Hello,
It was wonderful meeting many of you at Parent Teacher Conferences last week. It is always a pleasure to meet the support system behind my students. Thank you for all you do for them every day!
I should probably rename this blog, "Chats" as Fridays never seem to be long enough to write one then. At any rate, I haven't updated in a while so I thought I would let you know what's been going on in history class.
In class: Students are working on 4 projects between now and winter break. They have a Choice Board that they are using. There are a total of 9 project options, they are picking 4. They have all the rubrics for each of the projects in advance, when they finish one project they move on to another.
We are studying Ancient Egypt this term so we are also viewing several films in class. This week we will be watching Egyptian Secrets of the Afterlife. It is a National Geographic film depicting the Pharaoh's journey to the underworld as well as expert archaeologists taking us to current "digs' in Ancient Egypt. If you have Netflix and would like to view it as well it is available on there.
Some other things they may have told you about class: I've been experimenting with music in class. Many studies show that soft classical or instrumental music can help students focus. I have been playing Vince Giraldi (the man who created the music for Charlie Brown) softly while students work on their projects. I have seen an enormous success with this. Overall it has kept the volume level of class down, and I've noticed without the awkward silence students are able to focus and start their work. As a test one day last week I did not use music and I saw an increase in volume, extraneous conversations and found myself having to redirect students more than usual. If your student struggles to focus on homework at home, this may be something you want to try with them.
BYOD: A few classes have been doing a "test run" of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) more information and permission slips about this will be going home later this week. Not every class is doing it this term, I will implement it in classes based on maturity, responsibility and cooperation being displayed on a daily basis. My goal is that by the end of the year all classes will have BYOD.
Last week's projects looked great, please encourage your student to use their creativity and enthusiasm, it makes for better, more interesting projects!
At home: Students should continue working on Schoology Lectures. This term there are 4 per week, however they are shorter than usual (around 5 minutes) so the time spent on them shouldn't be more than last term.
December 21st is a big "due date" for us. The Schoology lectures and coursepacks are due that day. Also they must turn in their in class projects. This is the 1/2 day before break so I will be taking the projects home over the break to correct.
There are only 3 Mastery Tests this term, students should have already taken Mastery Test 4.
As always please let me know if there are any questions, comments, or concerns.
Happy Monday (yes I just said that)!
Ms. Miller
Monday, December 3, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Friday November 2
Hello,
I hope everyone made it through the hurricane with minimal damage. Since we had Monday off and a delayed opening Tuesday this week went a little differently than originally planned.
This week:
Tuesday we just reviewed Mesopotamia with those classes that I saw. Wednesday we started our "Bullying Lesson" which we concluded today. Each core subject area is required to teach one bullying lesson a year and this week was history's turn. We covered empathy and putting yourself in someone else's shoes.
A small change in our lecture schedule. I had technical difficulty with the lectures from Mesopotamia: Week 3. Students have been told that they do not need to watch those lectures and fill in those notes. Instead they are to watch two videos this weekend (they are cartoons that cover Mesopotamian history) and summarize them. Students were assigned this on Tuesday. Due to the change I did not post on Edline last week as I was unsure how I was going to solve the technical problem.
Next week:
Students will be watching lectures on Phoenicia and the Hebrews at home. They will then have a Mastery Test due no later than Monday evening at midnight.
In class we are going to learn about military empires, Phoenician legends, and finally in class on Friday we are going to have our "Mesopotamia Day" Students will be bringing in music, food, culture and clothing from ancient times. You will see a permission slip come home about that on Monday as well.
As always please let me know if you have any questions. Students are always welcome to approach me with concerns. Please remember also that because their grade in my class is "Mastery Based" it changes right up until the time that grade's close. I cannot give you an "average" for your student, I can only tell you what work they have completed. Please check in with me if you are ever concerned about their progress.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, enjoy the nice weather that's coming!
-Ms. Miller
I hope everyone made it through the hurricane with minimal damage. Since we had Monday off and a delayed opening Tuesday this week went a little differently than originally planned.
This week:
Tuesday we just reviewed Mesopotamia with those classes that I saw. Wednesday we started our "Bullying Lesson" which we concluded today. Each core subject area is required to teach one bullying lesson a year and this week was history's turn. We covered empathy and putting yourself in someone else's shoes.
A small change in our lecture schedule. I had technical difficulty with the lectures from Mesopotamia: Week 3. Students have been told that they do not need to watch those lectures and fill in those notes. Instead they are to watch two videos this weekend (they are cartoons that cover Mesopotamian history) and summarize them. Students were assigned this on Tuesday. Due to the change I did not post on Edline last week as I was unsure how I was going to solve the technical problem.
