Interactive Notebooks
I've spent the past few days researching about interactive notebooks, sometimes called interactive journals for a class assignment. I've been particularly inspired by these You Tube videos:
http://youtu.be/zzEiwsO7rtw
http://youtu.be/PtzOVdw8kI0
I really like the idea that one side of the notebook is "note-taking", that is information copied from a source, and one side is "note-making", which is reorganizing and adding color, graphics, and a personal "spin" on the content. Writing on two facing pages, allows the student and the teacher to clearly see the content and the students' personal interaction with it. I plan on having my students create one page of content and one page of reflection each week. The content will sometimes be done in Math class (copying sample problems that I work out or writing down rubrics), sometimes as homework (trying a few problems at home). The personal reflection will always be done at home and will be due every Friday.
I saw several rubrics online but, of course, needed to create something that worked in my situation. I wanted to grade three components: Overall Organization (which includes neatness and the Table of Contents), the right side (the content), and the left side (personalization). Students will trim, then glue the rubric into their notebook. To save space, I will use the same rubric each trimester. To distinguish amongst trimesters I will use a different color each time to circle the descriptors on the rubric.
Generic Interactive Notebook Rubric
Me on the Web:
Class Website: www.4mrsjones.110mb.com
Podcasts: http://frommrsjones.podbean.com
You Tube Channel: mrsc4jones
Friday, June 29, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
First Attempts at a True RtI Model
A few weeks ago, I found this video via Pinterest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NsyvFN8kX8&feature=youtu.be
I love how everything in the binder was organized and the strong link between assessment and instruction. However, the binder was designed for much younger students (K-2) with reading difficulties (phonics, accuracy, fluency) that lend themselves to keeping track of data in this way. My students are entering fifth grade, and those that I am most worried about have comprehension issues. Comprehension, as a skill, does not lend itself to numeric data. As I saw it, there were three barriers to implementing something like this that I needed to overcome:
1) a form to assess and graph progress weekly
2) 20-30 one-page passages, per reading level, to assess comprehension each week for twenty to thirty weeks
3) a quick, consistent, easy-to-administer comprehension check that can be converted into a number to be graphed
4) multiple ways to teach comprehension skills
I think I have finally created this and I share my first attempt here. Feedback welcome!
Intervention Tracking Sheet
My intervention tracking sheet is a bit more generic and doesn't contain the "digging deeper" assessments that are part of the video, since I don't have them. I will make do with all the other data I have, which is recorded in other places. There is a nice big space to graph weekly assessments. Here is the link to the document in Google docs:
https://sites.google.com/a/sau61.org/mrsjones/Reading%20Progress%20Monitoring%204%20BLOG.docx?attredirects=0&d=1
"Dedicated" Passages to Assess Comprehension
I purchased Daily Reading Warm-Ups from Teacher Created Resources with 150 passages each. I purchased a third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade version. Expensive? Yes, but it is worth the price to not have to create passages from scratch. I can just hand them the book- no photocopying needed. These book will NOT be used for instruction, only assessment.
Numeric Value for Comprehension Check
I decided to use retells as my comprehension check. They are consistent and easy to administer. I created a form that assigns a numeric value for each element of a retell and put this in a chart form. It is available on Teachers Pay Teachers via this link:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scoring-a-Retelling
Multiple Ways to Teach Comprehension
For a long time I have been influenced by the work of Judith Irwin in reading comprehension. I will be using her "seven dimensions" of comprehension to guide my instruction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NsyvFN8kX8&feature=youtu.be
I love how everything in the binder was organized and the strong link between assessment and instruction. However, the binder was designed for much younger students (K-2) with reading difficulties (phonics, accuracy, fluency) that lend themselves to keeping track of data in this way. My students are entering fifth grade, and those that I am most worried about have comprehension issues. Comprehension, as a skill, does not lend itself to numeric data. As I saw it, there were three barriers to implementing something like this that I needed to overcome:
1) a form to assess and graph progress weekly
2) 20-30 one-page passages, per reading level, to assess comprehension each week for twenty to thirty weeks
3) a quick, consistent, easy-to-administer comprehension check that can be converted into a number to be graphed
4) multiple ways to teach comprehension skills
I think I have finally created this and I share my first attempt here. Feedback welcome!
Intervention Tracking Sheet
My intervention tracking sheet is a bit more generic and doesn't contain the "digging deeper" assessments that are part of the video, since I don't have them. I will make do with all the other data I have, which is recorded in other places. There is a nice big space to graph weekly assessments. Here is the link to the document in Google docs:
https://sites.google.com/a/sau61.org/mrsjones/Reading%20Progress%20Monitoring%204%20BLOG.docx?attredirects=0&d=1
"Dedicated" Passages to Assess Comprehension
I purchased Daily Reading Warm-Ups from Teacher Created Resources with 150 passages each. I purchased a third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade version. Expensive? Yes, but it is worth the price to not have to create passages from scratch. I can just hand them the book- no photocopying needed. These book will NOT be used for instruction, only assessment.
