tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8717360476438667472024-03-13T15:07:18.010-04:00Corkboard ConnectionsConnecting Terrific Teachers with Amazing Resources!Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comBlogger272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-39188073755343050652018-11-02T23:13:00.000-04:002018-11-05T18:31:49.763-05:00Corkboard Connections Now On Teaching Resources<script type="text/javascript">
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I'm excited to announce that my Teaching Resources website and my Corkboard Connections blog are now together on <a href="http://lauracandler.com/">LauraCandler.com</a>! The two sites were formerly on separate platforms, but when Teaching Resources was redesigned earlier this year, a blog was integrated into the site. All of my Corkboard Connections posts were moved to <a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/category/blog/" target="_blank">the blog category</a> on Teaching Resources, and all new posts will be published there. I guess that means this is officially the last Corkboard Connections post!<br />
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How to Navigate the New Teaching Resources</h3>
The new Teaching Resources website is MASSIVE, so I organized the content into categories to make it easy to find what you need. Click over to the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/" target="_blank">home page</a> and then use the menu links at the top of the site for navigation. The new site is mobile-friendly and the pages will resize to fit your device, so what you see might be slightly different from the image above. Here's an overview of what you'll find when you click on each menu link.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/" target="_blank"><b>Home</b>:</a> No matter where you are on the Teaching Resources site, clicking the Home link will take you back to the main page at www.lauracandler.com.<br />
<a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/category/blog/" target="_blank"><b>Blog</b>:</a> Laura's Blog is where you'll find blog posts that were originally published here on Corkboard Connections as well as all new blog posts.<br />
<a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/resources/" target="_blank"><b>Resources</b>:</a> Here's where you'll find my virtual File Cabinet with hundreds of freebies. My professional development pages can also be found here. <b><br /></b> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Laura-Candler" target="_blank"><b>TpT Store</b>:</a> If you're looking for one of my teacher products, click this link to go directly to my TpT store.<br />
<a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/1421f9373f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5691878833913856/" target="_blank"><b>Freebies</b>:</a> Click the Freebies tab and sign up for my Candler's Classroom Connections newsletter. You'll get access to over 75 of my very best freebies for teachers!</blockquote>
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Quick Links to Popular Corkboard Connections Posts</h3>
Looking for a specific post? Here are a dozen of my most popular Corkboard Connections posts from the last few years. Click the titles below to find them on my new blog.<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/10-ways-to-power-up-any-lesson-maximize-learning/" target="_blank">10 Ways to Power Up Any Lesson and Maximize Learning</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/5-math-games-every-classroom-needs/" target="_blank">5 Math Games Every Classroom Needs to Play</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/motivate-kids-to-love-problem-solving/" target="_blank">8 Strategies to Motivate Kids to Love Problem Solving</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/classroom-awards-make-kids-feel-specia/" target="_blank">Classroom Awards Make Kids Feel Special!</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/tallest-cup-tower-stem-challenge/" target="_blank">Creating the Tallest Cup Tower: A STEM Challenge</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/behavior-reflections/" target="_blank">Exploring Causes and Effects of Behavior</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/fun-with-customary-measurement-conversions/" target="_blank">Fun with Customary Measurement Conversions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/introduce-decimals-with-base-ten-blocks/" target="_blank">How to Introduce Decimals with Base Ten Blocks</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/seek-spell-challenge-word-work/" target="_blank">Seek & Spell Challenge – Word Work That WORKS!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/teaching-kids-how-to-have-discussions/" target="_blank">Teaching Kids How to Have REAL Discussions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/teaching-order-of-operations/" target="_blank">Teaching Order of Operations: No-fail Strategies That Work</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/tips-for-teaching-with-math-games/" target="_blank">Tips for Teaching with Math Games</a></li>
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If you're looking for something that's not listed above, head over to my <a href="https://www.lauracandler.com/category/blog/" target="_blank">new blog</a> and use the category tags in the sidebar or the search feature at the bottom of the site to search for them.<br />
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Finally, I want to thank the folks at <a href="https://www.sonicseo.com/" target="_blank">SonicSEO</a> for creating my awesome new website! I'm thrilled with the mobile-friendly features and the way the blog and website were integrated seamlessly into one mobile-friendly site. They worked incredibly hard to transfer hundreds of pages and thousands of images from my blog and website over to the new platform, and I love the results!<br />
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There are still a few broken links and bugs on the new site, but I'm doing my best to correct those errors as I find them. If you do experience a problem, I would be grateful if you would report it on <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv-fW_l4AI_50Q-yzA1qHqC5u8_VOw0wedfF3TbiyZMwpzKg/viewform" target="_blank">this Google Doc form</a> so that I can look into the issue. Thanks!Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-42211111484407837982018-05-29T11:41:00.001-04:002018-12-04T07:50:04.501-05:0040 Hour Teacher Workweek Club Membership Giveaway<script type="text/javascript">
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I've been raving about Angela Watson's <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JULY18" target="_blank"><i><b>40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</b></i></a> for years because I truly believe that it's a life-changing resource. The <b><i>40 HTW Club</i></b> only accepts new members twice a year, and I'm excited to share that it will open again very soon. Membership isn't free, but it's worth every penny of your investment. And if you're lucky, you might even be able to join for free! Read on to learn more about the 40HTW Club and how to enter this membership giveaway.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The<i><b> <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JULY18" target="_blank">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</a></b></i> is a teacher productivity course that has helped thousands of teachers find work/life balance. If you aren't familiar with how the program works, click over to the <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JULY18" target="_blank">40 HTW Club</a> and explore the information on that page. Be sure to read the <a href="https://40htw.com/join/reviews/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JULY18" target="_blank">glowing testimonials</a> from teachers who have already joined, and take this <a href="https://40htw.com/join/quiz/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JULY18" target="_blank">personalized quiz</a> to find out if the program is right for you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99zLnGmkSDgg1jrG8QeiiTsWdzOPQ7I3EcJm9lDmoXnwTjsV4J394YQThukKJMFWlspx99sn1At-i0J1JbCzDZ4uvepGRh-DUF2TYS-tRNHx9AhrUEvj8nbpIfsx_wPla_3CVHRNDX6cE/s1600/40htwclubgiveawaypin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you ready to achieve work/life balance? Angela Watson's 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club has the all the tools you need to make it happen! Enter now to win a free membership in this life-changing program!" border="0" data-original-height="1337" data-original-width="731" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99zLnGmkSDgg1jrG8QeiiTsWdzOPQ7I3EcJm9lDmoXnwTjsV4J394YQThukKJMFWlspx99sn1At-i0J1JbCzDZ4uvepGRh-DUF2TYS-tRNHx9AhrUEvj8nbpIfsx_wPla_3CVHRNDX6cE/s400/40htwclubgiveawaypin.png" title="Are you ready to achieve work/life balance? Angela Watson's 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club has the all the tools you need to make it happen! Enter now to win a free membership in this life-changing program!" width="1" /></a></div>
If you're convinced that the <i><b>40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</b></i> is exactly what you need to achieve work/life balance, you have two options. You can wait to <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JULY18" target="_blank">purchase a membership when the club opens</a> or enter the giveaway now and cross your fingers! <br />
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<b>How to Enter the 40 HTW Club Membership Giveaway</b><br />
Entering the giveaway is easy! Just comment on this <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeachingResources/posts/10156881146515769" target="_blank">Teaching Resources Facebook post</a> </b>and/or fill out this <b><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxCgFwzvLdeGVjVXhHa35EYaWo_WMycddzfM_twvvZOzMV_A/viewform" target="_blank">Google Doc entry form</a></b> no later than 9 pm ET on Monday, June 4th. <i>You can enter in both places if you want to be sure that your entry is received. </i><br />
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Explain why you want to win a membership in the <b><i>40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</i></b>, and how you expect to benefit from the resources. In your entry, please share the grade level and/or subject area you teach, too. <i>The more detail you include in your entry about why you want to win, the better your chances of winning</i>.<br />
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<b>Important Giveaway Details </b></div>
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<li>The giveaway will end on <b>Monday, June 4th , at 9 pm ET</b>. </li>
<li>40 HTW Club membership is not transferable, so only enter if you want to become a member yourself. If you're already a member and you know someone who could benefit from joining the club, please share the giveaway details with him or her. </li>
<li>Facebook sometimes removes posts without warning, so if you enter on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeachingResources/posts/10156881146515769" target="_blank">Facebook</a> you might also want to fill out this <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxCgFwzvLdeGVjVXhHa35EYaWo_WMycddzfM_twvvZOzMV_A/viewform" target="_blank">Google Doc entry form.</a> You can copy and paste your entry on Facebook right into the form, and you won't be disqualified for doing so. </li>
<li>The winner will be chosen in a semi-random drawing. After the giveaway ends, I'll combine all of the entries posted on Facebook or in the Google Doc, and I'll use a random-selection method to choose 10 finalists. After reading the finalists' entries, I'll personally select the winner. </li>
<li>On June 5th, I'll send an email to <b><i>Candler's Classroom Connections</i></b> subscribers to announce the winner's name. If you are not on my email list, <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/1421f9373f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5691878833913856/" target="_blank">sign up now</a> so you'll be sure to receive this notification. (You'll get access to over 75 free resources, too!)</li>
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Are you ready to achieve work/life balance? Angela Watson's<i><b> <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JULY18" target="_blank">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</a></b></i> has the all the tools you need to make it happen! You might get lucky and win a free membership, but if you don't, I encourage you to purchase a membership on your own. I can guarantee that if you do, you'll be more than ready to make the 2018-2019 school year your best ever! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVEaAhr-6Tt8A2rmgDf7iVhML9-erwi2YwApHjNybAbw-N-P8TqQheFpN5qV7cwOLQ0-glG1ZoGn51cC8JC20tEjZ-sSE3epvNOljQVv1YMmPsUpeETcrcgrZdmEA9nV0ynDwfLJ0H1M0/s1600/signature+large.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="66" data-original-width="370" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVEaAhr-6Tt8A2rmgDf7iVhML9-erwi2YwApHjNybAbw-N-P8TqQheFpN5qV7cwOLQ0-glG1ZoGn51cC8JC20tEjZ-sSE3epvNOljQVv1YMmPsUpeETcrcgrZdmEA9nV0ynDwfLJ0H1M0/s200/signature+large.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Disclaimer: The links in this post are affiliate links which means I earn a commission if you purchase a <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JULY18" target="_blank">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</a> membership after clicking on my link. However, I can promise you that I would never promote a product or service if I didn’t believe in it 100%. Angela is the creator of The Cornerstone For Teachers blog, and if you follow her, you'll know she's amazing.</i></span></div>
Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-16595486658401850382018-04-28T14:00:00.001-04:002018-07-04T16:32:08.781-04:00Google Classroom Management Tips<script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUsE07J-icX8koI4hBLVwlABnsaXfbXlEOtuObg-GqJUaFuTzn1YWUGVj2kvMbooXBVJW9kQ4ITlv1OHV4IYyqA6JpuitKliMAyDNdSQaXLuddWE4j2S317i7g6xv-7EF9ry4tX8uQgRF/s1600/ManageGoogleClassroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using Google Classroom can streamline the tasks of assigning, collecting, grading, and returning student work, but learning to use the program can be overwhelming. Read these time-saving Google Classroom tips to learn simple strategies for managing this powerful program!" border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1202" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUsE07J-icX8koI4hBLVwlABnsaXfbXlEOtuObg-GqJUaFuTzn1YWUGVj2kvMbooXBVJW9kQ4ITlv1OHV4IYyqA6JpuitKliMAyDNdSQaXLuddWE4j2S317i7g6xv-7EF9ry4tX8uQgRF/s640/ManageGoogleClassroom.jpg" title="Using Google Classroom can streamline the tasks of assigning, collecting, grading, and returning student work, but learning to use the program can be overwhelming. Read these time-saving Google Classroom tips to learn simple strategies for managing this powerful program!" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Guest Blog Post by Rhoda Toynbee </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQ0frAtqmUWRecBnlsG9QNHNj00k_6jRXWptkOztqNTyhL9HGLpLwj-zWs2_5Ws8ldy8Ro_fcbXf-gMlqtAV97dBWpJYAGMoAwVbDremJMnEfCwrAd9Q1RdCqJKGPdqnh00s5qwVXhhsh/s1600/ManageGoogleClassroomPin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using Google Classroom can streamline the tasks of assigning, collecting, grading, and returning student work, but learning to use the program can be overwhelming. Read these time-saving Google Classroom tips to learn simple strategies for managing this powerful program!" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQ0frAtqmUWRecBnlsG9QNHNj00k_6jRXWptkOztqNTyhL9HGLpLwj-zWs2_5Ws8ldy8Ro_fcbXf-gMlqtAV97dBWpJYAGMoAwVbDremJMnEfCwrAd9Q1RdCqJKGPdqnh00s5qwVXhhsh/s640/ManageGoogleClassroomPin.jpg" title="Using Google Classroom can streamline the tasks of assigning, collecting, grading, and returning student work, but learning to use the program can be overwhelming. Read these time-saving Google Classroom tips to learn simple strategies for managing this powerful program!" width="1" /></a></div>
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Using Google Classroom can streamline the tasks of assigning, collecting, grading, and returning student work. It saves hours of time and eliminates those dreaded piles of papers that need grading (you know the ones that mock you from the corner of your desk). One major bonus is of digital work and management is that you only need access to the internet to work on assigning and grading. Your huge teacher bag full of papers and workbooks will start collecting dust.<br />
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You will need to establish a routine for assigning and grading digital work. It can be just as daunting and overwhelming as traditional grading if you don’t have a method for wading through it all. Google Classroom is a tool, just like your grade book or textbook. How you use it will determine your success with it.<br />
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<b>Organizing Your Google Classroom Content</b></h3>
Organize your content by folders (subject, month, topic) so it’s easier to access the activities you plan to assign. Most things that you assign in Google Classroom will come straight from your Google Drive. If you have a great system for organizing the content, the following year with your next class will be a breeze.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLDmWAW0_2cc3xfFS2UnDJ_Eop0yXA0DvwWLT1lM5pv_YcZfURWkyBUbdexZCtB41hKMyjlSpYfTDk2veR9I6_SESDPOKAfihdfeodLMxMoYGro2t_PoX_YP58su0NSgWUAT84xtFQYZ5/s1600/Google_Classroom_management_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="1000" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLDmWAW0_2cc3xfFS2UnDJ_Eop0yXA0DvwWLT1lM5pv_YcZfURWkyBUbdexZCtB41hKMyjlSpYfTDk2veR9I6_SESDPOKAfihdfeodLMxMoYGro2t_PoX_YP58su0NSgWUAT84xtFQYZ5/s640/Google_Classroom_management_01.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Does your school purchase the “digital” version or CD version of your textbooks and worksheets?<br />
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You can access these and then save the page as a JPG (picture format) to your drive or desktop. Next, open Google Slides and set your page size to 8.5 x 11 inches (regular paper size). Right-click on the slide and click “format background”. Instead of choosing a color, you can insert an image. Select the worksheet you want to assign, and it will become the background of the slide.<br />
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This ensures your students can’t move the page around or accidentally delete parts of it. They can still delete the slide though, so you may have to reassign the lesson to that particular student. Once you teach your students to create text boxes, they will be able to complete assignments and submit them all digitally.<br />
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<b>Pro Tip:</b> Turning all your worksheets into Google Classroom is time-consuming, and it’s not a true “integration of technology”. It’s a great paper saver as well as an organizational tool, but if an assignment is a “fill in the blank” digitally, that isn’t any different than a “fill in the blank” on paper. Maybe pick and choose the main resources you would like to present within Google Classroom and start by only converting those worksheets over to digital assignments. There are true interactive and integrated lessons on Teachers Pay Teachers that you can try as well.<br />
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<b>Sharing Links and Resources</b></h3>
There are two ways to assign links to websites. You can create a “link” as an assignment and send it to all your students to access. This also works for videos that you want your students to watch for a lesson or additional information. If it’s a link that you will be using frequently, then you may want to consider adding this to the “about section” of your class. This is a great place to add typing websites, learning platforms, or websites that your students need to access on a regular basis. Don’t overuse this feature, but definitely put some information here to save yourself time.<br />
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<b>Keep Your Google Classroom Feed Clean</b></h3>
The Google Classroom feed can become very busy and overwhelming if you are assigning multiple things each week. Deleting older assignments that you have graded is a great way to keep the feed clean and easy to navigate. The exception to this would be assignments that you will repeatedly assign and that won’t be changed much. These assignments can be re-used and posted again, and that includes the option to re-use them the following year. How you manage the feed is a personal preference. If you want to re-use things, then setting them up in a way that they can be quickly edited and re-used the first time you assign them will save you time later.<br />
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With younger students, it’s better to not “return” the assignment after you have graded it. This will clutter up your students’ feed, and they won’t understand why you are sending it back. They can view the grade, but it’s obscure and they probably won’t spend the time to check it. Returns can be reserved for those assignments that need corrections only. This way your students will know that if an assignment is back in their feed and not marked “done” that they need to improve the quality before they submit it again.<br />
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<h3>
More Google Classroom Management Tips</h3>
<b>Email Tips -</b> Use the email feature if you have older students. It’s not a feature you will want to bother with for the younger grades. You will also want to decide your preference for email notifications that are sent to you when a student marks an assignment as “done.” With a class of 20-25 emails, your inbox will fill up SUPER fast if you get a notification each time a student finishes their work. There are 3 lines (the burger icon) in the top left of your Google Classroom window. Select “settings” at the bottom and then mark your email preference in the checkbox.<br />
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<b>Online Discussion Tips</b> - Students have the ability to start a discussion on an assignment. The display is similar to a forum or a chat window. You can choose to let them use this feature or incorporate it into some projects as part of their collaboration. You will definitely want to teach a lesson on classroom expectations and digital citizenship before you do this. You have the ability to mute discussions if they can’t keep the discussion on topic or if they only want to use the discussions for meaningless chat.<br />
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<b>Grading Tips -</b> If you have an online grading platform, it may or may not integrate with Google Classroom. You will have to do some research to see what your options are for your specific program. A workaround for any program is to open your grade book program in one window or tab and then shrink it down to one half the size of your monitor. Next, open up your Google Classroom grade list and shrink that tab or window down to fill in the other half of your screen. Now you can glance at your Google Classroom grades as you quickly add them to your grading program.<br />
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<b>Keyboard Shortcut Tips</b> - Teach your students the magic of Command/Control Z. The first time they start to panic because they have deleted a page in the slideshow or a long passage, that they just spent 20 minutes typing and you mysteriously hit the “undo” button, they will be amazed. After that, you can teach them how to do the same keyboard shortcut to undo their mistake before they panic, and they will be forever grateful. While you are at it, teach them to copy and paste as well. They will need those skills as they progress through their digital careers and the sooner they learn them, the more efficient they will be.<br />
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Teach yourself the magic of keyboard shortcuts as well. Keystrokes are more efficient than moving your hand back to a mouse and then having to relocate your cursor onto the next box. For example, while you are entering grades for assignments, you can use the down key to move the cursor down to the next student.<br />
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<h3>
Becoming Proficient with Google Classroom (and a Freebie!)</h3>
The program is most effective when you assign digital work and activities in Google Classroom a few times a week. If you want your students to be proficient at using technology, they need to use it on a regular basis. You need to be using it yourself and interacting with it as well if you hope to become proficient with it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Standardized-or-State-Test-Prep-Math-Task-Cards-Google-Slides-Paperless-Free-3728474?utm_source=Corkboard%20Connections&utm_campaign=Google%20Slides%20Math%20Task%20Cards%20%20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="440" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2d6mSfvJ_mwGIFSMVq0wWlcWuG6BWF3ikmAObLGQseFNTIRZIMBq9MBttgcoOUHu55oWBhq0mQoUCXk3Y4c7Fs_xvHpHNm51_Zytr2w0LV4_kJNzhF_GI6-s2pq3Xg1DdzVt8nuX4IKFJ/s320/googleclassroomfreebie.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>You can start with free resources like my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Standardized-or-State-Test-Prep-Math-Task-Cards-Google-Slides-Paperless-Free-3728474?utm_source=Corkboard%20Connections&utm_campaign=Google%20Slides%20Math%20Task%20Cards%20%20" target="_blank">Google Slides Math Task Cards Review</a>.</b> This set of slides can be used for whole group review, small group discussion and practice, or individual assignments. If you assign the set to all students in your class, they will need to mark "done" when finished. You will be able to see at a glance who has turned in their assignment and who still needs to. To grade their slides, open their submitted presentation and view their answers. The easiest way to mark them is to turn an incorrect answer red (or the color of your choice).<br />
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Use <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Standardized-or-State-Test-Prep-Math-Task-Cards-Google-Slides-Paperless-Free-3728474?utm_source=Corkboard%20Connections&utm_campaign=Google%20Slides%20Math%20Task%20Cards%20%20" target="_blank">this freebie</a> or other resources to practice assigning and implementing different assignments through Google Classroom. The more you use Google Classroom, the more you’ll discover about what you can accomplish with this amazing program.<br />
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<i>Rhoda Toynbee is a classroom teacher who creates educational resources. She blogs about teacher life and shares tips for teacherpreneurs at <a href="http://rhodadesignstudio.com/blog/" target="_blank">Rhoda Design Studio</a>. Finding a balance between school, raising two children, and being creative is important to her. Part of that balance is found while “being techie” on her laptop and learning new things. Living in rural Montana provides ample opportunity for learning time and play time. Rhoda enjoys riding dirt bikes in the summer and finds it to be a great way to gear up for the next school year. </i><br />
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Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-79896489643500093042018-01-14T21:41:00.000-05:002018-06-07T18:29:53.138-04:00Teachers, Help MrOwl Help YOU!<script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LC2IutlN7jrbzv_T0WWYqBRjktFXrXO8-VF4LQ0B4DTCaDYRYAkKL1h5j9NVRvOBN3ZlE4fNzRGKUEuvxPPlwNgfgdPym2ik4MMkAqG0YkhTcbzqxlRlq4OAxOiIpHqIzkorYexVW1e3/s1600/help-mrowl-help-you.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="710" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LC2IutlN7jrbzv_T0WWYqBRjktFXrXO8-VF4LQ0B4DTCaDYRYAkKL1h5j9NVRvOBN3ZlE4fNzRGKUEuvxPPlwNgfgdPym2ik4MMkAqG0YkhTcbzqxlRlq4OAxOiIpHqIzkorYexVW1e3/s640/help-mrowl-help-you.png" width="230" /></a>Wouldn't it be awesome to find a free tech tool for creating collections of online resources, photos, and documents all in one place? Look no further! Welcome to <a href="http://www.mrowl.com/" target="_blank">MrOwl</a>, a new platform that makes it easy for teachers to search for online resources and save them, upload photos and documents, organize resources by topic, share them with others, and so much more!<br />
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I discovered MrOwl last year when the founders, Becky and Arvind Raichur, asked me to review MrOwl and share my feedback about how to make the platform more useful for educators. After reviewing the site, I was so impressed that I <a href="https://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2017/08/mrowl.html" target="_blank">wrote a blog review</a> and <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/mrowl/" target="_blank">developed a webinar</a> to introduce MrOwl to educators.<br />
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To be clear, MrOwl is a public platform, and it wasn’t specifically designed for educational use. However, it does have loads of unique features that make it especially appealing to teachers. Here are a few of the things you can do with MrOwl: <br />
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<ul>
<li>Create topic-based collections of resources called "branches"</li>
<li>Make your branches public or private</li>
<li>Search for, save, and organize online resources</li>
<li>Upload photos and documents to your topic branches</li>
<li>Share collections of resources with others</li>
<li>Connect and collaborate with others who share your interests</li>
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<b>Discover MrOwl Webinar </b><br />
