Forget About Old Fashioned Homework

Students,
Below you will find two links. Your assignment is to complete each game. If you get an answer wrong, begin again until you get it correct. Don't just guess, if you do not know. Make wise decisions based on what we have discussed in class. Happy clicking....


Simple, Compound, or Complex:
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/sensort/index_pre.html
Figurative Language - Fling the Teacher:
http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/fling3.html


One final step before completion: Post a comment below to let me know you have finished and what you thought of the assignment. I'll be checking on your progress in class

Is Sarcasm a Literary Device, Mrs. DuBose?

This school year is certainly taking on a life of its own. We are all exhausted at the end of each day. This is a very good thing, though. We are working so hard and so diligilenty to make learning real and purposeful. One activity that has been added to our weekly agenda is something called text mapping. Since I came across the website for it, I have been anxiously awaiting for just the right time to introduce it to my students. This was our first week to try it out. It was certainly a success! Through it, the students are able to see all of the elements and devices of literature which are embedded into real stories by real authors. I have found that if students do not see the purpose or reality of what they are learning, they will soon forget it. With text mapping, the students get to see that what we learn in class is actually used by authors in stories they love. If you haven't heard of the text mapping project check it out. It's a great way to visually lay out a variety of literary elements into one lesson. www.textmapping.org

I can sense that this group of students is progressing in such a profound way. They are making connections everyday, and really working hard to prove themselves. I am so proud of what they are accomplishing on a daily basis. Last year, I had a section of my classroom wall dedicated to "Best Quotes of the Day." I did not have space for that this year, but I heard a comment from one of my sweet friends today in class that surely would have made the cut. He asked me if sarcasm was a literary device. The reason I found this so delightful was because previously in the week as I was planning for this text mapping activity and searching the text for literary devices, I came across many passages of sarcasm. I highlighted those to discuss with the class. After deliberating for a moment, I decided to not discuss sarcasm as something an author uses. Not because, authors don't use it to create great stories, but moreso because it just didn't fit with the specific elements we have been discussing. When my student found those sarcastic passages today and asked why they weren't considered literay devices, I chuckled and told him my story. We have a great time collaborating in class. I learn just as much from my students as they learn from me. We are a family of learners just breaking the surface! I am blessed beyond measure to share these experiences with such a great group of students. Loving what I do everyday, makes everyday great!

Below are a few snapshots from today as the students worked in groups to create their text mapping "scroll."

Morgan Phillips is reading our non-fiction connection, TOYS. We are becoming THIEVES in our non-fiction reading this year. Check out non-fiction literature cirlces (thieves) on google for more information. We love it!

Taylor Cutrer enjoys Toys, by Henry Holt. It is a perfect connection to our
 fiction novel, Holes, and our upcoming Invention Convention

Group 1 is working hard during a "text mapping" activity to locate literary devices within our Holes text.

Group 3 searches for devices such as irony, flashback, foreshadowing,
sensory details, and figurative language within their scroll.

Give Yourselves a Hand!



Group 4 working on their Literary Devices art project

Hard at work in class

Our wonderful student teacher, Mrs. Brashier, has helped us so much.

Today I decided to take just a moment to video the class working on day 1 of a hands on activity. We will finish this activity tomorrow and a second video will be added to show off their finished products. The students have been spending this first 9 weeks really diving into various literary elements and devices. We have been enjoying a read aloud of my favorite book, The Giver, by Lois Lowry. I read this book over a decade ago for my children's literature class at Mississippi College and it immediately became my favorite novel. It teaches such wonderful lessons. It allows my students to see that a world without pain and grief would also mean a world with no emotion. We talk in class about the positives of having the low moments in life. For without them, we would not cherish the high moments. Through this novel, we have drawn from it the literary lessons needed to grow academically. The first 9 weeks have been fantastic. The students have grown so much in such a short time, and I look forward with anticipation to see just how much we can accomplish this year. Thanks for sharing in this journey with us.

It's a Marathon, Not a Race!

Every year I have to remind myself that this thing we call learning is a marathon, not a race. My enthusiasm for teaching often gets in the way of the overwhelming feeling that I need to give all of my knowledge (though it is definitely limited) to my new students ASAP so that they can apply it through the rest of the school year. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, though. So for today, I am reminding myself that this marathon of teaching and learning, will have a finish line, although distant. Ironically, I read some of Aesop's fables this week to foster discussion on theme. When I came to The Tortoise and the Hare, I felt confident that the story was more for my "lesson of the day" rather than for my students. Slow and steady wins the race, right? We are going steady right now and will not slow down. We will keep pushing ourselves and challenging our minds until we reach that finish line....with you cheering us on as we cross over towards victory. This year will be filled with many exciting times. New projects, special assignments, unique activities are just begging to be let out of my bag. They will come...a little at a time, day by day. The rewards for this life learning will be exponential. I can't wait to see what this year brings. Welcome to it....and please grab your running shoes!

http://www.marathonguide.com/features/firstmarathons.cfm

There's no crying in teaching!

