by Sandra Sicard
For the second installment in my series about tools, I've decided to showcase Microsoft Excel. Excel is a spreadsheet program that, at first glance, is unexciting. It is used widely in the business world to organize and analyze data. I'm trying to encourage teachers to use it not only administratively but also instructionally. Here are some examples of how we've used it this year at Pierce; maybe one will inspire you to try it out.
(I have first-hand knowledge about the following lessons because students were in the lab for some of their learning. There are other examples of students using Excel in various parts of the curriculum; I just don’t know about all of them.)
Students in 4S are learning about minerals in science; as part of the unit, they conduct tests on a variety of samples (about 12) and compare their results to identify a mystery rock. We used Excel to create a chart of their test results; our goal was to organize their data in an easy-to-read way. This is a great first step in learning to navigate the cells, columns, and rows in Excel.
Last fall, 5k researched wolves. As part of their unit, they conducted opinion polls about wolf characteristics and lifestyles. Students then input their data into Excel and created graphs to illustrate the survey results. Printing the graphs in color gave them a polished and professional appearance. Later in the year, students returned to Excel and used it in a science lesson to analyze respiration rates of peers and adults.
Eighth grade students have used Excel in a variety of math and science units this year. Their first lesson reviewed the basics of Excel by using a spreadsheet to calculate grades and some class statistics. Students then used Excel to determine if a correlation existed between stride length and height and then shoe size and height. They graphed the data and found the line of best fit as well as the r squared (the square of the correlation coefficient).
From those lessons, it's easy to see how Excel is a flexible tool that allows you to do a little or a lot with data.
Have some data of your own to collect, organize, and/or analyze? Let’s talk about what tool makes the most sense to do what you need. I'll be sharing some lessons from The Graph Club in my next blog - a very simple data tool for primary students.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Research Supports Summer Reading
Research Supports Summer Reading
by Joan Hamilton
The Book Fair is coming! The Book Fair is coming! This wonderful event sponsored annually by the hardworking, energetic members of our amazing PTO will have hundreds of books for sale, many of which are on Pierce's summer reading lists. As in the past, for Pierce students entering grades 2 - 8, there will be a required title -- one book to be read by every person in the class, plus a list of books from which students must choose four other titles.
There is a great deal of research that states that children who don't read over the summer actually lose ground in reading proficiency. Recent research from John Hopkins University's Center for Summer Learning concludes, "The effect of reading four to five books during the summer is large enough to prevent a decline in reading scores from spring to fall." Another study entitled Summer Learning and the Effects of Schooling by Barbara Heyns states. "Children (she was working with 6th and 7th graders) in every income group who read six or more books over the summer gained more in reading achievement that children who did not."
Stephen Krashen, in his report, The Power of Reading, says that children read more when they see other people reading. This suggests a practice my family indulged in successfully during the summers when my three children were still in school -- family reading time. The time was announced and it was expected that every family member would produce a book and we would all sit and read silently for half an hour. This could be followed by discussion or read aloud. It worked as well for family journaling--especially effective while on vacation. Krashen states, "If children read one million words a year, at least one thousand words will be added to their vocabulary." He concludes that reading as a leisure activity increases comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary as well as making the reader a better speller and a better writer.
So, see you at the Book Fair on May 27th, 28th, and 29th, and Happy Reading!
by Joan Hamilton
The Book Fair is coming! The Book Fair is coming! This wonderful event sponsored annually by the hardworking, energetic members of our amazing PTO will have hundreds of books for sale, many of which are on Pierce's summer reading lists. As in the past, for Pierce students entering grades 2 - 8, there will be a required title -- one book to be read by every person in the class, plus a list of books from which students must choose four other titles.
There is a great deal of research that states that children who don't read over the summer actually lose ground in reading proficiency. Recent research from John Hopkins University's Center for Summer Learning concludes, "The effect of reading four to five books during the summer is large enough to prevent a decline in reading scores from spring to fall." Another study entitled Summer Learning and the Effects of Schooling by Barbara Heyns states. "Children (she was working with 6th and 7th graders) in every income group who read six or more books over the summer gained more in reading achievement that children who did not."
Stephen Krashen, in his report, The Power of Reading, says that children read more when they see other people reading. This suggests a practice my family indulged in successfully during the summers when my three children were still in school -- family reading time. The time was announced and it was expected that every family member would produce a book and we would all sit and read silently for half an hour. This could be followed by discussion or read aloud. It worked as well for family journaling--especially effective while on vacation. Krashen states, "If children read one million words a year, at least one thousand words will be added to their vocabulary." He concludes that reading as a leisure activity increases comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary as well as making the reader a better speller and a better writer.
