teacher blogs I follow (both languages)

French Teacher Blogs
Check back to this post, I will update the list as I find more resources.  I am fairly particular and limit my reading to spaces that I find especially beneficial.


Madame Milner at Mon petit doigt me l'a dit
Madame Milner posts student work so you can really see what the students are doing.

Lucille Richard at Le blogue d'Alliage éditeur
A new blogger, both free and paid resources.  Once in awhile there are free downloads, plays for FI students.

Madame Bernice at Classe de Madame Bernice
Madame Bernice is a champion of the Daily Five en français!  My favourite is her post of the strategies for CAFÉ all typed up and formatted with visual cues for students.  Even if students make/print the posts for your CAFÉ menu it's a breeze to at least have them all ready for you in French.

Primary Success
This is a site that is curated in conjunction with Paola Wilson who creates French resources.  She is also a Daily Five champion.  Paola sells collections of student books, she also reads them on you tube so 'listen to reading' options are easy to find.  If you join the e-mail list you will receive free seasonal resources every month (merci Paola!).  I believe in your first issue you have to request to be put on the French mailing list.

Madame Hawtree at Scoop It
This one I like a lot.  If you subscribe you will get a tip or link or item every week.  The posts usually include excellent resources and are free.

Littératout at Littératout
Some free resources, some paid.  This is a very professional site, you will find specifically elementary, literacy FI resources.  I linked to some resources I particularly liked here (click on the images in the post for file download).

English Teacher Blogs

Kate Lechleiter at Journey with an ipad
This is a very new blogger but she posts student work a few times a month and shows real examples of what her students did with a particular web 2.0 tool.  There are tons of lists out there saying top 20 free apps or web tools for teachers, it is more credible and authentic for me to see a new teacher posting something she actually tried and filling me in on the difficulties and successes.  Plus, she does not have 1:1 with her tech (a device for every student).  She started with only 1 iPad.

Aviva Dunsiger at Ancaster Meadow School
Aviva teaches grade 1 and uses twitter with her students - all the time!  She also posts actual student work, videos.  She has a clip where she shows us her classroom and you get a feel for how tech is completely integrated.  Rather than randomly searching the net for apps and 2.0 tools I follow teachers like Aviva and Kate and I try whatever they tried.

Dinah Zike at Get in the fold
New ideas for students to represent learning called foldables.  There is a place for tech and a place for paper and the intricacies of creating something with your hands from nothing, I enjoy both and imagine students do as well.

ambrose student teachers

Hi there Ambrose teachers.

It was great to spend some time with you this afternoon.  I haven't added all of the links we discussed but those will be up by Sunday night (Feb. 19th 2012).  I will also add the links to resources that your colleagues mentioned.  Please find my e-mail address below if you have any questions, I'd love to hear from you and if I don't know something I can probably track down who does.

shannonwiebe@hotmail.com

DOCUMENTS & LINKS:

Alberta learning programs of study
Curriculum summaries
An overview of learning outcome topics by grade.  This document is originally meant for parents and I send one home with each student in September.  I have students glue it into their agenda so that we can look back at it and see what we have learned.  You will be educating parents about school, this tool will help.

LA Illustrative examples
Very considerate document.  Plenty of specific lesson examples that give the outcomes practicality.
Alberta Authorized resource database (too much information sometimes)

Calgary Board of Education Calendar 2012-2013
Rocky View Schools Calendar 2012-2013
How many weeks do I really have to teach?  What will I uncover during each term?

Begin with the end in mind and know what you school's report card will look like in September, if possible have a look at the template and past teacher examples in August (you can usually browse student files and make copies if names of students and teachers are omitted, ask first).

Breakdown of instructional minutes per grade and subject area
Your administrator will most likely have a more specific weekly guideline for you to help with developing a time table.

Reading and writing continuum STUDENT evaluation
Reading and writing continuum TEACHER evaluation
I will have a look for and post speaking and listening and the benchmarks for math.

Long range planning tool for Ontario teachers
Go here to know what should be in a long rang plan and for comprehensive collections of modification and teaching strategies.  I wish Alberta had this!

Long range plan templates from Alberta Learning
Note:  For the above file be sure to click download original as the file in the google doc does not seem to maintain formatting and the table headers or not properly oriented.  This document is very comprehensive and includes examples.

Beginning of Long Range Plan with 2012-2013 CBE calendar
This is my first step in long range planning and lists each term with boxes for core subject areas.

Beginning Alberta Teacher Handbook and Conference
As an Alberta teacher you are entitled to release days (extra substitute days) for this conference in your first 5 years of teaching, be sure to go, it's great place to network and get tips on how to make it through the first year.  I believe the conference registration is also paid for by the ATA.

