Thorough Thursday!

Welcome!

Phew, exhale. . . . Kindergarten testing for HA is finished.  Next up, second grade beginning of March!

We talked a lot about the LifeSkill of responsibility this week.  Some talked about many of the responsibilities they have at home.  Others didn't call them chores, but said they do things when asked which is great too!

Quotes shared:

• Do the right thing!
• If it is to be, it is up to me.
• It's easy to dodge responsibility, but you can't dodge the trouble it causes.
• If someone gives you a privilege, you owe them responsibility.
• Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him.  (Booker T. Washington)

Fourth Grade LA:

They are beginning to finalize their Google slides.  We took a day to share and collaborate ideas via sticky notes.  I presented their shows up on the big screen, then everyone gave suggestions on a sticky note then attached it to their paper.  They really were thoughtful and even encouraging.  The students found it helpful and were anxious to get to work on their slides the following day.  Just seeing it presented, gave them a different perspective. 

 I'm hoping to start presentations the first week of March, but have to firm up our final 2nd grade testing schedule.  They will dress up as their person while presenting their monologue.  We drafted up a list of things that they were in need of and the only thing so far that we still need is an Abe Lincoln beard.  If anyone has one of those lying around. . . . please send it in, lol.   

Fourth Grade Math:

This group is really taking their timed tests seriously.  They can't wait to get started on their next challenge.  I can also see big improvements on their charts as they document their progress.  Others are slow and steady which is fine too.  The improvement is still there . . . they need to stay in their lane and focus on what they need to do to improve their score.  Kudos to Taylor, Ben and Lia for passing their 100 division facts, Klaire for passing 90 division facts and Josh H. and Troy for passing their multiplication facts.  They will move on next week.  I have several who are VERY close to passing.  We started a fun comic-like worksheet on averages.  I gave them the choice of working independently or in groups of up to three.  We adjusted the answers to show a remainder and not the decimal which we haven't done yet.  Due to the two hour delay, we didn't meet on the second day.  I'll hold their Smarties until then.  

Second Grade LA:

We finally finished the story of our beloved Edward on Tuesday.  Although a majority of them had read through to the end, a few had not.  It's a book you can read over and over.  We all took a deep breath when it was over and talked about what a great story it was.  They just couldn't get over how it ended.  We then worked in small groups on an Edward Tulane themed crossword puzzle.  It's very challenging and checks not only their comprehension of the story, but the small details and facts.  We'll continue next week . . .

Second Grade Math:
This group gets my Most Improved Award for Math Masters.  They made huge gains on their timed tests from last week!  They are very close to passing.  It's going to be another year where I'm teaching my second graders how to multiply and I LOVE it!!!  They are anxious to learn and will be ahead of the game like my current third graders are.  We introduced the Fibonacci sequence of numbers.  They quickly figured out the pattern.  We ended with listing items in nature and will continue next week.  I did Smartboard lessons with all my math classes on the second day.  We haven't done these as much, so I wanted to work them in.  Second grade had to saw a log the correct length to fit across the river. (subtraction) and completed a giant picture of a squid using coordinate points.

Third Grade LA:
Not only are we learning a lot about Alice through our journal topics, but they are learning about themselves.  They reflect on a given topic before going into the day's reading.  For those who've only seen the movie, they are making comparisons which is great.  Next week we will listen to a few chapters on audible.com.  We'll have a chance to listen and enjoy it together while the illustrator reads in different voices.

Third Grade Math:
I've been working hard to build the foundations for fractions before moving them onto a bit tougher lessons.  We started adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.  I first had them try to figure out how I arrived at the answer and they had many good answers.  We worked through a comic-like worksheet adding and subtracting fractions.  It's still new and they are unsure, but we'll get there together.  We'll continue next week. . . Congratulations to Jai and Tyler for passing their 12's, Logan-7's.  Also Jai passed his multiplication facts and Jack passed 90 division facts.  I'm so glad we learned the multiplication facts one number at a time this year! (Sweet Facts)  They are at such an advantage knowing them, so they're ready for division.  We worked quickly with a fraction activity on the Smartboard.  They had to compare fractions.  Then we moved onto a coordinate activity.  
  

