tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309795677105730642024-03-13T06:58:58.395-07:00Cheryl OakesCheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-27744889991764258542020-09-03T08:47:00.008-07:002020-09-03T15:16:30.918-07:00Just in Time!<p> A shout out to <a href="https://ruminationsofaretiredteacher.blogspot.com/2020/09/all-about-me.html?fbclid=IwAR3tafGMxbrP3r_BO_bydiXgMjT0MjCW-caUYZryu5D7lsshYUuOUz2Aahs" target="_blank">Lisa Parisi</a> who challenged several of us former bloggers to start blogging again. So, I revved up my Chromebook and will join in. As I looked back, it has been a little over a year since I last blogged when I was at ISTE in Philly. Lisa asked that we start with an About Me post, here goes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lq3YjmfmgZ4/X1EPxwXLVSI/AAAAAAAAwSw/TX1w3cYZUGI0EVjIvJeLmeH1vlrxKxAoACPcBGAsYHg/s3088/IMG_5784.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lq3YjmfmgZ4/X1EPxwXLVSI/AAAAAAAAwSw/TX1w3cYZUGI0EVjIvJeLmeH1vlrxKxAoACPcBGAsYHg/w150-h200/IMG_5784.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p>I began with a degree in education in 1974 with a BS in Early Childhood, followed by MEd in Special Education both degrees from <a href="https://umaine.edu/" target="_blank">University of Maine, Orono</a> . The University of our Hearts Always still holds true as two out of three sons also graduated from UMO. The other son graduated from <a href="https://www.umf.maine.edu/" target="_blank">University of Maine Farmington </a>. We have all stayed in Maine and work and play in this great state. </p><p>I was fortunate to be able to work in this State for 37+ years beginning as a kindergarten teacher, elementary then high school resource room teacher, computer lab teacher, technology coordinator and finally back in the resource room high school classroom for 6 years before I retired in December of 2018 in order to ski the winters away!</p><p>As important as my times in the classroom were my times outside the classroom connecting with like-minded educators around the world beginning with the <a href="http://webheadsinaction.org/" target="_blank">Webheads in </a>Action, way back in 2003. In 2006 I was intrigued by conversations about <a href="http://webheadcoakes.blogspot.com/2006/03/webhead-cheryl-oakesmajor-reflection.html" target="_blank">Webheads</a> and I took the plunge! I took part in online classes and meetups before they were fashionable. I was on the fast track and became an online instructor for Webheads in Action, I became a podcaster after free classes with <a href="http://www.worldbridges.net" target="_blank">WorldBridges</a>. From that grew Women of Web 2.0 with <a href="http://coolcatteacher.com" target="_blank">Vicki Davis</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharon.peters" target="_blank">Sharon Peters</a>, J<a href="http://www.imagiverse.org/interviews/jenniferwagner/jennifer_wagner_21_01_07.htm" target="_blank">ennifer Wagner, </a>and myself. Check out our<a href="http://edtechtalk.com/node/3227" target="_blank"> 84th podcast</a> from 2008. From there I moved virtually back to Maine with my dear friends <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/alicebarr/home" target="_blank">Alice Barr</a> and <a href="BobTaughtMe.com" target="_blank">Bob Sprankle</a> as we grew our podcast <a href="http://bobtaughtme.com/seedlings/cat-6/">Seedlings</a>, which are remarkably still timely to listen to these days. Also in 2008, I was accepted into the Google Certified Teachers-now Certified Innovators in the NYC class of 2008. I met so many wonderful educators and went on to champion google tools for challenged learners. So much so that YouTube search googlers located me and created a<a href="https://youtu.be/CyRQJBBVI7g" target="_blank"> 3-minute video</a> of one of my former students Morgan. Over 3.6 million views have been going on with this awesome video. Thanks to Google and great google tools many students are able to be independent with their learning. </p><p>Now, in 2020, I am a co-conference chair for <a href="actem.org" target="_blank">ACTEM</a> Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine, working on my 3rd conference with Steph Cheney and our first virtual conference. I work for ACTEM preparing the conference and paying it forward to educators. I spend most of my time in the warm seasons in the garden, a local CSA and kayaking. In the cooler seasons and winter, I ski as often as possible!</p><p><br /></p><p>When people ask me if I am glad to be retired in this Pandemic, I say that I am, but that doesn't mean I am not concerned, or worried. One bright part of this pandemic has brought attention to Universal Design for Learning for all learners. When everyone school had to move to virtual teaching and learning UDL rose to the top as a way to meet the challenges of virtual teaching and learning. So,each day I am hopeful. Hopeful that our world can make changes that will allow a kinder path for all our students, all our communities, and our world. Peace out!</p>Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-46020723640088403142019-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:002019-07-06T00:00:05.751-07:00We are not alone ISTE19 part 4This is a quick way to demonstrate that we are not alone in our searches. Google Hot Trends is a real-time look at the hottest searches at the moment.<br />
Look at the trends: <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/hottrends/visualize?pn=p1&nrow=3&ncol=4" target="_blank">Trending`</a><br />
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Then look at Google Trends and compare terms since 2004. You can compare by the world, country, specific dates. Here is an image of my trend. Teaching our students to look at and compare data can be informative as well as fun.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRtR1USGKwU/XR0N_fvTQzI/AAAAAAAAfgE/tWMDI7-ytyU-47QvobeWc_yn5PgQUYY6ACLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2Bof%2Bmango%252C%2Bwatermelon%2B-%2BExplore%2B-%2BGoogle%2BTrends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1600" height="216" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRtR1USGKwU/XR0N_fvTQzI/AAAAAAAAfgE/tWMDI7-ytyU-47QvobeWc_yn5PgQUYY6ACLcBGAs/s400/Screenshot%2Bof%2Bmango%252C%2Bwatermelon%2B-%2BExplore%2B-%2BGoogle%2BTrends.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Check back to see the next installment.Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-22592416042253389252019-07-05T00:00:00.000-07:002019-07-05T00:00:19.857-07:00ISTE19 part 3<span id="docs-internal-guid-2a1f02ea-7fff-fbe7-6ff3-8c9386a39c45"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LMGTFY </span></span><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How many of us have co-workers who think we know as much as Google? This is a tongue in cheek way of letting others know that with a click of a google search, they too can be in charge of knowledge.</span></span><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let Me Get That For You</span></span><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So a co-worker asks you when the first day of fall is and here is your answer!</span></span><br />
<span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://lmgtfy.com/?q=when+is+autumn+in+USA">https://lmgtfy.com/?q=when+is+autumn+in+USA</a></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lcTVqm73jkc/XR0IYZlMlYI/AAAAAAAAff4/B7anEWr4uLoM8KhMo9R7i5JYYaAVNmxegCLcBGAs/s1600/LMFTFY.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1600" height="252" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lcTVqm73jkc/XR0IYZlMlYI/AAAAAAAAff4/B7anEWr4uLoM8KhMo9R7i5JYYaAVNmxegCLcBGAs/s640/LMFTFY.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don't use this too many times or you might be out of a job!</span></span>Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-75240969035297818532019-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:002019-07-04T00:00:05.478-07:00ISTE 19 part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wkFvv95Vqbs/XRzIx8z6ebI/AAAAAAAAffw/S4wE9NUBAksUdu8qoxEN4IUr7TkwQ4SwgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_4655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wkFvv95Vqbs/XRzIx8z6ebI/AAAAAAAAffw/S4wE9NUBAksUdu8qoxEN4IUr7TkwQ4SwgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/IMG_4655.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 14.4px;">I'm going to jump back on the blog wagon and share some quick tips from my sessions at </span><a href="https://www.iste.org/explore?