Join a Mailring at the
Teacher Mailring Center
http://www.teachers.net/mailrings/
Karenfl - Hello
hockeyrabbit - hi..what grade do u teach?
Karenfl - I actually don't teach but want to attend college to become a teacher
hockeyrabbit - currently I teach Spec Ed in grades K-3
hockeyrabbit - oh..cool
Karenfl - Just want to get all the info I can
Karenfl - Cool
hockeyrabbit - this is going to be my 1st year teaching
hockeyrabbit - tessa..what grade?
Karenfl - That's exciting
TessaTL - Well last year I taught 2nd and next year either 2nd or 3rd
hockeyrabbit - well I was the long term sub last year, and hopefully will be back again this year
hockeyrabbit - cool
hockeyrabbit - hi lauren.what grade do u teach?
TessaTL - what was your class like hockey?
Lauren - I'm a looping teacher kindergarten to first
hockeyrabbit - I teach in a self contained room..12-1-1
hockeyrabbit - how do u like looping? I live in NY and they raraely do that here
TessaTL - Is this your 1st year looping or have you done it before
Lauren - I live in NY also
hockeyrabbit - tesa- I had K,1, and 3rd graders in my room
Lauren - I like it alot Really get to know my kids and their abilities
hockeyrabbit - what part of the state?
TessaTL - I think looping would be hard and SpEd oh my
Lauren - Live on LI work in Queens
hockeyrabbit - Spec Ed has its ups and downs
TessaTL - be right back brownies are done
hockeyrabbit - Lauren god bless ya
hockeyrabbit - I don't think I could ever teach in the ciry
CJ - Lauren...I've become interested in looping. Any good articles/books to read?
hockeyrabbit - city
Lauren - Its not bad
CJ - Lauren, how do the parents do with looping?
TessaTL - I live in Iowa, but I bet my class could give anyones a run for their money
hockeyrabbit - cj, what grade do u teach?
CJ - I teach computer classes to PK-3 to Grade 8.
hockeyrabbit - well you haven't been in mine
hockeyrabbit - cool
CJ - Tessa, kids are all the same.
Lauren - CJ - Actually i haven't read much on it believe it or not I'm in a special program at my school Not everyone loops
CJ - h'rabbit...do you enjoy SpecEd?
TessaTL - by the end of the year I had 6 in counseling, and 3 staffed
CJ - Lauren, what is the special program?
hockeyrabbit - for the most part yes
CJ - Tessa, sounds like you have your hands full as well.
hockeyrabbit - but the IEPs and the paperwork is frustrating at times
Lauren - The parents are really open to it I can opt kids out of the program if i choose to but to be honest its pretty rare that i do that
CJ - I'm sure. H'rabbit...what do you do if a parent is against any intervention?
Lauren - The America's Choice Program Its a special literacy academy
hockeyrabbit - well I had 5 in counseling, and I have to deal with ADHD, MD, Autism etc. on top of that
TessaTL - CJ what kind of things do you work on with the young ones all our computer teacher does is play thinking things 1 & 2 with the kids
CJ - I'll have to read more about ACP.
TessaTL - LOL hockey
TessaTL - but you had better ratio
hockeyrabbit - cj-dealing with the parents is probably one of the most frustrating things as well cuz to be honest they are NOT supportive
CJ - For the PK kids, I do alot of mouse skills. I also do matching games. ABC/123 games. Drawing software. I have access to a TView and use that.
hockeyrabbit - CJ..reccomend any software..my kids need BASIC things to help them use the mouse etc.
CJ - For the 1st and 2nd graders, we have "assignments" such as webquests and writing projects. We use the internet to do integrating into the regular curriculum.
CJ - Go to kidsdomain.com. You'll find a lot of free downloadable software that is good.
TessaTL - They eliminated our compurter teacher next year. We have to do it ourselves. I have been trying to think about what we will do. I am going to request a tv hook up.
Lauren - HockeyRabbit- Where do you teach?
CJ - The TViews are good for showing a group an internet site or a "worksheet" on your Word program.
hockeyrabbit - near Binghamton
CJ - Who me? I teach in a parochial school in Memphis...about 200 students.
hockeyrabbit - thankls CJ
CJ - Where is Binghamton?
hockeyrabbit - NY
CJ - Also go to tucows.com and go to their kids site....A LOT of good quality FREE downloadables!
CJ - As you can tell, I like the "free" stuff...it's out there, all that has to be done is to find it.
TessaTL - I'm writing down everything you have recommend. Thanks
hockeyrabbit - do u use any writing prorgrmas CJ
hockeyrabbit - me too
CJ - I have just ordered Storybook Weaver Deluxe.
CJ - It is appropriate for all the ages groups I would use it for.
hockeyrabbit - I can't think of the program we use..something Delux
TessaTL - Lauren are you doing 4 blocks in your classroom?
hockeyrabbit - I like it
CJ - I also plan on incorporating journaling, using Word. They can create their "Journal" folder and add to it weekly.
Lauren - Tessa - No but i do alot of Fountas and Pinnell stuff- similar
hockeyrabbit - is 4 blocks really worth it?
CJ - What is 4 blocks, Fountas, Pinnell?
hockeyrabbit - I heard that its good for spec ed kids
CJ - Can anyone tell me what "constructivism" is?
TessaTL - Lauren me too. We are a literacy collaborative school.
Lauren - CJ its a way of teaching reading and writing and language read about it at Readinglady,com
hockeyrabbit - HAHA..I just graduated college
CJ - Thanks, I'll go to readinglady.com after this.
TessaTL - Literacy collaborative is basically research for Fountas and Pinnell through Ohio State
hockeyrabbit - constructivism is basically using hands on stuff to teach kids.."contrutvist"
Lauren - i'm interested in the 4 blocks month by month phonics i might buy it to read it
CJ - Okay...it was on the Praxis test BIG TIME and this old lady had never heard of the term!
hockeyrabbit - CJ thats the buzz word now
Lauren - I'm reading Making Words now
TessaTL - I bought the month by month phonics for 2nd grade
Lauren - No sorry - i mean Word Matters
TessaTL - Have that too
hockeyrabbit - what is word matters?
Lauren - Tessa - what do you think of it
TessaTL - I think Cunningham is more user friendly
CJ - h'rabbit...I knew it had to be something like that. I figured in 17 years of teaching I had done something contructivistic, but didn't know the "buzz word". I probably blew that test!
Lauren - Word matters is teaching phonics and spelling in class- by Fountas and Pinnell
hockeyrabbit - oh
Lauren - i think i want to try that this year i'm not sure
TessaTL - There are good and bad points to both
TessaTL - the key is picking out and meshing what works for you
CJ - Any opinions about Sing, Spell?
hockeyrabbit - 4 blocks breaks it up into guided reading, shared reading etc.? right? or is that something in itself?
Lauren - I don't know that program (sing read write and spell)
hockeyrabbit - CJ-what is siog spell?
CJ - Sing spell read write is a phonics based language arts program for early elementary K-3. The teachers here are into it.
TessaTL - guided reading, making words, self-selected reading, and writer's workshop (4 block)
CJ - Tessa how long has 4 blocks been around?
CJ - cloc...what and where do you teach.
TessaTL - Guided Reading the Fountas and Pinnell method is very different than 4 blocks even though they use the same terms
Lauren - we're using rigby and pacific for guided reading
cloc - i teach 1st in Georgia
CJ - H'rabbit...Mavis Beacon is a good typing program....maybe you'd like Mario Teaches Typing better. :-0
Lauren - Yes very different programs
TessaTL - i think they have been developing it for 15 years but don't quote me
hockeyrabbit - cloc-do you use centers?
TessaTL - I love Rigby books
cloc - our school uses the 4 blocks
hockeyrabbit - CJ- is it VERY basic?
TessaTL - do you like it cloc
CJ - My first teaching position was in the atlanta area.
CJ - Yes...pictures and everything...bells and whistles too!
cloc - i love the 4 blocks, i had been taching for 7 years in second and was almost burned out when I learned about the blocks
hockeyrabbit - CJ-Any good software for recognizing ABCs?
CJ - Go to kidsdomain.com and tucows.com. There are tons of free software.
TessaTL - I am finding that for me I love the Fountas and Pinnell guided reading, but love the blocks as well
CJ - Roxie's Go Fish...you play "Go Fish" with a cat is one...another is Toddler Time, and there are many more!
cloc - h.rabbit, there's a site on the internet that has premade powerpoint presentations, it had a couple of ABC'c on there
TessaTL - My challenge this year is incorporating it all.
CJ - Yes, you could make your own powerpoint presentation if you wanted.
TessaTL - I think I have that site bookmarked
Lauren - Cloc- What site is that?
cloc - I find the hardest right now trying to do SSR and AR
CJ - H'rabbit, why do you think parents don't want the help that is offered to their kids?
TessaTL - http://www.mrsperkins.com/testing.htm
cloc - Lauren, I'lll have to log off and then come back on, so be right back, it's really good....
TessaTL - Is that the same one you were thinking of cloc?
CJ - We had an incident where a parent lied about the daughters report card by whiting out part of the copy that was presented to the principal before the official records were received. It was pure H#LL for that teacher the rest of the year because parents wanted to hide somethings from us.
hockeyrabbit - CJ-good question..but I will say that many parents that I deal with are not the sharpest tools in the shed if ya get my drift
CJ - Yes, I'm sure. The nut doesn't fall too far from the tree kind of thing, right?
hockeyrabbit - yep
CJ - Does everyone here use AR?
Lauren - cj- no
CJ - That has to be frustrating, especially when you are in the position you are because you want to help kids.
hockeyrabbit - whats AR?
CJ - Accelerated Reader
hockeyrabbit - oh..nope
CJ - Kids read a book and take a computerized "comprehension" test. Many of my 2nd graders could pass some of the tests using reasoning.
CJ - I had second grade the year before last.
cloc - hey, I'm back, i couldn't get the site exactly due to the way it's already in my favorite thing, but it's under Cyber Exchage for Educators
Lauren - thanks so much
TessaTL - bye all phone call
Lauren - alright everyone thanks for everything i hope to talk to you all again soon good night!
CJ - Night Tessa and Lauren.
cloc - CJ i use AR along with SSR for the past two years, I am not doing that this year, too much time away from the real purpose of SSR
CJ - I was shocked that AR is so stressed that AR books are all kids read. I was upset when I found MANY good quality books that the kids were missing just becuase they weren't AR....I read as many as I could aloud.
hockeyrabbit - bye..thanks CJ for the info on some sites I will check them out
CJ - I should say that they probably are AR but not ones we had purchased.
hockeyrabbit - wait-garf, do u teach sepc ed?
garf/sped/ga - Hi, what is the †opic?
CJ - Bye, H'rabbit.
CJ - Hi garf
garf/sped/ga - yes, I teach special ed
hockeyrabbit - COOL..me too..what grade(s)?
CJ - Topics...lots of different things...nothing in particular.
hockeyrabbit - me 12-1-1 k-3
garf/sped/ga - Presently K-6, in the fall, it will be grades 6.-8. I have taught previously high school, too.
CJ - Meg, how are you?
CJ - garf, what is the most challenging thing about your position?
meg - hello
CJ - I teach computer classes to PK-3 to Grade 8.
meg - how do i get on here?
meg - never mind
meg - Does anyone in here do centers?
meg - I teach second grade and I need HELP!
garf/sped/ga - Probably dealing iwth the parents.
meg - I have never taught centers in my life!
garf/sped/ga - I do a lot with computers/assistive technology
CJ - Doesn't surprise me garf.
garf/sped/ga - I had one horrible parent this year.
CJ - Meg, there should be alot of information on line. Our second grade teacher does them...know a little about it.
meg - can you point me in the right direction?
CJ - We had a bear of a set too...started when they lied during the application process...wasn't caught until the official records arrived.
meg - Do you know a sight off hand?
garf/sped/ga - I would post on the chatbooards.
meg - how do I go about doing that?
CJ - Meg, not off hand, but post on the chatboards...the primary one probably. Do a search on setting up centers. Look at the teacher's store in your area.
meg - younkow posting it on the chalkboard?
garf/sped/ga - I would start with Teachers.net
CJ - Go back to the begining and click on"Chatboards" Click on "Primary" or "elementary". Then follow the directions.
CJ - When you get there, click on "Post a Message"
meg - thanks
CJ - Don't forget the teacher's store in your area....maybe other teachers at your school could be another good resources.
CJ - Garf, how long in special ed?
garf/sped/ga - 4th year.
meg - thanks for yalls help
CJ - I think it takes really special people to be special ed teachers.
garf/sped/ga - going into 8th year in education
CJ - Well, I need to go. I'll see you around!
garf/sped/ga - I did not really like reg ed.
garf/sped/ga - I need to run too.
garf/sped/ga - nighty night