Next week:
Students will be watching lectures on Phoenicia and the Hebrews at home. They will then have a Mastery Test due no later than Monday evening at midnight.
In class we are going to learn about military empires, Phoenician legends, and finally in class on Friday we are going to have our "Mesopotamia Day" Students will be bringing in music, food, culture and clothing from ancient times. You will see a permission slip come home about that on Monday as well.
As always please let me know if you have any questions. Students are always welcome to approach me with concerns. Please remember also that because their grade in my class is "Mastery Based" it changes right up until the time that grade's close. I cannot give you an "average" for your student, I can only tell you what work they have completed. Please check in with me if you are ever concerned about their progress.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, enjoy the nice weather that's coming!
-Ms. Miller
Friday, October 5, 2012
Friday October 5
Hello!
I can't believe its Friday already, where are the weeks going? We just wrapped up our Early Man unit in class this week. We spent a day learning about a very unique culture the "Naciremas" (ask your student all about it)! We also tried our hand at Cave Painting. Students crawled into our "cave" and left their mark. We also watched the Flintstones and discussed the Old vs. New Stone Age.
Next week: Students will get new coursepacks with checklists for what is due. We are starting our unit on Ancient Mesopotamia. They also received their projects in class today so they should be filling out their "project proposal forms" this weekend if they didn't in class. Please have them check in with me if there is a problem with this, however we should be good to go on Tuesday. They may want to bounce ideas off of you, the project they design should be something they can complete in class in three days.
Progress reports went home today- they are always difficult for my class as we don't really have a "grade." I just put if they completed the first Mastery Test or not and how many lectures they completed online. Remember they may still turn in anything to me, they just need to have it done by the end of the term.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, and as always let me know if there are any questions or concerns!
Happy Friday!
Our Cave Painting:
Our "Cave":
I can't believe its Friday already, where are the weeks going? We just wrapped up our Early Man unit in class this week. We spent a day learning about a very unique culture the "Naciremas" (ask your student all about it)! We also tried our hand at Cave Painting. Students crawled into our "cave" and left their mark. We also watched the Flintstones and discussed the Old vs. New Stone Age.
Next week: Students will get new coursepacks with checklists for what is due. We are starting our unit on Ancient Mesopotamia. They also received their projects in class today so they should be filling out their "project proposal forms" this weekend if they didn't in class. Please have them check in with me if there is a problem with this, however we should be good to go on Tuesday. They may want to bounce ideas off of you, the project they design should be something they can complete in class in three days.
Progress reports went home today- they are always difficult for my class as we don't really have a "grade." I just put if they completed the first Mastery Test or not and how many lectures they completed online. Remember they may still turn in anything to me, they just need to have it done by the end of the term.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, and as always let me know if there are any questions or concerns!
Happy Friday!
Our Cave Painting:
Our "Cave":
Friday, September 28, 2012
Friday September 28
Hello all!
You're student may have told you I was out sick Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Luckily with the flipped classroom they don't miss any content when this happens, but it is still disappointing to not see the students each day! I am back today though and we had some great Critical Reading discussions!
This week: They listened to three lecture videos on Early Man and we learned about some early developments (such as the ability to make fire). We read an article about a new fossil find that is changing the whole way scientists think about Early Man. We also watched the News and saw a NOVA program about famous fossil finds. Students should have submitted, or will submit their first Mastery Test to me this weekend.
Next week: We will continue to study Early Man. We will be comparing the Paleolithic and Neolithic Eras (The Old vs. New Stone Age). We will watch an episode of the Flintstones and categorize things in the episode by which Stone Age they really would have belonged in (or if they wouldn't have been there at all). We are also going to try our hand at "Cave Painting" and look at some famous examples. Finally we are going to study a very "foreign" culture and learn to be culturally aware. At the end of the week they will get their first project assignment, and we will begin our in-class projects when we come back from Columbus Day weekend.
Students should complete their second Mastery Test before next Friday so please encourage them to begin working on things this weekend.
As always feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Stay out of the rain!
-Ms. Miller
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Oops...a "Friday" post on Saturday.
My apologies, yesterday afternoon was a bit crazy so I was unable to post, so here it is today:
This was the first full week together for students and staff...its hard to believe we've only known each other a little over a week. I've enjoyed getting to know your students. I promise to have names memorized by the time I post next week!
This week was probably the most "boring" week of history your child will experience (I hope). This is the week where I lecture in class and we just sort of go over the "how to's" of watching the videos at home. They may have been complaining that it was "just notes" and to tell the truth this week it was. However next week should be much more exciting.
