SCES

We began the day discussing the six required observations and how we were going to get them done before the end of the school year.

Next, fourth grade teachers shared their techno-instructional strategies. Holly showed a flip chart that she created to teach two of the problem solving lessons from the fraction chapter. Yvonne showed two flipcharts that she created. The first was used to introduce the fraction chapter. The second flipchart is used to teach mixed numbers. Yvonne’s flipcharts contain some great websites – be sure to check them out! Pam presented a flipchart that she created to teach the fractional part of a number. Melissa showed the flipchart that she created on equivalent fractions. Tracy presented a flipchart on comparing and ordering fractions. Josh showed a website called “Fishy Fractions” (a part of “I Know that.com) that he used to reinforce adding and subtracting fractions. Each flipchart that was presented by the fourth grade teachers contained pages that the teacher used to model the lesson and it also contained pages for guided practice and independent practice. All flipcharts can be found in the Fourth Grade Share folder on the “S” drive. Look in the math folder and then the fraction folder. Be sure to check out Winona’s about “Discovery School” post below.

After planning our next TIS, we took a few minutes to grade the “Garden of Delight” BAMs and update our student profile templates.

Make sure you look below and read Winona’s post on Electronic Portfolios. Reminders . . student work samples and assessments can be scanned items, digital pictures, PowerPoints, etc. Don’t forget to get student samples while you teaching the units! Refer to the portfolio checklist on the e-Math portal. We are not sure about the LOTI survey yet – we will let you know when we hear about that.

NECC – Who wants to go?? See Connie or an e-Math coach ASAP.

BAMs will be given in third and fourth grades within two weeks after the CRCT.

When the e-Math coaches attended the e-Math video conference last week, we learned that next year, there will only be 12 hours of training – 3 half-day collaboratives. They reminded us, however, that even tough next year will be the last year of the grant - it is the MOST important year of the grant. Next year’s fifth graders will have had three years of e-Math!

This site is FULL of resources for math. Check it out! I've used it for my TIS to help with fractions instruction. Another site that I like, especially a "Starter of the Day" activity that will help with problem solving (we used the one for Valentine's Day and it was very much like a "lite BAM").

I have used the Discovery School Website to give students a quiz over science material. As well as letting them know what questions were missed, it will allow them to print out a study guide with the correct answers on it to study for the next test. I found this to be a great tool for preparing them for the Chapter test.

Retta made a great suggestion several weeks ago. She said we should make the folders in our portfolios that will need to be uploaded to our websites in the Spring. Here is a list of the folders that need to be inside your portfolio. April will meet with us in mid-May to place these on our web pages.

• Student work samples
  
• Student assessments
• Student reflections
• Teacher reflections
• Teacher comments- This folder may be combined with the teacher reflections, but must be in addition to the 8 reflections required about the units taught.
  

If you make the folders now, you can store your information in them as you go forward. Next year, we will begin the year with these in place and that will make keeping up with the data easier.