Day 42, Lynda Bannon, Memorial School Physical Education Staff

Make Plans to Beat the Winter Blues

Our first marking term has come to a close and all Memorial students have received individual reports on gross motor skills (grades 1-2) and fitness reports (grades 3-5). 

Parents are encouraged to utilize these reports to ensure the best possible skill and fitness levels for their son/daughter.  No matter what level your child is at, there is always room for improvement. 

Remember everyone needs exercise. 

Play catch or get your children to go for a walk or run with you. 

FYI:  A recent Newsweek cover story cited recent brain research that showed how exercise is not only good for overall general health but also for learning, memory and higher-order thinking.  Less than an hour after a vigorous workout, your brain is working better.

Important Tips to Remember:

A healthy body needs daily exercise... 

60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise

(bike, run, swim, walk)

Exercise once a week is NOT enough!

Make a game plan and stick to it for the best results...

A body in motion tends to stay in motion, a

body at rest tends to stay at rest.

Activity ideas for the Winter months:

Sledding- walking up hill

Snow Shoeing

Cross Country Skiing

Brisk walking (mall walking) 

Join a Health Club (Swim)

Please Do Not Go into Hybernation...

Good Health and Fitness require consistency

Happy Exercising



Day 20 - Patricia Sullivan, Grade 6 Marshall Simonds Middle School

I like using Socrative for exit tickets and warm ups in the classroom. It gives me instant feedback on what I still need to work on in the classroom. Instead of going home and looking through the informal assessments I give, I can have the results pop right up while I am still teaching. It is great because I won’t waste my students’ time on something they have mastered (like action verbs) and I can move on to the next (more difficult topic) like helping and main

verbs.

Day 17 - Lea Garneau, Pine Glen School Psychologist

Recently a wonderful resource for topic specific books was shared with me by Miss May, Pine Glen's Guidance Counselor.

The website, Books that Heal Kids, is a blog where numerous books are reviewed and categorized by topics such as acceptance, gratitude, manners, self-control, self-esteem, etc. The books reviews generally include the author, illustrator, interest level (grades/ages), information from the book jacket, and the reviewer's reasoning as to why she has included this title on her bookshelf. Some titles also include other similar books and images of the book's pages. Often, links to purchase the books are located at the end of each posted review, but I have also had good luck searching my local library to check out the books and review them myself.

I have always enjoyed and valued the use of bibliotherapy (a fancy word really meaning to use appropriate books to help deal with difficult situations or experiences) in both individual and group counseling lessons that I design. I feel that it provides a good  and entertaining way to introduce tough topics, start a conversation about recent events, even make embarrassing or sad moments relatable with students. It also doesn't hurt that more often than not the insurmountable problem presented in the story is resolved or at least manageable at the end :).

I hope this site proves useful to you if such a need arises or even if you just want a list of some good reads.

Happy reading!

Please follow School PSYCHed: A Resource for Pine Glen Families.

Day 16 - Carrie Fortunato, K-5 Math Coach

In our busy lives it isn’t easy to carve out time to reflect on your learning. But it is only through experiences AND reflection that we truly learn.  Sometimes in the day to day grime we forget to celebrate how far we’ve come.   So forgive me for being indulgent, but this is a look back in Elementary Mathematics.

One of the most successful professional development for elementary math is the collaboration of the teachers through Math Curriculum Councils (MCC).  Every grade and school has a member involved in the MCC which meets once a month.  Through these meeting we have accomplished a tremendous amount. We have created internal assessments, non-negotiables (common focal standards every child must achieve in K-2), district-wide common problem solving steps, grade-level vocabulary lists,  and built curriculum that addresses the Common Core, to name a few.  Everything we do in elementary mathematics goes through the MCC.  The MCC members are key people to communicate our work to their fellow grade-level teachers.  They are the GO TO people in their schools.  MCC members are the essential piece to elementary mathematics.

Another success is the systematic data collection on all students.  We closely monitor students through universal screeners and district-wide internal assessments.  The data is discussed at grade-level data meetings.  At these data meetings we talk about students’ growth, strengths, weaknesses, what’s working, and what’s not working.  Together decisions are made about interventions and curriculum.  This year we are working on collecting data on fundamental math skills in K-2 and targeting intervention and instruction around those skills.

Over the past five years we have made tremendous progress in Mathematics, but we still have far to go.  We are constantly redefining and renewing our practice and must remember to REFLECT often.

Day 14 - Renee Sacco, Elementary Literacy Coach

I was fortunate to attend a 3-day RtI conference in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina this week. I’m feeling inspired and energized (and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have everything to do with North Carolina’s beautiful beaches or the warm, sunny weather ). The truth is, I am excited to continue Burlington’s journey with RtI.

RtI (Response to Intervention) integrates assessment and interventions within a school-wide multi-tiered system. RtI allows schools to monitor and address all students’ learning and behavioral needs in real time to reduce or prevent discrepancies in student learning.

