Student Led Conferences

Checklist - Students will use this checklist to lead their parents through each center. They will practice this process with a partner before the conference.

Welcome!

 

We are so excited that you could make it to our Open House Conferences!

Your almost 3^rd Grader will lead you through what we have been working on!

Enjoy!

Centers

The order does not matter. Try to find a center that is open.

Reading Center

□   Read the cause and effect card to your parent.

□   Come up with two causes and two effects to the question.

□   Have your parent come up with an additional cause and effect.

□   Read the Poem to your parent.

Writing Center

□    Go to the Educreations app.

□   Show your parent the poem you have written!

□   Create a one page slide show on your favorite animal. You do not need to save your work.

Math Center

□   Find your folder

□   Share your timed test grid

□   Do you think that you need to practice more addition, subtraction or multiplication facts this summer? Why?

□   Tangrams

o   Explain where Tangrams came from.

o   Share about how you made your own tangram.

o   Make the two of the animals for your parents. Have your parent make the third.

o   See if your parent can put the tangram pieces into a complete square.

Science Center

□   Explain which liquids are viscous, transparent and translucent.

□   Play the mystery liquid game with your parent.

□   Did they get them all right?

Social Development

□   Share your Chicken Soup for the 2^nd Grade Soul

□   Share your Character Sheet.

Art Center

□   Show your parent the tile that you created and how you made it.

Mrs. Perius

□   Visit with Mrs. Perius

o   NWEA Spring Assessment

Thanks for Coming! I will be sending out another survey regarding this new style of conferences.

BUILD

I ran into another really cool acronym on another blog site!

http://adventures-inteaching.blogspot.com/2011/10/building-math-workshop.html

During our Spring Conference, I visited a few presentations that tried the daily five during math time. I liked their ideas, but I think that BUILD might work better in my classroom. I think that I will work in leveled activities too. They will BUILD when the regular lesson/activity is finished!

Go to the link and check out her cool set up!

What ACRONYMS do you LOVE??

SCAMPER

Essential questions challenge our learners to dig deeper!
 
SCAMPER also encourages our students to think outside of the box.
 
The acronym stands for.....
 

S- Substitute (Remove some part of the story or invention and replace it with another event or something else)

C - Combine (combine two events, characters, or objects)

A- Adapt (change some part or idea, so it works where it didn't work before)

M - Modify ( Modify a character, idea, or part)

P - Put to Another Use (think about why it exists and what it is used for. Then switch the use.)

E - Eliminate (eliminate an event, object or character)

R - Reverse/Rearrange ( change where the story is headed, change the direction of the invention)

 

You can SCAMPER inventions, ideas, problems, fictional text, biographies, and so much more!

 

I have had my kids SCAMPER a playground and also a historical hero. The playground activity was much easier for them. One child added a video game area on playground, while another added a water slide to their design. SCAMPERing a biography was very challenging, but VERY COOL! The kids had to know so much about their hero. In order to change something, you need to know all the details. They definitely did that! One student's hero had a twin brother who had died at an early age. During the first step of Substitution, he substituted the death of the twin for hero. He talked about how different the entire biography would have been! Deep thoughts for an eight year old. I really enjoy this tool!

The BIG Rocks!

Family + 2nd Grade @ ORE + St. Mary's = BIG ROCKS
Friends + Running/Biking + Special Outings = small rocks

and of course the little pebbles like .........dinner, bills, appointments and so on.....

Since Saturday, I have been able to clarify which rocks are big or small. My big rocks are very important to me and they also require a lot of my time and energy. Although I love spending time with my friends, they do not require much time. I have always been very good at managing my time. I am not a procrastinator at all. I can't relax until I have all of my "jobs" done. This can also be a problem at times. I don't seem to enjoy the simple things in life when I have a lot on my plate. I have a wonderful support system! My husband is always supportive and kind. He only has one personality, compared to the many personalities that I have when the ROCKS are too heavy! My mom and dad also help out with the kids so much. I am very lucky! I feel like I have a good grasp on my rocks at this time.

Backwards Design - Travel Time

QUESTIONS, QUEStions, questions......

