Sunday, April 3, 2016

Under Construction!




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My apologies for being away for so long.

I have received over 5,000 page views and several emails.  I am so fortunate a blog that started as way to connect with other teachers has evolved into a business. What has kept me away? I will give you guys the short version, I made two major moves within five months of each other and on top of that the woman I love the most (my mommy) was diagnosed with cancer and I had to 100% take care of her. I am so grateful that I was able to be there and get her well. She is all better now and I am flourishing in my new career as a Science & Social Studies Specialist.

Please be patient with me as WNGS is undergoing a complete transformation.  My goal is to have my new site and products available to you all this July.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Getting Our Learners Familiar With PARCC Format!

I hope my fellow Louisiana Educators have been enjoying their Spring Break (I know I have). As far as my fellow educators globally I hope you are preparing to end the year with a BANG!!  I have been relaxing, excercising, and doing yoga.

WNGS has a new product!! If you are an educator in the United States it is with great hope that you enjoy this new product.  You can get it at WNGS store on TPT.

http://whynotgetsmart.blogspot.com/p/get-smart-products.html
PARCC Math Answer Grid-Two FormatsPARCC Math Answer Grid-Two FormatsPARCC Math Answer Grid-Two Formats



PARCC has been overwhelming in many aspects; unfamiliar content and unfamiliar format. Most of our attention has been/is focused on the content and not the format.  Learners not only received new content, but in a new format; their assessment booklet was also their answer document.  Yikes!!!  We not only need to get our learners familiar with the new content, we must also get them familiar with the new format. The new assessment requires learners provide answers in a variety of ways.  One method requires learners to enter their response in a grid by not only writing the number in the box, but coding the matching number under it. SMH! Sigh. May seem simple, but when you are dealing with elementary kids who depend on place value, Houston we have a problem.  Students want to enter their number that is in the ones place, in the ones place.    However, if they do that it would be inaccurate. You know how annoying it is to teach a child….you know, I’m not even going to go there. Woo-Sah! With that being said I begin to brainstorm of ways to get my learners familiar with the new assessment format, and found it imperative that I create an answer document that mimics the assessment.  So here you have it; two separate formats with the grid!    Please check back as I plan to create assessments that will have our learners answer questions using all PARCC methods. 

Respectfully yours,


Ebony 

Sunday, December 14, 2014

CLASSWORKS





I had the pleasure of being the Classworks Champion at my former school and must say I am a fan Classworks! Here's why....




The 411 on Classworks!  


Why you should get excited about or advocate for your district to get Classworks?

Reasons to be WILD about Classworks:
* Differentiated Instruction
* Allows student to monitor progress (Students have responsibility/ownership)
* Provides instruction for all learners (audio, visual, & kinesthetic)
* Animated Instruction & Game Activities
* Creates Individual Learning Plans for students with academic deficiencies and automatically generates assignments
* Generates reports of students' progress and emails them to teachers
* Gives ideas for Lesson Plans
* Can be a great center activity
* Units are centered around COMMON CORE

Classworks Overview 

Once students log in content will be as followed:
~Mini Lesson: Introduce specific concepts and provide skills instruction
~Instructional Lesson: Students learn subjects and perspectives that support each leaning style
~Quiz: A 10 question quiz that determines each student’s achievement with the specific skill.
~Review Activities: If student does not achieve 70% or higher on quiz “Classworks” generates activities to approach the objective from a new perspective.
~Projects: Provides opportunity for students to use real world activities to demonstrate MASTERY
FYI: Some units do not have Mini Lessons or Quizzes; they only have Practice Activities


Reminders for Students

·      Time spent on all material is recorded
·      No playing in Computer Lab
·      Goal is 70% or higher

Reminders for Teachers

1.  60-90 minutes a week
2.  Please follow Lab Schedule
3.  If a student has to end a test prior to finishing they cannot start off where they stopped. 
4.  Please provide pencil and paper for students to work math problems.


Go Math! Common Core Addition

 Go Math! 

I have wanted to do a review of this product for a while, but just never had the time. I also wanted to give an honest review of this product based off my experience.  Now, to get to it, I love GO MATH!
  