First Grade LA:

We're onto learning about Wumbers.  We read a book by the same name which combines letters and numbers to make words. (rel8=relate)  I had them read the book and you could see the wheels turning as they tried to connect it to words they knew.  We revisiting E-Mergency and talked about acryms like ASAP, IV, and EMT.  This is leading up to writing a persuasive paper about a gift that they MUST have.  The girls launched into our song about persuasive writing which I thought was pretty neat.  

First Grade Math:
All are onto their subtraction facts.  They are taking on the challenge and I can see improvement from one week to the next.  I'm very proud of them!  Then, they each made a list of things and activities they like then started on a theme clock.  On the final day we had some fun with the Smartboard.  We started out with a coordinate activity where they had to replicate a smaller version of the picture.  You could really see them thinking this through.  Finally, they did a great activity where they had to subtract to figure out how much more of the bridge they needed to get across the stream.  It was a bit nerve wracking because they were being timed!

Brrrr, stay warm and have a great weekend!

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Fascinating Friday!

Thanks for stopping by!

There's so much going on in here, where do I begin?!?!?  We touched on the Lifeskill of curiosity this week.  One group had the message on their morning message to write down all the things they are curious about.  It was neat to see.  

Some of the quotes shared this week were:

• Open the door, let's explore.
• Lief is either a daring adventure of nothing. (Helen Keller)
• Curiosity didn't kill the cat, boredom did.

Fourth Grade LA:

We talked a lot about their presentations and how they need to tell a story.  I pointed out that they are now experts on their topic and they cannot assume we know all the information they've gathered.  They took this to heart and went right to work.  After figuring out a glitch, on my end, I can now make suggestions and communicate with them while they are working on it.  They had this week to work on their presentations knowing that we were going to view them as a class.  It's just a way to touch base and give thoughtful suggestions to their peers midway.  Stay tuned . . .

Fourth Grade Math:

The first thing they did when they walked in was to
look at our Math Masters wall to see who passed!

They were anxious to get another chance at their Math Masters test. . . .if you can imagine that?!?!?  Congratulations to Kaden, Josh L. and Matthew for passing their multiplication timed test!  Also, I had another group pass their next challenge of 90 division facts in five minutes.  Way to go Lia, Ben, Riley, and Taylor.  I think I'm going to go through a lot of Smarties with this group!  


We also worked on division with remainders.  I gave them a chance to move to a different group where they could work together and check as they go.  They really are a great group.  What I like is that I loosened the reigns a bit with the seating arrangement, but they appreciated it and still worked very hard. 






Second Grade LA:
Although most have read through to the end of Edward, we are taking time to finish and discuss the book together.  This week we came to the very sad part of the book with Sarah Ruth.  They are so invested in this book.  I loved it as they talked about how they felt a part of the story. . . .like time stops when they are reading it.  Their teachers have even shared with me that they come back to the room talking up a storm about Edward, the book, how sad it is, what a good book it is and on and on and on.  We then played their favorite game of Edward Jeopardy.  I break the chapters down into categories with different questions that each have different point values.  This week it was The Lost Bunnies vs The Abilene's.  Each time we play the names get better!  I have to share about this group. . . .they are so concerned and into the green slips that they constantly compliment and encourage each other during the game in hopes of getting a green slip.  "Great job!"  "Thanks for cheering me on, that was nice of you"  "It's okay, you'll get 'em next time"  It's over the top and funny to watch.  
   

Second Grade Math:

This bunch is truly excited when they see an activity where they have to add with regrouping.  It was a struggle for most at first, but now they've got it down.  I still had one who wanted to start with the hundreds place and move right, but got right back on track when I explained.  

Although I've yet to have any pass the Math Master's test, they are making major gains as you can see by the chart.  Each week they color in to see their improvement.  It keeps them motivated; they are not at all discouraged.

