Nuts & Bolts - Weeks of 12/14 and 1/4

-If you need any maintenance or special cleaning done in your classroom over the break, email Mike and he will consolidate a list and coordinate with Jack.

-Submit any Tech Tickets by calling 82733; FYI: Israel Cervantes is our tech right now.

-Remember to completely power down your room on Friday. 

-Enjoy your break. You have earned it! In my book, you made the super nice list!  

• 12/15 - Holiday Dress Up - Holiday Hats
• 12/16  - Holiday Dress Up - Flannel
• 12/16 - PLC Staff Conversation, Room 36
• 12/17 - Holiday Dress Up - Holiday Socks
• 12/17 - Marching Band @ Disney (Mike will be there to cheer them on!)
• 12/18 - TRTV Schedule
• 12/18 - Holiday Dress Up - Ugly Sweater

• 1/6 - PLC Vertical
• 1/13 - PLC Structured PD (start thinking about what you want/need PD on)
• 1/14 - Bridges to Tomorrow Fieldtrip
• 1/16 - PM Assembly Schedule Pep Rally

Shout Out! - Jessica Schlenz

'Tis the Season for Performances! No one knows this better than our dedicated director Jessica Schlenz. She's worked harder than one of Santa's elves to prepare her students for this concert season. Daily zero period rehearsals, 2 after school rehearsals weekly, plus school and community performances keeps her schedule extremely full. Good thing she has Yoga daily to help keep her grounded! (thanks for taking that on too!). Excellent work Jessica. We appreciate all you do for our students!

Teaching Research: Virtual Tool

Kentucky Virtual Library's Research Rocket offers a student-friendly, step-by-step introduction to the research process. While this screen gives you a basic idea of the steps involved, what it doesn't show you is that each individual step provides its own easy to understand tutorial.

Tech Tip: Wirelessly Project iPhone or iPad

There are some killer apps for education available through the Apple Store, but projecting them to the SmartBoard has been inconvenient with all the cords required. This $12 software download allows you to wirelessly project whatever is on your iPhone or iPad directly to the board. AirServer

Nuts & Bolts - Weeks of 12/7 & 12/14

• 12/7 - WE Club Fieldtrip
• 12/7-12/11 - Hour of Code Week 
• Science Department will be giving all students the opportunity to code using Code.org
• 12/9 - PLC Vertical
• 12/11 - Staff Holiday Breakfast
• Join us at 7:30am in the staff lounge for breakfast hosted by TR Office Staff
• 12/11 - AM Assembly Schedule - Holiday Music Assembly Gym
• Performers will be excused from class Period 1-3. 
• 12/11 - End of 2nd Qtr. Progress Report Period
• 12/16 - PLC Staff Conversation
• 12/17 - Marching Band & Colorguard @ Disney
• 12/18 - TRTV Schedule
• 12/18 - Staff Holiday Party

Shout Out! - Shay

Brian just met his first yearbook deadline! He's adapted quickly to the many demands of this new "gig", all while reinventing PE curriculum, leading the PBIS team, and co-heading the athletic club, and being an all around stud! 

Active Learning Infographic

I LOVE infographics. This one confirms what we already know about the power of an active learning environment and reinforces the notion that students need talk time for maximum retention. 

Click this LINK to see the whole infographic. 

Tech Tip: Zip Grade - Grade Scantrons with your SmartPhone

This app available for iPhones or Android phones let's you turn your Smartphone into a scantron reader. For $13, you can use this app in perpetuity to quickly grade multiple choice assessments with your phone. Scantrons / answer sheets can be printed straight from the website.

Nuts & Bolts - Weeks of 11/30 & 12/7

• 12/2 - PLC Vertical 
• 12/7-12/11 - Hour of Code Week 
• Science Department will be giving all students the opportunity to code using Code.org
• 12/9 - PLC Vertical
• 12/11 - Staff Holiday Breakfast
• Join us at 7:30am in the staff lounge for breakfast hosted by TR Office Staff
• 12/11 - AM Assembly Schedule - Holiday Music Assembly Gym
• Stay tuned for emails from Jessica, Rebecca, & Gary with who's going where when.
• 12/11 - End of 2nd Qtr. Progress Report Period
• ZAP Continues
• Read this Doc to remind you of the process for assigning someone to this Mon-Thurs lunchtime homework intervention.
• "Bookmark" this "ZAP Sign-Up" link for easy access.
• More ZAP slips will be delivered 11/30.
• CICO Continues
• Read THIS to remind you of the process.

