Nuts/Bolts - Week of 5/29/17

- RISE Cards - Give 6 Daily! 
- Supervision Team B  - Please be on time to duty & write it into sub-plans
- Admin Referral - 3rd Line? Send in the referral! 

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Monday, May 29 - Memorial Day!
Tuesday, May 30 - 6th Graders @ Irvine Outdoor Ed
Wednesday, May 31 - Homeroom Schedule; Lesson 10, Part 2; PLC = Structured PD
Thursday, June 1 - WEB Carnival; Retirement Celebration 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Friday, June 2 - 8th Graders @ Knott's 

Shout Out: Ismael Gutierrez + Christina Gibson

Ish is ending his first year at Travis Ranch as plant coordinator. He has truly demonstrated an amazing work ethic. He keeps our campus clean and our buildings maintained. This is no short task with a building that is showing signs of its age. He's very well connected at the district office and knows exactly who to call to get work orders prioritized. Because of his efforts, we've been able to get special attention from the maintenance department including fresh paint, new lighting in the lunch shelter, etc. I saw him running around like crazy at the Carnival and was reminded how thankful we are to have him! 


Christina is also in her first year at TR. She has shown tremendous patience and skill as she's learned her caseload. She has worked closely with her team to meet the needs of students who have speech and/or social pragmatic deficits. In IEPs she's very professional and provides parents with specific information about how to help their child. By the way, she shares her talents with Bernardo as well! Great job Christina! 

Tech Tip: 6 New Edtech Tools

I'm thinking this website has something for every teacher. The tools posted include: interactively explore math concepts such as Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus; learn English through stories; record and share video notes, understand the scientific mindset, and seartch a cool music history resource. I love this website as they are constantly posting the latest and greatest in EdTech. I'd bookmark it or subscribe to it through Feedly or another RSS feed. 

How I Eliminated (Almost) All Grading Problems In My Classroom

In our jobs, we hear the words "assessment", "measurable", and "data" are heard at least one-thousand times daily. In this short article, teacher Terry Heick outlines what he has done over the years to make assessment more "ubiquitous and always-on." It's more the quality than the quantity that he finds is the best approach, and he also believes in finding ways to publish / promote students work to increase the audience in the feedback loop. He begins to address grading policy a bit and believes in grabbing different tools to assess. Mostly, I appreciate that the intent of the article is to reduce the amount of busy work for teachers "because it takes time and mental energy–both finite resources" and gives "students substantive reasons to do their best work, correct themselves, and create higher stands for quality than your rubric outlined."

Nuts/Bolts - Week of 5/22/17

- RISE Cards - Give 6 Daily! - Time is running out to recognize students for their efforts! 
- Supervision Team A  - Please be on time to duty & write it into sub-plans
- Admin Referral - 3rd Line? Send in the referral! 

STUDENT PERFORMANCES - PLEASE CONSIDER ATTENDING 1 STUDENT PERFORMANCE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. JAZZ JAM, POP SHOW, CONCERT IN THE PARK. Thanks for your support! 

Staff Appreciation Week!
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Monday, May 22 - Mike Out All Day
Tuesday, May 23 - MS Awards Night @ EDHS PAC, 6-7pm
Wednesday, May 24 - Homeroom Schedule; Working Wednesday - 6th & 7th graders vote for ASB Officers 17-18; PLC = Vertical; Jazz Jam @ EDHS PAC 7-9pm.
Thursday, May 25 - Elementary Textbook Training in MPR all day; attendees have been asked NOT to park in marked stalls. 
Friday, May 26 - International Day; TRTV Schedule

Shout Out! - Dinah Vigil & Dana Worden & Jalinda Larkin

Many thanks go out to Dinah Vigil for successfully running our 3rd and final Benchmark Screening for reading comprehension and fluency. This is no small task and she always approaches the task with diligence and professionalism. Also, she recently helped organize and coordinate testing supports for students with IEPs. Finally, she has been a great support to our new SLP, Christina Gibson. Great job Dinah! 