But, back to Wrightsville Beach...
I am always amazed to be in a room with RtI experts like Dr. Tom Jenkins, Joan Sedita, Bill Trant, Irene Meier, etc. I take copious notes as I take in new information. There is also a sense of pride when all of the hard work we are doing in Burlington is validated by these RtI gurus. On Wednesday, I sat on a panel to speak to the conference attendees on Burlington’s behalf about our RtI systems.

The experts say it takes 5-7 years to fully implement RtI. We have been implementing RtI in our elementary schools for the past 4 years now. Although we still have a long way to go, I am proud of how far we’ve come...

• We assess all K-5 students with a Universal Screener.
• We use research-based interventions to target student deficits.
• We monitor student progress to ensure growth.
• We have looked at and made changes to our core curriculum for all students.
• We (teachers, specialists, administrators, coaches) know all of our students better than we ever have before.
• We have become a district that is proactive instead of reactive.

Most importantly, we are implementing a system of changes that is helping our students become better learners.

Day 13 - Sean Musselman, Burlington Science Center

Last year marked an abrupt change in course on my career path in education. After five years teaching Earth and Space Science at the middle school level I was offered the exciting opportunity to become Burlington’s next “Science Specialist.” (An eyebrow-raising title to say the least!) Now, as the newest member of the Burlington Science Center, I’ve been charged with igniting K-5 students’ interest in science with a wide range of grade-specific programs while providing science curriculum and instructional support to the school system’s elementary educators.

Working at the Science Center provides an excellent opportunity to share my passion and knowledge for science while furthering my own learning, particularly in regards to how our young “scientists” learn best and become our future discoverers and inventors. I am not alone in this journey for new knowledge and skills. With Massachusetts’ pending adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards changes in both what and how we teach science will be needed in all of our classrooms. While such change is never easy, a shift like this brings forth excitement in me as it will lead to more opportunities for all of us to recognize and share how we as Burlington teachers educate our future scientists best.

While my first year was spent to a large extent, “learning the ropes” of the Science Center my goals this year include sharing and collaborating more deeply with my fellow faculty members while bringing my own style and creativity to the programs and exhibits we offer our students. Even though the school year has just begun, I am already off to a great start with a new “Light Program” for our third graders and a “Transfer of Energy” exhibit that will help all of our students better visualize and understand the many forms energy takes and how they are changed from one kind to another. I deeply appreciate Burlington’s commitment to their students’ science education through the Science Center and look forward to “bringing science to life” for its students for years to come!

To learn more about what the Science Center is and who we are, visit our blog.

Day 12 - Dan Callahan, Pine Glen Elementary Instructional Technology

I love having iPads at Pine Glen.

The best reason for having the iPads in our school is that using truly mobile devices helps redefine the connection between technology and learning. No longer does technology use and instruction happen only in the computer lab, or on a few stations stuffed into the corner of the classroom. Now the classroom is endlessly configurable, and we can go and interact with the world itself.

In the past month, we’ve used the iPads in all sorts of ways at Pine Glen. I’ve seen students sitting at desks working, sure, but I’ve also seen them using their iPads while lying on the floor or curled up on a piece of cozy furniture. I’ve seen them used as centers in classrooms and with every student having a device. They’ve become one resource among many for some projects, and the main resource for others. I’ve had students racing around the school to capture video for their parents, and students going outside to take pictures of trees to share with the world. They’ve become an indispensable tool for gathering information, and a powerful, flexible way of demonstrating learning.

I’m a firm believer that pedagogy comes first. We need to make smart instructional decisions that will have maximum impact on our students’ learning. I love having the iPads in my school not because I like having the latest gadget, but because they’re making good pedagogy easier and more accessible to teachers and students than ever before.

Day 8 - Wendy Czerwinski, BHS Science Department

Mrs. Czerwinski (on the left) with junior Jenna McAnespie

Too Much Homework? Busy Work. Race to Nowhere. Don't Just do it to get it done.  Covering Material.  Paying Attention in Class. Giving 100%.

These are common phrases I think about as I plan and teach. They represent contrasting and sometimes conflicting ideas about what teachers and students need to do to be successful. But they also signify important details that teachers and students need to understand about each other.

Take for example, homework. Homework is a time-honored and some say essential part of the educational process. Who could argue that it is helpful to practice at home the things that are taught during the day? Of course I assign homework. However, I have also been paying attention to the Race to Nowhere discussions. I make a conscious effort to be as respectful as possible of my students' time and their other commitments. I would like to think that I do not assign busy work as homework. In fact, because of the Race to Nowhere discussions, I have modified my assignments and do assign less homework than in previous years. Has this helped? Not necessarily. Some students need to read the text book, some students need the drill and some students stress no matter how much work is assigned.

The next set of thoughts that I think often are: "Don't just do it to get it done," and "Am I just covering the material, or are my students learning what I want them to learn?" I confess that I sometimes let the calendar drive my teaching -- I try hard to maintain the schedule I set for my curriculum that I go over things too quickly. My students have a similar problem: when overloaded with school and extracurricular commitments, they sometimes complete assignments without really thinking about them -- and then discover later that they didn't really learn anything. Sometimes they will complain to me "I did the homework, but I didn't get it." I want to say, "Don't just do it to get it done. What didn't you get?” and "If you didn't get it in class, where else can you look up that
information?" We all have to continually check ourselves -- "I have to ask myself “Did they learn what they were supposed to learn in class?”, and my students have to do their own work in such a way as to be sure they are understanding the material.