Third Grade LA:
We started off by having each read their fairy tale in the fun chair.  It was great to hear their stories and each had a chance to share what they liked about it.  We then dove back to reading Alice in Wonderland.  I have a small group of three, so we have a chance to get into deep discussions about the book.  They are also given journal topics relating to the book.  It's always a struggle to get comfortable just writing, but it gets easier.  I encourage them to "just write" their thoughts and if they run out of ideas, they can write to me.  I read their journals and comment as I go.  A dialog gets started as just a new way to communicate.  It's pretty neat.

Third Grade Math:
As a review of what we've learned with fractions so far, we used a Kagan strategy called Mix Freeze Group.  Have them explain this to you in person!  Basically they mix around the room until I say freeze.  I give them a question that has a number in it, then they have to group off in that number.  For example, the GCF of 5 and 20.  Those left out, go to the "Lost and Found".  Well, with my group of six it cannot go very long without restarting.  They were also introduced to mixed and improper fractions.  We'll do more next week.  Congratulations to Jack for passing his multiplication timed test the first time around.  Watch out fourth graders . . . I now have three third graders moving onto their division facts!

First Grade LA:
We finished up our Lipograms.  Together we summarized the book E-mergency with a beginning, middle and end sentence.  Next, each student rolled a die to decide which letter they would not be able to use when they rewrote their sentence.  I stressed that they needed to keep the meaning of the sentence the same by coming up with a similar word(s).  We even used a thesaurus a few times.  We finished with a letter challenge where they used the clues to figure out the answer.  

First Grade Math:

 Way to go Braxton and Caden on passing their addition facts!  They will move onto their subtraction facts.  Also, I'm very proud of Kennedy who passed her subtraction facts.  My second graders are expected to get 100 facts in five minutes, so I've adjusted it for my first graders so they don't get overwhelmed.  They work to pass 50 first then I will increase their goal by ten each time until they pass.  Kennedy already passed 70, whooohooo!!!  



Then we moved onto our unit on time, we played, "I have . . .who has?"  They have to read their analog clock and at the bottom it says, "who has . . . "  When done correctly, they all link together.  We ran out of time on the first day, but had the time for it on the second day.  

Have a great weekend and I'll see you back here in a week!

Yours in education,

~Mrs. Koedyker

Think It Through Thursday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Between the snow day, early dismissal and the testing of kindergarten for HA, it was a bit of a mixed up week.  I saw my LA groups only once (snow day) and my 1st and 4th grade math groups once (early release).  We'll just be flexible and pick up where we left off next week.

The LifeSkill we discussed this week was common sense.  Some had a discussion about the morning message, if they've said or done something they wish they hadn't.  They were honest to admit that they had. . . .haven't we all?

• There's nothing common about common sense.
• Think before doing something just to impress others.
• Fill what's empty.  Empty what's full.  Scratch where it itches.  (Alice Roosevelt-Longworth)

Fourth Grade LA:

They continue to work hard on their Google Slides.  I'm really impressed with how quickly they've caught on.  A few work on it at home and one even shared it with me with a message via email.  That's wonderful!  They are beginning to think about actually presenting it.  They need to go 2-3 minutes, so they are working presenting past just what is showing on their slides.  I plan on working with them so that their slides flow and tell a story instead of just random facts. 

Fourth Grade Math:

Math honestly blew by today!  We started late due to kindergarten testing, but this group really comes in ready to learn.  They follow my lead well and we really do get a lot accomplished.  This was the first time my group took a Math Master timed test.  I started them with 100 multiplication facts in five minutes and had many pass.  Congratulations to Garrett, Klaire, James, Lia, Taylor, Ben, and Riley!!!  (The red squares are fourth grade and the orange are third grade, wow!)  They will receive a Smartie when they return and move onto 90 division facts.  A majority of my group are really close to finishing, but I do have a couple who need to learn their facts.  There are so many apps and websites where they can practice.  I encourage them to do this.

Second Grade LA:

It was time for another review game of Edward Jeopardy.  They get so excited when they see it set up when they walk in.  It's funny because the teams get to come up with their own name, so one team was the Edwards and the other one was the Tulanes.  They cheered each other on and were really good sports.  I keep pulling the theme of the book back in, just to make sure they are getting it.  Ask them why Pelligrina told Edward, "You disappoint me."  