Why?

In my opinion it provides everything a teacher needs to be effective and provides opportunities to view content outside of the traditional algorithm.  Go Math played a vital role in helping me understand what Common Core actually is. 

Go Math provides students with a study guide that includes examples and strategies; this is helpful as it assists them with their home learning activities. It can also serve as a guide for parents that may need reminders or work samples to better assist their child with their home learning.  The beauty of Go Math does not stop there; it provides an “Essential Question” for all activities/lessons, as well as “Share & Show” (Think Pair Share) activities,   “On Your Own” (Independent Practice) activities, “H.O.T” activities (Higher Order Thinking), “Test Prep” & “Write Math” (students are required to explain their reasoning via writing) This allows for lessons to run smoothly as teachers and students have everything they need for success.   Oh, and another thing I love about Go Math is that it provides opportunities for interdisciplinary lessons (this is when you combine two subjects in one).  See pictures below.
                                                                (Guide)


(Share & Show)

                                                              (On Your Own)

                                             (H.O.T, Test Prep, & Writing in Math)



                                                     (Interdisciplinary Lesson)
            Drawing conclusions requires the learner to apply their ELA knowledge to the lesson. 

In my Christina Aguilera voice, “It keeps getting better!”  Go Math provides “Enrich” activities (For those who comprehend the skill) and “Reteach” activities (For those who need extra support).  Voila, differentiation! See pictures below.




Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it à Go Math has a complete RTI packet!  Yes. It has Tier 1, Tier 2, & Tier 3 intervention activities for each standard. Teachers do not have to look for material it is already provided.  Tier 1 (for students not comprehending standard taught), Tier 2 (students who still need support after Tier 1 activities) Tier 3 (students who are still in need of support after Tier 2 activities). Tier 2 & 3 includes diagnostic practice for prerequisite skills and alternative teaching strategies. See pictures below.



Go Math has an Assessment Guide that offers a Beginning, Middle, and End, of year assessments as well as chapter assessments.  Chapter assessments include multiple choice, showing work, and constructed response. I love the variety of ways the chapter test assess students.




I also love the teacher manuals as they are not big and bulky.  Each methodology has its own chapter.  As a teacher I often feel like the bag lady and this manual distribution allowed me to go down to one bag! Go Math also has a planning guide and is small in size as well and great for planning and projecting. 







In summary I think Go Math is a great resource that promotes rigor and accommodates the needs of all learners while making planning for teachers less stressful and time consuming. Like any resource the teacher can modify and enhance material for their learning environment. 

Please view the below video of Nina Nelson a teacher in Florida using Go Math!  Ms. Nelson has a variety of videos. Enjoy!


#teamgomath 

Saturday, November 29, 2014

COMMON CORE

What’s this ruckus?   


Common Core has me in the mindset of the elder vampire Viktor when he was awaken a century ahead of time therefore sending poor little Craven into frenzy. I swear I wanted to just give Craven a Xanax.  Yeah, this may be dramatic, but let’s be honest Common Core has caused the biggest uproar in education since No Child Left Behind so in my opinion being dramatic is acceptable.  Judge me! LOL

In my opinion I do not believe it is the standards that are the problem, but the implementation of the standards.  Teacher autonomy is almost nonexistent.  Seriously it’s almost like just let a robot teach the class.  As an educator I believe it is my purpose to challenge my learners to see mathematical content in complete totality, not just limit my learners to the standard algorithm.  After teaching a standard my learners should be able to take their knowledge of the standard algorithm and apply it to a variety of problems (some in which they have never seen before) and solve them successfully and defend their reasoning. 

Let’s look at Common Core Standard:

4.NBT.5: Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.
So traditionally learners had to simply solve a multiplication problem using a standard algorithm, now they have to take that knowledge and apply it in a variety of ways. 

Traditional Way
Common Core Way

Solve:
                       7   6
                      5 8 8
        X          8
         4, 7 0 4















Which answer seems more reasonable? Explain their errors.

