Making Connections: An Explanation

Last week and this week, we have focused on making connections in reading. This allows for students to connect what they are reading to real life. In turn, it helps build better readers. There are three types of connections that have been our focus: text to self, text to text, and text to others and the world. Here is a quick breakdown of what each connection really tells you. Each connection finishes the phrases "This reminds me of..." and "This made me think of..."

Text to self: Students read and are able to connect the story to something about themselves. For example, last week we read "The Relatives Came," a great story about family. Many students were able to make the connection to themselves that "This story reminds me of the trip I took to see my family that lives far away."

Text to text: Students read and are able to connect the story to another story they have read. For example, in a story we read today, the little boy likes to pretend he is a mountain climber. In the story "Amazing Grace," Grace loves to pretend that she is all sorts of different things.

Text to others and the world: Students read and are able to connect the story to someone else or to something they know about the world around us. In our current IB unit, we have learned a lot about people who have made a difference through their choices and contributions. Many students connected that Rosa Parks was arrested for doing something she felt was right (refusing to sit at the back of the bus) in much the same way that Susan B. Anthony was also arrested for something she felt was right (voting although women did not yet have the right to vote). They also make many connections to people they know, such as family and friends. For example, a book we read talks about how the little boy wasn't old enough to play with "the big kids." Many students made the connection that they have been left out of playing by older friends and siblings.

That, in a nutshell, is how students make connections to their learning. When students make connections, the learning becomes real and much more important. As you read with your student at home, don't be afraid to point out what they story reminds YOU of or to ask your student to tell you what they story has made them think about.

While surfing one day...

I came across a few great websites! One is through www.dictionary.com, and is a vocabulary game called Word Dynamo. The other is the math game Kakooma on www.gregtangmath.com, a brand-new math website by children's book author Greg Tang. Both are great ways to enrich your student's learning at home, and both are great fun (but you don't have to take my word for it...try them yourself!) for students of all ages. I think I am hooked on both games. :) Enrichment at home is often a tricky thing! The internet is full of great resources, but at the same time they are sometimes hard to find in a sea of not-so-great resources. I hope that these two will help!

The past is present again: Part 1

We have finished our first IB unit, and we are now well into our second. Our theme is Where We are in Place and Place, and our central idea is that the past impacts the present. We are working our way through the 20th century as we "Drive Through the Decades." We are focusing on events, people, entertainment and inventions. It is a lot, but the idea is not for students to be able to recall everything we cover, but to instead understand how all of those things have shaped who we are today. For example, we learned about the Wright Brothers first flight and how they changed transportation forever (as did Henry Ford with cars). We also studied how ragtime music was the first American music and that it led to several other styles of music, including jazz, which we are talking about this week. There are endless possibilities with this unit, and we will make as many connections as we can!

Also, we are working to have a few art focus lessons throughout this unit. We have been given the awesome opportunity to have an extra art class during this unit with Ms. Freeman who also teaches the UA Partnership art class. She is doing an OUTSTANDING job of connecting art to the current decade (this week, 1920's-1930's). She will stay with us through this unit and we will have an art show later to "show off" what we have learned! Also, we are fortunate to have a parent (and probably more than one) with a background in visual art. Coming up, he is going to help us experience being a painter through the eyes of Jackson Pollack. Not only is this an opportunity to have big fun and get messy, but it is also a great connection to modern art.

Whew. That is really only scratching the surface of what is going on in The Beehive. Stay tuned for Part 2. :)

Box tops and happy little thoughts...

Good afternoon! I was happily reminded by Jermaire this morning that the first box top contest is on! He brought in several this morning and even caused Mrs. Swinney to panic that we just might be in the lead! Collect, collect, collect...and turn them in before September 16th!

We had a fun day in class today. It is my birthday, so I let the students THINK they weren't working a whole lot when, in fact, we accomplished a lot! We are working on rotating stations in Daily 5, having our first week of word study, finishing up STAR tests (information soon), beginning problem solving strategies in math, learning about symbols in America, went to the library for the first time, practicing writing and recognizing good, complete sentences...whew. And that's not even everything.

I hope that your student is coming home and sharing something from the day that they learned, enjoyed, or even thought was challenging. There IS a bit of math homework in their folder today, so please be sure to check for it. Always, they should read at home each night and complete their word study activity for the day. Be sure that you are on the lookout for red, white and blue pictures for our project and have them to school by Thursday. It's going to be really cool...

From the Beehive,
Laura

Counting Bags

Good afternoon! Day 5 is done! Wow! Today, I asked your students to please prepare a ziploc bag of a number of items for us to use in math class. The bag can contain any number of SMALL items from 20-99. Some examples are: pennies, paper clips, marbles...the list is endless! Small foods could be used, too, I suppose. Cheerios, cheez-its...although the might get crushed and be unusable. Please send the baggie to school with your student tomorrow, or Thursday at the latest. We are using them to practice various counting strategies as we prepare for problem solving strategies.

Also, please subscribe to the classroom blog. This is where you will be able to find quick updates about what is happening in the classroom, as well as see pictures of your child at work (unless you have requested otherwise through FERPA). As I stated in the back to school newsletter, I won't send a paper newsletter every week. I am still trying to figure out the best way to communicate homework. Any suggestions?

Wow. That's really all I can say about this group of second graders. And I mean that in the BEST possible way!

Laura

The First Friday!

Wow! I can't believe that the first week is officially over! We were busy getting to know one another and learning the routines of second grade. It is amazing to me how much children change in the summer between first and second grade! We have started our writing notebooks, learned a great word building game (it's my favorite thing to do on Friday afternoons), practiced a 4-S line (be sure to ask your student about this), put our first fluency poem in our poetry folder, and a MILLION other things! Have a happy and restful first weekend of the school year!

The Welcome Buzz

Here is the PDF version of the newsletter that you will find in your student's forms folder tomorrow evening. If you have any trouble with the formatting of the newsletter on your device, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can work out (most of) the kinks! I am so excited to use this platform to share information! Here's to hoping that this works!

http://www.mediafire.com/?1ahn84aank2qq12

It's almost time!

Are you ready for a new year at TMSE? I know that I am! It has been a busy summer for me, for sure! As many of you know, our family was blessed by the birth of our second daughter in June. The excitement over her arrival has made the transition back to school bittersweet this year, but no less exciting! I hope that you and your family have had time to relax and recover from April's storm.

There are so many new things happening at TMSE this year, especially the addition of Alberta Elementary's school family. Both Mrs. Burkhalter and Mrs. Parker (Alberta's principal) are committed to excellence among the two schools while sharing one building. As Mrs. Burkhalter told us, there's no manual for combining three schools into one building following a tragedy. Everyone is learning along the way!

A BIG "new thing" is our approval as an International Baccalaureate school candidate. This is a large undertaking that will lead toward integrated curriculum and the opportunity to teach students to have a perspective that extends far beyond Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Lots of information will come your way as the school year gets started, and if I can't answer your questions I'll find someone who can!

Throughout the school year, please check this blog often. I will not send home a weekly newsletter. Instead, I will update our blog at least twice a month. On here, you will also be able to find links to important documents and websites for use at home. This is an effort to both conserve resources and to offer technology-driven access to the happenings in the classroom!

I look forward to starting the school year and getting to know your families! See you soon!

Laura