Emerging Technology I am Excited About!

An emerging technology that I am anxious to use in my classroom is electronic text books. Electronic text books have the capability of storing live links to additional resources and they make updates or new editions easily attainable. Electronic textbooks make the load on the students easier, they are able to store multiple books on one device or access it from home on their internet and many times students can listen to the text while they read.

Flat World Knowledge is a site that has a wealth of electronic text books. You are able to download chapters, or whole books based on your needs. Some of the books have video clips embedded in the chapters as well. They also allow you to edit the text. This can be very valuable to teachers, adding their input or special explanation to better fit their students’ needs or a particular assignment. Flat World Knowledge website has a social community aspect to it as well. You are able to connect with people who are reading the same text as you and are able to ask questions or share notes with one another. Teachers could use this as a collaboration tool as well; for example, assigning students to create notes together over one chapter. Although Flat World Knowledge is advertised as mostly college texts,  electronic textbooks are growing rapidly and I’m sure that various levels of textbooks are going to be available for educators and their students.

    http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/

Assistive Technology Software for 5th - 8th grade

I selected an assistive technology software program, Thinking Reader. This program is geared for grades 5-8. Working with older students, when they do not have grade level reading skills it makes it very difficult to get their comprehension skills up to grade level as well. This software is designed specifically for reading comprehension. What I really like about it is that it has classic novels to choose from, novels that we already read in my 6^th grade class (i.e. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Bridge to Terabithia, Esperanza Rising, and more).  

A few neat features include:

-Vocabulary definitions and pictures to go along.

-Levels of differentiation for the teacher to control.

-Spanish translations

To watch a video on the software click here.

or

Check out the wesbite Here

Podcasts for Poetry

I have found a podcast that I could use with my poetry unit.  The podcasts offer explanations about poetry then a poem is read so you can hear the elements that were just explained.  It gives great information about poems and allows me to pick and choose what I want my students to focus on. I like that it is only a recording and doesn’t have pictures. I want students to create their own images as they listen to the pieces. 

 Using a podcast in my poetry unit allows students to:

•  Listen as many times as they like
•  Ensures that students hear the correct pronunciations 
• Teaches them how to read poetry(especially if a printout of the poem is provided to the student.)

Check it out!

POETRY OUT LOUD !

A great resource for teachers.

I have found a great website for educators.  With an internet the size if the universe (or so it seems) there are a great deal of resources available. I filtered through some and found that this website has a great variety of resources to offer.

THINKport

On the homepage there are links to specific websites that offer interactive media. A lot of their links are funded by Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is usually tied to PBS here in Idaho. This gives me an indication that it has some validity as a great education resource.

There are graphic organizer, podcasts, including podcasts to teach you how to use them in your class. There are a great deal of math resources as well.

This site is free although you can register to get more benefits it looks like there are no charges to register.

Photo Story for Introducing Percents

I have created a photo story that will be used to introduce the use of percents to my students. Many times students do not realize how they will be using their new math skills in the real world. This photo story gives them an idea of where and when they will be using percents.

Sit back, relax, and listen to some poetry.

You will be viewing three videos of a poem being read.

The three poems you will hear are:

1)    “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes

2)    “Annabell Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe

3)    “Don’t’ Quit”  by anonymous

  You need your poetry worksheet that you received in class .After you watch the videos you can answer the questions on the sheet. You are welcome to watch the videos as many times as you like.  As you listen choose which one is your favorite poem. Be prepared to discuss what you thought each of these poems were about.

Ahhheemmm..Introducing Mrs. Schafer and her classroom!

I welcome you and your student to Mrs. Schafer’s 6^th grade class!

            I  live in Boise and grew up here. My husband and I  enjoy getting outside (especially in the warmer weather) to fish, kayak, or casually hike. I am a simple gal and love nature and gardening but I also love a stroll through downtown, especially on First Thursday.

I look to make my classroom a fun, learning environment. One way I achieve this is by fostering communication with my students. I respect my students’ ideas and thoughts and will be asking for their input on many things.

One goal in my classroom is to encourage independence. It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of assignments and to turn them in on time.  Tools will be provided for student’s use  in these areas as I guide them to be less dependent on others to track their work. When students leave my classroom I hope that they will have grown in their knowledge, organizational and social skills, and have become more confident about taking control of their leaning.

I would like to keep the lines of communication open to you. Please feel free to contact me at school, email works best. I believe that together we can help your student achieve learning at the highest level. If you have any information about your student that would help them be more successful in my classroom, please let me know. I will take this information into consideration as I work with your child.

Some information shared could include:

-special medical needs                  -feelings towards school

-important experiences that may affect your child at school (a death, loss of a pet, etc)

                I have high expectations for my students and I know they can meet them! Starting from day one the student have clear expectations for our classroom community. I encourage positive behavior by reward students individually, in their desk groups and as a whole class. When I see smooth transitions, directions followed the first time, and controlled noise level, I will provide rewards. Rewards include: verbal recognition, free time, game time, treats, extra recess, and other appropriate rewards. Consequences for late work and disruptive behavior include: staying in for recess, sitting at lunch with the sixth grade teachers, and time spent after school.

                I am very excited to see what new things this year will offer!

                                -Mrs. Schafer