iACT Announcements - Week of 3/25

Upcoming Dates
*March 25th - L2L Meeting @ CO at 4:00 p.m.
*March 26th - K-4 Bilingual Adoption Materials Mtg. @ Central Office (K-2 @ 2:30, 3-4 @ 3:15), IDC Mtg @ Central Office at 4:00 p.m.
*March 27th - Superintendent’s Advisory Council (SAC) @ CO (4:00 p.m.)
*March 28th - District TELPAS Validity & Reliability Meeting @ Admin (ESL) 8:30-3:30,
*April 1 - STAAR Alt 2 Window Opens,
*April 2 - TELPAS Submission Day for Holistic Ratings @ RCHS (ESL) 8:30-3:30, Deadline for TELPAS Alt. ratings to be submitted (CTC/Test Admins)
*April 3 - Relay Cohort Meeting in Dallas
*April 4 -
*April 5 - Go Blue for Child Awareness Day, Statewide TELPAS Window Closes

Student STAAR Scores on texasassessment.com
Every student who takes the STAAR test receives a Confidential Student Report that helps parents see where their child is doing well and where he or she may need extra help.

Instructions for parents on how to look up a student’s test scores can be found here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nxcfGFNjrQ8XZgQ-NUU2glKvS6tfyEO4/view. There are many good resources on https://texasassessment.com/ that will assist parents with how understand STAAR and to help their student at home.


26 Must-Watch TED Talks to Spark Student Discussions
TED Talks can engage students and spark meaningful conversations. At 18 minutes or less, these TED Talks can be a phenomenal classroom resource. Here are some of the best TED Talks students (and you) will find informative, funny, and uplifting. - http://bit.ly/2JwJM1j 

Be Internet Awesome - New Family Resources
Now families can Be Internet Awesome, too, with the launch of new resources for parents. Check out Google’s new Family Guide and Tips available in English or Spanish to help families talk about online safety and digital citizenship at home. This would be a GREAT resource to share with your parents!
https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us/families


Education Galaxy for PARENTS
Parents can now connect with their child's Education Galaxy account to improve the home/school connection. Parents are able to pull 6 different reports, send one-way sticker messages to their child and control notifications about their child's scores.

It allows teachers and school administrators to quickly and easily connect with their online Education Galaxy accounts. Now, you can pull reports from your phone, message your students and live monitor your students in a cinch!

To communicate this to parents, use THIS LETTER - http://bit.ly/2JybaMi 

                                  

iACT Announcements - Week of 3/18


Upcoming Dates
*March 18th - TELPAS Holistic Ratings Week Begins (CTC, ESL, Teachers, Admins), Teachers complete their “RCISD T-TESS Teacher Professional Goal: Parts 2&3 Reflection”
*March 19th -
*March 20th - New Teacher Meeting @ Central Office (3:45)
*March 21st -
*March 22nd -Deadline for all Holistic Ratings to be completed (CTC, ESL, Teachers, Admins)
*March 25th - EOY Conference begin with teachers
*March 26th - Principal Meeting @ Central Office at (9:00 a.m.), 3rd Quarter Review of CIP
*March 27th - Relay Cohort Meeting @ Central Office (4:00), Superintendent’s Advisory Council (SAC) @ CO (4:00 p.m.)
*March 28th - District TELPAS Validity & Reliability Meeting @ Admin (ESL) 8:30-3:30, Board Meeting with City of Fate @ Fate (6:00)

April 18th DIY Professional Learning Day

Information about the April 18th DIY Professional Learning Day can be found HERE - http://bit.ly/2TGSu1E

For tutorials on how to make your reflection within Bulb, here's a link to Bulb pages with lots of information - https://www.bulbapp.com/u/bulb-digital-portfolios~2?sharedLink=540c5edc-ecaa-4be9-a4bf-cdf4d6ecf552

Five Good Places to Find Current Events Stories for Kids
Here are some other good places to find news stories that are written and produced for classroom use - http://bit.ly/2EzE9ty