Shout Out! - Gary Hung

I recently had the pleasure of observing Gary Hung. I was inspired by both his lesson design and how engaged the students were from bell to bell. Students were grouped in teams where leaders posted to Google Classroom. Students watched a high-interest video, were given time to discuss, share out, and practice reciprocal teaching skills with a close reading passage. Technology, speaking/listening, writing, and close reading. Wow! Amazing job Gary! 

Eight Things Skilled Teachers Think, Say, and Do

Larry Ferlazzo is a fairly well known educator and resource curator out their on the interweb. In this article, he describes the ingredients that he believes truly make a teacher skilled. 

Tech Tip: App Task Challenge

There are so many apps to explore! An integration specialist put together some great 1-2 page tutorials called "App Task Challenges" aimed at getting teachers to experiment with BYOD. Think about integrating an app as a new year's resolution? 

Nuts / Bolts - Weeks of 11/16 & 11/23

Many thanks to ALL staff for handling the various special schedules, activities, and events of the past weeks with patience, teamwork, and professionalism. 

• 11/17 - ZAP Begins
• Read this Doc to remind you of the process for assigning someone to this Mon-Thurs lunchtime homework intervention. 
• "Bookmark" this "ZAP Sign-Up" link for easy access.
• Teachers will have ZAP slips delivered 11/16.
• 11/17 - CICO Begins 
• 7th & 8th Grade teams identified a total of 10 students for CICO. Be on the lookout for their scoring sheets. Please use your rubber stamp (with last name) to sign. 
• Read THIS to remind you of the process. 
• 11/18 - PLC Vertical
• Teams leaders will be sent a link to a Google Hangout for a special, brief video Staff Recognition to prevent time loss due to travel. 
• 11/20 -  TRTV Schedule 
• 11/21 - 11/29 - Thanksgiving Break - Enjoy Time with your Family and Friends. You've EARNED it!

Shout Out! - Vanessa Amorin

Vanessa does SO much for our campus as a stellar Math and Spanish educator, WEB Advisor, PBIS Team Member, and Saturday School Lead. We recognize her as an invaluable team-player and the Leadership Association for Student Councils sent us a letter acknowledging her value as an outstanding board member! Way to go Vanessa! 

Tech Tip - FlipQuiz

Many teachers use games in class to engage students in reviewing content / concepts. FlipQuiz is an online platform for building "Jeopardy" themed review games. The best part is that you can access it from any computer or device, and there's a whole library of games already made by others. Table groups of 4 could play their own review game using 1 Chromebook with a winner from each group competing in "Sudden Death". 

Class Clown Or Gifted Student? It's A Matter Of Perspective

Shout Out! - Nicole Saltzman

Our very own Trailblazer, Nicole Saltzman has more than earned recognition this week. She has scored a hat trick this year by being 8th Grade Horizontal Lead, Math Department Head, and middle school's APLE Rep. We acknowledge her leadership not only at Travis, but as an active member of the District's Math Task Force. Thanks for all you do for students and our community! 

Nuts & Bolts - Weeks of 11/9 and 11/16

• 11/11 - NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day
• 11/13 - PM Assembly - Pep Rally! 
• 11/14 - Super Saturday! 8am-12pm
• 11/18 - PLC - Staff / Vertical 
• 11/20 - TRTV Schedule
• 11/20 - Deadline for 1st Informal Observation
• 11/23-11/27 - Thanksgiving Break

Integrating Math into History, Science, and Art

As all content areas reinforce literacy skills, the redundancy will have a profound effect on student achievement. Let's remember that learners also need the same type of redundancy in Math. There are many ways teachers can embed simple and complex math concepts into their lesson design. This website offers some basic suggestions about how to integrate Math into content areas, or consult your friendly Math Department for other ideas!  

#1 Skill = Verbal Communication

This MiddleWeb post from the author of Well Spoken: Teaching Speaking to All Students emphasizes the importance of normalizing speaking / listening routines as well as consistent, teacher utilized vocabulary around speaking skills. One strategy he suggests is giving every student a Poker Chip to use at some point to add a comment to the discussion by the end of class. He also suggests mini-lessons targeting specific speaking skills like guestures, poise, voice, etc.