Rocky View Portrait of a 21st Century learner
Alberta Learning 21st Century Competencies

Sample Timetable
Sample monthly planning
Sample weekly planning
Sample Day Plan

Below are the resources I have used or have been commonly used at the schools I have taught at.  Be especially sure that you are using up to date approved resources, especially for math as this is a fairly new curriculum.  These changes are best reflected in the most recent and provincially approved resources (this list is not yet complete).  These are places to start and I will purposefully not make this  an exhaustive list.  You will find things you love as you learn.  I use these resources every day in my teaching.  These resources are developed by publishers along with teachers, they are typically the experts in their field and you can use these resources and strategies with confidence.

MATH:

Pearson Math (French and English)
Good tip, each binder comes with a disk.  You can load the disk onto your laptop and have it forever.  I like being able to flip through the resource but for student teachers who can't always take the whole thing home this is a dream.

Nelson Math
Disk also included, whoot whoot.

Box cars and one eyed jacks

The Power of 10

SCIENCE:

Edmonton Public Science Modules (French and English)

Please note that each grade and topic of this science resource also has a binder of assessment and evaluation for each unit.  Your goal is triangulated assessment (3 pieces), a Product, an Observation, a Discussion, same for math (for every subject area really), often the assessment binder is missing or hidden in someone's class, it's a great supplement to the main booklets.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

The Daily Five (book, this is a literacy model used everywhere at the moment)

CAFÉ (the follow-up book to Daily Five

The website of the sisters who created this model and wrote the books is here:  The two sisters.  Some resources on the site are free, I subscribe to their tip of the week.  It's a lot of information.  Read the books to start.

Early literacy Jolly Phonics
K, 1 and 2 you need this.  I have used the popular Animated Alphabet, however Jolly Phonics is simpler, is in French and English, and translates well to grades 3 & 4 when students may need remediation, it isn't too juvenile.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Many Voices
Disk included.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:

The ABCD's of movement from Edmonton Public

ART:
that artist woman blog spot
This is my go to resource for art ideas.  She links to other great art blogs but if I could pick one this would be it.  Once students learn a technique through a prescribed piece (a tree, an owl and so on) give them the chance to explore the technique to create something unique to them (ie: paint an autumn tree this way - what else can you paint using that technique?).

ICT (technology):
Web 2.0 tools there are millions, I will link some articles and collections here and will aim for those posted by Canadian teachers.  Don't get overwhelmed.  Have 3-4 in your repertoire and then you can slowly add, the world of tech changes daily.

Edutopia
This is a fairly popular and professional blog, search web 2.0 tools for various collections for educators, perhaps begin with anything that says free . . .

HOMEWORK:
Homework calendars for K-4
Click on shop and then grade level and you will see 'Homework Calendars' (for purchase $9 for the year - worth it for me).

PLN (your Professional Learning Network, blogs, twitter, zite):
Get a reading list going whether new posts go to Google Reader or your inbox.  My blog and twitter Professional Learning Network keeps me current in my practice.  I will post some to start with.

We Give Books (Wink)
An online collection of free stories, hundreds of read alouds at your fingertips!

See my blog reading list here.  I also have a Twitter PLN, they're great people and talented educators.

Other topics I would love to talk with you about include; report cards, your resume, and integrating technology (I know a great high school teacher in Rocky View who could come down for an afternoon.  Check out his blog at Mr. Keenan, his class blog is also interesting Mr. Keenan's Class)

quand j'ai fini mon travail

The options shown on this classroom poster can be changed and are stuck on with velcro.  Dice and card games are math games that the students already know.  My students can handle a few more options I think; 'I can work on my project', 'I can do word work' (anything currently at that Daily Five station), 'I can use an iPad or iPod' (list 'approved' apps), sometimes 'I can paint', I use easy to clean up paint pallets.  j'ai fini mon travail (printable for poster)

parler de mon lecture

Free (some) downloadable resources at Littératout

Teachers will appreciate the clear and explicit self-directed instructions for students.  Could this be incorporated into Daily Five?  Grade 2-4 could be fairly independent with these reading response strategies.  Click on images for direct link to files.  There are more, I only re-posted two.

des excellentes vidéos en français

This is the best quality site I have found for French videos.  The initial link I have provided are the videos suggested for younger children but there is a ton on this site.  Excellent site as a first stop for some audio visual support for lessons and inquiry projects.  I also enjoyed the collection "Une minute de science S.V.P."

Office National du film du Canada

Here is a sample:

les enfantastiques

There comes a time in every French Immersion student's life when they become too cool and mature for the likes of Charlotte Diamond and Matt Maxwell.  When that moment arrives you bring on 'Les Enfantastiques'.  Lyrics to the songs can be found online (I will post a collection shortly).  We adore les enfantastiques!  Hip, catchy, quality French music performed by children.  Many songs with a universal message of hope, love, acceptance, and environmental stewardship.  See my youtube channel for this playlist.

