Almost There...

The iPads are here!  They're encased in a (seemingly) military-grade cart and each iPad has its own bar code sticker and durable case.

We haven't used them, though.  Apple has some type of education setting where students can log in and log out of their device.  It's a complicated process to set up, so I'm waiting ever-so-patiently for the amazing Director of Technology to get everything square away!  He said it was not easy, so I dropped some doughnuts off at his desk last week :)

In other news, I've been mulling over the way I take grades (see previous post), and I've started to make some changes.  We used to start class every day by reading silently, and then one of our Daily Three rotations would be writing a reader's response.  At the end of the week, I would have students grade each other's Daily Threes and students would read aloud the reader's responses that were well-written.

One problem I didn't even realize is that I never really gave feedback about the reader's responses that weren't well-written.  If there was an obvious mistake, I would write a note; but I'm not sure if many students scour their already-graded assignments looking for meaningful feedback.....

So, now I check the students' reader's responses on Monday.  If they are able to produce a well-written reader's response, they get a stamp!  Students who have a stamp don't have to write any more reader's responses for the week.  Instead, they get a free rotation to work on something else (most prefer to play a word game like Bananagrams or Apples to Apples).  For the students who don't have a well-written reader's response, I give them verbal feedback ("Needs more details," or "I see the cause but not the effect," etc.) which they USE to write a better response tomorrow for another chance at a stamp.  Even the students who don't get a stamp until Thursday are pumped that they get a free rotation on Friday, even though there are students who have had a free rotation every day almost all week! :)

The best part, though, is that the students are not just churning out blah work to satisfy their writing requirement.  They are actually trying to write their best work the first time, and they are receiving and using meaningful feedback to develop their writing if it needs improvement.

I changed my mind.  The best part is actually THIS: I have already graded a reading/writing assignment for the week, and I can put it in the grade book as a skill grade... WITH NO WEEKEND GRADING.

This is in no way a perfect system.  The whole reason why students write reader's responses is to prove that they read during silent reading, and that they comprehend what they read.  Writing one response a week means that students don't technically have to read for the rest of the week when they've received their stamp.  Maybe instead of writing a response for the rest of the week, students can record a quick video recapping what they've read.

Anyway, it's so nice having more options simply because we have technology in the room.  Yay!

In other news, there are some changes on the horizon and I feel unsettled and a little scared about the future.  I have to remember, though, that I've always had people to help me through life, and I'm sure that won't change any time soon. The educators in my building are truly top-notch, and I'm grateful every day for their influence on me as a teacher.  💗