Nuts & Bolts - Weeks of 11/2 & 11/9

Primary Evaluator must finish 1st Informal Observation by 11/20. Please let us know if there's a special lesson you'd like us to observe and get feedback on!? 

• 11/2 - Double AM Assembly - 4-Word Momentum
• ALL Students will be reminded of our anti-bullying expectations. Student anti-bullying pledge will be signed by all students on Friday, 11/6
• 11/3 - 1st Qtr. Grades DUE by noon!
• 11/3 - 4-Word Momentum, 7th Grade, Last names A–K
• 11/4 - 4-Word Momentum, 7th Grade, Last names L–Z 
• 11/4 PLC - Horizontal  
• As part of the SST process, collaboratively identify students in need of intervention programs like ZAP, Check-in / Check-out, and counseling with Dana.
• 11/4 Band Pageant
• Support our band / colorguard programs by attending this fantastic event. We'll make banners, cheer, and vuvuzela. Grab a bite / drink afterwards?
• 11/6 - Staff Party "Oktoberfest" @ Sandi's @ 4:30pm
• 11/11 - NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day
• 11/13 - PM Assembly - Pep Rally! 
• 11/14 - Super Saturday! 8am-12pm

Shout Out! - Dynamic Duo - Mary & Gina

As you already know, Mary and Gina are rockstars! They handle multiple preps, constantly seek out new curriculum for students, trailblaze with technology, and participate in any/all activities centered on students having fun! We applaud them for always going above and beyond the call of duty to excite students for learning! 

The Hidden Brain Podcast

To reinforce listening skills, I LOVE podcasts. This one from NPR is fantastic and cross-curricular. There are SO many out there to choose from. Students listen, then discuss, then write about their interpretations, understandings, musings, etc. Engaging critical thinking at minimal cost to instructional time! Ask them to find the correlations / connections to content under study. You'll be amazed by the connections they make! 

5 Steps to Argumentalizing Instruction

This blog post talks about how to effectively organize / plan argumentative units / lessons. Great advice as we transform our instructional practices towards mirroring evidence-based writing, socratic seminars, persuasive writing, etc.

Step 1: Organize the Unit around a Debatable Issue or Problem

Step 2: Teach Content in Relation to Arguments about the Debatable Issue or Problem

Step 3: Prioritize Two Skills: Use of Evidence and Engagement with Other Views

Step 4: Employ a Structured Argumentation Activity as Performance Assessment

Step 5: Assess for Summary, Argumentative Claims, Evidence, Refutation, and Evaluation

ELA Claims / Subtopics + Writing Rubrics

Literacy anchor standards are being emphasized in every content area. What are students really expected to do in ELA? Check out this free resource from "Key Data Systems" that gives a concise synopsis of the expectations at each grade level. 

Also, a number of teams this year are using writing as a summative, benchmark assessment tool. Here is a link to a shared Google Drive Folder that contains Writing Rubrics being used by teams this year. 

Step Up to Writing - 4th Edition Resources

The district is rolling out the 4th edition of Step Up to Writing resources. Thankfully, all the graphic organizers, rubrics, etc. are now available for you online. 

Click on "My Bookshelf", then click on the "Tools" tab to find SUTW 6-8 resources.

http://elibrary.voyagersopris.com/welcome.do

Username: sutw4trms

Password: sutw4trms

Bookmark this site!

Nuts / Bolts - Week of 10/26 & 11/2

• 10/28 PLC - Structured Teacher PD 
• Please fill out this FORM today (10/26) to indicate your preference. Kim Voge will be presenting the most popular topic. 
• 10/29 Positive Behavior Reward Day 
• Please read this Bell Schedule and ask questions if you have them. 
• 2nd Quarter PRIDE Cards are in your mailboxes! Distribute them 1st Period, Friday (10/30).
• 10/29 - High School Showcase Presentation @ 2nd Lunch
• Please encourage 8th grade students to attend. If possible, please release them 5 early from 5th.
• 10/30 -  End of 1st Qtr. - Minimum Day 
• 11/2 - Double AM Assembly Schedule in MPR - "Forward Momentum"
• 11/3-11/4 - 7th Graders Attending "Forward Momentum"
• 11/4 - PLC = Horizontal Teams
• 11/4 - PYLUSD Band Pageant @ Valencia 7-9pm
• 11/6 - Staff Party "Oktoberfest" @ Sandi's 

Shout Out! - Cynde Riley

This one is long overdue! Cynde Riley has earned this week's Shout Out! Our very own "Wonder Woman" simultaneously coordinated the Color Run, Red Ribbon Week, the CASL Conference, Trailblazers of the Month, YOGOWYPI Store, ASB Class, Honors Language Arts, and NJHS! I probably missed 10 other things, but we ALL appreciate ALL you do for our teachers, students, campus, and community! You ARE our ADVANTAGE!

