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Susan - Hello, Are there any fourth grade teachers around?
Susan - Would love to talk to anyone with a chatty class in fourth grade?
Go Bucks! - Did anyone catch 60 minutes this evening?
Go Bucks! - It was about state wide testing of students.
Bethannee - Nope. What was it on?
Bethannee - What was the consensus?
Go Bucks! - 50/50 Teachers say they don't need the added pressure.
Go Bucks! - We have 4th grade proficiency test in Ohio
Bethannee - It hasn't aired here yet, so I'll try to catch it.
Bethannee - Are they talking about promotion based on testing?
Go Bucks! - More about teacher accountibility
Beth - any good titles for a mystery read aloud?
Bethannee - Encyclopedia Brown is always fun...
Bethannee - Meg Mackintosh books are good too.
Bethannee - Any ideas on how to deal with stealing in the classroom? We do class meetings, but I've got one who just takes what he wants. (He took my keys the first day...)
Cleopatra - are any of you doing the 4Block literacy model?
Bethannee - Short of tying everything down, I'm at a loss for what to do.
Bethannee - Cleo, haven't heard of it.
Go Bucks! - Nope, never heard of it either
Cleopatra - oh.........hmmm.......was wondering....I'm trying to implemate it in my classroom.....but.......
Beth - do you all assign monthly book projects?
Cleopatra - I don't assign a monthly one....but we do a book project as we are finishing up a novel
Jenn - book reports once a marking period
Bethannee - I assign trimesterly book projects and a weekly Reader's workshop letter.
Cleopatra - what is a WR workshop letter?
Bethannee - Choppy, but functional.
Beth - how do you start the year with teaching writing? do you begin with sentence or paragraph development? how long do you spend on this?
Cleopatra - sentence structure and components first
Cleopatra - then I introduce prompts
Beth - i started with paragraph dev, but my group is so low that I have to begin with the basics
Bethannee - Students are required to write me a letter, weekly, on a book they are reading. they are to tell me what they thought of the book, what they would change, what they liked, what it made them think of...I'm trying to get them to really think about what they are reading.
Beth - cleo...do u teach subjects/predicates first?
Cleopatra - then we work on on writing our events from our personal or imaginative narratives in paragraph form
Bethannee - I start with idea development and move into conventions from there.
Patty - Cleo ~ what do you mean by prompts?
Go Bucks! - I spend a lot of time modeling what good readers do.
Jenn - sentence structure
Cleopatra - Prompt.....what they are to focus on when writing
Beth - give an example go bucks!
Go Bucks! - For instance, I start the year off with questioning techiques.
Bethannee - We do the Write Traits program at my grade level.
Go Bucks! - I'll even bring my own books from Grad. School to show them how I question.
Cleopatra - a prompt for example: Imagine you are in the classroom when all of a sudden you see a dinosaur outside the window. Tell what it looked like and what happened.
Go Bucks! - Then I use post-it notes and have students put them in their stories when they have questions.
Beth - Cleo....do you teach subjects/predicates
Bethannee - Post it notes are great!
Cleopatra - yes
Go Bucks! - We use a lot of picture books to elicit questions.
Beth - what pic books go bucks?
Cleopatra - in NC......the 4th graders are given an accountable writing test in March
Cleopatra - they are given an imaginary or personal narrative prompt.....
Jenn - our writing test is Nov. 29
Cleopatra - that is why I have to focus on prompt/guided writing
Bethannee - We do writing assessments three times a year.
Beth - Cleo...when do you teach subjects/predicates?
Cleopatra - I keep a writing portfolio also where I assess their writing 4 times a year......for each grading period
Go Bucks! - The picture book of Charlie Anderson
Cleopatra - actually.....I doing sub/pred....now
Go Bucks! - It's by Barbara Abercrombie
Cleopatra - I really need help with the 4 Blocks literacy model
Beth - Cleo...how are the kids doing with subjects/predicates? i am starting that tomorrow!!
Jenn - cleo try the 4 blocks chat board here
Cleopatra - they are doing fairly well........they seem to be grasping the simple subs/and predicates
Go Bucks! - Beth when I say questions I mean things that make me question whats going on in the story or things I don't understand.
