MMM 12/7/15

Hey All,
Thank you to those who commented last week with the question of the week.  I think Homework is something we need to look at and make sure we are assigning appropriate amounts, that it is relevant, and that it has purpose.  If it does not answer appropriately these three criteria, why are we assigning it?  Is the practice we are requiring at home, something that can take place in class?  I agree that home reading and math facts are important.  What about the other stuff?  Please think about your homework policy and we will keep the homework question on the bottom of this MMM to continue the conversation.  Here is an article to read to spur on some more thought on this issue.
One thing about a conversation via this blog, in order to make it a conversation, you can't just say one thing and never refer back to what others are saying.  Frequently check back and see what others are saying, then respond.  Make it an actual conversation.  Share what you have found in your readings.

Okay, now I get to share with all of you some of the things I've learned this week in my personal PD and reflection (Which I hope all of you do by whatever means you can).  The state government is now considering spending a lot of money on making Utah schools 1 to 1 device to student.  I think this can and will be an amazing thing for our kids here at Grovecrest.  This initiative will cost the state somewhere around 100 million dollars.  Quite a cost.  You all know I'm all about devices and the more we put the devices in the hands of our students, teach them properly, and give them a chance to create, the better prepared they will be for the next level.  In saying this, I think we need to be smart about how to spend our money.  Is this the best way to spend 100 million dollars?  Wouldn't it be better to first focus on training or PD so that we are better prepared to make these device more of a positive experience rather than a distraction.  Devices can be a distraction if not used properly and I think all of you can attest to that.  I think we need to think about how we can make these devices more of a tool than a toy before we spend a load of money to put them in the hands of every student.  We need to focus on pedagogy and learn how technology can support that.  Please make sure that when you are using technology with your students, that your activities and lessons aren't centered around the technology, but that the technology is used to support your activities and lessons.  I hope that makes sense.  I hope your week is great.  Let me know how I can support you with your ideas and what you want to do in your classes.  I know we are all about what is best for kids.

By the way, we have a new hashtag we will be attaching to all of our social media.  I'm doing this so that our parents and community can share in using it.  The hashtag is #WeRGrizzlies.  Continue to use #PawPower and #teamkid whenever you can, but make sure from now on, you use #WeRGrizzlies.

This week is Computer Science Education week.  This includes Hour of Code.  What are you all doing to support this week?  I know Emma is already planning something for Hour of Code this week and next for k-2 and at the end of year for 3-6.  Here are a few websites to help give you some ideas so you can do things in your class.
www.code.org
www.codeacademy.com

Please pay attention to the To Be Aware Ofs.  There is some important information there.

To Be Aware Of

• There is a question of the week below.  Please respond.  It is the same as last week, but we want to use it more as a conversation piece.  Please take part.
• REMINDER:  Don't ever leave a student unattended with a device or in the computer lab.  There was an incident at another school here in PG where the teacher left some students unattended and they accessed some inappropriate material.  This goes for use of chromebooks.  Make sure your instruction takes place behind the students so you can see the screen.  If there is a need to move to the front of the room, think of what you could do so you are always aware of where your students are (maybe send a student up to write on the board).  I just don't want anyone to get in trouble.
• How is edivate going for all of you?  I'm wondering if it is beneficial to you.  Are you just using video PD, creating video to collaborate about, taking courses, what?
• Keep track of what duty you have each week.  There have been a few times where there hasn't been someone out on duty.  We need to make sure the kids are safe.  Here is a link to the duty list for quick reference
• The Grovecrest Faculty Passion Project google classroom page is open and you all have been invited.  Here is a link to the page.  Our faculty mtg on the 16th will be a Passion Project faculty mtg.  We will report on where we are in the process of our projects.
• Make sure to complete your self evaluation on Observertab if you haven't already.
• Those on an evaluation schedule including the the "B" schedule, come talk to me or refer to the calendar to schedule a time to be observed if you haven't been observed the 1st round already.
• We will be having our 2nd Evaluation training meeting this Wednesday after school and Thursday before school.  We will be discussing standards 5 and 6.
• Grovecrest now has a Facebook Page.  www.facebook.com/grovecgrizzlies.  Please like and post whenever you can.  We want our community to take part in it as well.  I hope they will post using our new hashtag #WeRGrizzlies.

