New Personalized Learning Tab

If your child is home sick, you're on vacation, or your looking to extend learning at home.  Take a look at the personalized learning tab on the top right of this blog.  Each picture links to our websites or documents full of the materials your child needs for Math, Reading, and Science.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Personalizing Science

As you have probably noticed, we have completely flipped our math classroom into a community of independent, choice driven, learners.  The buzz word around that being "personalized learning".  Students move through material at their own pace, have the opportunity to work in peer partnerships, groups and with teacher support and choose activities/projects to enrich their learning.  As this has worked well in math, we are branching out to do a similar thing in science.

Therefore students will have the opportunity to choose how they will learn about the Earth in part 1 of our unit, will have the opportunity to learn in discuss in peer partnerships and groups and will then pick a project to showcase their learning.

Oh Boy! I've been neglecting my blog!

So here is a recap of everything I missed!

Holiday Concert

Pasta Pattern Snowflakes and Teamwork Tower Building

All School Field Trip

December: Challenge Month

Kindness Retreat

I promise to be more up to date moving forward!

Half Day Choices: computer lab sites

Build a snowman: http://goo.gl/S4bp95

Snowball math Fight: http://goo.gl/jIq2Bj

Digital Snowflake maker: http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/

Gingerbread man maker: http://sprintsweets.com/

Arctic Fox Snowboarding: http://goo.gl/gLe8bT

Arctic Animal Memory: http://goo.gl/qKRCqZ

Holiday Book Exchange and Dress like a WHO day

Our Road to Personalized Learning in Math

We are gearing up to launch personalized learning in our classroom with math as our first focus.  We have been preparing and practicing the components of what a day in math will look like once everyone is working at the lesson and pace they need.  To do this we have all been working on the same lesson each day.  Once we "launch" personalized math next unit, students may be working on different lessons entirely from the rest of their classmates, or they may be working at the same speed as multiple students in our class.  Ultimately the learning path they take will be formed around the pace they learn best.  For some that may mean they are able to rapidly master material independently, for others it may mean they work well in a partnership or small group, and for some guided instruction by a teacher may be the best option.  As we dive into this new endeavor, we will be able to better articulate the best way for us to learn.

Take a look at the steps we are taking!

Step 1: Lessons are given over video by Mrs. Becker.  Students understand which materials they will need for the lesson, and can choose the location at which they want to learn at for the day.  If they are on a similar lessons, peers can choose to work in partnerships or groups to complete tasks.

Step 2:  Students use manipulatives, white boards, or their math journals to actively participate in the video lesson targeting a specific learning goal.  They are asked to pause the video multiple times to work through questions.  At any time a student can find a teacher for clarification on a video topic.

Step 3: Students demonstrate their understanding of the learning through their math journals, and understand where check points are to check with a teacher to make sure they are understanding the learning goal and objectives.

Step 4: Mrs. Becker circulates to check in on students and answers questions and gives mini tutorials as the need arises.  She pulls small groups of students to work on specific instruction or works one on one with students to fine tune skills.

Step 5  (to come):  Students will follow a learning plan to determine the course at which they complete lessons.  This will be determined by pre tests (to determine learning gaps and needs) as well as previous completion of activities and lessons.

Step 6 (to come):  Students will be able to work through their paths at a pace which allows them to gain understanding of the learning targets, they will also have the opportunity to participate in math projects and challenges which will target real world problem solving skills as well.

Team Building: Cup Stacking Challenge

Cup Stacking Challenge!

Students were tasked with making a 6 cup pyramid without being able to actually touch the cup.  They were given a rubber band with strings attached.  Each student could only touch one string, and they had to work together to pull the rubber band wide enough to be able to grab the cup securely.  Take a look at how we worked together!