Diggin Deeper into RACES Writing

So you've got the "RACES routine" down, and your students can recite each letter in the acronym and its meaning by heart, yet the writing they're producing is still sub par.  What is the issue? Where is the disconnect? If the students know the process, why aren't they producing successful constructive responses? Well good news, I have answers for you! :-) 

(You can read my previous blog post on RACES for an introduction of the process and routine.  Click here: RACES writing overview)

"I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" - Thomas Edison

 If you've been teaching your students how to write a constructed response paragraph using the RACES writing process, I'm sure you have noticed that the HARDEST parts for students to do successfully are the "C" (Cite the text), and "E" (Explain the text evidence) components. You might notice that they can cite the text but that it often has nothing to do with their "A" (Answer- main idea), and/or that when they "Explain" their text citation that they're not actually explaining anything at all and instead just repeating what they already stated in their "A."
I spend a good deal of time the first several months of the school year focusing on each individual component of RACES.  This is NECESSARY in order for them to eventually be successful on their own.  Once they have built a deep understanding of each individual component, their writing will start to improve and they will be successful in completing a constructed response paragraph.  It's one of those "go slow to go fast" things.  If you really break the process down and spend a lot of time doing so, you will be so thankful when you see your students start to excel!  

Thorough implementation of this RACES structure not only enhances the students' writing, but also GREATLY improves their reading comprehension skills as well.  The kids start to really make connections with the text and gain a deeper understanding of what they're reading.  I have noticed that my students have not only made leaps and bounds in their writing assessments, but also in their reading comprehension skills and assessments! Using the RACES structure is 2-for-1 win!😍


Here are the steps I take to help students master these components:

1) MODEL!: As with anything we teach, modeling this process over and over and over again is really key to helping the kiddos little "light bulbs" go off. The more they see you do it, while you're walking them through a think aloud, they will start to make the connections and actually understand the process rather than just going through the motions.

2)Take Notes: When reading the Anthology story in Wonders, I always structure the kid's notes around what the constructed response prompt will be.  This way, as we are reading the story, we are stopping to note text evidence.  When we then move into our writing the kids already have text evidence in their notes that they can refer to.  If we don't take notes on the story, then I have them work in pairs and use sticky notes to find/tab evidence in the story, once we have read/discussed the constructed response writing prompt.

3)Collaborative conversations: As I guide the students through each component of RACES, they collaboratively discuss what they have written or will write, and give each other feedback.  For instance, we will discuss the "R" and "A" and then students will write theirs.  They will then share in their table group using the Kagan Round Robin strategy and give each other feedback, help make corrections, changes, etc.  We go through this process through each component in the RACES structure.  Thus through the power of collaboration all students at all ability levels are able to feel successful in their writing.

When teaching the "E" (Explain) component of RACES, I teach my students to make a personal connection.  The kids struggle the most with this "Explain" piece.  They think they are explaining, but they're really not.  Most of the time they're just repeating what they have already stated.  I model a lot for them how to take the text evidence, and then describe what that evidence means to them and thus supports their main idea.  I tell them they should use personal pronouns like I, me, or my when explaining the evidence.  This is a good starting point to help them understand this piece of RACES.  Its the hardest and arguably most important part of a constructed response!

I really can't stress enough how import it is for the students to discuss their ideas collaboratively before putting things into writing.  Collaboration is such an important part of the students' growth  and learning.  You can check out my other blogs on how I develop and establish routines for meaningful collaboration and a classroom climate that supports students growth.

Collaboratively Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net

Teaching Thankfulness

Teaching Thankfulness

The month of November has always been a time that all I have to be thankful for becomes apparent.  I especially become aware of my amazing kiddos that make my job so much fun!  As I reflected on this, I wanted to make sure I taught my students the importance of being thankful. No matter what your age, two words are so important.  Thank you!  Teaching thankfulness in the classroom through words and actions have benefits for our students from character development to overall well-being.  When kids can show gratitude for what they have and for those around them, they'll feel happier. 