Second Grade Math:

We bridged into adding with regrouping.  It was to reinforce what they learned with adding money.  They still need the practice, but all caught on quickly.  I stressed the importance of keeping their numbers nice and neat when writing, so that they don't accidentally add the wrong numbers.  Some added two digits and others added three digits.  Once they solved their problems they used a code at the bottom to color their design.  My group made big gains on their Math Master timed tests.  Although none have passed their 100 subtraction facts yet, they can see their progress as they chart it on their own graph.  

Third Grade LA:

They all finished up their fairy tale stories which turned out impressively well.  I collected them to save for sharing next week.  I'm excited for them to share with each other.  We then moved right into journaling.  We made the comparison about Lewis Carroll and how he wrote about people he found interesting . . . who in their life would they write about?  We then dove into reading the first chapter of Alice In Wonderland.  Two are experiencing the story through text and one is hearing it for the first time.

Third Grade Math:
We read a comic about the Greatest Comic Hacker!  My group of boys were caught up in trying to figure out the similar references made throughout.  It named a fictional character and they quickly translated it to the one of their era.  What a perfect worksheet!  Their real task was finding out the greatest common factor (GCF) of two numbers.  It's not a quick answer especially when the numbers get higher, but they worked well together.  I even introduced a few divisibility rules to help.  They picked up a few, but didn't want to overwhelm them by all.  It was funny because they didn't even realize they were dividing as they were listing the multiples.  Brandon passed his first Math Master of multiplication, great job!  Logan also moved up another level on his cone.  Finally Jack finished his cone and will now move onto Math Masters.  Congrats!

First Grade LA:

We touched briefly on the book we read previously, E-mergency.  I explained once again how a lipogram is a play on language where you write not using a certain letter.  They had a chance to rewrite the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill.  I stressed how they needed to keep the same meaning when finding a similar word.  They truly got the hang of it and only got caught up on a few words.  We are in the process of summarizing the book E-mergency with a beginning, middle and end.  We'll eventually translate them into our own lipogram.

First Grade Math:

My group continued to work with time.  They had a go at a clock game where they chose a card and had to read the analog time in order to move to the digital time on the game board.  They are still mixing up the hour and minute hands, but get the concept.  I remind them that the minute hand cannot see real well, so he has to get up real close to the numbers.  We also touched on elapsed time.  Congratulations to Kennedy for passing her Math Masters, 50 addition facts in five minutes!

Next week looks to be back to normal. . . at least no early dismissal and hopefully no snow days!  My kids crave the routine just as much as I do.

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker  

Full of Fortitude Friday!

Welcome back!  

This week in High Ability we've focused on patience.  ALL classes have been wonderful with this.  Since I'm testing kindergarten for the next month, my schedule is full.  There are times when I drop my things and go directly to the computer lab.  They've come in to no morning message or quote and have been very patient and flexible.  I appreciate it! It has taken me an extra day to get the blog finished too.    

My fourth graders have also practiced patience this week because they need to wait for me to come get them.  The kindergarten testing is right before their time, so we don't always start on time with their class.  They are so understanding and willing to be flexible.  We will continue with this schedule until the end of February.

Since it's the end of the month, I had my first graders choose three green slips from our very full basket.  Those chosen, have their green slips posted outside of my doorway AND have selected something from our treasure chest.  We'll draw three green slips each month.  




Our winners for January were James in fourth grade for perseverance, Caysen in third for initiative and Kaden in second for effort.  Congratulations!

Some of the quotes discussed this week were:

• Good things come to those who wait.
• When things get tough, it's a great chance to practice patience.
• If you had everything, where would you put it?

Math Masters

"It's Hip to Be Square!"  We've started our Math Masters in every grade.  They are timed tests for each expected grade.  The neat thing is that they will keep progressing as they are ready for the next level.  





Last year, I had third graders doing mixed and improper fractions plus second graders on multiplication.  They were so proud and eager to learn more than what they should!  Also, each has a chart in their math folder to track their progress.  I have them shade in the bar graph to see their progress.  This helps them to "stay in their own lane", not worry about where others are and see their own personal improvements 

. . .much less overwhelming.