Each year, Dana and Jalinda share the joy that is gathering and inputting close to 700 students' registration forms for the next school year. They receive input from 5th grade teachers, the district, elective teachers, etc. for placement and work very closely with teachers to ensure students get the schedules they've requested. They do this always with precision and integrity. What's most impressive, is this is on top of their normal, heavy work load. We appreciate you both! 

Tech Tip: Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts is a free resource included with your PYLUSD account. It's like Skype for Google. You can use it to invite guest speakers, go on virtual fieldtrips, and much...much more! This website provides 7 ideas of how to quickly integrate it into your classroom. My top 2 easy to start with are: Invite a Guest Speaker & Go On a Virtual Fieldtrip. With the end of the year approaching, it might be a fun idea to "pilot" a test drive of this or any other Tech Tip I've posted this year. Click on "Tech Tip" in the Navigation Bar at the top of this blog. Share what you tried!? 

The Power of Introverts - Susan Cain

Susan Cain contests that most contemporary institutions, including education, have over-glorified extroverts and collaboration. Although this runs incongruous with current educational research, it resonated with me. She argues that the majority of creative and innovative thought comes from individuals who are in fact introverts. The video reminded me of the importance of balancing group and individual tasks. The video should also remind us of the importance of seeking out opportunities to find our own time for reflection, thought and creativity. Great video and worth a watch!

Nuts/Bolts - Week of 5/15/17

- RISE Cards - Give 6 Daily! - Specific verbal praise for WHY they are receiving the card. 
- Supervision Team B  - Please be on time to duty & write it into sub-plans
- Admin Referral - 3rd Line? Send in the referral! 
- Tardies - Remember teachers should actively communicate home when students have 3-4 tardies so my detention doesn't come as a surprise at tardy #5! 
- MTSS - Document interventions in this shared space
- ZAP Continued: Dana will run ZAP, Tuesday-Thursday
- CICO / Mentoring: In Horizontal meetings this week discuss who would benefit from "mentoring" or CICO. Dana and I will share the CICO kids.
- State Testing: Proactively report any technology issues with an email to Jason = jle@pylusd.org

Staff Appreciation Week!
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Monday, May 15 - State Testing, English CAT Day 1
Tuesday, May 16 - State Testing, Math CAT & Math PT; PTA Honorary Service Awards, 6-7:30pm, Yorba Linda Country Club
Wednesday, May 17 - Homeroom Schedule; Lesson 10, Part 1; PLC = Staff Meeting, 
Rm 36
Thursday, May 18 - State Testing, English PT
Friday, May 19 - End of 4th Qtr. Progress Report Period; PTA Carnival 3-7pm

Shout Out! - Beelner, Chapluk, Briggs

Many thanks to our amazing testing team! They worked hard to ensure the testing schedule and technology were organized to support testing all middle school students at one time. This is no small task. They stayed late on Friday to ensure all carts were plugged in and that we got off the ground without any major snafus this morning. Without their help we'd be dead in the water! Also, many thanks to our awesome office staff who triaged assistance this morning over the phones and radios! Also to Marita, Cynde, and Lisa Gilles for running around and assisting wherever they were needed! 

Tech Tip: OER Commons

This is a cool resource that houses over 30,000 educational resources that are catalogued by grade level, subject, and standards. Worth exploring if/when you find yourself seeking out some free common Open Educational Resources.

6 Traits of Life-Changing Teachers

This Edutopia Article explains a poll that was recently conducted on Facebook to help identify how adults characterized the 6 best traits of teachers they still remember long after exiting the classroom. Of course, traits like patience and passion popped up, but surprisingly so did toughness. This article explores these traits and reminds us how we will be remembered. I especially appreciated the emphasis on "Safety (as) part of the education starter kit", and a reminder that "learning can be slow and messy." Towards the end of the article they say that of the 700 respondents, 145 went on to pursue careers in education. 