So, see you at the Book Fair on May 27th, 28th, and 29th, and Happy Reading!
Friday, May 2, 2008
These Are a Few of my Favorite Tools (TimeLiner)
by Sandra Sicard
I've decided to write a series of blogs on software tools that work well across grade levels and subject areas. The first tool I'm highlighting is TimeLiner, which allows students to create, illustrate and present timelines easily.
In 2G, students read biographies in Reading Workshop and noted important events from their subject's life. They then came to the lab and created a timeline of 5-6 important events. They could then add text notes to identify turning points. Lastly, they added a picture of their subject; most of their subjects had pictures included as part of the TimeLiner clipart. (Their teacher and I had to go online to find a few pictures of subjects not included in the clipart collection.)
4H recently completed a thorough investigation of European explorers. Students worked in pairs to research an explorer's life to present to their classmates. They created a timeline, a slideshow, a handout, and a board game. TimeLiner allowed students to import pictures from the Internet as well as pictures that students had drawn in KidPix and then exported. Each event on the timeline became a slide; parents were able to view the students' final slideshow and products during a family breakfast.
Lastly, seventh grade students used TimeLiner in a brief project to organize Revolutionary War dates and events in order to make generalizations about the challenges and successes of the Patriot war effort. Seeing this information visually allowed them to make predictions about the immediate consequences of independence.
Sidebar: I had been under the illusion that TimeLiner didn't work on our computers so it wasn't installed in the lab and laptops until a few months ago. If you'd like it on your classroom computer(s), just let me know.
I've decided to write a series of blogs on software tools that work well across grade levels and subject areas. The first tool I'm highlighting is TimeLiner, which allows students to create, illustrate and present timelines easily.
In 2G, students read biographies in Reading Workshop and noted important events from their subject's life. They then came to the lab and created a timeline of 5-6 important events. They could then add text notes to identify turning points. Lastly, they added a picture of their subject; most of their subjects had pictures included as part of the TimeLiner clipart. (Their teacher and I had to go online to find a few pictures of subjects not included in the clipart collection.)
4H recently completed a thorough investigation of European explorers. Students worked in pairs to research an explorer's life to present to their classmates. They created a timeline, a slideshow, a handout, and a board game. TimeLiner allowed students to import pictures from the Internet as well as pictures that students had drawn in KidPix and then exported. Each event on the timeline became a slide; parents were able to view the students' final slideshow and products during a family breakfast.
Lastly, seventh grade students used TimeLiner in a brief project to organize Revolutionary War dates and events in order to make generalizations about the challenges and successes of the Patriot war effort. Seeing this information visually allowed them to make predictions about the immediate consequences of independence.
Sidebar: I had been under the illusion that TimeLiner didn't work on our computers so it wasn't installed in the lab and laptops until a few months ago. If you'd like it on your classroom computer(s), just let me know.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Power of Story
By Joan Hamilton
When author Mitali Perkins visited Pierce School last week, she talked to the 6th and 7th grade students about the human need for "a story fix." "Where do you go when you need story?" she asked, "because we all need stories." When asked how many students had seen one movie five times, nearly every student raised his hand. When she asked how many played video games (now many of them also using the concept of story to hook kids), many also raised hands. But what surprised Ms. Perkins was that when she asked how many had read one book at least five times, a majority of the students raised their hands. She explained, "If you've read it five times, it is a story that speaks to something in your heart, in your soul. Later she told me, "I'm amazed. I speak at schools all over the country, and seldom do I have such a high percentage of students who have a book they've read five times."
Why is this reading experience so common to Pierce students? I would like to claim it is because from the first day of kindergarten to the last day of 8th grade, we build around them a culture of reading. It is a culture built through read-alouds, author study, genre study, literature circles, Bingo for Books, Pierce Reads, author visits, the study of folk literature motifs, independent reading projects, poetry recitations, required summer reading and participation in the Massachusetts Book Awards. It is a culture based on the 1,500 titles of multiples housed in the library that form the foundation of our literacy program.
Sadly, it is a culture at risk. It is at risk because Brookline will be eliminating all library assistants in the elementary schools if the override does not pass. The result will be an erosion of that culture--perhaps not noticeable at once, but over the years an inexorable erosion.
