Conversations #83 - November 14, 2010

Post-Show description: 

How do we deal with atypical students? Do we even have typical students?


 11:27:59  Sheila -> : Welcome all to the "Conversations" show!
 11:27:59  MariaK -> : Glad everyone can make it for Conversations - Lisa, Maria and Sheila will be on air momentarily!
 11:28:13  MariaK -> : having our own "conversation"
 11:28:25  Sheila -> : Changing colors
 11:28:46  Sheila -> : changing again
 11:28:58  MariaK -> : make up your mind!
 11:32:01  Sheila -> : Morning Maureen!
 11:32:11  Maureen -> : Hi Sheila
 11:32:32  Maureen -> : Taking a break from writing a million grades and comments
 11:32:51  Maureen -> : really only 130+ half pages
 11:33:12  Sheila -> : That's a lot!
 11:33:25  Maureen -> : I teach 6 grades... it adds up
 11:33:59  Sheila -> : Ustream is on. Can you hear ok?
 11:34:04  Maureen -> : That's not new Maria- i always enjoy silly
 11:34:09  Maureen -> : Yes ustream is up
 11:34:17  Sheila -> : THanks Maureen!
 11:34:18  minhaaj -> : yep Sheila
 11:34:32  Sheila -> : :) Minhaaj!
 11:34:32  creyes5361 -> : I do not hear anything
 11:34:35  Maureen -> : @sheila- the little screen is black, but audio is clear
 11:34:47  Maureen -> : Hi Karen
 11:34:56  minhaaj -> : its supposed to be black unless they are streaming video too
 11:35:12  Maureen -> : now the ustream is up and showing the chat
 11:35:32  Lisa Parisi -> : Press play button on ustream to get audio
 11:36:13  Maureen -> : Good morning Peggy
 11:36:19  PeggyG -> : Hi everyone!
 11:36:24  Lisa Parisi -> : Good morning everyone.
 11:36:50  PeggyG -> : I feel like I was in Florida for the launch thanks to you Sheila!!!!
 11:36:53  McTeach (Karen) -> : Hi Maureen
 11:36:57  Maureen -> : I spent my "hoilday" grading. Feel deprived- beautiful weather and I'm stuck inside writing comments
 11:37:01  McTeach (Karen) -> : Good morning everyone!
 11:37:17  PeggyG -> : so sorry Maureen!!
 11:37:18  Cheryl W -> : Good Morning everyone!
 11:37:28  PeggyG -> : Hi McTeach! and you were grading too, right???
 11:37:31  Sheila -> : I agree Maureen!
 11:37:42  Sheila -> : Welcome everyone!
 11:38:01  McTeach (Karen) -> : Peggy...um, well...
 11:38:05  Maureen -> : I hadn't planned on going anywhere today- was in pjs writing comments. Then the painter showed up to do the trim. WOuld have been nice to know he was coming. Felt silly in pjs
 11:38:22  PeggyG -> : no worries Maureen!! :-)
 11:38:44  PeggyG -> : that sounds like a plan Lisa!! finishing up projects this week!!
 11:39:07  PeggyG -> : I saw that! hub for teachers
 11:39:18  Maureen -> : I've finished up most- since grades closed on Friday for our term. Planning on playing in scratch in many of the classes til TG
 11:40:22  Lisa Parisi -> : http://hubforteachers.discoveryeducation.com/
 11:40:32  PeggyG -> : is it sponsored by Discovery Ed?
 11:41:34  PeggyG -> : http://hubforteachers.com/storytelling-in-classroom/index.cfm  another great link on the site for "storytelling in the classroom"
 11:42:13  McTeach (Karen) -> : Taking the kids into the woods??? That sounds so wrong.
 11:42:19  PeggyG -> : what an awesome student teacher!!!!
 11:43:47  creyes5361 -> : I can hear everyone
 11:43:48  MariaK -> : http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blog_id=1236527&mode=comment&user_i...
 11:43:50  Lisa Parisi -> : LOL Karen
 11:44:05  Lisa Parisi -> : Hooray, Creyes
 11:44:08  PeggyG -> : what fun!!!!
 11:44:15  Maureen -> : Animoto was quick for me this fall, altho in the past they took forever. I made accts for al the kids- since they have to put ages. Parents gave permission, but still have put a +13 birthday on signups. Better me than them.
 11:44:18  McTeach (Karen) -> : Ah...gotcha!
 11:44:29  creyes5361 -> : Hooray for everyone
 11:44:30  PeggyG -> : coming from someone who took her middle schoolers camping for an entire week!!
 11:44:41  McTeach (Karen) -> : We don't have woods nearby...just 7/11. :)
 11:44:46  PeggyG -> : :-)
 11:44:51  creyes5361 -> : I hear the voices and see on the screen the users.
