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gc - Is there a topic for tonight?
mel - are there any 1st grade teachers in here?
gc - I have taught K and 1
gc - What's new in your classes these days?
mel - I don't think there is a specific topic.
mel - besides spring fever?
gc - Spring is a great thing, especially for writing ideas
mel - We are getting ready to start our pond unit which ties nicely with lifecycles of the frog and butterfly
mel - do you give your students writing topics?
gc - Do you collect pond water for checking with a microscope?
gc - Topics go along with spring, life cycle of butterfly, birds hatching eggs, etc.
mel - I very rarely give my students writing topics
mel - yes, we collect pond water.
mel - I am also going to do an activity with worms that was posted to the 1st grade mailring
gc - For one writing, students become caterpillars and write about their life cycles. Each page is a segment of the caterpillar. As the story grows, so does the caterpillar. Some are short, some are very long.
mel - I'm sorry you said you have taught both K and1. What do you teach now?
gc - To finish the caterpillar, we put on little feet, dots, etc.
gc - remedial reading
gc - Besides creative writing, we use "learning logs" to write down what was learned in science or social studies each day.
mel - In what state do you teach?
gc - Missouri
gc - Where do you teach, Mel?
mel - The life cycle activity sounds fun. Thanks for the idea.
mel - OHIO
gc - Another good spring story is the "growing story" where students become something that grows--a flower, tree, weed, etc.
mel - Do you teach science and soc. st. seperate or do you integrate them?
mel - We have to give grades for ours, but we integrate as much as possible.
gc - This time they use half sheets of paper and connect them on the bottom (like growing stems). As they tell about themselves, the story grows. Then you cut out a paper flower to put at the top. Some plant stories will reach from floor to ceiling. This can be done in K or 1.
mel - We are trying to get away from giving grades. Do you give letter grades in Missouri?
gc - Usually science and SS are separate but can be integrated, depending on the topics. It's easier to give grades if they're separate.
gc - Grading systems vary from district to district--some give letter grades, some % grades, ESU, etc.
mel - yet again another good idea
gc - What do you use for your reading curriculum?
mel - We are looking to move toward a continuum with grade level benchmarks. Our new content standards are set up this way, but our principal wants us to find some schools who are using this type of report card before we can possible switch.
gc - A Missouri legislator has just submitted a bill to require teacher ed programs to make educators take a class on teaching phonics. It will be interesting to see how it goes.
mel - We use 4 blocks and our basal for guided reading, which works very nice.
mel - No doubt that is due to the ESEA that Pres. Bush just passed
KindergartenCop - Hi mel and gc, boy it's quiet in here tonight!
gc - MO has state standards, too, with their own assessment program for the past several years--and it's very controversial because students aren't scoring as well on the MAP as they are used to on traditional standardized tests.
gc - Hi, K. Cop. It's time for you to liven things up.
mel - very quiet, kindergartencop
KindergartenCop - Well, just trying to cool off - it was 87 here in northern lower Michigan todayway to hot!
KindergartenCop - I''m thinking about end of the year assessments - how close to the end of the year CAN I wait and do them?
mel - Ohio just adopted new standards that are very similar to the learning outcomes that we already used. These seem much clearer.
gc - It was 87 here, too, but we loved it--perfect golfing weather.
KindergartenCop - Our school is done May 30, and the last two weeks are too hectic
gc - K. Cop, doesn't the assessment you're taking have a "test window" or is it just for you and the report cards?
mel - What type of assessments do you use?
KindergartenCop - just for the report cards and our new MI state early el assessment - the MLPP - Michigan Literacy Proficency Profile
mel - We are finished May 24th. I think last year we started 3 weeks before school ended.
gc - I like to get my assessments done at least the next to last week of school--time to write recommendations, etc.
KindergartenCop - I think I'll start around the first of May (only a couple of weeks!) usually I wait till closer to the end, and then OH, NO!
KindergartenCop - What do you both teach, and how long?
mel - That sound very familiar. I am always down to crunch time it seems
gc - What are the minimum levels of proficiency in reading and math for your K and 1?
mel - I teach 1st grade. This is my 4th year. How about yourself?
gc - 11 years in 1 and 7 years in K.
KindergartenCop - did I get bumped off?
mel - We do the DRA on every student and have benchmarks set for each 9 weeks. By the end of the year the average 1st grader is expected to read on a L 20.
KindergartenCop - Nope, I'm back - the old lady I am - 10 yrs. spe.ed, 2 years 4th grade, and this is my 11th in K
KindergartenCop - We are using the new Houghton Mifflin, and my kids are reading better than EVER!
KindergartenCop - I'm not sure of the levels, cuz I just pull the lowest books from our guided reading books (K-3) for most of the K;s
mel - I have 22 students and all but 5 have met the benchmark for each 9 week period. 2 of the 5 were one level away, one is being tested and the other two are reading and comprehending on a level 14 right now.
gc - I keep being bumped off--must be about time to go.
KindergartenCop - Night ladies, hope to chat with you some other time - Have a good day tomorrow
mel - If I am not mistaken a level k is about a L 18
gc - Bye, K. Cop and Mel. Hope to visit with you again.
mel - Thanks for sharing
gc - We don't use books leveled like yours. However, a third of my K students finish all the first grade books, the next third finish all bout the last first grade book, and the lower third vary from finishing a third of the books to just sounding out words.
Later in the evening
Eileen - Good evening! Am I in the right place?
Mr.C - think so
Eileen - Oh, good. Is there a topic?
Mr.C - hold on... I'll look
Mr.C - ec-primary chat... but looks like we're the only ones here.
Mr.C - what do you teach Eileen?
Eileen - Well, I teach 1st grade and live in California. Am glad to have a later chat 'cause I never could manage to log on for the earlier East coast time.