 One of my favorite movies is A League of Their Own. Tom Hanks's infamous line was used often in my household since I was the daughter of a baseball coach, who also loved the movie. I've used the line often throughout my life. My five year old recently cried while on a shopping outing. My obvious response was that there was no crying in shopping. My four year old cries every day while walking our dog. Her big sister has learned to tell her that there's no crying in exercising. When I thought about my blog today, knowing that I wanted to highlight my amazing team, I asked myself what is the prevalent and paramount theme running through our days together at school. Instantly I knew it was tears and laughter. My team has proven that there IS an exception to every rule. What do you mean, there's no crying in teaching? We cry everyday. At least two of us cry on a daily basis. Tears from laughter are the best tears! I can't imagine coming to work everyday and not having these hilarious, caring, unique ladies to liven up the day. The students are always fantastic. They are one reason I love teaching. But during those times when teachers aren't teaching.....I couldn't have asked to have a better group. Morning walks in the hallway just wouldn't be the same without Mel Lanke dancing to Thriller. Lunch time would be so boring if I didn't have Molly Chew to sit beside and share stories. I actually could do without Lanke's random spits though (ha ha, Mel). Recess certainly would be so bland without Anetrice Carroll's outrageous topics of conversation.
LAUGH, LOVE, LIVE!

Mel Lanke: Math, Science
Affectionate, Fiesty, Loyal

Molly Chew: Reading, Language Arts, Social Studies
Kind, Caring, Gentle, Hard Worker, Quiet Strength

Anetrice Carroll: Math, Science
Hilarious, Crazy, Sarcastic, Resourceful

They say there are no dumb questions.....But this is often the look I receive after asking Ms. Carroll questions.

NOLA

The New Orleans field trip always signifies that we are drawing near to the closing of  a school year. This group of students and parents have been such a blessing to us this year. What a day we had in New Orleans. We boarded our buses at 5:30am Friday morning and were full steam ahead until our arrival back at school around 11:00pm. The students' excitement is always fantastic to see and we love sharing the experience with them. We had amazing chaperones who helped so much. Thank you all so much for the part you played in our joy this year!

What's Your Phobia?

A recent unit of study on phobias has me thinking. I have a long list of phobias.

Gerascophobia - Fear of growing old
Verminophobia- Fear of germs
Rhytiphobia- Fear of getting wrinkles
Ophidiophobia- Fear of snakes
Molysmophobia- Fear of dirt or contamination
Hypsiphobia- Fear of height
Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces

I think it's safe to say that I also have Pantophobia, the fear of everything.

One phobia I didn't see on the long list is a fear of complacency. A note to my students: If you are confused by the word "complacency" go look it up! Change is exciting to me. Progress is even more exciting. I think that's why I love teaching so much. Things never get old. They never stay the same. I've learned that I'm never quite satisfied with the way things are. I'm always on a quest to find more challenges for myself and for my students. Always on the hunt for a better way, a newer way, a more exciting and engaging way. So, here's to COMPLACENTPHOBIA!

My challenge to you, students, is to find your list of phobias that are standing in the way of progress. Take that list of phobias and turn them the other way. Your phobia may just encourage someone, motivate someone, change someone! Click on the link below to read about more phobias from National Geographic Kids.

...Looking forward to this topic of discussion in class and reading your comments!

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/morestories/phobias/

Technology in the Classroom

My fifth grade students have been working so hard on power point presentations. When I introduced this assignment the only criteria I gave my students was that I wanted their presentations to be about something that has happened this year that made an impact. I told them that their goal was to make me smile, laugh, or cry. If you didn't know this about me already, I like to be inspired. Attached are just some of the finished products. All will be added as they are finished. Enjoy!
http://www.slideshare.net/adubose11

Just in Time for Standardized Testing

Better late than never, right?

 As the school year winds down, you would think that my students would be revving up for Summer break. Yeah right! No can do! With our final MAP testing upon us, and standardized testing soon to arrive, we are still full force. I've learned a very important lesson through my experiences as a teacher about such things, though. What I have learned is that nothing can top inspiration and emotion. Since I am such an emotional person, it is hard for me to separate that emotion as a teacher. I am just as idealistic about the future generation as I was the day I started teaching. Don't get me wrong. Of course it's nice to see students' scores go up. However, I'm fully convinced that academic growth has to include personal growth. Some growth just isn't data driven. For instance, if I was only focused on "teaching to the test" as the teaching profession calls it, I would never have discovered that ___________ is an excellent artist, _____________ enjoys nonfiction World War II texts, ______________ is an unassumingly fantastic writer, ____________ can really think outside the box when creating 3D presentations, ____________ is a true leader, ______________ rallies a team of peers to discuss things beyond what is expected....Well, you get the idea, right?

So in honor of the "Better Late than Never" theme, I will become a facilitator of a student based blog. They have spent 9 months inspiring me. Now, it's time for them to inspire you.

...To be continued