Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Moving Forward on My GAME Plan


To be very frank with you this past week has been another crazy one. With that being said, I am proud to say I have started to work on my GAME plan and my intention was not to complete this assignment, but simply enhance my students’ learning. However, it was a small step forward, still many to go.

This week, I did manage to find a typing website that I really like for instruction. Our school has many websites that are games for those who have learned and done well with typing. This was not at all what I needed. I needed a website that was going to teach my students all of the basics and give me a way to evaluate how hard they were working. I left the address at school (I will post it later) but this website is just what I was looking for. It not only starts with a color-coded keyboard and goes through thirty lessons of keyboarding basics, but it also measures how quickly the students are typing while they are doing the lessons. This gives me a measurement for their effort and achievement. One step closer to achieving my goal! I just need to adjust a few things.

First, I need a way to record their achievements. I am thinking a simple grading sheet with names and places to write their words per minute for each lesson. This way I will know what lessons they are on and their average typing speed. The other pieces I still need to complete my GAME plan have to do with the incorporation of current events into my lessons.

I have yet to incorporate current events into my lessons. I am still very new to the grade level and I am learning the curriculum and standards. This week I would like to identify some news media websites to use. I am hoping to find at least three, two where I can get helpful articles and at least one with videos. I would like to get in touch with the local newspaper to see if there is a way to get their paper delivered, also. I have some work to do this week!

6 comments:

  1. Jill,
    A colleague of mine uses a cute little system to monitor and reward student progress for multiplication facts, but it could work for typing as well. When she takes her students to the computer lab they are required to take a timed test on Multiplication.com. If they pass the test with 0 errors in 2 minutes or less, they print off the test. My colleague has ice-cream cones pinned up on a board for each student. As they pass tests, she added a scoop to their cone. I believe once they reach a certain amount of scoops, she rewards them with an ice-cream treat.
    Also, please post your site for typing. I am using one that I like, but yours may work better.
    Thank you, Kelly

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    1. Kelly,
      I also used the ice cream bowl for multiplication facts when I taught third grade. Those sundaes were delicious and hard earned at the end. I have considered that option. Once again I forgot the website at school. I wrote myself a note to post it while I am still there tomorrow.

      Jill

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  2. I love your ideas for recording typing progress. In third grade one of our major focuses is math fluency, specifically multiplication fact fluency. We have a display in the hall so that students have a visual of their fact fluency progress. All of the students begin the year doing their zero multiplication facts in a timed multiplication test. As students complete the timed tests within the allotted time and score 90% accuracy, they are advanced to the next multiplication set. Making it a visual in which they “compete” helps them to be motivated to practice their multiplication facts. Maybe you could incorporate something like this into your typing progress system.

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    1. Kelly,
      Thanks for the idea! I just moved into my new classroom and the walls are in a sad and empty shape. I think it would be a great use of space to have a visual on the wall, especially since we only get to go to computer lab once a week, it could help keep up motivation. Thanks for the suggestion!
      Jill

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  3. I would certainly like to know the website you found. My teachers only have one tool in place at school to help students with their typing skills and it isn't used much because it's boring. I would love to show them additional resource!

    All of the discussions about classroom displays have been cool, and it makes me think about the dull displays needing an update in our computer lab. Perhaps it's something you could talk to your principal about as well and get some kind of school or grade-wide contest going!

    Also as for student-friendly news, CNN has a student news site that can be found at: http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/index.html
    Washington Post has one as well: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost
    I would also check for PBS and TIME for kids to have kid-friendly online content. I'm sure there will be a lot with it being an election year. As far as implementing it, you might consider having students pick articles that are interesting, putting it into their own words, then either creating a podcast or news show that can be played every Friday at school. If that sounds too difficult, you could instead make it happen in your classroom and rotate kids throughout the year to make a Fact Friday news crew, set up a table and some chairs (buy some big cheap suit coats for fun) and make it a part of your Friday routine!


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    1. Thank you for the great sites and the idea for my news team. I love it! I will get that website address to you this week. I will put a post-it note on my forehead if I need to!

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