Mr.C - Yeah... that's always tough. Where in CA?
Eileen - Just thought I would check in and see what was happening here.
Eileen - Southern California, San Bernardino County to be more specific.
Eileen - What do you teach and where?
Mr.C - I was born in Berkeley... lived in CA my whole life till two years ago... I moved to Oregon. Couldn't afford to teach in CA anymore.
Eileen - eastern or western Oregon?
Mr.C - I used to teach mostly high school English and ESL... now I'm Education Technology Specialist for the School of Education at Pacific University (in Forest Grove... 25 miles west of Portland).
Eileen - The San Francisco area prices ARE out of sight!
Eileen - What are you doing in a primary chat room?
Mr.C - Hanging out... I figured I'd join... same reason as you... to see what was going on... besides, I support K-6 teachers as part of my job.
Eileen - OK!
milerca - Hi
Mr.C - For example, I have over 1500 K-12 bookmarks... check them out: http://www.mybookmarks.com/public/coops
Eileen - Hi, milerca!
Mr.C - Hi Milerca
Eileen - Where are you from and what do you teach?
milerca - I am from British Columbia Canada and this year i teach a K/1class.
Eileen - Whoa, that's an impressive list of bookmarks. I definitely will check your site out. My principal doesn't like to spend money on software, so I'm always looking for good websites for my kids.
Eileen - Where in BC? We visited the western coast 2 years ago. It was absolutely beautiful!
milerca - It is a small town, 100 Mile House, in the interior of BC.
milerca - What grade do you teach. Eileen?
Eileen - 1st
Eileen - Since there is no topic, perhaps we should choose one.
Mr.C - Thanks... basically, my job is helping K-12 teachers (as well as professors) learn how to integrate technology with curriculum.
Eileen - Mr. C., that sounds like fun. Do the schools have up to date technology?
Eileen - Mr. C- Any good suggestions for a project that I can use with my first graders to showcase for open house? Would like to hit the language arts area.
milerca - Fine with me Eileen. What should we talk about? I haven't got too long to chat. I have to get some things ready for tomorrow. Are you two being affected by any educational cutbacks?
Eileen - How do I integrate technology with the curriculum with first graders that doesn't require an adult's presence?
Mr.C - Most schools of course don't have up to date technology. A recommendation for projects in language arts. How about a keypal project, have the students write (with you probably doing the typing) to students around the world. www.epals.com is good for that.
Eileen - No cutbacks at this time. Present governor is big into education and so there is lots of money. We are adopting a new language arts series this year. Cost is high but if we don't use it, we lose it.
Mr.C - Oh... there is plenty of software that you could use that could integrate tech with curriculum. It depends if you want them to be hands on, or you demonstrate yourself.
Eileen - Didn't know about the epals website. Will try it and see what's there.
Eileen - I want kids hands on.
Mr.C - If you have lots of money, then get six computers in your class, a scanner, a digital camera, a digital camcorder, a webcam, and start to break down classroom walls and communicate with students outside of CA.... and the USA. Check out newsday (Global School House) projects that are collaborative and international in scope.
Eileen - Unfortunately, this is not something 1st graders can do unassisted. Believe it or not, I do have 6 computers in my classroom (3 connected to Internet), a digital camera, and a scanner.
Mr.C - Cool... well, of course first graders are going to need some help. Why the emphasis on unassisted? Do you have anyone who can assist? How about hooking up with the local high school to get some kids to come help (mentor, type, etc.)?
Eileen - No assistant. High school students do come in to do community service but unfortunately, it's after school time only. Why unassisted? Because somehow I have to find time to teach the rigorous curriculum that our California students must be exposed to. Seems hard to put the technology into it rather than using it as something separate.
Eileen - We GET to go the computer lab for 20 minutes once a week.
Mr.C - Don't even think of bowing to the standards. If you have 6 computers in your classroom, you can rotate the kids and not use the lab. Try this site: http://www.schoolkit.com Register (free) and check out 20 lessons (also free). Since you're "rich" ... I'd recommend paying the $50 and getting over 500 K-12 lessons. IMHO they are the coolest lessons, and integrated with MS Office... so the students get excellent student-centered constructivist lessons (and yes, they align with standards, ugh), and they get to learn MS Office as a sidebar.
Eileen - Would you believe that I had a parent this year who would not let her child use the Internet. She told me that her husband said it was bad. Said she had never tried it herself beause her husband said it was bad for her.
Mr.C - I'd also work on that after school nonsense with the highschoolers. There must be a way to get them to come over during school hours. Talk to your principal, their principal, the schoolboard, etc. Yeah, of course you're going to get parents on the negative... but if you can show the positives that you can do with the Net... there is unlimited motivation there for the students.
Eileen - I'm writing these sites down. Not "rich" in the things that I want but will be in those great textbooks and all the supplemental materials that I could very easily do without. Unfortunately, they don't give me a choice on how to spend the money.
Mr.C - Well... $50 isn't a lot of money, and schoolkit is definitely worth it. There are two branches to schoolkit: Enactz (the student lessons) and Pedera (online staff development). Both are worth going for.
Eileen - Mr. C - thanks for the great suggestions. I need to get off this addicting thing and get ready for tomorrow. Night!
Mr.C - I gotta go soon... my son got a new chess program and wants to use it. Let me leave you with one more site: http://www.tappedin.org It's an educational virtual environment, polysynchronous (both real time and non-real time). There are over 10,000 educators registered there (I'm jeffc there, join me in my office some time). They have daily After School Online sessions where teachers chat much like what we are doing here.
Mr.C - Also... my email address: coops@pacificu.edu... write me and stay in touch.
Mr.C - Good night... nice meeting you.