"This is life people...you got air coming up through your nose... you got a heartbeat. It's time to do something!"             -Kid President

   

How do we build the skill of gratitude in our students?  Will teaching kids how to be thankful help to create a positive classroom atmosphere? I believe it does. I have included some ideas and activities below for you to consider, and they will empower your students to appreciate their school days. You’ll see them become more grateful and joyful in general. Give these strategies a try!

We write a happiness list...
As a class, we sit and think of all the people and things in their lives that make them happy.  Together, we create a happiness circle map.  Be sure also to jot down what makes you smile. My students light up when they realize how much joy they bring me.  Then I have my students create their own happiness circle map (words and pictures) in their writing notebooks.  They then turn their circle maps into a paragraph about what makes them happy and why.  It's a topic kids love writing about.  

We write and send a thank you note...
I then ask my students to choose a person that they want to thank for positively influencing them or making a difference in their lives.  I think it's important to teach kids to write thank you notes to show appreciation.  I explain how special thank you notes are when they are not expected.  We plan and write thank you notes using words and pictures.  It's incredible to see letters written to the custodian for keeping the school clean, the nurse for helping them when they are sick or their teacher for helping them learn☺️. When I ask my students what they liked most about this activity they usually say "I liked making others feel good."  Now, my are students writing thank you notes to others for just about everything.

We practice random acts of kindness...
Doing nice things for others "just because" is an excellent way to demonstrate gratitude.  There are many things students can do to show kindness without expecting recognition. Sharing your supplies with someone, helping a classmate clean up their materials or find a page in their book.  I teach them the importance of a smile or paying a kind compliment.  I explain to them that these simple tasks help others feel appreciated and happy.  I make sure to model random acts of kindness throughout the year because kids learn from seeing and then doing.   

Practicing thankfulness and kindness in school not only helps students maintain a positive mindset but also aides in bullying prevention.  When kids are kind and show appreciation, the effects are magical.  So are you ready to teach thankfulness in your classroom? I hope you are feeling inspired to take action.  I think you will love the character building and positive classroom community these activities can bring to your room. I hope I have offered some ideas to help you instill a thankful attitude in your students. I am grateful for you! Please email me with any questions.

  

      Positively Teaching,   
Randi Muehlen
                           

Everybody Has a Story to Tell

 Like a talent agent searching for that next elusive screen star, I am always on the lookout for that one spectacular instructional strategy to help my students succeed. Does such a magical strategy actually exist? In all honesty? No. There is no one strategy that works for every learner in every situation. That would be impossible since every individual is unique and learns in his or her own unique way. Instead, there are a multitude of strategies available. What makes sense to one student, may not make sense to another. 

         
Having said that, there is one strategy I came up with a couple of years ago that has never let me down. I have found it to be exceptionally beneficial in the area of math. (It's a strategy that I definitely think would have helped my third-grade self-understand math better.) And it's as easy as making up a story.


 Take a look at the following addition problem: 32 + 14 = n. Thirty-two what? Plus fourteen what? These are just numbers, but they don't hold any personal meaning to students. Why not then, have students come up with a make-believe scenario. Let's say you have a student who loves puppies. (I mean, who could resist a warm, cuddly, and furry puppy?) That student could imagine 32 white puppies with black spots frolicking about, when all of a sudden, another 14 black puppies with white spots come along. Now, how many puppies are there in all? Since our brains are always trying to make sense of things and build meaning, why not give them a helping hand?

I think it's also important for students to realize that the word problems they come across in assessments, textbooks, and workbooks are written by writers hired by a publishing company. The writers create scenarios (little stories) that they believe children will relate to. So, if a word problem starts with "Mr. Doyle bought six markers..." students could imagine the word problem says, "Mrs. Jollie bought six markers.." This strategy takes no extra work, costs no money, and is only limited by your students' imaginations.

Forever Spinning a Yarn,
Lola Jollie

Teachers - it is OK to struggle

It's OK to struggle . . .

To be honest, I was not going to write about this but decided to give it a try anyway - this is me admitting that everything is not perfect, and that is OK.