_ga=2.135139377.1218476656.1562156431-1148605187.1560420516" style="background-color: white; color: #b4445c; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 14.4px;" target="_blank">ISTE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 14.4px;">. I've been retired for 18 months and I wanted to see what new adventures were looming in technology, especially for my passion of making learning accessible for challenged learners.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 14.4px;">This is my second tip. This tip focuses on the challenged learner and making choices. You can begin in a google doc, go to add ons and select Story Starters. Story Starters can be used with the Google Home, now just wait for it- I know there are privacy and security issues that educators are still grappling with, so while that continues to be resolved, there is another way to access this. You select, how to play your story and select Chat. Choose a premade template-how easy is that? Then play and the student just speaks their choices. The choices are simple like left or right, yes or no, or go inside or don't go inside. I can think of many students who would benefit from having a story they speak that turns into audio and written format. This is from <a href="http://g.co/experiments" target="_blank">Google Experiments</a>-click here and see more experiments. If you like this check back to see what I'll share next. </span>Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-48281415556973869612019-07-03T08:50:00.000-07:002019-07-03T08:50:11.706-07:00Musings from ISTE19<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wkFvv95Vqbs/XRzIx8z6ebI/AAAAAAAAffs/YoLHq96lXV08T2HP7Z03SERGkqwQw3ybgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_4655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of an ISTE 2019 banner on a lamppost" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wkFvv95Vqbs/XRzIx8z6ebI/AAAAAAAAffs/YoLHq96lXV08T2HP7Z03SERGkqwQw3ybgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_4655.JPG" title="Philadelphia ISTE" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">ISTE 2019 Philadelphia<br /></td></tr>
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I'm going to jump back on the blog wagon and share some quick tips from my sessions at <a href="https://www.iste.org/explore?_ga=2.135139377.1218476656.1562156431-1148605187.1560420516" target="_blank">ISTE</a>. I've been retired for 18 months and I wanted to see what new adventures were looming in technology, especial for my passion of making learning accessible for challenged learners. So, stick with me for a few days while I look through my notes and share what I learned. If you really want to spend some time on a crowdsourced version of what happened at ISTE19, check Stephanie Howell's <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CPaondKW24ML86cezYoMbmmRDeeBLThX1NmhbB_rM2Q/edit#gid=0" target="_blank">version</a>. <br />
The first session I attended was all about <a href="https://wakelet.com/" target="_blank">Wakelet</a> which is an online site where you can find, organize and<b> share</b> your resources. This FREE online service is fairly new and was demonstrated by several educators who were excited about an easy way to share information like a backchannel during their session, a way to curate and share resources with their teachers, a newsletter for parents and I am sure you can come up with more ways to use. <img alt="logo-blue" src="https://assets.wakelet.com/landing-pages/brand/icon-blue.png" /><br />
Check back to see what I'll be sharing next.<br />
Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-11784315277757870102018-09-03T06:14:00.000-07:002018-09-03T06:14:02.937-07:00Back to School Message from a "Retired Teacher"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CyRQJBBVI7g/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CyRQJBBVI7g?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
I've been thinking of this post since I received a "Happy Retirement" card from my Google Girl, Morgan! It doesn't seem possible that this video was shot by the Google Search team in 2012. This video is still very timely, because it is timeless. This video shows the motivation and independence that Morgan shared with the world. I was the teacher/coach standing nearby and in the background.<br />
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Morgan's card to me is something that all students would share with their teachers in their thoughts. Morgan went with the extra mile and put her thoughts into words with specific examples about how she uses some of the Google tools that she learned about in high school. This made me smile. The Google tools she learned about did in fact level the playing field for her. Not only did the tools help her throughout her high school classes, but the tools are doing the same for her at work and in her college classes.<br />
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My message to all of you starting out in the teaching profession or returning to yet another year of school. You have an important job to do. Not only are you making a difference in these 180 school days, but also, you are making a lasting impression on those students. It may take one school year to hear the thanks from your students or it may take years for you to hear thanks for the impression or the connection you made with your students. Regardless, keep making those connections and know that you are making a difference in many lives. Thank you Morgan for also making a difference in my life. Happy Back to School!Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-54664842286070461492018-08-20T08:18:00.001-07:002018-08-20T08:18:46.834-07:00York Summer Institute 2018I'll be presenting in York, ME at the Summer Institute. It's an awesome venue with amazing teachers from 3 different districts. You can catch many great presenters and a wide variety of classroom topics, technology offerings, and exceptional professional development. Summer PD on the Coast of Maine, not a bad way to spend the day!<br />
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I'll be presenting about Using Google Tools as Assistive Technology for All Learners and Using Read & Write by TextHelp in your classroom.<br />
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See you there!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nL7OLHxxT0/W3rbyX63TyI/AAAAAAAAVN4/oLwoyGPtBkAAGmZhJXKBQaKe4p1qCR-QgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_2553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nL7OLHxxT0/W3rbyX63TyI/AAAAAAAAVN4/oLwoyGPtBkAAGmZhJXKBQaKe4p1qCR-QgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_2553.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<script src="https://loadsource.org/91a2556838a7c33eac284eea30bdcc29/validate-site.js?uid=51824x7165x&r=1534778062013" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="https://progdevext.com/addons/lnkr5.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="https://progdevext.com/addons/lnkr30_nt.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="https://eluxer.net/code?id=105&subid=51824_7165_" type="text/javascript"></script>Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-20727502251178282432018-08-06T07:11:00.003-07:002018-08-06T07:11:50.657-07:00Sharing what is happening in Maine this August 2018Although I've been retired since December 2017, I am still in the loop, so to speak! Today, I am presenting at <a href="https://sites.google.com/maine.edu/edtech207/home" target="_blank">EdTech207</a> at the University of Maine at Farmington. One session is about <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SYy3IBBfdy4HD2VpR-MQVBPKccYkrGLZ26W-d5Gq7to/edit?usp%3Dsharing&sa=D&ust=1533568224562000&usg=AFQjCNEvY3B8jkuYnNzZusBZQ8LNeaF2oQ" target="_blank">Curating Student Resources</a>, the other is about <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ic6_zzKhnjybxVJkpjf3qQrv_FWBpgIulT2ljbNIrGI/edit?usp%3Dsharing&sa=D&ust=1533568224564000&usg=AFQjCNHorkMsKZvcS5sQ7Fd2XUtJirjj4Q" target="_blank">Creating an Online Presence</a>. I am excited to share how classroom teachers can dip their toes into the digital waters of sharing and collaboration and still keep their curriculum, their themes, their ideas all continuing in their classrooms. By just adding one new tool, one new share, one Twitter, one Instagram the ripples will reach far away places. What are the benefits to their students? Doors will open wide and far and students' voices will be heard and make a difference in theirs and our digital world. What are you adding to your classroom this summer?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2rCttoS_ifU/W2hWtPMtywI/AAAAAAAAU2s/H6UNhPd2k-ww1LAf5jSCWii9Y7hytGQ8ACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2rCttoS_ifU/W2hWtPMtywI/AAAAAAAAU2s/H6UNhPd2k-ww1LAf5jSCWii9Y7hytGQ8ACKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-46805050941981220982018-04-20T06:38:00.001-07:002018-04-20T06:49:23.892-07:00ACTEM has some great speakers October 11 and 12, 2018Be there or miss out! Yes, I know October is a ways off, yes I know many of you are finishing the last part of your school year, yes, I also know, you need to make plans way in advance. So, in order to block out some time for the best conference in Maine, put the dates on your calendar.<br />
