Planning for the New School Year

I'm shifting my focus from the bigger world of educational ideas and policy to the classroom.  How will I use my new learning from summer study in next year's class?


Relatedness/Community
Utilizing the strategies of Open Circle, Teaching Children to Care, Patterns of Thought/Learning, and Google Action Table I will foster classroom learning community.


Home Study
Homework will mainly be completed online. I will provide extra time in school for students without Internet access. Homework will include the following:

• Keyboarding practice utilizing an online program.


• Blogging: Writing exercises led by blog(s).  Students will write in the comment section.  This will enable students to practice specific writing skills, read (and possibly model) each others' work, share their independent reading thoughts/understanding and develop a sense of audience.  I will use another blog to foster mathematical thinking and problem solving.


• Computation practice utilizing "That Quiz" and other quick feedback online sites.


• Social Network Participation:  Children will use the social network to respond to general blog topics, post blog questions/topics, share images and project work, and watch videos related to classroom learning.


• It's Learning:  As we move towards our project work, we'll begin to employ our school system's online management system, It's Learning to post work, reflections and comments.

Daily Classwork

Our classwork each week will focus on the following topics.  Technology will be integrated regularly within each topic area.  RTI efforts will impact our schedule in an effort to meet the needs of all students.

• Reading Workshop (includes Lexia, independent reading, book groups, conferences)


• Interactive Read Aloud


• Writing Workshop


• Math Workshop


• Computation Skill/Fluency


• Social Studies/Science Rotations (twice a week).

Classroom Organization

There will be signs for all areas of the classroom to accommodate students, particularly our ELL students.

• Project cubbies/mail boxes


• Learning Materials Area


• Classroom Library


• Nonfiction


• Picture Books/Quick Reads


• Chapter Books

Now that the outline for next year's learning has been drafted, it's time to plan and organize for specific projects, activities and goals.

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