August 18 Build You PLN with this PLN

Wowser ! Another great day!

Grammasheri GKid 1 of 10

First, I entered yesterday's blog in the dark back in the room as my roommate drifted early into sleep.  So I forgot to thank Tim Sorey for his always helpful and inspiring model of excellent teaching. He throws on instructional and collegial hats to guide us and join with us in discovering what works in our educational strategies and content. So, I just want to ask in thinking about properties of matter, or transfer energy, what are "thoughts"?

Next, what is my feedback? WOWSER!  All the presenters and presentations provided powerful paths to improve our teaching to improve student learning. The last two years, we have learned and shared from the best; this year the best of us and our former teachers shared those learnings as lessons we completed here and can conduct back at school from the modeling provided.  So thank you for:

• Excellent presentators, presentations, lessons, discussions
• Time for networking and idea sharing: discussions, both formal and informal
• Active participation
• Open and inviting climate
• Intro to another reflective component of teaching: Lesson Study
• Love Wenatchi Hall: what a beautiful building
• Breaks, snacks, and a pig
• Comfort Suites

So today, thanks to Kathleen Ferguson and Gary Morrison-Nelson for a thorough introduction to unit development with GLAD strategies.  The examples and adaptations from beginning to end with a fantastic handout really demonstrated how the process flows to help provide metacognitive strategies so students can continuously hook new learning to old, building new concepts daily and correcting misperceptions through the continual review of relevant concepts. Thanks so much!

Finally the dynamic jedi of Web 2.0 tools, Matt Brewer, inspired participants to build their Personal Learning Network -- expanding their current building and MSP network into the global community through the power of Twitter (@mbrewer_SL ). Be sure to read his Google Doc "The Power of My PLN" to learn from his "tweeps." Remember: five minutes a day could bring you a wealth of useful strategies, tools, and blogs to read. More suggestions for building a PLN from my blog: What Else Posts. Thanks, Matt for your fast-paced and hands-on session.

And as a thank you, I created a site for the MSP group: "This project shares some of the strategies and tools of social networking that help chunk learning so that teachers can intermittently through the teaching process assess the levels of understanding of students in their classrooms so that adjustments, reteaching, or extensions can occur to ensure all students learn."  Ask What Else: http://www.askwhatelse.net

I hope it is of some help to those learning Web 2.0 tools.

Thanks again for another great learning event.

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Sheri Edwards  (@grammasheri )  What Else  Ask What Else: Tools For You
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..
42

August 17 Questions and Options

Questions and Options

Questions and options: that's what today emphasized.

What questions do you have?
What questions would you ask?
How else could this work?
How could this be adapted to other levels? other topics?

I just want to say that Nancy and Todd, Gail, Erin, Aaren, and Darrin (sorry about any misspellings) presented fantastic models of excellent lessons today. Every day so far these models for us offer such marvelous methods of how to adapt the 5Es to fit each and any topic and standard. If the kids in these districts represented by the teachers from the last three days are not learning, it's not because of the teaching or lessons.  These teachers are fabulous and I thank them for the time and effort taken to share with us.


Nancy and Todd presented something very simple that shared their way of teaching. While Todd engaged us in questions and options, Nancy annotated the information on the board. This demonstrated how each student for their labs creates a part/function list, a labeled diagram of the process, a flow chart of the system, and an organized list of all variables for their own inquiry. Their students apply systems and inquiry; they have practiced the standards of systems, inquiry, and application. Wowser.

Who wouldn't be excited to learn about Antarctica with a scientist as a guide? Another Wowser and thank you to Jeff Bowman for inviting us on his journey. To have a human connection, a real person students can know is so powerful for students to think, "I could do this." Such an inspiration.

And, of course, we finished our day with a network of friends and food. Thanks Jeff Bullock for understanding that people need to grow together to work together.

So here's a pictorial summary of the day. Enjoy, and thank you all.

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Sheri Edwards
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..
42

Aug 16 Docs in Motion

Another fabulous day in Wenatchi Hall, filled with openness on one side and the shadowed barriers on the other.