Beth - cleo...how did you teach it?
Cleopatra - they seem to remember the fact..that sub...is WHAT/WHO......and predicate is the action
Cleopatra - I used sentence strips and cut them apart
Go Bucks! - We use sticky notes coded Huh? for confused or with lightbulb for the reader's illumination after being confused.
Cleopatra - they worked in collaborative groups
Beth - did you write the sentence strips, or did they?
Go Bucks! - Teachers often fail to show kids how clarify meaning when they don't understand text.
Cleopatra - Jenn.....I have tried the 4Blocks here...but what is happening is that I can't find anyone doing it in upper elementary
Cleopatra - I'm beginning an integrative unit on Charlotte's Web tomorrow......does anyone have any tips, ideas, lessons/projects they've used?
Beth - does anyone have a great idea for Halloween bulletin board?
Cleopatra - I do character "webs" for halloween
Jen from CA - Writing project, with art project. Haunted house prompt. Makes a nice board, Beth, writing and art.
Beth - what is your writing prompt, Jen? that sounds like what i am looking for!
Patty - Beth, Once I used a white paper tablecloth
Cleopatra - no ideas for Charlotte's Web?
Patty - the students had to go under the ghost to do any activity. I can't remember what activity I had them do though.
Cleopatra - is anyone doing graphic at this time in math?
Go Bucks! - Sorry Place Value and Estimation
Cleopatra - graphs that is
Beth - i am doing graphing, cleo
tony - Does anyone have the A.R. test for The Stand .
Cleopatra - how are your students doing with line plots and the stem and leaf plot?
Beth - Jen...can you tell me what you did for your Halloween prompt and drawing? sounds like what I need!
Beth - Cleo....we are still in the middle of line plots, but they seem to understand...we'll see tomorrow. Never heard of stem/leaf plots
Cleopatra - is anyone frustrated with teaching and thinking about a career change?
Beth - Clep...I was ready to quit last year...extremely frustrating class and parents...overwhelmed with workload, etc.
Cleopatra - I've been accepted to grad school but.....
Patty - Beth, I used a white paper tablecloth and formed it into a ghost. I put some activity under the ghost and the students had to lift up the ghost to do the activity. I can't remember what activity I used but just about anything would be fun for them.
Cleopatra - last year I worked so hard....and received little recognition
Cleopatra - even with having my National Boards!!
Go Bucks! - I hear that's a big deal in N.C.
Cleopatra - I know what you mean beth
Beth - that sounds neat, Patty!
Cleopatra - Nat. Board? in NC?
Go Bucks! - Did you mean National Certification?
Cleopatra - yes.....NBPTS
Cleopatra - NC gives a 12% pay increase for those passing Nat. Boards
Go Bucks! - National Boards aren't as big here in Oh
Cleopatra - now....if they could get our regular pay scale up to par....our state would be alright
Patty - Where do you take National Boards?
Cleopatra - National Board process is something you do within your classroom throughout the year
Cleopatra - there is a NBPTS web site
Cleopatra - National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Go Bucks! - Did you think it's worth it. To be National Certified I mean.
Cleopatra - do a search......and you can find out more....sorry I don't know the website off of the top of my head
Cleopatra - well for me........it's more for the extra $$ for my family.....but going through the process WAS the most meaningful professional development I've ever done
Patty - Thanks for the information, Cleo
Beth - Jen...did you get my email?
Beth - It's been great chatting with you all! Must go write plans, plans, plans!! :)
Cleopatra - well....I need to sKat and finish my lesson plans for tomorrow............ugh!!
Cleopatra - beth and I are on the same wave length tonight
Marci - How was everyone's first few weeks? Can't believe it's a full week !!
ny city - does anyone know of a web site that might have reading assesments to give my kids so that i can place them on different reading levels??
Jen from CA - NY, I use reading records.
ny city - are there any that i can find on-line?
Jen from CA - I don't know, ny. Did you do a search? We use multiple measures, in-house. I just use those.
Jerry (co) - I use a running records.
Jerry (co) - Jen, what are some of the reading assess'ts you use?
Jen from CA - I use running records also, plus a few other short assesssments.
Marci - Night-Night! Have a great Monday!!