One of the best ways to explore the unique features of MrOwl is to watch my webinar for teachers, <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/mrowl/" target="_blank">Discover MrOwl: A Free Tech Tool for Organizing, Sharing, and Collaborating</a>. During the webinar, I explained how to set up your profile and how to use the basic features of the MrOwl platform. But the most important part of the webinar was demonstrating how to use MrOwl in your role as an educational professional and how to use it in your classroom with students.<br />
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<b>Teachers, Help MrOwl Help YOU!</b><br />
One thing that has impressed me about Becky and Arvind is their sincere desire to make MrOwl even more useful for teachers and more appropriate for students. They're excited about MrOwl's potential for classroom use, and they're seeking feedback from educators about how to improve the platform so that it meets YOUR needs. They'd like to add a special MrOwl for Educators FAQ section to their Help menu, but they need help from teachers to make this happen. Here's how you can help:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Watch the replay of the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/mrowl/" target="_blank">Discover MrOwl webinar</a>. </b>Before you watch it, print out the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/mrowl/MrOwlWebinarNotes.pdf" target="_blank">Discover MrOwl webinar handouts</a> so you'll have a place to take notes.</li>
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<li><b>Create a free account on <a href="https://www.mrowl.com/" target="_blank">MrOwl</a>. </b>When you register, keep in mind that your user name will be visible on the site, so choose one that you won't mind others seeing.</li>
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<li><b>Log on to the MrOwl from a computer and explore the platform</b>. Create a few topic branches and subtopics within those branches. Search for online resources and save them. Upload photos or documents to one of your topic branches. Download the MrOwl smart phone app from <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id1214556811?mt=8" target="_blank">Apple iTunes</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mrowlandroid&hl=en" target="_blank">Google Play</a>, and test out the mobile version of the platform. Find <a href="https://www.mrowl.com/user/laura_candler" target="_blank">Laura Candler</a> on MrOwl and follow me!</li>
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<li><b>If you have questions or need help with MrOwl, click on the Help menu</b> in the navigation bar to access the help pages. Were you able to find the answers there? If not, make a note of your questions so that you can ask them during the webinar.</li>
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<li><b>How do you envision using MrOwl both professionally and in the classroom with your students?</b> What additional features would make MrOwl even better for educators? What information should be included in the MrOwl for Educators FAQ help menu? </li>
</ol>
If this is the first you've heard about MrOwl, read my <a href="https://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2017/08/mrowl.html" target="_blank">original blog review</a> to learn a more about this new technology. Then watch the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/mrowl/" target="_blank">Discover MrOwl</a> webinar and share your feedback with Becky and Arvind. They really do want to hear from you, because they need YOUR help to make MrOwl an even more amazing resource for educators!<br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-65135753408659657102018-01-04T18:09:00.000-05:002018-06-07T18:24:34.143-04:00Plickers Made Easy with Task Cards<script type="text/javascript">
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Have you tapped into the power of Plickers yet? Plickers is a free, interactive tech tool that uses printable “paper clickers” instead of clicker devices. Each student is assigned a unique Plickers card that has a black and white image similar to a QR code. The letters A, B, C, and D are written in small print around the edge of the image, with one letter on each side of the card. During the lesson, the teacher displays a multiple-choice or true-false question. Then students hold up their Plickers cards and rotate them to indicate which answer they think is correct. The teacher scans all of the response cards at once, using the Plickers app installed on a mobile device. He or she can instantly see the student responses and assessment data for that question including who has the correct answer and who does not.<br />
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Plickers is a terrific formative assessment tool, but it can be used for much more than assessment. In fact, teachers are using it for everything from digital exit tickets to checking attendance or even taking the morning lunch count! The more I learn about the creative ways teachers are using Plickers, the more I want to spread the word about this amazing free resource!<br />
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If you're new to Plickers, I have a suggestion that will save you time and might prevent some of the initial frustration that comes with learning a new program. First, visit the Plickers.com website and sign up for a free account. Take a peek around the site, but before you do anything else, watch my free webinar, <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/plickers/plickers-webinar-registration.html" target="_blank">Interactive Teaching with Plickers</a>. During that webinar, I explained exactly how to set up your account and how to use Plickers to actively engage your students in the learning process. Teachers who attended the webinar really enjoyed it and said it helped them feel more confident about using the program with their students. Another way to learn about Plickers is to join my free <a href="http://bit.ly/plickersgroups" target="_blank">Plickers K-5 Facebook group</a> which is a place for teachers to share ideas, ask questions, and support each other.<br />
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<b>Create Plickers Questions with Task Cards </b><br />
Plickers is an amazing tech tool for the classroom, but it does have one drawback. The program doesn’t have a database of prepared questions, so users have to enter their own. Most teachers type their questions and answer options manually, but fortunately there’s an easier method. Plickers allows users to import images, so you can upload images of questions instead of typing them. If you’re wondering why this would be helpful, think TASK CARDS! Multiple-choice task cards are like mini quizzes, each having a single question and several answer choices. If you create images from task cards and upload them to Plickers, you won’t have to type the questions OR the answers manually!<br />
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<b>Where to Find Task Card Images </b><br />
Task cards have been popular for years, so there’s a good chance you already have a collection of them in your classroom. You can easily create images from those task cards using a screen capture tool, but there's another option that might interest you. I love creating resources that save teachers time, so I've started adding ready-to-use task card images to my multiple-choice task card products. I've also been creating brand-new task card sets with images for Plickers.<br />
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To test out the process of using task card images with Plickers, download the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Measurement-Task-Cards-Basic-Units-of-Customary-Measurement-3558064?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Free%20Measurement%20TC" target="_blank">Basic Units of Customary Measurement Task Cards</a> shown below. This freebie includes 10 printable task cards, 10 task card images, and my <i>Plickers Made Easy with Task Cards</i> tutorial.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Measurement-Task-Cards-Basic-Units-of-Customary-Measurement-3558064?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Free%20Measurement%20TC" target="_blank"><b>Click here to download these free measurement task cards!</b></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Measurement-Task-Cards-Basic-Units-of-Customary-Measurement-3558064?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Free%20Measurement%20TC" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1287" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGZtJ5YlnTL1RoT01wZobliDJTb-lpDws2U0I9LpR4coOLD3Xxa9mzS1Diekq-HmEYNi7O2S_qSo0MUATAtJbu5Ov2p6pflF5ya2ynN9PevdMljJIotDwOwIOXejqkJYJxqA1IclbmVNS/s400/measurementtaskcardsfreebie.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you like this freebie, be sure to check out my other measurement task cards, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Measurement-Conversion-Task-Cards-Level-1-Includes-Images-for-Plickers-3525853?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Measurement%20TC%20Level%201" target="_blank">Customary Measurement Task Cards - Level 1</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Measurement-Task-Cards-Level-2-5th-Grade-Includes-Images-for-Plickers-3525866?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Measurement%20TC%20L2" target="_blank">Customary Measurement Task Cards - Level 2</a>. </div>
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<b>Free Plickers Made Easy with Task Cards Tutorial</b><br />
If you don't teach measurement, but you'd like to try using task cards with Plickers, download my free <i><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plickers-Made-Easy-With-Task-Cards-Free-2225398?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Free%20Plickers%20Tutorial" target="_blank">Plickers Made Easy with Task Cards</a></i> tutorial from TpT and follow my step-by-step directions. This freebie includes 10 task card images to use with the tutorial, and if they're appropriate for your grade level, you can use them to test out the Plickers program with your students.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plickers-Made-Easy-With-Task-Cards-Free-2225398?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Free%20Plickers%20Tutorial" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="860" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLm2Bqefw0HdCi1TQyccY_05McOM3dmhYgseZuTbhmZBlWixJ2eA2DaCX5DSrhkCuDtT0rQ83iXjK4KHEwpibv2M77_aJ4osudE2jCR8iYvI0JqO9vo_Yr9RWaSPNiMmhPfqOMWP6O8_Z/s400/plickerstutorial.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Plickers Webinar and Task Cards Bundle</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/plickers/PlickersWebinarBundlePreview.pdf" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EcnAKTDvnNXXuczMxMommRlID-L280l0S8Xo3vZGR_FxeMpLtxvh5a4Dt5HEK9OZuXleVnSii4QCx4JZ4cfGtQDsG2pWcSFW32DuzLg2zGMMrHYyhjyu_cMBubTkdbTmh0wKa1i5426b/s320/Plickers+Webinar+Bundle+Preview+Jan+2018.png" width="247" /></a></div>
After creating several task card products with images for Plickers, I decided to bundle all of them together with the professional development version of my Plickers webinar. Click here to check out the entire <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plickers-Webinar-and-Task-Cards-Growing-Bundle-3003487?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Plickers%20Bundle" target="_blank">Plickers Webinar and Task Cards Growing Bundle</a> on TpT. You can purchase each product in the bundle individually, but you save 30% when you buy the whole bundle. <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/plickers/PlickersWebinarBundlePreview.pdf" target="_blank">Click here to open a clickable PDF preview</a> that displays all 12 products in the bundle.<br />
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By the way, the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plickers-Webinar-and-Task-Cards-Growing-Bundle-3003487?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20Jan%204%202017&utm_campaign=Plickers%20Bundle" target="_blank">Plickers Webinar Bundle</a> is a "growing bundle," because I'm still adding new task cards to it. Each time I add another product, the bundle price increases, but anyone who has already purchased it will get the new task cards for free! My next product is a set of <b><i>Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition</i></b> task cards that will have written descriptions and visual examples of these processes. I expect to finish them within the next few weeks.<br />
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<b>Ready to get started? </b><br />
Plickers is a tech tool worth exploring, so jump in and give it a try! But don’t be discouraged if you find the program to be a little tricky at first. Yes, there's a bit of a learning curve when you get started, but after you get comfortable with Plickers, you and your students will love it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVEaAhr-6Tt8A2rmgDf7iVhML9-erwi2YwApHjNybAbw-N-P8TqQheFpN5qV7cwOLQ0-glG1ZoGn51cC8JC20tEjZ-sSE3epvNOljQVv1YMmPsUpeETcrcgrZdmEA9nV0ynDwfLJ0H1M0/s1600/signature+large.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="66" data-original-width="370" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVEaAhr-6Tt8A2rmgDf7iVhML9-erwi2YwApHjNybAbw-N-P8TqQheFpN5qV7cwOLQ0-glG1ZoGn51cC8JC20tEjZ-sSE3epvNOljQVv1YMmPsUpeETcrcgrZdmEA9nV0ynDwfLJ0H1M0/s200/signature+large.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-54226110098257124742017-12-24T17:29:00.000-05:002019-01-29T21:27:11.125-05:0040 Hour Teacher Workweek Club Membership Giveaway<script type="text/javascript">
window.location = "https://www.lauracandler.com/40htwclub-membership-giveaway/";
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I've been raving about Angela Watson's <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JAN18" target="_blank"><i><b>40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</b></i></a> for years because I truly believe that it's a life-changing resource. The 40 HTW Club will be open to new members starting on December 30th, and the good news is that you might be able to enroll in the club for free! Read on to find out how to enter my 40 HTW Club membership giveaway.<br />
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The<i><b> <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JAN18" target="_blank">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</a></b></i> is a teacher productivity course that has helped thousands of teachers find work/life balance. If you aren't familiar with how the program works, the best way to learn about it is to explore the resources on the <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JAN18" target="_blank">40 HTW Club</a> website. Be sure to read some of the <a href="https://40htw.com/join/reviews/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JAN18" target="_blank">glowing testimonials</a> from teachers who have already joined the club, and take this <a href="https://40htw.com/join/quiz/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JAN18" target="_blank">personalized quiz</a> to find out if the program is right for you.<br />
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If you're convinced that the <i><b>40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</b></i> is exactly what you need to achieve work/life balance, you have two options. You can <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JAN18" target="_blank">purchase a membership when the club opens on December 30th</a> or enter the giveaway now and cross your fingers! <br />
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<b>How to Enter the 40 HTW Club Membership Giveaway</b><br />
<b>Click over to my Teaching Resources Facebook page and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeachingResources/photos/a.10150090825115769.275758.32762235768/10156423142675769/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">comment on the giveaway post</a> before 9 pm ET on December 29th.</b> Explain why you want to win a membership in the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club, and how you expect to benefit from the club resources. In your entry, please share the grade level and/or subject area you teach, too. <i>The more detail you include in your entry about why you want to win, the better your chances of winning</i>.<br />
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<b>More Giveaway Details You Need to Know </b></div>
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<li>The giveaway ends on December 29th at 9 pm ET. </li>
<li>40 HTW Club membership is not transferable, so only enter if you want to become a member yourself. If you're already a member and you know someone who could benefit from joining the club, please share the giveaway details with him or her. </li>
<li>There's no limit to the length of your entry, but your entire entry needs to be contained in a single comment on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeachingResources/photos/a.10150090825115769.275758.32762235768/10156423142675769/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">this membership giveaway Facebook post</a>. </li>
<li>After the giveaway ends on December 29th, I'll use a random-selection app to select 10 entries from all of the comments on the giveaway Facebook post. After reading all 10 entries carefully, I'll personally select the final winner. </li>
<li>On the morning of December 30th, I'll send an email to my <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/1421f9373f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5691878833913856/" target="_blank">Candler's Classroom Connections</a> subscribers to announce the winner's name. If you are not on my email list, <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/1421f9373f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5691878833913856/" target="_blank">sign up now</a> so you'll be sure to receive this notification. (You'll get access to over 75 free resources, too!)</li>
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If you have questions about the <b><i>40 HTW Club </i></b>and would like to connect with teachers who are already enrolled in it, join my Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teachersworkingsmarter/" target="_blank">Teachers Working Smarter</a>. It's a private group, so you'll need to fill out this <a href="http://bit.ly/teachersworkingsmarter" target="_blank">Google Doc form</a> to request access. After you're in the group, you can ask anything you'd like and you'll get answers from teachers who are in the club. </div>
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Are you ready to achieve work/life balance? Angela Watson's<i><b> <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-MG-JAN18" target="_blank">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</a></b></i> has the all the tools you need to make it happen! You might get lucky and win a free membership, but if you don't, I encourage you to purchase a membership on your own. I can guarantee that if you do, you'll make 2018 your best year ever! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVEaAhr-6Tt8A2rmgDf7iVhML9-erwi2YwApHjNybAbw-N-P8TqQheFpN5qV7cwOLQ0-glG1ZoGn51cC8JC20tEjZ-sSE3epvNOljQVv1YMmPsUpeETcrcgrZdmEA9nV0ynDwfLJ0H1M0/s1600/signature+large.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="66" data-original-width="370" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVEaAhr-6Tt8A2rmgDf7iVhML9-erwi2YwApHjNybAbw-N-P8TqQheFpN5qV7cwOLQ0-glG1ZoGn51cC8JC20tEjZ-sSE3epvNOljQVv1YMmPsUpeETcrcgrZdmEA9nV0ynDwfLJ0H1M0/s200/signature+large.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Disclaimer: The links in this post are affiliate links which means I earn a commission if you purchase a membership after clicking on my link. However, I can promise you that I would never promote a product or service to my followers if I didn’t believe in it 100%. Angela is the creator of The Cornerstone For Teachers blog, and if you follow her, you'll know she's amazing.</i></span></div>
Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-11636015787611479172017-12-20T16:19:00.000-05:002018-12-06T08:01:30.111-05:00How to Trim HOURS Off Your Teacher Workweek NOW!<script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZPe0CSG0oWVaN8p_LZPG5pREcOGeqynWdW7DBCEUbC_WXfGP9vTOQfqd243vdjWRr4iRSymTUHKABpcF_zcwTJYZGERTknnNWk_9wOCO5ThNiPsGxkQhTIyWlavxVaXLNZC04c7Ion05/s1600/trim3hoursoffworkweek.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZPe0CSG0oWVaN8p_LZPG5pREcOGeqynWdW7DBCEUbC_WXfGP9vTOQfqd243vdjWRr4iRSymTUHKABpcF_zcwTJYZGERTknnNWk_9wOCO5ThNiPsGxkQhTIyWlavxVaXLNZC04c7Ion05/s640/trim3hoursoffworkweek.png" width="1" /></a></div>
<a href="https://40htw.com/join/webinar/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-JAN18" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="698" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNQTfuun2YlUZqqfKw3Be3f57GNwn7cNeAV55cIQpaT16mg13muhovHR8NyBq5UBP23IWP5lH-x3Y1ANKBmWNdj5U8RHVV7Wu4fmw5CRzQ7xmK1acGJHagEpwQycM23pHrhmWQODjJzUM/s320/howtotrim3hours.png" width="191" /></a>It's hard to believe that the typical workweek is 40 hours, because a 40-hour workweek seems like an impossible dream to most teachers. When you add up the time spent planning lessons, prepping materials, teaching students, attending meetings, grading papers, and contacting parents, it's easy to understand why most teachers work 50, 60, or even 70 hours a week!<br />
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Teachers don't necessarily WANT to work this many hours, but they don't believe it's possible to work less time and still be effective. <b>I used to feel that way, too, but I was wrong. </b><br />
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My eyes were opened when I watched Angela Watson's online workshop for teachers, <b><a href="https://40htw.com/join/webinar/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-JAN18" target="_blank">Trim Three (or More!) Hours Off Your Workweek NOW</a>. </b>Every time she introduced a new productivity strategy, I thought, "Wow! Why didn't I think of that?! I was amazed at the number of productivity tips and simple strategies she was sharing that could easily trim <b>HOURS </b>off a teacher's workweek!<br />
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When Angela said that making a few small changes can make a big difference in your workload, it was like a light bulb went off in my head! <b>I realized that the most important thing we have to change is our mindsets.</b> When we adopt a <b>growth mindset</b> and open ourselves to new possibilities, we start to see dozens of ways to save time and be more productive!<br />
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<a href="https://40htw.com/join/webinar/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-JAN18" target="_blank">Watch Angela's free online workshop</a> to see what I mean. <u>This training will only be free until January 9th</u>, so take time to watch it now while it's free.<br />
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<b>Supercharge Your Results with the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club!</b><br />
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<a href="https://join.40htw.com/40htw/?join=27&campaign=bl-wb" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPp3faaGNqHOx7P-II7mRCwav-17EO5u2JAPMHIhpbp4CRiYKXkT5BpWGk6JVTMLK6Bo0ZoKvVG04OTQR5QkL890s4Qjt1KxH6Ux_-pJK-h2yC2pcifccrqmPvkStkbEA0J98B6ggfrsI9/s320/40hourtwwclub.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
If you like the strategies Angela shares in the webinar, take it a step farther by joining her <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-JAN18" target="_blank">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</a>. If you do, I guarantee that you'll get even more drastic results!<br />
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<b>According to a recent survey, club members who completed the course cut an average of 11 hours from their workweeks!</b> Holy cow! That's over 500 hours a year!<br />
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I've written several posts about the 40 HTW Club because it's an amazing resource for teachers. <b>I truly believe that if you can achieve work/life balance, you'll be a happier and more effective teacher, and this club will give you the tools to do that.</b><br />
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If you'd like to learn more about why the club is so amazing, read <a href="http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2016/12/keep-the-joy-in-teaching.html" target="_blank">New Year's Resolutions that Will Help You Keep the Joy in Teaching</a> and <a href="http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2016/06/keep-the-joy-in-teaching.html" target="_blank">How to Get Organized and Keep the Joy in Teaching</a>.<br />
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<b>If you'd like to spend less time working, but you just don't think it's possible, you NEED to watch Angela Watson's free online training, <a href="https://40htw.com/join/webinar/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-JAN18" target="_blank">Trim Three (or More!) Hours Off Your Workweek Now</a>. </b>If you implement just a few of the tips you learn, you'll be able to cut hours from your workweek with very little effort, and you'll be that much closer to achieving work/life balance!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Disclaimer: I'm an affiliate of Angela's 40 HTW Club which means I earn a commission each time someone purchases the course after clicking on my </span><a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-JAN18" style="background-color: white; color: #007f00; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">affiliate link</a><span style="background-color: white;">. However, I would never recommend a course to you unless I was convinced it was absolutely amazing! I can assure you that if you're willing to do the work, your results will be amazing, even life-changing!</span></i></span><br />
<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-61041042012304119832017-09-23T20:00:00.002-04:002018-07-05T12:29:37.708-04:00MI Theory and Growth Mindset: Helping Kids Discover their Strengths and Overcome Challenges<script type="text/javascript">
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Multiple Intelligence Theory and the research on Growth Mindset offer us insight into how the brain works, what it means to be intelligent, and how we respond to the challenges of life. Both frameworks have important implications for teaching and learning, and they’re even more powerful when implemented together. In this post, I’ll explain why I think it’s important to teach students about multiple intelligence theory and growth mindset, and I’ll wrap up by sharing a step-by-step process for teaching your students how to discover their own unique strengths and use them to develop strategies for overcoming challenges. I used three MI theory and growth mindset resources in that lesson, and you may want to <a href="https://lauracandler.lpages.co/leadbox/14675e173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5638203017003008/" target="_blank"><b>download those freebies</b></a> before you read the lesson. <br />
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<b>Multiple Intelligence Theory</b><br />
Psychologist Dr. Howard Gardner proposed multiple intelligence theory over 40 years ago in response to the prevailing belief that intelligence was a one-dimensional trait, and that a persons’ IQ was fixed at birth. Dr. Gardner disagreed with this limiting view of intelligence and suggested a multi-dimensional approach. According to Dr. Gardner, “Human cognitive competence is better described in terms of a set of abilities, talents, or mental skills which we call ‘Intelligences.’ These multiple intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened.”<br />
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MI theory was welcomed by most educators, especially those who recognized that children learn in different ways and that there that there are many paths to understanding. These teachers had already noticed that children learn best when they engage in activities that take advantage of their strengths, and MI theory made it possible to identify those strengths more easily.<br />
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Dr. Gardner identified at least eight types of intelligence, labeling with terms like visual-spatial, musical-rhythmic, mathematical-logical, and verbal-linguistic. Because this terminology was confusing for elementary students, some educators adopted the kid-friendly “smart” labels shown on the free MI theory posters on the right. I'll tell you where to find these freebie in just a moment. :-)<br />
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<b>The Impact of Mindset on Success</b><br />
More recently, Dr. Carol Dweck contributed to this field with her research on the connections between mindset and success. In a nutshell, Dr. Dweck observed that most people respond in one of two ways when facing challenges. Those who display a “growth mindset” enjoy solving problems and trying new experiences, and they choose challenging tasks over easy ones. They don’t view mistakes as failures, but rather as opportunities to learn and grow. On the other hand, people with a “fixed mindset” choose easy tasks over challenging ones, and they don’t enjoy taking risks or attempting to do something they’ve never done before. They view mistakes as failures to be avoided at all costs, and they are easily frustrated when they encounter difficulties. As you might expect, people who approach life with a growth mindset are more successful and happier than those with fixed mindsets.<br />
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Fortunately, Dr. Dweck’s research shows that a person's mindset consists of learned behaviors that can be changed. People who have a fixed mindset can develop a growth mindset if they are willing to change the way they think about themselves and about their capacity to learn. <br />
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<b>The Problem with the Word “Smart”</b><br />