Openness

We shared ideas in a "Lesson Study" review of Dan Durr's lesson "Motion Probe Inquiry." Several different possibilities for alternative lessons were suggested. Most people enjoyed the freedom of the lesson -- a challenge to which we (students) needed to consider the elements, mathematics, and procedures to solve the challenge. I loved how groups shared their ideas, how the people who "knew stuff" jumped in and shared possible ways to proceed. People from different groups explained their strategies to others. Those with the confidence from their own knowledge brought in those with less confidence, explaining their thinking with math, diagrams, examples. By the end of the session, solutions were found and each person, I think, expanded their knowledge of lesson possibilities, student responses, and content knowledge. This was a powerful example of an open lesson.

Next, in Nancy Ridenour's excellent Google Session, we learned how easy it is to share ideas through the powerful collaborative tools of Google Apps. Everyone got the opportunity to create and share a document, and create and share a form. How great is that? How often do you get to actually play with the tools? That's the best part of expanding knowledge, and we use it in the classroom with kids; Nancy gave us the same consideration. Thanks!

When you sign up for a Google Account, you open your world up to 24/7 secure document access, with sharing extended to those you choose (one person, groups, public). What is Google Apps? Go to: Google Apps User Group Overview for many resources to learn about Google Apps. With one account, you can create online (public or private) documents, spreadsheets (and charts, tables), presentations, calendars, drawings, your maps, email, websites, photos, and forms (surveys, quizzes--self-grading, too). For a quick overview, click here; or the beginning here; for a ten-minute explanation of what and why, watch here.

How do I use Google? Here's our district website, my class website, and my class newsletter blog. Our technology meetings occur via Google Docs-- we discuss and collaborate on our own times: because we wear so many hats, finding time for a face-to-face meeting is difficult. Our student area is private, and our 6, 7, 8 grade students create pseudonyms ("code names") for all their online work. They link to templates for assignments that include links to areas for research; students copy the template, renaming it with their code name and sharing it with the teacher. Teachers can offer feedback through both comment features (on the right side of the document as we saw in Nancy's demo, or insert comments to specific areas), and students will share their work with a peer for peer feedback. Revision history shows who did what. All this work is available anytime, anywhere. Google has passed the strictest government security requirements; YOU control what is shared and to whom. I have created a shared document with links to information on using Google in the Classroom: Google Apps? For What? If you and your students have access to computers, even just a few in the classroom, Google Apps for Education (GAFE) is a great investment (free). Many classes have sets of iPod touches, and use Google docs with them.

Barriers

In groups or in Nancy Ridenour's Google Session, we discussed barriers to many issues: vertical alignment, technology in the classroom, open lesson format. Sometimes, the solutions are outside the box and some are unsolved.

At any rate, the day was great. Thanks.

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Sheri Edwards
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness...
42

Prevent Eroding Lessons; Direct the Flow

This afternoon, thanks to Ralph Dawes, we studied water flow: It's downhill. To prevent lessons from eroding into bits of facts without substance, try the Lesson Study approach. Our school's observation expectations include the components of Lesson Study:

• Steps of Lesson
• Expected Responses
• Teaching Points (goals)
• Formative Evaluation (what did the students learn: how do you know; what are the next steps)

By preparing for an expected range of possible student responses, lessons can be altered on the spot depending on what the students demonstrate. Instead of losing momentum in the flow of the lesson because of misconceptions and lack of background knowledge, the lesson will simply flow in a new, needed direction because the possibilities of student reactions have been considered.

I hadn't read "Science Formative Assessment" by Page Keeley, but have borrowed it from the former science teacher for this week. Just skimming through it, I see strategies I already use in the classroom (Four Corners, Fish Bowl, Annotated Drawings, Concept Comics, Reciprocal Peer Questioning, Think-Pair-Share). I can't wait to learn more.

I enjoyed the reflection and discussion at the end; I could hear how others see the application of ideas for their particular situation, which adds to my own set of possible application choices. Just hearing others thoughts suddenly brings clarity to my own ideas, sometimes to seemingly unrelated issues. It develops links within the brain so the flow of concepts connect in one more way.

"A scientist's aim in a discussion with his colleagues
is not to persuade, but to clarify."

~ Leo Szilard, American Scientist

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Sheri Edwards
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness...
42

Move it!

Monday 8/13

Acceleration is a change in velocity.

