Rain, Rain Go Away!!

After a long summer of no rain, lately it doesn't seem as though it will ever stop!  To make matters worse, there is a mammoth hurricane swirling around in the Caribbean.  Hurricane Matthew quickly strengthened to a category 5 hurricane over the weekend; the strongest possible rating.  What are the categories of hurricanes and what does all that mean? Check out the explanation from the National Hurricane Center. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope he takes a hard turn to the east and goes out to sea!!

This week you will complete Part 2 of the 21st Century Skills Assessment.  I know this is a long process and not very exciting, but the data will benefit us all!  I can't wait for you to see how much you have learned when you  You should have a reading book with you and know what to do.  You will take Part 2 of the 16/17 Pre-Assessment.  If you were absent last week, you need to take Part 1 today and will have to take Part 2 at another time.  Please be sure to read the questions carefully and think before answering.  Once you have completed all the questions, "Turn In Test", log out of Learning.com, sign out of your workstation and read quietly.  Please go to Learning.com, sign in and begin the assessment.  If you have any questions, please raise you hand and I will come over to help you.

During our second class this week we will review our iPad rules using Kahoot.  Before we get started, I would like you to watch this video from Apple Education.  It shows how some students are using iPads to improve their learning.  Perhaps it will give you some ideas.  Once we have finished the review, I will share a blank iPad Assessment Study Guide with you.  We will complete this together and you will need to use it to help you prepare for your assessment in a couple of weeks. We should also have some time to clean up your iPads.

Have a great week!!
  ~Mrs. White                                          

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And the Survey Says.....

This week we will take a look at the Social Media Survey you completed recently.  I have created a Google Presentation to share these results with you.  The best way to view this is to click on "present" in the top right corner.  Make sure to view it from the beginning.  Please take a few silent moments to review this presentation;  Social Media Survey Results.  We will discuss them shortly.  Once you have taken a look at the presentation, I would like you to write down the most surprising statistic on the note card you were given.  I will collect these and we will have an informal discussion about the results and your comments.  This will be a time for you to share your thoughts not only about the survey, but about social media in general.  This topic can be a bit sensitive and sometimes uncomfortable for some students.  I know you will all bring the necessary levels of maturity and respect to our conversation today.    At the end of class I will return your note card and ask you to use the other side for your "Ticket to Leave."  I would like to know which statistic shared today is the most alarming to you.  I hope you will learn something from our discussion as I am sure I will.
Some of you will not be having a second class this week.  Those of you who do will be working on Unit 2, Lesson #1- "My Media" in your Common Sense Media eText.  You will complete the entire lesson (there is only one activity.)  You will be using your iPad for this.
Every student will be taking some time to self assess your blog using the Blog Design Rubric.  You will staple you completed Blog Checklist to the rubric and turn them in to me.  I will begin the process of reviewing your blogs and getting you a final grade and some feedback.  Please be patient with me as I have hundreds to go through.