Virtual Field Trip

        Once again we feel so lucky to have the opportunity to use another new piece of technology, our Google Chromebooks, which help hook us up to our Google Drives. No surprise, the students of Sixth Grade City have jumped right in and become experts.
       If you haven't heard about what we are doing yet, each student now has access to their Google Drive, which we have been using to complete interactive assignments, share them easily with each other, and submit for easy grading and feedback. This is a web based drive, so students can start an assignment at school and easily continue it while it at home or anywhere they have access to the internet! Students will have this account throughout their whole time as a Hillsboro student.
       This past week we have taken advantage of our iPads, Google Drives, and Chromebooks (technology overload!) to go on the longest field trip of our lives…a virtual field trip that will follow the path of our main character of latest novel study, Esperanza, as she immigrates from Mexico to California. In order to do this we are using Google Earth to explore the journey she takes. It has been so engaging to actually explore the setting of the story, the city of Aguascalientes. Through the Google Lit Trip we are taking, we have also been able to read about the history of the Mexican Revolution, watch videos about Quincieneras, and even learn and review some Spanish words.

      

                            

                            

                             

                             

     After exploring Google Earth and reading the story, students are then logging into their Google Drives to answer comprehension question about what they have learned. Through this interactive document, the students are able to compose their answers, cite evidence from the text, and then share their documents with myself or others to encourage further discussion about the questions. So far the work I have seen demonstrates great critical thinking and shows their deep understanding of the story and the historical background that accompanies it.

                             

     I decided to ask the students what they thought about our adventures with technology this year, and everyone was more than willing to share their excitement. Hearing their responses continues to fill me with excitement, as well as fuel me to find new and exciting ways to incorporate technology into our daily lessons. Check out their thoughtful answers in the following video.

    I have truly appreciated the great attitudes and responsibility all the students have shown when

trying new technology. I don't want to think about how close we are to the end of the year, because we have so many more exciting things we can accomplish. Maybe with our Google Drives we can all continue to collaborate throughout the summer to keep our skills fresh and ready for 7th grade. Online Google Drive Summer book club anyone?

Earth Day Festival

                                                  Happy Earth Day from Sixth Grade City!

    Today we finally got to put all of our hard work into action as we taught the kids of Free Orchards about different environmental issues that face our earth. Each student was in an Earth Day Committee that was focused on one specific issue including recycling, global warming, littering, air pollution, water pollution, replanting, and composting. They spent two weeks researching their issue and coming up with an acttivity where the kids could show what they have learned. 

     I was so impressed with all of their creativy, and more importantly their leadership skills teaching kids from Kindergarten through 6th grade. Check out some of the pictures of everyone in action and the highlight video as well. 

       

         

     Once again these kids continue to amaze me with their respectful and responsible behavior. They all learned a lot about their topic, and did an amazing job educating others about important issues we need to address to keep our earth beautiful. Keep it green! Happy Earth Day!

iPads, QR Codes, and Science...Oh My!!

     Coming back from Spring Break, our class has been revitalized, and we are ready to attack our study of cells, prepare for the math OAKS test, and incorporate technology into our learning however it best fits. Here are a few examples of what we have been up to this week. (I can't believe it's already the end of the week!) Time sure flies when you're having fun learning.

                                                              Science Learning

   

                                   

     This week we started our science unit and are learning about cells. Since we don't have access to microscopes, we used our iPads to find pictures of different living and nonliving objects that have been magnified to levels much higher than we could do with a microscope. The students had a great time exploring all sorts of different objects, they were interested in, that we may not have had access to for a hands on lab. Ever wonder what a guitar string, jelly fish, or fish scales look like magnified? Well Sixth Grade City navigated the web and found those examples, and many more! The ideas and questions just kept coming! 

                                

                                                          Photo Editor- Phonto

       We also used the photo editor Phonto to find pictures of different animal, plant, and single cells to label. Through this program students were able to add graphics and text to the photos to show their understanding of the different organelles of a cell. 

         After creating the photos, we then airdropped them to each other to check for accuracy, and then used the collection of photos we had to compare and contrast the different types of cells during our ELD lessons. It was great to see not only the accuracy in their productions, but also the creativity in their labeling and variety of cell photos they found. 

          The following are a few examples of the students' work! Check it out! 

                                 

                                  

                                   

                                           Practice, Apply, Scan, and Check! 

   Mrs. Dessert's class will be taking the OAKS math test starting on April 14th. In preparation for this, we have been in major review mode practicing and applying what we have been learning all year. With so many different levels of understanding, a great amount of differentiation is needed. In order to assist with this, Mrs. Dessert designed review QR code flashcards. These flashcards reviewed adding and subtracting decimals, points on the coordinate grid, and finding area and perimeter of shapes on the coordinate grid. 