Fourth Grade LA:

A majority of them are past the planning stages of their Google Slides and onto the fun part of creating their slide show.  I appreciate the maturity of this group and how they help each other out.  Often times they will offer help to a fellow student who is behind them on the project.  




What better way to really learn something than to teach another!  I showed them how to share their project with me, so I will be able to watch their progress and touch base with them.  Google is amazing in that way, although they did get a bit creeped out when my face would appear suddenly on their screen, lol.

Fourth Grade Math:
Unfortunately we didn't see fourth at all this week due to conflicts in the schedule with the music program.  No worries, we'll pick right back up next week!

Second Grade LA:

Although we have been reading Edward's story what seems like forever, there are no complaints what-so-ever.  I assign the required reading for those that are following along, let those who are further keep reading and for those who are done . . . they are working on an Edward Word Search.  





We make time each week to journal our thoughts on the chapter or just to touch base with me.  It's great!  I wish you could see the reactions of those who finish the book.  One was talking aloud telling herself to hold it together and not cry.  Another student closed the book and just stood there taking deep breathes.  He just couldn't get over how it all came together.  He kept repeating . . . wow . . . wow . . . wow!  There's nothing better than to have a child fall in love with a book.  

Second Grade Math:
This group took full advantage of our Smartboard and the program Gynzy to work with money.  We bought things, added things up and made change.  I'm proud of them for persevering with making change.  It's not a fast process, but they understand how to count up and use the least amount of coins.  

Third Grade LA:
My small group of three were happy to have time to write their own fairy tale based on the pictures shared during our Alice in Wonderland PowerPoint.  We discussed how children of the time were considered little adults.  They were very serious and dressed in very fancy clothing.  We touched base and read what they had so far.  Some asked for suggestions while others had their story plotted out in detail.  

Third Grade Math:
Students were paired up to play a reducing fractions game.  Although they've come a long way with the concept, they often need a refresher on how to do it.  They enjoyed moving their pieces around the spacey game board all while figuring out their challenge.  A majority are on their X's 12's.  It will help them to study these facts at home.  Great job to Caysen who passed his first multiplication times test.  He will move onto 90 division problems in five minutes.  

First Grade LA:

We read the book E-MERGENCY!  It's a funny book about how E gets injured and then no one is allowed to use the letter E.  I read the book and had the kids decipher the words using other vowels which didn't make much sense.  We also did an activity where they were challenged using the clues to come up with a word that doesn't contain the letter E.  We've begun our lesson on Lipograms and will continue next week.  

First Grade Math:

Although the technology didn't agree with us the first day, we have started working with time.  This group is beyond telling time to the hour, so we we are onto the half, quarter and time by five minutes.  I do have various levels within the group, so I'll make adaptions for all.  Congratulations to Cal and Trevor for passing their addition timed test!  They will move onto subtraction next week.

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Fearless Friday!

Thanks for stopping by our Yost HA Blog!

Second semester is off to a great start.  I've put our green slips into action and such a positive phenomenon is happening as a result.  I truly forgot the impact these have on the climate of our classroom and I'm wondering why I didn't do this sooner.

I have green slips with the Lifelong Guidelines, LifeSkills plus manners listed below.  When I see a student using one of them . . . I circle it and give them the one.  Sometime before they leave, they write their name and teacher at the top and put it in our basket.  I will draw three slips at the end of each month and the student will choose something from our treasure chest.  I've even encouraged them to notice when other students use them; they can then give their peers one.  I'll make sure to post the winners each month along with the Lifelong Guideline or LifeSkill they used.  Stay tuned . . . 

It's a tornado of kind words, organizing hands and hard working students just to name a few.  They've been doing many of these things all along, now I can recognize and appreciate them when I see it in action.  It's a wonderful thing to be a part of.  I have a few each class linger around helping me set up for the next class and organizing things, lol, until I kick them out.  

We talked about the LifeSkill of courage this week.  Some of the quotes shared with them are below:

• If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. (Verne Hill)
• Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak:  courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
• Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.
• Standing up for what you believe does make a difference.