25 Good G Suite Add-ons & Chrome Extensions
Add-ons provide additional functions in Google Documents, Slides, Sheets, and Forms. You can find each of the following add-ons by opening the “Add-ons” drop-down menu while viewing a Document, Slide, Sheet, or Form. After opening the menu select “get Add-ons” and search for the name of the add-on you wish to use. This is a great resource of 25 good G Suite Add-ons and Chrome Extensions - http://bit.ly/2TNpKEH

iACT Announcements - Week of 2/25

Upcoming Dates
* February 25th - TELPAS Assessment Window Opens, Elementary/Intermediate Principals meeting w/Kenny Kaye @ CO (9:00 a.m.)
* February 26th - Assistant Principal Meeting @ Davis (9:00 a.m.)
* February 27th -
* February 28th - MAP User Conference in Plano
* March 1 -
* March 4th - STEM Innovator Coaching Day, ELAR Textbook Committee Meeting @ CO (4:00 pm), Board Meeting (MMV presentation)
* March 5th - Principal Meeting @ Cherry (9:00 a.m.)
* March 6th - Leadworthy Event in Grand Prairie (Intermediate, RCMS, RCHS), STEAM Formation
* March 7th - Groundbreaking Ceremony for Summers MS (11:00 a.m.), STEAM Innovator Coaching Days, 2nd Grade Report Card Meeting (3:30 p.m.),
* March 8th
* March 11-15 SPRING BREAK!


TxEd Tuesday
The campaign to engage our communities and legislators with the good news happening in Texas Public Schools is growing in popularity. Dozens of districts and hundreds of educators are using #TxEdTuesday to give a glimpse into the successes happening in the classrooms across the state. Continue the work by participating on 2/26 as we Celebrate our CTE programs on social media.

Follow RCISD Library Media Services on Social Media
Follow the district Library Media Services accounts on social media to see the amazing things happening in our libraries!
Facebook - http://bit.ly/2DZsnIz
Twitter - https://twitter.com/RCISDLibrary 

Learning on the Go!

Educational podcasts are a fantastic way to get PD in your pocket. What are educators are loving to listen to right now? Here are 10 podcasts to check out - http://bit.ly/2T0ldy3


Tech Tip: Classroom Screen- Upload Your Photos

Classroom Screen is constantly coming out with new updates to their website. The newest feature is the ability to upload your own photos as the background of Classroom Screen.

Click the background button, and then click the button (circled above) that has the arrow pointing up. Then upload your picture.

You could have a positive quote as the background, an image of your family vacation, or an image of your students.

iACT Announcements - Week of 2/18

Upcoming Dates
* February 18th - Professional Learning Day (Campus-based), 3-6th ELAR teachers at Admin Training Room, Librarians in Innovation Room, SLO Check #3 is due,
* February 19th - Principal Meeting @ Vernon (9:00 a.m.), STEM Innovators Coaching Day, TxEDTuesday_Schedule - please try and tweet about “National FFA Week) Don’t forget to #TxEdTuesday
* February 20th - STEMformation Training @ Admin Training Room (8:30), 4th Grade Writing Meeting @ Scott (3:30 p.m.)
* February 21st - K-2 ELAR Cadre Meeting @ Admin Training Room (8:30), STEM Innovator Coaching Day
* February 22 - Deadline for TELPAS Calibration Attempt #1
* February 25th - TELPAS Assessment Window Opens
* February 26th - Assistant Principal Meeting @ Vernon (9:00 a.m.)
* February 27th -
* February 28th - MAP User Conference in Plano
* March 1 -

Tech Tip: Shortcut to Make a Doc

Here’s a shortcut to make a Google Doc. 

1. In the Chrome Browser, open a new tab.
2. Type "doc.new" in the URL bar.
3. Then a new document will appear.

This saves time from having to go into your Drive, click new, and then click the type of application you want. What a great time saver!

*This will work with other Google Applications, too (sheets, slides, and forms).