    Students simply solve the problems on the cards, and then scan the QR code, with a QR code reader, and are instantly shown the answer to the problem. This independent activity allows the students to practice their skills in an interactive way, while Mrs. Dessert is able to work with small groups and help instruct students that need extra help. 

    Here are a few kids in action with their QR codes- the excitement I hear every time a code is scanned and a correct answer is confirmed is contagious! Keep solving those problems Sixth Grade City!

                             

     

                             

                             

     We are continuing to make great strides and learn new things every day. I can't believe how fast this year is going, but we still have so much work to do. Looking forward to all we will accomplish before our foxes are off to Evergreen. 

Sixth Grade City Virtual Book Review

   The past few weeks Sixth Grade City has been working on our novel study of the book Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. The students have used their background knowledge of WWII and our guest speaker Alter Weiner, Holocaust survivor, from last year to better comprehend this story. Throughout our novel study we have had rich discussions around the plot, the character development, and history of the Holocaust.

   

   As we approach the middle of the book we decided to bring together all of Sixth Grade City to use our technology to express our comprehension of the book. Students from Mrs. Dessert's class introduced the students from Mrs. Kolstad's class to the iPad app Tellagami. 

                             

    

                            

                            

     Each pair had the job of summarizing either the beginning, middle, or end of a chapter using the app. Every group was tasked with presenting their chapter from a different point of view. The point of view of Annemarie, Ellen, Kirsti, Mrs. Johansen, and Uncle Henrik were all represented. To demonstrate their understanding they had to also design the character, from their hair color to their expression, based on what they have read in the story thus far. They then each needed to choose a background based on the setting of their chapter, and then they had to type their own summary, citing evidence from the text.

    All the students caught on extremely quickly and produced very thoughtful and detailed summaries. We got all the students together and played all the pieces together in order. The following video is the Sixth Grade City summary of Number the Stars chapters 1-8. (The video often doesn't work on mobile devices, so checking from a desktop/laptop is best.) We hope you enjoy all their hard work. 

                                       

      

                        

    As always the kids did an amazing job and demonstrated their deep understanding of the reading. Way to go Sixth Grade City!

Technology Update

    In January I mentioned that we won a grant through the district and received 15 iPads for our classroom. (I'm sure you've heard about this from your child.)  I wanted to give you an update on what we have been doing with our technology and how you can check in on your child's progress as well. 

    For our grant I had specific goals that I wanted to address with the use of the iPads and technology in the classroom. One of the goals was to address the reading Common Core State Standards. To address these standards we have been using newela.com to read current events articles, write about controversial issues, post our writing, and have online discussion via Edmodo. We have also been doing the same thing with our Junior Great Books stories. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the kids have been interacting with each other, and enjoy hearing the ideas of quieter students as well. 

   Here are a few excellent examples showing how our class had an "online discussion" through Edmodo. 

       

       

       

        

    If you haven't looked at Edmodo with your child yet, please do. You can either use their login or use the parent code from their account to link up to it. I keep all my grades in the online grade book for their daily assignments, so no need to get "missing work reports" anymore, you can look it up anytime you want. 

    Another goal is to use our technology in math. We have only started to attempt this, but what we have done has been very successful. The students are highly engaged and have used the technology to explain their mathematical thinking through pictures, numbers, and words. We have used the CPM online textbook, so if your child wants to use these tools at home while doing their homework, they can! I highly encourage this in fact!

  

        

   In this example students showed how Tate and Erick were both correct when Tate called this decimal two tenths and three hundredths, and Erick called it twenty-three hundredths. Students could visually show this, as well as add text to further explain their math thinking.

      

    Recently we have been working on finding ways to change triangles, trapezoids, and parallelograms into rectangles and squares, in order to more easily use the methods we already know to find the area. With this fun activity the kids were able to manipulate the shapes in order to rearrange them. They loved this and got the hang of rearranging shapes to find area quickly! 

   We have been using the iPads a lot- but I won't overwhelm you now. A good dinner conversation starter would be to ask your child how they used the iPad. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments below or e-mail me if you have any personal questions about what we are doing. 

Olympic Learning

   These past few weeks we have been relieving some of the OAKS testing stress by learning about the Winter Olympics. So far our study has taught us about the Olympic torch relay, different countries involved in the Olympics, the Olympics values, and the athletes and sports that are a part of the games. The kids have jumped right in and have taken on the identity of different countries as we continue our study. Here are some pictures of the amazing country flags the kids drew, and our "medal count" for good behavior.

                             

                             

                             

                              

                               

                                   

 

                            

 

                                           

   In addition to our country study, we have also learned about the Olympic values. Today we did a silent "chalk talk" where the students moved from value to value and added their own ideas about what each value meant to them or the Olympics without talking. The kids came up with some great ideas and truly understand what it means live by these Olympic values. 

                       

                       

                         

                        

                        

 

                        

                      

                      

   We will continue to strive to uphold these values in our own lives and our classroom. Go for the Gold! 