Think about what's happening to the movement in time and space of this thin ninja. How is s/he "speeding up?"



/// / / / / / /


Since the intervals are increasing in distance in increasing amounts, the ninja is speeding up exponentially.



/ / / / / / / /


This ninja is accelerating at a constant rate because the distance intervals are equal.

However, if you read Bruce Palmquist's comment below, you must remember this:
" Your middle ninja is accelerating at a constant rate. But that rate is zero because her velocity is constant."


/ / / / ////


This ninja was accelerating at constant pace (see first four intervals) but then decreased acceleration (last three intervals).


What acceleration do you see with this ninja?

/ / / / / / / / / /////


How could you apply ninja's in your class?

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Photo Credit: by glascow's finest.


Flickr CC

Sheri Edwards
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness...





42

Vocabulary Views

Our school is focusing on teaching reading in all content areas. I have been directed to teach reading during fifteen minutes of my writing classroom. Another area we must delve into is parent involvement, for which I have created reading homework assignments, based on the grade level expectations for grades 5 ,6 ,7 ,8. Those assignments can be viewed and downloaded here. I developed these from a template at TIPS: Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork.

One assignment deals with vocabulary. We use this in our class also. Here's our class activity (similar to our vocabulary homework assignment). Our students vocabulary repertoire is not diverse. We've been building fluency through re-readings and note-taking (another blog on that later), but even after re-reading, note-taking, and discussion a Martin Luther King, Jr play several times, two students asked, "What is a protest?" Never think students "get it." Some one or two or more is stuck, lost because their vocabulary and the schema that accompany it are incomplete. Therefore, I developed this vocabulary activity that has really helped my students. The most important part is this one:
Students choose ten interesting words while re-reading the text. I ask for "interesting" words, because I want them to choose good words, whether they know them or not. It sets us up for success at learning words we may not know.

The important directions:
Choose two words. List them inside the triangles. Write two details from your text that relate to each word. Put the details on the lines next to each triangle. On the third line, write a connection you have to each word.

By re-reading the text that contains their chosen vocabulary word, they are finding the context within which the word is used, thereby building their schema and understanding of the word. Every student found appropriate text. Then, through our discussion of the words and their contexts, the students could add a connection: an experience, an opinion, a movie, etc. It has been one of the most powerful lessons I've created. Wowser for us!

This would be easy to re-create just within a discussion or notes during any class. What do you think? Could you use it? How would you adapt it to fit your students and their needs?

Go here, scroll to Vocabulary_2.pdf, to download.

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Sheri Edwards
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..
42

Photo Credit:
Question Mark CC 2.5 by Inductiveload via Wikimedia Commons

Other Resources from TMTW Wiki

MSP August 20

Life, the Universe, and Everything

42 things I've learned from the MSP Camp

Find them in the margins of Encyclopedia Galactica

which I dropped over Europa-- on the ice raft at left

Look it up on your next trip to Europa.

But I do have my towel -- do you have yours?

Thanks to all; looking forward to a great year !

Photo Credits:

Towel Flickr CC by newpn2000...Rome, London, Barcelona...

Europa: NASA http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/target/Europa

Douglas Adams on TED

Douglas Adams on TED

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Sheri Edwards

Reflect curiosity and wonder...

Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..

42

MSP August 19

Thank You !

Learn and Practice

Wherever we are, math and science surround us. Last night at the Rotary dinner, the table setting of beautiful daisies and

chrysanthemums dazzles us: are they displaying a Fibonacci sequence?

So, as we try to bring science and math together, we can look around us in classrooms and the school yard. One of my groups today discussed using student surveys of shoe sizes, heights, favorites of some kind by grade/gender, etc. Getting kids interested in data by using data based on things that interest them or things in their world is easier than changing schedules. However, the activities this week have shown such value for students that this group of teachers has created ways to collaborate, to find ways to gather data in science and analyze it in math. Since the science takes longer, for instance, my science colleague will take two days for field labs (we even have already established a stream base nearby). She will only take half her class with her each day, and I will take the other students during writing class for their science time for that day. Those students can do prep work or set up the display website with background information while my other writing students continue their work. Nothing is impossible. As one of the participants today said, "Nothing in life is a straight line." So schedules, those linear Type A artifacts, need to be wrinkled to enable student learning.