Obviously, we want to foster growth mindsets in our students, which means adopting practices that encourage positive, growth-oriented thinking. Dr. Dweck discovered that some types of praise are harmful and can lead to a fixed mindset, so it's important to use praise effectively. As it turns out, praising children for being smart may cause them to avoid tasks that include a risk of failure because they are afraid of making mistakes.<br />
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Dr. Dweck’s findings resulted in an unfortunate backlash against MI theory. Some educators expressed concern about using the kid-friendly "smart" terms that refer to the multiple intelligences as the "8 Kinds of Smart." Surely the practice of teaching kids about all the ways people are smart will lead to our students developing fixed mindsets, right?<br />
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Personally, I don’t see this happening if we’re careful about how we use the word “smart.” There’s a difference between praising kids for being smart and teaching children that people are smart in many ways. Furthermore, the use of the word “smart” should not be a reason to discount MI theory; Dr. Gardner never even used the word “smart” when referring to the multiple intelligences! Those kid-friendly terms were adopted by teachers to simplify the concepts for their students! If teachers aren’t comfortable using the word “smart,” they can easily replace it with one of the other words Dr. Gardner used to describe these intelligences such as, “skills, talents, or abilities.”<br />
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<b>Why We Need to Teach MI Theory and Growth Mindset</b><br />
Learning about growth mindset is important because it helps children understand that our brains can become smarter if we are willing to work hard, try new experiences, and accept challenges. Learning about multiple intelligence theory is important because it empowers students with the knowledge that there are many ways we are smart. Furthermore, by helping students identify their strengths, MI theory gives them the tools to they need to overcome challenges and develop a growth mindset.<br />
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<b>How to Teach Kids to Use Their Strengths to Overcome Challenges</b><br />
When you’re ready to introduce MI theory and Growth Mindset to your students, use this lesson sequence as a guide to help you get started. <a href="https://lauracandler.lpages.co/leadbox/14675e173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5638203017003008/" target="_blank"><b>Click here to request all 3 freebies</b></a> used in the lesson sequence, including the<b><i> Getting to Know You Survey</i></b>, the <i><b>MI theory mini posters</b></i>, and the <b><i>Overcoming Challenges</i></b> graphic organizers.<br />
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<li><b>Start by administering the kid-friendly “<a href="https://lauracandler.lpages.co/leadbox/14675e173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5638203017003008/" target="_blank">Getting to Know You</a>” multiple intelligence survey,</b> but don’t score it immediately or discuss the results with your students. Before you use the survey, please watch <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-to-Use-a-Multiple-Intelligence-Survey-to-Foster-a-Growth-Mindset-3370446" target="_blank"><i>How to Use a Multiple Intelligence Survey to Foster a Growth Mindset</i></a>.</b> In this video, I explained how to administer the survey, how to score it, and how to discuss the results with your students from a growth mindset perspective. </li>
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<li><b>Discuss the characteristics of a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset with your students. </b>Draw a T-chart with the words “Fixed Mindset” and “Growth Mindset” above the two columns. Under each column, list several belief statements that represent each type of mindset, and discuss these beliefs with your students.</li>
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<li><b>Introduce the basics of multiple intelligence theory</b> using Dr. Gardner’s original terminology or the kid-friendly terms. You can use the MI theory posters included with <a href="https://lauracandler.lpages.co/leadbox/14675e173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5638203017003008/" target="_blank"><b>the free resources</b></a> that go with this blog post. </li>
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<li><b>Return the Getting to Know You MI Theory Survey to your students and show them how to score it. Discuss the survey results from a growth mindset perspective. </b>Remind students that the results are only based on their answers to a few statements and they’re not permanent. This survey only provides a snapshot of their current strengths and growth areas. Avoid praising students for being “smart” in any of the multiple intelligence areas. Ask students to keep a copy of their survey results in a safe place such as a student portfolio or 3-ring binder.</li>
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<li><b>Teach students how to rely on their strengths to overcome challenges and problems. </b>Growth mindset has been criticized for setting kids up for failure by teaching them that you can succeed at anything if you’re willing to try hard and never give up. I understand this concern, and I agree that trying harder won’t help a child who lacks the skills needed to accomplish a task and who has no idea where to turn for help. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>That’s why it’s important to teach students what to do when they get stuck</b>. One method is to teach them how to brainstorm strategies for overcoming challenges that are based on their MI survey results. The <b><i>Overcoming Challenges</i></b> graphic organizer on the right can be used to guide your students through this process. There are two variations of the graphic organizer included in <a href="https://lauracandler.lpages.co/leadbox/14675e173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5638203017003008/" target="_blank"><b>the free resources</b></a> for his lesson; chose the one that best meets the needs of your students. Display a copy of the graphic organizer where everyone can see it. At the top of the page, write one challenge or difficulty that many of your student face, for example, “Learning multiplication facts quickly and accurately.” Next, circle one of the multiple intelligences listed at the bottom of the page (for example, "Visual-Spatial)") and write that term in the upper left corner of the chart under “Strengths.” Then ask your students to discuss how someone who is visual-spatial could use that strength to learn the multiplication facts. List those strategies next in the top row under the “Strategies” heading. One strategy would be to draw arrays for the multiplication facts the student is having trouble learning. Another one would be to draw intersecting horizontal and vertical lines for the factors and to count the intersections. After you've guided your students through this process several times, they may be able to complete the graphic organizer on their own or with a partner when facing a challenge. </li>
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Do you see why it's important to implement MI theory and Growth Mindset together? These two frameworks will empower your students and will give them the tools to take ownership of their learning. With the right encouragement and support, your students will begin to believe in themselves and succeed in situations where they might have given up in the past.<br />
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I also believe that it’s important to have a full understanding of both concepts to implement them effectively in the classroom. If you’d like to learn more, check out my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MI-Theory-Book-and-Growth-Mindset-Webinar-Bundle-3189150" target="_blank"><b><i>MI Theory and Mindset Bundle</i></b></a>. This resource includes my <b><i>MI Theory, Mindset, and Motivation</i></b> professional development webinar and <b><i>Multiple Intelligence Theory for Kids</i></b>, a collection of lessons, activities, and printables. You can preview both items and purchase them separately or together in this bundle.<br />
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I hope you found these insights, resources, and strategies for implementing MI theory and Growth Mindset to be helpful. Remember that you can request all 3 freebies mentioned in this article by <a href="https://lauracandler.lpages.co/leadbox/14675e173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5638203017003008/" target="_blank"><b>clicking here</b></a>. <br />
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My blog post is just one of over a dozen articles in the Growth Mindset Roundup blog hop. Be sure to click on the links below to check out the other articles from some of your favorite teacher bloggers!<br />
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~ Laura Candler<br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-88985983024612274062017-09-15T13:42:00.001-04:002018-06-11T16:12:12.841-04:00How to Turn a Word Problem into a Rich Math Task (Part Two)
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<b>How to Turn a Word Problem Into a Rich Math Task</b><br />
<b>Part Two: Crafting the Process</b><br />
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When students struggle in math, it's often due to their beliefs about what it takes to be successful in mathematics. They believe that some people were born with a gift for math, and anyone who wasn't born with that gift will never excel in math.<br />
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Fortunately, brain research tells us that this belief is nothing more than a myth, and it's not supported by fact. All students can experience success in math if they are taught in ways that foster the development of a mathematical mindset. This means setting high expectations for all students, engaging them in challenging and interesting math tasks, and providing the right kind of support and encouragement.<br />
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One way to foster mathematical mindsets is to replace simple word problems with "rich math tasks." Rich math tasks provide opportunities for students to work together as they explore a concept or solve a problem. In my webinar, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mindsets-Matter-Webinar-PD-Pack-2913812" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter</a>, I give examples of rich math tasks and share several strategies for using them with students.<br />
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If you're wondering how to get started with rich math tasks, it's easier than you might think. The first step is choosing a suitable math problem, and the second step is guiding your students through the problem-solving process. Both steps are equally important, so I've decided to tackle them in two separate blog posts. <br />
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In my first post, <i><b><a href="http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2017/09/word-problems-into-math-tasks-1.html" target="_blank">Part One: Crafting the Problem</a></b></i>, I explained the difference between word problems and rich math tasks, and I shared 6 tips for creating a rich math task from a simple word problem. In this post, <b><i>Part Two: Crafting the Process</i></b>, I'll share strategies you can use to actively engage ALL of your students in the problem-solving experience.<br />
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<b>7 Tips for Crafting an Awesome Problem-Solving Experience</b></h3>
The problem-solving process is just as important as the problem itself, and that process is greatly enhanced with strategies to facilitate active engagement and critical thinking. Here are 7 tips to help you craft the perfect problem-solving experience for your students.<br />
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<b>1. Make Time to Go Deep with Rich Math Tasks</b><br />
Rich math tasks take time, but there's no doubt that engaging your students in these activities will pay off in the long run. Research shows that a deep discussion about one math problem is far more effective than several shallow discussions about many problems. Fortunately, rich math tasks don't have to be completed in one session. Instead of devoting an entire math period to one task, you could set aside 10 minutes each day for problem solving. You might assign the math task on Monday and give everyone time to solve the problem on their own. On Tuesday, your students could share and discuss solutions with a partner. Wednesday and Thursday could be devoted to a class discussion about strategies for solving the problem, and Friday could be spent on extension activities. <br />
<b><br /></b><b>2. Choose a Method for Showing and Sharing Work</b> <br />
Before you present the first math task to your class, you need to choose a method your students can use to show their work and explain their thinking. Math strategy discussions are an essential part of the task, and everyone needs to be able to SEE and HEAR the solutions being shared.<br />
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Individual dry erase boards offer one of the easiest ways for students to participate in the lesson fully. Students are actively engaged as they solve the problem on their own boards, and when it's time to share, they can hold up their boards to show their work. If you have a document camera, students can place their dry erase boards under the camera to display their work while explaining the solution.<br />
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However, dry erase boards can be limiting if the rich math task continues for several days because students won't be able to save their work for future sessions. If your students have access to digital devices with built-in cameras, they can take a picture of their dry erase boards before erasing them. Another solution is to have students solve the problem on paper on in a math journal. <br />
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Padlet, a free online tool, offers another way to share solutions and strategies. It's easy to set up a free Padlet account and create a math problem solving "wall" for each rich math task. During the class discussion phase of the math task, students can post their solutions on the wall using text and images. The Padlet wall below was created for sharing solutions to the Apple Peeling Challenge #1 problem. For more information about how to use Padlet in math, watch my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mindsets-Matter-Webinar-PD-Pack-2913812" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter</a> webinar.<br />
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<a href="https://padlet.com/lauracandler/applechallenge" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1567" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmUPhBTQwgOuySYVbrXvqJ1jxdge2s_VUHnChD-ISwr0gHoC7wLrLcH-dD9PfPl97tGsy-Y0vXy8KMaAhgWCDegbV9XK1_993wagYBxmTvi_QckMJjJW7zIVVJOOSx9D9aLHkBd87V7Bm/s640/applepeelingpadlet1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Defer math strategy discussions until AFTER students work on the task. </b><br />
I used to teach problem-solving strategies before giving my students problems to solve, thinking it would be helpful for them to be able to choose from a list of strategies. Typical strategies included "Make a Chart," "Act It Out," and "Draw a Picture." Unfortunately, this approach is not supported by the most recent research on mathematical problem solving. As it turns out, it's actually more effective to save the strategy discussions until AFTER students have tried to solve problems on their own. Kids are far more creative problem-solvers when they aren't prompted to choose from a list of strategies. They often create highly-unusual but very effective methods of solving problems, and they love sharing their own unique methods with the class.<br />
<b><br /></b><b>4. Teach your students how to represent solutions visually. </b><br />
One strategy that's important to discuss early in the year is how to represent math problems and their solutions visually. Visual representations can involve pictures, illustrations, objects, charts, or diagrams. I'll use the two Apple Peeling Challenge problems described in <a href="http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2017/09/word-problems-into-math-tasks-1.html" target="_blank">Part One</a> to illustrate my points. Normally, it's best to focus on a single math problem, but these two problems are related and they work well together to teach an important lesson.<br />
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Start the mini-lesson by displaying <i><b>Apple Peeling Challenge #1:</b></i> <i>"If it takes 2 minutes to peel 1 apple and 4 minutes to peel 2 apples, how long will it take to peel 10 apples?"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNDulvbr0c4qyI08U6tBcZgkThgh2qOpLakk80N_t-WcoHNZ7G44cbFBeeSDcmbbTREW8hyb_fF1OkKoibIrCrq8bLInv9SjFGf9PCYs8QYuhFwJt6gr91wdqKp-dvkK4qIgBzNsRiE_Y/s1600/appleproblem1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="800" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNDulvbr0c4qyI08U6tBcZgkThgh2qOpLakk80N_t-WcoHNZ7G44cbFBeeSDcmbbTREW8hyb_fF1OkKoibIrCrq8bLInv9SjFGf9PCYs8QYuhFwJt6gr91wdqKp-dvkK4qIgBzNsRiE_Y/s640/appleproblem1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Read the problem aloud and ask your students to solve it. Don't prompt them to draw the solution or give them any hints. Just walk around and observe them as they work. Some will try to draw the solution, some may write a number sentence, and others will simply write a number for the answer.<br />
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Next, choose several students who have solved the problem visually to come to the front of the class, show their work, and explain their thinking. One student might represent the answer visually by drawing 10 circles to represent the apples and count by 2's (it takes 2 minutes to peel one apple) until they get the answer which is 20 minutes. Another student might create a simple chart like the one below, writing the number of apples above the line and the total minutes below it. A third student might use 10 plastic bingo chips to represent the apples, perhaps using a dry erase marker to label them with the total minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoaxWCPz_ylOx48FynuBeXptb7DYE8lW45rfTVig5ePvEdEkuG53vBvvWjscRSmeNIBumd3gKksXE3iIEBE32IEpeksblawMzHVrdOZ9NWozcKaYnCv4bOqC6GpFyA2GFhsMZw3Vm3HnR/s1600/applechallenge1chart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1317" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoaxWCPz_ylOx48FynuBeXptb7DYE8lW45rfTVig5ePvEdEkuG53vBvvWjscRSmeNIBumd3gKksXE3iIEBE32IEpeksblawMzHVrdOZ9NWozcKaYnCv4bOqC6GpFyA2GFhsMZw3Vm3HnR/s400/applechallenge1chart.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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If most students simply wrote the answer or 2 x 10 = 20, ask your class why it might be important to show how you solved the problem, either with simple drawings or with objects. If they don't know, explain that if you can show the solution to an easy problem using pictures or objects, you're more likely to be able to solve more difficult problems using similar methods.<br />
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To illustrate this point, ask your students to solve <b>Apple Peeling Challenge #2: </b>"Sam needs to peel 10 apples for a pie. If he can peel 4 apples in 6 minutes, how long will it take to peel all 10 apples?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiKwP6i3S-ZRUCaAsAme3emGuFK1mHAUyf5eTxOp1Ykf4kUjbHEM5Pd-jmgtaAHSXorC6AbhtZ8VJGraRJVUhYub81YudJCgnT_H7r5MIhQBhrcUJYpO_x1ao7WxNLgPfpMaJ9cM6_dqk/s1600/appleproblem2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="800" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiKwP6i3S-ZRUCaAsAme3emGuFK1mHAUyf5eTxOp1Ykf4kUjbHEM5Pd-jmgtaAHSXorC6AbhtZ8VJGraRJVUhYub81YudJCgnT_H7r5MIhQBhrcUJYpO_x1ao7WxNLgPfpMaJ9cM6_dqk/s640/appleproblem2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Because the problem doesn't state how long it takes to peel ONE apple, this problem is quite a bit more challenging that the first one. Students who solved the first problem using mental math or with a simple number sentence will have difficulty solving this one using the same method. However, if you encourage your students to draw the solution or use objects to represent their thinking, you'll be blown away with the creative methods they use to solve a problem like this! <br />
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For example, examine this visual solution which is modeled with bingo chips. The top row of bingo chips demonstrates that if it takes Sam 6 minutes to peel 4 apples, then it will take him half the time (3 minutes) to peel half the apples (2 apples.) The row of 10 bingo chips represents the 10 apples he needs to peel, and they're grouped into 5 sets of 2 with the number 3 (minutes) written under each group. Finally, the solution is shown by the number sentence sentence 3 x 5 = 15 minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkQs9uwozfXR1NoAhsQjlBZtX44EgDunEPoyq4pbaBfVGI5lxQZZ4E6DOat_KKp3vfhuTtaTzAzxmEbQ6116-Fmhbi_LXo5Ox-uOS1XbGEYC-K8kzm-0RjhuhcLeL65axLuNn_kyrMbqk/s1600/applechallenge2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkQs9uwozfXR1NoAhsQjlBZtX44EgDunEPoyq4pbaBfVGI5lxQZZ4E6DOat_KKp3vfhuTtaTzAzxmEbQ6116-Fmhbi_LXo5Ox-uOS1XbGEYC-K8kzm-0RjhuhcLeL65axLuNn_kyrMbqk/s640/applechallenge2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>5. Provide time for students to solve problems on their own before working with others. </b><br />
Cooperative learning can be a powerful tool for boosting student engagement, but students need opportunities to work independently as well. If students never have time to work alone, they may become dependent on others to do their thinking for them.<br />
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Fortunately, there's an easy fix for this. Simply provide a few minutes of quiet, independent work time after you introduce the math task, and ask your students to try to solve the problem on their own. Remind them to show how they solved the problem so they can discuss it with a partner or team later.<br />
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Some students will probably raise their hands almost immediately to ask for help, but stay strong and resist the urge to provide assistance. Jumping in to rescue them before they've even tried to solve the problem simply reinforces their belief that they aren't capable of solving it on their own. The truth of the matter is that if they started to draw the solution instead of waiting for someone else to tell them what to do, they might find that they ARE able to solve it on their own. If some students insist that they have no idea what to do, ask them to reread the problem several times and if they still don't know what to do, tell them to write a question mark instead of the solution. I can assure you that within a few days of implementing this practice, almost all of your students will attempt to solve the problem on their own, even if they are not confident about their solutions.<br />
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<b>6. Use the Share-Share-Compare strategy to facilitate productive math partner talk.</b><br />
After everyone has tried to solve the problem independently, the next step is for them to discuss their solutions with a partner. This will prepare them for the upcoming class discussion. I suggest that you assign partners yourself rather than letting your students choose partners. After you pair up your students, ask them to show their work to their partner and explain their solutions. <br />
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If your students don't have prior experience with how to talk about math, you'll need to guide them through the process the first few times. If you don't, your students are likely to just compare their answers without discussing strategies. If they have the same answer, they won't bother to discuss HOW they solved the problem. If their answers are different, the stronger student will point out the other student's error, and his or her partner will correct it without understanding why it was wrong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rDdjkC8j5vxSVgkXtgi8r3UWS9YP6oWv8iv6MPcTEBaR9kqRdeUEJ97j3LLy8U8RITPqTQu-8cptQUtf5tHdz-a-OnBziT0cQi-cXSZ-Dzex84k5I2LGUVtWkYZffgr4KpV0dtRKrR_u/s1600/Share-Share-Compare.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="600" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rDdjkC8j5vxSVgkXtgi8r3UWS9YP6oWv8iv6MPcTEBaR9kqRdeUEJ97j3LLy8U8RITPqTQu-8cptQUtf5tHdz-a-OnBziT0cQi-cXSZ-Dzex84k5I2LGUVtWkYZffgr4KpV0dtRKrR_u/s400/Share-Share-Compare.png" width="275" /></a></div>
You can avoid these problems entirely by implementing <b style="font-style: italic;">Share-Share-Compare</b>, a simple cooperative learning strategy to facilitate math partner talk. I described this strategy in detail during the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mindsets-Matter-Webinar-PD-Pack-2913812" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter</a> webinar, and you can see the steps illustrated on the right. This mini-poster is one of the resources included with that webinar or the one of the bundles that includes the webinar.<br />
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Before you begin <b>Share-Share-Compare</b>, assign A/B Partners, and ask them to sit side by side. Have them place their math papers or dry erase boards face down in front of them.<br />
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To begin the activity, <b><i>Partner A shares</i></b> by showing and explaining his or her work to Partner B. Partner B listens and asks questions. Next, <b><i>Partner B shares</i></b> by explaining how he or she solved the problem, and Partner A listens. Finally, <i><b>both partners compare</b></i> their work and discuss any differences in their methods. If they solved the problem using the same strategy, challenge them to try to find another way to solve it.<br />
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As your students are working, walk around and observe the different methods that are being used to solve the problem. Make a note of the different strategies your students used because this information will be helpful during the class discussion.<br />
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<b>6. Wrap up with a strategy-focused, high-energy class discussion. </b><br />
The final step is a class discussion to share and discuss various problem-solving strategies. The best discussions are high-energy, fun experiences during which students are eager to share their strategies, analyze other methods, and express appreciation for each other's creative solutions.<br />
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To begin the class discussion, display the problem and read it aloud. Ask for student volunteers who would be willing to show their work and explain their solutions to the class. When you choose the first volunteer, select someone who has drawn the solution or modeled it with objects because it will be easier for the other students to understand the solution. Invite the student to come forward to show and describe how the problem was solved.<br />
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If you have a document camera, the student can place his or her dry erase board, math journal, or paper under the camera so that everyone can see how the problem was solved. If you don't have a document camera, you could take a picture of the student's work and upload the image to a Padlet wall. Project the problem onto a screen for the whole class to see, or have students access Padlet from a digital device. If you use Padlet this way, I suggest that you upload one solution at a time to keep your students focused on the strategy that's being shared.<br />
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If the student shows his or her solution, but doesn't explain HOW the problem was solved, you may need to prompt the student to elaborate. For example, if the solution below was shared, you might ask how the student discovered that it took Sam 1 1/2 minutes to peel each apple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM87dUfQUGAlOK2ASXZ3dd_LXKcNJaaq6WtCzJM7MVw7rX8JRlsdYKX4mzqvBSmr04jAOtORCwxh20Ee2bvp3UzrrAC2AHMSXJe704tk4DQOQg88T90hGCbxuOWs9g4KZd95aH-DRXLit/s1600/applepiesolution1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="967" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM87dUfQUGAlOK2ASXZ3dd_LXKcNJaaq6WtCzJM7MVw7rX8JRlsdYKX4mzqvBSmr04jAOtORCwxh20Ee2bvp3UzrrAC2AHMSXJe704tk4DQOQg88T90hGCbxuOWs9g4KZd95aH-DRXLit/s640/applepiesolution1a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the first volunteer finishes speaking, don't confirm that the answer is correct or say that it's incorrect if the work includes errors. If it's not correct, the correct answer will be found by the end of the discussion. Simply thank the student and ask if your class has a question about how the problem was solved. On the other hand, if student in the class discovers an error and asks about it, you should facilitate a discussion about the perceived error without confirming the answer. <br />
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If no one challenges the answer and your students want to know if it's correct, just smile and say, <b><i>"We've only looked at one way to solve the problem. To verify the answer, we need to solve it a different way to see if we get the same answer. Did anyone solve this problem a different way?"</i></b><br />
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If anyone says that they solved the problem a different way, ask him or her to come forward to share his or her solution. After that student finishes speaking, ask the class again, <b><i>"Can we find another way to solve this problem?"</i></b> Continue this process until everyone who wants to share a new strategy has had a chance to do so. If you don't have time to finish in one session, ask your students to continue thinking about the problem and conclude the discussion the next day.<br />
