Math By Myself

Another center in Daily 5 Math is Math by myself. And it is just as the name suggests...the students work on math independently.  Some students rolled dice to make a fraction and placed that fraction on a number line. Or, they illustrated Fraction Avenue by coloring houses or drawing dogs/trees according to the fraction on the direction sheet.

Other activities that the students chose to complete were to match fractions in word form, parts in a set, and number form or.....

 

 FRACTIONPILLAR!!! This was the favorite activity of the week. The students created a caterpillar and wrote fraction sentences representing the fraction of each color used in the body.

 

Math with Interactive White Board

I create a new game every week based on what the students will be learning. This game is played by the students when they visit the interactive white board center.

I absolutely love watching the students work at this center! The game is set up as a game board and each student takes a turn answering questions. If a student answers a question incorrectly or is struggling with an answer, the other group members jump in and reteach. 

Math Reading and Writing

One center in our Math Daily 5 is reading and writing. One choice at this center is to read a book and complete an activity. During last week's unit on fractions, Hershey's Milk Chocolate Fraction Book, Give Me Half, and Go! Fractions were some titles available to read.

The students can also choose to write about fractions. A weekly multiplication sentence is provided in which the students write the relating fact family, draw a picture representing the fact, and create a word problem. Other activities include using problem-solving skills to solve a riddle and solving word problems. The most popular activity at this center is the iPods. Students watched lessons on fractions and completed problems during the lesson.

Belle Terre Library

Yesterday, we journeyed to the Belle Terre library in search of information to prepare for our school Social Studies fair. The librarians instructed them on the use of various internet search engines and gave a tour of book locations.

The students were ready and set off to learn about their fair topic. They busily took notes and began organizing their papers. 

I'm so proud of the work they accomplished and can't wait to see their final project!

Stay Tuned...

Our daily math routine has changed...and we couldn't be happier! Last week, Ms. DiFulco and I began Math Daily 5. Math Daily 5 is a curriculum framework developed by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser.

We begin with a 15 minute mini-lesson on a new skill. The students then break into groups and visit one of the 5 centers. The centers include:

Math by Myself: Practice skill using manipluatives or paper
Partner Math: Practice skill with a partner using a game
Math Reading/ Writing: Practice skill through the use of content-based literature and responding through writing
Math Technology: Practice skill using various games or tutorials found on my blog
Math with IWB: Practice skill using game on Promethean board

While the students are actively engaged in their activity, we individually check student's understanding by going over homework. This is working beautifully because we can quickly identify those students that are having difficulty with the skill and reteach. Centers last 30 minutes and we are hoping to include another rotation once the students have built stamina.

After centers, we come back together and students answer 3 to 5 short questions. The questions are used to further gauge understanding. That day's lesson is then reviewed.

So, stay tuned because pictures will be posted soon!

Honoring Veteran's Day

We had two special guests this Veteran's Day. Our first speaker was Senior Master Sergeant Kelby Belgard of the 122nd Fighter Squadron Louisiana Air National Guard. SMSgt Belgard has served in the military for 23 years. He shared with us the history of Veteran's Day and the benefits of being a soldier. Our second speaker, Seaman Walter Wilson of the Amphibious Forces, served in the Navy from 1967 to 1970, and fought in the VietNam War on the USS Oakhill and the USS Duluth. He discussed what a veteran is, why we honor them, and the importance of an education. After our discussion, our guests helped the students create an art sculpture using the colors red, white, and blue.

Blogging Party

This past Thursday, Mrs. Shepherd and I held our first annual blogging party. Parents were invited to learn about blogging and read their children's posts. Mrs. Shepherd worked with her students and created a video  explaining how to make a quality comment. In the video, the students did an excellent job relaying to their parents the following steps:
Step 1: Start with a greeting
Step 2: Give the writer a compliment
Step 3: Make a connection with the writer (This reminds me of...)
Step 4: Ask the writer a question
Step 5: Sign your name
Step 6: Proofread you comment
Step 7: Click "submit"

It is so important for our parents to interact with the students' writings. There is so much more meaning when they know others are reading and commenting on their posts.

My partner teacher, Mrs. Shepherd, is an amazing person! I was impressed how quickly she pulled this event together and integrated technology. It was as if she had done this before and came so naturally. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this gathering, Mrs. Shepherd!