• Due to the learning that happened at the PLC Institute, we will be having a special joint collaboration day on Monday the 14th in the library.  Please put this on your calendars and make sure you are there for the whole time.  There is the potential for some great dialogue about what is going great at Grovecrest and what we need to improve on.

Cleaning Schedule

Sept.  Office

Oct. 6th Grade

Nov.  5th Grade

Dec.  3rd Grade

Jan.  2nd Grade

Feb. 1st Grade

Mar. 4th Grade

Apr. SPED and Computer Specialist

May  Kinder, Life Skills, & P.E. Specialist

Lunch Schedule

Refer to the schedule.  Here is a link.

Save The Date

12/7 Choir Christmas Assembly
12/7 Alio/Skyward training Sheila 1 pm
12/8 BYU PC meeting for Zack 12:30 pm
12/8 Glow Performance 6:30 pm
12/9 1st Grade Christmas Sing 6 pm.
12/11 Principal Meeting for Kyle 12-2

*Look at the Faculty Calendar on Google for other events.

Happy Birthday

12/11 Casey Johnson

Celebrations

Gotta give props to Janna Hubert and the choir.  What an amazing concert we experienced this morning.  Their concert at the Jr. High was also very awesome.
Last week our 5th grade put on a greate States Fair in the gym.  The students put a lot of time and effort into their projects and it showed.  I don't know if you noticed, but this was the first time our GrizzKids went out and tweeted.  Take a look at our twitter feed to see how they did using #GrizzKids.  Thanks 5th grade teachers and kids for a great fair and thanks GrizzKids for making it available to our community!

Great Video of the Week

Another great video from edivate. Think about how you could modify something like this to fit how you do things in your class.  By the way, there are 13 new STEM videos on Edivate.  You should all take a peek at the ones for your grade level.  https://www.pd360.com/#resources/videos/11754.

Question for the Week
What do all of you think about homework?  Why?  Purpose?  Policy?  What are your thoughts?  Respond via the comments below.

Have an Amazing week!

MMM 11/30/15

Hey All,
Welcome back from Thanksgiving break.  I hope you holiday time was satisfactory.  The week before the break, a group of us made a trip to SLC to go to the PLC Institute.  It was a great week of learning for all who attended. I wish we had the money to take more people at a time because it is such an amazing learning experience. We had some fantastic conversations and we know there are things we can do better at our school to make us even better.  Some of the things I learned from the conference are as follows.

1. Collaboration time is sacred time. Especially if used right. We want to make sure that we don't schedule anything that would take away from this on Mondays.  In my district, it is still contract time. We should be present and participating in order to make our teams more effective.

2. If it is to be, it is up to me. We can't wait for good things to happen. Many times, we will need to take a leap in order to be better educators. We can't be afraid of failure because failure is when we learn new things. We do some tweaking and we try again. If we believe it will make a difference for children, we will do what is necessary to make it work.

3. Norms are an essential part of any meeting, especially Collaboration. Norms should be revisited every time we meet. If someone is not living up to those norms, we can't be afraid to let them know. If we are not living up to a norm, then we can't get offended when someone reminds us to follow the norms. After all, it is all for the kids.

4. All decisions need to be backed by data and evaluation of what is best for kids. We don't make decisions based on what "I like" or "I think". We need to be data driven.

5. Collaboration is about creating a product; something that will help our kids learn better. This should be a norm each collaboration meeting.

6. If we are about pushing our students to do hard things, then we can't be afraid to push ourselves to do hard things. Lead and teach by example. Share the hard things you are learning. Help the kids see through your hard work that accomplishing hard things is worth it. The struggle is worth it.

