Whew! I cant believe this is only the thirteenth time Ive seen each class. They have grown SO much already! See for yourself - just take a look back at the archived posts from previous months.
Fifth grade students are responding to articles on TweenTribune.com. Take a look at some of the articles and read our text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections in the comments section. Our usernames start with our first name and end with our homeroom teachers last name.
Fourth grade is continuing to work on a data webquest. The link is posted on their grade level blog. We are finding the median, mode, and range of a series of data about shark attacks in different states over a period of 11 years. We are using Excel this week to express the data in the form of a graph.
Third through fifth grade students are continuing to improve their typing skills using Type2Learn for the first 15 minutes of every class in the lab. Were keeping track of our wcpm progress using the sense-lang.org typing test. Youll find the link on the right side of this blog under LESSON LINKS.
Third grade students have a new site added to their grade level blog - AAAMath.com! We are using this site to help build fluency with our multiplication and division facts. The site provides practice for basic facts, times the students, calculates the percent accurate, and can produce printable record sheets to track progress.
Second grade students are creating an instructional video to teach the world about understandings from their recent fraction unit in Math. We are creating paper sliding videos that the students record and narrate using the flip camera.
First grade students are continuing to build their understanding of adding two 2-digit numbers wihtout regrouping. Last week, we created a word problem, illustrated, and narrated it using Pixie. This week, we are completing an activity in Pixie to apply our skills and using the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives to further explore adding tens and ones with manipulatives.
Kindergarten is also using Pixie this week! Currently, the students are learning about money (coin names, identifying characteristics, values)with their teachers, so we applied our newly learned skills with a Pixie activity. The students sorted coins by name and typed in the value for each. Our work was printed, so we could use this resource in the classroom and at home.
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Today we are going to start with learning the keyboard and how to key correctly. You should know that you will be learning the touch typing method - that means that you will be learning to key without looking at the keyboard. That is why we use the speed skins - they are to be on your keyboard at all times throughout the entire semester.
The biggest factor in learning to key successfully is learning, and using, the correct technique (we will cover what you need to do correctly in terms of technique today in class). Most people want to type fast right away - I think thats human nature, but it just doesnt work that way. Being able to type efficiently and at a fast pace takes a bunch of practice, but you have to use the correct technique.
Our concentration as we begin to learn the keyboard will be on technique - speed will come later. It is important that you concentrate on doing things right first, and usually that means at a slow pace as you begin, rather than worry about your speed.
That being said, as we move through the semester those who concentrate hard on using the correct techniques (and dont worry about speed) now and will have a much easier time later in the semester. Those whose technique is poor, or those who do not use the correct techniques now will struggle later in the semester when we are moving at a much faster.
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Today you are going to create a blog post on your blog about your spring break. However, we are going to do more than just write about what you did - you will also be writing about what you would like to do in the future.
The first paragraph will explain what you did over spring break. The second paragraph will be an explanation of what you see yourself doing 25 years from now with your family. In this second paragraph imagine that you are able to take your family of kids and a spouse somewhere within reason. That means that youre not going somewhere and spending tens of thousands of dollars on a trip - as I said make it within reason. Use details to explain where you plan on going, what you plan on doing, and why you want to go there.
Both paragraphs will use the same writing expectations that you have in Language Arts - an introductory sentence, three supporting sentences of details and explanations, and a closing sentence. When you are done you will email to me your URL (copy and paste it into the body of your message). Also remember to include the 5 parts of an email when you email me. This is due by the end of the hour.
If you finish that during class you can work on any missing assignment you have. If you dont have any missing assignments choose a practice website to go to and practice - with your speed skin on!
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