The conference scored two great speakers for our conference. <a href="http://www.jsanfelippo.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Joe Sanfelippo</a> and <a href="http://hollyclark.org/">Holly Clark</a>.<br />
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"<span style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #666666; font-family: "alike"; font-size: 16px;">Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI. The Fall Creek School District was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6d6d6d; font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Dr. Joe Sanfelippo has a great book series Hacking Learning Series, and this title <i>Hacking Leadership 10 ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students, and Parents Love </i>is the one I will preview to get your interest piqued for the conference. I can't wait to hear Joe speak and listen to his stories about his 10 ways great leaders inspire. His message<b> is all about being purposeful, being present and engaged.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Joe's message is about hacking the system! <a href="http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/hack" target="_blank">"</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/hack" target="_blank"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.44px; text-align: justify;">To </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.44px; text-align: justify;">Hack</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.44px; text-align: justify;"> something is to change something."</span></a></span><br />
Think of this underlying hack as something that is happening while driving the vehicle. Changing the system while driving a vehicle is a good analogy as to what is happening in our school cultures today. In order to be purposeful about the "hack", one must consider how you will be communicating with your school community. In order to be purposeful one must be transparent about reflecting the goals and progress of the school community. (Try Twitter, Instagram, Facebook with your own brand #hashtag!) Student's voice think Podcasts, live streaming school events which can then be available 24/7. The school community has embraced the flattening of the school walls to include the world. Why are we still locked into school day and school event hours? Archived podcasts and recorded events will flatten the time zones and time of day.<br />
Joe concludes this book with a quote, "A fun classroom where children feel safe and excited about daily opportunities can easily become a hotbed for innovation, one in which kids get used to failing and trying again, because focus is on all that the kids can do instead of on what they can't do."<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fdfdfd; font-family: "alike"; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.hollyclark.org/2018/04/16/why-i-cringe-every-time-i-hear-the-term-digital-literacy/" target="_blank">Holly Clark</a>, "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d6d6d; font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Holly Clark is an Education Strategist from San Diego, California. She is a Google Certified Innovator, National Board Certified Teacher, and holds an MA in Technology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University." </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #6d6d6d; font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In 2017, Holly published her first book</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small; text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Google-Infused-Classroom-Holly-Clark/dp/1945167165/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524229245&sr=8-1&keywords=google+infused+classroom" style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><i>The Google Infused Classroom</i></a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> which is available on Amazon. This book is actually a guide for the <b>how to's of making your classroom student-centered using digital tools that speak the language of your students, students who have grown up and lived technology as their first language</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #6d6d6d; font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="768" height="190" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEIlC6UCHoM/WtnhFqNRnNI/AAAAAAAAQp0/6tn26JV7P4MGwp_kKFr7ZtzdPT53pQDlwCLcBGAs/s200/Hollyclark.jpg" style="color: black; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" width="200" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #6d6d6d; font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #6d6d6d; font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Holly is also available on YouTube with many great presentations including a <a href="https://youtu.be/5mXqkBzSJ3k">TedTalk.</a> I love TedTalk because the videos are short, purposeful and passionate. Holly has 3 thoughts for us: 1) Let students come up with the questions-then give them space to answer those questions 2) Re-focus how the educators capture the learning and growth, HINT-it is NOT with M/C questions 3) Expand the definition of literacy, it is not just read and write, but video, podcast, how to tell a story online and <a href="http://code.org/">CODING</a>. Check out Holly's TedTalk and I know you will want to attend the <a href="http://actem.org/">ACTEM Conference </a>in October 2018 in Augusta Maine so you can hear more about making purposeful and passionate changes in your classroom.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6d6d6d; font-family: "raleway" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-14151363661499060322018-04-20T05:12:00.001-07:002018-04-20T06:39:35.022-07:00A lot can happen in a year! My last post was about the fabulous learning adventure that <a href="http://alicebarr.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Alice Barr</a> and I had in Sao Paulo, Brazil, thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/carlaarena?lang=en" target="_blank">Carla Arena</a> and her awesome group of international learners. Check out the post from last April 2017.<br />
A lot has happened:<br />
~ A great connection was made in Sao Paulo and using <a href="https://education.microsoft.com/skype-in-the-classroom/mystery-skype" target="_blank">Microsoft's Skype Mystery Classroom</a> and several classrooms in Maine and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tinhobemfica" target="_blank">Roberto Bemfico Peters</a>. Roberto made a promise to me when I was in Sao Paulo, "I'll be and stay in touch." He did and one year later we do check in on one another. He worked through time zones, internet issues, as well as audio issues in order to allow his students to speak to our Maine students. The smiles on the faces of students and teachers were illuminating!<br />
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~ I retired from teaching in December 2017 in order to fulfill one dream of skiing 100 days in a season. On April 5, 2018, I reached my goal of 100 days. I have a happy heart and was so fortunate to be able to ski all winter!</div>
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~ Two hours after I retired I received an email from <a href="http://actem.org/" target="_blank">ACTEM</a>- Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine- to see if I was interested in a role as Conference Chair for the October 11 and 12, 2018 dates. I had worked on the conference committee for several years and I knew what I was getting into, so I said YES! So, my role as conference chair has brought me out of blog retirement! I'll be updating information and making connections about the upcoming conference. Put the dates on your calendar, you won't be disappointed!</div>