This is what I have been missing! To begin, I have discovered that I ask very "thin" questions. So many of my questions can be answered with facts or yes/no. After digging into the BD approach, I can honestly say that my questioning style has improved. I am trying to dig into the last three ladders of Bloom's Taxonomy, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation. I can get the facts I need through "thick" questions. In order for kids to evaluate a character, they must know the facts.

Examples:
OLD ? - What job did Max's father have in Max Found Two Sticks?
NEW ? - How would you feel if your dad had the same job as Max's dad in Max Found Two Sticks?

OLD? - Why did the Mice say that Montigue was a funny looking mouse?
NEW?- Has there ever been a time when you felt like you didn't belong to a group? How do you think Montigue feels with the mice?

My BD Plan - Travel Time

I have been teaching the Travel Time theme for eight years. I have pushed aside the meaning of the entire theme and taught each story as a solo lesson. The backwards design approach has allowed me to connect each story. I am finally finding the lost meaning of the entire theme. Our essential questions open up many opportunities for our students to grasp the full meaning of travel.

Essential Questions: Why is travel important?

Essential Questions: How has travel changed over time?

Essential Questions: What advantages does each type of travel provide?

Essential Questions: How are cultural barriers broken through travel?

I have had the most fun digging into stage two. I have discovered and rediscoverd some formative assessment tools that will have a great impact on my students.

Formative assessment tools that I have included in my plan.....

• Think, Pair, Share
• Idea Wave
• Exit Questions
• Travel Web
• Quick Write
• White Board Challenge
• Give One, Get One

These are other formative assessment tools that I like and will use in other units....

·       Four Corners – I would love to do this strategy when I do persuasive writing. I think that they will be able to expand their views after talking with their peers.

·       Circular Check – I would like to work on this when I teach multiple step addition and subtraction problems. They could get into circles of three people and complete the problems together checking for mistakes as they go.

·       RAFT – I used to do this with my gifted/talented students all the time! I need to pull out my things and do it again. It was a nice reminder. I usually do the RAFT as a follow up to reading stories. This activity allows them to dig deeper.

·       ABC summaries – This would be a cool way to assess story elements,social, science and health units. Through sharing, the kids will learn so much more about the unit.        

I look forward to completeing my first BD unit!

Spring Conference

Highlights from the Spring Conference

• Wow! I learned so much!
• I spent Sunday night on Teachers Pay Teachers! I spent some cash finding some cool lessons and activities that went along with the ideas that I learned from others. The presenters did a wonderful job, but I learned the most through discussion questions and chatting with other teachers.
• Hands On Material that are ready to go!
• Phonics
• Our second grade phonics program is weak! I explored and found some good information on Beanie Baby Phonics.
• http://www.realclassroomideas.com/194.html
• This will grab their attention! 
• My 4th presenter introduced me to action 100 words! Blogger, Hoot and Holler sell a leveled phonics program on Teachers Pay Teachers.
• I bought it! :-) I think that it is just what we need.
• C.L.O.V.E.R.
• http://shayia.tripod.com/mrsschilling/id7.html
• A great acronym to remember the most important phonics rules.
• Thanks Holly!
• Comprehension. I learned about an awesome reading website that includes a comprehension piece.
• Raz kids - We talked about it at our grade level meeting today.
• http://www.raz-kids.com/
• Beanie Baby Comprehension 
• http://www.realclassroomideas.com/194.html
• Kids will remember these skills when they see the skill mascot.
• Networking
• I enjoyed getting to know the fine people of St. Cloud Blended Two  a little better + I met some others who are going through the same program.
• It was a great way to learn!
• I told some people at work that this was the best "in service" that I had ever been to.
• We have so much to learn from each other!
• Preparation
• I think I will be ready for next year.
• Seeing the presentations answered many questions that I had about the whole process.
• It is not as scary as I imagined it!
• Dos
• Hands On Activities
• Give them ideas to use in their own classrooms that are ready to go
• Supply listeners with websites and tools
• Be energetic and confident
• Don't
• Talk too much without asking questions
• answer the questions that are asked each time
• assume the listeners know about each acronym or tool

The Spring Conference was fun to attend and I felt very inspired!