Brian                                               Jermaine

                                                                                              6                               6  6
           5 8 8                   5 8 8
        X   8      or  X           8
 4 0, 7 0 4                4, 6 0 4 

The learner should be able to comprehend that they must first solve the problem in order for them to be able to effectively evaluate and analyze the work of Jermaine and Brian.  After solving the problem the learners should be able to identify that Jermaine’s response is more reasonable.  When explaining the errors made by Brian the learner should have determined that Brian no longer regrouped after the ones place.  Brain multiplied 8 x 8 then added 6 and got 70; versus placing 7 over the 5 Brian allowed it to be part of the product, etc.  Also, the advanced learner may point out that Brain’s work does show he knows his math facts, Brian’s errors are due to him not understanding the correct algorithm.

The learner can infer that Jermaine’s mistake was possibly due to not proofreading or rushing, as he added incorrectly in the tens place.   When Jermaine multiplied 8 x 8 then added 6 he got an answer of 60 when he should have got 70.  Unlike Brian James knows the algorithm, he merely added incorrectly. 


Sigh...I have no clue why those 6s in the second column appear the way they do. They are fine in my draft post :(

I love the Common Core way (Please note I said I love Common Core, not PARCC, but that discussion is for another blog).  It challenges the way my learners think, provides opportunity for engaging discussions thus leading to good debates.  This methodology also allows students to have an opportunity to learn how to agree to disagree respectfully, see how others think and why, and lets them comprehend the importance of defending their answers through experience. Keep in mind education was initially designed to help build social skills and foster the minds of beings to be assets to their community; not test takers. Sigh.

Let’s look at another standard:
4.NBT.6 Find whole-number quotients and remainders with up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.

Traditional Way
Common Core Way
Solve:

1,497 ÷ 5










In which place is the first digit in the quotient 1,497 ÷ 5?

The leaner must know math terminology. Quotient =answer.  The learner does not have to complete the problem to solve.  If you look at the problem to your left you will see the that 5 cannot go into one which is in the thousands place, however 5 can go into 14 thus placing a 2 over the four that is in the hundreds place, thus the first digit of the quotient starts in the hundreds place.


Again I have no clue why the work does not display in the first column. :(


Think about this, lack of knowledge in terminology hinders our understanding.  Many times we can work a problem or complete a task, however depending on how it is asked it can hinder success/completion.  Many learners know the algorithm however we must take them beyond simply algorithm and into analytical thinking.  Also the biggest challenge for learners on state test is lack of vocabulary knowledge. 

Common Core in my opinion has good intentions.  Implementation & resources are what I am observing to be the issue.  Fussing, complaining, and name calling is not going to solve our challenges in education.  Communication, honesty, responsibility, and possible solutions are what we need.  As you read my next few words take this quote in, “Truth is not judgment.”   

