Literacy Project

This literacy project was one of the most exciting projects I have participated in.  My students are so enthusiastic about sharing their work on the internet with students from another school.   Even my reluctant writers showed an interest using this medium to share their work.  I think this is a testament to the changing world in which we live.  Receiving digital information is common place for students just like reading a newspaper was common was I was a 5th grade student.   I remember being so excited when my classroom created a news"paper" and yes, it was paper.. cut and pasted together. It was so cool because that was real life.  Now, creating information in a digital way for others to read is real life for my students.  I am so please to be able to offer this opportunity to them.  We plan to keep this project going throughout the year.  Who knows where this could lead... more Wiki's....blogging partnerships??

Of course, this literacy project wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for Deb and Jen!!  It made me very comfortable knowing the teachers at the other end of the technology.  For me, it kept the human component in a computerized project.  Thanks Deb and Jen!!

5thgradefunreads

Course Reflection - Voki

Digital Story Survey

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Survey for Veterans Day Animoto

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Thank you!

Empowering Students with Technology

The introduction chapter of this text explained the difference between automating and informating.  I agree that sometimes technology can make a task less efficient.  General Motors spent tons of money for technology and the text said the quality of work declined.  Using technology for informating "requires thinking about opportunities that could not be achieved without the technology."  Therefore, in my case, using a digital calendar instead of a paper and pencil calendar would fall under automating.  However, if I use google docs to communicate with my teaching team and/or my students, and we can all comment on each others' work, then that would be an example of informating.  Another example of informating referenced in the text is creating an authentic audience for students.  That is a really cool idea!

Reading Response for Week 2

Chapter two of, In Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms covered a new type of writing called connective writing.  I never thought about how connective writing using a blog could motivate and push my students’ thinking about various topics.  I introduced a type of connective writing last year using a paper and pencil.  Students in the same book club and would write a response on paper and then it would get passed around to group members.  By the end of the week, students would receive their original paper back with comments from other group members.  I can see how much better using a blog could be.  Students would not have to wait until the end of the week to receive feedback and they could all respond to each other on the same blog.  That is something to consider for my classroom!

Weebly

The attached link will bring you to my Weebly project.  I was able to change the template to include my class picture.  This picture was taken when they earned extra recess for filling the marble jar.  In order to keep my website current, I attach links to the district website.  This provides consistency in information.

My Weebly

Veterans Day Animoto - Revised

This is the latest Animoto I put together.  I was able to include students with signs stating thank you.  I wanted to include more students than I had in the original.  I really enjoy this program Animoto.  I find it to bet very user friendly.

Digital Story Project - How to be a GREAT Reading Partner

Working with Labels

I missed the class on labels and I notice other blogs have labels identified.  This is me trying to play with labels.  Judy, maybe you can just review with me at our next class how to assign them if I can't figure it out by then.  Thanks everyone!!

Digital Story Project - embedding challenge

I completed my "draft" of the digital story project.  However, I am having a little bit of a challenge embedding it into my blog.  When I click on the html button, I don't have the choice for uploading video.  I did save the project to my google drive.  Any advice?  Thanks!!

Revised Veterans Day Thank You

Copy of Veterans Day Opening

Group Blogger Addresses

I am attaching links to my group's blogs.  Each time I want to read a blog, I have to go back to the initial document to get the blog address. I need to practice adding links so I figured this would be a good place to start.

Jen's Blog

Tara's Blog

Deb's Blog

Dividing fractions "I Can Divide"

I used this music video last year when it was my first time teaching dividing fractions. I may have enjoyed it more than my students!!  Actually, they enjoyed the music too.. and we would sing the procedure when solving problems.  It is hard not to sing along!

PEMDAS SONG (with lesson) order of operations!

Sometimes I like to play math music videos to help lighten up the mood for my students.  This video on PEMDAS is good because it covers the fact that multiplication doesn't always come before division and addition doesn't always come before subtraction.  The song mentions you have to go left to right when you are working with only multiplication and division or addition and subtraction in the equation.

