A wreath is a thing.

Nouns are a hot topic this week.  First graders have combed the school to identify and photograph the nouns around them. Click the link below to view a  short video of what they found!

Nouns

Ted Talks – ideas worth spreading – are some of the most relevant conversations in education today.  A Ted Conference is just wrapping up this afternoon.  It was lived streamed to two locations in the US – Palm Springs and Roanoke, VA.  I was at another learning event this week and was unable to experience the live stream but hope that the information will be available to learners soon.

In the meantime, here’s a fantastic look at why the world needs all kinds of thinkers.  Temple Grandin gives us insight on Autism.

The iPod Touch carts have been delivered to our elementary schools and are ready for use in the classroom.  The carts will travel throughout RCPS schools on a rotating schedule so don’t miss out on using them while they are in your school!
You don’t have to be an expert on using the iPod Touches to get started but you absolutely want to have a plan.  While the Apps on the iPod Touches are often game like, they have been loaded onto our carts because of their abilities to reinforce curriculum.
So…where to start?  Here’s a partial list of the Apps currently available on the carts. 

Language Arts
Grades PK-1 – iwritewords,Build-a-word,Wordcub, ABC Tracer
Grades 1-3 – Pocketphonics, word scramble, Kidswords, Same Sounds, Contractions
Grades 3-5 – Question Builder, Spell it, Chicktionary,WordPops

Math
Grades PK-2 – Feed Me
Grades 1-3 – Basic Math,Penny Me, Kids Time Fun, Pizza Fractions
Grades 1-5 – Math Minute, Missing Symbol, Cash Cow, Clock Masters

Apps support reading, writing, science, social studies, and more! 

Apps are a good starting point for classroom use of iPod Touches, but just scratch the surface of what these tools can do.   Podcasts, videocasts and independent learning are all at your fingertips!

Talk to your ITRT about using  these resources in your classroom.  You’ll be amazed at the level of engagment you’ll see from your students!

There are many ways to use web-based resources to help students get ready for SOL testing next month. 

ePats – Electronic Practice Assessment Tools are installed on computer lab machines. Students can also practice in the classroom and at home by visiting this site.  You’ll need to install the launcher and any practice tests you’d like to use.

Released Test Items- The Virginia Department of Education posts questions from previous SOL tests.  These released test items offer students a chance to practice test taking strategies.

Tami Maloney’s Interactive Quizzes – Quizzes are arranged by grade level and subject. 

Jefferson Lab SOL Quizzes

Danville Public Schools  SOL Practice Site
Danville Public Schools  Released Tests in PowerPoint format

Virginia Studies Quizzes and Tests

Science Reviews in Quia

Social Studies Reviews – Scroll down to the section that reads “General SOL Social Studies Tests.

In addition to all these tools, RCPS teachers can access the Flanagan test on by logging into the RCPS Intranet. Let’s schedule a time so I can help you use these tools in your classroom!

A group of Green Valley Elementary students recently participated in a collaborative story writing activity with students from Pennsylvania, California, and Wisconsin. While the majority of participating classrooms were grade 2, Mrs. Williams’ group was comprised of first graders.
Mrs. Williams, Green Valley’s Reading Specialist, joined the Write Your Story Wiki and was grouped in Story #9. Her students wrote and illustrated the second paragraph in the story. When the story was completely written and illustrated, Karen Ditzler, the project coordinator, added the pictures to a VoiceThread. The students then narrated their portion of the story.

The students had a great time with this activity and Mrs. Williams hopes to participate again next year. If you’d like your students to participate in this activity or one like it, please contact me and I’ll team the activity with you. It is a great way to hook kids on writing!

Oliver K. Woodman has been busy this year.  He’s helped second graders learn about geography, map skills, and types of communities.  You’d think he’d be tired, but he’s not ready to stop yet!

Oliver has taken up the sport of Geocaching and is making his way to Redcrest, California. This time, though, it will be Geocachers who carry him from place to place.

 A few weeks ago, Oliver was planted in a cache near the Mill Mountain Star. As he moves across the country, Roanoke County second graders will track his progress and practice their map skills. 

You can follow Oliver’s progress on our Oliver K. Woodman wiki.