Like it or not America is falling behind other countries in the area of education. I am not saying Common Core is the answer. I am saying something must be done.  Our learners must be challenged. Education is not revered in America as it is in most countries or for that matter as it once was here in America many moons ago.  Many Americans take education for granted. Sad but true. Makes you think of that old saying “When something is given away freely and frequently it loses its perceived value.”  Teachers in America are not valued and are more than often taken for granted.  Many decisions that are made about education seldom have the input of teachers.  Many individuals who are making these decisions never taught in a classroom. Children should be prepared to be an asset to their communities and to identify and foster their talents.  As a teacher I love all my students and for me it is about them.  I encourage them to foster their talents.  Not all students’ talents are that of an academic/college nature.  I encourage them to educate themselves and how to do so (reading, researching, networking, keeping good company, having a good reputation).  I encourage them to not just desire be a professional athlete, but to desire to own a team.  To see the beauty in being an entrepreneur. Most importantly I teach them the importance of being kind to others.  The world is changing before our eyes, technology has created limitless possibilities. When it came to finding work my parents competed with individuals in their city, my generation started out competing with individuals in their city and state, and now we compete with all of America when applying for a job.  The idea of working for a company 30 years no longer exist.  The idea of staying in the same city or state for 30 years is a memory.  The truth is this generation of learners will not compete with the individual in their city, their state, or country, they will compete with the world.  Like it or not something must change in our education system.  A start would be embedding in our learners to look at teachers with as much admiration as they do that football player or artist.  For this to take place that means all of America should admire and praise teachers.  I am not saying teachers should be idols. I am saying that we should be respected so much that if a child dreamt of disrespecting us they should wake up and apologize. Teachers are not glorified babysitters.  From observing other countries the respect and appreciation they have for teachers far exceeds ours just as their academic success does.  Education not college is what is vital.  I know plenty of people with college degrees that have yet to apply their knowledge and be successful.  Education is more than remembering (lower level of BLOOMS) which conquistador conquered Montezuma.  Education is about how to evaluate and analyze (higher levels of BLOOMS) how to prevent meeting the same fate as Montezuma.  In America we worship status, titles, positions, money, and things far more than we value each other.  We are so far off our true essence and purpose; LOVE.  We compete and copy versus cooperate and compliment.  Do not for one second think that other countries are not watching us.  When I look at students, I look at easy prey.  Students in other countries are going to school longer and have a passion for learning like no other.  I’m not even going to say this is a race thing because at one point education in America was hard to come by for all races and genders. Abraham Lincoln taught himself.  Think about it.  I will say this. As a woman of color it’s disheartening when I observe the number of failing schools and my race is the dominant, if not only, population at those failing schools.  A ball in the African American community has been dropped.  Yes we have done and continue to do great things as a race, however doing great does not mean we ignore/excuse the bad. Blaming teachers for failing schools and low test scores is not the answer. That’s equivalent to putting a band aid on a stab wound.  Parents and students should be held just as accountable.  In summary I am saying that children are given a false sense of reality growing up in America.  Hopefully American will not one day be a modern day Montezuma.  Think on it. 



Sunday, October 5, 2014

Judging & Comparing Yourself? Stop it!



Okay, I have wanted to blog on this particular topic for a while, I just never had the time.  Teachers, stop judging others and most importantly stop judging yourself.  Seriously, stop it right now.  We have enough people doing that. 

So often I encounter educators who are exhausted from teaching students with behavioral exceptionalities and extreme academic deficiencies.   These teachers beat themselves up for wanting a change of scenery.  My advice to anyone reading this is to stop it, DO NOT feel guilty for wanting a break.  You are not GOD, you did no come here to save every single person, and contrary to popular belief you can’t. <-----Whoop there it is!  The goal for you as a teacher is to do your best; I place emphasis on your.   So what if Mary Jane has been teaching in a challenging environment (no parental support, fights, disrespectful students, several students below grade level, etc.) for ten years and you are tired after two.  You are not Mary Jane. Do not feel guilty and do not let anyone make you feel guilty for not wanting to teach in that setting anymore.  Pat yourself on the back for what you have contributed. Never feel guilty for taking care of you. If you are not at your best you cannot be your best for anyone else.


A disservice will be done if you remain in a setting that you no longer want to be in; your learners will be cheated and so will you.  Many teachers are suffering from high blood pressure and anxiety due to the demands of being a teacher.  Teachers you (we) are a limited resource, we need a rest, we need a break and there is no need to feel guilty.  Go to the school that gives you peace with no regrets.



I have worked in settings in which teachers would quit.  They would admonish themselves and were also admonished by others.  I felt that was unfair.  What’s for me is not for you and vice versa. I have a firm personality; I say what I mean and mean what I say.  

I am going to share with you all three stories.  The first one is from a teacher that attended a workshop I did this summer.  This teacher shared with me how she worked at a "challenging" school and was drained from it and how excited she was about her new school.  She was glowing, and that is what ALL teachers should do, GLOW.   I think she worked only one year, maybe two in that setting. Anywho (yes I said anywho, get off my blog spell checking etc., this is my place of peace LOL) she told me how hurtful it was when her colleagues "judged" her for taking a position at a school minus those challenges.  I just wanted to hug her.  She also shared with me how she wished she had met me earlier because maybe should would not have been so burnt out. Her story made me reflect back on my experience.  Two years in a row my team member quit on me. Yes, each year I had to work with subs.  Will I say they were bad teachers? Nope, not at all; it was a challenging environment. It was an environment that was not for everyone.  Challenging environments need positive yet realistic people. Challenging environments need teachers who glow, when you no longer glow, you NEED to go.  Awe look I made a rhyme.  

