Documents:
02/22/15 BLENDED LEARNING
Good evening parents, I hope you have all enjoyed your weekends and have gotten out of the house now that we are having this heat wave..lol! Your child may have told you that I have made a few changes to our classroom. I have divided the classroom into 4 learning stations. I'm trying a concept called "Blended Learning" in which students work more in collaborative learning groups, receive more differentiated instruction, and incorporate more technology into their day. They will use technology to communicate, collaborate, research, and present. The 4 learning centers include: 1. Mini lesson (Here the teacher delivers information to 6-8 kids. This delivery is differentiated to meet the students where they are and extend knowledge from there. 2. Individualized Technology (Here students will be strictly on technology, whether it's Ipads, Chrome Books, or the computer. For now the students will be doing Dreambox at this station since it's individualized and self-paced.) I will also have students blogging here and responding to each other electronically. 3. Math Workshop (Here concepts are reinforced through the use of manipulatives and interactive "games". This will be collaborative. 4. Science Research (Here students will use technology to enhance their learning. Technology is not the focus, rather the tool to help students explore, answer questions, and present information. This is a little different than the traditional classroom. What I like is.....At the mini-lesson center I only have a few students so I can catch and correct any misconceptions. I can also stretch students who already have a firm grasp on concepts so they don't have to sit through lessons about something they already know. I like the individualization of the technology station and the collaboration of the workshop station. I look forward to students using their interest to drive learning in the science station and the freedom for self-directed learning. To make all this happen, we need devices. I have 6 Ipads and 3 computers (with one being what I use for the SmartBoard). I would love for students to continue to bring in ipads or devices to use at school on a regular basis. Cell phones and Ipods are too small, I'm afraid so please have students leave these at home. If any of you work for a company that is looking to make a donation of ipads or Chrome Books to a classroom, I'd love to write a grant for more technology. I thank you for your support and I'm welcome to any feedback both positive and negative. Have a great rest of your weekend and a great week ahead! 11/18/14: http://vimeo.com/m/110807219 Here is a video a wonderful parent sent me that explains a little bit about the new methods of teaching math and the reasoning behind it. Please take a moment and watch it. I hope this helps you understand the level of thinking I'm trying to create in your children. It's not about short cuts, rather it's about deeper understanding. Some students are still coming to class crossing out and carrying and having no idea why. Education evolves just like any professsion. Wouldn't it be a shame if doctors operated on us using the same methods as they did 30 years ago? When new, better methods are discovered, we need to embrace them with an open mind, especially when it makes our kids smarter, more critical thinkers ready for the 21st century! http://vimeo.com/m/110807219 11/6/14: Here is a Show-Me app to show you a couple of ways your children are adding 3-digit numbers. I know we are teaching addition differently than how we learned it, but I truly believe that these methods are real-life and lead the students into mental math quicker than the traditional ways. http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=Mhs1dOS |
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