Later in the same day that Mitali Perkins was so impressed by our students' love of reading, a retired colleague stopped by. She had been substituting for several weeks at a school that had no library. She said the 4th graders in that school could not even sit still for a story read-aloud.
In contrast, I pictured Pierce 4th graders. Mention the word "story" and their ears perk up and they settle quietly into their listening positions. At Pierce children often clap at the end of a read-aloud. For they know, as cultures throughout the ages have known, that it is through story that we learn our history, we learn what we kind of persons we hope to become, what kind of community we want to live in. I remember Chet Raymo, the Boston Globe's science writer for many years, saying if you want your child to become a scientist, read him stories; for then he will be able to wonder and imagine. There have been civilizations without the wheel. There has never been a civilization without story.
When author Mitali Perkins visited Pierce School last week, she talked to the 6th and 7th grade students about the human need for "a story fix." "Where do you go when you need story?" she asked, "because we all need stories." When asked how many students had seen one movie five times, nearly every student raised his hand. When she asked how many played video games (now many of them also using the concept of story to hook kids), many also raised hands. But what surprised Ms. Perkins was that when she asked how many had read one book at least five times, a majority of the students raised their hands. She explained, "If you've read it five times, it is a story that speaks to something in your heart, in your soul. Later she told me, "I'm amazed. I speak at schools all over the country, and seldom do I have such a high percentage of students who have a book they've read five times."
Why is this reading experience so common to Pierce students? I would like to claim it is because from the first day of kindergarten to the last day of 8th grade, we build around them a culture of reading. It is a culture built through read-alouds, author study, genre study, literature circles, Bingo for Books, Pierce Reads, author visits, the study of folk literature motifs, independent reading projects, poetry recitations, required summer reading and participation in the Massachusetts Book Awards. It is a culture based on the 1,500 titles of multiples housed in the library that form the foundation of our literacy program.
Sadly, it is a culture at risk. It is at risk because Brookline will be eliminating all library assistants in the elementary schools if the override does not pass. The result will be an erosion of that culture--perhaps not noticeable at once, but over the years an inexorable erosion.
Later in the same day that Mitali Perkins was so impressed by our students' love of reading, a retired colleague stopped by. She had been substituting for several weeks at a school that had no library. She said the 4th graders in that school could not even sit still for a story read-aloud.
In contrast, I pictured Pierce 4th graders. Mention the word "story" and their ears perk up and they settle quietly into their listening positions. At Pierce children often clap at the end of a read-aloud. For they know, as cultures throughout the ages have known, that it is through story that we learn our history, we learn what we kind of persons we hope to become, what kind of community we want to live in. I remember Chet Raymo, the Boston Globe's science writer for many years, saying if you want your child to become a scientist, read him stories; for then he will be able to wonder and imagine. There have been civilizations without the wheel. There has never been a civilization without story.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
How Can We Make a Difference?
It was one of those a-ha moments at a technology conference... Ms. Wang and I attended a presentation by Dr. Tim Tyson, former principal of Mabry Middle School. He spoke about his vision for technology in education; through his leadership, the Annual Mabry Film Festival was launched as a way to propel technology integration into engaging instructional activities for students. His passion about wanting to make a difference and to inspire students to know they could make a difference was contagious. On the way home from the conference, Ms. Wang and I started conspiring about how we could do something similar with her students.
This morning, Pierce School had its very first "film festival". The students in 5W showed their Environmental Science films to an audience of their parents, during a class breakfast. They will show their little buddies in 1W their videos in a few weeks; the students of 5W hope these movies will educate others about issues in the environment and what each person can do to save the environment.
Students had researched, planned, written scripts, directed, filmed, added voice-overs, chose images, and edited their films. From the very beginning of the process, students had to decide what information was most essential to share in a two-minute video. Information was found, read, and discussed; before each groups could receive approval to proceed to the next step in the process, they had to reach consensus.
Through this video experience, students learned about working cooperatively, the environment, and all the technical skills necessary to create a video. Ms. Wang and I learned that one person truly can inspire others to make a difference. If you have a chance, borrow the 5W DVD or check out the Mabry videos online. These students make me think about how I can make a difference.
This morning, Pierce School had its very first "film festival". The students in 5W showed their Environmental Science films to an audience of their parents, during a class breakfast. They will show their little buddies in 1W their videos in a few weeks; the students of 5W hope these movies will educate others about issues in the environment and what each person can do to save the environment.