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Before you wrap up the discussion for this problem, be sure to confirm the correct answer, especially if any answers shared earlier in the discussion were incorrect. After the solution has been verified in several ways, ask your students, <i><b>"Do we all agree that ______ is the correct answer?"</b></i><br />
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The first time you facilitate a rich math class discussion, your class may only find a few ways to solve the problem. However, as they become more creative in their problem-solving approaches, they may discover 5 or 10 ways to solve the problem! When that happens, it can become difficult to keep track of the different strategies and to remember who shared each one.<br />
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Padlet offers one of the easiest and most effective ways to deal with this problem. Simply take a snapshot of each student's solution and upload it to the Padlet wall you created for the problem. Label the post with the student's name, and ask him or her to complete it by entering a written explanation.<br />
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<a href="https://padlet.com/lauracandler/applechallenge2" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="800" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB32JuAhJhKQHlpY6Wn3S1chaq2fCRTvMrYhzpkJzV8oVvL9iW5a-hodERpAuUf_I3ag_nLHsVouVC6gGumAMYDS02-FAcFbUMzuIEKiX3BdFxjUETIocIN6_oE3x5K3_0Gaq-LznEvEb8/s640/applepeelingpadlet.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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To show you how Padlet works, I created the math problem wall above for the <a href="https://padlet.com/lauracandler/applechallenge2" target="_blank">Apple Peeling Math Challenge #2</a>. I uploaded three examples of how students might solve the problem and how their work could be displayed and shared on Padlet. If you use this apple peeling challenge problem with your students, I'd love for you to add any new solutions to the wall. Click over to the <a href="https://padlet.com/lauracandler/applechallenge2" target="_blank">Padlet Apple Peeling Challenge #2 Wall</a>, upload an image of the solution and enter a written description.<br />
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If you have time, you can extend the rich math task by asking your students to create their own related math problems. For example, some students might create a similar problem that uses different numbers, perhaps even fractions or decimals. Some students may change other elements of the problem, changes that would require an entirely different method for solving it. To share the new problems with their classmates, students could post their problems on the Padlet wall or write them on index cards to be tacked to an "early finishers" board.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9q5FGfbo7L7zmCZFFyFqb7KysEqbKvWS9M0It5ooQmHDPOcFYC7FfQgFKePxrfcrBXfNLvJsmcXCS0Ck_bM8FxhQJmygbB_mZPpBE77rx2vkyySQOfpjIDyzAkFXQgJGoETPzCrRFh1_/s1600/greendots2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="27" data-original-width="371" height="23" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9q5FGfbo7L7zmCZFFyFqb7KysEqbKvWS9M0It5ooQmHDPOcFYC7FfQgFKePxrfcrBXfNLvJsmcXCS0Ck_bM8FxhQJmygbB_mZPpBE77rx2vkyySQOfpjIDyzAkFXQgJGoETPzCrRFh1_/s320/greendots2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To learn more about how to foster mathematical mindsets in your students, check out my webinar, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mindsets-Matter-Webinar-PD-Pack-2913812" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter</a>, or one of my problem solving bundles. The <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Mindset-Challenges-Bundle-Editable-Multi-step-Word-Problems-and-Webinar-3063744" target="_blank">Math Mindset Challenges Bundle</a> shown below includes the webinar plus a collection of editable word problems and templates to get you started. If you're looking for something more comprehensive, take a look at my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Word-Problems-Bundle-with-Editable-Multi-step-Problems-and-Webinar-329382" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving Mega Bundle</a> which also includes all 4 Daily Math Puzzler books.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Mindset-Challenges-Bundle-Editable-Multi-step-Word-Problems-and-Webinar-3063744" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="800" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIwHh4qZoTiEFuTXaZJIXdBclrIF5yd5pPq8AdZRqVRuyBedUhQGnV5C23Wf-4_en84P1IT3PZB1wk5_qYC4BeILdEoToGBpJufBGIsePQCPR_nraaIJLFbKmlLx8UwKMdJNLN0T1b6jb/s640/mathmindsetchallengesbundle800.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Rich math tasks are exciting for kids, even those students who lack confidence in their mathematics ability. In fact, these students often turn out to be the most creative problem solvers in your class! When you take steps to foster mathematical mindsets in your students, you'll be amazed at what happens. If you haven't been using rich math tasks, I hope these tips will help you to jump in and get started now!<br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-67668499796911022372017-09-07T18:57:00.000-04:002018-06-11T16:11:41.160-04:00How to Turn a Word Problem into a Rich Math Task (Part One)<script type="text/javascript">
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<b>How to Turn a Word Problem into a Rich Math Task</b><br />
<b>Part One - Crafting the Problem</b><br />
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Growth mindset is much more than a buzzword, and nowhere is this more apparent than in mathematics. Research findings in this field are transforming our perceptions about best practices in math instruction. As it turns out, developing a mathematical mindset is more highly correlated with future success in math than scores on standardized tests!<br />
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One way to begin fostering a math mindset in your students is to turn traditional word problems into "rich math tasks."<br />
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I tackled the topic of rich math tasks in my recent webinar, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mindsets-Matter-Webinar-PD-Pack-2913812" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter</a>, but I want to dig into rich math tasks a bit more here on Corkboard Connections.<br />
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Rich math tasks have two critical components, the WHAT (the problem) and the HOW (the process).<br />
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In this post, we'll take a look at how to transform a boring word problem into a rich math task. <a href="https://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2017/09/word-problems-into-math-tasks-2.html" target="_blank">In my next post</a>, I'll share active engagement strategies you can use to help your kids rock the problem solving process! <a href="https://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2017/09/word-problems-into-math-tasks-2.html" target="_blank">Click here for Part Two.</a><br />
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<b>How a Word Problem Differs from a Rich Math Task</b></h3>
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<b>Basic Word Problems </b><br />
Word problems at the elementary level tend to be simple problems with a single correct answer. Children are often taught to solve them by learning to identify key words and numbers in the problem and then applying the necessary mathematical operation. For example, a basic word problem might read like this: "There are 10 apples, and it takes 2 minutes to peel each apple. How many minutes in all are needed to peel the apples?"<br />
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A typical method of solving this problem involves underlining the key words "each" and "in all" and circling the numbers 10 and 2. The key words tell students that they need to multiply the numbers to find the answer, so they multiply 10 and 2 and record the number 20 as the answer. If you ask these students to draw or model the solutions visually, they are at a loss. If you ask them to label the answer with the unit, they are as likely to write "20 apples" as they are to write "20 minutes." </div>
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Word problems don't inspire deep thinking, analysis, or discussion because the solutions are fairly straight forward. Sure, you can encourage your students to talk with a partner about how they solved the problem, but their explanations will sound like this: "First I underlined the key words, and then I circled all the numbers. Next, I multiplied the numbers to get my answer." An explanation like that hardly qualifies as "math talk"!<br />
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<b>Rich Math Tasks</b><br />
Rich math tasks, on the other hand, are usually more open-ended and can be solved in many ways. Some math tasks are inquiry-based questions that have more than one correct answer or problems that require students to use hands-on materials to discover the solutions. Other math tasks look like regular word problems at first glance, but when you attempt to solve them, you realize there are many ways to arrive at the answer. Rich math tasks don't have key words that you can underline, and circling the numbers won't help because you might not even need all the numbers to solve the problem! These types of math tasks stimulate discussion, questioning, and critical thinking as students struggle to choose the best strategy to solve the problem.<br />
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<b>6 Tips for Crafting an Awesome Math Task</b></h3>
Finding or creating the right math problem is the first step in developing a rich math task. Here are some tips that will make the process of crafting your problem much easier.<br />
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<b>1. Start with a Visual Problem</b><br />
Select a word problem that's easy to visualize, and try to solve it in several different ways. Make sure the answer can be represented visually by drawing it or by using physical models. If you realize that there's only one way to solve it or that it would be difficult to represent the solutions visually, rewrite the problem or find a new one. I'll use the Apple Peeling Word Problem above to demonstrate how to turn a simple word problem into something much more challenging and interesting. <br />
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<b>2. Remove Key Words </b><br />
After you've selected a problem, look for key words such as, "in all," "each," "per," and "total." If possible, rewrite the problem without using the key words, making sure that the meaning doesn't change. Removing key words forces students to THINK about which operation is needed instead of just underlining words and mindlessly choosing an operation based on those words. <br />
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<b>3. Add Extra Details and Information</b><br />
Next, add details that aren't really needed to find the solution. If students have been trained to underline key words and circle numbers, these extra details will confuse them. They will have to think about the task and decide which words and numbers are actually important.<br />
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<b>Let's use the first 3 tips to rework the Apple Peeling Word Problem and turn it into Apple Peeling Challenge #1. </b>While the problem is still quite easy, the lack of key words and the extra numbers make it a bit more challenging. Students have to think about what is being asked and decide the best way to solve it. This is a good starter problem for introducing students to rich math tasks because it can be solved in more than one way using visual models. Students could draw circles for the apples, use round objects like pennies or bingo chips, or they could even use real apples!<br />
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<b>Ready to take Apple Peeling Challenge #1 to another level? </b>Applying the next 3 tips to that problem will make it even more challenging and interesting! </div>
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<b>4. Personalize It and Make It Real</b><br />
To make the problem more interesting, personalize it by adding a real person's name, maybe even the name of one of your students! Add enough details to make it come to life or turn it into a story. In <i><b>Apple Peeling Challenge #2</b></i>, including the detail that Sam is peeling the apples for a pie makes the problem more meaningful. A teacher in the Math Mindset Connections Facebook group took this problem and turned it into a story about making a pie for Thanksgiving dinner!<br />
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<b>5. Turn It into a Multi-step Problem</b><br />
Rewrite single-step word problems to ensure that multiple steps are needed to solve it. The information in the basic word problem stated that it takes 2 minutes to peel each apple. The easiest way to add another step is to replace that detail with enough information for students to calculate how long it takes to peel each apple. Each problem will be a bit different, but there's always a way to modify the problem and turn it into a multi-step math task.<br />
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<b>6. Change the Numbers</b><br />
You can often make a word problem more challenging by changing the number values. For example, instead of Sam peeling 10 apples, he might need to peel 100 apples because he's baking 10 pies for a banquet. You can also use numbers that result in fractional answers. For example, in <b><i>Apple Peeling Challenge #2</i></b> above, Sam can peel 4 apples in 6 minutes so kids should be able to figure out how long it takes to peel one apple. But 6 is not divisible by 4, so the number of minutes it takes to peel one apple is not a whole number. Do you see how tweaking the numbers a little can instantly make the problem much more challenging? Now you have a problem that's perfect for a math task!<br />
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Why not try creating your own Apple Peeling Challenge? In the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mindsets-Matter-Webinar-PD-Pack-2913812?utm_source=BL-Rich%20Math%20Tasks%201&utm_campaign=Math%20Problem%20Solving%20Webinar" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter Webinar</a>, I shared 2 more apple peeling problems that are quite different from the problems in this post. I'll bet you can come up with your own apple peeling problems, too!<br />
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<b>Where to Find Editable Word Problems for Rich Math Tasks</b></h3>
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If you don't want to craft your own multi-step word problems, or you don't have time to hunt for them, check out my newest product, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Mindset-Challenges-Multi-step-Editable-Word-Problems-3063689?utm_source=BL-Rich%20Math%20Tasks%201&utm_campaign=Math%20Mindset%20Challenges" target="_blank">Math Mindset Challenges</a>. It's a growing collection of editable word problems in several different formats. The problems themselves are in an editable PowerPoint document so you can change the wording and customize them if needed. All of the problems have been field-tested by upper elementary teachers, and they work well as is, but if you use a different measurement system or want to tweak the problems using the tips above, you can easily do that. If you'd like to take a closer look, head over to <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Mindset-Challenges-Multi-step-Editable-Word-Problems-3063689?utm_source=BL-Rich%20Math%20Tasks%201&utm_campaign=Math%20Mindset%20Challenges" target="_blank">my TpT store</a> and click on the preview link on the product page.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Mindset-Challenges-Multi-step-Editable-Word-Problems-3063689?utm_source=BL-Rich%20Math%20Tasks%201&utm_campaign=Math%20Mindset%20Challenges" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vhWsgeUSojnCwb4tZyt3q5mTsYw01fvx6y6mtY576yEeBaoWByrK4yzxcLJAeaCDecSGLYMuOSdB8N_BhuL8hFFQ7cq7FHtZ5yRcmuOohppaOBRy0TeSk5jBqJRDsZ6anKcmyEHw4J9y/s1600/mathmindsetchallenges.png" /></a></div>
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The <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Mindset-Challenges-Multi-step-Editable-Word-Problems-3063689?utm_source=BL-Rich%20Math%20Tasks%201&utm_campaign=Math%20Mindset%20Challenges" target="_blank">Math Mindset Challenges</a> product shown above is included in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Mindset-Challenges-Webinar-Bundle-3063744?utm_source=BL-Rich%20Math%20Tasks%201&utm_campaign=Math%20Mindset%20Bundle" target="_blank">Math Mindset Challenges Webinar Bundle</a> and my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mega-Bundle-Word-Problems-Math-Mindset-Webinar-329382?utm_source=BL-Rich%20Math%20Tasks%201&utm_campaign=Math%20Problem%20Bundle" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving Bundle</a>. Both bundles include the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mindsets-Matter-Webinar-PD-Pack-2913812?utm_source=BL-Rich%20Math%20Tasks%201&utm_campaign=Math%20Problem%20Solving%20Webinar" target="_blank">Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter</a> professional development webinar, too.<br />
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<b>Next Up - Part Two: Crafting the Process</b></h3>
Remember that rich math tasks have two essential components, the WHAT and the HOW. In this post, I've tackled the WHAT, the math problem itself. However, it's not enough to create a great word problem; it's what you do with that problem that counts! Click here to read <a href="https://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2017/09/word-problems-into-math-tasks-2.html" target="_blank">Part Two, Crafting the Process</a>, where I dove into HOW to facilitate the problem solving experience. I shared loads of active engagement strategies that will take problem solving to a whole new level in your math classroom!<br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-69889436748341921842017-08-25T19:21:00.003-04:002018-06-07T18:26:55.141-04:00Mathematical Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter<script type="text/javascript">
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Do you love math? Or are you convinced that the math train left the station without you long ago? No matter how you feel about it, if you're an elementary educator, you'll probably have to teach math at some point. Fortunately, growth mindset research and new findings about how the brain works are leading to some amazing insights about the best way to teach math. Furthermore, these insights are making it possible to foster a love of math in ALL students!<br />
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Last year I discovered Dr. Jo Boaler's book, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2geuyjz" target="_blank">Mathematical Mindsets</a></i>, and I was fascinated by the research findings she shared. I also loved Dr. Boaler's strategies for using those research findings to improve math instruction. I know that problem solving is essential in mathematics, and most of the strategies I was using are supported by the new research. However, I did discover that a few of my teaching methods are not actually best practices, so I've been reworking those strategies to incorporate what I've learned.<br />
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A few years ago I presented a webinar called <i>Math Problem Solving: Once a Day, the Easy Way<b>,</b></i> but after reading <i>Mathematical Mindsets<b>,</b></i> I knew it was time to update that presentation with these new research-based practices. I asked Dr. Boaler for permission to include information and strategies from her book in my webinar, and she graciously agreed.<br />
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My new webinar is titled <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/problemsolving/mathproblemsolvingwebinar.html" target="_blank"><b>Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter</b></a> to reflect the emphasis on growth mindset research and its implications for math instruction. To learn more, download the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Mindsets-Matter-Webinar-Handouts-Free-2912055" target="_blank">webinar note-taking handouts</a> and take a look. The live webinar has ended, but you can sign up for the replay below. The replay of the August 31st webinar is free through September 10th.<br />
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<b>Math Problem Solving - Mindsets Matter </b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/problemsolving/mathproblemsolvingwebinar.html" target="_blank">Click for the replay details.</a></b></div>
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<b>Best Practices in Math Instruction: Agree or Disagree? </b><br />
At the beginning of the webinar, I'll ask you to evaluate 6 commonly-held beliefs about math instruction, and then I'll share what the research tells us about them. What do you think about each statement below? Do you agree or disagree with these beliefs about math instruction?<br />
<ol>
<li>Problem solving strategies should be taught before giving students problems to solve. </li>
<li>Drawing solutions and counting on fingers should only be encouraged for young children and struggling students. </li>
<li>Students should only use calculators in math after they can perform the computations by hand.</li>
<li>Mistakes are only beneficial when we learn from them. </li>
<li>Some people were born with a gift for math, and others weren’t. </li>
<li>The best way to meet the needs of all students is through ability grouping and differentiation. </li>
</ol>
If you want to know what the research says about these beliefs, <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/problemsolving/mathproblemsolvingwebinar.html" target="_blank">watch the webinar replay</a>! I dug into the best practices related to each of those statements about math instruction. <br />
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<b>From Word Problems to Rich Math Tasks</b><br />
One research finding about how to foster a mathematical mindset is pretty clear. Instead of overloading kids with traditional "word problems," we need to engage them in more in rich math tasks. In the webinar, I went into detail about what that means, but basically a rich math task encourages students to think about math in new ways, finding multiple ways to solve problems, and to discuss their findings with others. Fortunately, it's quite easy to find rich math tasks if you know where to look, and you can also turn traditional word problems into rich math task. Check out the webinar replay for tips about how find or create rich math tasks that are appropriate for your students.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbREEPXBIMO022yljeBZGyZ3YFDH0vCrOw3iggC1yTmBZnM6HxnEGjM4-EZk7cAekfgmjcOe946gHmpn1Y0ZzqIKVUSFn0Z8dM21PPt6veGmTK9WnLf2VyqhNZm1OAZGGEvuVHORsyEHbM/s1600/measuringgeoboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="1040" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbREEPXBIMO022yljeBZGyZ3YFDH0vCrOw3iggC1yTmBZnM6HxnEGjM4-EZk7cAekfgmjcOe946gHmpn1Y0ZzqIKVUSFn0Z8dM21PPt6veGmTK9WnLf2VyqhNZm1OAZGGEvuVHORsyEHbM/s400/measuringgeoboard.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Join Me for a Math Mindsets Webinar Journey!</b><br />
I'm still learning about how to foster a mathematical mindset, so I consider this webinar to be more of a journey we'll take together. You can board the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/problemsolving/mathproblemsolvingwebinar.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Math Problem Solving: Mindsets Matter</b></i></a> webinar train here; tickets are FREE through September 10th, so <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/problemsolving/mathproblemsolvingwebinar.html" target="_blank">hop on and take a seat now</a>!<br />
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I'll be your conductor if you decide to take this journey with me, and I'll share what I've learned about growth mindset and math instruction. We'll wrap up our adventure by exploring painless problem solving strategies you can implement right away that will motivate your students to love math, even if you don’t! Who knows? By the end of our journey, you might be a math lover, too!<br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-10090796125073569092017-08-13T16:21:00.000-04:002018-06-11T16:13:07.144-04:00Discover MrOwl, a Free New Tech Tool Teachers Will Love!<script type="text/javascript">
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Have you discovered <a href="http://www.mrowl.com/" target="_blank">MrOwl</a>? It's a free, new tech tool you can use to create a personalized Internet experience based on the topics that are important to you. You can easily build, organize, and customize topic “branches” that you share with friends and family. It's completely free of advertising, too. These features make MrOwl the perfect tool for educators who can use it in the classroom with students and on their own for organizing lesson resources. You can even use MrOwl to create a free class website!<br />
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Using the MrOwl Chrome extension, you can easily save your favorite website links so you know where to find them later. Furthermore, you can upload your own documents and photos to your branches, making it easy to create comprehensive collections of searchable information.<br />
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A unique feature of this platform is that MrOwl gets wiser as more people use it. The branches that you build help to shape the MrOwl community “tree,” an ever-growing, searchable collection of web links and resources. These branches are curated by real people in the MrOwl community, not a computer, so they're free of inappropriate content and organized in a way that makes sense. MrOwl is free of advertising, too, so you aren't distracted by annoying pop-ups or sidebar ads.<br />
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But MrOwl is more than a safe search engine or a handy bookmarking tool; it's also a unique social media platform that makes it easy to interact with others who share your interests. MrOwl community members can follow other users, message their own followers, and even invite people to collaborate with them on their branches. It truly couldn't be any simpler! Members can also grab, "heart," and share branches created by others.<br />
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<b>Discover MrOwl in a Free Live Webinar </b></h3>
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To help teachers get started with MrOwl, I developed a webinar called <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/mrowl/mrowl-webinar-registration" target="_blank">Discover MrOwl: A Free Tech Tool for Organizing, Sharing, and Collaborating</a>. The next live presentation will be on January 24th at 8 pm Eastern Time. MrOwl is brand new, so if you like exploring new tech tools, you'll love this webinar! MrOwl is a really powerful tool with a lot of cool features for teachers and even more on the way. During the webinar, I'll explain exactly how to get started setting up a profile, creating topic branches, organizing your content, and collaborating with others. I'll even explain how to use it to set up a free class website! You'll also meet Becky and Arvind Raichur, the founders of MrOwl!<br />
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<a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/mrowl/mrowl-webinar-registration.html" target="_blank">Click here to register for this free live webinar!</a></div>
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<b>Explore MrOwl on Your Own</b><br />
If you can't wait for the webinar, register for a free account on MrOwl and start exploring the platform on your own! To see how it works, click over to my profile page, <a href="https://www.mrowl.com/user/laura_candler" target="_blank">@laura_candler</a>, and check out some of the branches I've created. It's easy to create a free MrOwl account, but be sure to choose a user name that you don't mind being public and visible to others. I recommend using your real name if it's available, which is why I signed up with @laura_candler. After you log in, return to my profile page and follow me! Then grab any branches that you like to save them for later and explore MrOwl to find new interests and get inspired!<br />
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<a href="https://www.mrowl.com/user/laura_candler" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="700" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP7uI55BwBTwG6I-0WgZaN3Vset0znnYuoRplShPQGF6l5CDhWARt5eOtkVYdStKMxfP0ybvu2p-uLkSxUrZ6vP3Ku-6QtGhMKRwHQW3EsVZg_N99A-gXS7IeSUiqvtLONkW5rlahnKLn/s640/laurasprofile.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The MrOwl Backstory</b></div>
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MrOwl is the brainchild of Becky and Arvind Raichur, and their vision dates back almost 20 years to 1999, a time before Google and Pinterest when it was nearly impossible to search the web. Becky and Arvind envisioned making the Internet a better experience for everyone, where it's easy to organize and curate collections of searchable links, documents and more in one convenient place. Their ultimate goal was to create a connected community curated by real people like you, not a computer. The word "crowdsourcing" wasn't coined until 2005, but the concept describes their early vision perfectly!</div>
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It wasn't until 2013 that they were able to put together a team to bring MrOwl to life, and it's taken the team several years to build and test the site. During that time, they've added new features that make MrOwl more interactive and easier to personalize. MrOwl began as a web-based platform, but a convenient mobile app was just released so that you can access MrOwl right from your phone or tablet.</div>