 11:45:23  creyes5361 -> : Where are the woods Karen?
 11:45:45  PeggyG -> : sounds like you're hearing and seeing everything creyes :-)
 11:45:47  McTeach (Karen) -> : @creyes No woods around here.
 11:46:32  PeggyG -> : they are learning something...it just may not be what the teacher is teaching...
 11:46:56  creyes5361 -> : Where is the visual in the chat live? Just audio?
 11:47:03  Lisa Parisi -> : No visual
 11:47:08  PeggyG -> : click on play on the ustream
 11:47:15  PeggyG -> : that is all the visual there is...
 11:47:19  McTeach (Karen) -> : Maria has a mute button???
 11:47:19  Cheryl W -> : Full Inclusion is bringing these students back into the Reg ed classroom!
 11:47:58  PeggyG -> : yes :-)
 11:48:09  Cheryl W -> : These students have been in center schools and self-contained classrooms!
 11:48:34  MariaK -> : @mcteach - no mute button here - just on skype!!!
 11:48:41  PeggyG -> : Animal Farm revisited! we all have talents
 11:49:29  MariaK -> : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MctafuXLho&feature=related
 11:51:10  Maureen -> : I have a class that is very divided- the A I give to one group is not the same as the A in the other group.. it can't be. One group would have all Cs and Ds
 11:51:39  Cheryl W -> : Grades = expectations
 11:52:21  PeggyG -> : Have you seen this video? "Even Eagles Need a Push" http://www.eaglesneedapush.com/?cm_mmc=CheetahMail-_-FR-_-10.29.10-_-EEN...
 11:53:29  PeggyG -> : http://www.janebluestein.com/handouts/animal.html  Great resources for the Animal School: A Fable
 11:53:45  McTeach (Karen) -> : Yes! I hate when they compare themselves to their classmates!
 11:54:11  PeggyG -> : Remember the old, old book by Syd Simon--Whatjaget? :-)
 11:54:21  PeggyG -> : all about grading and comparing grades :-)
 11:54:24  Cheryl W -> : We need to grade individually not as a group
 11:54:49  Maureen -> : I have kids who think they are stupid if they get a C with a 1 in effort. It's hard to find a balance between constuctive feedback and self-esteem, even when each teacher at my school is required to write half page comments.
 11:55:11  PeggyG -> : what a great idea to create a rap with the kids comments!! Love it!
 11:55:58  PeggyG -> : you know your answer Lisa :-)
 11:56:13  PeggyG -> : choice and what he's interested in :-)
 11:56:42  PeggyG -> : yes you're back Sheila
 11:56:46  Lisa Parisi -> : When do I have time to do that Peggy
 11:57:01  Lisa Parisi -> : I have more and more content each year
 11:57:02  Maureen -> : I had my 9th graders self-assess their work- using the goals they wrote for their project in Spetember. Most I agreed with, a couple I didn't and had conversations with.
 11:57:09  PeggyG -> : just saying...
 11:57:26  PeggyG -> : you answered your own question
 11:58:26  PeggyG -> : great point Sheila--I think it's the relationship and connection with the teacher :-)
 11:58:37  PeggyG -> : she feels valued
 11:59:26  Maureen -> : Is he just not on task in school or at home or other places at well?
 11:59:45  Sheila -> : I feel valued when others do that for me, too! Feel more engaged.
 12:00:27  PeggyG -> : my grandson is like that but he doesn't have any teachers who are trying to engage him or draw him out--just punish with grades for work that never gets turned in
 12:01:37  Maureen -> : So, can you let them do what they want to do? This is what I did with my older kids this year- 9th grade. They chose what they wanted, wrote what success was going to look like for them. Maybe it's because I don't have to teach a specific content- but it's working for me
 12:03:03  PeggyG -> : makes so much sense Maureen!!
 12:03:36  PeggyG -> : funny!
 12:05:19  PeggyG -> : you're kidding Sheila?! never done that before? required in every classroom in AZ! must be posted and reviewed
 12:05:31  Lisa Parisi -> : But, Maureen, what if you do need to teach content?
 12:06:14  Maureen -> : I don't know... but feel like Maria was on the right track- getting buy in to the content
 12:06:34  Lisa Parisi -> : I feel he buys in more when we work with kids outside of the class.
 12:06:54  PeggyG -> : very empowering activity Sheila!!!
 12:06:57  Lisa Parisi -> : He has more incentive to do his part when strangers are depending on him.
 12:07:39  Cheryl W -> : Maybe if he ties in, the content to things outside the class for him.
 12:10:12  PeggyG -> : I think he feels like he has a choice when it's outside of the classroom
 12:10:18  Sheila -> : @PeggyG - I have never cut and pasted exact working from state standards. Have always used my wording on rubrics, etc. Also, have never shared it's coming from the state.