Nuts/Bolts

October, a month of special schedules and events! 

• 10/21 PLC - Staff Meeting - Room 33a, OC Sheriff. Done by 3:05pm.
• 10/23 Color Run 
• Implore 1st period students to register by Friday! 
• Bell Schedule
• 10/29 - 1st Qtr. Positive Behavior Reward Day - Special Schedule
• 10/30 -  End of 1st Qtr. - Minimum Day - Distribute Q2 PRIDE Cards

Shout Out! - Lynn Magnin

Lynn is constantly re-evaluating her program to excite and engage her students. She has led her team's collaboration and integration of district initiatives like VTS, Close Reading, and evidence-based writing. Last year, she coordinated our school's first ever "Art Show", and she's revamped it this year to a "Celebration of Arts", showcasing the talents of our other phenomenal performing arts groups. She has also taken on the "Study Skills" class this year, and is always open to new challenges! Great job Lynn! We recognize your talents, skill, and teamwork! 

NPR: Meet The Mind-Reading Robo Tutor In The Sky

As we continue to seek out how to best meet the needs of individual learners, companies are actively developing adaptive, algorithm based software to personalize instruction for students. This article describes this emerging technology, and discusses its place, but emphasizes the complexity, beauty and mystery of how humans learn. 

Knewton might be a novel way to explore content from a different angle for students or teachers? 

Tech Tip: Shorten Links + Crafty Text

Often, we want students to jump to online resources quickly (without them having to navigate through our websites). Google Classroom is 1 option, but another handy tool is called bit.ly. Just copy/paste a long URL and bit.ly will shorten it down. The best part is -- you can customize the link. 

Next, install this Chrome extension called "Crafty Text". It will allow you to type or paste text, displaying it nice and big on your screen for students. 

Important Nuts & Bolts

• 10/14 - Earthquake Drill Protocol - Please see revised "highlighted" sections; we will be doing a "walk through" version of the drill, meaning staff WILL report to secondary assignments. 
• See SEMS Flowchart to remind yourself of your assignment. 

• 10/15 - Goals & Objectives DUE - Send to primary evaluator. 
• 10/16 - TRTV Schedule

Tips On Changing Middle School Behaviors, Einstein-Style

This article, shared by Cindy is a great reminder of the "WHY" behind our reason to be here. "Middle school teaching isn't for everyone. Some say it's the worst possible age group, but I disagree. I love it. Challenging? Yes. Frustrating? Often. Fun? Usually. Rewarding? Definitely. Insane? Sometimes."

Side-by-Side Screen Extension

There are times when teachers want to see 2 screens side-by-side for grading and other purposes. We could also teach students to use these tools when citing text. Here's some combos that might work well:

• Screen 1 = Google Doc, Screen 2 = Primary Source
• Screen 1 = Rubric, Screen 2 = Essay
• Screen 1 = Sentence Starters, Screen 2 = Padlet

Here are instructions about how to "split screens" on a Windows machine, and here's how to do it through a Chrome Extension.

Compassion + Shout Out

Many thanks to Shirleen for sharing the link to this article. It connects very closely to our shared focus this year, "Supporting All Learners" and reminds us all that compassion outweighs all instructional strategies. I'd also like to provide a Shout Out to Shirleen & Bob. Every time I visit their classrooms I'm reminded what big hearts they have! I encourage all (with their permission of course) to take 5-10min during your conference period sometime this year to visit them and connect with some of OUR exceptional students. 

Shout Out! - Curtis

This week's shout out goes to Bethany Curtis. I have only been in her classroom a small handful of times since the beginning of this year, but every time I go, she's in costume, inspiring learning through laughter. Great job Bethany! 