7.  Our school/your school needs to have a set of agreed commitments, essential values that every decision is based upon.  These commitments are based on what is best for kids and backed by research and data.  When there is a decision to be made by school or team, we look back at our essential values that everyone agreed upon and contributed to.  Then we have a solution.  "What if our decision doesn't work?" you might ask.  Failure is part of learning.  Do we want to teach our kids that if you fail, quit, or carry on with a different solution?  At least what we are trying to do is what we know to be best for kids, failures included.
In discussing these things with the team that 

Please pay attention to the To Be Aware Ofs.  There is some important information there.

To Be Aware Of

• There is a question of the week below.  Please respond.
• REMINDER:  Don't ever leave a student unattended with a device or in the computer lab.  There was an incident at another school here in PG where the teacher left some students unattended and they accessed some inappropriate material.  This goes for use of chromebooks.  Make sure your instruction takes place behind the students so you can see the screen.  If there is a need to move to the front of the room, think of what you could do so you are always aware of where your students are (maybe send a student up to write on the board).  I just don't want anyone to get in trouble.
• The board meeting went wonderfully.  Thanks to all who participated
• How is edivate going for all of you?  I'm wondering if it is beneficial to you.  Are you just using video PD, creating video to collaborate about, taking courses, what?
• Keep track of what duty you have each week.  There have been a few times where there hasn't been someone out on duty.  We need to make sure the kids are safe.  Here is a link to the duty list for quick reference
• The Grovecrest Faculty Passion Project google classroom page is open and you all have been invited.  Here is a link to the page.  Our faculty mtg on the 16th will be a Passion Project faculty mtg.  We will report on where we are in the process of our projects.
• Make sure to complete your self evaluation on Observertab if you haven't already.
• Those on an evaluation schedule including the the "B" schedule, come talk to me or refer to the calendar to schedule a time to be observed if you haven't been observed the 1st round already.
• We will be having our 2nd Evaluation training meeting next Wednesday after school and Thursday before school.  We will be discussing standards 5 and 6.

• Due to the learning that happened at the PLC Institute, we will be having a special joint collaboration day on Monday the 14th in the library.  Please put this on your calendars and make sure you are there for the whole time.  There is the potential for some great dialogue about what is going great at Grovecrest and what we need to improve on.

Cleaning Schedule

Sept.  Office

Oct. 6th Grade

Nov.  5th Grade

Dec.  3rd Grade

Jan.  2nd Grade

Feb. 1st Grade

Mar. 4th Grade

Apr. SPED and Computer Specialist

May  Kinder, Life Skills, & P.E. Specialist

Lunch Schedule

Refer to the schedule.  Here is a link.

Save The Date

12/1-12/4 BOGO Book Fair.  Make sure to fill out your wish lists
12/1 District Social Media and Pie meeting for Kyle 1 pm.
12/2 Mtg with Caye from Edivate for Zack and Kyle 9 am
12/3 Choir Performance at PGJH 7 pm
12/7 Choir Christmas Assembly
12/7 Alio/Skyward training Sheila 1 pm
12/8 BYU PC meeting for Zack 12:30 pm
12/8 Glow Performance 6:30 pm
12/9 1st Grade Christmas Sing 6 pm.
12/11 Principal Meeting for Kyle 12-2

*Look at the Faculty Calendar on Google for other events.

Happy Birthday

11/29 Sarah Day

11/29 Sheri Wilson

12/2 Kyle Folsom

12/3 Zack Nelson

12/3 Jalayne Engberg

12/5 Lisa Robinson

Celebrations

Watched a fantastic lesson in Meredith's class.  In one lesson, Zack and I counted 12 different ways she assessed her students.  That is amazing! It is fun to watch you all teach amazing lessons.  

Coach Folsom taught a very fun lessons using hula hoops.  He had the kids making hula huts.  Really cool.

Great Video of the Week

Remember to take time to watch edivate videos each week.  Here is one that is amazing. 
https://www.pd360.com/#resources/videos/8143

Question for the Week
What do all of you think about homework?  Why?  Purpose?  Policy?  What are your thoughts?  Respond via the comments below.

Have an Amazing week!