 We all know that project-based learning is a great way to engage students in learning. Coming up with projects can be time consuming, though, and time seems to always be at a premium. 

What’s the solution?  There are hundreds of content centered, standards-based projects already developed and waiting for you to participate in!

  Here are just a few:

OREOS -This year’s project runs from 9/21 – 10/16.  Students estimate how many cookies they can stack before the Oreos fall over. The project is correlated to K-5 standards and there are numerous extension activities for all content areas.  Several teachers participated in this project last year and a good time was had by all!  Use this link to learn more about this fun activity:  http://www.jenuinetech.com/Projects/OreoXI/instructions09.htm

 Square of Life - Study local and global environments and connect with classrooms all over the world as you share data about the square you study! This project runs from 9/4 – 12/1/09 and while it targets science, there are many curriculum extensions in other content areas.  http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/squareproj/

 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – Comparing & contrasting, measuring temperatures and writing tall tales are all wrapped up in this exciting online project!  This one ends on 9/18, though, so if you are interested in participating let me know right away!  http://www.jenuinetech.com/Projects/CWACOM/information.html

Global Water Sampling - Assess the quality of water based on physical and chemical characteristics and compare the data against samples from around the world!

Wikis are a fun and easy way to collaborate on content-based projects with classrooms in other locations .  Here’s a sampling of a few that are or will be up and running soon. See one that you’d like to participate in? Let’s get you set up!! 
Native Cultures Project
Around the World in 80 Classrooms
Regions of VA 
How Tall is a First Grader
Flat Stanley
Book Ads
USA Fun Facts
The Story Exchange

 Blogging - Writing for a real world audience is a great way to get kids involved in the writing process.  Teachers everywhere are using blogs instead of paper/pencil writing assignments.  If you are interested in exploring this authentic writing experinence, please contact me and I’ll get you started!

Our district received five GPS units in late April and we’ve wasted no time connecting them with classroom instruction! Students across Roanoke County used them this spring, hunting for facts, hidden in their school yards, that were linked to their classroom studies.

This summer our budding Geocaching passion will take on a whole new dimension.

Shortly before the end of the school year, 4th graders at Green Valley Elementary School were introduced to Geobugs.  They learned that our Geobug was planted nearby and that, with any luck, Geocachers would find it and help it travel north.  The final destination is Ms. Deyenberg’s Class in Alberta, Canada. The students will study the Geobug’s travels in their 5th grade World Studies class next  year. 

Ms. Deyenburg’s class placed Flop, the Dalgliesh Dolphin this spring,too, with a final destination of S.W. Virginia where students in Roanoke County and Salem City will welcome her arrival. 

To date, both of these travel bugs have been picked up and are moving in toward their final destinations. In the meantime, students will be able to study the places that the Geobugs have visited and in the end, video conference with Ms. Deyenberg’s class to discuss the project.

In the meantime, Tina Coffey, Ms. Deyenburg, and I are following the progress of the Geobugs and keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll have all sorts of information to share with students when they return to school next fall.

Students in Mr. Murrill’s class spent a few days before spring break coming up with questions about the ocean environment that they wanted answers to.  It was my pleasure to be able to dive in my favorite dive spot on the planet and help them discover the answers!

  [kml_flashembed movie="http://voicethread.com/book.swf?b=435755" width="480" height="360" wmode="transparent" /]

The students in Mrs. Saul’s 5th Grade homeroom had the the opportunity to video conference with students from Haultain Community School in Regina, Canada today.

Although nervous at first, the students from these two countries chatted for 24 minutes and learned that they aren’t so different after all. They shared common interests in sports, hobbies and reading and students from both classrooms were surprised that they’d studied several of the same novels this year! They wore similar clothing and liked the same music.

There were differences, too. Haultain Community School, some 1500 miles from Roanoke, has less than 100 students in grades K-8.  Temperature and snowfall totals are very different, but since the metric system isn’t our standard unit of measurement, some figuring had to be done!

Mrs. Saul’s other classes are collaborating with students from other countries as well, but since time zones can create conferencing problems, these classrooms have shared Voicethreads with students in Beijing, China and Bullcreek, Australia. Their friends in Bullcreek were unable to respond to their Voicethread and shared this flickr show instead.