 12:10:27  Sheila -> : *wording
 12:11:01  PeggyG -> : I've seen some great "kid" versions of the AZ standards that teachers have asked them to put in their own words. Such a great way to understand them!
 12:13:18  Cheryl W -> : Can you give this other student smaller steps to accomplish - leading to the larger!
 12:14:03  PeggyG -> : http://www.travisusd.k12.ca.us/center/parents_corner/standards/kidfriend... This is a nice example of kid-friendly standards from CA
 12:14:24  Sheila -> : Thanks Peggy!
 12:16:03  Sheila -> : On electronic work, we have the students put the standards addressed for technology in a footer of their paper. For them and to let parents know we are teaching tech skills too.
 12:16:32  PeggyG -> : great idea Sheila!
 12:16:39  PeggyG -> : making it cognitive :-)
 12:17:33  Sheila -> : Could do that with science standards.
 12:17:47  PeggyG -> : definitely!
 12:19:53  Cheryl W -> : Yes but first we must make them buy in to the process!
 12:20:44  Maureen -> : Missed the last 15 minutes- phone call... what did I miss?
 12:22:32  PeggyG -> :  this is a nice PDF of kid-friendly science standards for gr K-5: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1a2gD0...
 12:22:55  PeggyG -> : reminds me of the homework bingo cards that allow choices on homework assignments
 12:24:09  Maureen -> : But allowing choices, and then a student chooses not to choose- that's a choice they make.
 12:24:18  McTeach (Karen) -> : Peggy...love the kid-friendly science standards! Thanks for sharing that...would love to set something up like that for myself!
 12:24:27  PeggyG -> : http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/homeworktips/homeworktips036.shtml
 12:24:32  Lisa Parisi -> : How can that be an acceptable choice, Maureen?
 12:24:42  PeggyG -> : great ideas for help with homework hassles including homework bingo
 12:25:17  Maureen -> : I didn't say it was acceptable, but it happens in my class at times. I generally have a conversation with the parents when it does
 12:25:38  Lisa Parisi -> : Maybe the choice has to be you must choose one of these.
 12:25:54  PeggyG -> : I really think involving the kids in rewriting the standards to make them kid-friendly is such a good idea!
 12:26:59  Maureen -> : phone again... next week......................
 12:27:06  PeggyG -> : very interesting point Maria--inconsistency can be their consistency :-)
 12:27:17  MariaK -> : @peggyg - we call that work - unwrapping the GLE's - grade level expectations
 12:27:20  Cheryl W -> : choices have consequences some good some bad and as long as they are aware & understand the consequences give them the choice
 12:27:46  PeggyG -> : perfect label Maria :-)
 12:28:36  PeggyG -> : kids can illustrate the standards with pictures of what those standards would look like
 12:29:37  PeggyG -> : sounds like you're describing kids with asperger's syndrome Maria--can be very bright but disconnected
 12:30:37  MariaK -> : no - not asperger's - I have 2 students with that and one with autism - these are students who are functioning at a very low level, in academics
 12:31:53  Cheryl W -> : finding out what they are interested in outside of school and then bring it into the classroom and relate it to their content
 12:33:01  PeggyG -> : your learning goals for those 2 students will be different than those for the rest of the class--they aren't functioning at KDG level and need modifications (like you do all the time)!!
 12:33:49  PeggyG -> : it's a very different question when you think "can they do it" or are you choosing not to do it
 12:34:07  Cheryl W -> : In "K" the questions asked of those studens needs to be on their level allow them to point to the answer or choose the picture that answers the question.
 12:34:39  PeggyG -> : that's the key!! you have to treat them differently when they are doing the best they can!
 12:34:43  Lisa Parisi -> : http://www.globaleducationconference.com/index.html
 12:34:56  PeggyG -> : the Global Education Conference is going to be fabulous!!! over 50 keynote speakers!!
 12:35:07  PeggyG -> : everything will be recorded too
 12:35:39  PeggyG -> : there are so many sessions that I don't think you'll need to worry about getting into the rooms--4 sessions at a time many parts of the day/night
 12:36:06  PeggyG -> : great conversation today! thanks Lisa, Sheila and Maria!
 12:36:07  Lisa Parisi -> : http://www.brainpop.com/educators/blog/2010/11/webinar-alert-planning-a-...
 12:36:18  Cheryl W -> : thanks everyone!
 12:36:24  Lisa Parisi -> : http://ettconversations.blogspot.com/
 12:36:44  PeggyG -> : can we view that brainpop if we're not members Lisa?
 12:37:16  PeggyG -> : intriguing question Maria!!!
 12:37:21  Lisa Parisi -> : Bye
 12:37:27  PeggyG -> : bye all
 12:37:31  McTeach (Karen) -> : Bye ladies
 12:40:15  Sheila -> : Bye all!