Summer Reflection

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Even though Monday is the official first day back for teachers, tonight is the “unofficial” last night of summer vacation for me.  Tomorrow will be my first day back to set up my classroom.  Who knows how much I will get done because I will have my “helpers” with me.

But tonight I reflect on some of the things I have accomplished over the past two months.  I realize what a FABULOUS summer I experienced.

  • spent time with family (The cabin in the woods in New Hampshire, outlet shopping in Freeport, Maine, Sesame Place, Legoland Discovery Center, picnics/cookouts, and beach/pool days)
  • experienced another Michael Buble concert- Madison Square Garden (my favorite)
  • channeled my inner child to ride a roller coaster and many other rides with my son (have not done that in 20 years)
  • read Novels, Novels, and much more- Some were the Divergent Series, Absolute Normal Chaos, and my favorite- One for the Millers
  • participated in Teachfest with over 800 educators
  • learned to build a structurally sound Lego building
  • can run ta mile in under 10 minutes- getting ready for a 5k maybe

All of these experiences have assisted me in being relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to start a new school year!  I am so excited and ready to meet my new sixth grade scholars! 

So what did you do over your summer vacation?  I would love to hear about it!

 

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Novel Review

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Divergent seems to be a hit among adolescent readers.  Some of my sixth grade students chose to read it at the end of the year.  A group of four girls read the novel in pairs and then collaborated as a group to create a Readers Theater script. Let me back up a bit.

As the final project for Literature Circle groups, students needed to collaborate with book group members and create a Readers Theater script.  The unit we were in focused on theme, so students had to pick a part of the novel that would showed the theme of the novel and would entice the viewers to read the novel.

This group enticed me to read the novel,  Divergent:  In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself (Barnes and Noble).  I was so engrossed in the novel at one point when I was reading in a waiting room that I didn’t hear the nurse calling me.  She had seen what I was reading and commented that Divergent is a great novel and movie.   Although I loved this novel, I do have a disclaimer.  It may not be appropriate for all middle school students because of the content.  It is important to know this when choosing to read the novel.

Readers Theater is a great activity to ensure collaboration between students in order to express their creativity and knowledge of a novel. It is also another way to promote good reads.

More Readers Theaters will be posted.

Happy Summer!

 

 

Reaching Out

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As a teacher, I feel it is important to experiment with new approaches to teaching, especially using technology!  Today was one of those days I experimented with technology and loved it!  What technology did we use you may be asking?  It was an application that allowed us inside Mrs. Donofrio’s Sixth and Seventh grade classroom in the Sunshine State.  Did you figure it out yet?  I won’t keep you in suspense.  Today we used Skype to communicate with our blogging buddies at Hey Kids!

The purpose of today’s session was to initiate communication, a chance to get to know a class.  Students in the classes read previous blog posts (Mrs. Donofrio’s class read our blog, and we read Hey Kids) and created questions in order to initiate discussion.  The students in both classes asked  questions and provided answers.  Some of the questions asked were as follows:

  • What sports do you play?
  • How do you fit blogging into your busy life?
  • How did you come up with the idea of book trailers?
  • What are some of your favorite books?
  • What is Genius Hour?
  • What were some of your favorite activities for the year?

Through reading one of the blog posts on the Hey Kids blog, we learned that last year for summer reading, Mrs. Donofrio’s students read the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the “lost boys” of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way.)

This is the required novel for our sixth graders going into seventh grade to read this summer.  Mrs. Donofrio’s class explained how they incorporated the novel into their class.  They took quizzes, engaged in discussions, and raised money for fresh water in the Sudan.  Mrs. Donofrio explained how they incorporated the novel’s message- One Step at a Time- into their learning everyday.  I am excited to have our students read this novel and share their thoughts and connections.

Students in my classes were excited to talk to the students in Mrs. Donofrio’s classes about their blogs and what their student lives are like.  Students were jealous that Mrs. Donofrio’s classes last day of school is tomorrow.  But just because the school year is over does not mean communication has to stop.  We will stay in touch through blogging.  In addition, students in both classes will be able to share their summer time experiences by sending post cards to the schools.  Sharing summer time experiences through post card experiences will be an exciting way to start the new 2014-2015 school year.

Thank you Mrs. Donofrio and your class for taking part in the wonderful experience.  Next year I would love to connect again in order to share our learning.  The possibilities for collaboration are limitless!


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Monday’s Mind Teaser

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We are in the a new unit of study, Delving Deeper: Thinking Logically.  It involves using a variety of strategies to solve brain teasers and mysteries.  In order to practice problem solving, I will be posting some brain teasers.  The first one is posted below.  If you solve the problem, post your solution in the comment section below.

