Back to School (for kids and me)
Well, day 2 of 180 days is complete. That's right, here in Robeson County we started back to school on August 28, 2012. According to the state law, any school that is not a year round school cannot go back to school BEFORE August 25 nor AFTER June 10. I am truly excited about this year. We are using the new Common Core and that means we get to TEACH again. Instead of just Reading, we are teaching grammar-spelling-vocabulary. We also get to do more of a project based learning. That means that the students will be collaborating together to complete final products from the lessons. I will be using themed units for teaching.
Today we had a faculty meeting after school and had the wonderful opportunity to train on "Interactive Notebooks". They are taking the nation by storm and the data collected so far shows nothing but an increase in learning. The students "own" their work and the responsibility falls on them. It creates a portfolio that they add to all year and they do it with spiral notebooks. What this means for teachers is less confrontation from parents. If a parent questions a low grade on a progress report or report card all we have to do is schedule a meeting with the student and parent. The teacher then asks the student to take out their interactive notebook and shows the parents the work done or not done, along with all daily or test grades. Our teachers will be constructing notebooks as well with the same assignments so we can show the parents what their child's notebook SHOULD look like. I LOVE THIS!!!!!! No more Friday folders, as I can have the child take the notebook home andhave the parent sign on that Friday's date that they reviewed the weekly work. So when a parent says they have "no idea" what their child is doing, I can say but you signed the notebook that you looked at it. WHEWWW....thank you whoever invented these!!!
On another note, I am starting GRAD school tomorrow night. I have enrolled in the Library Science program at Appalachian State. Once I am finished I will be certified as a school Media coordinator and possibly in Instructional Technology as well. Although I have never taken an on-line class, I am super excited to be starting. There are so many fantastic opportunities for this area. I will also get to take what I am learning in my class and share it with my students and colleagues. My principal is just as excited as I am because this means I will be up to date on new educational technology.
Wish all of us, myself and my students, much success this year!!
Today we had a faculty meeting after school and had the wonderful opportunity to train on "Interactive Notebooks". They are taking the nation by storm and the data collected so far shows nothing but an increase in learning. The students "own" their work and the responsibility falls on them. It creates a portfolio that they add to all year and they do it with spiral notebooks. What this means for teachers is less confrontation from parents. If a parent questions a low grade on a progress report or report card all we have to do is schedule a meeting with the student and parent. The teacher then asks the student to take out their interactive notebook and shows the parents the work done or not done, along with all daily or test grades. Our teachers will be constructing notebooks as well with the same assignments so we can show the parents what their child's notebook SHOULD look like. I LOVE THIS!!!!!! No more Friday folders, as I can have the child take the notebook home andhave the parent sign on that Friday's date that they reviewed the weekly work. So when a parent says they have "no idea" what their child is doing, I can say but you signed the notebook that you looked at it. WHEWWW....thank you whoever invented these!!!
On another note, I am starting GRAD school tomorrow night. I have enrolled in the Library Science program at Appalachian State. Once I am finished I will be certified as a school Media coordinator and possibly in Instructional Technology as well. Although I have never taken an on-line class, I am super excited to be starting. There are so many fantastic opportunities for this area. I will also get to take what I am learning in my class and share it with my students and colleagues. My principal is just as excited as I am because this means I will be up to date on new educational technology.
Wish all of us, myself and my students, much success this year!!
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