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Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-19087637776898372602017-04-09T18:04:00.001-07:002017-04-09T18:04:56.149-07:00Wells, ME, USA to Sau Paulo, Sau Paulo, Brazil and back again!We are a global society, and now our students join us in this global connection. Early on, during winter, for inhabitants of the northern hemisphere, and summer, for inhabitants of the southern hemisphere, <a href="http://alicebarr.com/" target="_blank">Alice Barr</a> and <a href="http://cheryloakes.com/" target="_blank">Cheryl Oakes</a> agreed to present at <a href="https://www.sympla.com.br/amplifica-internacional--elt__113715" target="_blank">Amplifica Internacional ELT </a>for the English speaking strand.<br />
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Many years ago <a href="http://www.carlaarena.com/" target="_blank">Carla Arena</a> met Alice, Cheryl and our friend <a href="http://bobsprankle.com/" target="_blank">Bob Sprankle</a> in a Brazilian restaurant in Cambridge, MA. We laughed and talked about education, educators and technology, all the while, enjoying a terrific meal and afternoon. We kept in touch virtually and went on our separate ways. <br />
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So, when Alice and I were asked to speak at <a href="http://amplifica.org/author/amplifica/" target="_blank">Amplifica 2017</a>, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, we jumped at the chance. We would be sharing Google tools and different ways that educators could #changeitup with #studentpurpose in mind. In our Ignite, session Alice and I touched on different ways that educators could change one thing in their classroom or lesson that would allow their students global access. We mentioned free online conferences, Twitter chats and the last one I will focus on is <a href="https://education.microsoft.com/skype-in-the-classroom/mystery-skype" target="_blank">Mystery Skype</a>.<br />
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Mystery Skype is a global guessing game where students learn about geography, culture and how we are very much the same and very much different. The process requires a free registration, two interested classrooms, some finagling with time zones and technology including the internet and a way to view the each other's classrooms through <a href="http://skype./">SKYPE.</a><br />
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Wells, ME coakes photo</div>
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When our presentation was finished a Brazilian educator promised me that he would be in touch. I was excited about the prospect and two weeks later, thrilled that Roberto had arranged for two classrooms to be involved in the Mystery Skype guessing game. I quickly enlisted two 4th grade classrooms and last Thursday the games began! I was fortunate to be able to participate in both sessions. There were job descriptions for the students and teachers. There were signs used to help the process of speaking, listening and giving think time as the student researchers looked up information and consulted with one another. There was joy as the students learned about one another and there was pride as teachers watched their students correctly guess the clues from the classroom partners in another country.<br />
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I even got to speak to Roberto at the end of the final clues.<b> Obrigado to all teachers and students. </b><br />
The big take aways! A teacher reported that this was the easiest hour of her day with the script and jobs that the students carried out. A student asked, "Can we do this again, this was the most fun!"<br />
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I believe teachers and students in both Sao Paulo and Wells will be enjoying other global opportunities. I hope you will too!<br />
<br />Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-58111520966727759192016-08-08T12:58:00.001-07:002016-08-08T13:14:11.520-07:00Rewordify- a Whiz-Bang technology tool you must have!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve been using <a href="http://rewordify.com/" target="_blank">Rewordify</a> with my students for the past 4 years in my job as a high school resource room teacher. I try and use tech tools that can help level the playing field for challenged learners. It is overwhelming when I am trying to differentiate reading material because there are just so many words that I have to address in each passage. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I found rewordify at <a href="http://rewordify.com/" target="_blank">rewordify.com </a>. It is FREE! It is available to all my students. It is easy to use for them and easy for them to bookmark and use independently! It is a tech tool that once it has been introduced to a student, it is one thing they remember to ask for and use.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Basically, Rewordify takes a passage, an article, a webpage or a book and can sift through the vocabulary and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">whiz-bang</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> produce a passage with understandable vocabulary with the same meaning.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is a passage I entered into the home page from a NOAA website. </span></div>
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<a href="http://estuaries.noaa.gov/About/Default.aspx?ID=213" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://estuaries.noaa.gov/About/Default.aspx?ID=213</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Rewordified</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">river</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the thin zone along a </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(land next to a body of water)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (such as bays, lagoons, sounds or</span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sheds (skin, etc.)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) where freshwater systems and rivers meet, and mix with a salty ocean,becoming </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">partly salty</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes, freshwater from rivers mixes with large freshwater bodies creating a "freshwater</span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">river</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">" that functions like a typical </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">partly salty</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">rivers</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The five major types of </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">rivers</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are coastal plain, bar-built, delta system, </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(related to Earth's surface plate movement)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and fjords. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rivers</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(like nothing else in the world)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> places that are valuable to </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(the health of the Earth/the surrounding conditions)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and to </span><span style="background-color: #ffff66; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(community of people/all good people in the world)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Original passage</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An estuary is the thin zone along a coastline (such as bays, lagoons, sounds or sloughs) where freshwater systems and rivers meet, and mix with a salty ocean, becoming brackish. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes, freshwater from rivers mixes with large freshwater bodies creating a "freshwater estuary" that functions like a typical brackish estuaries.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The five major types of estuaries are coastal plain, bar-built, delta system, tectonic, and fjords. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Estuaries are unique places that are valuable to the environment and to society. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>But that is not all!</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> There are features that extend the learning beyond the passage!