Nuts/Bolts - Week of 5/8/17

- RISE Cards - Give 6 Daily! - Specific verbal praise for WHY they are receiving the card. 
- Supervision Team A  - Please be on time to duty & write it into sub-plans
- Admin Referral - 3rd Line? Send in the referral! 
- Tardies - Remember teachers should actively communicate home when students have 3-4 tardies so my detention doesn't come as a surprise at tardy #5! 
- MTSS - Document interventions in this shared space
- ZAP Continued: Dana will run ZAP, Tuesday-Thursday
- CICO / Mentoring: In Horizontal meetings this week discuss who would benefit from "mentoring" or CICO. Dana and I will share the CICO kids.
- State Testing: Try your login for CAASPP prior to our PLC on 5/10: 

Staff Appreciation Week!
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Monday, May 8 - 
Tuesday, May 9 - PTA Honorary Service Awards 
Wednesday, May 10 - Homeroom Schedule "Working Wednesday"; PLC = Staff Meeting, 
Rm 36
Thursday, May 11 - PTA Car Wash; Art Show, 9am-3:30pm, MPR (Staff & Students)
Friday, May 12 - Art Show, 9am-3:30pm, MPR (Staff & Students); 3rd Annual Art Show, 6-8pm, MPR (Parents, Staff, Students)

Shout Out! - Rebecca, Gary, & Paola

Last week, our band and orchestra traveled to Knott's on Saturday while Paola took 41 students to the Natural History Museum and WE Day in LA.

Thanks to the phenomenal direction of our own Rebecca Dominguez and Gary Hung: Advanced 2 Orchestra's Swept earning a superior rating, Advanced 2 Orchestra placed 1st in the Junior High School division, and won the coveted Best Overall Orchestra award for their awesome performance! Performing Band earned another SUPERIOR rating and ranked 1st place! Also want to thank Rebecca for coordinating a performance by Jazz band the night before at the PTA Talent Show!

WE Club earned their seats at the WE Day event through Paola's leadership and the groups community / global service projects: Over 100 club members have campaigned to collect: 3084+ canned food & hygiene items donated and distributed locally to our district food pantry (WE Scare Hunger), 326 new socks and blankets donated locally to the Orange County Rescue Mission (WE Won’t Rest), $820.00 in Rafiki sales (benefiting Kenyan artisans), 1000+ pasta donations to Anaheim White House to feed children in need, $1,599 raised (WE Are Silent funding a water project in rural China).

Thanks for supporting our amazing band, orchestra, and WE Club!

Tech Tip: Research Tools - Chrome Add-Ons for Students

As we expect students to dig deeper in their independent research and writing, it'd be great to equip their Chrome browser with some built-in search tools to help them quickly and efficiently navigate the web. This website highlights the Top 9 add-ons that students should add. 

Might be a fun activity to take one at a time and explore the tools together. I especially liked the Google Scholar, Thesaurus, and Save to Google Drive add-ons. Best part is that the student adds it once and then it's part of their Google Account on any Chromebook or anytime the login to their account. 

Getting Critical About Critical Thinking

This ARTICLE article primarily caught my eye because the of the reference to "Reality Bites". I love 90's movies! We all know in the world we live in, we are constantly barraged with acronyms and buzz words. 

Critical thinking is one of those, but as this author points out, it's nice to say that's what we're striving for and another thing to be able to define it and apply it in pedagogical practice. The author of the article argues, "Critical thinking is when the brain is active, making connections to the material and applying original thought to the concept. It’s the difference between struggling to remember (“ugh!”) and struggling to solve (“yeah!”).

Here's some strategies she suggests to get started. She provides links to resources for each of these in the article itself:

1. Adopt a PBL philosophy. 
2. Explore the world in a subject-area scavenger hunt. 
3. Utilize habits of mind.
4. Require reflection. 
5. Teach students to question.