Y'en a assez

J'aime les mots

On a tous une place au soleil

Bonne heureuse année

évaluation - l'écriture et la lecture

reading and writing continuum student evaluation
reading and writing continuum teacher evaluation (black and white)
reading and writing continuum (colour)
speaking and listening continuum student evaluation
(my edited version is here, we need something more specific to our provincial learning outcomes)
speaking and listening continuum teacher evaluation
speaking and listening continuum (colour)

The speaking and listening versions are for students learning English as a second language.  We are teaching students French as a second language, the sequence of acquiring the skill is the same (well it isn't great - I will look for something more specific to FI).

Six reasons why you will need few other reading and writing assessment tools if you adopt this or any other continuum similar in quality, scope, and sequence to use with students.

1. Most important feature - you can only level up.  Anyone can glance at the continuum and see progress and next steps - grade 1 students, their next teacher, their parents who want to provide support, anyone.
2. There is a student self-evaluative and teacher evaluative version.  They mirror one another, the student version is couched in clear target terms.  I only use the student self-evaluation version.  We all appreciate the clear language, why not assess students in simple, student-centered language?  Plus the student version does not assign an age range to each skill  - better for student self-esteem.
3. The continuum tracks reading and writing skills from pre-school to high school.  Your students and their parents can see where they were in their learning, where they are, and where they will progress to next in reading and writing.
4. The continuum should, must, ought to be included in each term report, a copy for the student and parents, a copy for the student's file.  Use a different coloured highlighter each term.
5. This continuum will hold you accountable to differentiate your teaching.  When you highlight a student's continuum and see that so-an-so has mastered a particular writing skill there is no way your conscience will allow you to distribute mundane worksheets, one size fits all spelling tests, or watch-and-copy, uninspiring, whole-class writing.
6. Listen up people - I guarantee that using this tool will make your report card writing easier, faster, more meaningful, and more accurate.

un pour l'escargot, dix pour le crabe

template for student story 'Combien de pieds?'

This math infused read-aloud coincides with our science unit about the needs and adaptations of animals.  Tubs of small plastic animals make creating our own stories a snap.  Students were encouraged to find many animal combinations of feet.  At your table can you and your partner make 10 feet?  7?  20?  How many different combinations can you find for 12 feet?

château de glace - 2012

 

 

j'écoute la lecture - youtube

frenchvideoplaylists (my youtube channel under construction)

Creating a channel for your school or classroom on youtube is an easy way to build an online library of quality 'listen to reading' options for students to use during The Daily Five.  Playlists can be uploaded and sorted by season, term, or subject area.  I have developed a channel for K-2 and regularly add videos or closed captioned reading and songs for 'Listen to Reading' during the Daily Five.  Try these searches to curate your own channel:

Comptines (the captioned ones are what I intend, those uploaded by 'comptines')

Alain le lait

Matt Maxwell

Primary Success Paola

tableau de 100

les tableaux de 100 (printable)
20+ things to do with a 100 chart 

This file is about 15 pages long because of course, you just have to have lots of colours to choose from. My deal with colour choice for students is, once materials are distributed, if you can make a deal or trade with someons (find a win-win), go nuts.  There is always some frantic deal making, I often set a quick time limit.  This takes the hassle out of my hands and injects some problem solving and haggling skills into grade one (or kindergarten, ha!). 

I print a class set on card stock and laminate them.  Each student has a chart and a flat glass bead.

As we count during calendar time students slide their glass bead along.

Use later for skip counting and counting on.  Students can call out a number and they all slide their bead to that number.  I can do a quick assessment with a checklist when students are sliding their beads along, do they seem to be counting by 5 accurately?  Do they need more practice?  Do I need to meet with them one-on-one to confirm where they're at?  The back can be used as a response board with a dry erase marker or whole group problem solving during calendar time.

les nombres en mots

les numéros, mots et cadre de dix (printable)

It's important for students to gain number sense and subitize numbers in many different ways.  This visual is a staple in my room.  Some brilliant teacher insisted I add zero - of course, don't forget zero!

cent c'est beaucoup trop

Following the reading of a book I made students created their own book pages about when 1-00 is too much, and when 100 is not enough. The book topic was sent home over the weekend so that students could discuss and come up with ideas at home.  Download the document here --> Cent - livre et page pour les élèves. I wish I would have photographed my students' work for this post!

This book compares when 100 might not be enough and when 100 is way too much.  After much brainstorming students create their own page for a collaborative book by completing the sentence,

"100 ____ is not enough (ne sont pas beaucoup), but 100  ____ is way too much (sont beaucoup trop).

It was helpful to start by listing all kinds of little things that when gathered together still do not add up to very much at all.

A few pages from the book I made. It is in the downloaded documents above.