This is my 29th year teaching in OMSD and I have a class that is difficult - behaviorally and academically.  Veteran teachers can struggle just like new teachers - but I guess I take it more personally because I am supposed to have the answers as a veteran teacher.  

My class is an even mixture of level 1, 2 and 3 on the math SBAC.  There is a small SPED cluster and there is one student on a Behavior Intervention Plan.  

The behavior issues range from excessive tardies, off-task talking, cell phone use, student harassment, disrespect, defiance, etc.  Just as I feel I have controlled one issue, another one pops up - and a lot of the issues spillover from previous periods and lunch.  I have done most of the normal interventions teachers do - fill out PBIS documentation, detention, individual student conferences, parent conferences with a counselor, and behavior contracts.

The academic issues range from students not doing any classwork, not doing any homework, not passing a skills test, and not getting the rigor needed to push them to the next level on SBAC.  Some students will complete the assignment as fast as possible without regard to it being correct.  Students do not work well in a group because they let other students do all the work

To be honest, I do not dread this class each day but look at it as my CHALLENGE to SUCCEED.  How am I doing this?

1.  I acknowledged to myself and to my site coach I was struggling

2.  I remain consistent in the behavior expectations day in and day out

3.  I examine my lesson plans more carefully to see where and how I can get the students engaged and accountable

This Thanksgiving break has also allowed me to reflect on this class and what I can do to ensure every student succeeds.  I am hoping to make their math notebook more meaningful by incorporating colorful foldables into their notebooks.  I am hoping to offer 'choices' for students to show their understanding of the skill and at the same time keep to the rigor of Eureka's lessons.  I start a new unit on Monday and am hoping that "Barbie Bungee" allows the class to refocus on their academics and behavior.

 If you are struggling this year, then take heart you are not alone - I am too.  Find someone to tell and make a plan to succeed in this challenge.

If you need encouragement, then please read this post by Gus Macuil, "No TEACHER left behind" ( https://spotlightclassrooms.blogspot.com/2018/10/no-teacher-left-behind.html ) - he has a great way with words and lets you know you are appreciated!

Teaching and still loving it,

Kevin Stott

Let’s Go On An Adventure with Google Expeditions!

Let’s Go On An Adventure with Google Expeditions!

Imagine taking your students on a field trip to visit the North Pole, Machu Picchu, or even the Colosseum in Rome!  With Google Expeditions that is now completely possible.  Google Expeditions is a tool you can use to take students on virtual reality field trips to amazing places all over the world.  There are even expeditions to Outer Space!  Students use a mobile device inside of a viewer headset to visit places outside of four walls of a classroom. 

 3 – 2 – 1 – Blast Off!

Last month, students at my school used Google Expeditions to view the Solar System.  We had so much fun!  Here are some helpful tips from that experience. 

1.  Do your research before starting

There are nearly 1,000 Google Expeditions out there!  Check out this amazing list of available Google Expeditions.  Listed are the names of expeditions, locations they visit, and a short description of what you might see.  The list is divided into two groups; VR and AR expeditions to help you better decide which expedition works for you.  

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uwWvAzAiQDueKXkxvqF6rS84oae2AU7eD8bhxzJ9SdY/edit#gid=0

2.  Prepare yourself and your class for the chaos

Students were VERY EXCITED.  Can you blame them?  I was excited too.  Before you start your expedition you might want to go over a few ground rules.  Since students will be viewing through a headset, it’s important that students are seated the whole time. With that being said, you might want to spread students out a little in your classroom.  I noticed that my students had a hard time looking around with the viewers on without having to stand up.  Their desk simply got in the way.  Some of my students also experienced dizziness so you will probably want to have students get up slowly when they are finished.   

3.  Have fun!

With all that excitement happening in my classroom, it was hard to think.   At first, I was so focused on making sure the expedition went well that I forgot about how much fun we were supposed to be having.  I had to take a moment and look around the room and see what was going on.  They LOVED the expedition.  It brought a smile to my face to hear students get excited about their own learning. If possible practice setting up the expedition before trying it with students.  The more comfortable you are with navigating before you start, the more you will be able to enjoy the expedition with your class.   

