School's Out for Summer! Or is it???

It finally feels like summer!  This is the time of year that reminds me how awesome it is to have a job I love with some fabulous perks.

Summer isn't all fun and games though... now it's time to think about what worked and didn't work in 2013-2014. 

What worked... the addition of Edmodo in my classroom!  Between using the communities to get ideas and using the apps to help my classroom work more efficiently, it is a wonderful resource that I will continue to use!

Vocabulary practice with cram.com also worked very well, so I will continue with that next year.  I will be using this summer to update some of my vocab lists (if I can get my hands on our new unit plans). 

What I want to change:  More Close Reading and making my kids accountable for their own progress on weekly assessments.

That being said, the 2014-2015 school year will include more Close Reading strategies and Self Monitoring strategies for our weekly assessments.  If you would like to do the same, read more and click on the links below for ideas!

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Notice & Note Videos

E-Text Websites

Click on the first button on the bottom of this post and it will bring you to the Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading Video Study Guide.  I plan on using this along with the book to help me figure out how to implement it in the classroom.  You can find the book just about anywhere, but I like Amazon for just about everything.

Click on the second button to go to Montgomery Public Schools website which has a link to some
e-text websites that are really useful for small and whole group reading lessons.  This is where my technology connection comes in!

As far as Progress Monitoring goes, I use AIMS Web for weekly assessments based on the needs of each child.  Some do reading, writing and math, others only do one.  Regardless, I plan on having each child fill out a form I found on Teachers Pay Teachers each Monday with the scores from the previous Friday (which gives me time to grade them all).  Here's the link to the free form I found.  I'm thinking about attaching the form to the inside of a folder for each kids so we have easy access to it.  I already have a folder for each kid to keep writing samples and other documentation, may as well keep it all in one place.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Progress-Monitoring-Form-796718

Well, I think that's enough planning for this beautiful summer day.  I'll be back soon!