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<b>Reaching Out to Educators</b></div>
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Now that MrOwl is available to the public, Becky and Arvind are eager to spread the word so that others can benefit from this free tool. They're especially excited about MrOwl's potential for classroom use, which is why they reached out to me. They initially just asked me to review the site and offer feedback about how to make it even more useful for teachers. After I spent time on MrOwl, I realized that it's far more powerful than it appears at first glance, and I knew that I had to share it with others! I was also impressed with Becky and Arvind's sincere desire to make MrOwl even more useful for teachers and more approriate for students. They've already started working on some new features, such as templates teachers can use to create free class websites, and they're open to your feedback and suggestions as well.</div>
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<b>Join the MrOwl Educators Facebook Group</b></div>
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I've also created a Facebook group called <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFVlcFxzjtRqi9j2pUHKLZCFu_m1lZcYvqO5DEoknTZ4bKsg/viewform" target="_blank">MrOwl Educators</a> where teachers can learn about new features and get early access to them. Group members can also ask questions and share their ideas for using MrOwl in the classroom. A third function of the Facebook group will be to seek feedback about how to make MrOwl even better for educators, and this information will be shared with Becky and Arvind. If you'd like to join the MrOwl Educators Facebook group, fill out this <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFVlcFxzjtRqi9j2pUHKLZCFu_m1lZcYvqO5DEoknTZ4bKsg/viewform" target="_blank">Google Doc form</a> and follow the directions on that page to request access.</div>
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<b>Can't Wait to Get Started?</b></div>
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If you can't wait to get started with MrOwl, jump in right now and <a href="https://www.mrowl.com/registration.jsp" target="_blank">register for your free account</a>. It's easy! Remember that your user name will be public and visible on your profile, so you may want to choose your real name to make it easier for others to find you. Set up your profile by uploading a photo, writing a short bio, and adding links to your social media platforms. Then have fun exploring the site and starting to create your own branches. I hope you enjoy using MrOwl in your classroom!</div>
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Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-38014902419785140952017-08-06T23:20:00.000-04:002018-06-07T18:26:05.266-04:00Totality Awesome Solar Eclipse: Are you ready?<script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpioQ9MUmLaYXkWUsuLW-nZ7QNai80-vpZegcJzP3i6LROPhsir_Ps5GWJpjXCBpGpxnoE1v8vyEk0U9jGjrKHns0NFDMLNpI69lb7YIDDVTk4ttlkGjfIVRRPzQxGOdENUVi9ji4KVL9/s1600/total-solar-eclipse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpioQ9MUmLaYXkWUsuLW-nZ7QNai80-vpZegcJzP3i6LROPhsir_Ps5GWJpjXCBpGpxnoE1v8vyEk0U9jGjrKHns0NFDMLNpI69lb7YIDDVTk4ttlkGjfIVRRPzQxGOdENUVi9ji4KVL9/s640/total-solar-eclipse.png" width="1" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4x1DSbC6lfBxBBsOwqI2xb_mIzF8DU9qs9TsYBeQTMh3DeQJfWM9lgclKmOl3W_gTe9EArIEzr3Rls2600_zWAixBy7i50cbRf5uNWIajRD6-zcBaej8mwIExkqUuDff6uEST1TXBvGzF/s1600/solareclipse.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="920" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4x1DSbC6lfBxBBsOwqI2xb_mIzF8DU9qs9TsYBeQTMh3DeQJfWM9lgclKmOl3W_gTe9EArIEzr3Rls2600_zWAixBy7i50cbRf5uNWIajRD6-zcBaej8mwIExkqUuDff6uEST1TXBvGzF/s400/solareclipse.png" width="271" /></a>Are you ready for the upcoming solar eclipse? If not, take a few minutes now to learn about this "totality" awesome event so you can prepare for it properly and enjoy it safely. <br />
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On Monday, August 21st, the moon's shadow will pass over the US in a sweeping arc, from Oregon to SC, and if you're lucky enough to be directly in that path, you'll see a total solar eclipse. As the moon passes between the earth and the sun, blocking the sun's light, the sky will darken and temperatures will drop, right in the middle of the day. Eventually, the moon will completely block the sun for 2 or 3 minutes, and all you'll see is the sun's corona, which appears as a faint glow around the edges of the moon.<br />
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Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the path of totality will only be about 70 miles wide, so very few viewers will experience the solar eclipse as dramatically as the picture on the right. Everyone else in the US will see a partial eclipse, even those who are just a few miles away from the path of totality. The farther away you are from that path, the less the moon will block the sun, and the less dramatic the event will be. From what I've learned, if you're even a few miles outside of that path, the eclipse won't be nearly as spectacular as if you were directly in the path.<br />
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But what if you learned that you're less than an hour's drive from the path of totality? Would you make plans to go experience the real deal, or would you be content to see a partial eclipse? How far would you travel to see a total eclipse?<br />
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<b>Locate the Closest Place to View a Total Eclipse</b><br />
Before you answer, take a minute to find out how far you live from totality. It's really easy when you download the <a href="http://www.bigkidscience.com/eclipse/" target="_blank"><b>free Totality app from Big Kids Science</b></a>. <br />
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After you open the app and enter your location, you can see the closest place to view a total eclipse, and you'll even be able to get directions to it! You can also learn what the partial eclipse will look like at its peak in your location, how to get to the closest place to see the total eclipse, when the eclipse will begin and end, and much more. The app also includes links to lesson ideas and activities for teaching about the solar eclipse.<br />
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<b>Order Your Protective Eye Wear Now </b><br />
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No matter where you live in the US, if the sky is clear on August 21st, you'll be able to see a partial eclipse, if not a complete, total eclipse. It's never safe to look at the sun, except for the 2 or 3 minutes of totality when the sun's rays are completely blocked, and only for those who are in the path of the total eclipse. So if you plan to watch the eclipse at all, you'll need protective sunglasses. They are readily available and not very expensive right now, but I guarantee they are going to be much harder to find and more expensive if you wait until the last minute to get them.<br />
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I ordered mine from Big Kids Science, the creator of the free Totality app, because I like to support organizations that offer free educational resources like the app. I purchased mine from within the app, but you can also purchase them directly from the <a href="http://www.bigkidscience.com/eclipse-glasses/" target="_blank"><b>Big Kids Science website</b></a>.<br />
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<b>Solar Eclipse 2017 or Bust!</b><br />
The last total solar eclipse that was visible in the United States happened back in 1970, and it passed right over North Carolina where I live now. Unfortunately, I didn't move to NC until 1973 so I missed it! :-( I lived in New Hampshire at the time and I remember seeing a partial eclipse, but the experience wasn't all that memorable.<br />
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That's why I was excited to discover that the path of the 2017 solar eclipse will go through South Carolina which is just a few hours south of where I live now. I learned from the <b><a href="http://www.bigkidscience.com/eclipse/" target="_blank">Totality app</a></b> that even if I stay right where I am, I'll see a very distinct partial eclipse with 96% coverage of the sun. I guess I could be satisfied with 96% totality, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this will be my last chance to see a total eclipse, so driving a few hours to see it will be "totally" worth it! I've heard the traffic that day will be insane anywhere within the path of totality, so I booked a hotel room in Orangeburg, SC, which is in the direct path of the moon's shadow. Now my only concern is the weather, and I'm praying for clear skies on August 21st.<br />
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How close are you to the line of totality for the 2017 solar eclipse? Are you planning to travel to see it? If so, take plenty of food and water with you, and be sure to start your trip with a full tank of gas. Scope out your viewing location in advance and arrive well before the partial eclipse begins. Finally, remember to bring your totality awesome protective sunglasses! <br />
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Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-19409807156082514992017-07-21T13:04:00.001-04:002018-06-07T18:26:17.903-04:00Teaching Tricky Trapezoids: Inclusive vs. Exclusive Definitions<script type="text/javascript">
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<b>Why Your Students Might Not Be <br />Classifying Trapezoids Correctly </b><br />
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Do you teach quadrilateral classification? If so, did you know there are <b>THREE ways to define a trapezoid</b>?<br />
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Americans use either the inclusive or the exclusive definition depending on their curriculum. To complicate matters even more, teachers who live outside the United States define trapezoids in a completely different way! Believe it or not, the British English definition is the exact opposite of the two American definitions!<br />
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Which definition are you supposed to be teaching? If you're not sure, it's entirely possible that you're teaching the wrong definition! But don't feel bad if you discover this to be true because you are not alone. In fact, until recently, I didn't even know which definition was used by the Common Core State Standards! <br />
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Before we dig into this topic, you need to know which definition you're currently teaching. To find out, answer the trapezoid question below before you read the rest of this post. Then read the information under the 3 polygons that explains what your answer means. <br />
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<b>What Your Answer Reveals</b></h3>
Because there are three ways to define a trapezoid, there are three correct answers to the question. Your response will reveal the definition you use to classify trapezoids.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>If you only chose polygon 3</b>, you use the <b>exclusive definition</b> <u>which states that a trapezoid has EXACTLY one pair of parallel sides</u>. This is the definition that I learned, and it's the one I thought the Common Core used (but I was wrong). </li>
<li><b>If you chose polygons 1 AND 3</b>, you use the<b> inclusive definition</b> <u>which states a trapezoid has AT LEAST one pair of parallel sides</u>. Many educators favor this definition because the other quadrilateral definitions are inclusive. For example, a parallelogram is a 4-sided figure with both pairs of opposite sides parallel, which means that squares and rectangles are also parallelograms. </li>
<li><b>If you only chose polygon 2,</b> you're using the <b>British English classification system </b>which states that a trapezoid is a quadrilateral <u>with NO parallel sides</u>. You teach your students that a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides is a <b>trapezium, not a trapezoid</b>. </li>
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<b>Which definition SHOULD you be teaching?</b></h3>
Now you know which definition you use to classify trapezoids, but is that the definition you're <b>supposed to be teaching</b>? If you aren't 100% sure, make a note to check on it. Until recently, I thought the Common Core used the exclusive definition, but I discovered that the CCSS actually uses the inclusive definition! I posted a question on my Facebook page to find out which trapezoid definition most teachers were using, and over 180 people responded. I was surprised to learn that most teachers who follow the CCSS teach the inclusive definition.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGvn1CGV1TCtsLQlebnUrT1pxlrq-iCRjNIsf5b8OaD3_BSMsBWpWp5uIptXOqZMUlOhrFaahnp2j6fiAvlHT9KP3slg9LClzxEj8wdFqwpy_xTl9BQY664dv6EnUSpELG9OZp2jegwYA/s1600/tricky-trapezoid-sorting.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="476" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGvn1CGV1TCtsLQlebnUrT1pxlrq-iCRjNIsf5b8OaD3_BSMsBWpWp5uIptXOqZMUlOhrFaahnp2j6fiAvlHT9KP3slg9LClzxEj8wdFqwpy_xTl9BQY664dv6EnUSpELG9OZp2jegwYA/s320/tricky-trapezoid-sorting.png" width="224" /></a><b>How to Teach Kids to Classify Tricky Trapezoids</b></h3>
If this is the first you've heard that there are three ways to define a trapezoid, you might be wondering how much to share with your students. I mean, quadrilateral classification is challenging enough to teach without having to explain that there are three different correct ways to define a trapezoid!<br />
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<i><b>I recommend that you find out which trapezoid definition you are expected to teach, and only teach that ONE definition.</b></i> You could tell your students that they might learn a slightly different definition at some point in the future, but if you go into too much detail, your students will end up more confused than ever.<br />
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After you know which definition you're supposed to be teaching, how do you introduce it to your students and help them learn to classify trapezoids correctly?<br />
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I've found that the best way to help your kids teaching those tricky trapezoids is with a simple sorting activity. There are two versions of this activity, and it's best to use both of them if possible. The first is a printable, hands-on activity for math partners which is great for guided practice. The other is a Google Slides activity you can assign in Google Classroom for additional practice or assessment. Both activities are included in the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sorting-Trapezoids-or-Trapeziums-Google-Classroom-Math-Activity-Free-3704238?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20March%2014%202018&utm_campaign=Sorting%20Trapezoids%20Freebie" target="_blank">Sorting Tricky Trapezoids (or Trapeziums)</a> freebie below. The directions in this post explain how to conduct the teacher-guided partner activity; directions for using the Google Slides version are included in the freebie.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sorting-Trapezoids-or-Trapeziums-Google-Classroom-Math-Activity-Free-3704238?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20March%2014%202018&utm_campaign=Sorting%20Trapezoids%20Freebie" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="1000" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOVB7dqXAtjYcG6nk_NhDIFhiIKmohncIg2fCMOgevO4ZnzNbvzcL4Reze1SNbp9MEChsEywEggXB12WBtD9dyAwFlgKFHxX5QWpOhDrFtKXgbQBtQ9FaJQi0tJluNzRF6ZZhBVt5VieK/s640/tricky-trapezoids-trapezium.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Trapezoid (or Trapezium) Sorting Directions for Partners:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Begin the activity by introducing the characteristics of a trapezoid (or trapezium) according to the definition you are expected to teach. </li>
<li>Next, pair each student with a partner and give each pair one copy of the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sorting-Trapezoids-or-Trapeziums-Google-Classroom-Math-Activity-Free-3704238?utm_source=BL%20%7C%20March%2014%202018&utm_campaign=Sorting%20Trapezoids%20Freebie" target="_blank">Quadrilaterals to Sort</a> printable. Ask them to work together to cut out the polygons and stack them in a pile. </li>
<li>Explain that they will take turns sorting the quadrilaterals into one of two categories using the T-chart. Give each pair a copy of the T-chart or have one person in each pair draw the T-chart on a dry erase board. </li>
<li>Before guiding them through the sorting activity, assign the roles of Partner A and Partner B in each pair. Then ask Partner A to select the first quadrilateral and place it in the correct column on the T-chart. Partner A then explains the quadrilateral's placement to Partner B who gives a thumbs up if he or she agrees. If Partner B does not agree, the two students should discuss the proper placement of the quadrilateral and move it to the other column if needed. </li>
<li>Partner B then chooses one of the remaining quadrilaterals, places it on the chart, and explains its placement to Partner A. Partner A must approve the placement, or the two students discuss the definition and placement before continuing. </li>
<li>Students continue to switch roles throughout the activity. If they aren't able to agree on the placement of one of the quadrilaterals, they should set it aside for the time being. </li>
<li>As students are working, walk around and observe them to see if they are classifying the trapezoids correctly. Stop to help students who are confused or who can't agree on the placement of one or more quadrilaterals. </li>
</ol>
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<b>Hands-on Activities for Classifying Quadrilaterals</b></h3>
This simple sorting activity is actually one of the most effective ways to teach kids to classify any type of quadrilateral. In fact, it's so effective that I developed a complete lesson for classifying quadrilaterals based on this strategy. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classifying-Quadrilaterals-1877659?utm_source=BL%20Tricky%20Trapezoids&utm_campaign=Classify%20It" target="_blank">Classify It! Exploring Quadrilaterals</a> includes several introductory activities as well as a challenging game and two assessments.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classifying-Quadrilaterals-1877659" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1485" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseZh74vtBqgMGrONueviN9iICiwC51UNN75mN0VU9bz17Bn8uEGootGbNN5xDPv9ynlTOk3dgT01-Gf3HsMpu217XZgluH9XRUHCoztXMAaOHMYfRxqvzLLq9O1Q2Y7VuGnhxowYPdZ52/s640/classifying-quadrilaterals.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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One reason I wanted to bring the tricky trapezoid situation to your attention is that I've recently updated <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classifying-Quadrilaterals-1877659?utm_source=BL%20Tricky%20Trapezoids&utm_campaign=Classify%20It" target="_blank">Classify It! Exploring Quadrilaterals</a> to include all three definitions. There are now THREE versions of the lesson materials within the product file.<br />
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No matter which definition you're supposed to be teaching, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classifying-Quadrilaterals-1877659?utm_source=BL%20Tricky%20Trapezoids&utm_campaign=Classify%20It" target="_blank">Classify It! Exploring Quadrilaterals</a> has you covered. You'll find lessons, printables, task cards, answer keys, and assessments that are aligned with the quadrilateral classification system used by your curriculum. Not only are these activities engaging and fun for kids, the lessons will help them nail those quadrilateral classifications every time! If you don't believe me, head over to see this product on TpT where you can read feedback from 400 teachers who have used <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classifying-Quadrilaterals-1877659?utm_source=BL%20Tricky%20Trapezoids&utm_campaign=Classify%20It" target="_blank">Classify It! Exploring Quadrilaterals</a> with their students.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classifying-Quadrilaterals-1877659?utm_source=BL%20Tricky%20Trapezoids&utm_campaign=Classify%20It" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="800" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzRXW4QQzRB2HW7wzlF6dRjS8WHogTa69tzFE9pDntwGJyOSnkI6XSRLUpD1tGPuU6ZHpi65NRZTcKIm8WbIMyerjNp6a54pIhVENe96MeT7WnCeQNd55_QDEpryTSF2lmnyqm0MPncrS/s640/classifying-quadrilaterals-inclusive-exclusive.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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By the way if you already own Classify It, you can download the updated version for free by clicking over to the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classifying-Quadrilaterals-1877659?utm_source=BL%20Tricky%20Trapezoids&utm_campaign=Classify%20It" target="_blank">Classify It! Exploring Quadrilaterals page on TpT</a>. If you're logged in, you'll see a link at the top that says "Download Now! You own it!"<br />
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If you teach quadrilaterals and haven't purchased it yet, take a few minutes to preview it on TpT. If you use it with your students, I think you'll agree that <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classifying-Quadrilaterals-1877659?utm_source=BL%20Tricky%20Trapezoids&utm_campaign=Classify%20It" target="_blank">Classify It</a> is the most effective and FUN way to foster a deep understanding of quadrilateral classification!<br />
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Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-75116948371966007402017-07-08T11:23:00.000-04:002018-06-11T16:13:44.795-04:00How to Teach Addition of Fractions Using LEGO Bricks<script type="text/javascript">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Guest blog post by Dr. Shirley Disseler</i></span><br />
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We know that current math standards require students to learn through modeling using manipulatives. I have been using LEGO bricks for many years to teach students math concepts throughout the elementary and middle school curriculum. It’s a perfect math manipulative, and students love using the bricks, since many students are very familiar with them. I’ve developed specific strategies for teaching math using LEGO bricks for modeling and have been thrilled over the years to watch students’ test scores improve after they learn math using these strategies.<br />
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In recent years, I’ve taught many graduate students at High Point University how to teach with these methods, and they also report great success for their students when they use the techniques as new math teachers. I’ve recently published a series of books that show how to utilize LEGO bricks to teach all the major math topics in elementary school: Counting and Cardinality, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Fractions.<br />
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<b>Free LEGO Fractions Book</b><br />
I’d like to share an example of how to teach using LEGO bricks. This is a strategy for teaching how to add fractions that have like denominators. It's one of the lessons in my book, <a href="http://www.brickmathseries.com/offer.html" target="_blank"><i>Teaching Fractions Using LEGO® Bricks</i></a>, which is a part of my <a href="http://www.brickmath.com/" target="_blank">Brick Math Series</a>. If you'd like to see more fraction lessons, you can download the entire PDF of this book as a sample of the series! Click <a href="http://www.brickmathseries.com/offer.html" target="_blank">here</a> to request your free copy.<br />
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<b>Adding Fractions with Like Denominators</b><br />
Teaching students to add fractions can be a challenge. Students must first understand that a fraction shows part of a whole. This method of modeling fractions with bricks helps students see clearly what the parts of the fractions mean, and how only the numerators are added, since the two fractions are part of the same whole.<br />
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Let’s add the fractions 1/6 and 2/6 together to show how the process works.<br />
<ol>
<li>First, build models of the two fractions on a baseplate using LEGO bricks. The baseplate is an important component of Brick Math, because it keeps all the bricks in place. </li>
<li>Start to model the two fractions, denominators first. Use a 2x3 brick (6 studs) to model the denominator of 6. Use two 2x3 bricks that are the same color, to help students understand that the denominators are the same. Leave a little space between the two 2x3 bricks.</li>
<li>Model the numerator of the fraction 1/6 by placing a 1x1 brick above the first 2x3 brick. Model the numerator of the fraction 2/6 by placing a 1x2 brick above the second 2x3 brick. Using different color bricks for the numerators helps to show they are not the same.</li>
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<li>Now it’s time to model the action of adding the two fractions. Take another 2x3 brick and place it at the bottom of a baseplate. Place the 1x1 brick above this 2x3 brick. Then place the 1x2 brick above the 1x1 brick. Your model now shows 3 studs over 6 studs. Take three 1x1 bricks and stack them on each stud of the combined numerator bricks. Have students touch each stud to count 3 as the numerator of the solution fraction of 3/6 .</li>
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<li>If your students are ready for it, you can demonstrate how 3/6 = 1/2 . Place a 1x3 brick on top of the three 1x1 bricks in the model and show students that the 1x3 brick (modeling the numerator) is 1/2 the 2x3 brick (modeling the denominator).</li>
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<li>The final step in the process is to have students draw their brick models on baseplate paper. Drawing the models they have built helps students reinforce the visual depiction of the mathematical concepts. Baseplate paper is included in my book, <a href="http://www.brickmathseries.com/offer.html" target="_blank"><i>Teaching Fractions Using LEGO® Bricks</i></a>, which is a free sample of my Brick Math Series books.</li>
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When you take students through the modeling process, you give them a powerful way to visualize the action of the math. For both visual and tactile learners, this method helps student understand how to add fractions that are part of the same whole.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhvEHUTeehmwhtocsBFYkR972_WWGQ_2zM53_3SDcPv5k7ej-k3o_J6Twvdwp8kUJyYiCDiHAneB9ypgk5KaFdMFxV9uphyphenhyphenjIY0flLqb89vhS-UlABI4KQwrz5XU6H_QsWBB4Fdfg-Xqf/s1600/addingfractions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1435" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhvEHUTeehmwhtocsBFYkR972_WWGQ_2zM53_3SDcPv5k7ej-k3o_J6Twvdwp8kUJyYiCDiHAneB9ypgk5KaFdMFxV9uphyphenhyphenjIY0flLqb89vhS-UlABI4KQwrz5XU6H_QsWBB4Fdfg-Xqf/s400/addingfractions.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>See Two Fraction Lessons in Action on YouTube</b><br />
Watch the YouTube video below to see two fraction lessons demonstrated step by step.<br />
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="330" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UwH1QROTAu4" width="600"></iframe></center>
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<b>Learn More </b><br />
If you want to learn more about how to teach using LEGO bricks, check the <a href="http://www.brickmath.com/" target="_blank">Brick Math program</a> website. The books in the series are available as both printed books and as PDFs, and can be purchased on the website, on Amazon and Kindle, and on TpT. Brick sets that have been designed for the program are available from that site as well. You can also purchase individual LEGO bricks from LEGO Pick a Brick, or from online resellers of LEGO bricks such as www.bricklink.com or www.brickowl.com.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Dr. Shirley Disseler is an associate professor at High Point University and chair of the Department of Elementary and Middle Grades Education, and the STEM coordinator for the BA to MEd program. She is a LEGO® Education Academy Trainer and has been instrumental in developing and testing several LEGO® Education products. Disseler serves on the LEGO® Education Ambassadors Panel and is the trainer for the High Point University Teacher Academy for LEGO® Education. She has over 25 years of educational experience from elementary school teaching through higher education, including gifted education and exceptional children. She has recently started a new business called BrickEd on the Move that offers camps, field trips, and events based on learning with LEGO bricks.</i></span>Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-31401952218389937422017-06-09T16:34:00.003-04:002018-06-07T18:26:45.558-04:006 Ways to Rekindle Your Passion for Teaching Before You Burn Out<script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5u9G0cW-yFy4bvppXcIyxBL0ae2gQW2TW3xdmhVHEw_GnGpZ74FKePpUMCx6btwaraEWrn2PrrX-6gnSGW5nm9W89lRB5QTRHlftM0beSdoQzH9M_RZUgbksmMCqIA2WccyIrqiT8uiC/s1600/6waystokindlepassionforteaching.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5u9G0cW-yFy4bvppXcIyxBL0ae2gQW2TW3xdmhVHEw_GnGpZ74FKePpUMCx6btwaraEWrn2PrrX-6gnSGW5nm9W89lRB5QTRHlftM0beSdoQzH9M_RZUgbksmMCqIA2WccyIrqiT8uiC/s640/6waystokindlepassionforteaching.png" width="1" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobovnisb2_4HTJ1O9qUzHb-LTpocKJGD-LOFw2aI6GdxCFzSnu4GGQI18MJoeKAL3_DNGdMQputryDSM5rySKa9ci4VTMjRSDNDMLZKHLjdP0yT7MRGX9KXGKDNhJJB_Gb95rLV_i8f6f/s1600/6waystorekindle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="611" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobovnisb2_4HTJ1O9qUzHb-LTpocKJGD-LOFw2aI6GdxCFzSnu4GGQI18MJoeKAL3_DNGdMQputryDSM5rySKa9ci4VTMjRSDNDMLZKHLjdP0yT7MRGX9KXGKDNhJJB_Gb95rLV_i8f6f/s640/6waystorekindle.png" width="285" /></a>No matter how much you love teaching, it's easy to get to the point of burnout before you realize it. One minute you love your job, and the next you're feeling so overwhelmed that you wonder if you can make it to the end of the day, let alone the end of the school year. Everyone feels this way from time to time, but if you continue to feel discouraged day after day, it's time for a change. Ignore these signs, and you could become another teacher burnout statistic.<br />