And what will we learn? I think Fathom works in more than just math and science. Look at what it can do--

I learned to add summaries, models, and text to the Fathom exploration so that many aspects of data can be analyzed to understand exactly what those numbers are saying -- or not saying.

Isn't that amazing?

In another chart, I learned to hold the shift key down to highlight more than one data point; we discovered a relationship with our data points, even though the overall data didn't show any correlation. Because we weren't careful as a whole class (we were exploring) to conduct investigations in exactly the same way, but because our own data points were conducted the same way, we thought that did show some evidence that our own data had some relevance. Great conversations -- which led to my colleague and I to decide that students really do need to play around first, so they can discover the need to standardize the process of gathering the data so that the class data can mean something. Otherwise, some data may just stand out too much.

Finally, I meant to add to the excellent conversation during Mark's presentation. It's important to remember that students today really demand choice, so they will begin to play, display, and replay their discoveries and data immediately. It's important to allow them to choose their venue for display (like the Prezi team), and to choose options for their audience; it can't just be for the teacher. They can create YouTube, School Tube, or Vimeo videos, Voice Thread, Glogsters, Google Sites, etc. But who for? Will their work be shared with another school? another grade? parents? university scientists and mathematicians? That will help them focus their choices in images, verbiage, data analysis, graphs, etc. TAP: topic, audience, purpose.

And with that --- think of how we created our VoiceThreads. I walked around, took a break, and came back to draw a simple story board of a possible sequence for my colleague. We added a simple revision, then started. While creating it, we continuously revised. In other words -- no great

plan, just do. "Do or do not... there is no try," Yoda reminds us. Digital writing is fluid and natural, less pre-planning, but more natural revision -- and much more collaboration and sharing with each other (which means deeper learning !).

Question

Who knows how many talented people share their expertise for professional development? Some one needs to know that in our little corner of the world, talented people help teachers become better teachers. I've been teaching for over twenty-five years, and have attended many professional development "institutes." My favorite experience at Semiahmoo with the Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation treated teachers with deep respect and provided fantastic leaders to teach us. I must say though, this group of leaders for the Math Science Partnership (rural schools) and TMTW are extra-ordinairre! You have prepared so much relevant material, activities, lessons, and reflections. You have modeled process, content, pedagogy, and reflection. You respect the needs of your learners. You have engaged us to form a community of teachers who are reflective and always stretching to the edge of the best for student learning. You give honor to the teaching profession. Each of you truly represents the best of teaching.

Thank you for teaching us.

Photo Credits:

Stretch Time Flickr CC by JonathanCohen
Daisy Flicker CC by Nils van Rooijen

Others: Sheri Edwards

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Sheri Edwards

Reflect curiosity and wonder...

Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..

42

MSP August 17

Science and Math: A Natural

LEARN

Doesn't it

seem a natural to include math in science, and to use science for math data? And the presentation in VoiceThread or in a report is writing.

Doesn't it seem like this is the type of learning students enjoy?

Doesn't it seem that this learning is real education: we learn while doing; we think when it's relevant; we progress when it's interesting.

And, more importantly, each person who is engaged learns what that person needs to learn; and that's not what everyone else learned -- but it's what was important.

This project is like Edutopia and ASCD Whole Child suggests would be better for kids and for education.

The VoiceThread shows how easy it is to include relevant technology that enhances the content.

Question

Who will the MSP report to, and will what we are doing influence educational reform in Washington State?

Classroom

In writing class, we can do social studies inquiry as well as science inquiry in simpler terms as we did today.

I would also like to thank Calvin (I think that's who) who introduced us to Interactive Notebooks. I've used a form of that in writing class, but as he explained the process in more depth, I see I can do more.

Here's a set of links for anyone interested; they will be what I will look to for more information also:

http://www.ljhs.sandi.net/faculty/MTeachworth/avid-information/index-avid.htm

A science class AVID page

http://interactive-notebooks.wikispaces.com/

An interactive notebook wiki

http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources%5CE02611%5CCarterflyer.pdf

A Heinemann book

http://www.sciencetoybox.com/interactive_notebooks.htm

Another science teacher's resources on notebooks

http://www.slideshare.net/lherzl/interactive-notebook-guidelines-4464463

guidelines and parent letter

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=interactive+notebooks+slideshare&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=#

googles search for slideshares on interactive notebooks

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Sheri EdwardsReflect curiosity and wonder...Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..42

MSP August 17

LEARN and PRACTICE
I remembered what I learned last year: be more patient with my students; think:

• What did they see that is confusing them?
• What did they hear that is confusing them?
• What is it I can do to guide them?

