Dear Readers:
I had the great pleasure and honor to present at the 1:1 conference in Des Moines on April 20th. Shayla Hunefeld and I put together two presentations to share with others interested in technology. I will not go into great detail on what we presented by I will supply the links so that you can preview them. We did a presentation on creating websites and also on creating webquests.
Shayla and I really enjoyed meeting other tech minded people and sharing our ideas and experiences with others. The part I enjoyed the most was listening to Nancy Movall discuss what she sees as the future for Iowa and Technology. Nancy has received a grant to help create an online warehouse of information and programs. Nancy feels that the warehouse is the beginning, but that Iowa teachers not only need to use the warehouse but also contribute what they have as well. Imagine a warehouse where all the teachers in Iowa placed their best lessons to share with others. It is an amazing concept and idea. We all need to support Nancy and her endeavor by using the warehouse and also contributing to the warehouse. It will become live in the fall so be on the lookout and I will place a link here once it is live. If you have any questions or ideas to share with how to make this a reality please share.
Sincerely,
Chris
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
3rd/8th
Dear Readers:
I had mentioned earlier that our third and eighth graders were working on African American Heroes so I thought I would share a few of the links from the project.
Michael Jordan
Martin Luther King
Jackie Robinson
Chris
I had mentioned earlier that our third and eighth graders were working on African American Heroes so I thought I would share a few of the links from the project.
Michael Jordan
Martin Luther King
Jackie Robinson
Chris
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Teresa Alesch
Our thoughts and prayers are with our Knight Teresa Alesch. Please take time to Think Pink and send support to all those in need. The Middle School Knights are proud of Mrs. Alesch.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Khan Academy
Dear Readers:
I have forgot to let you know about a great resource for learning material. The Khan Academy is a selection of free videos that explain multiple topics in education. I would suggest bookmarking the site. This is a great site for homework help and also a refresher for things forgotten.
I have forgot to let you know about a great resource for learning material. The Khan Academy is a selection of free videos that explain multiple topics in education. I would suggest bookmarking the site. This is a great site for homework help and also a refresher for things forgotten.
Monday, March 7, 2011
3rd/8th
Dear Readers:
Our third and eighth graders are working on a class project together. The third graders have written reports about famous African Americans and the eighth graders are going to help turn those reports into websites. We also have the fifth graders working with the fourth graders in completing webquests; which the fifth graders have become quite proficient. I am starting to see the amazing things that we can do with technology coming to the forefront. These projects are examples of the Iowa Core Curriculum at work. The engagement we have seen with students and these types of activities is astounding. I will look forward to actually posting links to the third and eighth grade project for your use. Have a great day and more to come especially with the budget outlook for Iowa.
Our third and eighth graders are working on a class project together. The third graders have written reports about famous African Americans and the eighth graders are going to help turn those reports into websites. We also have the fifth graders working with the fourth graders in completing webquests; which the fifth graders have become quite proficient. I am starting to see the amazing things that we can do with technology coming to the forefront. These projects are examples of the Iowa Core Curriculum at work. The engagement we have seen with students and these types of activities is astounding. I will look forward to actually posting links to the third and eighth grade project for your use. Have a great day and more to come especially with the budget outlook for Iowa.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The National Plan
Dear Readers:
Arne Duncan in his letter to Members of Congress calls for applying the advanced technologies used in our daily personal and professional lives to our entire education system to improve student learning, accelerate and scale up the adoption of effective practices, and use data and information to continuous improvement.
How have we started to make that change? Are we still trying to ride a system of education that is not working? We no longer live in the industrial age, but have moved onto the informational age. In the Transforming America Education Learning Powered by Technology states professionals routinely use the Web and tools, such as wikis, blogs, and digital content for research, collaboration, and communication demanded in their jobs. They gather data and analyze the data using inquiry and visualization tools. They use graphical and 3D modeling tools for design. For students, using these real-world tools creates learning opportunities that allow them to grapple with real-world problems-opportunities that prepare them to be more productive members of a globally competitive workforce.
The change is starting to occur in education in general, but it is slow moving. I have heard the conversation around the water cooler and at different educational meetings about how we are not meeting the needs of our students. How we know what education should look like, but not sure how to make that a reality. Information is readily available at every turn and most people reach in their pocket pull out a cell phone and google what they need. The time of just memorizing facts is becoming a thing of the past. When I want to remember something now I bookmark in the computer to view again. I was at a meeting with Mr. Carver when he told a story about being at NASA and how a tech told him his phone has more technological power than what was on the lunar lander. We need to see changes not only in the educational building; but also in higher education, community involvement, local, state and national governments. All of these pieces will play apart in how education will begin to look.
We here at Graettinger-Terril have begun to take the steps necessary for that journey, but are a long way from home. However I do not believe their is an end to this journey because it will constantly change. We need to make the moves necessary and provide the right resources to make this a reality. I appreciate your time in reading this long dialogue and if you have any thoughts on what we can do I greatly appreciate it.
