Good morning!

Here is an update regarding our non-tech literacy world... teachers are continuing to test the students that you recommended as being "at risk" due to reading skill level, with a view to setting up guided reading groups and book clubs in January. It's a long process, but I am sure it will be worth it! If anyone is willing to run one of these groups for 20 minutes a day during your English class, please let me know. We will be trying to make up small groups of students at the same level, and these may well include students from different classes. Thank you for your help with this aspect of our School Improvement Plan!

OK - back to the IT world!

Super Links

This is perfect for those at the ages of our students, with their heightened interest in social justice. It explains how slavery is still used to make products and there is an online survey. Very thought-provoking.

http://slaveryfootprint.org/#where_do_you_live

During crazy pre-holiday weeks, it is sometimes hard to come up with good ideas for teaching. This blog has some excellent ones.

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2011/12/12-amazing-ways-to-teach-during-days-of.html?spref=tw

Many creative ways to reinforce spelling, for school or home.

http://19pencils.visibli.com/share/AvAov7

The humour link :) Chewbacca sings Silent Night. Warning, sillier than usual....

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2011/12/14/chewbacca-sings-silent-night-video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+geeksAreSexyTechnologyNews+%28%5BGeeks+are+Sexy%5D+technology+news%29

Have a great day, anne

I finally found winter jacket that I like at Algonquin Outfitters, and in addition to fitting properly and looking good it has a wide range of special features. Yes, I ended up buying what appears to be a snowboarding coat, even though I don't snowboard and don't even downhill ski.
But that got me thinking. Of course I am not a senior citizen, but in ten or fifteen years I might want a coat like this for qualities other than fit or appearance. I think many seniors might appreciate the following attributes....
1. There are built in hand warmers, in case of arthritis, a sign of advancing age.
2. It has huge zipper pulls, same symptom.
3. Fake snaps with Velcro underneath, same symptom.
4. Still suffering from hot flashes? Open the pit zips.
5. Forgetful? The hood is attached.
6. Amazingly, there is a pocket on the left sleeve containing a cloth to clean your glasses.
And best of all, if you fall down or get lost, it has a Recco wire that responds to a transmitter. Those snowboard apparel companies are sitting on a gold mine and they don't even know it, I bet!

My experience at the ECOO 2011 Conference was outstanding once again. I got so many ideas to share with you, as well as strategies to make this as painless as possible! When I saw the number of teachers from other boards, it made me sad and regretful that I was the only attendee, as far as I know, from NNDSB. (Our colleague Michelle Passmore presented on Day 1, but I did not get a chance to speak to her.) I have to figure out a way for more of us to take part. I know you would get so much out of it – at whatever stage of your learning you happen to be in. ECOO is first and foremost a conference about teaching and learning, and then about how to make the most of technology as part of that process.

I was also excited to have had the chance to be a “mini” presenter as part of the Google Carousel, and I made sure the name of Land of Lakes was prominent in my presentation. I talked about how we used Google Docs to offer our After-School Program online last year.

Senteo Update

Yippee, Gerry and Tanya are now up and running. I believe we are ready for a school-wide trial, and I will be touch with instructions and options next week.

Report Cards

I hope it has gone smoothly for everyone this weekend. I am now trying to get Students Achieve, the online grade book that links to TWEA, to work on my home computer. I will contact you immediately once I figure out a few more things and will sit down with you and get you started, if you are interested.

CASI

Please let me know right away if you need help with marking or entering into Collections Plus.

A few links…

Especially for Kim and Judy – photosynthesis in song and dance

http://www.teachertime123.com/2011/08/photosynthesis-from-they-might-be-giants-science-musicvideo/

Factory farming issue, revealed in short cartoon, great for discussion

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664919/behind-the-scenes-of-chipotles-stunning-back-to-the-start-ad

This is a complex, interactive movie about the North. It has throat singers at the beginning! It would need some investigation, but if you are presenting anything about the Arctic, what I have seen is amazing and thought-provoking.

http://thisland.nfb.ca/#/thisland

I have never used Storybird before, but it looks very good. It is beautiful and simple, and I think it works beyond primary (but that’s just me J)

http://storybird.com/

Well, that was a week! Thanks to Bonnie for organizing the POETS meeting today. Very fun and relaxing, and nice to see so many around the table.

I feel that the real Super Heroes this week are Steve and Lisa, and all who helped them. Plus our newest Canadian friend, Judy. And finally Super “Stewart and MB”, who braved the elements today. I am so lucky to work with people like you.

Senteo News

It was really exciting to see Jan’s success in using the Senteos to differentiate learning and assessment in her French class. I am sure her students were just as happy to see the evidence of their own learning. I had a great experience myself on a media quiz today. It was the first time that 8C had used the Senteos. We watched the DVD "Lifting The Lid: How Computers Work,” filled out a KWL sheet and then did the quiz. It was so nice to see students who struggle with written output getting Level 4s. The looks on their faces when they came up to my desk to see their personal marks were priceless, and I know Jan also had this experience, and was able to make a really positive, personal connection with some of her students. Yes, the clickers are just one tool, of the many available to us, but they can be rewarding for both teachers and students at times.

