PLC SHOWCASE

We discovered a plethora of websites that we could use as tools in our classes.  Instagrok was interesting and well as the Writing Strategy Suggestions from the writing group.  We would also like to have critical thinking skills poster in every room in the school.  Mr. Edwards and Mrs. Hahs had this poster exhibited.

Working together with the different programs helped us figure out the best ways to use them in class. 

It gives us more resources to use in class without having to go out to find them ourselves.  Most of the information can be used in ANY classroom / ANY subject area.

Paula Nickum
Joetta McCluskey
Sarah Showalter
Michelle Lee
Tiffany Jasper

Showcase Supplies???

I do not see a request for supplies for the Showcase.  If you are needing anything, please see Ms. Egans by Nov 30th.  We will still try to accommodate your needs.

All student examples will be pulled together to show how effective these new tools have been. My idea is that ultimately, the students will be introduced to new and innovative ways to show what they have learned all while learning new technology.  Hopefully allowing the students to express themselves in a number of different methods.

We are going to be showing student work using glogster, blogger, edmodo, notestar, and a newspaper template to show the variety of programs available for use by our students and teachers and how relatively simple they are to use.

PLC Showcase

At the end of our semester of work, all PLCs will be showcasing their work at the Wyandotte High School PLC Showcase on Wednesday, December 12th in the Social Hall.  The showcase will be a public demonstration of our learning, collaboration, and results.  Each PLC will showcase work that reflects how your learning and collaboration has impacted student learning.  Each PLC is encouraged to be creative and innovative in their demonstration (student examples would be highly encouraged); however, please be sure the following are addressed through your presentation -
    PLC Focus

Collaborative Actions   

Summary of PLC Learning

Impact on Student Learning

Connections to Future Teaching and Learning

In addition, all staff will have an opportunity to visit each demonstration during the Showcase.  Many outside guests will also be in attendance.  

If your PLC requires any kind of additional resources, please submit any requests for those materials via the comment section to this blog entry by NOVEMBER 9th. You will receive these materials by or before your November 28th meeting, so you will have AT LEAST two weeks to work on organizing your demonstration.

We reviewed a website called Notestar which allows the students to keep track of notes without having to use the old school notecards we are all used to. The student cuts and pastes the quote or info and then pastes the cite and viola an online notecard the student can print off and turn in is created. My old woman mentality is saying that's not fair. I remember having to learn MLA and APA style and making sure the period, quotations, underline, colons and semi colons were in the correct place.  Now it's done automatically. In discussing with the team how this will impact them being college ready, and how cutting and pasting is defeating the purpose of research we conducted a mini poll. We asked some of our college students, via text, what was the expectation in college. They replied yes, the  professors expect research papers. But the interesting part was the students said they had to learn on their own how to analyze. This only makes it more apparent to push writing in every class and hold them to a college level standard.   As a community we have utilized the expertise of our English teachers to ensure we are requiring from our students what professors are. We continue to strive towards improving writing and demanding the students learn to read and analyze then write.

Note Start

We predominately looked at Note Star today. Since students will be writing an expository piece that requires research, Note Star will be a great tool in helping students organize the information they collect into topics and ideas for their paper. In addition, they can easily keep track of their works cited information. Teachers can check their progress and see their notes. The one kind of drawback we did discuss is how they will learn to take the information they found and cited and turn it into analysis for their papers - NOT copying and pasting it or merely summarizing all of the research in their paper without adding meaning to it. We talked about how this tool would work best for organizing their research and have it compacted and together when they are ready to analyze it and place it strategically throughout the paragraphs to back up their thesis. We will come together at later meetings and show each other student progress, what's missing, and what we can change to utilize the tool better.

Edmodo - WHOA!!!! What a cool site! Like Schoolloop, only better!

Last week we set up blogger accounts and worked at creating blogs for our classes. We are trying blogs out with our classes this week.

Wednesday, 9/7/12

We are going to start working with google docs for testing and using flubaroo to grade the googledoc quizzes. This should speed up the grading process and enable us to get results back to the students more quickly and do immediate remediation.

1. Exploring new technology that allows the students to create while learning. Over the next week, I will incorporate one new technology resource, Flubaroo into a google quiz.
2. Allowing them to use technology to take tests. Which introduces them to methods used in college classes.
3. Speed up grading which will allow for almost immediate feedback and reteaching, if necessary.

I became more familiar with Learn360. It has some great videos on grammar and citing sources!

I feel like that little old lady afraid to give up her typewriter. But thanks to Katie B., I am all over it. I guess that is why I chose the technology group to force myself to let go. :)