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The key to overcoming teacher burnout is to dig into your feelings and figure out what's wrong so you can do something about it. If you recognize the signs of burnout early, you can rekindle your passion for teaching before it's too late. I speak from personal experience, because during my 30 years of teaching, there were times when I wondered how much longer I could keep going. But each time this happened, I was able to figure out the source of my stress and overcome it. As a result, my passion for teaching would flare up again and burn stronger than ever!<br />
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Recognizing the signs of burnout isn't difficult if you take a moment to slow down and you look inside. If you struggle to find any joy in teaching because you are exhausted, overwhelmed, and overworked, you're on the edge of burnout. If you feel irritable and grumpy all the time, and you can't seem to focus your energy on anything positive, it's time for a change.<br />
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Studies point to a number of factors that can lead to teacher burnout, including lack of support, student behavior problems, lack of adequate training for the demands of the job, and plain old boredom. I would also add the inability to find work/life balance. When you consistently put everyone else's needs before your own, you end up feeling resentful and even angry because there's never any time left over for you.<br />
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Fortunately, there are many ways to combat teacher burnout before you become a statistic. Here are 6 strategies that kept me from burning out and enabled me to love teaching until my last day. You'll probably realize that you're already doing many of these things, but you if you even discover one new strategy that resonates with you, you may find that it makes a huge difference in your outlook.<br />
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<b>1. Start taking care of YOU. </b></h3>
The most important thing you can do is to make yourself a priority, and decide you'll do whatever it takes to start taking care of you! It's easy to feel burned out if you never have time to exercise, cook a healthy meal, read a book for pleasure, or spend time doing activities that you enjoy.<br />
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If you're wondering how to accomplish this when your day is already jam-packed, I have some good news. Have you ever heard the saying, "There's no tired like teacher tired?" If you've ever spend a day on your feet in the classroom, you'll know exactly what this means! My friend Angela Watson of the Cornerstone for Teachers has developed a free email mini course that will help you prioritize your daily tasks so you can make time to take care of yourself. Sign up for <a href="https://40htw.com/join/challenge/ref/laura/?campaign=BL-JULY18" target="_blank">Good-bye Teacher Tired: 5 Days to Doing Fewer Things, Better</a> to get started.<br />
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<b>2. Connect and collaborate with others who love teaching</b>.</h3>
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If you feel isolated and unsupported, actively seek out your "tribe," a place where you can connect with like-minded teachers who want to share ideas. Facebook makes this incredibly easy because there are dozens of teacher Facebook groups where you can collaborate, get advice, and offer support to others. Be sure to join groups that have a positive vibe, where teachers are sharing ideas and supporting each other rather than venting about their problems. If you end up in a group where the majority of the posts have a negative tone, leave the group before you get sucked into those discussions!<br />
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I loved collaborating with other educators, and I was inspired by many fabulous teachers during my teaching career. After Facebook rolled out groups, I created several groups for teachers, including the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/MyFiles/3-5teacherconnection.php" target="_blank">Upper Elementary Teacher Connection</a>. This group is a place where teachers in grades 2 through 6 can connect and with each other to share their passion for teaching. Group members discuss active engagement teaching strategies, share innovative instructional approaches, help each other find curriculum resources, ask advice about situations they're facing at school, and so on. If you're interested in joining, click over to the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/MyFiles/3-5teacherconnection.php" target="_blank">Upper Elementary Teacher Connection</a> page on my site to read the guidelines and apply for membership. It's free, but you do have to fill out a Google Doc form before you can be added to the group.<br />
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<b>3. Transform your classroom into a place you love to be! </b></h3>
One of the most stressful aspects of being a teacher is the sheer number of hours spent in a classroom with 25 or 30 children who seem to test your limits constantly. I used to feel like I was constantly battling my students to assert myself and gain control in the classroom. I left school every day exhausted, and I had to take a nap before I could do anything else!<br />
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Honestly, I was starting to wonder how much longer I could stay in the classroom. The turning point came when my district started providing great professional development, and I spent a week in a Kagan cooperative learning workshop. I was trained in the structural approach to cooperative learning, and I also learned classroom management strategies that helped me implement the techniques effectively. What a game changer! My classroom was never the same!<br />
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I began using cooperative learning strategies in every subject area, and I taught social skill lessons to help my students learn to get along with others. Instead of working in isolation, struggling with the content on their own, they worked with partners or in teams, talking about what they were learning and engaging with the content in meaningful ways.<br />
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What a different this made, not only to my students who were happier and learning more, but also to me personally. Instead of dragging myself to school in the morning, I was excited and full of energy, ready to try new strategies with my students. My classroom became a place I loved to be, and my students loved to be there with me!<br />
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This experience taught me about the importance of creating a caring classroom environment and using active engagement strategies. When you make learning both challenging and fun, kids don't have time to think about misbehaving.<br />
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<b>4. Learn to work smarter, not harder.</b></h3>
We've all heard this advice, but what does it really mean? Until a few years ago, I had never heard anyone explain exactly HOW teachers are supposed to work smarter and not harder. Anyone who lives with a teacher knows that they work insane numbers of hours each week, and they never get everything done! The "normal" 40 hour work week sounds like an impossible dream to a teacher who's working 60 or 70 hours a week.<br />
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<a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1507" data-original-width="1021" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77SGlZfCkQCSS_lmp60gHtR3ERpXlkbndjEfIMmUYZCGArtPIKiEaEAC1diGYnpqqc1WbGutnw5pkwe36GUryJqVgOr2nA4nHx1SAmNhr4ETw9cd9gKguND4QC8SMvRmyyih0ebE92gHe/s320/40hourteacherworkweek.png" width="216" /></a></div>
I loved teaching, but I will be the first to admit that I worked far too many hours. It's a wonder that I didn't burn out because I never could figure out how to "work smarter" and not harder. But a few years ago, I found out that it's possible to work less and still be a great teacher. I learned that Angela Watson, who will be presenting the webinar I mentioned earlier, taught 3rd grade for many years, and she was able to work a 40 hour teacher workweek. You can tell from Angela's blog that she was a great teacher, so I was a bit skeptical about her claim that she only worked 40 hours a week.<br />
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Then I became a member of her <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/" target="_blank">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</a> and started learning all of her secrets! Each week Angela sends an email to club members that's packed with productivity strategies, and she also has a Facebook group where members can get support with implementing the strategies. Angela doesn't promise that everyone will be able to reduce their workweek to 40 hours, but data she's collected shows that club members are able to shave an average of 1 hours off every week. That's over 40 hours a month saved just by learning to be more productive!<br />
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The <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/" target="_blank">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club</a> is only open twice a year to new members. <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to find out when the next open enrollment period starts and join the waitlist!<br />
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<b>5. Never stop learning, growing, and trying new strategies.</b><br />
One reason I loved teaching was that I was always learning and growing. I loved figuring out new ways to teach a concept more effectively and creating new resources to help my kids become self-motivated learners. Every school year was different, bringing new challenges and new opportunities for growth. I couldn't imagine pulling out the same set of lesson plans and teaching from them every year... how boring! Students come to us with different needs each year, technology is always changing, and brain research continues to provide us with more evidence about how we learn best. How could I possibly teach from last year's lesson plans?<br />
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If you realize you're bored because you've been teaching the same thing, year after year, it's time for a change. Why not request a move to a different grade level or teach a different subject? Try a new program with your students, like reading workshop, literature circles, or math stations. Explore a new online tool like Plickers or Kahoot, and make a plan for implementing it in your classroom. Join teacher Facebook groups where you can ask for ideas and advice about new strategies and technologies. How about signing up to watch some of my <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars.php" target="_blank">webinars for teachers</a>? You'll soon feel rejuvenated and ready for a new year!<br />
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<h3>
<b>6. Remember why you became a teacher, and stay true to your purpose. </b></h3>
If you're like most elementary teachers, you became a teacher because you wanted to work with children and make a difference. But in today's current educational climate, it's easy to lose sight of your purpose when it feels like teaching is more about following district mandates than meeting student needs.<br />
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Sometimes the best thing to do is to shut your door and do what you do best... teach! Figure out exactly what you are required to do, and do what's absolutely necessary, but don't be afraid to change things up a bit as long if you truly believe you're doing what's best for your kids. Carve out time for passion projects, reading aloud, class meetings, and learning games. Don't do anything that will get you fired, of course, but you'll find that there are many ways to stay true to your purpose and do what's right for your students.<br />
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If you encounter resistance from your administration, even when your students are happy and achieving at high levels, it might be time to seek out a new school family. I remember two times when I felt unappreciated and unsupported by the administration, and it seemed like every idea was met with resistance. I was miserable, and it had nothing to do with my students and their behaviors. In both situations, I decided at the end of the year that it was time to move on. I was so much happier in my new schools that I never regretted those decisions.<br />
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Being a teacher isn't the easiest profession, but it's definitely one of the most rewarding. If you recognize the signs of burnout in yourself and take action NOW, you can rekindle your passion for teaching and find joy again in the profession you chose! <br />
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Disclaimer: I'm an affiliate of Angela's 40 HTW Club which means I earn a commission each time someone purchases the course after clicking on my <a href="https://40htw.com/join/ref/laura/" target="_blank">affiliate link</a>. However, I would never put this much effort into recommending a course unless I was convinced it was absolutely amazing! I can assure you that if you're willing to do the work, your results will be amazing, even life-changing!Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-6798369892940550322017-06-03T11:30:00.000-04:002018-06-11T16:15:02.167-04:00Motivating Math Games<script type="text/javascript">
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Motivating kids at the end of the year can be a challenge, especially if you're still expected to teach skills and review academic content. Whole group instruction is particularly challenging this time of year because it's so difficult to get kids to sit quietly and focus on the lesson when everyone (including you!) is hanging on until summer break!<br />
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As a former 4th and 5th grade teacher, I've been there, and I found that the best way to keep kids engaged during the last few weeks was by using math games. I love using games because they are so versatile; you can use them in math centers, cooperative learning teams, or small guided math groups. Math games give kids a chance to talk and move, but it's productive talk and movement, so playing math games is the perfect way to wrap up the school year.<br />
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<b>Where to Find Math Games</b><br />
Whether your school is still in session or you are already on summer break, this is a great time to build up your collection of math games. You can make your own, of course, but they are quite time-consuming to create. I know, because I created loads of math games for my students while I was teaching. I continued to make new math games after I left the classroom, and I've spent considerable time updating my older ones.<br />
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I love making math games, but if that's not the way you care to spend YOUR weekends, consider purchasing them from TpT.<br />
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<b>Math Games Mega Bundle</b><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Games-Mega-Bundle-3179958?utm_source=BL-Math%20Bundle%20Giveaway&utm_campaign=Math%20Games%20Bundle" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklmp1AzTq8aZS01KYZqQaXA_uVFELWfZtBqXZ7s6UB6cLHimsHOn402e_C803aAeHmCssfZmOfrf5HvRvNQutReZQMpR0oqNhd8OSKMJYj-HSbDcyY1JUPyyvsyVvjEik0KAPR4VZ8IJ-/s200/math-games-mega-bundle.png" width="225" /></a>If you're an upper elementary teacher, check out my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Games-Mega-Bundle-3179958?utm_source=BL-Math%20Bundle%20Giveaway&utm_campaign=Math%20Games%20Bundle" target="_blank"><b>Math Games Mega Bundle</b></a> because it might be just what you need. This growing bundle includes 16 math games, and if I create new math games (and I probably will), those games will be added to this bundle, too. If you'd like to take a closer look at the games in this bundle, click the individual games at the end of this post to find them in my TpT store. <b>If you like all of them, you'll save over $25 by purchasing the bundle!</b><br />
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Earlier this week I hosted a giveaway of this bundle and two $10 TpT gift cards, but the giveaway ended on June 6th. Congratulations to Aimee Wallace, the grand prize winner of the bundle, and to Jaime Homan and Becky Raycroft, the winners of the TpT gift cards.<br />
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As a part of the giveaway, I asked teachers to preview the books in the bundle and tell me which ones were their favorites. To enter the contest, they had to comment on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeachingResources/posts/10155753543795769" target="_blank">Teaching Resources Facebook page</a> to tell me which games they liked best and why they liked them. I especially loved reading the comments from teachers who already had some of the games because they shared how the games actually worked with their students. If you'd like to read those comments, click over to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeachingResources/posts/10155753543795769" target="_blank">giveaway post on Facebook</a>. Even though the contest is over, feel free to comment about which games you like!<br />
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<b>Tips for Teaching with Math Games</b><br />
If you'd like some tips for teaching with math games, check out my post, <a href="http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2012/12/tips-for-teaching-with-math-games.html" target="_blank">How to Use Math Games Effectively in the Classroom</a>. In that post, I shared some strategies and techniques for using math games as a part of your instruction rather than just for fun. I also described an easy mini-lesson on how to teach kids to be a good sport. Many of those tips and that mini-lesson are also included in my freebie, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tips-for-Teaching-with-Math-Games-Free-454463" target="_blank">Tips for Teaching with Math Games</a>, which you can download from my TpT store. Enjoy!<br />
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<i>by Carolyn Wilhelm, Guest Blogger</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGonu1dagzikHgkGxgdH5UdgpwVo5rZu_W2I9sLKmmNmo2tg_hNwlkyJxZ5wjq5Nif4gUNU-KaS5XRo6KU_th_m44QWvq3tL7x3mOn2uZIcVDWPVik6bfCp1NIlj2cMa29yE5fgJWUEF7K/s1600/child-centered-reading-conferences-pin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="739" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGonu1dagzikHgkGxgdH5UdgpwVo5rZu_W2I9sLKmmNmo2tg_hNwlkyJxZ5wjq5Nif4gUNU-KaS5XRo6KU_th_m44QWvq3tL7x3mOn2uZIcVDWPVik6bfCp1NIlj2cMa29yE5fgJWUEF7K/s400/child-centered-reading-conferences-pin.png" width="250" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, the joy of a really great novel with just enough suspense that the reader can barely put it down! Teachers work so hard at getting to know which books will really grab individual children. We learn about their lives, their interests, and their reading habits. We are so happy to match a reader with the just-right and just-perfect book, and observe the silent reading with a smile. Job well done!</span></div>
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Screech, put on the brakes . . . as soon as our students are happily engaged in reading, we slide a teacher stool up next to the absorbed reader to begin a reading conference. Then we brightly ask, "What reading strategy are you using today? Will you explain how this strategy is helping you be a better reader?" Smiling and hoping to jot some notes on our charts or report card forms, we hope for an insightful and elaborate answer. <br />
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The student, wanting to please, stops the marvelous reading experience to try to answer. He pauses to think, "What can I say to get the teacher to leave so I can just get back to reading? Let's see, she was happy when I said I was inferring the other day, so I can't use that again. What can I say today?"<br />
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When seen from a child’s point of view, reading conferences may sometimes appear to be an unwelcome interruption. However, we know that individual reading conferences are critical in order to determine if our students comprehend the text. So how can we confer with them in a child-centered manner that meets their needs rather than focusing on our objectives?<br />
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After giving this some thought, I created the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/literacy/PDFRead/ChildCenteredReadingConf.pdf" target="_blank">Child-Centered Reading Conference</a> chart shown on the right with some strategies and possible questions to ask without interrupting the reader and ruining the reading experience.<br />
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Begin the session with a general question such as "What is something you have just been thinking about while reading?" Then try to follow up that question with one that matches what the child just said with a similar reading strategy.<br />
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We should not make children fit their thinking into the strategies we are teaching when they are delightfully engrossed in reading. Be as unobtrusive, quiet, and thoughtful as you can when conferring with an engrossed reader . . . and be quick! <br />
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Yes, teachers have to gather notes and information about readers, but we also have to be careful not to spoil the reading experiences of our students. Happy reading!<br />
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<i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Carolyn Wilhelm has a Masters in Gifted Education, another Masters in K-12 Curriculum and Instruction, and is a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of Middle Childhood Generalist. She has taught grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, gifted education K-6, and remedial math grades 1-6. Carolyn is the creator of <a href="http://www.thewiseowlfactory.com/">The Wise Owl Factory website</a> and <a href="http://www.thewiseowlfactory.com/BookaDay/">Book-a-Day blog</a>.</i></div>
<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-27674136544810483172017-05-27T16:50:00.000-04:002018-06-11T18:50:28.731-04:00Teaching Order of Operations: No-fail Strategies that Really Work!<script type="text/javascript">
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Order of operations can be frustrating to teach, but it doesn't have to be. There's no question that this is an extremely challenging topic for elementary students. Fortunately, there are loads of strategies for teaching order of operations that are both fun and effective.<br />
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One reason kids struggle with this concept is that there are so many rules to learn and follow. Even worse, rules that appear to be simple often prove to be deceptively complex.<br />
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For example, most kids can easily remember that multiplication and division are always performed before addition and subtraction, especially after they learn to follow the order described by "PEMDAS."<br />
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However, they tend to get stuck when an equation includes both multiplication AND division. Most kids automatically multiply before dividing, but order of operations tells us to perform the operation that comes first when reading the problem from left to right. No wonder kids find order of operations to be super confusing! <br />
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Another reason kids struggle is that even when they understand how to use order of operations correctly, they don't apply the rules systematically. Because the problems look easy, students try to rely on mental math alone to solve them. This may work with the easy problems, but mental math isn't effective with more complex problems that include multiple operations, parentheses, exponents.<br />
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After watching my students struggle with order of operations, I developed a simple lesson that worked every time. As a result, my students actually remembered the rules and could easily apply them to any problem. I'd like to share these no-fail strategies with you, along with two free order of operations printables you can use to help your students grasp these concepts.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgD0jinVaq6qslx2BjRTmdJymWOyleLDNL7Z3ftQoov1YT2ihZTN93D7cUpD5mMkr7-vzEKNMo60rC_ETKQS_LGxlO42fwe6799sI2D8c8BMChK6S6CtIqsv6FHx4fiAGcGRso2N7LS5ba/s1600/orderofoperationsprintables.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="724" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgD0jinVaq6qslx2BjRTmdJymWOyleLDNL7Z3ftQoov1YT2ihZTN93D7cUpD5mMkr7-vzEKNMo60rC_ETKQS_LGxlO42fwe6799sI2D8c8BMChK6S6CtIqsv6FHx4fiAGcGRso2N7LS5ba/s320/orderofoperationsprintables.png" width="1" /></a><br />
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<b>Order of Operations Lesson</b><br />
The lesson begins with a quick activity to get students thinking about why we need rules for solving equations. This lesson "hook" is followed by an order of operations mini-lesson, a guided practice session, and a fast-paced game that doubles as a formative assessment activity. <br />
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To get the most from the activities, each student will need a dry erase board or tablet where they can work out the problems. You'll also need at least one calculator for the class that uses order of operations correctly. A physical calculator is fine if displayed under a document camera, or you can use an online calculator. Be sure to test the calculator prior to the lesson to be sure it can handle order of operations problems. To find out, enter 1 + 2 x 3 and press the = sign. The correct answer is 7, so if your calculator displays 9 as the answer, it does NOT use order of operations correctly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmCAKfj7QbjNhF_0ElVITWzhJbZ5IOcOprLITORzO4IW7ZYy90DV6iTKv-fm814XHmCNyzSwBvQ6m0xhp1idyMrEoBeDlkKGvoyVm_XTkeqONCctBekB5quFEy3Az7l4KSMATqFCybsdg/s1600/dryeraseorderofop.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1137" data-original-width="951" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmCAKfj7QbjNhF_0ElVITWzhJbZ5IOcOprLITORzO4IW7ZYy90DV6iTKv-fm814XHmCNyzSwBvQ6m0xhp1idyMrEoBeDlkKGvoyVm_XTkeqONCctBekB5quFEy3Az7l4KSMATqFCybsdg/s320/dryeraseorderofop.png" width="210" /></a><b>1. Lesson Hook: Solve a Not-so-simple Equation </b><br />
Before you teach PEMDAS or any other strategy, challenge your students to solve a simple equation such as this one: 3 + 8 x 2 = ? Ask your students to write the equation on a dry erase board or tablet, and then solve it and show you the answer.<br />
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You're likely to see two different answers, but resist the urge to reveal the correct answer at this point. Most students will say the answer is 22 because they added 3 and 8 and then multiplied the sum by 2. However, who have studied order of operations in the past will say the answer is 19 because they multiplied 8 times 2 and added 3 to the product. Your students might be a bit confused when they notice that some of their classmates have different answers, but they are about to become even more confused!<br />
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Tell your students that you're going to use a calculator to check the answer, and as they watch, enter the problem above. When the calculator displays 19 as the answer, act surprised and say you must have entered the problem wrong. Enter it carefully again, and when you get the same answer, try a different calculator. When you get the same answer yet again, ask your students to pair up with a partner to discuss why the calculator keeps giving the "wrong" answer. After they talk it over for a few minutes, tell them that 19 is actually the correct answer, and that you're going to teach them some important rules for solving problems that involve more than one operation.<br />
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This activity is a great way to start your order of operations lesson because it creates a feeling of "cognitive dissonance," a state of mind in which we struggle to assimilate new facts that don't match what we thought we knew about a topic. When students experience cognitive dissonance, they become eager to learn and open to new ideas, so it's the perfect time to start the actual instruction.<br />
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<b>2. Direct Instruction: Introduce Order of Operations</b><br />
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How you introduce order of operations will depend on your students' readiness and their prior experiences with algebraic concepts. You might want to start by teaching your students how to use parentheses to indicate which part of an equation should be solved first. Write an equation two different ways, keeping the numbers the same but placing the parentheses around different pairs of numbers like this: (5 + 3) x 2 = ? and 5 + (3 x 2) = ?<br />
