"To Blog or Not to Blog" that is the Question

For the past nine months, the Curriculum Technology Partners have had an assignment.  That assignment was to start blogging.  With this assignment has come great discussion and debate about "To Blog or Not to Blog".  I have found a nice little list of reasons "To Blog".  Maybe this list will help you (and my colleagues) decide if blogging is for you!

A blog is a simple, cost-effective way to create a professional online presence.

A blog allows you to quickly and easily create a place on the web where people can find you, learn about you, and communicate with you. 

A blog allows you to have an ongoing conversation about topics that are important to you.

A blog allows you to take control of what you publish, you get to choose the content.

A blog allows you to share ideas, hobbies, interests, and expertise.

A blog creates a historical record of your content.

Whether you’re blogging to complete an assignment, for your business, or blogging to share your passions; your posts form a record that will grow over time.  Individual bloggers can refer back to posts as if they were journal entries, an online record of what you are reading, looking at or thinking about.  It's like a digital portfolio of your thoughts!

So, "To Blog or Not to Blog"?  I think it is safe to say this blogger is hooked!

Summer Reading

If Readers Don’t Read with Volume, Stamina, and Fluency; they won’t make progress.  With summer vacation starting this week, we can encourage our children and students to read, read, read over the summer break.

Reading is a skill that requires practice.  Just as practice is required to learn how to swim, play baseball, play an instrument, and ride a bike.  Children need to read in order to get better as readers.

There is a tremendous volume of research that shows a very strong relationship between the amount of time spent reading and a child’s progress as a reader.  This research suggests that in order to maintain grade-level progress, a child needs to be engaged in reading for two hours a day.  A child who needs to “catch-up” in the area of reading, requires even more time for reading practice.   

The following sites provide nice book lists and reading information.  

The first site is a LiveBinder (great web tool).

http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=16082

http://www.education.com/seasonal/summer-reading/

Feel free to share these ideas with your students and their parents. 

Happy Summer Reading!

Common Core Standards

The Common Core State Standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce.

The goal is to provide teachers and parents with a common understanding of what students are expected to learn. 

The standards:

Are aligned with college and work expectations;

Are clear, understandable and consistent;

Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;

Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;

Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and

Are evidence-based.

The Mission Statement

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education comments on Common Core Standards:

http://bcove.me/1f19docn

The End of the Year

Can you believe the end of the school year is almost here?  It has gone by so quickly.  Your hard work has paid off and your students are heading on to the next grade!  

I ran across some fun ways to finish out and celebrate the year.  I hope you find an idea or two you can use in your classroom to make the end of the year more memorable.

Congratulations, you have almost completed another school year!  

I know you and your students have worked hard!

End of the year ideas:

http://www.vickiblackwell.com/endofyear.html

Award ideas:

http://www.proteacher.org/a/136020_End_of_the_Year_Awards.html

Award templates:

http://www.123certificates.com/

http://www.mcsdk12.org/curr/awardsandcertificates.htm

Working on Writing

During Work on Writing, student work on writing of their choice individually or with a partner.  Working on writing provides students with time to write about something that really matters to them.  This is different from Writer’s Workshop, as writing work shop may focus on a strategy or genre.

According to Ralph Fletcher:  “You don’t learn to write by going through a series of preset writing exercises.  You learn to write by grappling with a real subject that truly matters to you."

The following websites provide students with writing ideas and activities:

http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/

http://jc-schools.net/write/create.htm 

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html

http://www.thewritesource.com/writing_topics 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/55697/501-Writing-Prompts

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/daily-writing-prompts/ 

http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/writing/writing_prompts/

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/journal-prompts.html 

http://www.timesaversforteachers.com/index_page0010.htm

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/language_arts/ideasforwriters_preview/gr4/prompts/prompts_pictures.html