First Grade Curriculum Night

On Thursdsay, November 5th first graders had the opportunity to bring their families to school to learn what it means to be a first grader at HCES. Attendees rotated through three rooms focused on math, reading, and technology integration. In each room, teachers shared what students have been and will be learning this school year as well as strategies that can be used at home to help students be successful.

Mrs. Davidson, Mrs. Trent, and I shared examples of student work that demonstrated how students are using technology to transform their learning. Parents viewed student work that integrated science and writing, heard students demonstrate their understanding of number concepts, and witnessed how technology can be used to enhance creative storytelling.

In addition to learning about how technology is supporting learning, students had the opportunity to teach their parents how to use the app ChatterKids! Using a picture of topics recently learned about (bats, pumpkins, apples, and American symbols) families worked together to create a movie showing what they knew about a topic.

I enjoyed meeting families and sharing about the meaningful learning happening in first grade at HCES. Enjoy the pictures below of families working to create ChatterKids!

Writing

Google Docs has become an unparalleled writing tool for first and fifth grade students. In Docs students are able to type like a traditional word processor. However, it allows for powerful collaboration that transform the learning experience. 

Multiple students can be in a file working on it at the same time. For example, in one fifth grade class, students were group and assigned different cell parts. They then researched the cell parts and collaborated in a Doc to share what they learned about their assigned part and learn about the other parts of a cell. 

Fifth grade students have also been using Google Docs to improve their reading comprehension skills by writing book responses. Once they've completed the responses, students share with one another and give feedback. Students are working to construct meaningful comments that help others grow as readers and writers. Examples of good comment beginnings include "I agree with you because...", "I disagree because...", "Can you explain ___ more? I am wondering..." In addition to students providing comments, I and the classroom teacher can provide instant feedback as students are working. 

Last week first graders began using Google Docs to type their writing and will spend time this week reviewing and commenting on their classmates' work. They will be working to provide constructive comments to improve their classmates' writing.

I have enjoyed collaborating with classroom teachers and students in getting their "Schoogle" accounts set up and their writing started. I am excited to see our students transform as writers with these great educational tools! 

Students are constructing their reading responses

A student reviews comments posted on her reading response

An example of a student's response and comments

Fall is All Around Us!

I've got a lot of catching up to do with blog posts, but I couldn't wait to share this meaningful learning experience that two first grade classes have participated in over the last couple of days. As we've all noticed, the temperature is dropping, leaves are changing color and falling, animals are preparing for winter, and many other changes are occurring. First graders have been some of the most keen observers of these changes!

In science, first graders have been busy learning about the changes that fall brings. With the help of iPads and the app PicCollage, students took pictures of signs of fall and then wrote about their photographs. What a great way to tie science, writing, and technology into a lesson!

                                                

Students capturing signs of fall

A student writes about the sign of fall shown in his photo

A student writes about the sign of fall shown in her photo

A student's finished work