Shake Up Learning - GAFE Tools, Tips, & Tricks

For those of you looking to explore, discover, and learn more about Google Apps For Education (GAFE), here's an excellent "go to" resource for tutorials, ideas, etc. : Shake Up Learning

Voice and Choice!

This article from Edutopia parallels our school-wide focus in meeting the needs of diverse groups of learners. Central is the question, 'How do we develop and embrace a framework that supports creating homework or practice to meet the needs of all learners?" The author expands on learning menus and anchor activities, while providing resources for organizing tiered levels of understanding: Depth of Knowledge chart (PDF), Depth of Knowledge Question Stems(PDF), Bloom's Taxonomy, or Hess' Cognitive Rigor Matrix (PDF). 

UPDATED: Champion of the Day / Trailblazer of the Month Submissions

In the hopes of streamlining the process when we select students for recognition, we have updated the collection a bit, focused on "spreading the wealth". Cynde Riley will still send an email to teachers outlining the steps for "Trailblazer of the Month", but you won't submit them via email anymore (you'll use a Google Sheet instead). Similarly, once Jalinda sends an email to the 3 teachers for "Champion of the Day", they'll submit their names on the same Google Sheet. Watch this "How To" video: 

Shout Out! - Borgese

Suzanne has been taking on the role of math tutor extraordinaire in her classroom each morning. She's had huge crowds of students 30-40 students each morning, and the results of her tutoring efforts combined with great math instruction led to great success on the first assessment of the year for these students. Great work Suzanne! 

Custom Instructional Vids w/Embedded Quiz

There are a couple new apps for education allowing you trim YouTube, LearnZillion, Khan Academy, and your own videos into your own custom video lesson. You can even embed quizzes to make sure students understood the content. Edpuzzle & Educanon

53 Ways to Check for Understanding

An article from Edutopia led me to this great list of 53 formative assessment strategies. Embedded, was also great advice about how to pre-plan an assessment of student learning through quick observation. (math example)

Tentative Testing Calendar

Joey sent this:

https://docs.google.com/a/pylusd.org/document/d/1HLxY8LTYpxKAqRV4_FpKOPiqv5hO22efoYKKOquqsZY/edit?usp=docslist_api

Shout Outs! - Sandy, Vanessa, Cynde, Paola

Many thanks go to Sandy Schneider and her Life Skills classes for going above and beyond the call of duty to assist with campus cleanup prior to our BTSN. Thanks for helping Travis shine!

Kudos to Vanessa, Cynde, Paola, and all other organizers of Middle School's first "Club Rush". The event was a huge success and it was great to see the kids so energized to get involved! Nicely done!

BYOD - Socrative, Kahoot, or Google Forms

Looking for a quick, easy, and free way to assess students? Look no further: Socrative, Kahoot, and Google Forms all have built-in features that give instant feedback, work on any device, and don't require much setup to get going. Embed pictures, collect scores, and quickly assess students minus the paperwork:

• Kahoot
• Google Forms + Flubaroo
• Socrative

Textual Evidence

Teaching students to pull appropriate evidence from text while explaining how the evidence supports a claim is a central skill to hone in on. This article does a great job of outlining some basic steps to embed while teaching this multifaceted skill to students.   

The Power of Argument!

Read this short article from "MiddleWeb" that gives an overview of the importance of argumentative conversation and writing in our classrooms. The authors of "They Say / I Say" contend that "argument strategies allow students to 'stretch what they believe by putting it up against beliefs that differ, sometimes radically, from their own. In an increasingly diverse global society, this ability to engage with the ideas of others is especially crucial to democratic citizenship.”

TechTip - Onetab

Want to easily share a collection of links with students or colleagues? Use the Google Chrome Extension "One Tab" it will take all your open tabs and collapse them into one useful webpage link.

Here's one I created frequently used "Staff Handbook" items. Bookmark it!

Shout Outs!

We're off and Trailblazing!

The Science Team has "gone green". Google Forms combined with an auto-grading add-on feature called "Flubaroo" has streamlined their lab safety quizzes. Nice work!

The "Breathing Gym" is real! Rebecca is giving our bandos a good workout, expanding their lung capacity so we can hear them from farther away! Gary dove in to BYOD, asking students to use their personal devices with an online polling system called "Kahoot".

Bethany and Dana had students crawling around the room on an archaeological "dig" using Chromebooks and pictures of artifacts.