Happy Mind Teaser Monday!

There are three switches downstairs. Each corresponds to one of the three light bulbs in the attic. You can turn the switches on and off and leave them in any position.
How would you identify which switch corresponds to which light bulb, if you are only allowed one trip upstairs?

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I Was Struck With Wonder

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I LOVE to read adolescent literature.  I feel it is  one way I can connect to students.  There is nothing better then to promote a GREAT READ!  I recently read  two novels that I feel all students would enjoy.  Both are by Brian Selznick, who is not the traditional author.  He says his novels are, “not exactly novels, not quite picture books, not really graphic novels, or a flip book or movie, but a combination of all of these things.”  That is why I love both of his novels- The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck.  Both novels intertwine a story with words and a parallel story with pictures.  Both novels present an element of mystery to the readers and have accompanying websites, which bring the stories to life.

These sites provide the visitors with the opportunity to extend their knowledge  of the book, the author, and the worlds surrounding these novels.

 

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Wonderstruck

Hopefully this post will strike you with wonder and intrigue to pick up these novels and start reading!
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Showing Spirit

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In late March, early April our school took the SBAC tests (Smarter Balanced Assessments).  The students put forth much effort towards the testing and as a reward our Student Government planned a Spirit Week.  Spirit Week is filled with so many activities.

*Dress Up Days (Individual homerooms get points for the number of students in the homeroom participating in the dress up day.) Each day (Monday thru Thursday) students got to dress up according to the day to gain points for their homeroom.

The days were as follows:

  • Sports Day- wear your favorite team’s sports gear
  • Old Folks Day
  • Twin Day- dress like a someone else
  • Dress like a Teacher Day

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* Homeroom Competition:   Ten homerooms at each grade level compete against each other for the coveted Spirit Cup Trophy.

The week ended with a pep  rally- a friendly competition between grade level homerooms.

Students participated in events such as:

  • limbo
  • musical chairs
  • hula hoop
  • hula hoop relay
  • pie eating contest

Students who placed first, second, and third earned points for their homeroom. I am sorry to say my homeroom did not win, maybe next year:)

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During this event cluster teachers got into the action too- they shot basketball hoops against teachers in the opposing grade level cluster.  I am proud to say for sixth grade, my cluster 6B- shot 12 baskets first!  YES!!!!!!!

The final activity of the pep rally competition was Mr. Rinas’ trick shot- Mr. Rinas needed to shoot a basketball off the side wall of the gym and make a shot.  If he made the shot, the volunteer teachers got to pie a student with shaving cream.  If he missed, then the student got to pie the teacher.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

 

IMG_1866 IMG_1867 IMG_1870It was all in good FUN!!!! The events of the day and even the week really provided an environment of excitement.

It was a spirited week that ended with the whole school gathering and viewing videos based on the theme of movies.  Each cluster produced their own video involving all the students.  Some clusters based their videos on Frozen, Divergent ,or even Disney Villian Queens.  Our cluster based it on Footloose and how dancing was banned, and one student went on a quest to bring it back.

Spirit week was the perfect way to bring each grade level and the whole school together!

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Book Trailers Done-What do with them?????

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The book trailers are completed!  Now, what do I do with them? I do not want the students’ hard work to go waste.  I will post a few here on the blog, but with 60 book trailers created that is a lot to put in a post or page.  So one idea I had was utilizing QR Codes.

What are QR Codes?  Quick Response Codes

Students can be led to information on the web by utilizing their mobile devices.  I thought using a QR Code was a perfect way to connect students to the various book trailers created.  All the students book trailers are going to be converted into a QR Code and housed in a binder in the room, available for students to peruse through when wanting a new book to read.  The students can use a mobile device, take a picture of the code and watch the book trailer.

Screen Shot 2014-04-15 at 9.50.30 AMHopefully, this will cut down on the dreaded words, “I do not know what to read!  Nothing seems interesting.”  I will hand the student the binder and say, “I am sure there is something of interest in here!”

There are so many uses for QR Codes in the classroom for teachers and students.  Here is a link to get started utilizing QR Codes:  QR Code Guide

Happy Exploring!
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The Oscar Goes to…………

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The students worked hard on creating book trailers for their independent reading book.  Through this project students learned many skills: 

*finding copyright free images

*citing the images

*matching music to tone of book

*choosing an aspect of the book to highlight

*using Animoto

Each of my reading blocks had some creative book trailers.  So what I decided to do was have our own book trailer Oscar for Best Book Trailer.

Here are the six nominees from each block.  After each group of book trailers, there is a Google form. Vote for the book trailer you think deserves the Best Book trailer Award.

BLOCK 1 Reading

Block 3- Book Trailers

Block 5- Book Trailers