On to stories two and three.  The first year my team member went on leave, she expressed that she could not deal with the level of disrespect. I understood her situation.  Many said negative things about her, I never did. I knew she was a good teacher, just not good for that setting. I was right.  The following year she came back and taught 1st grade versus 5th, all of her first graders could read and write a paragraph. Her students were the highest compared to the other teachers. WOW! You hear me. 

That same year while my former team member flourished in 1st grade my new team member was sinking in 5th and eventually had to leave due to high blood pressure.  Again she was judged. I’ll say this,  that setting was not for her.  I believe she would have been a great lower elementary teacher. I can so see her being amazing in 2nd grade. I also think science is a subject she would be great at teaching. She could teach science honey.  She was extremely emotional telling me she hated to quit but had to, it was just not working.  I told her point blank that she has to take care of her, that this did not make her a failure.  I was honest and told her that, that setting did not bring out her potential and no, she was not good at it. LOL ! We laughed, but I also truthfully told her, that her calling was with little people and teaching science.  She has the potential to get young minds excited about science.  In the same breath I told her I could never do little people, no way. I would not make it in a Pre-K-2nd setting, shoot maybe third; fourth and fifth allows me to be AWESOME SAUCE!!! LOL!! 

I say all this to say, you must recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what you are not good at allows you to make better choices.  Mrs. Byrd is hands down the best Pre-K teacher ever. I could never do what she does with those babies. NEVER. LOL.  I stay in my lane and I do what is best for me, this allows me to be the best for my learners.  I do not compare myself to anyone, not even myself. We are allowed the right to change, the right to fail, the right to redeem ourselves, and the right to be happy. 

In summary teaching at a low performing school is not for every teacher, dealing with helicopter moms is not either. I’m just saying.  Teach in the setting you desire, you owe no one an explanation and you certainly should not feel guilty about the place you choose to teach.  Teach in the environment that you can be effective, healthy, and happy.  *Hugs*



Ms. Ebony, M.A.T.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Leaving My First School

Yes. I am guilty again for not blogging since Huck was a pup.  I offer you my sincere apologies.  HUGS! J  

So much to tell, where will I start?  Okay, I am no longer at my old and only school.  May was very emotional and exciting for me.  My parish restructured several schools throughout the parish. My school became a Pre-K-3rd school.  Upper elementary is what I love so I knew I would not be returning to my school. I was extremely fortunate to have several offers from other schools not only in my parish but from surrounding parishes.  It was awesome sauce that the principal I desired to work for was one of the offers I had.  It gets better.  I have always wanted to work with Mrs. Mack, such a phenomenal person and educator; very positive and supportive.  Mrs. Mack worked at my former school and she left the previous year to go work at my now current school.  Despite being employed at the same school, we never had the opportunity to work together, but guess what?  You guessed it! Mack and I are on the same team this year; she teaches ELA and I am teaching math.  AWESOME!!!!

Mrs. Mack 





I do however want to say it was very emotional packing up my classroom of three years.  Many who follow my blog know that I had only taught at one school and was in the same room for three years; that school and room was all I knew.  Yes, I cried walking out and totally get why the cast becomes so emotional when a sitcom ends; it’s the point of no return.  I walked back several times, stood out in the hall looking at my door and peeped through the window.  Oh, I was dramatic.  LOL!  I did the same thing when I made it out the actual building and got in my car to drive out the parking lot.  I had to take it all in.  That school, despite the challenges, provided the opportunity to for me to become the confident, enthusiastic, knowledgeable educator that I AM.  It’s where “WHY NOT GET SMART” started.  I learned so much there, so much.  I changed so many young minds for the better, inspired so many of my colleagues, and left better than I could have imagined.  That school owes me nothing.  

The place where becoming an educator started! H-Wing Room H-10

My new home, Room 229.  Please check out My Learning Room to see the after pics.  I hope to have them up next week. Cannot wait for you all to see it.