1st Quarter News

Here’s what’s happening in TAG land:
• K – 3 Bi-weekly identification lessons
• 4th Grade Pull-out: How we share our planet
Projects: Create-A-Country
Field Trips:
• Oct. 21 to Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, IA, all day
• Oct. 28 to Jefferson County Park: Sharing our planet with flying animals, afternoon only
Read aloud: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
• 5th Grade Pull-out: Change
Projects: Inventing Rube Goldberg Contraptions, Saving the Prairie, Egg Drop Contraptions
Field trip: Oct. 15 to Round Prairie Park, all day
Read aloud: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

School is in Session!

5th grade Challenge students complete problem-solving activities this quarter: inventing, saving the prairie, and egg-drop contraptions. So far, students designed and built a simplified Rube Goldberg contraption that required brainstorming, collaboration, and a healthy dose of humor.

Free collage personalized with Smilebox

Here's another way to display pictures using Photopeach. Love the expressions!
The Egg That Didn't Crack on PhotoPeach

Student Blogs

This year I hope to discover the value of classroom blogging, first as a collaboration tool, but also as a tool for giving voice to what and how students are learning. Once again, a reminder: Collaboration is a 21st century essential skill!

The first blog post will be The Best Thing About My Summer. Check back soon, because I hope to link former student blogs, also. Happy thinking and writing to you all!

Tricia Slechta"s Blog
Tricia is not a student but rather a fellow collaborator and mentor. I used her blog to see if this would be a good way to link student blogs.

Master Learners

Random thoughts to begin my blog:

I've learned the best description of a 21st century teacher is master learner! Right now I'm taking a Web 2.0 class being taught by master learners in our district! I've learned to use web 2.0 tools to deliver curriculum more effectively. Students will collaborate using VoiceThread and publish slideshows using PhotoPeach. Be sure to look at my field trip slideshow at the very bottom of my blog! Soon I will learn how to include the slideshow in my blog post.

Mussel Expedition on PhotoPeach



Wordle inspires all learners. Look at this word cloud that describes the way our state used to be when it was a prairie. We can use this picture to begin a discussion about restoring our endangered prairies.



So, I will write a weekly post about learning. David Jakes says it only takes 15 minutes a day to learn something new. I can always share something I just learned with you and look forward to your comments.