Setting Up My Interactive Notebooks

Only a few more days until teacher inservice begins, followed by the start of the school year! Boy, where has the summer gone? As I start preparing for the new year, I began to think about how I wanted to introduce the Interactive Notebooks into my classes. Fortunately, my students have dabbled with them a little in previous years, so the concept should not be brand new. I am just concerned that their experience with them in the past was not positive, so I'm preparing for some negativity towards them.

So, here is my game plan to turn those frowns upside down! Start the school year, and their notebooks, off with some fun foldables. I have only completed the first few pages of the INBs, but I am falling in love with them. Here is a quick rundown on what I have so far:

First Page: Title Page, (backside left blank)
Page i: Syllabus & Class Information, (backside, page ii, left blank)
Page iii - Page v: Table of Contents, (backside of page v, left blank)
Page 1: Unit #1 Introduction Page

I hope those aren't to difficult to understand, but I am referring to the actual physical pages in order. I will be using the right and left side of the notebook sheets, so they will be numbered in sequential order.

The best part of this so far is the Syllabus and Class Information section. I have created a small, three page, flip book to house information related to the class.

First: The Syllabus. The syllabus is an interactive syllabus graphic organizer. I have seen a few examples of this from Dan Meyer, and a teacher mentor from my educational service center. The students will be completing their own syllabus as we cover it in class. Gives them ownership of their understanding of the syllabus, plus the student will have a parent or guardian sign the document after we have completed it. I plan to have the students highlight two main ideas from the syllabus so that they have some big ideas to talk about with their parents. Of course there is no right or wrong answer here, they pick the top two that are most relevant or appealing to them and highlight them.

Second: Interactive Notebooks and FAQs. I wanted to include some information about the Interactive Notebooks (INBs), what the left side and the right side are used for, and put in writing that the students will be receiving a test grade each 9-week grading period for their INBs. The rubric is on the third page. Following the INB information is a section with three frequently asked questions. This portion provides information related to absences, bathroom/hall passes, and what to do if the student needs help.

Third: Interactive Notebook Rubric. I only slightly modified a INB grading rubric that I received here. I added a section that will allow me to use the same rubric through out the year (just print out new ones), and I can circle which grading period it is for. There are four different sections: Neatness & Organization, Content Accuracy, Required Elements, and Illustrations & Diagrams. The maximum point value for each category is 4 points, which leads to a total possible points of 16. The number will be converted into a percentage, and that will be the test grade they receive for their INBs.

Since this is a flip book, I left the area below the third page open. In the event that I need to add some additional information, I can add them in here. Otherwise, I may use that section to add a small folder to  hold the grading rubrics once I complete them. I like to keep everything in one place!

So far I feel that I have a great start to this INB idea, and I am looking forward to getting my students through setting them up and taking them home to show their parents!

Google Sites for Classroom Website

As I dive into the adventure of learning more about the Samsung Chromebook, I must look into the features and capabilities of Google. Wow...what a list of things I can do. This morning I created my own website, in which I can keep track of all of our schools important announcements, my Algebra I course information, and my Geometry course information. I feel that this will be a great place for students and parents to look for updated information throughout the year.

YouTube has some amazing videos on setting up your first Google Site for your classroom. Google Sites for Educators Webinar was easy to follow. I was able to follow everything step by step, and by the time the webinar was over I had completed my class website. One thing that Google Sites has implemented into its programming is the WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get). This is completely different than using HTML coding, in the fact that you don't have to know any special computer language. Google Sites is very user friendly, and easy to use in setting up a classroom website.

While I was setting up my classroom website, I came across another Google feature - Google Voice. This is a great feature that masks my personal phone number behind another phone number that I can give to students and parents. Google Voice lets you choose a phone number, and any calls to that number are forwarded to your personal phone number. I set them to come to my cell phone. This allows me to keep my personal cell phone number private, but I can still have open communication with my students and their parents. Another great feature of Google Voice is the voicemail. The program creates a transcript of any messages that are recorded on my voicemail. I can keep them and file them as record of communication. So, I created a Google Voice number and included that on my webpage along with my school email address for my contact information.

All of these features are completely free, and I always say: "If it is free, then it is for me!" I recommend taking the time to look into the different features and capabilities of the Google applications. You may be surprised at how easy and user friendly they are, and what opportunities it presents to integrate technology into your classrooms.

Samsung Chromebook Test Drive (Day 0): In a High School Math Classroom

This past week I went to San Antonio, Texas to a professional development conference put on by CSCOPE. CSCOPE is tied directly to the development of Texas education and consistent curriculum. It was a great trip, and I continued to learn new tips and strategies to use inside my classroom this coming up year. My summer of professional development and training has come to an end, and I am looking forward to preparing for the upcoming school year!