In class this week we covered the various tools and skills that historians need in order to be able to accurately assess documents and texts about history. We also discussed primary sources versus secondary sources. Finally we learned how to actually watch a video at home (I modeled it for the students) that they should be watching it once through to fill in notes, underline, highlight, think and ask themselves questions, and once more through just to listen.
We also went over how to do a Critical Reading and started one together in class. I will be going over those on Wednesday for the classes that I see. They may feel some anxiety around this activity, please assure them that there is no "wrong answer" and that they should just try their best.
Many students have been on Schoology taking their quizzes, I'm really happy! I think for the most part we have worked out all the login/computer issues surrounding getting on to the site. If your student will not have regular internet access they will be meeting with me Monday 8th period to set up a plan to ensure they are able to complete all assignments on time.
Please remind your students that they only need to achieve an 80 % or better on a quiz. It has been engrained in them to redo it until they get 100% (which is fantastic) but under the Mastery Grading this will not result in a higher "grade" at the end of the term. Whether they score an 80% or a 100% it simply gets marked in my gradebook as "mastered." They are more than welcome for their own interest to take the quizzes until they get a 100, just know that they shouldn't be stressed about it as it isn't necessary.
If they are still confused on things like flashcards, Critical Readings and section reviews just keep in mind that it is still the first real week, I promise after a few times doing them they will be able to complete these tasks no problem. As always let me know if there are any questions.
Next week:
Monday and Tuesday we will be having an "in class Dig." Students will sit in teams and actually dig, photograph, and record artifacts. Tuesday they, along with their team, will create a presentation about what they think their "site" was. I will display those Tuesday night for back to school night.
Wednesday is a half day for students, those classes that I see will have a "mock" Critical Reading discussion to see how it works.
Thursday we will be reviewing for our first mastery test.
Friday we will be taking the test on the iPads in class. If students don't finish in class they may finish at home at their own pace.
As always let me know if you have questions, comments, or concerns. I hope to see you all Tuesday night for Welcome Back Night!
A note about parent meetings: A few people have asked about parent meetings and how to schedule one. Our Green Team policy is that we meet as a team. In other words if you want to call and schedule a meeting you are more than welcome to do so, but it would be a meeting with all 5 or 6 teachers. If you have an individual question for me you are welcome to email me or call me at the school and I would be happy to answer it. If you are planning to set up a meeting I recommend waiting until after back to school night in case your questions get answered. If you would still like a meeting after that you may send a note in with your child's homeroom teacher, or call guidance at the school.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I look forward to seeing your child on Monday and you on Tuesday!
This was the first full week together for students and staff...its hard to believe we've only known each other a little over a week. I've enjoyed getting to know your students. I promise to have names memorized by the time I post next week!
This week was probably the most "boring" week of history your child will experience (I hope). This is the week where I lecture in class and we just sort of go over the "how to's" of watching the videos at home. They may have been complaining that it was "just notes" and to tell the truth this week it was. However next week should be much more exciting.
In class this week we covered the various tools and skills that historians need in order to be able to accurately assess documents and texts about history. We also discussed primary sources versus secondary sources. Finally we learned how to actually watch a video at home (I modeled it for the students) that they should be watching it once through to fill in notes, underline, highlight, think and ask themselves questions, and once more through just to listen.
We also went over how to do a Critical Reading and started one together in class. I will be going over those on Wednesday for the classes that I see. They may feel some anxiety around this activity, please assure them that there is no "wrong answer" and that they should just try their best.
Many students have been on Schoology taking their quizzes, I'm really happy! I think for the most part we have worked out all the login/computer issues surrounding getting on to the site. If your student will not have regular internet access they will be meeting with me Monday 8th period to set up a plan to ensure they are able to complete all assignments on time.
Please remind your students that they only need to achieve an 80 % or better on a quiz. It has been engrained in them to redo it until they get 100% (which is fantastic) but under the Mastery Grading this will not result in a higher "grade" at the end of the term. Whether they score an 80% or a 100% it simply gets marked in my gradebook as "mastered." They are more than welcome for their own interest to take the quizzes until they get a 100, just know that they shouldn't be stressed about it as it isn't necessary.
If they are still confused on things like flashcards, Critical Readings and section reviews just keep in mind that it is still the first real week, I promise after a few times doing them they will be able to complete these tasks no problem. As always let me know if there are any questions.
Next week:
Monday and Tuesday we will be having an "in class Dig." Students will sit in teams and actually dig, photograph, and record artifacts. Tuesday they, along with their team, will create a presentation about what they think their "site" was. I will display those Tuesday night for back to school night.