LA only met once this week to allow me to train my team of HA instructors for an upcoming assessment of our kindergartners.  We will begin testing Monday, January 26th and it will last until the end of February.  Last year I had to cancel several of my classes, but this year I'm going to try and balance both.  It may affect fourth grade by ten minutes here and there, but I'll do my best to meet with them.  I know they look forward to it!

Fourth Grade LA

A majority of my group is in the planning stages of their Google Slides presentation.  They have a list of the requirements for their monologue, but translating that from their notes has not been an easy task.  I'm asking them to use higher order thinking skills in their presentation and to not just list facts.  I'm coaching them along, but not offering up the answers.  I even had one ask to work on it at home.  Almost all are finished with their timelines.

Fourth Grade Math

We continued our Kagen Showdown with problem solving, yet I adjusted mid-class to a different strategy.  They are struggling with the division (we'll focus on it in the future), so I had them Think, Pair, Share instead.  It's a more collaborative activity where they are not so isolated.  After they have their own "think time", then they can come together to discuss the problem and make sure they are on track.  It went much better!  

Second Grade LA

We started out journaling about the Best and Worst thing about the book Edward.  I really look forward to hearing their thoughts about the topic.  This one was especially touching.  They had some definite opinions about the book.  They are really starting to just write.  I'm still looking for PQA when they do, but not real concerned with spelling.  Although, there are a few who need to put more thought and effort into their responses.  I'll keep noting it in their journal.  After reading a bit together, I gave them time to read.  They jumped to their individual book mark and dove right in anxious to find out what happens next.

Second Grade Math

We continue to work with money.  We played a game using money where they worked their way around the game board.  They received task or money cards, some lost turns and others needed to add up a set of coins.  There were money manipulatives for them to use if they chose to, but many were able to figure it in their head.  Having just introduced the green slips to this bunch, it was such a pleasant game to play.  They were kind and helpful and not competitive at all.  My guess is it would have been a much different outcome without them.

Third Grade LA

My group was introduced to our novel study, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, through a PowerPoint.  They were very excited!  They worked in their journals to answer the pre-reading questions.  It was interesting to see where each of them were.  Two have seen the movie and/or cartoon, but I do have one who comes with no background knowledge at all.  I'm excited for them to actually read the book and experience it in that way.

Third Grade Math

We continued our previous activity of Kagen Showdown with reducing fractions.  Again, I switched to Think, Pair, Share to give them a more team involvement, but just at first.  They seem to be unsure and need that support in the beginning.  Once they became comfortable again with reducing, then I switched back to the Showdown.  Also, we had one student complete his multiplication ice cream cone!  Congratulations, Caysen!!!!  He took the time and effort to study his 12's at home and he was ready!  We have several hot on his tail and will also be passing soon.  They wanted to take multiple tests on one day, just to finish.  I'm very proud of them!

First Grade LA

We are finishing up our word scrambles.  They have worked diligently on them.  All are going at their own pace, but for the most part they've been successful and are getting quite good at them.  Next week we'll do a challenging word scramble before launching into Lipograms.

First Grade Math

  We started a challenging sum snowflake activity.  It gave them a list of numbers that they could only use one (besides the center number)I simplified it by first using think pad sheets to come up with all the ways to make the sum of 13, for example.  We then found a number that was most common among our list and put that in the middle of the snowflake.  It was just a matter of placing the numbers in their appropriate circles to finish the problem.  I still had looks of confusion on the first day, but by the second one they were catching on.  On a different note, this group took the green slips to the extreme.  It was . . . thank you for giving me the worksheet and can I help you with that?  Too cute, but I did have to put a stop to it because it was more of a distraction.  

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Fulfilling Friday!

Welcome back Yost Parents!

It was nice to finally see my math groups since it's been since before break that we've met.  They came in with enthusiasm and it was obvious that they were ready to get to work!

We focused on the LifeSkill of pride this week.  We touched on a few of the quotes below.  It's nice because those I've had before either remember them from last year or one student actually recalled one and used it in a situation.  Impressive!

• Be proud, not loud!
• If better is possible, good is not enough
• You're my PRIDE and joy!