Wonder book trailer - R.J. Palacio (UK version)

Wonder

When I am on Youtube I can not locate the embedded code to embed this video.  I will keep looking for it but I wanted to get this post listed.

Sooo I did find a way to bring the video into my blog!  Yeah!  You will see the video above.  Thanks for our patience while I dealt with some technical difficulty!

Veterans Day Openng

Attached is an example of what I can do for our Veterans Day Celebration in November.  I would try to incorporate pictures of 5th grade students with signs that say thank you.  I think this could be playing while guests are arriving... 

Veterans Day Opening

Depth of Knowledge Questions - DOK

As part of the teacher evaluation system, I set up a personal goal to incorporate more level 3 and level 4 DOK questions throughout my teaching.  Is anyone else doing this type of work?  If so, what resources are you using to guide your questioning? 

The 10 Most Popular Teacher Tools Being Used This Year

I just finished reading the article, The 10 Most Popular Teacher Tools Being Used This Year.  I was surprised to learn that I am familiar with five of them.  Of the five, I have used two in my classroom: YOU-tube and Dropbox.  I have had success with YOUTube.  We began a new math curriculum last year and I found excellent videos to show the students.  I would also send home the link so students could watch and reinforce the skills being learned.  Dropbox was another story... it was complicated for me to have all my students drop documents and retrieve documents using the laptops and desktops.  The challenge also stems from my not always having internet access when I am doing school work.  This year I would like to use google apps (googledocs) with my colleagues.  We do not have much common planning time and I feel this may help us easily share information on projects that we are working on.  The challenge is.... are my colleagues ready for "another new thing"?  I'm hoping to get really familiar with google docs so I can be a resource for them.

Veterans Day

My team and I began an annual celebration for Veterans Day.  We invite all family members that have served in the military and honor them on stage in our auditorium.  Then each classroom does a reading of America's White Table.  If you haven't seen this book let me know and I can bring it to class.  We also take up a collection for the Newington Veterans Home as a way to thank service members for the sacrifices they have made for all of us.  I am also thinking of doing my Animoto project as an introduction.  Does anyone else have a program they do at their school to honor Veterans?  I am thinking of

Google Docs

I am using googledocs to solve a challenge...  The challenge is that my team and I do not have enough time to meet to share ideas about DOK questions.  At our first meeting, I helped the others (4 teachers) set up a gmail account.  Then I invited them to share our DOK document.  We each add our DOK questions and input to the document.  Using googledocs makes our meetings time more efficient.  Since we know the input each of us has had, we can jump right into the discussion.  We are actually collaborating without having to be in the same room at the same time!!  We have one master document that everyone contributes to when they can.  My team loves it!!  Has anyone else used google docs with their teams or students?  What is your opinion of it?

Blogging and Computerless Families

Blogging can be a really useful communication tool.  How often should classroom blogs be updated?  Would the time of year matter?  Probably... a busy time of the school year may require more updates.  How do parents without computer access feel a part of this techno community?  Now, my school sends home paper copies to families without internet access.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Class Post on 9-4-13

Today is Wednesday, September 4, 2013.


Penguins having a good time dancing!  Aren't they cute!!

This is the website for my course.

About Me

My name is Maryann Castrilli and I teach 5th grade in Southington, CT.  This is my seventh year teaching and I can honestly say I enjoy going to work everyday.  Some may consider me an "older teacher" but I think that's only in looks... not attitude!  After leaving my job in the 9 to 5 world to stay home with my daughter, I decided to get on the path to follow my life-long dream... to become a classroom teacher.  I have always enjoyed taking courses and learning... I am a life-long learner. I know this to be true because I have taken courses at Nassau Community College, University of Kentucky, Western Connecticut State University, Quinnipiac University, Tunxis Community College, Central Connecticut State University, and University of Saint Joseph.  I have also taken numerous workshops and attended many seminars over the last ... well ... over the last couple of decades.