Wells Fargo has a “money skills for life” curriculum with lesson plans tied to the TEKS. Patty Fougerat is our local bank manager. Please reach out to her if you would like to partner with Wells Fargo for financial literacy. https://handsonbanking.org/
Google Classroom: Tips & Tricks
https://youtu.be/JqZwERp-EOI
Google Classroom just keeps getting better and better. Whether you are a veteran Google Classroom user or a newbie, THIS website provides great tips and tricks for maximizing the tools available and streamlining your grading process.
Formative Assessment Spotlight: Following Up On Sandy Snow's Visit Last Week
In several of her sessions, Sandy mentioned the Frayer Model. Here are some options for using Frayer in the classroom and with technology. And HERE is a resource from ESC 20.
If you need another copy of Sandy's yellow sheet of formative assessments, you can access the sheet HERE. Sandy will be back to BISD on Monday, October 14, 2019. (That's our Monday inservice day.)
Digital Learning Spotlight: Pear Deck + Newsela? Yes, please!
I am a big fan of Pear Deck, a Google Slide add-on. Pear Deck allows student-led and teacher-led learning opportunities, has the potential to increase student engagement, allows students to engage in learning in a variety of ways, and if the teacher wishes, the notes from a session can be added to each individual student's Google Drive. Last week, Pear Deck's blog announced a partnership w/ Newsela. So, if you are using Newsela and have access to computers, this something you're going to want to try out! (10 BISD teachers have paid subscriptions to Pear Deck. If you are a frequent Pear Deck user, sign up for their thirty-day free trial, and let me know how you like it! I'd love to purchase more subscriptions for teachers who regularly use the tool to engage their students and personalize learning.)Gifted and Talented Spotlight: Things To Consider
The Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students was revised in April this year. Districts, campuses, and classroom teachers are being asked to address the needs of this special population in more specific and transparent ways.
TEA's increased specificity on servicing GT students gives us the opportunity to ask important questions:
- What accommodations are we making to modify the curriculum that is offered to all students to provide depth, complexity, and choice for gifted students? How do we document those accommodations?
- What opportunities do we offer students to accelerate learning? (Are we pre-assessing students to determine if and when acceleration is appropriate?)
Looking for an easy way to offer your students that depth and complexity on a regular basis? Select one of the Depth and Complexity icons to guide your conversation. Frame your questions to prompt thinking about trends, patterns, ethics, changes over time, and relationships across disciplines.