Chris
Arne Duncan in his letter to Members of Congress calls for applying the advanced technologies used in our daily personal and professional lives to our entire education system to improve student learning, accelerate and scale up the adoption of effective practices, and use data and information to continuous improvement.
How have we started to make that change? Are we still trying to ride a system of education that is not working? We no longer live in the industrial age, but have moved onto the informational age. In the Transforming America Education Learning Powered by Technology states professionals routinely use the Web and tools, such as wikis, blogs, and digital content for research, collaboration, and communication demanded in their jobs. They gather data and analyze the data using inquiry and visualization tools. They use graphical and 3D modeling tools for design. For students, using these real-world tools creates learning opportunities that allow them to grapple with real-world problems-opportunities that prepare them to be more productive members of a globally competitive workforce.
The change is starting to occur in education in general, but it is slow moving. I have heard the conversation around the water cooler and at different educational meetings about how we are not meeting the needs of our students. How we know what education should look like, but not sure how to make that a reality. Information is readily available at every turn and most people reach in their pocket pull out a cell phone and google what they need. The time of just memorizing facts is becoming a thing of the past. When I want to remember something now I bookmark in the computer to view again. I was at a meeting with Mr. Carver when he told a story about being at NASA and how a tech told him his phone has more technological power than what was on the lunar lander. We need to see changes not only in the educational building; but also in higher education, community involvement, local, state and national governments. All of these pieces will play apart in how education will begin to look.
We here at Graettinger-Terril have begun to take the steps necessary for that journey, but are a long way from home. However I do not believe their is an end to this journey because it will constantly change. We need to make the moves necessary and provide the right resources to make this a reality. I appreciate your time in reading this long dialogue and if you have any thoughts on what we can do I greatly appreciate it.
Chris
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Homework Help
Dear Readers:
I came across this post in Edutopia. Edutopia is an education site created by George Lucas. I hear from community members how sometimes they do not understand a concept or a problem, well here is a site for you. The blog speaks about homework help from teachers in New York. If you try the site please let me know how it works.
Sincerely,
Chris
I came across this post in Edutopia. Edutopia is an education site created by George Lucas. I hear from community members how sometimes they do not understand a concept or a problem, well here is a site for you. The blog speaks about homework help from teachers in New York. If you try the site please let me know how it works.
Sincerely,
Chris
State of the Union Address
Dear Readers:
I was watching the State of the Union Address, when I felt I needed to make a change to my blog. President Obama spoke of Big Things (attached the video). I want to make my blog a little more interactive with involvement from students, teachers, and community members. President Obama spoke of how America was proactive and a leader innovation. He spoke of how education needs to change and inspire our youth to make changes and want to achieve new levels of success.
Martin Luther King made his "I have a dream Speech" in 1963 which pertained to civil rights. What I am asking is what dreams do you have as a student, what big things do you want to accomplish, how are you going to make a difference?
We are entering into a new world of education. Yesterday our students had the opportunity to skype with a class from Pennsylvania. I have not had a chance to meet with the students, but heard from several staff members how much they enjoyed the experience. I heard some of the questions about "what are your houses like" and getting to know each other type of events. Our students then used Google Earth to view actual satellite photos of the town where the students resided. Mrs. Gano is looking to collaborate on future classroom projects. The classroom of yesterday is greatly changing.
A blog I follow from Shawn Holloway spoke of how classrooms used to look. Have we changed to meet what education looks like today? Everyone is now connected in brand new ways. We were asked at the tech training yesterday, "How has banking changed?" My first thought was that we can now bank online. We do not need to really ever step foot inside a bank. Then I thought about how my parents did not have access to ATMs, if you did not go to the bank on Friday for cash you went without.
Again I pose the question to you the students, teachers, and community members what Big Things or Dreams do you have for the future of education?
I was watching the State of the Union Address, when I felt I needed to make a change to my blog. President Obama spoke of Big Things (attached the video). I want to make my blog a little more interactive with involvement from students, teachers, and community members. President Obama spoke of how America was proactive and a leader innovation. He spoke of how education needs to change and inspire our youth to make changes and want to achieve new levels of success.
Martin Luther King made his "I have a dream Speech" in 1963 which pertained to civil rights. What I am asking is what dreams do you have as a student, what big things do you want to accomplish, how are you going to make a difference?
We are entering into a new world of education. Yesterday our students had the opportunity to skype with a class from Pennsylvania. I have not had a chance to meet with the students, but heard from several staff members how much they enjoyed the experience. I heard some of the questions about "what are your houses like" and getting to know each other type of events. Our students then used Google Earth to view actual satellite photos of the town where the students resided. Mrs. Gano is looking to collaborate on future classroom projects. The classroom of yesterday is greatly changing.
