We started off these two weeks with more preparation for Genius Hour. We practiced our creativity, learned about another teacher example - geocaching, and reflected on the skills we already have.
As for writing, we revised our narrative pieces after receiving feedback from Mrs. Kirr (and Mrs. Rehberger in 6/8). Revising is one thing 7th graders really don't care for. "I'm done. Why should I keep doing it?" However, it is the one thing that writers do the most. So... if your child has a "1" for "Beginner" on any part of the rubrics, please encourage him or her to revise, as we will as well. It's all about the learning, and that's why we keep practicing and tweaking. After the Cardboard Challenge, we wrote to explain why we should keep the Cardboard Challenge or why we should not. Students had to find proof either way, and they were able to use proof from their own experience last Thursday. Even I felt the need to write about the experience and reflect once again on my blog. Thank you to all the staff and parents who attended!!
We had book talks last week Tuesday in the LMC - we were able to hear the librarians from AHML! These book talks can be found here. Students also have been giving a bunch of book talks - see them here!
We've had a "comprehension check," to see where we are in regards to understanding reading (while annotating the entire passage as well), and we worked on revising them in class, asking students to find the proof in the text for their answers. We wrote paper blog posts about our passions, and learned how to comment on blog posts. We practiced with blog posts from 3rd graders, and then commented on each other's posts in class. We also had a lively fishbowl discussion on a made-up scenario about a basketball team.
Next Month: Engage Tech Conference for parents on November 7th!
As for writing, we revised our narrative pieces after receiving feedback from Mrs. Kirr (and Mrs. Rehberger in 6/8). Revising is one thing 7th graders really don't care for. "I'm done. Why should I keep doing it?" However, it is the one thing that writers do the most. So... if your child has a "1" for "Beginner" on any part of the rubrics, please encourage him or her to revise, as we will as well. It's all about the learning, and that's why we keep practicing and tweaking. After the Cardboard Challenge, we wrote to explain why we should keep the Cardboard Challenge or why we should not. Students had to find proof either way, and they were able to use proof from their own experience last Thursday. Even I felt the need to write about the experience and reflect once again on my blog. Thank you to all the staff and parents who attended!!
We had book talks last week Tuesday in the LMC - we were able to hear the librarians from AHML! These book talks can be found here. Students also have been giving a bunch of book talks - see them here!
We've had a "comprehension check," to see where we are in regards to understanding reading (while annotating the entire passage as well), and we worked on revising them in class, asking students to find the proof in the text for their answers. We wrote paper blog posts about our passions, and learned how to comment on blog posts. We practiced with blog posts from 3rd graders, and then commented on each other's posts in class. We also had a lively fishbowl discussion on a made-up scenario about a basketball team.
Next Month: Engage Tech Conference for parents on November 7th!