Try these:

doc.new
slides.new
forms.new
sheets.new

7 Ways to Spark Engagement
Strengthening students’ sense of connectedness to their learning is a worthwhile goal, and there are some simple ways to do it - https://edut.to/2Gv0Dzs 

Read Works Now Offers Illustrated eBooks
ReadWorks, a fantastic free service for ELA teachers, recently added new illustrated ebooks to their library. These illustrated ebooks can be used in the same way that all other ReadWorks ebooks can be used by you and your students. That includes distributing ebooks to your students through a ReadWorks classroom and or through Google Classroom - more information HERE - https://goo.gl/E6r47s

iACT Announcements - Week of 2/11

Upcoming Dates
* February 11th - L2L Meeting @ Central Office @ 4:00, Board Meeting @ 7:00
* February 12th - Asst. Principal Meeting @ Scott Elementary (9:00 a.m.)
TxEDTuesday_Schedule - Please try and tweet “Why do you love your schools?” Don’t forget to #TxEdTuesday.
* February 13th - IDC Members travel to Burkburnett for PBL Site Visit, New Teacher Meeting @ Central Office (3:45 p.m.)
* February 14th - Happy Valentine’s Day!
* February 15th -
* February 18th - Professional Learning Day (Campus-based), 3-6th ELAR teachers at Admin Training Room, Librarians in Board Room, SLO Check #3 is due
* February 19th - Principal Meeting @ Vernon (9:00 a.m.), STEM Innovators Coaching Day
* February 20th - STEMformation Training @ Admin Training Room (8:30), 4th Grade Writing Meeting @ Scott (3:30 p.m.)
* February 21st - K-2 ELAR Cadre Meeting @ Admin Training Room (8:30), STEM Innovator Coaching Day
* February 22 -

12 Anchor Charts to Help Teach Financial Literacy to Your Students
By teaching financial literacy in the classroom, you can help students learn critical life lessons and build important skills. Topics like saving money and learning how to be money smart are great add-ons to any math curriculum. Plus, it will help set kids up for future success - http://bit.ly/2DE5ieD


18 Perfect Read-Alouds for Teaching Growth Mindset
One easy way to encourage growth mindset is through engaging, purposeful read-alouds. Here’s a link to 18 growth mindset books for kids, all of which can help jumpstart conversations about failure, risk-taking, and persistence - http://bit.ly/2DtJIJu

New Bulb Features
Bulb rolled out several new bulb features this month including private profiles, archived collections and our new iOS app. This google doc explains these features - http://bit.ly/2G7upKk


40 Sanity-Saving Indoor Recess Ideas
With all this rain, outdoor recess isn’t an option!

Indoor recess can actually have some benefits. Playing in the classroom can help kids build social skills, like teamwork, cooperation, and sharing. It can give them time for creative play and free choice (which, in the course of a regular school day, may not happen very often). And it can also teach kids to choose appropriate activities and use their time wisely. Here are 40 fun indoor recess ideas, some new and some tried and true - http://bit.ly/2Dug1rT 

iACT Announcements - Week of 2/4

Upcoming Dates

* February 4th -
* February 5th - Principal Meeting @ Fort (9:00 a.m.), 4th Grade Writing Benchmark. Many staff heading to TCEA!
* February 6th - New Teacher Meeting @ Central Office (3:45 p.m.)
* February 7th -
* February 8th -
* February 11th - L2L Meeting @ Central Office @ 4:00, Board Meeting @ 7:00
* February 12th - Asst. Principal Meeting @ Scott Elementary (9:00 a.m.)
* February 13th - IDC Members travel to Burkburnett for PBL Site Visit, New Teacher Meeting @ Central Office (3:45 p.m.)
* February 14th - Happy Valentine’s Day
* February 15th -

9 Top YouTube Channels to Boost Classroom Lessons

Whether they're an intriguing hook or the spark for a thought-provoking reflection, the best videos for school bring the world and all of its wonder into our classrooms. Here are a few great YouTube channels with useful videos for your lessons - http://bit.ly/2G9FOJr

MAP Testing- https://goo.gl/UdZVAW

All MOY MAP testing should be complete. You are welcome to send MOY reports home with students. This is NOT required for MOY. It will be required at EOY!
Kathy Milton will get data uploaded to Edgenuity for MS and HS “MyPath” Users. Previous MyPath courses will be archived and new courses, determined by MOY MAP data, will be assigned. Contact Amy Hopkins with questions about MyPath courses.

