Quarter 2 Self-Evaluation

Please send Mrs. Edlin an e-mail with answers to the following questions (answer in complete sentences, self-editing to submit your best work):

1.  How many books did you read this quarter (November 1-January 22)?  Did you make your goal?  Explain why or why not.

2.  List the books you read this quarter.

3.  Is your Goodreads account updated?  Make sure you've labeled every book with the 2015 school year and with the book's genre.

4.  What went well with your reading contract this quarter?

5.  How can you improve your reading contract next quarter?

6.  Do you have any questions or concerns about other GOAL assignments?  Explain.

7.  Is there anything Mrs. Edlin can do to help you be more successful in GOAL?  Explain.


We're halfway done with the school year, folks!  Let's make the last half GREAT!

National History Day

Explore the following links to better understand the National History Day competition:

Theme
Rules
Sample Topics
Project Examples
General Website: So much to explore!

Images of Greatness

As you 8th grade GOAL students are choosing your topics for Images of Greatness this spring, consider the following sites for reference:

Famous Biographies (Many categories)
Influential Americans
Honor Roll of Notable Women
100 Greatest Men of All Time
Time's 100 Most Significant Figures in History
100 Scientists Who Shaped World History
Great Artists in History
Spotlight: Inventors
A&E's 100 Most Influential People of the Millennium
The Most Important Leaders in World History



Examples of Display Boards

8th GOAL: To Kill a Mockingbird

You've heard the book, and now you've finished the movie.  It's time to reflect.

Write a blog post about the following:

* What does this story mean to you?  What are your thoughts and impressions and questions after finishing it?

* Who is(are) your favorite character(s)?  Why?

* Compare the movie to the book.  Talk about similarities and differences, which you liked better, and why.

* Discuss the lessons of the book.  Why are these lessons still important, over 50 years after the book was published?

Graduate Research Project PowerPoint

The following VoiceThread explains my graduate research project on Sustained Silent Reading.

Please click this link to view.

6th Grade GOAL Models & Design Unit

For your final assessment for the models & design unit, please write a blog post addressing the following items.  Answer the questions completely so the readers will know what the question was even though you are not recopying it.

1. Put in the picture I sent you by e-mail.  If you were gone when I sent them, search for an appropriate picture on Creative Commons (an online database on Mrs. Lantz's website).  Experiment to discover how this is done.  Google a tutorial, or consult Blogger help if you're still not sure.
2. In science, what is a black box?  Explain in detail.
3. What does consensus mean?  How did your group reach a consensus either in black boxes or Humdingers?
4. What is the difference between conceptual and physical models?  Explain.
5. How did your physical model of the Humdinger change over time?  What was the best part of your physical model?  What part needed the most improvement?
6. How does having a growth mindset help in a unit like models & design?
7. If you could change anything about this unit to improve it for next year, what would you suggest?

When you have competed your blog post, you may read for your independent reading contract for the rest of the period.  Have a great weekend!

End of Quarter Self-Evaluation Post

Can you believe it's the end of the first quarter?  Time to reflect on the work you've done so far.

Create a blog post to answer the following questions.  Read carefully to make sure you've included all parts of the question in your answer.  Write your answers in paragraph form, rephrasing the questions so your audience knows what you mean.  Be careful, and watch for spelling/grammar mistakes.

1.  Update your Goodreads account if you haven't done so.  Did you make your goal for independent reading this quarter?  Why or why not?

2.  Out of the books you read this quarter, which was the best?  Why?

3.  Look at the genres you've read this quarter.  Which genres have you read more than others?  Why?

4.  Set a goal for your reading for the second quarter.  Include how many books you'd like to read as well as a goal that includes something about a genre you haven't read yet.

5.  Go to the read aloud wiki.  Look at the posts you've made about the read aloud book so far.  Include the link to the post you'd consider to be your best, according to my expectations.  What makes this post better than your others?

6.  Did you make your goal with the wiki of a minimum of 2 posts and 6 replies for a B?  Why or why not?  How can you improve with discussing on the wiki in the future?  Set a goal for yourself.