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Show your students how to solve both problems, and point out that even though the numbers used in the equations are the same, the solutions are different. Give your students several more pairs of problems that have the same numbers and the parentheses in different locations. Stop after each problem to discuss the solution and clear up misunderstandings.<br />
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Next, display an equation that doesn't have parentheses, like 15 - 5 x 2 = x. Point out that it's not clear which part of the problem should be solved first, and as they've seen with the previous example, the order in which you perform the operations DOES matter.<br />
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Tell your students that mathematicians have agreed upon a set of rules called the "order of operations" that must be followed when solving problems. If your students have already studied exponents, you can teach the acronym PEMDAS which stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction. The phrase "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" will help them remember the order of those letters. If your students haven't studied exponents, you can substitute the acronym PMDAS and the phrase "Pass My Dad a Sandwich."<br />
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<a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/math/PDF/orderofopfreebie.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1288" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIK5XoZTCYUnq2KebOBWKNE2DPjjdjX26GZXo1V3kZ1cAfT2IOj5xwxoE_Ed6xr4XlsU49CKlQv0v7vq4PYHH7mJRmWB4x1bHEjuHVEgiKHANaoVho2WtbJrVmUzLlRt_yF24na7J74zj/s640/orderofoperationsfreebie.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Guided Practice: Teaching the Step-by-Step Method for Solving Problems</b><br />
For the next part of the lesson, you'll need to download the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/math/PDF/orderofopfreebie.pdf" target="_blank">Order of Operations Freebie</a> shown above. This freebie consists of three pages from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-Operations-Bingo-Level-1-82701?utm_source=BL&utm_campaign=Order%20of%20Op%20Level%201" target="_blank">Order of Operations Bingo Level 1</a>. Exponents are not mentioned on these pages, and the acronym PMDAS is used instead of PEMDAS.<br />
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After using the Order of Operations Review to explain the PMDAS acronym, display a copy of the practice page or give each student a paper copy. Introduce the step-by-step method for evaluating algebraic expressions by explaining the example at the top of the page. Using this strategy, each step is written on a separate line. Guide your students through the process of solving the 6 practice problems one at a time. Check and discuss the solutions after each problem, and be sure to have them show you their work. If needed, refer to the answer key on page 3 for step-by-step solutions.<br />
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If you have not taught this step-by step-method of solving order of operations problems, you might be tempted to skip it and let your students use mental math. Most of the problems are so easy that your students may be able to solve them without writing out each step.<br />
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However, relying on mental math to solve more challenging problems results in a lot of careless mistakes, so I recommending teaching your students to follow this step-by-step strategy with EVERY problem. If they get in the habit of using this systematic approach, they will be able to solve more complex problems with ease later. Trust me on this!<br />
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<b>4. Play an Order of Operations Game</b><br />
After your students understand how to solve order of operations problems, they'll need lots of practice while the concepts are fresh in their minds. Games are far more effective for practice than worksheets because they are fast-pace and fun, motivating students to solve dozens of problems in a short time.<br />
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If you play the game as a class and discuss the answers after each problem, your students will know within a few round of the game if they are solving the problems correctly. If they aren't, they will be motivated to ask questions and seek help to improve. Furthermore, many games can serve as formative assessment activities if you walk around while students are solving each problem to observe their work. Without having to administer a formal test, you'll be able to see who understands the concepts and who needs more help.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-Operations-Bingo-Level-1-82701" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1305" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kMCA_uhYevrgAvR3GYQsnaSjdTV5TknW7TOkLSibS3MX4UNx0AKy5CA_1eW0g81fWBugnz7nzEk3R3Txqk4IJLuRDKluZ022SDjK-dPD7pAM8nEI_I4Wm71th4hJOEHfrH1uunPQNbka/s640/orderofoperationslevel1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-Operations-Bingo-Level-1-82701?utm_source=BL&utm_campaign=Order%20of%20Op%20Level%201" target="_blank">Order of Operations Bingo</a> is my favorite activity for practicing this skill because players can't win without using order of operations correctly. To foster math skill development, ask your students to work out each problem on a dry erase board or tablet, using the step-by-step method. Stop after each problem to discuss each solution before presenting the next task card. Remind your students that they can only cover the answer on their Bingo boards with a chip if they had the correct answer BEFORE you revealed the solution to the class. If you enforce this rule, I can guarantee a huge drop in careless errors after the first round of the game!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubnVLw-2rWT04FWCC8xpEaOg2mNB2ninX_PiGP_6xoZZL0lR5rlkR1E_rPiKQEqNXBogRj-GGLHMCSUBPMBIMksYTZ0DP2Fw7bybg9i3JDY7qdPl6u6MmErpnv02WX0kF4xQhJfC1SxDz/s1600/orderofoperationsbundle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubnVLw-2rWT04FWCC8xpEaOg2mNB2ninX_PiGP_6xoZZL0lR5rlkR1E_rPiKQEqNXBogRj-GGLHMCSUBPMBIMksYTZ0DP2Fw7bybg9i3JDY7qdPl6u6MmErpnv02WX0kF4xQhJfC1SxDz/s320/orderofoperationsbundle.png" width="270" /></a></div>
Differentiating instruction is easy because there are two levels of the game. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-Operations-Bingo-Level-1-82701?utm_source=BL&utm_campaign=Order%20of%20Op%20Level%201" target="_blank">Order of Operations Bingo Level 1</a>, includes basic task card problems like the ones used in the freebie. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-Operations-Bingo-Level-2-82724?utm_source=BL&utm_campaign=Order%20of%20Op%20Level%202" target="_blank">Order of Operations Bingo Level 2</a> has more complex problems that may include exponents. Both levels include Class Bingo directions, as well as Team Bingo for cooperative learning teams and centers.<br />
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Both levels of the game and my Order of Operations assessments are included in a cost-saving bundle. If your curriculum includes exponents, the <a href="http://i%20combined%20all%20of%20these%20order%20of%20operations%20resources%20into%20one%20cost-saving%20bundle.%20if%20you%20teach%20exponents%2C%20the%20order%20of%20operations%20games%20and%20tests%20bundle%20is%20your%20best%20deal./" target="_blank">Order of Operations Games and Tests Bundle</a> is your best option. By the way, if you use both levels in your classroom, you might want to print the game materials for each level on different colored card stock to keep them separate.<br />
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<b>Classroom-Tested: Teacher and Student Approved</b><br />
I created Order of Operations Bingo many years ago to use with my students, and I recently updated both Order of Operations Bingo games. I added more task cards with problems, and I created new game boards to go with those task cards. The original game used a 4 x 4 Bingo grid, but I switched to a 5 x 5 grid to include more numbers for a longer game. I also revised the directions to include more information for teachers about how to use the game as an instructional tool.<br />
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After making these changes, I posted a request in my <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/MyFiles/3-5teacherconnection.php" target="_blank">Upper Elementary Teacher Connection</a> Facebook group for volunteers who were willing to field test the game with their students. Several teachers offered to help, and two of them sent pictures of their students playing the game. I love to see photos of kids using my lessons and activities, and I couldn't resist sharing a few of them with you!<br />
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Fourth grade teacher Christina Ashburn tested Order of Operations Bingo and had her students solve the problems on dry erase boards as described in the lesson. She didn't have bingo chips, so she laminated the game boards and had her students color over the answers with dry erase markers. I honestly never thought of doing that, but it's a brilliant idea! For one thing, if kids are solving problems on dry erase boards, their markers should be handy. Also, you don't have to worry about plastic Bingo chips ending up all over the classroom floor!<br />
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Fifth grade teacher Sheryl Nicholas also tested the game in her class. After observing her students play Order of Operations Bingo, she discovered an unexpected benefit. Sheryl explained, "My favorite part was how my non-English speakers immediately felt involved in the review. So much lately is 'drill and test,' but this made it a lot more interesting for the students. All were engaged in the activity and there was quite a bit of math talk as well as individual practicing of skills."<br />
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After they played the game, Sheryl interviewed her students to get their feedback and shared some of their comments with me. I especially loved reading two comments about having to write out the steps of each problem. One student said, "I liked that you wouldn't let me do them in my head but made me write the problems on the iPad and do them." Another student wasn't quite as enthusiastic about that part of the lesson, stating, "I wish you would have let me do these problems in my head. But then again, I always work too fast so I probably did better since I had to write them down."<br />
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I just laughed when I read that last comment because it's exactly the sort of thing some of my students would have said! This "no-fail" order of operations lesson is fun for students, and the step-by-step strategies make it highly effective, too. After playing the game, even kids recognize the importance of writing out the steps when solving order of operations problems, whether they like it or not! <br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-33773744462332148932017-03-29T19:06:00.002-04:002018-06-11T17:51:01.663-04:00How to Teach Poetry, Step by Step (It's Easier Than You Think!)<script type="text/javascript">
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<b><i>April is National Poetry Month!</i></b><br />
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When you saw those words, what was your first reaction? Come on now, be honest!<br />
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You might have been thinking, "Yay! I love poetry, and now I have an excuse to teach it!"<br />
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But more likely you were thinking, "Yikes! Is it that time already? Poetry is so boring and hard to teach, and my students don't like it either. How will I fit poetry lessons into my already packed schedule!"<br />
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No matter how you feel about poetry, if you're an upper elementary teacher, you probably have to teach it at some point during the year. Poetry is included in most reading curriculums, and almost every standardized reading test has at least a few poems. Even if your students aren't tested on poetry, there are many reasons to teach it. Just think about the amount figurative language used in poetry, and you'll understand how learning to read and write poetry can improve comprehension of other types of text, too.<br />
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<b><i>The good news is that even if you don't enjoy poetry yourself, it's easy to teach it in a way that will have your students begging for more! </i></b><br />
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<b><i>If you don't believe me, I hope you'll join me on March 27th for my free live webinar, <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/poetry/how-to-teach-poetry-webinar.html" target="_blank">How to Teach Kids to Love Poetry (Even If You't Don't)</a>. </i></b>Every time I present this training, teachers tell me that watching the webinar totally changed the way they feel about teaching poetry. Instead of dreading their next poetry unit, they are actually excited to get started! <br />
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Before I tell you more about the webinar, I'd like you to reflect on your own feelings about poetry and consider why you feel the way you do. This might seem like an unusual request, but after reading this post, I think you'll see why it's important.<br />
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What I've discovered is that whether you love poetry or you'd rather walk across a bed of hot coals than teach it,<b> <i>the way you feel about poetry now is a direct result of your early experiences with it</i>. </b>I'll admit that the study of poetry can be dry and boring, but it can also be vibrant and exciting when it's taught as a form of self-expression. Read the two scenarios below and ask yourself which one is most like your own experiences learning poetry.<br />
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<b>The Best of Poetry</b><br />
If you enjoy poetry and you like teaching it, your first experiences were probably relaxed, playful and fun. Discussions about poetry focused on personal responses, and you talked about the beauty of the language, noticed the musical quality of the words, or discussed how poetry made you feel. You learned that poems don't have to rhyme and often break the rules of grammar, and if you were encouraged to write poetry, you probably wrote free verse.<br />
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Free verse poems are so easy to write that almost anyone can compose them, even kids who normally struggle to write sentences and paragraphs. To see what I mean, read <i>Corn Husks</i> below, a poem written by one of my former 5th grade students while on our "Private Eye Poetry" field trip. I wrote a grant for a class set of <a href="http://amzn.to/2nAgtwd" target="_blank">Private Eye magnifying lenses</a>, and later arranged to take my students to the local park to observe nature up close and write poetry. The students spent the first hour collecting items and using their private eyes to observe them, and the second hour was spent writing poems about the treasures they found. Anthony was fascinated with dried corn husks, and he wrote this beautiful comparison poem about what he observed.<br />
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<b>The Worst of Poetry</b><br />
Not everyone has been lucky enough to learn about poetry this way; in fact, most students have only seen the worst of poetry. If your early memories consist of painful and humiliating attempts to memorize and recite poetry in front of the class, it's no wonder you want to avoid it at all costs! Were you forced to analyze each and every poem to uncover its "true" meaning? If so, I'll bet you were frustrated when your interpretation was different from your teacher's, and you were told that yours was wrong. If you were given poetry-writing assignments, your poems probably had to rhyme which meant never being able to write in your own voice. Writing rhyming poetry is an art, and it's not something that comes naturally to adults or children. Inexperienced writers often end up replacing powerful words with weak ones just because they rhyme, so their poems sound boring and contrived.<br />
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<b>So, did you experience the best of poetry or the worst of poetry as a student?</b> If you don't like poetry, are you starting to realize why you don't like it? This is why I wanted to you to explore how you came to feel the way you do about poetry. Which of the two scenarios would you like your students to experience? Poems don't have to rhyme, and they don't have to be dry and boring. If that's what you've experienced up until now, let me introduce a whole new way of thinking about poetry and teaching it to your students! After you implement some of these strategies, you might even be surprised to learn that you actually like teaching poetry!<br />
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<a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/poetry/how-to-teach-poetry-webinar.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHixhwMDWs1nCE2Lpgsh12vVM82Q1UriSLgergEVxgVV5jLiUJM1YkNC3g3WJHzqEvdlQ7LtEYell8Hq4ArHXYMxMO29XCzZHlaROU6fEEz5X3Zw4cSiE0z7alECQlRpGhMtnXVs-unoA/s640/howtoteachpoetrywebinar.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/poetry/how-to-teach-poetry-webinar.html" target="_blank">Sign up here</a> for the poetry webinar or the replay. </b></div>
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<b>Free Webinar: How to Teach Kids to Love Poetry (Even If You Don't)</b><br />
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I've been sharing poetry resources with teachers for a long time, but until last year, I had never explained how to each a poetry unit from beginning to end. Frankly, I worried that trying to write out the complete, the step-by-step directions for a poetry unit would result in a 3-inch thick document that no one would have time to read!<br />
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Then last April, I had a flash of insight when I realized poetry would be the perfect topic to teach during a webinar! The format would give me a way to explain the steps and strategies in great detail, and I could also answer questions at the end of the live session.<br />
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I immediately set to work developing my webinar, <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/poetry/how-to-teach-poetry-webinar.html" target="_blank">How to Teach Kids to Love Poetry (Even if You Don't)</a>, and it was a joy to be able to share exactly how I teach poetry, step by step. The webinar has been hit each time I've presented it, and it's equally popular with teachers who love poetry and those who don't... or those who didn't enjoy it in the past!<br />
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My free webinars don't include a professional development certificate, but you can obtain a PD certificate for this session by purchasing my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-to-Teach-Poetry-Step-by-Step-2497113" target="_blank">How to Teach Poetry Webinar PD pack</a> or my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poetry-Unit-124655" target="_blank">Poetry Webinar Bundle</a>. Both products include a PD certificate, the poetry webinar slides in a printable PDF format, a downloadable video to watch offline, and an audio replay.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/poetry/how-to-teach-poetry-webinar.html" target="_blank">Register here</a> </b>for the next live poetry webinar on<b> March 27, 2018 at 8 pm ET.</b></div>
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<b>What You'll Learn in the Poetry Webinar</b><br />
If you're wondering what cover in this webinar, download the free <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-to-Teach-Poetry-Free-Webinar-Handouts-2808705" target="_blank">How to Teach Poetry webinar handouts</a> from my TpT store now and take a look. While you're there, read the comments and testimonials from teachers who attended the webinar in the past, and I think you'll see why I'm so excited to share this information with you! Whether or not you actually take notes, the handouts provide a nice outline of what you can expect to learn in this session:<br />
<ul>
<li>Why it's important to teach poetry</li>
<li>A 6-step plan for teaching an entire poetry unit</li>
<li>What free verse poetry is and how it differs from other forms of poetry</li>
<li>My favorite poetry books to read aloud and share with your students</li>
<li>Questions to guide your poetry discussions</li>
<li>How to teach kids the difference between poetry and prose</li>
<li>8 commonly-used poetic devices and how to teach them</li>
<li>A quick and easy close reading strategy for teaching kids to dig deeper into poetry</li>
<li>How to get kids talking about poetry</li>
<li>Strategies for teaching kids to write powerful similes and metaphors</li>
<li>A simple, step-by-step method for writing color poems</li>
<li>How to transform reluctant writers into enthusiastic poets</li>
</ul>
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<b>Ready to Get Started Teaching Your BEST Poetry Unit Ever?</b><br />
Have you signed up to watch <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/poetry/how-to-teach-poetry-webinar.html" target="_blank">How to Teach Kids to Love Poetry (Even If You Don't)</a>? I feel confident that after implementing the step-by-step plan described in the webinar, you'll actually begin to enjoy teaching poetry. Best of all, your students will discover the best of poetry instead of the worst, and before you know it, they'll be reading and writing poetry with enthusiasm!<br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-13695382020807879862017-03-07T22:50:00.001-05:002018-06-11T17:55:08.369-04:00Arr, Me Hearties! Island Conquer Gets a Pirate Makeover!<script type="text/javascript">
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Do you recognize the Island Conquer math game freebie below? If you've been following my blog for a few years, you probably recognize the name but the freebie itself definitely has a new look!<br />
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<a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141d1a173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5718922095493120/" target="_blank">Island Conquer Area & Perimeter</a> is one of my most popular freebies, and I recently gave it a pirate makeover! Arr, me hearties! I had the best time updating this math game, and I can't wait to share it with you landlubbers! :-)<br />
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If you're an upper elementary teacher, you know that kids often get confused between area and perimeter, so they need lots of practice with these skills. A few years ago, I noticed that my 4th graders were struggling with these concepts, so I created a math center game to give them a fun way to practice area and perimeter.<br />
<a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141d1a173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5718922095493120/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141d1a173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5718922095493120/" target="_blank">Island Conquer</a> is a partner math game that involves plotting rectangular polygons on a coordinate grid and then finding the area or perimeter of those shapes. The coordinate grid represents the ocean and the rectangles are the islands.<br />
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In the updated version of <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141d1a173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5718922095493120/" target="_blank">Island Conquer</a>, the players (pirates) are given a mission to map all the islands in Quadrilateral Bay and to conquer them by correctly calculating their areas or perimeters. At the end of the game, both pirates count their “treasure” by calculating the total area or perimeter of all the islands they have captured. Island Conquer is a terrific review game because both luck and skill are needed to win. Players have to rely on luck when they draw a coordinate card from the deck, but they must correctly plot the island on the map and calculate the area or perimeter in order to capture the island and win.<br />
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<b>Island Conquer Area & Perimeter Math Game Freebie</b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Click<b> <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141d1a173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5718922095493120/" target="_blank">here</a></b> to sign up for Candler's Classroom Connections and grab this freebie!</i></span></div>
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<b>Where to Find Island Conquer</b><br />
Would you like to use this math game in your classroom? Island Conquer is free for subscribers to my email newsletter, <b><i>Candler's Classroom Connections,</i></b> and if you're not already a subscriber, <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141d1a173f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5718922095493120/" target="_blank">click here to sign up</a> and I'll send Island Conquer right to your inbox! If you are a current subscriber, look for a recent email from me with the link to the page called Laura's Best Freebies. If you can't find it, sign up using the link above and I'll send Island Conquer to you now. I hope you find this activity to be a helpful math resource and that your students enjoy Island Conquer as much as mine did!<br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-19726847245577698222017-02-22T21:30:00.001-05:002018-06-11T17:55:53.509-04:00Going Marbles for STEM Hands-on Learning<script type="text/javascript">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Guest blog post by Francie Kugelman</i></span><br />
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<b>March 16th Update: THREE teachers </b>will each win 5 Marble Run Extreme Sets in this weekend's <b>Caring Classrooms Contest! </b><b>Click <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/caringclassroomscontests.php" target="_blank">HERE</a> for details.</b><br />
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Do you remember the thrill of dropping a marble into a maze and watching it roll, spin, and finally end at the bottom of your run? Having your students create a marble run can be a fantastic learning experience for your students, and it makes a great STEM project, too. Believe it or not, you might even be able to the materials for this project absolutely free! <br />
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I recently decided to have my 3rd graders design and test marble runs as a part of my Forces and Interactions science unit. I developed the activity to address the Next Generation Science Standard 3-PS2-1: "Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object."<br />
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When I began looking for materials, I discovered the <a href="http://amzn.to/2kJOhcg" target="_blank">Marble Run Extreme</a> kit from <a href="https://www.marblegenius.com/" target="_blank">Marble Genius</a> which looked like the perfect resource for this STEM activity. I was going to order a kit from Amazon.com, but after noticing that many reviewers were able to purchase the kit at a reduced price, I emailed the company to ask about getting a discount. I ended up with something even better than a discount... they offered to send me a kit for free! I also ordered <a href="http://amzn.to/2m68BVc" target="_blank">a set of six stopwatches</a> from Amazon that my students could wear around their necks so they could time their runs and make adjustments.<br />
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For our first class experience with marble runs, we had large teams and I separated the kit so every team had the essential parts for their marble runs. After the activity, I contacted Marble Genius to thank them, and I raved about their Marble Run Extreme kit. I couldn't believe it when Jeff Forgrave, the founder of the company, emailed me back and offered to send me 10 more kits for free! One kit isn't really enough for an entire class, and he wanted my students to experience a true hands-on STEM lesson where every child could participate in designing, building, and testing marble runs.<br />
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After the kits arrived, I had classroom parents label every piece so I could easily put them back together again. Each kit includes 125 translucent plastic pieces and 20 marbles, so it was easy to make sure every group had essential pieces to create their marble run. I rolled up our classroom rugs and put them in the hallway so the marble runs would have stability on our floor.<br />
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<b>The Challenge: Building the Slowest Marble Run</b><br />
When it was time to start the activity, I divided my students into small cooperative learning groups and challenged them to design the SLOWEST run! I gave each team a set of marble run materials including a stopwatch, and I could feel the excitement and urgency in the room as each team worked on trying to build the slowest marble run in the classroom.<br />
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I loved hearing the excitement in my room as I watched how focused and engaged my students were, from high achievers to struggling students. One team discovered that the circular shape with the hole in the middle is perfect for slowing down the marble. I had the rest of the class watch that team’s marble run in action, and I challenged the other teams to match their time and increase it!<br />
