Keepin' busy but going well . . .

Things have been running very smoothly lately! I changed my seating arrangement, and that has helped a few minor problems I was having. Also, a few problem students have been 'removed' from school for one reason or another. Time is flying by, and I am just amazed that we are already starting to talk about and plan for MAP tests--that seems like too far away!! We are focusing on our Smart goal and setting up how we will measure improvement and data. We are setting up a team wide rubric and giving MAP-like constructed response questions once a week. Then we are gathering the data to set reasonable goals for the MAP scores.

This next week, I am going to be bringing my students to the library computer lab for a unit on the compters. We will be using the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html). Currently, we are finishing up a geometry unit on similarity and relationships. I would like to explore a few concepts of geometry such as area and perimeter and how this changes when side lengths of polygons are changed. We will be using the Geoboard where the students can illustrate area, perimeter, and rational number concepts. There are random puzzles for students to try by changing the side lengths or adding side lengths to the given polygons. I am excited to see how they like this and to see how it goes.