Use fill tool to "reveal" writing.
- To delete, just click on an object, then click on the trash can.
- Embedding buttons onto a page (e.g. reset) so that children do not have to look for it on the toolbar.
- Turning off the box that comes up when a sound plays.
- Recording a sound on the disk and not just on the flipchart (so it can be used in iMovie).
Things I learned and could potentially use:
- Draw word on board. Undo one letter at a time, redo to see it again.
- Draw in white to get children's attention. Use fill tool to "reveal" writing.
- To delete, just click on an object, then click on the trash can.
- Embedding buttons onto a page (e.g. reset) so that children do not have to look for it on the toolbar.
- Turning off the box that comes up when a sound plays.
- Recording a sound on the disk and not just on the flipchart (so it can be used in iMovie).
Monday, March 4, 2013
Nikki Knight Talk
Today we had some Maths PD done by Nikki Knight. She talked about Modelling Books, Reflection Questions and Diagnostic Questions.
We looked at all of these things in depth and I took a lot out of this that I want to start using in my classroom.
For the most part my modelling books aren't bad. I'm putting in the dates and WALTs and who's there, but there are a few things missing. I knew they could be better, but today's session showed me some ideas that I'd like to use. For example, I saw some modelling books where students cut and pasted work in the book and where the teacher took pictures of the students working. Going through the Numeracy Project Books (the new Book 5) also gave me a really good resource for some diagnostic questions to use.
In discussions with other teachers we also talked about some interesting ways to do reflective questions after maths lessons (as opposed to just practicing the things they've learned). I'm hoping to get a set of questions to ask students at the end of maths every day and get that up and running by the end of the week as that is not a difficult thing to do. In fact, I'm going to go do that now.
I'm also going to look to make the activities/questions more relevant to the children. Looking at my modelling books (and thinking about what I've been doing), I realize I haven't been doing that as much as I could be.
I feel a bit energized to improve my maths lessons at the moment so the next step is to go and actually do some (or all) of these things).
We looked at all of these things in depth and I took a lot out of this that I want to start using in my classroom.
For the most part my modelling books aren't bad. I'm putting in the dates and WALTs and who's there, but there are a few things missing. I knew they could be better, but today's session showed me some ideas that I'd like to use. For example, I saw some modelling books where students cut and pasted work in the book and where the teacher took pictures of the students working. Going through the Numeracy Project Books (the new Book 5) also gave me a really good resource for some diagnostic questions to use.
In discussions with other teachers we also talked about some interesting ways to do reflective questions after maths lessons (as opposed to just practicing the things they've learned). I'm hoping to get a set of questions to ask students at the end of maths every day and get that up and running by the end of the week as that is not a difficult thing to do. In fact, I'm going to go do that now.
I'm also going to look to make the activities/questions more relevant to the children. Looking at my modelling books (and thinking about what I've been doing), I realize I haven't been doing that as much as I could be.
I feel a bit energized to improve my maths lessons at the moment so the next step is to go and actually do some (or all) of these things).
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Reading Observation
Today I got to observe a reading tumble in another class. I stayed for the whole time in the room so I could see all the aspects of the reading. I picked up on several things that I liked and could improve in my own practice and I also saw a lot of things I've been doing - so I'm on the right track :)
The similarities between our programs include some of the pre-reading activties and some of the strategies the teacher used with the guided group. The two activities I saw were a matching activity (a picture of animals and what they eat) and a drawing activity (draw animals that jump) and I've been doing similar things. What was slightly different was the follow up. The one group that did a follow up activity made some hats (their book was about hats).
I also saw some little things being done on the teaching table that I have been doing in my class. Often, the teacher would start the sentence they were reading and would stop when she got to a hard word. She would ask a question about how she could figure it out, usually by looking at the pictures. I've been doing this to a degree, but she added another level of support in there by going over each picture BEFORE reading the page. This is something I don't do, and need to start doing. She also did some things that I wouldn't have even thought to do. For each group she had one or two words that she focused on (I've actually picked more, but I like this idea better). She made the word with magnetic letters and then wrote it down on a card. She did a few activities around this and at the end she had them put the cards in their bookbags so they could practice at home. Doing this is something I want to start immediately, which shouldn't be much of a problem seeing as I have all of the materials needed (and I'm trying to focus on words already).
Another thing I saw (and I've already increased my efforts to achieve this) is that the children were very independent in the class. They read their own tumbles and were able to sort themselves out easily and without much fuss. I think I've been babying my students a bit much and I need to teach them how to sort themselves out on their own. I already went over the tumbles with the children twice after this and helped them read it, so hopefully I can get them self sufficient quickly. Some of this also has to do with the way she's organized her resources and I will need to get on top of that a bit more, as most of my activities do not yet have a home.
The actual tumble activities were similar so I feel that I'm on the right track there. I saw a different site for games today (Literactive) and I'm going to look at that and add it to my list of games for kids to play. This can be made a bit easier by setting up some pages on my blog. Perhaps with pictures as links.
I got a lot of ideas today with this observation, but at the same time, it did show me the similarities between my reading program and hers. As my yearly goal is this, I hope to be able to integrate several of these changes in the next week or two and more beyond that. I also look forward to getting a chance to see other classrooms and to take things from their guided reading programs to use in mine.
The similarities between our programs include some of the pre-reading activties and some of the strategies the teacher used with the guided group. The two activities I saw were a matching activity (a picture of animals and what they eat) and a drawing activity (draw animals that jump) and I've been doing similar things. What was slightly different was the follow up. The one group that did a follow up activity made some hats (their book was about hats).
I also saw some little things being done on the teaching table that I have been doing in my class. Often, the teacher would start the sentence they were reading and would stop when she got to a hard word. She would ask a question about how she could figure it out, usually by looking at the pictures. I've been doing this to a degree, but she added another level of support in there by going over each picture BEFORE reading the page. This is something I don't do, and need to start doing. She also did some things that I wouldn't have even thought to do. For each group she had one or two words that she focused on (I've actually picked more, but I like this idea better). She made the word with magnetic letters and then wrote it down on a card. She did a few activities around this and at the end she had them put the cards in their bookbags so they could practice at home. Doing this is something I want to start immediately, which shouldn't be much of a problem seeing as I have all of the materials needed (and I'm trying to focus on words already).
Another thing I saw (and I've already increased my efforts to achieve this) is that the children were very independent in the class. They read their own tumbles and were able to sort themselves out easily and without much fuss. I think I've been babying my students a bit much and I need to teach them how to sort themselves out on their own. I already went over the tumbles with the children twice after this and helped them read it, so hopefully I can get them self sufficient quickly. Some of this also has to do with the way she's organized her resources and I will need to get on top of that a bit more, as most of my activities do not yet have a home.
The actual tumble activities were similar so I feel that I'm on the right track there. I saw a different site for games today (Literactive) and I'm going to look at that and add it to my list of games for kids to play. This can be made a bit easier by setting up some pages on my blog. Perhaps with pictures as links.
I got a lot of ideas today with this observation, but at the same time, it did show me the similarities between my reading program and hers. As my yearly goal is this, I hope to be able to integrate several of these changes in the next week or two and more beyond that. I also look forward to getting a chance to see other classrooms and to take things from their guided reading programs to use in mine.
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