When I came home, I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me. A Samsung Chromebook! What was even better about it was that the school provided it to me. I had talked to my school administrator on the way San Antonio about using technology in the classrooms. Several of my state standards are changing in the near future to require me to incorporate more technology into the classroom, and I wanted a head start. He mentioned the school district is working on equipping every teacher with a classroom set of Chromebook computers! I was excited by that news, in itself. Honestly, no more having to reserve a computer lab? Who wouldn't love being able to use portable computers inside their classroom?

The one thing that he mentioned is that some of the teachers would be "test driving" these Chromebook computers in their classroom. I didn't think that I would be considered since I was new to the campus, and am only in my second year of teaching. I was pleasantly surprised to come home to this gem sitting in my closet. I will be starting out with just one teacher computer for this first semester. I will need to learn how I can incorporate it into the classroom, and then I will be able to share my experiences with other teachers in the Spring. I have started to look online at all of the capabilities of this computer, and I am excited to start my test drive. I am waiting on my login information from my technology department, but I have a game plan as to what I need to use to prepare myself for this coming up semester. Stay tuned as I share my comments on using this new technology in a high school math classroom.

Back To School Goals: 2013-2014

August 1st is the beginning of the new school year for many teachers. I have been finding myself scouring countless hours on the web trying to prepare myself for this new school year. One thing that I found over the past couple of days was many teachers were documenting their goals for the school year. Covering different categories, these goals range from personal, organization, planning, professional, and even goals related to how you want your students to behave. The last thing was a yearly motto.

 The picture above are the goals that I have set for myself during this 2013-2014 school year.

• Personal Goals: I want to be able to leave by 4:30 four out of five days each week (and not take work home). This is a big goal for me, especially the last part. Last year I spent loads of time at school before and after my classes to just prepare myself. I do not like clutter, which leads me to the next goal.

• Organization Goals: My room will be organized. It's a New Year, a new classroom, and a new building. Our high school is currently being renovated, and I plan to take advantage of the opportunity to begin the school year with a clean slate.

• Planning Goals: I want to minimize my time at home to plan for the upcoming week. I have two planning periods, and I need to use them wisely. Last year was difficult to do any planning at school, mostly because I did not have any planning periods. All of our free time was spent running tutorials before school and during lunch. Now that I will have two planning periods, and time in the mornings before my first planning period, there should be no reason that I am not able to do most of my planning at school!

• Professional Goals: I will be teaching Algebra I and Geometry, and I also teach in Texas. With that being said, my Algebra I students will be taking an End of Course state assessment in the spring. My goal is to have 100% passing rate on that test. Even though the Geometry students will not be taking a state assessment, my goal for them (and all my students) is to have a zero failing. 

• Students Goals: I want every student to have fun and to enjoy math. If they are engaged, then I can teach them. I am planning some fun activities for the school year, so I hope that I can reach every student that walks into my classroom.

Those are my five goals. Definitely think they are all achievable, and I feel good putting my goals down on paper. I will be referring back to this throughout the school year. I printed it out to include in my teacher binder so I can see it on a daily basis. The last thing that I added to my back to school goals is a motto. "Believe in Yourself." Many students, and myself, need to be reminded that we can accomplish anything we put our minds to it. Believing in yourself is an important key that will help make us all successful throughout the school year.

Teachers, Remember this: "You're Not Alone!"

This school year I will be starting at a new high school. While I am remaining with the same school district, the two schools operate very differently. This semester, I will have clearly defined courses that I am teaching: Algebra I and Geometry. This is quite a difference from my previous school, which was essentially a quasi-military private high school. Very different set of rules and expectations for each day. Without going into much detail about the old school, I can say that I am very excited about this coming up year.

In just a couple of weeks, I will be starting my second full year of teaching! Yikes! I can't believe that it has already been one full year since I made the decision to change careers. What a great adventure this has been for myself, and my family. Reading through the numerous blogs that I follow, I have realized that August is not just about getting back into the groove of school. It is really about reaching out to our friends and supporting one another as the school year begins. 

One specific blog that I follow is Teaching High School Math by Jennifer Lamb. Her post Ten Pieces of Advice for New {Math} Teachers has received a lot of hype from other {math} teachers. Every single post has wonderful information that I completely agree with. Everything from befriending the secretary and the janitor, to dressing appropriately, and even taking time for yourself. Wether you are a new teacher, or a tenured teacher, this advice is always great to remember before the school year begins. 

With that being said, I want to include my reply to Jennifer's post here. This would be my advice to any teacher, new or tenure. 

The one thing that helped me my first year was knowing "YOU'RE NOT ALONE!" Every single teacher had a first year. I found some wonderful mentors and friends through the regional service center in my area (Texas), and they sort of became my support group. When I was frustrated, confused, or overwhelmed, I would just send them a quick email or give them a call. They helped alleviate the stress that I was feeling, and I could go back the next day with a refreshed state of mind. When I had a win at school, I could reach out to them and share the good news. Developing a professional learning community was essential for me, and I would recommend it to any new teacher.

I wish all of you teachers a wonderful back to school pre-season! We are definitely not alone in this career, and I look forward in continuing to develop my professional learning community over this next school year.