7.  Do you think you have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?  Explain.  What can you do during the second quarter to improve your growth mindset?

8.  Do you have any suggestions for how I can improve the class and/or your learning experience for the second quarter?  Explain.

9.  What went well during your first quarter of the school year, both in general and in GOAL?  What were your successes?  What were your challenges?  What do you want to improve for the second quarter?  Be specific with your goals.

10.  If you have any concerns that you'd like to discuss privately, please e-mail me at tena.edlin@fairfieldsfuture.org.  When you're done with everything, you may work on independent projects (7th & 8th grade GOAL), or you may go to any site in the Idleness Prevention Society (6th grade GOAL) found in the margin of this blog.

Great first quarter, everyone.  I can't wait to see what you will accomplish during the second quarter!

Rabid Readers: The Maze Runner

Analyzing Our Own Differences in Learning

Take the following personality/learning tests.  Record your results for each activity in one new blog post.

Jung Typology Test (Analyze your results here)
Multiple Intelligences Test
The VARK Questionnaire:  How Do I Learn Best?

Then, in your blog post, reflect on your results.  Answer the following:

• What do these tests tell you about yourself?
• How can this information help you in class?
• How can this information help you outside of class?
• How can this information help you advocate for your own learning?

After writing your own blog post, read the blog posts of others.  See all the different ways your classmates learn!  Comment on at least 3 posts.  When done, you may read and/or go to any site on the Idleness Prevention Society section of this blog.



Mrs. Edlin's results:
Jung: ENFP (Extroverted, Intuition, Feeling, Perceiving)
Top 3 Intelligence: Language, Musical, Social
VARK Questionnaire: Visual: 1, Aural: 2, Read/Write: 11, Kinesthetic: 2

These tests tell me that I am a reader and a writer.  I need to read the directions to understand something best.  I communicate through words.  I'm an idea person, but I'm a procrastinator too, especially if I get bored.  Knowing this can help me in school by making sure there are written directions to follow.  I also need to keep a calendar for long-term assignments so I don't wait until the last minute.  Outside of class, I think this information confirms my favorite hobbies: reading and musical theatre.  I can advocate for my own learning by knowing how I learn because I can create situations that go best with how I learn: I can work in groups, I can focus on reading & writing, and I can ask teachers to help me break long-term assignments into manageable smaller goals and deadlines.

WELCOME BACK, PART III

For today, please complete the following:

1.  Fill out this quick survey regarding your blog: GOAL Blogs Survey.

2.  Make sure the reading survey from September 4 is complete.

3.  Make sure your first blog post is published (about the goals for the new school year).  Check it and fix for errors and incomplete sentences.

4.  Finish working on your Goodreads account.  Update your reading, accept/request friends, rate and label more books.

5.  If you haven't done so, view the video at the bottom of the post from September 5 which is the introduction for our first unit.

6.  Complete the blog entry on the video (instructions found on September 5 below the video link).

7.  Read and respond to the blog posts of others.  First you need to know HOW to write good comments.  Yes, this seems obvious.  But with student blogging, it's the area which always disappoints me the most.  Even first graders seem to know how to do this better than middle school students.  Case in point: Watch the first grade video on commenting, and PAY ATTENTION to what these kids are talking about.  I know this is geared for elementary kids, but have fun with the Panda and learn from the younger generation about how to write a good blog post.

 

8.  Now actually read and respond to other blog posts.  Look at the righthand margin of this blog to find all the GOAL student blogs.  Read and respond to at least 3 posts about goals for the new year and at least 3 posts about the Temple Grandin video.  Try to find blogs that don't have any comments yet.  Read and edit before you post to avoid silly errors.  You may comment on GOAL blogs from any grade.

9.  Go back to your blog and see what others have said.  Respond to their comments if/when necessary.

10.  If there are any design modifications you'd like to make to your blog (background colors, margin widths, etc.), you may do it now.

11.  When you're done with everything, you may go to any of the sites on my blog along the lefthand margin under the category: Idleness Prevention Society.