A blog I follow from Shawn Holloway spoke of how classrooms used to look. Have we changed to meet what education looks like today? Everyone is now connected in brand new ways. We were asked at the tech training yesterday, "How has banking changed?" My first thought was that we can now bank online. We do not need to really ever step foot inside a bank. Then I thought about how my parents did not have access to ATMs, if you did not go to the bank on Friday for cash you went without.
Again I pose the question to you the students, teachers, and community members what Big Things or Dreams do you have for the future of education?
Friday, January 21, 2011
New Water
Dear Readers:
I would like for you to know that we are venturing into new water. Mrs. Gano and her eighth grade class are going to skype with a class from Pennsylvania. Mrs. Gano has been working with another social studies teacher to create the magic. It was suppose to happen today but due to the late start we are trying for Wednesday(keep your fingers crossed for nice weather).
Again I want to remind all of you that we begin state testing on February 1st. Please make sure and have your child get a good night rest, eat a nutrition breakfast, and enjoy the experience. We are looking for great scores and to see an increase in our overall performance. The students will be filling out goal sheets next Friday, so take time and ask them about their goal.
Sincerely,
Chris
I would like for you to know that we are venturing into new water. Mrs. Gano and her eighth grade class are going to skype with a class from Pennsylvania. Mrs. Gano has been working with another social studies teacher to create the magic. It was suppose to happen today but due to the late start we are trying for Wednesday(keep your fingers crossed for nice weather).
Again I want to remind all of you that we begin state testing on February 1st. Please make sure and have your child get a good night rest, eat a nutrition breakfast, and enjoy the experience. We are looking for great scores and to see an increase in our overall performance. The students will be filling out goal sheets next Friday, so take time and ask them about their goal.
Sincerely,
Chris
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
ITBS
Dear Readers:
The Terril school will begin state testing on February 2nd. We will finish testing on Friday, February 5th. The following week will be used for make up time. We need the students to do well and will be preparing them for the test. If we experience inclement weather during testing we will move schedule one day back. The schedule is as follows:
ITBS Testing for Grades 3-8 (2011)
Testing done by Groups
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
(Vocabulary, Reading Part 1, Reading Part 2, & Spelling)
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
(Math Concepts/Estimation, Math Problem-Solving/Data Interpretation, & Math Computation)
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
(Social Studies, Science, & Maps/Diagrams)
Friday, February 4th, 2011
(Usage and Expression, Capitalization, & Punctation)
Sincerely,
Chris
The Terril school will begin state testing on February 2nd. We will finish testing on Friday, February 5th. The following week will be used for make up time. We need the students to do well and will be preparing them for the test. If we experience inclement weather during testing we will move schedule one day back. The schedule is as follows:
ITBS Testing for Grades 3-8 (2011)
Testing done by Groups
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
(Vocabulary, Reading Part 1, Reading Part 2, & Spelling)
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
(Math Concepts/Estimation, Math Problem-Solving/Data Interpretation, & Math Computation)
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
(Social Studies, Science, & Maps/Diagrams)
Friday, February 4th, 2011
(Usage and Expression, Capitalization, & Punctation)
Sincerely,
Chris
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Meetings
Dear Readers:
We had staff meetings the last two days. We talked about open source materials which would be similar to a on-line text book. I showed the staff two sites Curriki and Flexbooks which are great for open source material. We also discussed Characteristics of Effective Instruction with assessment. The staff read a blog about formative assessment and whether it is oversold. We discussed different ideas and how assessment needs to be a variety; end of the chapter or unit test along with observations, rubics, speaking with students, and others informal assessments. We also have moved the advisory period from after lunch to the end of the day for middle school students. We want to give them a chance to refocus their thoughts and have their materials ready to bring home. The staff and I want to have success for all our students and feel this might help. I will post the schedule for ITBS next week which will begin Tuesday February 1st.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Happy New Year
Dear Readers:
Happy New Year and I look forward to a great 2011. We had an excellent professional development day on January 3rd. During the professional development we focused on literacy for all staff members. We had a presentation on the six outcomes of the Iowa Core Curriculum. The positive behavior support team provided information on majors and also bullying and harassment data was provided by Mr. Mahon.
We will be taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills during the first two weeks of February so make sure have your child get plenty of rest and a solid breakfast. I will post the schedule for testing in the near future.
Sincerely,
Chris
Happy New Year and I look forward to a great 2011. We had an excellent professional development day on January 3rd. During the professional development we focused on literacy for all staff members. We had a presentation on the six outcomes of the Iowa Core Curriculum. The positive behavior support team provided information on majors and also bullying and harassment data was provided by Mr. Mahon.
We will be taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills during the first two weeks of February so make sure have your child get plenty of rest and a solid breakfast. I will post the schedule for testing in the near future.
Sincerely,
Chris
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