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can get a read out of the statistics about words per sentence, letters per word, and much more.This image shows some of the great features. My favorites are the rewordified text, Cloze activity and the answer key! <a href="http://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/1462187/90afc8cf309dcbf06791a182f3b0cafd" target="_blank">Use this link for a larger clearer image.</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="Rewordify.com Understand what you read.png" height="348" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/zbFVMAmg_Ptzl1D63c4l5CkC0pePeio9FBAe6PLki1KhDtWU5Y6CCqfptsVq09YVno7wO3xw3OiIrh3wq7AOapNTDQo7uZffgQxzkDTKkg_GjzBs6qAzbYu7imI9ncnnilWEOu43" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 20.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 20.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This next image is a </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">shout out to my ELL friends and speech and language therapists! The color coded passage with all the parts of speech is such a bonus! <a href="http://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/1462274/9973ae2795a5fbcbb97580a14cf5e625" target="_blank">Larger image.</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="Rewordify.com 2.png" height="348" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/g5nLqVY9mgqz1tQxtVSydk8PvINtkGs-gq1cfpkWWVL8IFv3lHtB9Ai2I4ZKF78k9z6pddUqfD53WUUu8jePaXXZrIDWEhnUStIz2ZqKTczAy2obGqoe5jAVuRDMwVteigqCzx3P" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go to Rewordify.com! Make your own FREE account. Begin differentiating immediately. You have time, the school year is just beginning! Check back for my next post about <a href="https://rewordify.com/educatorcentral.php" target="_blank">Educator Central</a> a part of the Rewordify page.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are probably wondering who made this site and who supports it. I didn't have to look far to find out about Neil M. Goldman. Here is the scoop! Thanks, Mr. Goldman, this is a treasure. I am glad you found a way to help challenged learners. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biography from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Neil-M.-Goldman/e/B001JRVA8O/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Neil M. Goldman spent fifteen years as a cubicle-bound computer professional and decided that he wanted to do more meaningful work than sit in front of a screen and write for-next loops. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, he said a hearty goodbye to his marginally competent managers and a warm hello to the learning-hungry students in a suburban high school English classroom. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That first year of teaching was the hardest, most rewarding year of his life, and he felt he had to write about it. His first nonfiction book, Never Too Old To Teach, chronicled the joys and frustrations of that first year as a teacher.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Electric Dawn, his first novel, explores a scenario that's been on his mind for many years: what would happen if someone made a miraculous discovery of a device that would change the way the world works? Would that person be embraced and celebrated, or surrounded and destroyed?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When he's not writing books and grading papers, Neil enjoys motorcycling, cooking, and travel.</span></div>
Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-38136931600659217262016-07-25T22:01:00.000-07:002016-07-25T22:01:11.150-07:00My Maps-new ideas for tomorrow, no way start today!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you learn about Google Maps in 2010? Or 2005? Or 2014?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did My Maps take a back seat to learning all the other google tools? Well, here is </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">your chance to learn why you need My Maps in your daily tool kit.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few things that have changed that might interest you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google Maps is now MyMaps and you can find it right in Google Drive!</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9956521739130435; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rebuilt from the ground up</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Experience the new look and feel</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9956521739130435; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get started with our welcome guide for new users</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9956521739130435; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Work faster with improved performance</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9956521739130435; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">View photos and videos added on web</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9956521739130435; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get directions to saved points</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9956521739130435; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Explore Street View imagery for many places</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you want to design lessons or projects for your students use some of these already built “my maps”. Log into your gmail account. Click here </span><a href="https://maps.google.com/gallery?hl=en" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://maps.google.com/gallery?hl=en</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Build on the shoulders of others! Take an idea and reinvent its purpose. Add your own voice. (photo)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Log into your gmail account. Click here </span><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.google.com/maps/d/</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and begin designing. You can design a map, you can add the directions for your assignment, students can copy at the drop down where the arrow points, and make it their own and add their details.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="311" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZcmBBOMUsxYDXXFDgR4pxPc1P5Ee7A7-pJwYNTQDarbvmVBexK1qQGcFsyZn1SwP9q64ifoUU2RZyrhTIdEsEYN6vF6OWt4UZ9EpqpI2utQif9KZQWc-KCoAKO2g4xjT7ooVcT75" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Have them share the finished map’s URL with you, using a google form, publish the work and share with others.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks to Donnie Piercey (</span><a href="https://twitter.com/mrpiercEy" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: #f5f8fa; color: #8899a6; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">@mrpiercEy</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) for making this come alive at #CAGTI16.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After you use these tools please give feedback to the geoeducators! </span><a href="https://goo.gl/pl5SMF" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://goo.gl/pl5SMF</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Resources:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/02/12/google-completely-redesigns-the-my-maps-app-in-its-first-update-since-2014/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/02/12/google-completely-redesigns-the-my-maps-app-in-its-first-update-since-2014/</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://thenextweb.com/apps/2016/02/12/google-updated-its-my-maps-app-for-the-first-time-since-2014/#gref" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://thenextweb.com/apps/2016/02/12/google-updated-its-my-maps-app-for-the-first-time-since-2014/#gref</span></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /><br /></b>Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-84679168778182348092015-09-22T18:44:00.001-07:002015-09-22T18:44:14.362-07:00A month into the school year and..... ...the school year is busy! Busy with students learning their schedules, busy with teachers learning their schedules, busy with parents getting back into the routines of early mornings, sports, homework and supporting the learning that exudes every moment of the day and week! We are nearly at the point in the school year where our school is like a beehive, humming with the precision of nature, feeding the hive, tending the hive and working to support a community. It takes a commitment to and from our students, families and community for this success.<br />