10 fantastic Google tips from the Google Teacher Tribe

Google is so deep and so broad and so wide. It’s constantly updating and adding — and sometimes removing — features and services. It’s almost impossible to keep up. Here are 10 favorites - http://bit.ly/2G6BWsR 

New Link on the Blog
We’ve added a link on the blog to the “Curriculum for Principals/Teachers” spreadsheet that is used across the district. Hopefully, it will make the spreadsheet even easier to access.

iACT Announcements - Week of 1/28


Upcoming Dates
*January 28th - January 30; All MAP tests completed
* February 5th - 4th Grade Writing Benchmark. Many staff heading to TCEA!
* February 6th - New Teacher Meeting @ Central Office (3:45 p.m.)


Tier 1 for ELLs
Let's start 2019 off with some new Tier 1 strategies to use when working with our English Learners!!

F.I.S.T. Reading
* First sentence is read.
* Indicate a question based on first sentence.
* Search for the answer.
* Tie question and answer together through paraphrasing.

Four Step Paraphrase
* Write a topic sentence or question
* Read the selection

* Choose 10 key words from selection
* Write supporting statements with words.

T.O.W.E.R. Writing
* Think
* Order ideas
* Write
* Edit
* Rewrite

Tips for Supporting EL Students
* Provide a picture or other non-linguistic representation to accompany vocabulary.
* Allow EL students to utilize native language to understand terms/vocabulary {Google Translate is an awesome resources


The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies
If you’ve struggled to find effective ways to develop students’ speaking and listening skills, here’s a great list of 15 strategies for structuring a class discussion to make it more engaging, more organized, more equitable, and more academically challenging - http://bit.ly/2CLBgoH


Finding Balance in a Digital World
We use digital media every day, from texting, streaming TV shows, and gaming all the way to using voice assistants or ordering our food online. For today's kids, it's a lot more than just "screen time." So how can we help students balance their online and offline lives? It starts with recognizing just how much media we use.This is a lesson plan from Common Sense Media that’s written for Grade 6, but could be adapted for upper grades, as well - http://bit.ly/2CwlU7a
                                   

Seven Keys to Effective Feedback
Who would dispute the idea that feedback is a good thing? Both common sense and research make it clear: Formative assessment, consisting of lots of feedback and opportunities to use that feedback, enhances performance and achievement. See this ASCD article for what feedback IS and ISN’T - http://bit.ly/2UcqsqD

iACT Announcements - Week of 1/21


Upcoming Dates
* January 21st - MLK Holiday
* January 22nd - Asst. Principal Meeting at Middle School @ 9:00, Interactive Read Aloud Training (3rd - 5th) with Debbie J @ Central Office, STEM Innovator Coaching Day (MS),
* January 23rd - Jayne Knighton @ Ruth Cherry, Relay Cohort in Dallas, CKH Training, Supt. Advisory Committee @ 4:00 p.m.
* January 24th - Relay Cohort in Dallas, CKH Training, Jayne Knighton @ Herndon, 4th Grade teacher Essay Grading @ 3:30,
* January 25th - Gretchen Bernabei Workshop with NTxASCD @ Central Office,


MAP Testing
Window continues to be open until Jan. 30th. Please let Kathy Milton or Amy Hopkins know if you are experiencing any difficulties with testing. They are working closely with Zach Allen and the Technology Department to troubleshoot issues.

The Importance of Teaching the Behaviors You Want to See
How do you respond when students don't exhibit the behaviors you would like to see? Do you tell students they need to change? Do you lecture them about responsibility or respect? Do you complain to your colleagues about kids these days? Do you punish or reward?
Read this excellent article by David Geurin about what educators can do to better address non-learning behaviors - http://bit.ly/2CA8R4P 

20 Ways to Cut Grading Time in Half
In the following pages you’ll find 20 really smart ideas you can mix and match to cut back on the time you spend grading and get those piles of paper under control! - http://bit.ly/2CxRqBT 

Teaching Digital Citizenship with Storybooks
Teaching digital citizenship in a meaningful way can be daunting. These picture books illustrate important concepts beautifully - http://bit.ly/2CDuRvy

iACT Announcements - Week of 1/14

Upcoming Dates

* January 14th - 2nd SLO Check for teachers (remember that teachers update the spreadsheet they have in Google Drive - already linked in Eduphoria); IDC Meeting @ 4:00 at Central Office

