Tuesday, January 31

Hello!

We are starting our new project today - Tuesday. This one is over rocks/minerals. The students are working in their groups for the project and using the class wiki page to post their information. There is some confusion over the link for putting images on their pages, but I showed them how to do it a couple of other ways. The people at wikispaces have worked on the wikis and it looks a little different than it did last time we were on there. I had to play around with it before I found out what works with the images.

We will be in the computer lab tomorrow and Thursday, so that the students can get a good start on their research. They can look at home, too. It will be okay, however, I do want them to do most of it in the classroom, so they are not just sitting in here with nothing to do.

I still need to put the grades in the computer for their Photo story projects. It just takes time to go through all of them, since I am grading each students' part of the project. This next project will be graded the same way. I have told the students that I will need a copy of who is responsible for which part of the project. They are using today, after the video, to decide those parts. They will be ready to go tomorrow, when we go to the lab.

Well, this gets us caught up on what we are doing for the next couple of weeks. There will be an oral presentation at the end of this project, so the students can go over what they have found with the rest of the class. Have a great rest of your day. Email me, if you have any questions.

Monday, January 23

Hello to all!!

It has been several weeks, since I have been on here and what a wild several weeks it has been!!!! The students have been working on their photo story over the biome their group was assigned. It took some time to get the research completed and then more time to get their information recorded to the pictures they found. Some decided that they did not like the sound of their voices, and elected to be in front of the class to present orally. I gave them a checklist to make sure that they had ever part of the story in their's. There was one part about the biome that they were supposed to put first in the story and then the rest could go in whatever order they chose. Once the stories were completed, I put them on my flash drive and showed them to the class. I wanted the groups to email me their stories, but the program wouldn't let them. The computers were not set up for it. This worked out okay, though. Once we finish everything with these stories and this topic, we are going to review cells for a couple of days because their 2nd quarterly assessment did not turn out very well. After that, we are going to start on rocks and minerals. We have a wiki project set up for that. I am sorry that I have not been on here sooner, but it has been very hectic here and we have been busy learning a new program and learning about organisms. My goal is to be back on here once a week. So, I am going to be positive and optimistic and say I will talk to you next week! :-)

Friday, December 2

Hey!!! It is me again!!

We are changing our plans for next week. I am going to review with the kids on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This will make our test on Thursday. The kids will have plenty of time to practice this way. I am hoping it will help them. I, also, changed the vocabulary quiz, too. I have deleted the quiz from this Wednesday and it will be included in on the test next Thursday. I have given the students the directions for what they need to be successful. They have the list of terms, too. I have the directions and words posted on the boards in my room. These words are so important and I am hoping this extra time and practice will help them. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at tphipps@minfordfalcons.net.

Thursday, December 1

Hello to all!!

After we started working on our activity for today, that we labeled LAB #4, I have decided that our test over genetics will be next Wednesday. We will finish our activity from today on Monday and then I have a review sheet that I want to do with them the rest of Monday and Tuesday. This sheet will be like what the test is going to be like. If something happens and we cannot through the review by the end of Tuesday, then we will move our test to Thursday. I want to make sure that we go over that review sheet very well, since the test will be modeled like it. Tomorrow is Friday and it will be our vocabulary day. Some of the students will be performing their songs for us. The others have already done so. I have to say that the songs have been very good, so far. I am looking forward to hearing the rest of them. Have a good weekend and I will be on here again next week!

Wednesday, November 30

Hello!

We had a pop quiz today over six of the vocabulary terms I gave them two weeks ago. I have been telling them since then that they need to know these terms very well and be able to use them in conversation. When we started class yesterday, and they still had trouble with them, even after I had been working with them with the kids, I decided they needed to realize that I was not joking around. They really do need to be able to use these words as they discuss genetics.

I am working on trying to start digital storyboards with the kids, if I can find the right programs for them to use. It would be such a great experience for them to get to use another computer tool. We will try to start it next week. Lucky for us, they have to do drawing and writing at first and then go to the computer. I will have a little more time to find the right program.

When we have our test over genetics, it will be part on paper and part on the Smart board. I can see them in action on the board. It is very cool! The kids love it, too! It may be Monday or Tuesday of next week. It just depends on how long it takes us to get all the review completed. Well, have a great weekend and I will talk to you again next week. Don't forget that we do our vocabulary on Friday's. The songs we have been working on are turning out so good!!!

Thursday, November 17

Hello, All!!!

Sorry I have not been on here before now, but I have been out sick the past two days. I wish I could kick whatever has gotten a hold of me, but it has me good. This week we started the reproductive system and heredity. We are looking at the reproductive system as it relates to heredity and not a sex education class. This is what I have told my classes. They still giggle at some of the terms, but at least they know what we are going to study. Monday, we started on the terms we will be using, but didn't get to finish them. I had the sub show them videos on genes and heredity Tuesday and Wednesday. We are going to try and finish up the terms today, but some classes may not. If that happens, then we will finish them on Monday, November 21st. Remember that Friday's are our vocabulary day, so tomorrow they will be working on their vocabulary. This time around they are writing a song to sing using their words. I have to say that it has been very interesting to hear some of the tunes and lyrics they have come up with! They can be very creative, when they want to be.

Now, next week will be a short one because of Thanksgiving break. We will only be here Monday and Tuesday. We will finish up any of the vocabulary that was started this week on Monday, if we have to, and then I have some heredity activities for them. On Tuesday, we will do some more heredity activities. There is a Punnett square activity that is really fun. It shows all the possible combinations for offspring based on the parents genotype. You will have to ask your child what genotype means. It is one of our vocabulary words. :-) I do NOT send home any work over the break. I don't give homework anyway, but just to make sure you know that there will not be work during our break. Oh, the body systems project turned out very well for our first computer tool project. I am really looking forward to the next one and what the kids can do!!! I need to get the grades in the computer, though, so bear with me. I am playing catch up from being out those days. Well, have a great Thanksgiving and I will talk to you again after the break.

Monday, November 7

Hello! I am trying to get a post in early this week. It is going to be a short week this because of veteran's day on Friday. There is no school. We will not be doing any vocabulary this week, since we will not be here on Friday. The kids are working on their body system projects today and tomorrow and, hopefully, will be completed tomorrow. I would love to start presentations on Wednesday. It should only take Wednesday and Thursday to complete the presentations. I hope you get the time to have your child show you their class wiki. The pages are really exciting. Next Tuesday, November 16, we will be having a 2-hour delay for a teacher in-service. Have a great week and I will talk to you next week!