4th Grade Studies Place Value

4th grade is studying place value with Mrs. Velasquez & Mrs. Fournier this week in the library. They are focusing on how multiplying by ten moves any digit one place value to the left, and dividing by ten moves any digit one place value to the right. We are going to use this game to practice, and then assess our learning with a Kahoot!

4th Graders Compare Fractions on Ipads

4th graders had fun in the library today comparing fractions with the help of an app called Quizizz. They did a great job, worked hard, and had fun doing it! In Mrs. Velasquez' class, one student had to leave midway through the competition, and Mrs. Velasquez jumped onto her iPad and beat the whole class! Way to keep your skills sharp, Mrs. Velasquez! Students had unlimited time for each question, but the game was scored on how many questions they got correct, and how quickly they got each correct answer. We studied comparing fractions, improper fractions, and mixed fractions too, and students did a great job.  We also discussed converting fractions to the least common denominator as well! 

5th Graders Practice Math with QR Codes

5th grade is practicing math in the library this week!  Students are using a sheet of decimals and rounding them.  They then take their rounded decimals and use them as a Dewey Decimal number on library shelves.  When they go to that spot on the shelf, they find a QR code, scanned it on our iPads, and answered some processing questions about the math questions, like naming their strategy, operation, or first steps.  We had a lot of fun and practiced some good processing skills, too!

Combining Sentences in 4th Grade

4th grade is doing a special lesson today on combining sentences.  How can you take two different thoughts and most effectively put them into one larger sentence?  Good readers like varied sentence lengths in their texts, and good writers know how to revise multiple similar thoughts into one sentence.

First, we'll generate nouns and verbs to make our own sentences about ourselves, and make some sentences about us.  We'll practice by combining them.

Then, we'll hop on to this quiz page and try combining these sentences!

Next Gen Digital Classroom update

Mrs. Young & I were thrilled to attend the Next Gen Digital Classroom Conference for RRISD last week.  We learned a lot to help use our iPads with students.  Thanks for a great day, Technology Department!  I'm most excited to use iMotion and ClassKick with students, and am interested in checking out Book Creator (and applying for a PTA grant to get the money to buy it for our students!)

Book Talk From the Bathtub: Meriam

Meriam did a Book Talk for "Heidi Hecklebeck Has a Secret" by Wanda Coven.  Check out this YouTube video!

Book Talk From the Bathtub: Ben

Ben did a Book Talk for "Little Lions, Bull Baiters and Hunting Hounds: a Book About Dog Breeds" by Jeff Crosby.  Check out this YouTube video!

Book Talk from the Bathtub: Evie

Evie did a Book Talk for "Roller Girl" by Victoria Jamieson.   Check out this YouTube video!

Book Talk from the Bathtub: Aiden

Aiden did a Book Talk for "Zombie Winter" by Jason Strange. Check out this YouTube video!

Book Talk From the Bathtub: Elizabeth

Elizabeth did a Book Talk for "Someone Named Eva" by Joan M. Wolf.  Check out this YouTube video!

Next Gen Digital Library

Mrs. Young and I are so grateful for the opportunity to provide digital experiences to our students as they learn with iPads this year in the library.  So far we've already used iPads with book clubs to explore the South Pole via a live feed, to learn about verb tenses & homophones with an assessment app called Nearpod, and have used the digital touch screen to make a giant chart about context clues.  We are saving time by using the online catalog on the iPads, instead of having to jot down call numbers and go back and forth between a desktop and the stacks. Two students are serving as interns to help manage the iPad collection, taking care that the devices are charged and security stowed overnight. We are starting our giant project with Library Leaders and other groups on campus to film "Reading Rainbow"-style book talks that promote our collection and get the word out about new, exciting books on our shelves. The excitement is palpable, the ability to instantly engage & assess is so convenient, and kids are getting access to technology that is new to many of them, preparing them to be the "techies" of the future!