Canvas in an Elementary Classroom

Are you missing Google Classroom!  Book ME!  I can show you how to use Canvas Announcements and your HOME PAGE just like Google Classroom.  

(If you like the template I used for my home page, you can grab it in the Commons on Canvas under Park View Template!)

You can also connect Canvas with Google!  
Watch this video all about how you can embed and link Google documents right into Canvas!  SO EASY!

I just found out that you can integrate FlipGrid with Canvas so that your students can use the site as an accountability piece! Below you will find a pdf document and video that will walk you through the steps! 

More about Canvas in the Elementary classroom!

Check Canvas out in a 

First Grade classroom! 

Read more about how this first-grade teacher is running her workshop models through Canvas! 

There is so much that Canvas can do!  Every time I head into Canvas,  I find more ways that it can be used in an elementary setting.  

Let's share some ways we are using Canvas at PVES!

Discover Words Differentiation

This week on the blog: Discover Words (Word Work) differentiation!

As we dive into our Letterland units this month, I challenge you to take a close look at your Discover Words/Word Work centers in your workshop rotations.  Students need to be working on words that are at their level and words that challenge them.  

Your large group Letterland mini-lesson should cover grade-level material for ALL students.  When they head into centers, students need to be working on more focused skills and phonetic patterns.  

How do we do this?  A quick phonics assessment that's how!  This assessment and MANY other resources can be found on our district site! 

Click your grade level and then click Phonics Assessment to download a copy. 

The assessment is simple to give!  Open ESGI (K-1) and click the phonics tab or click through to the provided slide shows.  
Below are the directions to administer the assessment. 

• Start with Section 1: Onset and Rime and have students read the words. If students read the section at 80% accuracy (20+ words read correctly), then move to the spelling task of the section. Call out the words from the section and have the students write them. If at 60% or higher (15+ words spelled correctly), continue, to the next section. If not at 60%, stop the assessment and that is where students need to have practice/instruction. 
• For Section 2: Blends, administer the assessment as you did in Section 1. If students read the section at 80% accuracy (4+ words read correctly), then move to the spelling task of the section. Call out the words from the section and have the students write them. If at 60% or higher (3+ words spelled correctly), continue, to the next section. 
• Continue with the assessment as in Steps 2 & 3.

*Once you have determined their phonetic levels, head into your Letterland resources and choose word lists that follow the phonics level for your students.  

Check out the site below from our PreK-6 site!  It is filled with differentiation ideas and links to support you as you plan your centers. Just click the image below!

I love this idea from Mrs. Decarpo about allowing students to choose some of their words to work on.  Students create their weekly lists to take into Discover Words.  Hands-on activities are provided within the word study/discover words center for the students to choose from.  

Fact Fluency

This week on the blog, we will be discussing fact fluency!  There has been much debate about best practices for teaching and supporting fact fluency.  

What is Fact Fluency?
Fact fluency is the ability to recall basic facts in all four operations quickly with accuracy and efficiency.

• Accuracy-the correct answer.
• Efficiency-a reasonable amount of steps in about 3-5 seconds without resorting to counting.  
• Flexibility-using strategies such as the commutative property. 

Students who are counting manipulatives or fingers to solve 4 + 3 are usually very ACCURATE, but not EFFICIENT or FLEXIBLE. 
Kids who have memorized their facts are ACCURATE and EFFICIENT, but not FLEXIBLE.

How do we support this in the classroom?

Fact fluency should be built on understanding, not just rote memorization. Below are the four number relationships students should develop with numbers 1-20:
1. Spacial Relationships-Recognizing how many without counting. By seeing a visual pattern.  

2. One/2 More or Less-Knowing which numbers are one or two more or less than a given number. (Not counting on or counting back.)
3. Benchmarks of 5 or 10-Since 10 plays such an important role in our number system, (and 2 5s make a 10) students must know how numbers relate to 5 and 10.
4. Part-Part-Whole-Understanding that part of a number can be broken up into two or more pieces. 

Some ideas to reinforce fact fluency would be visual models such as Rekenreks!  

Check out this interactive rekenrek below!

• Students can make and draw arrays or make equal groups with manipulatives to represent fact fluency
• Unifix cubes and number bonds are guided math activity!

Happy Planning!

VR Headsets

As we start this school year,  I don't want to wait on getting our VR Headsets up and running!  As you are planning your lessons for next week, book a time with myself or Mrs. Harkey to check out the headsets for your students.  We have tons of adventures that will help you develop your students' schema!  

Remember schema plays a HUGE role in making inferences, an up and coming standard. 
Check out this video all about inferences!

Our Park View PTO was able to purchase 2 class sets of VR heads sets.  They are located in our media center and are ready to be checked out!  
*We would LOVE to share photos of our VR headsets in use with our generous families!

Here is a quick refresher!

What is Virtual Reality? 

Top 10 Reasons to Use VR in the classroom!

What is Google Expeditions?

Check out this LIST of Google Expeditions created by MGSD!  When planning your expedition think carefully about your science and social studies standards.   

Use Command F to search for a specific topic. Scroll through the green highlighted expeditions and choose one that will fit your needs.  

How do you check out VR for your class? 

• Simple head to our Park View Prime and scroll to slide 48.  There you can check out a class set or a small group set of 10.  

• Be sure to book a time with your IC if you need support.

• Head to the library and make sure that the tablets and VR headsets are charged the NIGHT before!  It is SIMPLE!  Just plug them in. 

 (Mrs. Schroeder or Mrs. Harkey can help you with this!)   

VR is a perfect opportunity to bring learning to life!