That brings us to the classroom. Especially with the iPads, I have found that I cannot just lecture to the students. Students need to be engaged in the material. I am redesigning many of my lessons so that the students have all the information in front of them, but they have to work in groups to process it and understand the meaning. My experience is that learning this way is much harder for them. In my chemistry class it is more challenging to collect evidence that show that elements in the first column of the periodic table react similarly because they have one valence electron than it is to have me just tell students that fact. It takes a much deeper level of study to observe the patterns and make the conclusions without being told.

Teaching this way is much harder and takes longer. But because I am aiming for deeper understanding, I tell my students if they work in the classroom and give me 100%, they will understand better, and hopefully any homework I do assign, should be easier. I promise them not to give assignment over long weekends and that I try not to let the practice seem like busy work. The homework is supposed to be to check that students are learning what they are supposed to and to allow them to extend the subject and explore how the chemistry relates to their everyday life.

That is what I want: that we work together to create a classroom where everyone is engaged and learning together. We are not there yet, but we have a goal.

Day 5 - Dennis Villano, BPS Director of Instructional Technology

Growing up I never looked forward to the beginning of the school year. When I was a child I hated how my mother always had a large calendar hanging in the kitchen. I remember turning the calendar back to July a few times once August came hoping somehow that would serve as a time machine to more summer. After beginning a career in education my friends were shocked. In fact, many of them still ask what I do everyday, refusing to believe that I work in education. What my friends failed to understand though is that I always loved to learn and I never wanted to miss an opportunity to experience something new. The problem was that I often felt that the my school environment didn't provide me the most supportive learning opportunities. Now, the beginning of the school year brings a very different feeling for me. I look forward to how every new year brings new opportunities and new experiences for Burlington learners.

Burlington has made a tremendous commitment to educational technology and we have begun to provide a truly immersive technology environment for our students. Our IT and EdTech Teams spend countless hours getting devices and applications ready for the school year. All the hours culminate at BPSCON with our opening professional development conference.

I must admit though that this year I learned something new during my experiences at BPSCON. I noticed that many of our teachers also feel some of the apprehension and concern that I once did during the days leading up to the beginning of school due to the explosion of educational technology and the growth of digital tools in their classrooms. These new tools are forming the the foundation for an incredibly exciting and at times overwhelming environment in which to teach. I now have a better understand of what we must do to provide supportive environments for our adult learners to ensure that we remove any anxiety for teaching in digital environments. 

One of the greatest qualities of educators is that many began their career because they enjoyed sharing learning experiences with others. This love of learning must be fostered within each school district and adult learning must constantly be supported especially now when so many of the adults are learning with the students when it come to digital skills.

Day 4 - Susan Price, BHS Foreign Language Dept.

Bonjour! í Hola! I’m Susan La Raia Price and currently teach French and Spanish at
BHS. I’m also the Advisor to the French Club. I’ve been teaching foreign languages for
over 30 years. I’ve taught at both the middle school and high school levels in both the
public and private sectors, but I must say that BHS is the best place in which to teach.
The last three years have been a pivotal point in my pedagogy. I’m still the passionate,
caring and enthusiastic teacher who inspires students in acquiring skills to learn a
foreign language, and I’m always willing to help my students succeed. I particularly love
communicating with students and parents beyond the high school walls. Working with
both students and their families is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching at
BHS.

Three years ago, I was very reluctant to integrate technology into my pedagogy
because frankly, I was intimidated by it. If it weren’t for Principal Patrick Larkin to
encourage me, I would not be using it today. Mr. Larkin believed in my ability to
succeed. He was a true motivator and coach challenging me to broaden my horizons.
He has been that impetus in my success. Mr. Dennis Villano, Mr. Andrew Marcinek,
and Mr. Timothy Calvin have also been wonderful mentors to me.  I felt so accomplished 
when one of my classroom projects got featured last Spring in Edutopia.
My interest in technology has heightened as I’m now working with Mr. Andrew
Cunningham, a consultant from Net-Texts to put my French III class on line.

That’s a big step for this Boomer!! I’m a lifelong learner!

Day 3 - Robert Cunha, Systems Administrator

Today in Burlington, I learned that technology does not always work the way you want it to. Sometimes, you have those great weeks when everything works like its supposed to, while other days you spend pulling out whatever hair you have left. I guess that is to be expected when you are trying to be on the forefront, and always have the latest and greatest. The new version of software X, doesn't seem to play well with your current system, so what do you do? 

Fortunately, I am surrounded by extremely smart and creative people, and have access to online resources and communities, all willing to share their knowledge. As with most things in life, it’s not about knowing everything, but understanding it enough to ask the right questions and not being afraid to make a mistake. You might be surprised that sometimes “2 wrongs do make a right.”