Wednesday is a half day for students, those classes that I see will have a "mock" Critical Reading discussion to see how it works.
Thursday we will be reviewing for our first mastery test.
Friday we will be taking the test on the iPads in class. If students don't finish in class they may finish at home at their own pace.
As always let me know if you have questions, comments, or concerns. I hope to see you all Tuesday night for Welcome Back Night!
A note about parent meetings: A few people have asked about parent meetings and how to schedule one. Our Green Team policy is that we meet as a team. In other words if you want to call and schedule a meeting you are more than welcome to do so, but it would be a meeting with all 5 or 6 teachers. If you have an individual question for me you are welcome to email me or call me at the school and I would be happy to answer it. If you are planning to set up a meeting I recommend waiting until after back to school night in case your questions get answered. If you would still like a meeting after that you may send a note in with your child's homeroom teacher, or call guidance at the school.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I look forward to seeing your child on Monday and you on Tuesday!
Friday, September 7, 2012
The First Friday Post
Hi all! We are wrapping up the first week of school and I have loved meeting all of your enthusiastic and energetic students! Thanks for following our class updates.
This week: Yesterday and today are more "set up" days than instructional. Today students worked in groups to develop class "Expectation Guides." I felt it was important to have students involved when choosing our class expectations. They came up with some great ways that we can work together to have a successful history class. I will be printing these this weekend and sending them home on Monday. Some students were also able to receive their Coursepacks today. If your student did not get to due to a time crunch or the assembly, they will receive it on Monday so please assure them they are not missing anything.
This weekend: Please help your child to log on to Schoology if he/she has not yet done so. It is important for me to know that everyone's passwords and logins are working correctly before we get started with content. Once they sign on to Schoology they should go to the "Courses" tab at the top and select 7Green (its the only option). From there they can view our entire course. The videos I asked you to watch are located in the "Contents" folder. Students also have an "assignment" which is just a check in with me so that I know they were able to sign on.
Next week: Next week we get to begin content. We will be talking about skills and tools that historians use when studying the past. I will be lecturing live in class (for this week only) so that students get used to my lecture style. I will also model how to watch a video at home. So for next week your student does not have to watch the video at home, however they should be taking the quizzes and filling in the Coursepack Section Reviews. Tuesday we will do a practice Critical Reading in class so that students know how to do them at home. Wednesday and Thursday I will lecture again and go over flashcards. Friday we will have our first CNN Student News quiz and Critical Reading discussion.
The following week we will "flip" so students will start watching the videos at home, hopefully by then they will feel supported and confident enough to do this! Please remind them to rewind, pause, and rewatch as needed!
My apologies for not being able to post the video yesterday, here it is:
This week: Yesterday and today are more "set up" days than instructional. Today students worked in groups to develop class "Expectation Guides." I felt it was important to have students involved when choosing our class expectations. They came up with some great ways that we can work together to have a successful history class. I will be printing these this weekend and sending them home on Monday. Some students were also able to receive their Coursepacks today. If your student did not get to due to a time crunch or the assembly, they will receive it on Monday so please assure them they are not missing anything.
This weekend: Please help your child to log on to Schoology if he/she has not yet done so. It is important for me to know that everyone's passwords and logins are working correctly before we get started with content. Once they sign on to Schoology they should go to the "Courses" tab at the top and select 7Green (its the only option). From there they can view our entire course. The videos I asked you to watch are located in the "Contents" folder. Students also have an "assignment" which is just a check in with me so that I know they were able to sign on.
Next week: Next week we get to begin content. We will be talking about skills and tools that historians use when studying the past. I will be lecturing live in class (for this week only) so that students get used to my lecture style. I will also model how to watch a video at home. So for next week your student does not have to watch the video at home, however they should be taking the quizzes and filling in the Coursepack Section Reviews. Tuesday we will do a practice Critical Reading in class so that students know how to do them at home. Wednesday and Thursday I will lecture again and go over flashcards. Friday we will have our first CNN Student News quiz and Critical Reading discussion.
The following week we will "flip" so students will start watching the videos at home, hopefully by then they will feel supported and confident enough to do this! Please remind them to rewind, pause, and rewatch as needed!
My apologies for not being able to post the video yesterday, here it is:
I will also be sending home information for my text blast service. Its just a way for you to receive class updates (due dates etc) via text message if you wish. More on that to come. Thanks for checking in, I hope you have a great weekend!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to 7th Grade History. This parent blog is updated each Friday to let you know what we did in class this week. If your student has me 2nd or 3rd period they may be very confused about my class. We had some technical difficulties. Please assure them I will go over everything tomorrow.