We start a new semester next week, so I thought I begin something new.  I see the LifeSkills are alive and well in our classroom.  I want to recognize and encourage students when I see them used!  I'll even encourage them to give to their fellow students when demonstrated. I've used these before when I taught and they have a tremendous impact on the classroom.  Just wait and see . . . 

Students will receive a green slip with the LifeSkill they followed circled.  They'll turn them into a large bin once they fill their name out.  I'll have a drawing at the end of each month where three winners can choose something from my treasure chest.  I'm very excited about this and hope that they will be too!!!!

Fourth Grade LA:

Exciting news to share in fourth grade!  As many of you may already know, I introduced my students to Google docs.  It is something they will use all through school, but we started early.  They are quickly finding their way around as I gave them a chance to explore Google Slides.  The great thing about it, is they can access their work from any computer.  It's just a matter of logging on.  I'm also able to share and monitor as they work on their projects.  For example, I added the criteria for their monologue and presentation on their drive, so they can have it handy.  Besides having the paper form to use, it's easily accessible on their drive.  They continue to work on their Biography Timelines/Presentation/Monologue.  Great things are happening and I'm excited to be part of it!

Fourth Grade Math:

We began our problem solving unit with a really tough story problem I ran across at my High Ability Conference in Indy.  I've been waiting anxiously to put it into action.  I had to put a stop to the "belly aching" and direct them to get to work.  They really got to thinking and we had one student finish impressively quick.  From there, I had her give a little coaching before I let them pair up.  We had a handful figure it out and several were close behind.  They wanted me to share the problem with you, so you can have a go at it.  Good luck!

Six farmers each have 6 barrels. In each barrel are 6 cats who each

have 6 kittens. How many legs are there? 

(Don’t forget the farmer's legs.)

We also did a fun Kagen Strategy call Showdown.  The students are in teams working on a math problem.  They solve it on their own then coach others to the right answer should they get it wrong.  It's a great way to get everyone involved, yet see where each student is.  We'll be doing more of this!

Second Grade LA:

We started the week with an insightful look at Point of View.  We took an incident that happen in the book and looked at it from different points of view.  We also talked about the connections that each character has to Edward.  They continue to impress in their Writing Journals.  I continue to throw out questions for them to ponder and many respond in a big way.  At the end of the year, have them share when it comes home.  They also enjoy just writing to me when they've answered the question.  It's fun to read.  On day two we returned to our ever popular Edward Tulane Jeopardy Game.  Good check on comprehension and little fun facts about the story.

Second Grade Math:

We worked hard on lining up our numbers when adding multiple items from a grocery store.  There's a lot involved when adding money.  They first started with paper and pencil as we listed what we needed from the store (we had some expensive bread, lol).  From there we moved to a Smartboard lesson where they actually got to move the food over which showed the price of each.  I really had to keep a close eye so that they were all lining their problems up (luckily I only have four).  It really started to click towards the end of class.  The next day we tackled making change.  Surprisingly with the use of the Smartboard, it was much easier for them.  They were able to see the money, move it around, see the product and the amount they were counting up to.  Fantastic!

Third Grade LA:

My group is enjoying the fairy tale study.  We worked in a bit of grammar in by sending them on a "verb hunt".  Each had a fairy tale book they used to find the different verbs.  They are obviously familiar with what a verb is, but I did have to throw it back on them when they questioned me about a few.  For example, how do you chair?  They were not as obvious as my example, but they caught on quickly once I pointed it out.  Then they took five of their list of ten and put them into past, present and future tense.  They quickly caught onto the pattern of regular verbs, so the next day we worked with irregular verbs.  It took a bit longer and some were just tough, but they did well.  We even had time for a Smartboard lesson with SIXTH GRADE vocabulary words.  They needed to match the words to their antonyms.  It was fun for this group having only three . .. lots of times at the board!