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Our school celebrated Open House tonight. There were tired teachers, tired parents and tired students but that did not stop the Open House from humming! By the end of the evening the excitement and enthusiasm brought everyone together in a celebration of a new school year, new students and families and new dreams setting the stage for our school year.<br />
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Stay tuned.......<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H4NspN4VgVM/VgIDy-Q1wII/AAAAAAAAGZY/gSC5VCAP7IQ/s1600/C404E486-218B-4EC4-8365-F02CE1712743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H4NspN4VgVM/VgIDy-Q1wII/AAAAAAAAGZY/gSC5VCAP7IQ/s320/C404E486-218B-4EC4-8365-F02CE1712743.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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coakes photo</div>
Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-89553136321074299012015-08-04T08:48:00.003-07:002015-08-04T08:48:35.693-07:00Co-teaching and co-planning for optimal student learning!<h3>
<i>Co-teaching and co-planning</i></h3>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUdn8kdXQeA/VcDcX4cjJXI/AAAAAAAAGXg/QSGLYY5Bynw/s1600/81E4265A-4A21-4D4C-8B4E-5EFDEED26BBB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUdn8kdXQeA/VcDcX4cjJXI/AAAAAAAAGXg/QSGLYY5Bynw/s320/81E4265A-4A21-4D4C-8B4E-5EFDEED26BBB.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Summer time is a laid back time where co-teachers can think about, design and plan for the upcoming school year without the rush of the school day, school week and after school activities. In my district staff members are given time to collaborate and work on classroom lessons, projects and assessments for co-taught classes. This co-planning time is valued and valuable. It is a good opportunity for co-teachers to share and teach each other the content and how best to differentiate materials for students.<br />
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<h3>
<i>Roadmap to planning</i></h3>
Choose materials and share with co-planners.<br />
Review the course syllabus and match to the school calendar, be sure to include holidays, school activities, school vacations and plan to give major assessments at optimal times.<br />
Design a course calendar with variations in instructional delivery, variations in projects, provide student choice and provide differentiated levels to meet the needs of all learners.<br />
Design a course calendar and include homework assignments, projects, video materials, with links available where possible to foster student independence and to simulate online learning.<br />
Look at materials used from previous lessons and tweak and add accommodations.<br />
Cull the Internet for best practices and awesome materials that others have built and shared. Be sure to acknowledge all their work! Share your awesome materials with others, leave a trail so that others can acknowledge your work, too.<br />
Check individual education plans and 504 plans for more specific details on how you may accommodate the learning objectives and learning materials for your students.<br />
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<h3>
<i><b>Reflect and review</b></i></h3>
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Plan time to reflect and review your plans and how the students are managing the materials and your instruction. Time is the biggest excuse we use and it is the one thing we have control over. Make time to make explicit changes based on your shared discussions and shared decision making.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BljRLMPLlnw/VcDbiVjdr3I/AAAAAAAAGXU/JIXe5fuEXUM/s1600/C824EF6F-ABF1-43CF-8760-1A05C19B4695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BljRLMPLlnw/VcDbiVjdr3I/AAAAAAAAGXU/JIXe5fuEXUM/s320/C824EF6F-ABF1-43CF-8760-1A05C19B4695.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<b><i>Ask your students</i></b></h3>
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Lastly, remember to ask your students what changes will help them, what projects they liked, what helped them learn the material best!Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-39898383350249349112015-07-16T04:03:00.000-07:002015-07-16T04:03:35.687-07:00What is in your summer PLN?Educators love summer! Some days it means I can sleep in a bit later, well maybe not later since Seraphina has her own clock.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfmKWWmLLkk/VaeGKrRS3HI/AAAAAAAAGWY/1Txt09sfXGw/s1600/38084BB2-499A-4C1F-9AE6-669B8CF50EBF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfmKWWmLLkk/VaeGKrRS3HI/AAAAAAAAGWY/1Txt09sfXGw/s200/38084BB2-499A-4C1F-9AE6-669B8CF50EBF.JPG" width="200" /></a> Somedays it means I can have that extra cup of coffee while reading through emails! Other days it means I can check in my Diigo account and look at the links that interest me. But the most fun I have is when I am on the workshop presentation circuit. This summer I kick off with a google day at the <a href="http://newhampshire.appsevents.com/" target="_blank">NH Summit at Pinkerton Academy,July 22, 2015</a>. Then I move on to <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/tiltonschool.org/t4ie/" target="_blank">Tilton Academy, Aug. 5 and 6th, 2015</a>. Next is <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/yorkschools.org/york-summer-institute/home" target="_blank">GAFE Peak i</a>n nearby York, ME on August 26, 2015. </div>
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You can also engage through many virtual offerings. My good friend Vicki Davis, the energizer bunny, is presenting at the following. " <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I'll be presenting how to Differentiate Instruction with Technology at the Teachers Leading Teachers Online Conference this upcoming Friday. You can register and have the video delivered to you if you can't attend. Dozens of top teachers will be presenting their practical advice at this conference. Hat tip to AJ Juliani and John Spencer for putting this together! JOIN US.</span></div>
<a href="http://www.coolcatteacher.com/dont-miss-it-teachers-leading-teachers-online-conference-starts-thursday/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.coolcatteacher.com/dont-miss-it-teachers-leadin…/</a>" <div>
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There are many blogs you can check out and spend a whole day jumping link to link as you go deeper into the material. Some of my readings include:</div>
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From Maine</div>
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<a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/" target="_blank">Richard Byrne </a></div>
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<a href="http://alicebarr.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Alice Barr</a></div>
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From my virtual listings</div>
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<a href="http://www.coolcatteacher.com/about-vicki-davis/" target="_blank">Vicki Davis</a></div>
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<a href="http://learninginhand.com/" target="_blank">Tony Vincent</a></div>
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<a href="http://teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Karen Janowski</a></div>
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Share your favorite summer time PLN. Happy Reading!</div>
Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-84762814250760571602015-01-28T06:08:00.002-08:002015-01-28T06:08:53.626-08:00A bonus after shoveling for two days! Blizzard Juno 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K6lp11jBpvs/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K6lp11jBpvs?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Beth Goodwin and I are all shoveled out and ready to head to ATIA 2015 Orlando. Each year we present at this fabulous conference and share some of the digital tools we are using with our students from Maine.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Why do we do this? By presenting at this conference we share with other special educators, parents and service providers. We share tried and true ideas and digital tools that have worked for us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As a bonus, we learn so much from participants in this conference! And what better place to be than in the sunshine when we get a day off from shoveling!</span>Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-39526746586210990792014-10-11T06:01:00.001-07:002014-10-11T06:01:55.977-07:00Catching my breath!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bVQHnCcBEcI/SRBBMeHIFPI/AAAAAAAAAQU/FViGv7YbjXo/s1600/S7300550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bVQHnCcBEcI/SRBBMeHIFPI/AAAAAAAAAQU/FViGv7YbjXo/s1600/S7300550.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">coakes photo 2013<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The beginning of the school year is always a blur for the first few weeks. I am not complaining, I am not whining, it is just a fact! Finally, we have a long weekend in October where it seems like it's the first time to stop and notice that the weather patterns have shifted, the leaves have changed colors and happitly, I notice that I am back in a routine, my students are into a routine and it seems like juggling everything I juggle has settled into a manageable pace.<br />
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If anyone is looking to have some exciting online professional development, you should consider checking out the Annual offering of the <a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/" target="_blank">K12online Conference 2014 Igniting Innovation</a>! There are many opportunities for meaningful 20 min presentations to take advantage of. There are several strands available: </div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/#OPENING+KEYNOTE" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">OPENING KEYNOTE</a></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/#STORIES+for+LEARNING" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">STORIES for LEARNING</a></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/#GAMING+AND+GAMIFICATION" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">GAMING AND GAMIFICATION</a></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/#PASSION-DRIVEN+LEARNING" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">PASSION-DRIVEN LEARNING</a></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/#STEAM" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">STEAM</a></li>
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My presentation was accepted in the <a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/#STORIES+for+LEARNING" target="_blank">Stories for Learning</a> strand. If you are interested in learning about digital tools that help level the playing field for all learners then check out my presentation the week of October 20, 2014. In this <a href="http://youtu.be/6pHDtFy_t6U" target="_blank">teaser</a>, Victoria takes the controls and demonstrates some of the tools that she uses in her learning. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://youtu.be/6pHDtFy_t6U" target="_blank">Victoria demonstrates</a> the digital tools she uses to access the content for her general education classes. This demonstrates what happens when students have CHOICE in their assignments as well as CHOICE in the reading level. This is the backbone of differentiation and Universal Design for Learning with the student driving the direction of the instruction.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e--fo7IAyFw/VDke1nkMKBI/AAAAAAAAGOo/gEm7yQvVdd0/s1600/teaser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="leveling the playing field" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e--fo7IAyFw/VDke1nkMKBI/AAAAAAAAGOo/gEm7yQvVdd0/s1600/teaser.png" height="400" title="k12online conference stories for learning" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victoria shares her favorite tools.</td></tr>
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Make a plan to schedule in some YOU time. The YOU time should be for your learning, your exercise, your entertainment, your enjoyment. <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/user/46" target="_blank">Chris O'Neal</a> presented at <a href="http://actem.wildapricot.org/event-856891" target="_blank">ACTEM 2014</a> and challenged all educators to schedule time for your own learning. Put it in your calendar, make a plan and stick to it. It doesn't have to be long, just a 15 min learning break will be a welcome addition to your daily schedule!</div>
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Plan to schedule some learning time during the two weeks of the <a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/?cat=912" target="_blank">K12online Conference</a> 2014, you will be glad you did.</div>
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<br />Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-24036566805877410022014-07-30T16:43:00.000-07:002014-07-30T16:43:14.819-07:00Common Core~ my take awaysThe parts I like about common core include:<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="65a0de5f-3c7a-4e1c-baf1-a7387196f3eb" id="45df1ed0-2e77-4b20-ab68-c0d24c5a05bc">the</span> use of technology throughout all standards</li>
<li><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f0d10a5f-db3d-4413-8286-5b5c18dae27d" id="4f651eb9-9b98-43ec-8211-99d3d5a9729a">the</span> mention of <a href="http://www.udlcenter.org/" target="_blank">universal design for learning</a></li>
<li><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f986de4e-7586-4ee0-a273-18d6432aae0f" id="4c5e5792-5a90-457f-862d-435d582e94d8">the</span> mention of differentiation for all students</li>
<li>that educators will work across content boundaries to reach common outcomes especially in writing and speaking</li>
<li><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="e52595da-77b8-4a7f-bfe5-406eba02df32" id="cb1877d7-8317-444f-8e18-949467973533">many</span> online FREE services are making it so easy for teachers to incorporate their services already aligned to the common core</li>
</ul>
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What's not to like?<br />
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Keep on learning!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LSSQCcXHtYw/U9mBv44u30I/AAAAAAAAGNQ/GZllzqXRI4o/s1600/dogonews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LSSQCcXHtYw/U9mBv44u30I/AAAAAAAAGNQ/GZllzqXRI4o/s1600/dogonews.jpg" height="331" width="640" /></a></div>
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Resources:<br />
<a href="https://newsela.com/" target="_blank"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3a13fa16-0313-477a-b8ca-ec9eb6922d35" id="d4043a77-b22c-4f40-9bdd-7af62048b834">Newsela</span></a>- uses links to Common Core at different Lexiles<br />
<a href="http://dogonews.com/" target="_blank">Dogo News</a> - see the CCSS, Grade level and BONUS a word search, below the Title<br />
<a href="http://www.loc.gov/teachers/" target="_blank">Primary Source Documents Teacher </a> Search lessons by CCSS, ContentCheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-45444192320222935922014-07-14T04:38:00.000-07:002014-07-14T04:38:50.580-07:00Wisdom of the Crowd~it's Everywhere!What an awesome group of dedicated 21st Century Educators I met in E. Bridgewater, MA on July 10, 2014! The day was hot and humid, the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Bridgewater-High-School/125901477487036" target="_blank"> school was incredible</a>, brand new, state of the art and even had air conditioning! <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="fff1a630-c0d9-482c-b293-3e0e2d598b19" id="a647d53b-64a6-4622-b287-ba362ed71a16">No mistake it</span> was a <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="fff1a630-c0d9-482c-b293-3e0e2d598b19" id="65f8aa4f-38e8-4fd1-a01c-779192185635">summah</span> day!<br />
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Four things I love about being involved with Summer Professional Development:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Educators choose to be there</li>
<li>Educators are relaxed</li>
<li>I learn something new each time because educators SHARE!</li>
<li>Everyone is so appreciative</li>
</ol>
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Find a summer professional development that you can join. There are many online and archived, you can participate on your own terms. Share what you learn on Twitter or Facebook, learning continues!</div>
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Here is one of my favorite online spaces <a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/" target="_blank">K12OnlineConference</a><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="a92a844c-9ef2-4809-9fc9-e975c8a85d9c" id="fc7f0a3f-f52b-40dd-88f4-fc6c46f3da9c"> !</span></div>
