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The picture below represents an assignment from a student that speaks little English and scores at a Level 1 (Access) in all areas except writing, which is Level 2. Although not on grade level, this student was able to read a book of his choice, comprehend its meaning, and produce illustrations. Celebrate the accomplishments! Providing students with opportunities that allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and grow is not always easy, but it is life-changing. 
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 Thank you for EVERYTHING you do for MCHS!!!
Benchmarks are upon us! Testing begins next week for the ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies midterm assessments. NOW is the time to focus on the pre-assessment data recorded on your posters and have targeted conversations regarding student weaknesses. Need help navigating PowerSchool? Come see me! Dr. W. Owens is on the ball with SRI data as well! Looks like she and her students are anxiously awaiting the 2nd SRI assessment:)   Converting measurements and displaying talent! Thank you, Ms. Aiken, for sharing the work of one of your students! Impressive!
 Mrs. Sane uses www.todaysmeet.com to have students respond to her Essential Question at the beginning of class and then leads a conversation based on their responses.
TodaysMeet is a chat platform that provides every student a voice and encourages engagement and discussion. If you haven't tried it before, you should do so and let me know how it works.  Show some love to our Counselors today! It is the end of Counselor Appreciation Week and we want them to know how thankful we are to have each one of them!
Mr. Ross's students reviewing semester content with games they created...total engagement, fun, and meaningful method of assessment!
So, today I decided to step into Mr. Thornton's room to check out what our Seniors are doing. It seemed like a typical day...bell ringer and quiz review were on the agenda. Two sentences were on the board for parts of speech identification. Nothing special, right? Even a little boring, maybe? WRONG! Want to know why? Mr. Thornton's students were ENGAGED and ACCOUNTABLE. Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the most effective. Calling on students based on pulling names written on popsicle sticks from a popcorn bucket may seem elementary. Who cares? It works and it equates to instant accountability! Did they giggle? Yes, they did. Did they answer the questions when their name was called? Yes, they did. Did they pay attention because they thought they may be next? Yes, they did. Good instruction does not have to be complicated or labor intensive to be effective. Thank you, Mr. Thornton!  Check out the student-created videos below from Mr. Harris' class! The assignment was completely self-discovery, with the students only using their prior knowledge of equations and graphs. Thought it turned out great...thank you for sharing! When students are able to teach others a concept, their own understanding becomes much deeper. Having students create instructional videos is an innovative way for students to organize their thoughts and become "the expert" on a topic. If you would like to try it, you can explore screen recorders available online like Screencast-O-Matic or Icecream. The process is surprisingly simple!
Please make a point to stop by and thank our Fab Five for everything they do for us! We couldn't function without them!  Great examples of data being used in the classroom!
Stressed because there is so much content and so little time? There are some simple and creative ways being used to review and all you have to do is look next door! If you have a good idea you would like to share, please let me know!! Recently, Mrs. White implemented the new green screen into a class project. The task was for the students to use a digital platform and create a multimedia project using different satirical tools. After collaborating with Mrs. Ingle to generate ideas, she came up with the following:
The students were given a RAFT assignment which guided them in selecting a Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. Students could select their RAFT from a pre-made list or could come up with their own. They were then given a strict schedule, which allowed time for planning, rehearsing, and recording. Part I of the project was to create a satirical response to the problem they chose. All projects had to include at least five different satirical tools (i.e. hyperbole, litotes, sarcasm ridicule, parody, and invective). Part II of the project included a reflection where students reflected on why they chose their topic, why they chose that particular form of satire to address the problem, and how the students' interpretation effectively satirized the aspect they chose. Students used a free green screen app called TouchCast and recorded the skits using an iPad. Below is a copy of the RAFT used and examples of the student products. If you are interested in using the green screen or learning more about it, contact Mrs. Ingle. She would love to help you get started! |
