NEWSELA is a great tool!

Have you checked out Newsela.com?  It's a great resource for all grade levels. Through a huge library of current events articles, Newsela helps differentiate instruction while engaging students in real, meaningful learning about the world around them.  Not only a resource for non-fiction reading, Newsela offers support in all curricular areas.  It is free, but CBRSD has made the enhanced version available for Grades 3-6 with more opportunities to track student progress.  However, you can use it at any grade level. Take a look.  If you'd like some support using it in your classroom, please reach out.

Come to the Code.org Workshop!

Are you intrigued by all the emphasis lately on coding?  Code.org is a terrific free site that offers lessons for kids of all ages, and teachers can learn right along with their students.  It’s a wonderful way to get your kids engaged using technology, and to help them develop those necessary 21st century skills: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

To help teachers implement their courses, Code.org offers 1-day workshops for educators. These workshops are led by experienced Code.org facilitators. Attendees will learn how to use Code.org's courses to introduce computer science basics in a format that's fun and accessible. Attendees also receive all the supplies they need to teach—at no cost.

And guess what -- there’s a workshop nearby!

Date: Saturday, November, 19th

Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Academy of Aerospace and Engineering
1101 Kennedy Rd,
Windsor, CT 06095

Several teachers have already expressed an interest in attending.  We are planning on carpooling so if you’d like to go, please let me know via email (mmccloskey@cbrsd.org), and click on the link below to register.

https://studio.code.org/pd/workshops/824/enroll

You don’t need to be a technology whiz, or even know anything about coding.  Just bring a willingness to learn and a desire to expose your students to new things.

These pictures are from Mrs. Robie's fourth grade class at Becket Washington School where students have jumped enthusiastically into coding.

Mrs. Finnerty's fourth graders at Kittredge School are already pros at using Google Classroom.  This is what learning in the 21st Century looks like!

The 3 Rs Meet the 4 Cs!

   

In this day and age, digital learning is no longer separate from the rest of the curriculum, but integrated into the instruction already in place.  You certainly know of the 3 Rs, but have you heard of the 4 Cs?  Over a decade ago, the National Education Association (NEA) established the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Out of that grew the 4 Cs - four specific skills essential to 21st century education.

Communication: Sharing ideas clearly and effectively using multiple media and technologies and knowing how to assess their effectiveness.

Collaboration: Working together to reach a goal

Critical Thinking: Using various types of reasoning (inductive and deductive) and learning across subjects and disciplines

Creativity: Creating original ideas that demonstrate inventiveness and innovation

    

     At CBRSD, we are committed to incorporating these skills into all our instruction.

This is obviously an ambitious undertaking, but I am here to help. Choose one thing to work on this year.  Click on one of the links above to get information and help on just some of the exciting new ideas and approaches out there. If you need help with something else, email me!