With all the math and science vocabulary, processes, and thinking flowing past us these two days, we feel like the little Douglas buckwheat, off to the side and overlooked in its attempt to bring life to the desert.
Buckwheat are one of my favorite desert plants, and just as it slowly spreads in the sizzle of the sunny soil, so do I take what I can do and what I know to slowly stretch my knowledge. I know I can, I know I can. Like my students, I need the time to sort through the vocabulary and processes of math to strengthen my understanding. I'm not afraid of it; I just need the time to think through the puzzle, but just as I start to share and explain to my colleague, we're on to something else. I need to watch for this with my students.

So, what I remembered from last year is this: replay or review the directions and explanations as if I were the student -- what is it that stumps him/her? Sometimes, its just a simple word. "Draw" conclusions means a sketch, doesn't it? Other times, they miss a point or a step.
Here's a story from my Facebook PLN today to illustrate misunderstanding:
"Kelly Wade Hines Intro'd friendly letters with my 3rd graders today. I asked the class "So, what is a friendly letter?" I was excited that several hands went up. One student responded "D. D is very nice." Another kid said "F, Mrs. Hines." I wonder which of the 26 are unfriendly!? :p"

So last year, I observed more, reviewed the directions and processes with the student more, and stepped into the shoes of my students more just so I could understand their thinking. And so I will this year, too.

Also, I loved the modeling of reviewing the processes needed to be successful with labs -- the how to invite yourself into the explanation to students instead of invading them with lecture on "Do this and not this." And the release of trust-- believing we could handle the process and equipment. Very nice. I think its important to build relationships this way, and even if I need to release that trust slowly in steps as we build to more complex activities, kids respond to the fact that you trust them. We get what we expect. Great modeling for starting the school year. Thanks.

Question

I think it is important to focus on the high school science/math, moving through as you are so those teachers aren't bored. But maybe, the elementary/ middle school and special education teachers could continue to solve their problems or their science as you move into the very deep and analytical, statistical aspects of high school?

So, now I can do this:

y=57.5*0.853 -20.6y=28.4475 °C
y=83.2055 °F

Conversion Table

Remember to label!

Thanks for the information, modeling, and process practice.

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Sheri Edwards
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..
42

MSP August 16

Welcome Back!

Learn

Early birds get the worm. We

won't make it for breakfast. Omak is only fifty miles away, but it takes more than an hour to get there if one drives safely on the beautiful winding road through the Okanogan National Forest. There might be some data to analyze here on the Douglas Fir Tussock Moth Suppression Project. That would be a real project about which to learn. You can follow the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forest twitter feed here: http://twitter.com/OkaWenNF

I think I learned about the "models" button in Fathom; that's a pretty slick trick to use, and I'm sure there's more. We were stuck on finding slope (we're short a math person right now), and the model let us figure it out. I'll need to play around with it more.

I also think I learned about r^2 in that model button -- that number tells you how valid the data is. Yay! I knew that 1.0 meant the points were probably right on the mark. (That fearful stats class from 25 years ago still haunts me, and still pops out ideas when I need them).

Since it's only the first day, I think I'm just thinking I'm learning, and tomorrow I will.

What I really liked about today: the technology was part of the process, used as needed, and not the focus. We're learning to apply the technology with our standards, not just use tech for tech sake. :)

Questions

I don't remember learning last time about the science 5E's+R we followed today:

Engage

Explore

Explain

Elaborate

Evaluate

Reflect, which could be the sixth e: envision

I'm trying to follow the STAR process, as recommended by our administrator, which could mean:

See -- Engage and Explore

Talk -- Explain

Apply- Elaborate

Reflect -- Evaluate and Envision

Question 1: What do you think?