I still need to do the intro on Smart Response with three staff members, and then we can talk about a school-wide trial. I have the “Learning Styles” quiz that I made up earlier and have tested out on 7B, and I am also going to type up another, based on the material that the Fire Safety officers presented. Mr. Dunnett left me a copy of the true/false questions.

That way, you and your students can have a trial run using the technology without stressing over curriculum applications in your subject, or marking, etc.

CASI

It seems that most classes have completed the non-fiction diagnostic CASI test. Congratulations!

A Few Links

This is a truly inspiring short video about using pop bottles to make lights in one of the poorest communities in the world. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1787036814819

True story, teen hit by meteorite

http://www.activehistory.co.uk/twitter/tweet.php?message=14-year-old%20hit%20by%2030%2C000%20mph%20space%20meteorite&url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/space/5511619/14-year-old-hit-by-30000-mph-space-meteorite.html

Sexting and the law. Enough said.

http://www.blg.com/en/home/publications/Documents/publication_1956.pdf

More math fun, math and real-life events

http://www.youtube.com/media4math

Have a great weekend!

Anne

Hello all,
> Over the past couple of weeks several colleagues have expressed the desire for resources that they could use to write their report card comments, given that TWEA does not provide drop-down menus. I know that sometimes the exact turn of phrase is hard to come by in trying to express our observations about a student's progress as professionally as possible. I really do personalize my comments, and I know that you do as well. But here are a few sites that can help you locate just what you might need to make a start. I also urge you to revisit the guidelines that were issued last year about writing comments without using jargon, and addressing each student's accomplishments and suggesting useful next steps for each learner. I have added a link for this Ministry document for Tanya, Kim and anyone else who might find it helpful... it also contains many good sample comments.
> 
Growing Success

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf

Comment Banks

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24547/Report-Card-Comments-Collection

http://www.rayslearning.com/comment.htm#first

http://www.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?t=309423

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html

http://www.stillskin.ca/

> Finally, if it is possible to love stuff about writing report cards, I do love this series of brief videos about producing Learning Skills comments!

http://scdsbnetworkedlearning.ca/2011/09/21/misa-london-learning-skills-and-w...

> Each of these resources has something to offer, and hopefully you will them useful.

> 

Hello all,
> Over the past couple of weeks several colleagues have expressed the desire for resources that they could use to write their report card comments, given that TWEA does not provide drop-down menus. I know that sometimes the exact turn of phrase is hard to come by in trying to express our observations about a student's progress as professionally as possible. I really do personalize my comments, and I know that you do as well. But here are a few sites that can help you locate just what you might need to make a start. I also urge you to revisit the guidelines that were issued last year about writing comments without using jargon, and addressing each student's accomplishments and suggesting useful next steps for each learner. I have added a link for this Ministry document for Tanya, Kim and anyone else who might find it helpful... it also contains many good sample comments.
> 
> Growing Success - http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/GrowingSuccessParents2010.pdf
> Comment Banks
> http://www.scribd.com/doc/24547/Report-Card-Comments-Collection
> http://www.rayslearning.com/comment.htm#first
> http://www.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?t=309423
> http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html
> http://www.stillskin.ca/
> 
> Finally, if it is possible to love stuff about writing report cards, I do love this series of brief videos about producing Learning Skills comments!
> http://scdsbnetworkedlearning.ca/2011/09/21/misa-london-learning-skills-and-work-habits-videos/
> 
> Each of these resources has something to offer, and hopefully you will them useful.

> 

When I knew I would have the chance to be a literacy coach at my school this year I was so excited, planning and plotting over the summer about how to blend that role with my strong belief in a multi-modal approach to literacy in the classroom.
It has been so busy this past month but also rewarding, with real feedback from teachers about the value of what I am trying to do. Unexpected and very very nice.
I think that one of the main ways we have available to differentiate in the classroom is easy: using technology in all its forms to allow students to show what they know, and extend and personalize their learning.
This year, with several periods a week built into my schedule for the literacy coach role, I now have that most precious commodity: time.
With this time, I have been able to more formally prepare numerous lessons or units, in order to share. I have also started a little email newsletter. I had the chance to be a TWEA trainer and work with staff from other schools.
Probably the biggest project for September was taking the time to formally role out the use of Smartboards, Smart Response and Smart Notebook in our school. I had the time necessary to prepare a little handout, check all teacher computers, coordinate any necessary tech support and most importantly meet one on one with my colleagues to introduce them to these tools.
In 20 minutes they could easily see the value and more importantly express their confidence in expanding their personal use, in comparison to previous years when only two of us really took the plunge. It was really fun to hear their comments and observe the instant connections being made to the needs of various types of learners.
I can guarantee that every person that I work with gets it. They really do see that technology can open up learning to the needs of individual students. But lack of time, minor but annoying tech difficulties, combined with teachers' personal learning styles, sometimes make it difficult to move forward.
If I can spend less than half an hour with a teacher, removing barriers to their professional learning, presenting new strategies, and then see them finish up being inspired at new ways to differentiate learning, then I am a happy literacy coach.