Tonight please watch the videos on Schoology with your student and help them to get a feel for the class. If they are having trouble logging on it is OK, I expect there to be some bugs at first. We will work it all out tomorrow. Unfortunately I was unable to upload the videos on this blog from my work computer. I will upload them tonight from my home computer so if they are unavailable at the moment, check back later (they are definitely available on Schoology in the Course Information folder).
I'm very excited for your child to be in my class and for the year we have ahead. Tomorrow we will be creating our expectation guides in class and going over the grading system
As always let me know if there are any questions! Have a great day. =)
Tonight please watch the videos on Schoology with your student and help them to get a feel for the class. If they are having trouble logging on it is OK, I expect there to be some bugs at first. We will work it all out tomorrow. Unfortunately I was unable to upload the videos on this blog from my work computer. I will upload them tonight from my home computer so if they are unavailable at the moment, check back later (they are definitely available on Schoology in the Course Information folder).
I'm very excited for your child to be in my class and for the year we have ahead. Tomorrow we will be creating our expectation guides in class and going over the grading system
As always let me know if there are any questions! Have a great day. =)
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday March 23
Hello all,
We did not have our "flipped" class this week due to MCAS and I must say I miss it! I miss talking with the kids and engaging in content with them one on one. I'm glad next week is back to normal.
As the term is winding down (Term 3 ends April 6th....wow!!) please remind your students they need to work their way through 4 mastery tests by the end of the term, most have only completed 1. All the lectures, quizzes, and yes mastery tests are available on Schoology, they may use their notes with the tests, so they should all do very well!
With the weather returning to typical March weather I'm hoping students will hunker down and get back to work...but warm weather is around the corner so please continue to encourage them to complete work before heading outside. If anyone is looking for a parent code please send me an email and I'll be happy to pass that along.
Happy Friday!
Ms. Miller
We did not have our "flipped" class this week due to MCAS and I must say I miss it! I miss talking with the kids and engaging in content with them one on one. I'm glad next week is back to normal.
As the term is winding down (Term 3 ends April 6th....wow!!) please remind your students they need to work their way through 4 mastery tests by the end of the term, most have only completed 1. All the lectures, quizzes, and yes mastery tests are available on Schoology, they may use their notes with the tests, so they should all do very well!
With the weather returning to typical March weather I'm hoping students will hunker down and get back to work...but warm weather is around the corner so please continue to encourage them to complete work before heading outside. If anyone is looking for a parent code please send me an email and I'll be happy to pass that along.
Happy Friday!
Ms. Miller
Monday, February 27, 2012
Update
Hello!
Sorry for the lack of updates as of late. We are super busy in room A212 with our new "flipped" setting. So far the kids seem to be learning quite a bit! I myself find it to be "organized chaos" with students all over the room researching, asking questions, and helping each other out. It is crazy but I love to see them actively learning and finally enthusiastic for something in history class!
If you do not see your child working on lectures and notes throughout the week you should be concerned. They had three lectures to listen to prior to vacation and three more this week. They should be planning on taking a test with me in the next week. Many students are keeping up with the lectures, but others are not, please check with your student to ensure they are completing everything on time.
Additionally ask them to show you their Schoology accounts so that they can prove they are up to date with everything.
As always if you have ANY questions please don't hesitate to contact me. I'll be posting a video later this week about where students are viewing the lectures online so that you can check in with them about it!
Glad to be back!
Ms. Miller
Sorry for the lack of updates as of late. We are super busy in room A212 with our new "flipped" setting. So far the kids seem to be learning quite a bit! I myself find it to be "organized chaos" with students all over the room researching, asking questions, and helping each other out. It is crazy but I love to see them actively learning and finally enthusiastic for something in history class!
If you do not see your child working on lectures and notes throughout the week you should be concerned. They had three lectures to listen to prior to vacation and three more this week. They should be planning on taking a test with me in the next week. Many students are keeping up with the lectures, but others are not, please check with your student to ensure they are completing everything on time.
Additionally ask them to show you their Schoology accounts so that they can prove they are up to date with everything.
As always if you have ANY questions please don't hesitate to contact me. I'll be posting a video later this week about where students are viewing the lectures online so that you can check in with them about it!
Glad to be back!
Ms. Miller
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
New Grading Policy
Hello!
Here is a video outlining the new grading policy that went home today, please don't hesitate to contact me if there are any questions:
Here is a video outlining the new grading policy that went home today, please don't hesitate to contact me if there are any questions:
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