Oh, I am so glad we have the science and math people together. Science is the forest, and math are all the needles. (Just kidding.) One math person said, "I'm just not a scientist." A mathematician is a scientist naturally! But:

Question 2: When will the math/science people work their schedules and standards to collaborate? Such a dilemma in education... separate, but equal...

Practice

Another local project is the Washington Pass Restoration Project, picture at left. I rather feel like I'm on the edge of knowing what to do, but taking that step...

We have so much pressure on us to meet AYP, to pass that test -- are some teachers wondering how to manage the time?

One of my favorite sites is Edutopia. It focuses on what works in schools, and project/problem based learning is one area that engages students to learn, grow, and apply. It includes those science 5Es. Projects like Voices On The Gulf developed from the PBL Summer Camp. They have an entire list of resources and lessons. Here's one on liquid density and oil spills from National Geographic Xpeditions (another one of my favorite sites when I taught science).

I think Jama and I will look at this site for some relevant ideas related to something that has touched all of us. Surely there is data just waiting for us to discover, and perhaps offer some sense and maybe help to the issue.

Perhaps, for a visual, look at:

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/disasters/bp

as food for thought...

Photo Credits:

Okanogan Forest and Washington Pass: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/

Duck by Flickr CC Adam Mela ncon

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Sheri Edwards

Reflect curiosity and wonder...

Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..

42

Tool Implementation

Tools from this summer

Survey: Students took a survey that other students had taken
Graphs: Bar graphs of survey results (See Activity 1 below)
Fathom Graphs: Further Analysis of survey (see Activity 2 and 3 below)
Vocabulary as needed to understand data/graphs
Discussion of concepts: To activate schema for deeper understanding
Writing: To synthesize concepts and vocabulary for deeper understanding
Blog: Created math blog (Write Math 4 U) for the display of information and to share/reflect with students

Math 4 U blog post of survey information:
http://writemath4u.blogspot.com/2009/08/finding-facts-9409.html

My Action Plan set a monthly math/science activity as a goal. The survey information has started that journey, and the first blog post provides several days of activities. I reflected on our first discussion here on this blog and student responses to our first discussion are here.

Completed Activity 1 with student comments

Activity 2: Ready for discussion/comments
Activity 3: Ready for discussion/comments

I'm still waiting for students to return permission slips so more students can comment and we can start blogs/wikis. The students enjoyed the review and discussion because the data started with their information to help them connect to the numbers and graphs. We still have Activities 2 and 3 to complete (discuss, analyze, clarify, comment).

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Sheri Edwards
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..
42

S-A and Serve-A: The Language of Students

A goal for our math students is immerse them in discussions in the language or words to develop a language of math.

Last week, we discussed the first two graphs of several graphs in a blog post based on a survey students took earlier in the week. Seventh and eighth graders discussed:

What does a graph mean?--
What do you notice?
What are the facts?
How do you know?
Is the graph fair?

numbers of students
numbers on the graph
percents
axis
survey
answers on surveys
fact
opinion

Students stated facts:
Example:
Seventeen of the students (35%) who took the survey prefer to play sports after school.

Students discussed opinions:
Example:
Most people don't like talking on phone with friends.

Students analyzed the numbers.
Example:
Some students figured out that 48 students took the survey.
After looking at class enrollement, students noted that three more people chose their grade as "7" than actually are enrolled at that level.

Students discussed fairness:
Example:
Most of the students filled out the survey (84%). The survey could be fair, more fair than if only ten people completed the survey.
Some people did not fill out the survey correctly (too many seventh graders). So maybe the other answers are not accurate either.

We ran out of time to blog, so we blogged this week, referring to the four questions and student notes. We reviewed first for the five people who did were not their. Not all students completed the blog; we still have on more class to blog.

However, from these eight students, who could orally discuss the vocabulary of math ideas, their written words show us why we need to provide this opportunity more often:

short responses -- not nearly the ideas we discussed
"grafts"
"serve-a"

Like my students who write "I hate writing S-As" (essays), our math students have as much written math vocabulary to learn as they do oral math vocabulary. Will blogging help student written and math thinking and vocabulary? Check back later and we'll see...

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Sheri Edwards
Reflect curiosity and wonder...
Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..
42

Sheri Blog 4: Microsoft

Blog 4: Microsoft

(1) How do you currently use technology in the classroom, if at all? If so, what technologies? How many students have access to PCs at home?