4.  How to get started

Google Expeditions will be available soon through OMSD’s new Mobile Maker Tech Tubs.  You can find all of the tech tubs by visiting the OMSD Mobile Maker Tech Tubs website found here: https://sites.google.com/omsd.net/omsdedtech/home/mobile-maker-tech-tubs?authuser=0

For my school site, my principal checked out the tub for 1 week.  During that week teachers were able to sign up for a time to participate.  The Google Expeditions cart will be checked out by school site so check with your administrator to see when your school site is getting the cart.  I hope you enjoy exploring!

Learning and teaching with grace,

Alina

Read All About It

                                          Read All About It!                                                                                                

In a world where kids are hooked on technology how do we get them hooked on books? Kids now days want to do their homework and quickly get on the tablet or computer to play video games. It is difficult to get them interested in reading, if they do not love it. I have always believed what J.K. Rowling once said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."

 – Walt Disney

Why do students have trouble finding the right book? Students are required to read at their lexile level in order to read and comprehend without difficulty. It could be that the class and school library may not provide a big variety of books at the student’s level. It could also be that the family cannot take the student to the city library. Whatever the reason may be, I feel it is our job, as teachers, to get students to love READING. A strategy that has worked in my classroom is doing a read-aloud every trimester or more, depending on the length of the book. I tell my students, that they are not the only ones who will be reading in the class, I will be reading too; I let them know that I will be reading one or more of my favorite stories. Being that they are just getting to know me the first month of the school, the students are very excited to hear about the stories I have picked and cannot wait for me to begin reading.

“Exposure to Challenging Texts… Because students have a higher level of listening comprehension than reading comprehension, reading aloud to students at a level slightly above their current level exposes them to texts that challenge their current reading ability.”             (www.readinghorizons.com)

At this point, I have them excited about reading because I have set the stage with my love for reading. I tell students that reading is the foundation of all learning and to top it off reading can lead them to many adventures that will enhance our knowledge. Now that I have the students interested, little do they know that when I am reading to them, not only will they be on an adventurous journey, but are also being challenged to comprehend a story that may be above their reading level. A read-aloud opens doors for you to teach reading fluency and comprehension at the same time. You will teach them to read at a good pace, teach them accuracy by looking up unknown words, and show them how to read with expression to go along the journey with the characters of the story. As you enjoy reading to your students and they are enjoying listening to you, the magic in imagination ignites, which means you are helping your students develop and improve their reading skills within the journey!

On my next blog, I will be guiding you on my read aloud process, telling you about some fun 4^th grade read-aloud books and my personal favorite, ”Wonder”, which I think ties in perfectly with 

P. B. I. S. with the Anti-Bully lessons. Stay tuned… J

Live, Love, Teach! 

                                          Hilda Sanchez

Building a Community of Positivity

I believe often times people see PBIS and Restorative Practices as one more acronym and gimmick; however, it is an idea, which promotes what being a teacher is all about.  PBIS and Restorative practices not just for students either.  Building the foundation of a school community involves all of us, and participating is actually fun and easy.  When I became a teacher, I thought school should be a place where we all wanted to be, and maybe I am idealistic and naïve, but I still believe that we need to be happy in order to add to the contribute to building a sense of strong community. 

            The adults on campus are just as much a part of PBIS, and we can’t ask students to be positive and treat each other kindly if we cannot do it ourselves.  One of the ways I decided to change this is through a Weight Loss Challenge.  I know it sounds weird, but it has been so fun.  I googled a Biggest Loser spreadsheet because I definitely didn’t have the time create something like from scratch.  Then a school wide email was sent out which stated the parameters and time-frame.  Half of the staff decided to join, and on Fridays, everyone weighs in my classroom. Every morning we encourage each and celebrate our accomplishment for the week.  We share exercise tips, eating habits, and a few of us are walking after school one day a week.   Several people have said that is fun, and it makes us interact in different ways.  We are on our second week now, but the next step is to plan a group outing.  Maybe a hike or a night out skating?  My thoughts are health and positive self-identity is a commonality among people, and we can get to know each on another level.  There is a sense of unity and helping each other, which will spill over to being a united and happy staff unit, and maybe bringing that positivity to the classroom.  I am excited to see how positive team building with staff will impact the school climate among staff and students. 

