I recently shared Flip.com with my students. They created videos of themselves sharing important details about their interests and hobbies all in a private grid where students can watch and comment on videos created by their classmates. This tool will be used throughout the year to practice presentation skills.
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We had fun that past friday creating customized Funko Pops of ourselves. My class is very creative and really enjoyed this task.
It was time to build again. We did this activity twice. Groups of four were given a stack of newspaper and a roll of tape. With 10 minutes on the clock they had to design the tallest structure but with an important rule. It must be able to stand for at least three minutes. This activity was used to start exploring earthquakes and building design.
Time for Mystery Science! We studied different types of lava using flour and water. It was hands-on and gave us a chance to understand the difference between cone and shield volcanoes.
Students were given a handful of wooden toothpicks and a cup of mini marshmallows and a mission - Build the tallest structure your can. We are studying earthquakes in science so this was an exciting way to test out some designs and get to know my scholars.
One of the strategies I use to help students learn is using a variety of activities that appeal to various learning styles. I also give frequent breaks and embed engaging and enjoyable "choices" as rewards for completing required work. Sometimes we do art together but other times I allow students to go to ArtforKidsHub.com and choose their own art tutorial. These kid-friendly videos walk them through the drawing progress. They love it!
Having fun is an important part of learning in my classroom. Playdoh was given out on the first day of school and is probably the most requested activity. My students love creating with it though sometimes it ends up on the floor. Back to School should mean Back to Fun!
Today we started our unit on fractions. With PlayDoh, plates and plastic knives on our desks, we are building conceptual understanding by comparing medium and large "pizza" slices. It will take time to understand what a fradtion really is but some students learn this easier because they are visual. It's a nice change from the division algorithm.
We hit a self-inflicted roadblock. Some PlayDoh was old and dry. I should have checked first. We'll hit the concept again tomorrow but with better PlayDoh. It took many days of sitting and recording to take a deep dive into every student's reading, writing and math progress. I used Screencastomatic and my assessments files to give parents a comprehensive picture of strengths and weaknesses. The feedback was very encouraging but I need a nap. Check out the sample video below. Mr. Rubio is so dedicated to supporting students. He put together a dessert celebration for all students who had earned at last 10 Soaring tickets. Students earn these tickets each week by completing all their homework, serving others, doing something extraordinary or just remembering to use the bathroom at recess or lunch. I wasn't here but the word on the street was this - It was sweet!
The first part of fourth grade I focus on getting my students excited about reading. The two charts show our STAR reading assessments from the beginning of the year (August) and our most recent test in January. We have made progress. We moved from 49% proficient or advanced to 68% proficient or advanced. More work still needs to be done but a little celebration is in order.
Our students took the day off and all Grovecenter teachers gathered in the Library Media Center to participate in two important trainings. The first examined performance tasks for state testing in the hopes of helping us identify learning experiences that will help our student master grade-level standards.
It has been clear for years that these performance tasks are difficult. However, if we can support students and change our instruction to build confidence, they can become more adept at completing these tasks. The second half of the day was spent brushing up on mathematical discourse using Thinking Maps. That means we are going to use our deep knowledge of mapping to help our students not only understand math terminology but think deeply about math concepts. It was a great day of learning and collaborating. If I want my students to get better, I must also get improve! After several weeks of work, the class completed the multiplication unit post-test to mixed results. A few students scored 100%. Many improved. Too many had 30-40% correct. It is a major challenge making progress in such an important area of math.
Moving from 41% proficient to 51% proficient is progress but we have a long way to go. We will continue to work. Every four to six weeks we look at our math and reading intervention groups and discuss how to proceed. Do we leave students in those groups or shift them around?
This time around I am administering an online times tables assessment in addition to other assessments before meeting with both intervention teachers to get their input. How do you help students who need both remedial math and reading? We will shift where it makes sense. Taking the time to discuss assessments and actual performance are so important to this process especially when those small groups will work for over a month to make progress. If we can support them the right way and they work hard, students can make tremendous progress. Today we used Legos to better understand the concept of division while practicing the algorithm to divide three digit numbers by one digit.
There was lots of excitement in the air when the Legos came out. We put them in equal groups, took a break and worked through the algorithm. We are making progress! My students worked so hard last week. We have completed the state testing!
Now, we are completing the final iReady Math Diagnostic. Our goal is at least 100% growth for the year. With 30 students done, we are doing well. After reading the book, the class took the AR quiz for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Then we watched the original movie while eating a few sweet snacks.
As a class, we have read over 16 million words. Great job scholars! |
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Mr. Riggs has taught fourth grade for over twenty years. Learning should be fun and engaging! |