My students blog (Youth Voices) with others and draft in wikis (individually and collaboratively). We have created VoiceThreads as photo essays and visual letters. My lessons are blogged. We learn to google search and Diigo bookmark in effective ways to find valid information for our writing. We have created memoirs in iMovie that would bring tears to your eyes.

What do we use in 5-8:

Google Docs
PBWorks
Diigo
VoiceThreads
Mapskip
Animoto
Glogster
iMovie
iPhoto
GarageBand
Picassa
Flickr
Blogs (Edublogs, Blogger, Wordpress)
Starting: Ning

The technology is used in school mostly on aging computers. Most of my students have access to someone's computer, but that computer is not always the same computer. We live in a very rural area of high poverty with no fast connection (the school is only T1). Therefore, computers come and go and so do the Internet connections.

Our school connection is SO slow, even at T1.


(2) Is your school leadership supportive of your individual use of technology in teaching and learning?

Our past leadership was not supportive. Our current leadership is supportive, but not technologically literate in Web 2.0.

(3) Where did you get information about ICT in the classroom or about technology (before this PD, of course!)?

I am self-taught. I have ten geeky grandkids and a publishing husband. We all love to geek out. I love the ability students develop to revise and edit, create and collaborate in easy ways using technology. Technology allows us to create, solve our problems, communicate clearly, and share/present with others.

I follow tech leaders on Twitter, belong to many nings, collaborate with teachers and students across the United States, and share my own learning with others.

I was part of the Teacher Leadership Project of 1999 in WA State, and have not stopped learning and sharing (Thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).


(4) Would you be interested in connecting online with other teachers from around the state/region/world with similar interests?

I share and learn at LearnCentral (includes Elluminate), onlineprojects4teachers ning, teachersconnecting, and others. I'm always looking to collaborate with others. It's been great for my students to learn that other kids may be different, but in many ways are the same -- and they all learn at school!


Sheri Edwards


Teaching assignment: Grade 8 Reading and Grades 5-8 Writing ---
Writing Wikis: 5-8 Collaborative with Memphis, Tennessee, Reporters
Assignments Lessons (8 -- others linked on this page)

Sheri Blog 3: Ideas for next summer

Blog 3: Ideas for next summer PD

• Time to collaborate with our school team
• Time to review, organize, and apply technology that clarifies or applies math concepts

Sheri Blog 2: Robin

Blog 2: What do you want/expect/need from Robin as she observes or visits your school this year?

Are we creating effective monthly collaborative lessons for science/math/writing ? What components would you suggest or have we missed?

Where is a feast of easily used visuals for students (and me, the non-math teacher) to tell the "story" that reflects math/science concepts and vocabulary? We want students to gobble up data and spit it out as valid or biased, with an understanding of why. If I can share visuals that students can interpret in writing using math/science concepts and vocabulary as Sharon and Angie did, we will so help our students develop the thinking skills and language of math and science.

To start:
We'll use the rethinkingmath2 links. Thanks for those!

Sheri: Blog 1: PD Sessions

Blog 1: Ideas for PD Sessions during the school year

I'd like ideas on how I, the non-math teacher, can find and develop the monthly visual ideas to which students develop "stories" which strengthen their math/science conceptual and vocabulary development.

By the way, here's a nice review of the different types of wikis available: Meg's Notebook
I'm a PB Works fan myself -- so rich and so many very easy-to-use features to create an interactive and collaborative learning environment.

Sheri's Wednesday 8/19 Journal

Linear Journal 1 ,2 ,3

1. Describe something you learned

I relearned point slope. I could solve the problem -so YEAH.

I enjoyed learning through Fathom -- highlighting the points and seeing the interactive comparison among the graphs and to the data table. I could hear people choosing their cars based on the data by comparing the visual representations presented by the graphs.

2. What do you still have questions about or would still like to learn?

I'm still learning about box plots. I'm thinking I could use simple graphs and charts of interest to the kids lives for kids to interpret visually and use their vocabulary to explain.

3. What applications are there to classroom practice?

Jama (Science) and I use the Marzano vocabulary strategy in our classrooms. Tracie and I discussed that her seventh grade students could blog for math as an entry task in my classroom since they come to writing right after math.