            PBIS and Restorative Practices really are the foundation of community. It was important to step away from instruction reflection and planning lesson because before planning is happiness, trust, and connecting to others. I believe people see more success and growth from others when they trust and believe in the people around them. By success and growth, not just academically, but behaviorally as well. The weight loss challenge is just the tool to bring people together; it could be anything.  It was simple because I literally just asked in an email, and people responded. What is your hobby or activity you can share with the staff at your school?   

           

All Things Quests

7th grade- Topic 4 Growth of Muslim Empires

As I become more familiar with the new HSS adoption, My World, the more comfortable I am trying out some of the suggestions I was given on the adoption training day. One suggestion from the Pearson's trainer was to assign the Quest free from all the lessons when you're short on time. So with parent-teacher conferences, minimum days, report cards, and holiday breaks around every corner, I decided to try that idea out.

The Quests are explained in the front matter of the textbook as: "Quest Inquiry Activity is an inquiry project that takes place throughout the entire topic. Students are presented with a question or problem, and throughout the chapter, they conduct research, read the text, analyze primary sources, and answer the question or problem. The Quest culminates at the end of the topic, where students apply their knowledge and demonstrate their understanding in a final project: essay, discussion, presentation, or informed action activity. Quests may be assigned as an individual activity or as group work."

The Quests in the 6th-8th-grade textbooks fall under three categories: project-based learning, civic discussions, and document-based writing. I associate each of those learning activities with performance tasks. These performance task learning activities are authentic and scaffolded for student achievement. I looked over each Quest for my grade level earlier in the school year. I was excited about the creative project ideas and the thinking that would be demonstrated by my students while working on the Quests. After mapping out what my students would be expected to do throughout the school year, I became curious about what they would be asked to do when they went to middle school. I noticed that the Quests are not as scaffolded as they are for 6th grade and the steps are similar. Then, I imagined the implications of students completing these Quests from 6th-8th grade. At the end of middle school, a student who participated in all of the Quests 6th-8th would complete, 11 project-based learning tasks, six civic discussions, and nine document-based writing tasks. Consider the implications and abilities of a student who has completed all of those performance tasks before entering high school. I imagine that their literacy skills and history content knowledge would be considerably strong.

*Attached is a chart I created to map out the Quests in 6th-8th grade.

Below is the progress a student or small group of students goes through to complete a Quest:

6th grade Topic 3- Ancient Egypt and Kush-
Becoming a Pharaoh-in-Training

1) Ask questions: I first introduced the Quest by having the students work in small groups to generate questions they will need to ask in order to answer the guiding and essential question. This step was difficult for my 6th graders at first because they are used to answering questions, not creating their own. This task alone showed me a great deal about my students. I was able to see which vocabulary words we needed to spend more time discussing and if they understood how to break down the task. * For the first couple Quests, we did this step whole group, and I would model how to ask the questions through the "think aloud" strategy.

2) Investigate: As the class is reading through the lessons, they will see the Quest connections. When conducting the Quest independent from the whole Topic (chapter), you will want to read some of that lesson with the class in order for them to make a solid connection. These connections are not just readings they are: images, infographics, primary sources, maps, or charts. Analyzing the previously listed types of resources can be very powerful and covers important informational reading standards (i.e.: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.) While making these connections, students are gathering evidence for their end product.

3) Research: This step in different in each Quest. In some Quests, students are asked to conduct research using Primary Sources. In others, they are given certain places or people to research. This step is meant to be more independent, and where students take what they have learned and tailor it to the assignment's task.

4) Present/ Discuss/ Write: Finally, students will take everything they have learned and present it according to the project's guidelines. I chose to have my students work in a small group for the first Quest and in pairs for the second.

Happy Questing, 

Jenni Merry 

Low Prep Technology tools in the classroom Part 2

Last month, I shared with you add-ons in Google Docs and I promised a Part 2 of my favorite tech tools.  Today I want to share with you another tool for education that is sort of free, but is completely worth the small fee to upgrade for full features: Plickers!