Numeric Value for Comprehension Check
I decided to use retells as my comprehension check. They are consistent and easy to administer. I created a form that assigns a numeric value for each element of a retell and put this in a chart form. It is available on Teachers Pay Teachers via this link:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scoring-a-Retelling
Multiple Ways to Teach Comprehension
For a long time I have been influenced by the work of Judith Irwin in reading comprehension. I will be using her "seven dimensions" of comprehension to guide my instruction.
My plan is to teach strategies for one "dimension" at a time using Irwin's resource book, assessing the results in overall comprehension weekly. If a student does not make progress for two weeks in a row, I will switch to a different "dimension" and set of strategies. So it should take a maximum of 14 weeks (or about one trimester) to be able to find the dimension that the child is having difficulty with.
For more information about data-based decision making, read the article: "Tier III Assessments, Data-Based Decision-Making, and Interventions" by Kristin Powers and Arpita Madal from California State University, Long Beach.
Me on the Web:
Class Webssite: www.4mrsjones.110mb.com
Podcasts: http://frommrsjones.podbean.com
You Tube Channel: mrsc4jones
For more information about data-based decision making, read the article: "Tier III Assessments, Data-Based Decision-Making, and Interventions" by Kristin Powers and Arpita Madal from California State University, Long Beach.
Me on the Web:
Class Webssite: www.4mrsjones.110mb.com
Podcasts: http://frommrsjones.podbean.com
You Tube Channel: mrsc4jones
Monday, June 4, 2012
Olympic Theme Classroom
Yes, my classroom will definitely have an Olympic theme to start the year. I'm already starting to create my displays thanks to www.instantdisplay.co.uk and these handy cut-outs from Staples. I think it will tie into test prep quite well. Besides, my students have said, in no uncertain terms, that they want to room to look new and different next year. (I am looping with the same class.) So...FASTER Math facts...HIGHER reading levels, and STRONGER writing!
website: http://frommrsjones.110mb.com
podcasts: http://frommrsjones.podbean.com
You Tube channel: mrsc4jones
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Summer time is a great time to create learning games. This is a vocabulary review game I made with a file folder and those cute and colorful letters you can buy to make posters. Students decide on what they are going to do before playing. Students can review vocabulary from any unit. Kids start by putting their piece on any letter. Then they roll the die to move. When they land on a letter, they say a vocabulary word that begins with that letter and give the definition. This is also a fun game to practice similes. When students land on a letter, they create a simile using an animal that begins with that letter.
as loud as an alley cat
as blind as a bat
as squishy as a caterpillar
as loud as an alley cat
as blind as a bat
as squishy as a caterpillar
Monday, May 21, 2012
This school year isn't over, but I'm already thinking of next year. In looking at the individual reading inventories of my students, I know that comprehension will be the main focus of my instruction. Because of that, I want to revise The CAFE Menu that I have been using as my instructional "road map". For those of you that aren't familiar with CAFE, it is the instructional plan of Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (known as "The Sisters") outlined in their book: The CAFE Book. CAFE is an acronym to help students categorize and remember strategies for: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary.
I have already revised their CAFE Menu once before to pare down the accuracy and fluency strategies for my intermediate students. Now I want to entire menu to be comprehension for my looping class of fifth graders. My new CAFE acronym is:
Critical and Creative Thinking: I am an active, engaged reader.
Author's Purpose: I know the message the author is sending.
Facts/Details: I remember the facts/details the author tells me.
Expand Vocabulary: I can use interesting words the author uses.
I have already revised their CAFE Menu once before to pare down the accuracy and fluency strategies for my intermediate students. Now I want to entire menu to be comprehension for my looping class of fifth graders. My new CAFE acronym is:
Critical and Creative Thinking: I am an active, engaged reader.
Author's Purpose: I know the message the author is sending.
Facts/Details: I remember the facts/details the author tells me.
Expand Vocabulary: I can use interesting words the author uses.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Getting Ready For Back To School
It's the weekend before school begins. As usual, I'm a Cuisenart of feelings. I am very happy to be working with Theresa. We have never worked closely together before, but her exemplary reputation preceeds her. I am also impressed with our new ED teacher, Darlene. She gives a wealth of information and has a very practical style. I have added to and changed many aspects of my classroom this year. I am trying to respond to the needs of my students and school. In many ways I feel like a new teacher. I have all sorts of grand plans and I just hope they all come to fruition.
On the less than positive side, our school is really under the gun. We are in our first year of restructuring When I look at the needs in my class, it is very scary to contemplate that I have to get 100% of these students on grade level. I know I am capable of moving them along significantly, but I can't do miracles!
On the less than positive side, our school is really under the gun. We are in our first year of restructuring When I look at the needs in my class, it is very scary to contemplate that I have to get 100% of these students on grade level. I know I am capable of moving them along significantly, but I can't do miracles!
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