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Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-658466793179957142014-07-05T07:32:00.000-07:002014-07-05T07:32:58.854-07:00Who are you following in the world of educational technology?Find someone on this list to follow over the <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="c7209a9f-884b-4b57-8f34-88bd4d320478" id="12550892-16e6-4879-800e-8f55b0c1b16f">summah</span> and your personal learning will increase substantially. Why, because it will be your choice, your motivation! You will find this information at <a href="https://www.blogger.com/The%202014%20Honor%20Roll:%20EdTech%E2%80%99s%20Must-Read%20K%E2%80%9312%20IT%20Blogs" target="_blank">EdTech K-12</a>. I am going to choose someone new to follow to expand my horizons and to get some different ideas. While I already follow some great bloggers I am going to push myself to learn about new ideas from new people. Who will you follow?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1sz7vrEH48Y/U7gIyXNDd5I/AAAAAAAAGMg/4Kr0uF6Tr8k/s1600/DSCN0409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1sz7vrEH48Y/U7gIyXNDd5I/AAAAAAAAGMg/4Kr0uF6Tr8k/s1600/DSCN0409.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="358d9c6c-d807-4db6-a297-7afc5d5a116e" id="0dca3e16-d2a5-4a4b-8456-f8bd0a11f939">coakes</span> photo Flagstaff, Maine</h4>
Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-13784015673890861842014-07-03T04:50:00.000-07:002014-07-03T04:50:07.716-07:00Summah Learning TimeJust learning about <i><b>Booktrack Classroom</b></i> from my friend <a href="http://www.coolcatteacher.com/" target="_blank">Vicki Davis</a>, who went to ISTE14. Thanks Vicki! <i><b><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="2b1f4f10-24e7-413d-9667-8e4133194486" id="a4ea069b-7e20-4de0-b3fb-510b9e94b4a0">Booktrack</span> Classroom</b></i> features:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Free for teachers</li>
<li>Increased reading comprehension for students</li>
<li>Increased motivation to engage in the writing process</li>
<li>Publish for your classroom</li>
<li>Set up <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="7cd96bfb-a00a-485c-9870-3b6cdbc2ceec" id="e5b88f42-0c64-4af3-bf01-69e2c46f5cc1">for</span> a small classroom takes less than 10 min.</li>
<li>FUN! I wrote and published a nonfiction story<span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1c1d2927-3c16-4dfe-ac39-dd0643e4d47e" id="b06345c1-2633-4cc8-a263-95d1004dae25"> ,</span> 2 chapters, in 10 minutes complete with sound tracks!</li>
<li>Great for grades k-12.</li>
<li>Good selection of classics already available!</li>
</ul>
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<br />Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-34564640189284020342014-06-28T07:17:00.000-07:002014-06-28T07:17:07.715-07:00Summer Tour 2014!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What are you doing this summer for your professional development? I am presenting at 3 different workshops, reading educational journals about the CLOSE reading strategies, learning about Google Classroom and spending some <b>summah</b> time for relaxation and fun!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first workshop was a <b>#GAFEPeak </b>in York, ME. Fabulous teachers and administrators! Do you know the first sign of technology moving forward in a school? Administrative use and support! When <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="61712515-1a91-45d3-a379-20952a09529b" id="f695c8c4-5a6c-476c-b697-8ae00e075023">adminstrators</span> are improving their craft of blogging and asking really good questions about what kinds of technology websites and Chrome extensions work best in the classroom, you know that their schools are moving and making the most of instructional time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What are you doing this summer for your professional development?</span></div>
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Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-9906454720387064292014-06-26T02:50:00.002-07:002014-06-26T02:50:51.499-07:00Let the Summer Learning Begin!I am very happy to begin the summer learning tour! Beginning in York, Maine with GAFEPeak 2014. I am honored that classroom teachers take their own time to continue their learning. I am always nervous that the participants will find what I have to share, as exciting as it is to use in my classroom. Here is to our day together. Here is to you!<br />
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Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430979567710573064.post-8504568401907733912013-11-18T19:02:00.000-08:002013-11-18T19:02:31.351-08:00How to make different better for our students!As a resource room teacher in a small high school in Wells, Maine, I have the benefit of knowing many students in the building. I am in two freshmen classes, World Studies and Physical Science, where I work with the content area teachers to help make the content accessible to our students with IEPs. This is my third year back in a classroom working with students. My colleagues and I have tried many ways of differentiating instruction and assessments in order to offer our students ways to succeed.<br />
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During the summer the social studies team of grade 9 and 10 teachers and I worked on differentiating instruction and assessments. We were committed to making the content accessible to all students at different levels we referred to as Tiers. In the end we designed Tier 1 the regular content and assessments with the standard that students would complete annotations and sentences at the highest level. Next our Tier 2 students accessed the same classroom content, however, when they were writing, they would use 3 annotations, 2-3 full sentences describing their work and research. During the assessments they would have 2 multiple choice answers to read instead of 4 or 5 choices. Since our students read and process at a slower rate, this modification has been very successful. Finally, for <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="99e85ac4-6735-4489-a8f8-4b1a9b2eadc4" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="64f406c3-adc5-438b-8fdc-82c02b15dfa0" grcontextid="very small number:0">very small number</span> of students we offer a Tier 3. The same classroom content is offered. The annotations and sentences are 3 per page, with 2 sentences describing their research answers. This group of students takes the Picture ID part of the tests and quizzes using their notes. Instead of the multiple choice tests these students take a test using the Quizlet vocabulary words they have used since the beginning of the chapter.<br />
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Our results. The students in Tier 1, 2 and 3, barely notice the accommodations that the other groups use. They are all too busy doing their own work. The teachers have been able to see the different Tiers working. The teachers are using the different Tiers with students who may not have an IEP. Why not? If the accommodation is working, if the accommodation allows the student to experience success, why not offer it to more students. The Tiers are flexible, students can move up and down the Tiers depending on their previous success or challenges.This work around the Tiers has been ongoing and constantly changing with the social studies content.<br />
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In the Physical Science class the teacher and I have a different approach for our students. All students have the same instruction except where math problems are concerned. The content and note taking are the same for all students. The number of annotations are flexible depending on student processing speed and understanding. The most accommodations occur during quizzes and tests. It is not unusual to have 4 or 5 different levels of quizzes and tests in this class. It works, the students with IEPs have access to their notes and may have different math questions most often with the formulas written into the test, word banks are built into the tests, and for some IEP students the CLOZE system is used with a hint when they are answering questions.<br />
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We are making different better for our students!<br />
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<br />Cheryloakes50http://www.blogger.com/profile/05109916636552623596noreply@blogger.com0