What are Plickers?

View of the Score Sheet for
the Common Assessment taken
last week. 

Plickers are basically a form of a QR code that you can scan with a device to read and store student answers. The students just need a Plicker printed on paper to participate. Once I put questions into the system, I’m able to scan the student answers quickly and keep a running record of their accuracy.  The students love it because the feedback is instant and they can see their score immediately.

Plickers amaze me every time I use them because I don’t comprehend how the phone can do this as easily as it does, but somehow it does and it is completely accurate.

I use Plickers to easily formatively assess student learning as we work through standards. Sometimes it's basic comprehension of text we read and others it's more complicated standards-related questioning. I'll even use them for common assessments in place of pencil and paper because, and this is another amazing part, the program keeps a scoresheet!! Score for the teacher! AND it's color coded so it's so easy to tell who mastered it and who didn't.  I love color coding...Plickers knows me so well!

The scoresheet can be customized and shows the class average on each question
at the top of the sheet along with the question asked. This makes it easy to see trends in student progress.

Here's a video of Plickers in use in my classroom because it's more amazing when you actually see it!

How to get started with Plickers

1. Register on Plickers.com

2. Add your student roster to the system. You can type it in or upload the roster from a PDF. The system will assign a card number to each student. These can easily be changed or switched out as needed. 

3. Print your Plickers. I laminate mine to make them sturdier and the lamination glare usually doesn’t interfere. For some reason, they scan better when printed on light colored paper. This year I printed and laminated one for each student and are making them responsible for having it each day instead of handing them out when I need them. Either way works. I have back ups for forgetful students.

4. Enter questions into the system and add them to your queue. These can be added from your phone or iPad or by logging into the website on the computer and typing them in. Questions can be true/false or multiple choice with up to four answer choices. Images can also be included with the question.

5. Select the question to scan from your device and it will display on your projection screen once logged into Plickers.com. Click "Now Playing" on the computer screen to link to your phone.
6. Scan by tapping the red button at the bottom of your screen. Students should hold the card so that their fingers do not cover any of the black edges and their letter answer is at the top of the card.  This takes some training at first but they get the hang of it. Once they've all answered, tap the red button on your phone again. You can show the correct answer with a simple tap from your phone. This is a new update--now they've officially thought of everything!

Click here for other useful tech tools

With such limited time with my students per day (53 minutes or less), I am always on the hunt for quick and easy (and engaging) tools to track their understanding.  Plickers do exactly that. You can get a free account that allows you to utilize many of the tools in the paid account but in a limited number. Try it out--I know you'll love it!

Keep the magic alive,

Kandyce Valverde

Share some of your great ideas with us by commenting below. What low prep tech tools are most used in your classroom?

Or comment to let me know what you would like to hear about next time. More tech tools or an update on excitement for reading?



Would you like to see Plickers in action? Schedule a Spotlight visit and come watch them first hand.  I would love to meet you!

Ding-Dong!

When I get visitors to my kindergarten classroom, the number one question I get is "what is that you're wearing?"

My answer is, "it's the best $14 I've spent for  my classroom!"

Introducing the wireless doorbell!




"A good teacher, like a good entertainer first must hold his audience's attention, then he can teach his lesson."  ― John Henrik Clarke

This idea came  to  me a few years ago from a blog I follow.  I thought it was genius!  Having been a kindergarten teacher for numerous years, I have a plethora of loud attention-getters strategically placed around my room. But this one a I could wear and access from anywhere in the room. 

The one I bought  at Wal-Mart was $14.  The  chime is plugged into an outlet (see left) and I hot-glued a clothespin on  the remote  so I could clip it on me.  This wireless doorbell has 5 different chimes, so I can  change it up over the  year.   As with anything,  the novelty can wear off.  When that happens,  we review what is expected (no claps,  no call-backs, just freeze and look at the teacher). Or, I will change the chime.

This genius hack has helped me manage my classroom. The kids love it, and it  is extremely  convenient!

Happy and Positive Teaching!

Erin Grebel