Students had researched, planned, written scripts, directed, filmed, added voice-overs, chose images, and edited their films. From the very beginning of the process, students had to decide what information was most essential to share in a two-minute video. Information was found, read, and discussed; before each groups could receive approval to proceed to the next step in the process, they had to reach consensus.
Through this video experience, students learned about working cooperatively, the environment, and all the technical skills necessary to create a video. Ms. Wang and I learned that one person truly can inspire others to make a difference. If you have a chance, borrow the 5W DVD or check out the Mabry videos online. These students make me think about how I can make a difference.
Monday, March 10, 2008
PIcture Books for Older Readers
Picture Books for Older Readers
by Joan Hamilton
Read Across America Day was March 3, 2008 -- last Monday. It was celebrated across America by children listening to prominent community members visiting their schools and reading aloud to them. Pierce School was very fortunate to have Congressman Barney Frank who read to the entire fifth grade What to Do about Alice by Barbara Kerley, a picture book about Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. The book was chosen for him by me, the school librarian.
When first handed the book, he remarked, "Pictures books! Fifth graders! Aren't fifth grade students too old for picture books?" The answer to his question is "Not at all." In fact, Pierce students read picture books throughout their nine years here. They use picture books to learn character mapping, plot structure, themes and motifs in literature, structures of non-fiction and literary terms such as allegory, allusion and point of view. They study imagery, metaphor, visual literacy and genre. They glean from pictures books ways to write tall tales, folk tales, personal narratives and mysteries. They use picture books to learn the reading strategies of compare and contrast, prediction, inference, and synthesis, as well as to make text-to-self and text-to-text connections.
Recognizing this trend, many children's literature websites give special attention to picture books for older readers: Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site--Looking Critically at Picture Books;
Children's Literature: Independent Information and Reviews -- Picture Books for Older Readers; University of Iowa's Curriculum Lab -- Picture Books for Older Students; and NCTE's Read. Write. Think. -- Using Picture Books to Teach Characterization in Writer's Workshop to name but a few.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tech Tips
I thought I'd include a few tech tips in this blog posting. I'll try to be more proactive in the future about these technology issues; however, some things have changed at the district level, without any forewarning.
Converting Files from AppleWorks (AW) to Microsoft Word (Word)
Still using AW when nobody's looking? Or do you need to convert some older AW files to Word? Here's how you can do that in just a few steps - sometimes copying and pasting doesn't capture all the formatting.
The network technicians made some changes to our server over the break, which erased the settings in many of your FC accounts. That's why some of you have been able to login from your home computer (unaffected) and not your work computer. Without the setting, FC doesn't know where to find your mail.
As I wrote in an email earlier this week (which you couldn't read if your FC wasn't working), a change at the district level required a change in the Firefox Preferences. I placed a handout in the staff lunch room for directions to change the proxy settings. Please feel free to use the handout or ask me for help.
I will work with students as they come to the lab, to ensure they can continue to use Firefox.
By the way, our proxy is our network filter; this filter differs from the FC spam filter. That's another blog posting altogether.
As always, please let me know how I can help!
Sandra Sicard
Converting Files from AppleWorks (AW) to Microsoft Word (Word)
Still using AW when nobody's looking? Or do you need to convert some older AW files to Word? Here's how you can do that in just a few steps - sometimes copying and pasting doesn't capture all the formatting.
- Open your AW document.
- From the File menu, choose Save As.
- Click the File Format drop-down menu (default is AppleWorks) and choose Word Mac 98, 2001 Document.
- Check to be sure that the name of the document makes sense and that you know where the file is being saved.
- Click Save. Your file should now open seamlessly in Word.
The network technicians made some changes to our server over the break, which erased the settings in many of your FC accounts. That's why some of you have been able to login from your home computer (unaffected) and not your work computer. Without the setting, FC doesn't know where to find your mail.
- Open FC.
- On the Login screen, click Setup. (If you have a newer version of FC, first click Advanced and then Setup.)
- In the Server box, type fc.brookline.k12.ma.us
- Click Save
As I wrote in an email earlier this week (which you couldn't read if your FC wasn't working), a change at the district level required a change in the Firefox Preferences. I placed a handout in the staff lunch room for directions to change the proxy settings. Please feel free to use the handout or ask me for help.
I will work with students as they come to the lab, to ensure they can continue to use Firefox.
By the way, our proxy is our network filter; this filter differs from the FC spam filter. That's another blog posting altogether.
As always, please let me know how I can help!
Sandra Sicard
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