Third Grade Math:

This group was really motivated to get back to their ice cream cone multiplication timed tests.  Since it has been a month since we met, I used the first one as a warm-up.  They did much better the second time.  We moved onto greatest common factor (GCF) with a great worksheet that breaks it down.  They were really lost at first, but said how much it helps to go through the steps.  Then we moved onto a Kagen Showdown.  It's the same strategy used with the fourth grade except we used it with reducing fractions.  They were able to draw on the lesson yesterday, in order to answer the questions on their own.  We, of course, used a team effort to coach those who did not get the answer correct.  Such a win-win for all . . . they loved it!

First Grade LA:

We started out by reading Ann and Nan are Anagrams.  We launched right into several word scrambles.  They had the option to use cut out letters to manipulate the words into other words using the clues.  I had to push them through the toughness and make them work.  They wanted a hint right off the bat and that's not how we work in here, hehehe.  They are getting relatively more difficult including having to make a clue for their own puzzle.  This group is up to the challenge and very engaged.  I even had one ask if she could have a copy since she will be out next week.  Awesome!

First Grade Math:
The first day we played, "I have . . . who has?" with sums.  They had several cards with a number at the top and an addition problem at the bottom.  They called out, "I have 14, who has the sum of 12+4".  It keeps going until we get through all the cards.  This was challenging for them at first because they were not sure where to look on their card.  We got into a rhythm by the end.  They added the larger numbers very well.  We also were number detectives using Think, Pair, Write, Share.  It was tough to stump them on this one.

Have a great long weekend!

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Thirfty Thursday!

Welcome back!  I hope you enjoyed your break.  I sure did!

The blog ended up being a brief one due to the weather.  Stay warm!!!

Although most were a bit sleepy out of the gate, they were obviously happy to be back.  It was great to see!

Our LifeSkill focus this week was on resourcefulness.  Their morning message had them write their name in a different way.  You can see my fourth graders being resourceful with the task.  

Here are the quotes we discussed. 

• One man's junk is another man's treasure.
• Waste Not, Want Not
• If you really want to do something you'll find the time.
• Use it up.  Wear it out.  Make it do, or so without.
• Think about what you can do with what there is.  

Looking towards the end of the month, we will start assessing our kindergarteners for the program.  This may mean that some classes will not be seen.  It will depend on where the testing falls.  More than likely it will be the classes who meet in the morning that will be affected as opposed to the afternoon ones.

The second nine weeks is quickly coming to a close.  The year is half way over, can you believe it?!?!?  I have a few things in the works that I'll be starting the second semester.  I'm excited!!!!  Stay tuned . . . .

FOURTH GRADE LA

What I love about this group is that they are such hard workers AND they love to help each other out.  This project has everyone in a different spot.  They are all working at their own pace which is great!  The first two to finish their time line became my Teacher's Assistant.  They were anxious to help!  I put them to work helping with the time line spacing, showing another how copy/paste pictures, or just running upstairs to retrieve a color copy. 

SECOND GRADE LA

How neat to hear that several students either got the book for Christmas or took the time to check it out from their local library.  It's funny because those who've read to the end, are being very careful about not spoiling it for the rest, yet they make sure to make a point of letting others know they know how it ends.  Secrets like these can be fun!  We eased back into the book and refreshed our memory as to the current predicament that Edward was in.  They took time to journal their thoughts to a question I posed.  These are always neat to read and I look forward to it.

THIRD GRADE LA

We continue our study of fairy tales.  They listened to/read/compared a few unfamiliar fairy tales to come up with the elements of a fairy tale.  They did a really nice job!  Of course, the Disney movies were quick to fill their list, but I pushed them to think of the many others.  They finished up with writing a definition of a fairy tale.  We're leading up to reading a novel in class . . . they can't wait!

FIRST GRADE LA

I introduced ANAGRAMS.  They were each given four letters to come up with a word and surprisingly, no one made the same word.  (P, T, O, S)  An anagram is using the same letters to make different words. (stop, pots, spots, etc)  We also continued to decipher another message called Alphabet Acrobats.  They could pick out, that the letters were backwards, but using a mirror helped them along.  We also did a vocabulary map on the word ANAGRAM.  They each had a dictionary to use.  I gave them a brief lesson on using the guide words to help us find the word which was tough for them.  We found the word, it's part of speech and definition.

Stay warm!  

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker