Kelly - Hi Teri. How are you?
Teri - good thanks and you?
Kelly - I'm fine. Are you working on EC-GEN?
Teri - I was a banker this past year with EC-Gen.
Kelly - I'm a banker, too!
Teri - Really? What entry/entries did you redo?
Kelly - I did Community this time. This is my second year banking. (Long story). Last year I redid Science and SS/Arts.
Kelly - What did you do?
Teri - Ok--I missed it by 8 points--so I sure hope I make it this time. I redid SS/Arts and Assess.-Math
Teri - Actually it was the Assess. Center Constructin Curriculum.
Kelly - I would love to make it this time....but I'm fairly sure I won't. I plan to retake an AC next year.
Teri - I bet you will--how many points were you short?
Kelly - 19......but I only redid one this year. I had too many other things on my plate this year to redo more than that.
Teri - I can understand that--I sure felt like a loser when I didn't certify--but I've gotten over that--there is only one NBCT in our county.
Kelly - Not many here, either. Our state barely gives nbpts lip-service.
Teri - We were the only two who even tried for it. She did certify in SS for high school.
Kelly - Are you on our mailring?
Teri - What state are you in? I am in Maryland and our pass rate isn't too good--somewhere around 35-40%
Kelly - I'm in Missouri. I'd guess ours is less than that! In our first group from the St. Louis area, we started with 25 people. Only 13 finished. Only 2 certified! Last year a few more did, but we still have very few.
Teri - It might even be less than that. I started when they were offering no incentives other than paying for the application fee. Now my county pays $2500/year. I am on the EC_Gen egroup.
Kelly - We have no financial incentive. :(
Teri - I didn't join the e-group until just a couple of weeks ago. I pretty much completed it on my own with some help from the MD state dept of ed. We met once a month at Towson Univ.
Kelly - Did you have other EC-GEN people in that group?
Teri - Any of the NB candidates could attend if they wanted. Many didn't.
Teri - There were about 4-6 of us. But we didn't really do much together except having each other critique entries when they were nearly finished.
Kelly - I think it helps to have the support of people working on the same thing.
Teri - As a banker I didn't attend but one meeting this year. It was the one meeting where the Maryland Writing Project people came and read through your entries to help with tieing it all together and making sure there was a common thread running through it all.
Teri - They gave great feedback.
Kelly - I didn't have a support group for either year as a banker. We tried to, but it seemed to never work out.
Teri - This year I conned a friend into doing the MC-Gen. I helped her quite a bit- we ended up supporting each other.
Kelly - That's good. Now you get to wait for November together.
Teri - Believe it or not, my three best entries were the videos and Doc. Accom--#6
Kelly - Good! You don't ever have to retake a video! :)
Kelly - Welcome! Pam, are you a new candidate?
Pam in Illinois - I read about the group on egroups and thought I'd give it a try. I have just started the process
Sharon - Pam, What entries have you started?
Pam in Illinois - I have #5 finished, and most of #6. I realize these will chage as the year goes on...but I'm trying to get a jump start. Having the summer is such a blessing!
Dana from MS - Pam, you have come to the right place for help and encouragement!
Sharon - Pam, that's good to get them into a good draft so you can put them away for awile. Have you planned your social studies yet?
Pam in Illinois - I am still thinking about that one...I do a huge unit on the Wamponaog Indians, trying to figure out if I can use it
Carol - The beginning of school and the arrival of the box has my head spinning. How soon did you guys decide what your entries would focus on. Should I know what S.S. and sci. topics I will be writing about?
Teri - We didn't get our boxes until the end of November and I didn't start getting things going til January.
Dana from MS - Wow Pam, you are on the ball! Don't be surprised if towards the end you revise and add some new accomplishments/connections for the current year, too.
Sharon - Teri, I am always amazed when I hear people say they didn't start until January. My hat is off to you!!
Teri - Well, actually I banked this year--I guess the January thing wasn't so great! I was 8 points short.
Pam in Illinois - I am so happy that I had the summer to get organized and start writing. I don't know how you did it after Jan. either!
Teri - I spent my whole Easter break typing and organizing everything--I worked on it from 9a.m. til 3:30 a.m. every day for the 10 days.
Carol - I don't think the kids will be ready right away for any videos anyway, but I have a student teacher until Dec. who would be available to run the camera. I'd love to get something accomplished with her help. Otherwise I don't know who I'll get to help.
Teri - I had a parent volunteer do mine and they were the two highest scores I recieved.
Sharon - Carol, it's not too soon to get the kids use to the presence of the camera.
Pam in Illinois - did you keep your videocamera in one place...or move it to get different children in?
Kinder - Hi everyone! I have a quick question. Does anyone know where I can find a Zero the Hero puppet?
Kelly - Start using the camera now. By the time you're doing the 'real thing' they'll be pros (and so will you!)
Carol - Thanks, Teri. I do think I will have good parent help this year. That sounds like a good option. And the student teacher can help with getting used to the camera. OUr literacy coach already tried to film one of my morning meetings and it was a FLOP!
Teri - I kept mine in one place and she zoomed in to the different groups as I worked with them. I used a remote microphone so the children could be heard.
Kelly - Hi Kinderjane! Did you look on Kindercorner's site? It seems to me she knew where to get them......some place in California, I think.
Kelly - Jane - if not, I"ll see if I have the address here somewhere! :)
Teri - For the community video we all sat in a circle on the floor and I charted their responses to a problem we had--safety on the playground. They all had a chance to explain how we could be more safe when at recess.
Sharon - Pam, my camera was on a tripod.
Teri - Same with mine-it worked well that way.
Carol - Any advice for filming 26 second graders in a crowded circle? We have worked a way to make an oval by moving some desks, but it will be hard to follow the discussion with a camera, I'm afraid.
Pam in Illinois - For community I was thinking about video taping the children coming up with ideas on how we can make our bilingual sstudents feel at home when they become mainstreamed. I realize it may not work and I'll have to try another idea.
Pam in Illinois - I have 26 first graders and was thinking the same thing. We have tables...but there are so many children!
Teri - I went in order around the circle and used a "talking ball of yarn." The student with the ball of yarn gave their input then we discussed what they said and went to the next person. I had 25 first graders in my group.
Sharon - As a mentor, the best com.video I saw last year had the children in a horseshoe shape (but there weren't 26 of them). The teacher was sitting towards the back. All were on the floor and one child was at the front acting as the discussion leader. (2nd grade) The kids looked responded to the leader and to each other.
Sharon - Pam, as a matter of fact, that's what the children were discussing on this video!
Pam in Illinois - Well...let's hope the video works the first time!!!
Carol - Great idea! The advice in the box said NOT to try to follow conversation with the camera, so the yarn would make it predictable. However, already I have seen my kids do well when asked to speak to a neighbor for ideas for one minute, then come back together and tell an idea they got from a friend. This may be hard to capture.
Pam in Illinois - Question...do you record their ideas on chart paper, or is it better to just discuss?
Teri - I recorded the ideas on chart paper so they could review them again later. I was seen sitting on the floor recording their ideas.
Debbie Mc. - Pam, if recording them is going to interrupt your lesson and their thought patterns, I'd just discuss. You might want to jot them down for yourself. You want things to flow. If you can do that and write on chart paper, I don't see a problem.
Sharon - Pam, I've seen both. Be careful not to spend the majority of time writing.
Teri - When the ball of yarn went around, they each held on to the yarn as it went around the circle.
Pam in Illinois - Thanks for your input
Carol - When the yarn was passed, did each child have to speak or could they pass?
Teri - I had two that passed and when they were ready they raised their hand and had their turn.
Teri - I did score well on this entry.
Pam in Illinois - What subject did everyone do their science entry on?
Debbie Mc. - Rocks, sand, and soil for me.
Teri - Birds--bird gizzards and how they work.
Pam in Illinois - Did you create the science unit or use one from your current curriculum?
Debbie Mc. - My school's series with more added.
Teri - I had rewritten our county curriculum into a performace based cluster and used one of the lessons from that.
Pam in Illinois - My district has 3 units for first grade, balance, recycling and insects. I an't use insects(lifecycles) because they won't send out the unit until April
dana - MS - Have you started school yet, Debbie?
Debbie Mc. - Yes, August 7th for me.
dana - MS - How is your class this year?
Teri - Could you do a short unit about insects and have them bring in a bug to observe. They could draw and label the parts to see if what they brought in is an insect or not.
Debbie Mc. - It's not my class that's the problem.
dana - MS - What is the problem? Administration?
Debbie Mc. - Pam, balance as in what? the ecosystems, environment?
dana - MS - Or parents?
Pam in Illinois - We get butterflies, praying mantis, ladybugs, cockroaches and crickets...All after April!
Debbie Mc. - No, it's the adm.
dana - MS - Teri, mealworms would go well as a segment on insects, too.
Beth B - hey! just fine! it is so very cool to start the school year with all this new knowledge!!!
Pam in Illinois - Blance as in using a balance, moving the fulcrum etc...
Teri - Dana, that is good also.
Debbie Mc. - Pam are you so pressed for time that you have to teach the units at a certain time to get in social studies, health, etc.
Teri - Pam, you could do a lesson on predicting how many of certain different types of things, (unifix cubes, pennies etc.) it would take to make the balance even with a certain object in the other side.
Pam in Illinois - Our district will only send the supplies at a certain time...they keep all of the supplies until it is time for the unit. With the insects...they do not want us to do it before spring. They are a bit controlling!
Teri - I would say! There are more insects available in the fall than in the spring.
Pam in Illinois - I agree! but this is when they order them from the companies.
Debbie Mc. - What about recycling Pam?
Debbie Mc. - Sometimes you've just got to work with what you've got.
Pam in Illinois - It is going to have to be recycling or balance...I don't want to step on any toes with the other grade levels.
Debbie Mc. - Been there Pam. Not good.
dana - MS - Pam, that is awful! Could you do the unit on Tree Homes?
Debbie Mc. - Some animal homes are just recycled materials.
Pam in Illinois - I can create a unit if I would like...I just have to make sure it isn't covered in another grade.
Teri - Pam, what grade do you teach?
Pam in Illinois - I teach first this year...I have been teaching 1-2 multiage for the past six years
Pam in Illinois - Thanks for all of your help! I have to go!
Debbie Mc. - Pam, I teach first too. I think we teach too much science. We teach almost everything.
Kelly M - I have to go, too, kids........see you on the ring! :)
Teri - Debbie, I agree with you--I changed grades this year and went from first to second.
Debbie Mc. - Teri, with teaching reading in first, I think everything else should be optional. Except of course math. How do you and Kelly feel about that?
Teri - Well thank you for the chat--good luck to everyone!
Teri - I completely agree! We do the four-blocks method and it takes much more time that it should.
Debbie Mc. - Teri, do you mean the four blocks or the other subjects?
Teri - The four blocks--sometimes I have to have so many different guided reading groups that it takes more time than the two hours.
Debbie Mc. - I'm just trying to keep my head above water at school. I'm so tired of documenting. I can't plan or teach for doing that.
Debbie Mc. - I do guided reading to only one group right now.
dana - MS - Couldn't they incorporate some of the science in the reading programs? Or do they do that? I have been in Kinder. too long!
Debbie Mc. - Dana, we have a series that we HAVE to use. But we can do it with four blocks.
Debbie Mc. - Wonder how many groups Kelly has?
Teri - Our county has mandated the four blocks and it really does work, although they want teachers to try to get in at least 2-3 groups per day and it sometimes is impossible if we are to get in any other subjects.
Rose in GA - We do guided reading with K at my school. although usally one group focuses on letter recognition. What about you Dana?
Debbie Mc. - I thought you didn't do groups with four blocks? Good grief! No wonder you don't have any time.
Teri - Plus this year, we just had a whole bunch of Marines deployed to the base next to our school, and I am up to 32 now in my class.
Rose in GA - 32! My goodness! No wonder you are so busy.
Teri - Our county plugged in the Fountas and Pinnell guided reading.
dana - MS - Rose they are telling us to start doing more reading - I am using the Alphabet Activities that builds on the words and repetition (I am putting them on a word wall) Some are just not ready!
Debbie Mc. - I can't imagine 32 first graders.
Teri - Actually I am in second this year.
Teri - But four years ago I had 30 first graders and I felt like sometimes all I did was crowd control!
Rose in GA - I am trying to learn to do with little parapro help this year. If our governor get what he has designed we won't have much help. I only have 14 students with 1/4 time para. 14 is heaven but no help certainly isn't.
Debbie Mc. - Can't imagine 32 second graders either. At my school there are 15 in second grade and 21 in first. Can anybody see the reasoning behind that. There are four 2nd grade teachers and 3 first grade.
Teri - Last year in first I had 19 and it was so nice! The year before when I started National Boards I had 26.
Rose in GA - By Thanksgiving it will be bliss, I hope. Just at first it has been hard. I also am use to full time assistance so I have to learn to do a great deal of the paperwork, etc. myself
Teri - We don't have any help unless we can get parents to volunteer to come in.
Debbie Mc. - The kindergarten teachers have 1/2 time aide.
Rose in GA - Do you have helpful parents? Many of mine are both working.
Teri - Ours do too--they really do need more help in Kindergarten.
Cindy - Hi guys! Got my box last week and I am studying the standards! Very nervous!
tina - Hi ladies.....I need SOOOO much help...would you mind??
Debbie Mc. - I'm sure you are nervious Cindy. But you'll be fine with all the help on this ring.
Cindy - You know, if it wasn't for this ring, I probably would have chickened out!
Debbie Mc. - I'm sorry Tina. What help do you need?
Cindy - I was thinking about doing pumpkins for science, due to lots of inquiry questions, what do you think?
Debbie Mc. - Sounds good to me. From what aspect are you using the pumpkins?
Cindy - Debbie, I'm not quite that far yet! :)
Debbie Mc. - What grade do you teach?
Cindy - I teach kindergarten. Thought we could explore the stages of growth for a pumpkin, grow some in our classroom, cut and explore the inside and outside, do graphing with seeds, weighing, life cycles, etc. We go to a pumpkin farm every fall!
Debbie Mc. - Just make sure that what you feature is more science than math.
Cindy - You're right! Gotta go, I have a birthday party to go to! See ya next week!
Debbie Mc. - Bye.