                      

   Nothing like a good old fire drill on our first day back in the snow and rain... our classes had excellent behavior and were very patient as we waited for the fire department to show up after a water main burst in Cornelius this afternoon. Way to go Sixth Grade City. 

Writing Sparks

      Writing sparks are an important part of our weekly homework routine. Each week students bring home a writing prompt and are expected to write a rough draft, edit it, and then write or type a final draft. (These are due every Monday) Students in Mrs. Dessert's class have been turning these in in class, and also submitting them online through Edmodo. Both are totally acceptable- but please do the assignment and turn it in. There has been a decrease in the amount of homework being turned in, and what better way to start the new quarter than with an increased emphasis on homework?! So parents, please help your children with their writing to encourage these excellent writers!

    Not sure what a quality writing sparks looks like? Here are a few examples from past weeks you can check out. Requirements: Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, 300+ words

     Things that make our school a good school is the teaching . The teachers know how to teach really good , I think their really good role models to the students. For example Mrs. Dessert is always so excited and a hard working teacher and gives us the motivation to do better . Also my peers are really safe , respectful , and responsible . Not just that the teachers have taught us a lot to do what's right and that had helped us a lot .

    Another thing that makes our school a good school is the programs they do with parents and students . For example when they do after school programs like blast and P.T.O meetings , for parents who want to volunteer to help our school with fun projects or ideas . It also helps us a lot because they give you homework time to do your homework , for after school programs .

    Last but not least , what makes my school a good school is the physical active time . In my school they give us 40 minutes every Thursday and any other Friday . Well I think it's good because it keeps your brain active and keeps you healthy . It is a little before we enter class , and it wakes me up and full of energy . Doing P.E helps you a lot by running , throwing , playing and doing exercises that keep you away from diseases .

    love my school , it might not be one of the biggest or richest schools , but it had a lot of fun and intertwining things other schools might not have , Free orchards Elementary school had a lot of discipline , and safe , respectful , and responsible .
               By: Citlali


     One thing that makes my school a good school are the teachers. All the teachers are caring and helpful. When someone is not understanding something, the teachers help them until they do understand. The teachers are really nice because when the class does something good or works hard, sometimes they give us celebrations. They even let us use technology to help us learn.

     Another thing that makes my school a good school are the students. Every day, I see kids walking through the halls. They are always walking and not running and they are always silent. When the kids are presented at student-of-the month, I see and hear about so many wonderful kids. Most kids in the school get either a nearly meets or a meets on their tests.

     Also, one thing that makes my school a good school is the band program that is after school. Band can make kids get better grades and the students who are in band are most likely to go into college. Band students have fun playing their instruments, even if it means staying at school an extra hour. Kids all have fun finding new ways to make new sounds on their instruments. Every student in band would be devastated if the school canceled band.

    Now you have heard of my thoughts about what makes my school a good school. You have heard about how I think the teachers and band are the most effective of how my school is a good school. Students are also a big part of it, too. What do you think makes my school a good school? Is it the programs? The play ground? Or is it simply just the people around you? I think you have a pretty good idea though. That is what I think makes my school a good school.
               By: Jacqi

          What things make my school a good school? Well my school is awesome and many things make it that way, in this paper I will tell you 2 things that make it that way. The first one is the teachers are very nice, and the second one is that my school is very open.

          First, the teachers are nice. I have been in this school since 1^st grade and I have never had a bad teacher.  For 1^st grade I started out with a BANG! I had Ms. Hill and she was the nicest teacher ever and I still help in her class today.  In 2^nd grade I had Mrs. Scott and I learned so much in her class and always had fun.  In 3^rd grade I had Mrs. Dessert; she was awesome, always happy to see us and kept us learning new things each day.  For 4^th grade I had Harrington and Mrs. Kinsman, they where amazing, they wrote grants for our class to travel on many field trips. Then for 5^th grade I had Mrs. Anderson and I definitely miss her right now she is on maternity leave.  I really enjoyed how she always made our math program fun. This wonderful 6^th grade year I have Mrs. Dessert. Yes, I am lucky to have the same teacher as I did in 3^rd grade, it helps that she works super hard to bring her class the latest technology and she is helping us learn how to use it for educational things, not just games. All the teachers here make me feel at home.  I really love my school!

           I think that my school is very open. I think this because when we have a new student all of the teachers wave to them and help them through their first day. The students help them too, if they need to know where to go or how to do something. Also the teachers and the students are always open to help one another. I stay in for resses a lot to help my teacher or my prior teachers to do anything that they need. Like correcting papers or sorting papers. The teachers are always thankful that we give up our time to help them even if it does not help us. I do this because I am very close with my prior teachers.  

         This is just two things that I like about my school, I could go on and on with more things.   I will always have good memories of Free Orchards Elementary.

                        By: Madi