* January 15th - L2L Meeting @ 4:00 pm at Central Office

* January 16th - STEM Innovators Coaching Day, Relay Cohort @ 4:00 p.m. at Central Office

* January 17th - Jayne Knighton @ RCMS, CTC Make-Up Training (9:00 - 12:00) @ Central Office

* January 21st - MLK Holiday

* January 22nd - Interactive Read Aloud Training (3rd - 5th) with Debbie J @ Central Office, STEM Innovator Coaching Day

* January 23rd - Jayne Knighton @ Ruth Cherry, CKH Training, Supt. Advisory Committee @ 4:00 p.m.

* January 24th - CKH Training, Jayne Knighton @ Herndon, 4th Grade teacher Essay Grading @ 3:30

* January 25th - Gretchen Bernabei Workshop with NTxASCD @ Central Office

TexQuest
TexQuest is a statewide digital resources program that provides anytime, anywhere access to high quality, authoritative digital resources to all educators, students, and students' immediate families in Texas K-12 public schools and open enrollment charter schools. Supported, in part, by appropriations from the Texas State Legislature, Texas districts pay a small per student participation fee to gain access to TexQuest resources from the providers.

Some of the resources in TexQuest: encyclopedias, newspaper articles, images, videos, e-books, learning games, test prep…. and SO MUCH MORE!

RCISD TexQuest resources can be accessed through Clever under the "Inquiry and Research" section.

Information/Training on TexQuest
*Introductory Slideshow
*The Username/Password with descriptions of each resource can be found here
*Links to training videos on each resource: http://texquest.net/welcome/texquesttraining

Please see your campus Library Media Specialist for more information and/or training. This is a valuable resource for you and your students!

Check Out These Great Resources
4 Great Social Studies Apps
4 Good Chrome Apps for Science Teachers

New Features Added to Google Classroom

Last week, Google unveiled a couple of new features for Google Classroom!  

iACT Announcements - Week of 1/7

Upcoming Dates

*January 7th - Lesson Fixer Upper and Humanex Survey Results
*January 8th - Campus Workday and Humanex Goal Setting
*January 9th - New Teacher Meeting @ 3:45 at Central Office
*January 10th - 2nd Grade Report Card Meeting @ 3:30 at Central Office
*January 14th - 2nd SLO Check for teachers - see announcement below; IDC Meeting @ 4:00 at Central Office
*January 15th - L2L Meeting @ Central Office
*January 16th - STEM Innovators Coaching Day
*January 17th - Jayne Knighton @ RCMS


MAP Testing
Middle of Year (MOY) window opens on January 9th closes on Jan. 30th. 2nd grade tests should only be set to read to those students that need it. 3rd - 10th should not turn on oral administration unless students receives that accommodation. Please call Kathy Milton with any questions.

SLO - Student Learning Objectives

It’s time for the January 14th SLO (Student Learning Objective) Progress Check!
Teachers should have already downloaded and filled out the Student Growth Tracker at the
beginning of the year.

Here are the directions (for new staff members not having done this earlier in the year.)
*Documentation will be done on a Google Sheet- Here is the link to the Google form for the

Student Growth Tracker. It will force you to make a copy. The link will be placed in Strive.

See the above directions on where to place the link to your Growth Tracker Document in Strive.

*The dates for each of the progress checks is listed on the form - Nov 12th, January 14th,
and February 18th.
*Remember that the point of the checks is for teachers to adjust instruction for the students who are not growing - not just document where kids are.

Amazon Inspire

Amazon Inspire is a service that provides educators a place to discover, manage, rate, review,
and share educational resources. Teachers, schools, districts, and third-party publishers contribute
to the Amazon Inspire library of instructional resources across the country. Amazon Inspire
will help educators discover digital resources, benefit and learn from the work of their peers,
and help improve the quality of education across the country.

Impact of Reading: Why 30 Minutes?

How many minutes per day should students be reading? What is the relationship between how much students read and their comprehension growth? In this article, you’ll learn the research and impact of reading 30 minutes per day.