Are all SHEETS Worksheets?

Welcome to the blog!  This week I wanted to share a total eyeopener!!!!  I LOVE the blog Cult of Pedagogy by Jennifer Gonzalez.  She even has her posts as a podcasts so you can listen and drive!

I stumbled across this post last Friday and it totally had me looking back at activities I used in the classroom. While the included video is tough to watch it did draw my attention to the post for sure.  

It really got me thinking about how not all worksheets are created equal and then I connected to our PD this year on BLOOMS.  We really focused on putting high quality activities in our classrooms.  Remember...more bang for our buck.  

My BIG take away from this blog was The Worksheet Continuum.  I wish I had this when I was in the classroom.  I loved a good packet for my mini lessons.  They helped guide students through the lesson and offered an accountability piece.  I still would have liked to dig through those packets with the continuum and figure out if I had any busy sheets in there.  

While digging for you all, I also came across this post too.  Lots to think about from The Measured Mom. 

I LOVE that she points out that not all sheets are equal and that there is definitely a place for "SHEETS" in the classroom.  I love some hands on learning but we do need that accountability piece. 

Power Sheets!  In thinking about these 2 posts, I feel like our curriculum guides and slideshows are filled with POWER Sheets!  Below I have listed some ways I know we are using POWER Sheets in our classrooms.  I see them every day!

In Reading & Writing: Students need to be able to record their thoughts and write about their reading.  Plus, graphic organizers are so powerful for comprehension and organizing a story.  They need to represent their vocabulary in frayer models so that they can dig deep and make connections to their text.  

In Math: Students need to be able to show their thinking when solving word problems with drawings and equations. Students need to watch flipped videos of decomposing numbers or fractions and then rework those using paper pencil. 

In Science: Students need to be able to record data and write their hypothesis on the outcome of an experiment.  Students need to draw complex diagrams and share them on Dojo with their parents.  

In Social Studies: Students need to create timelines and record historical events in graphic organizers. Students need to read historical texts and be able to answer high order thinking questions about what they have read using the graphic organizer they created. 

Remember, we are GROWING Learners!  Every garden needs to be weeded once in a while.  
I challenge you to WEED your classroom garden by examining your centers and packets.  Do you have any busy sheets in there?  What can you add to POWER up the learning?