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Every team wanted to time their run and change their design so they could increase the time it took for their marble to complete its run. Both boys and girls worked together on their marble runs, and had no difficulties making adjustments to the configuration of their marble runs.<br />
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Besides creating a run with the slowest time, we tried some other runs. One activity required the students to use all the pieces they were given to create the fastest run, and another criteria was to choose 5 pieces that could be removed from the kit that would help the run to be even faster.<br />
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Creating marble runs was fun for my students, and they really loved the activity. But what I liked best was the fact that they were experimenting and making critical thinking choices while exploring Next Generation Science Standard concepts related to forces and interactions!<br />
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<b>Marble Run Extreme Kits </b><br />
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The <a href="http://amzn.to/2kJOhcg" target="_blank">Marble Run Extreme</a> kits worked great for this activity! The pieces are easy to assemble, sturdy, and made of colorful transparent plastic! My third graders are 9 years old, and the kits were so easy to use that none of them asked for my help putting their Marble Runs together. We loved watching the marbles as they traveled their way through the run because this kit features transparent plastic, making it extremely easy to watch and film the journey. Because I labeled the parts of each kit, putting the pieces away in the correctly labeled box was easy to do.<br />
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If you do this activity with your students, I recommend purchasing several kits so you'll have plenty of materials for your students to use when designing their marble runs. The more marble run kits you order, the more pieces each team has to work with. A total of 4-5 kits would be perfect for a classroom of 25 students so there would be lots of pieces for each team to work with.<br />
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If you order enough kits, you could even create a Makerspace in your classroom where your students can design their own Ultimate Marble Runs any way they want to!<br />
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<b>DonorsChoose Funding for Marble Run Materials</b><br />
You can also explore grants and funding opportunities to obtain the materials. If you teach in a public school in the United States, you could write a DonorsChoose proposal for the marble run kits and stopwatches, and there's a good chance it would be fully funded.<a href="http://donorschoose.org/"> DonorsChoose.org</a> is a nonprofit organization that helps teachers get funding for classroom materials, and if you aren't tapping into this source of funding, now would be a great time to begin!<br />
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I've had 200 DonorsChoose projects funded with a total value of over $100,000, and I've learned a few tricks for getting your project funded successfully. First, try to keep your total materials cost under $350 because small projects are much more likely to get funded. Also, look for match offers and keep them in mind when writing your proposal. For example, your project can qualify for a 50% match if you use your marble runs in an after-school club as described on the <a href="https://help.donorschoose.org/hc/en-us/articles/115000854567-Science-Everywhere-Innovation-Challenge" target="_blank">Science Everywhere Innovations Challenge page</a>. Another 50% match is available for those who teach at a highest poverty school if they follow the directions for the <a href="https://help.donorschoose.org/hc/en-us/articles/115000365727-Double-Your-Impact-with-the-Stavros-Niarchos-Foundation-in-the-STEAM-Innovation-Challenge" target="_blank">STEAM Innovation Grant</a>.<br />
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To learn more about how to obtain funding through DonorsChoose.org, follow the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/caringclassrooms/" target="_blank">Caring Classrooms Community on Facebook</a>. Members of this group help and support each other as they work to get their DonorsChoose projects funded. Laura Candler and I are the administrators of the group, and we love supporting teachers who are trying to obtain DC funding. You might also want to <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/donorschoose.php" target="_blank">watch the replay of the DonorsChoose webinar</a> that Laura and I presented together a few months ago because we shared a lot of helpful information!<br />
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<b>Marble Genius Partners with Caring Classrooms</b><br />
While I was communicating with Jeff Forgrave a few months ago to share my excitement about the Marble Run Extreme kits, I also told him about DonorsChoose and the teachers who make up the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/caringclassrooms/" target="_blank">Caring Classrooms Community</a>.<br />
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When he found out about our mission, he offered to sponsor the Caring Classrooms Community with a $500 donation AND 20 <a href="http://amzn.to/2lz12Dt" target="_blank">Marble Run Super Set kits </a>to give to teachers in our community! Laura and I are so appreciative of this level of support from Marble Genius, and we're planning to give those kits away in the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/caringclassroomscontests.php" target="_blank">Caring Classrooms Going Marbles Contest</a>. Click over to the contest page now to see how it works! If the contest is over by the time you read this, don't worry because Marble Genius pledges to support future contests with donations of Marble Run Kits. If you want to be notified about all of our contests and special events, sign up for the <a href="http://bit.ly/caringclassroomsnews" target="_blank">Caring Classrooms email newsletter</a>. Who knows? You might be one of the lucky winners!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Francie Kugelman teaches 3rd grade at Dahlia Heights Elementary School in Los Angeles. She loves actively engaging her students in the learning process, and she's obtained over $100,000 in classroom funding from DonorsChoose.org to help bring those lessons to life. Francie is a passionate advocate for DonorsChoose.org, and she enjoys helping other teachers obtain funding for their projects through this nonprofit organization. Francie also holds the honor of being the very first Marble Genius Ambassador!</i></span><br />
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Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-7272135908288369742017-02-02T22:54:00.002-05:002018-06-11T17:57:58.436-04:00Interactive Teaching with Plickers (Free Webinar)<script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkknrZzZbR0TukoA5lNfIC7xAT6bOw0UgC6UVOkgbS2NCAuyNewzU78cVBNhri5ig8vmleYgW2rs1YSBRYv5zGR3L3sgeg0t89w-1_RdIVTtGpLy0Y6ONDjvUt7j9cupR3yObzukJQHFl/s1600/plickerstallpin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkknrZzZbR0TukoA5lNfIC7xAT6bOw0UgC6UVOkgbS2NCAuyNewzU78cVBNhri5ig8vmleYgW2rs1YSBRYv5zGR3L3sgeg0t89w-1_RdIVTtGpLy0Y6ONDjvUt7j9cupR3yObzukJQHFl/s640/plickerstallpin.png" width="300" /></a><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/plickers/plickers-webinar-registration.html" target="_blank"><b>Click HERE to Register for the Webinar</b></a><br />
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Do you use Plickers in your classroom? If not, it's definitely worth taking time to check it out!<br />
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Plickers is an amazing FREE formative assessment tool that works like handheld response clicker programs, but it's far cheaper because it doesn't require expensive clicking devices.<br />
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If you've heard about Plickers, you might be wondering why everyone is so excited about it, especially if you tried to figure out how to use it on your own. Because Plickers can be a little confusing at first, the best way to learn how it works is to have someone walk you through the set up and explain how to use the program's features.<br />
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If you don't know anyone who uses Plickers, I'm here to help! I'm offering a free webinar to show you exactly how to get started and how to use the program to actively engage your students. If you want to know more, click over to the <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/plickers/plickers-webinar-registration.html" target="_blank"><b>Interactive Teaching with Plickers registration page</b></a> and sign up now!<br />
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In the meantime, let me share a little more about how Plickers works. You won't need to purchase expensive clicker devices because this innovative program uses "paper clickers" that you can print for free from the Plickers website. You only need one card per student, and each card has a unique pattern that can be scanned like a QR code with just about any mobile device.<br />
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When you're ready to use Plickers with your students, you'll display multiple choice questions for the class one at a time. Your students will respond to each question by holding up and turning their cards in one of 4 directions. Next, you'll scan all the student response cards from the front of the room by pointing your mobile device camera at the class and “sweeping” it around the room. Within moments, data will appear on your device to show who answered the problem correctly and who still needs help. That same data will also be captured in your online Plickers account to review and analyze later. Being able to capture assessment data quickly and easily means you can teach interactively and adapt your instruction to the needs of individual students without having to take home stacks of papers to grade each night!<br />
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I learned about Plickers over a year ago, and I loved it right away! I couldn’t believe that something so amazing was FREE! I started sharing information about it on my Teaching Resources page, and every time I did, the post went viral. Dozens of teachers commented on those posts to tell me how much they loved Plickers and about all the interesting things they were doing with the program.<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Free Plickers Facebook Group</b><br />
I was so intrigued by the program that I set up a Facebook group where teachers who were using Plickers can share ideas or get help with the features of the program. Plickers can be used with just about any grade from Kindergarten through college and in almost any subject area, but it was clear from comments on Facebook that elementary teachers use it a bit differently than teachers of older students. As a former elementary teacher, I wanted to know more about how Plickers is being used with K-5 students, so I decided to make those grades the focus of the Facebook group. If you’re interested in joining this group, click over to the <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiAbsWz76Ruw5258ZbNtSAvRBJkqvUwkG5U2jfQJdsRKTjug/viewform" target="_blank">K-5 Plickers Facebook group application form</a>, read the details, follow the directions, and sign up.<br />
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<b>Free Webinar: Interactive Teaching with Plickers</b><br />
The more I learned about Plickers, the more I loved it. In fact, I've already written two other posts about Plickers to share how it can be used. <a href="http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2016/01/plickers-101-digital-exit-tickets.html" target="_blank">Plickers 101: Digital Exit Tickets and More</a> was the first post, and I followed that with Plickers <a href="http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2016/03/innovative-strategies-for-plickers.html" target="_blank">102: Innovative Ways to Use Plickers</a>. Between the two of them, those posts have had over 100,000 views in the last year!<br />
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The only problem is that Plickers can be a bit tricky to set up and use, and it's hard to explain exactly what to do in a blog post. That kind of information is much easier to share in a webinar, so in early 2016 I presented two different webinars to explain how to get started with Plickers and how to use some of the more advanced features. <br />
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However, those webinars took place a year ago, so it’s time for another live presentation! I’ve decided combine the best of my two previous webinars into a single presentation called <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/plickers/plickers-webinar-registration.html" target="_blank">Interactive Teaching with Plickers</a> that I'm presenting on two different dates in February. Those sessions will be jam-packed with information; I'll cover everything from how to set up your account to using innovative strategies to teach interactively. The first session will be on Wednesday, February 8th at 9 pm EST, and the second session will take place Friday, February 10th, at 8 pm EST. I chose the second time because teachers in Australia will be able to join us if they wish, although it will already be Saturday, Feb. 11th for them. <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/webinars/plickers/plickers-webinar-registration.html" target="_blank">Register here</a> if you're interested in attending one of those sessions.<br />
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To get a sneak peek at the webinar content, you can <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Teaching-with-Plickers-Webinar-Handouts-FREE-3001114" target="_blank">download the free handouts</a> below from my TpT store. These handouts provide an outline to follow during the webinar that many attendees find to be helpful, especially if they want to use the webinar for professional development.<br />
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I look forward to connecting with you during one of the upcoming webinars. I know you and your students will LOVE Plickers just as much as I do!<br />
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Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-5515623787928049192017-01-25T18:36:00.000-05:002018-06-07T18:38:53.341-04:00Chinese New Year: Free Teaching Resources<script type="text/javascript">
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Celebrating the Chinese New Year is a terrific way to introduce kids to the concept of holidays around the world. Your students may not realize that people in other countries often celebrate completely different holidays, or they may celebrate the same holidays but have different holiday traditions.<br />
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For example, most countries celebrate the new year on the first day of January, but the Chinese New Year can fall anywhere between January 20th and February 20th. In 2017, the Chinese New Year begins on January 28th. New Years celebrations in most countries include festive events like parades and fireworks, but there are also many differences in New Year's Day traditions.<br />
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I'd like to share two activities I developed to help students explore the similarities and differences between the Chinese New Year and New Year traditions in the United States. The first activity consists of a Venn diagram and facts to sort about the Chinese and American New Years. The second activity is a guided discussion based on the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2jgoiDm" target="_blank">Sam and the Lucky Money</a>.<br />
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Both of these activities are in my <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141e8f273f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5659974608879616/" target="_blank">February Activities pack</a>, which is free for my newsletter subscribers. If you aren't on my mailing list, <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141e8f273f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5659974608879616/" target="_blank">click here to sign up</a> for <b><i>Candler's Classroom Connections</i></b>, and I'll send you this free 26-page February Activities pack.<br />
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<b>Comparing Chinese and American New Years</b><br />
A Venn diagram is a great tool for exploring the similarities and differences between the Chinese New Year and New Year celebrations in other countries. Here's a lesson outline you can use with upper elementary students, but feel free to modify it as needed with your own students.<br />
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<b>1. Prior Knowledge Sorting Activity </b><br />
Before you begin, assign partners and ask students to sit with their partners. Tell the class that they will be learning about the Chinese New Year, and ask them to talk with their partners about anything they may have learned in the past about this holiday is similar to or different from the American New Year.<br />
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Next, give each pair one copy of the American and Chinese Facts printable and have them cut apart the fact slips. Then give them the Venn diagram printable or have them draw a Venn diagram with the two circles labeled Chinese New Year and American New Year. Tell them that you'd like them to guess where each fact goes on the Venn diagram. To do this, have them to shuffle the slips of paper, stack them face down, and take turns flipping over the facts. As each fact is revealed, the students talk over where they think it should be placed on the Venn diagram, and they place the slip of paper accordingly.<br />
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<b>2. Reading and Researching the Facts</b><br />
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Leave the slips of paper in place for the next part of the activity, but cover the Venn diagram with a sheet of paper. Or use a digital device to take a snapshot of each Venn diagram if you aren't able to complete the lesson in one sitting.<br />
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Read aloud aloud a children's book like <a href="http://amzn.to/1QICIs4" target="_blank"><i>Chinese New Year for Kids</i></a> or an informational text article about the Chinese New Year. As you read, ask your students to think about where they placed the slips of paper representing the facts about Chinese and American New Years. When you finish reading, ask students to uncover their Venn diagrams and move any slips they feel need to be changed. Before moving any of the fact slips, they need to discuss those changes with their partners.<br />
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If there are any fact slips that were not mentioned in the book or article, allow time for students to research those facts online or in the school media center. An answer key is provided in the freebie.<br />
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If your students discover other Chinese or American New Year traditions that are not described on the slips of paper, ask them to write the new facts directly on the Venn diagram.<br />
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<b>3. Interview Family Members About New Years Traditions</b><br />
For homework, ask students to interview a parent, grandparent, or other family member to find out what they know about New Year traditions in their own country. They should also ask if their families have any special New Year customs or traditions of their own. When students return to school the next day, provide time for them to share what they learned and add any relevant details to their Venn diagrams.<br />
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<b>4. Lesson Wrap Up: Read</b> <i><b><a href="http://amzn.to/2jgoiDm" target="_blank">Sam and the Lucky Money</a></b></i><br />
For a final look at Chinese New Year traditions, read and discuss the favorite children's book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2jgoiDm" target="_blank">Sam and the Lucky Money</a>. This story is based on the tradition of giving money in red envelopes on special occasions. In this touching story, a young boy named Sam learns what it means to be lucky. You can use these discussion cards to lead a whole class discussion, or use the cards with one of the cooperative learning discussion strategies I described in my post,<a href="http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2016/05/task-card-talk.html" target="_blank"> Task Card Talk: 6 Strategies to Boost Learning</a>.<br />
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<b>Discover More Freebies in the February Activities Pack</b><br />
Are you wondering why this activity is in my <a href="https://lauracandler.leadpages.co/leadbox/141e8f273f72a2%3A11e4de5b8f46dc/5659974608879616/" target="_blank">February Activities pack</a> when the Chinese New Year is in January? As you might have guessed, this freebie is one I created several years ago, and the Chinese New Year was in February the year I developed the activity. So that's where it's stayed, despite the fact that sometimes the holiday is in January. In addition to these activities, you'll find loads of other printables and lessons for February, including resources for winter, Black History Month, International Friendship Month, and Valentine's Day. Enjoy!<br />
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Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-871736047643866747.post-77101225148431589162017-01-22T12:27:00.002-05:002018-07-04T22:39:26.518-04:00Promoting Kindness in the Classroom through Teambuilding<script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GfBstOID2QYah6hcxtWSR83-841XcgmxnhPL6LGPlWysN7q9y9Zu6JvnffzX3HqBQarvVo7rkQWVTqAhCFQVB8sokgNWY7QvQbqwU2DYioL6XUZMX2jKlQO0WqJ_XPMOeuiQTsfUowmw/s1600/promotingkindnesswide.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GfBstOID2QYah6hcxtWSR83-841XcgmxnhPL6LGPlWysN7q9y9Zu6JvnffzX3HqBQarvVo7rkQWVTqAhCFQVB8sokgNWY7QvQbqwU2DYioL6XUZMX2jKlQO0WqJ_XPMOeuiQTsfUowmw/s640/promotingkindnesswide.png" width="1" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOzkbVRUEJ90RfI6S_-L3BXn9znsIowjxZJv-PGg_7rxiYQ03ZkSsKOftv6Z2Eb7jotcPjXP40E4p2p6Raq3uwLs4qSkBtBvgqc5nP_M20F2et-OtWrVbf1cLYtnvvbzP_mSGHYR6GLAb/s1600/promotingkindnessblog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOzkbVRUEJ90RfI6S_-L3BXn9znsIowjxZJv-PGg_7rxiYQ03ZkSsKOftv6Z2Eb7jotcPjXP40E4p2p6Raq3uwLs4qSkBtBvgqc5nP_M20F2et-OtWrVbf1cLYtnvvbzP_mSGHYR6GLAb/s640/promotingkindnessblog.png" width="300" /></a>I've been a fan of cooperative learning since I first stepped into a classroom, and I'm convinced that teaching kids how to work with others is one of the best gifts we can give them. Research consistently shows that in order to be successful in any career, we have to know how to get along with others and to work together as a part of a team.<br />
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These social skills are important in everyday life, too. People who embrace diversity and who treat others with kindness are far more likely to be happy than those who are rude and who have no tolerance for different perspectives.<br />
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<b>Now more than ever, we need to take a stand against bullying and intolerance. </b>We must proactively teach kids how to treat each other with kindness and respect. But we need to do more than teach kids to <i>tolerate</i> diversity, we should teach our students to <u>appreciate</u> each other's differences and celebrate their uniqueness!<br />
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I'll be the first to admit that it's not always easy to foster these character traits in the classroom. Cooperative learning provides a framework for promoting kindness, but teaching kids how to get along with others requires more than just seating them together in teams and telling them to work together. We need to teach specific social skills and do everything in our power to foster a caring classroom community, right from the first day of school. I believe in this point so strongly that I've created a whole page on Teaching Resources called <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/caringclass.php" target="_blank">How to Create a Caring Classroom</a>. Visit that page to check out the freebies and other resources there which include a free replay of my webinar, <i>How to Launch a Super School Year</i>. I also created an entire page on my site with strategies for <a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/socialskills.php" target="_blank">teaching social skills in the classroom</a>.<br />
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The best place to start promoting kindness is within cooperative learning teams. When students take part in teambuilding activities, they develop stronger bonds with their teammates. As they work with different teams throughout the year, they will eventually connect with all of their classmates and will learn to appreciate everyone's unique qualities.<br />
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<b>Teaching Students How to Give Genuine Compliments</b><br />
One powerful strategy for fostering appreciation for others is to teach students how to give and receive genuine compliments. Some children might not have any experience at all with praising and complimenting others, so begin the lesson by having your class brainstorm a list of positive statements and words of appreciation.<br />
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Remind your students that no one wants to hear empty praise because we know when others are not being sincere. Sometimes it takes a little work to find meaningful ways to praise and compliment each other, but it's worth the effort. If you've introduced growth mindset to your students, remind them that praising someone for being persistent or open to new ideas is more meaningful than telling someone that they are smart or pretty. Here are some sentence starters you might want to introduce:<br />
<ul>
<li>I like the way you.... </li>
<li>I appreciate it when you.... </li>
<li>Thanks for... </li>
<li>I enjoy working with you because...</li>
<li>I admire the way you... </li>
<li>What's special about you is...</li>
<li>I'm glad you're on my team because... </li>
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<b>Teambuilding to Promote Classroom Kindness </b><br />
After you discuss what it means to give a genuine compliment, you'll need to provide opportunities for your students to practice this skill. Cooperative learning teams are the perfect place for students to test out these strategies in a safe environment. Furthermore, the process of actively looking for positive traits and complimenting others is a powerful teambuilding tool.<br />
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One way to do this this is to assign a team task that's somewhat challenging, such as a STEM activity, and ask your students to practice complimenting each other as they work together. After you introduce the activity, remind your students to look for opportunities to give specific and genuine compliments. Walk around the room as they work, and point out any nice compliments that you hear. For example, stop next to a team and say something like, "I just heard a really nice compliment in this team. Sally complimented Linda on for coming up with a creative way to holding the straws together on their puff mobile." <br />
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<b>Team Compliment Cards</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Team-Compliments-Cards-Free-kindnessnation-2972499" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHrFBVxCUZr7S-vkf0UIjdIaEiP4qnlZPH25fMSIyV23BoQjlQuhfPleXD9BKbLpFYUGl3ozmiT7B9wNNyM0XbRTK9lJUZdrIwJ57LM75y6ft9jelqcYA9LlYezV__8-r1p9Zse32eO_y/s320/TeamComplimentsCards.png" width="248" /></a></div>
Another effective strategy is creating <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Team-Compliments-Cards-Free-kindnessnation-2972499" target="_blank">Team Compliment Cards</a>. In this activity, students show appreciation for their teammates by writing compliments on homemade cards. Each person writes his or her name on one card, and all cards are passed around the team. As the cards are passed from student to student, they write compliments about the person who is the “star” of each card. Finally, the cards are returned to their creators, and everyone can read the compliments their teammates have written about them.<br />
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To find the full directions, download the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Team-Compliments-Cards-Free-kindnessnation-2972499" target="_blank">Team Compliments Cards Freebie</a> from my TpT store. Several templates are included, or you can have students create their own cards from blank paper. This activity works really well after students have been working with the same team for several weeks, and it's a great closure activity to do right before you move students to new teams. In fact, this activity is so powerful that after students read their compliment cards, it's not unusual for some of them to beg me to keep their team together for a few more weeks!<br />
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<b>Promoting Kindness in the Classroom</b><br />
I hope these teambuilding strategies will make it a little easier for you to promote kindness in your classroom. To find additional resources, <a href="http:/#kindnessnation" target="_blank">search TpT using the hashtag <b>#kindnessnation</b></a> to discover dozens of freebies from TpT sellers who believe that promoting kindness and acceptance of others should be a priority in every classroom. To make this task a little easier, we've joined together to provide teachers with ready-to-use resources for fostering a caring classroom community. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Laura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com2