Again, students can discuss the logic of the "story" in the data of online stories/graphs/ etc.

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Some Tech Info:

Online screencast: http://www.screenjelly.com/ "records your screen activity with your voice so you can spread it via Twitter or email"

VoiceThread News:

"over 700,000 historical images from The New York Public Library's Digital Gallery are now freely and instantly available whenever you're creating a VoiceThread"

Two of my class voicethreads:

To Obama (collaborative cross country): http://whatelse.pbworks.com/Yes-We-Can-Serve

PhotoEssay: http://whatelse.pbworks.com/w8-photo-motag

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Image Source:

http://www.math-tests.com/8th-grade-math-worksheet.html

noncommercial use granted

Possible Writing Activity

Histograms

What if I change the scale?




What happens to the data if the scale intervals change? Does it matter?
How does this affect how you read and write?

Steps (Individuals or Teams)
Part 1: Playing with Intervals
Part 2: Reflection on Discussion
Part 3: Playing with Intervals/Wiki Work
Part 4: Peer Share
Part 5: Gist Statement and Application Comment

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Part 1: Playing with Intervals:

Choose some of the data sets from this site--- play with the INTERVAL inputs.
http://shodor.org/interactivate/activities/Histogram/?version=1.5.0_19&browser=Mozilla&vendor=Apple_Inc.&flash=10.0.22

Change the interval inputs. Take notes on what you discovered in a table:

| Input | Result | Analysis—What I noticed|

What did you learn from this activity based on the data in your table of changes made?


Keep notes for Part 2.

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Part 2: Reflection on Discussion

Read the discussion by students and their mentor here:
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/discussions/ClassInterval/

What questions do you have?
Do you agree or disagree with the students? Explain with information from
what happened when you changed the intervals in the activity in Part 1.

Keep notes for Part 3.

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Part 3: Playing with Intervals/Wiki Work

Choose one of the graphs from Part 1 that you would choose to display to explain the content data (College SAT Math Scores/ NBA Team Payrolls, etc.) you would want to share with others. Take a screenshot of your graph. Upload it to your math Wiki page.

Explain:
What data set did you choose?
What interval did you select?
What title would you give your graph? Why?
What do you think viewers would see in your graph?
Why do you want to show that data information – what is it presenting to the viewer?

Now change your graph with a different interval. Take a screenshot of your graph. Upload it to your math Wiki page.

Explain:
How does this graph differ from your first choice?
What interval did you select?
What title would you give your graph? Why?
What do you think viewers would see in your graph?
Why wouldn’t you choose this graph?

How does this information affect how you read and write when the information includes graphs/histograms?

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Part 4: Peer Share

Read another group/individual’s wiki page. Analyze their work and learning. Comment on their wiki page:
What did you notice?
What did you like?
What do you wonder about?

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Part 5: Gist Statement and Application

In the comments of this blog post:

Write a gist statement of your learning from this activity.

If you read a graph in your science book, a magazine, a newspaper, or online, what will you look for to understand possible intentions (persuasive strategy) of the data?

How does this information affect how you read and write when the information includes graphs/histograms?

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NCTM Standards:

Grades 6-8

• Data Analysis and Probability
  • Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them
  • Select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data

MathScape Textbook:

Book 1

• [ What Does the Data Say? ] Lesson 6: Across the Ages

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Sheri's Tuesday Journal

1. Describe something you learned.

Review:
Our Brains:
Need 20 minute activities
Remember through repetitive timed intervals
Need kinesthetic and visual elements
Store learning in short term memories for 11.3 years before it transfers to long term memory.

and
Formative assessment creates stronger learning.
Conceptual understanding is like brainstorming and discussing in writing class -- it gets the juices flowing, provides background knowledge, and adds vocabulary so that the writing or the math can develop further into actual problems and writing pieces.

2. What do you still have questions about or would still like to learn?

I'd like Mary Jane to email me her power point.
I love math. It's a puzzle.

3. What applications are there to classroom practice?

I already have my class time sorted into 15 or 20 minute activities (high/low activities with active learning like think/pair/share, moving around or actions, art/sketch, and exit/entry cards).

I would like to include surveys, graphs, charts to take/analyze in writing class to extend math understanding.