Too often I find myself scrambling to find information and additional resources to use in the lessons I teach. As was the case for the 100th day of school. I was looking for a good book that not only referenced the 100th day of school, but also something that included some type of first grade math. My initial thought was to go through my books that I had in my classroom, but something from our reading stopped me . As I was researching all the websites available through our reading of Chapter 2 and the websites given on webcourse, I found the information I was looking for. I initially accessed Education World and was able to connect to a lesson plan that was perfect for what I needed.
As I researched the FLDOE I found some similarities and differences to those of other states. I found that the FLDOE had many more community outreach programs than those of other states. For example, the FLDOE had resources for family involvement and the list of sites were plenty. I visited the "All Pro Dad" website and found many other outreach programs and parenting tips through this site. I've never had much luck with FLDOE website until I really had the chance to explore it. I have only used it to look up my certification and make sure I was actually allowed to teach in Florida.
Beyond this, I also took a look at the Seminole County Public School website. I often use this webpage during my classroom instruction as this is the county I teach in. There is a student tab available on the webpage that lets students access different reading programs, such as, Tumble Books and other helpful library links. Of course, there are resources for teachers as well. There are many reading programs accessible through the educator link and Professional Development tab. Teachers have open access to sign up for many of the PD classes the county offers. I have used the district website to get copies of numerous things, such as, benchmarks, NGSSS standards, and other assessment data.Educationally relevant materials are all over the webpages I located during my search. It's the matter of finding these sites on your own. I appreciate the limiting your search examples given in the reading, as I never knew these common operators.
I have a strong like for Professional Learning Communities for a few reasons. First, if your're collaborating with your colleagues about what you are teaching often times there is always someone that knows of a site that is useful for what you are teaching. Second, PLC's almost make us constantly refine what it is that we are teaching. What is it that we can do better, what other resources are out there? Keeping it fresh and constantly collaborating with our peers keeps these searches on-going.
It’s funny but I am in my first year of a new grade level, and with the pressures of FCAT performance, I too look for ways to add to my everyday lessons. I found some great resources at the Florida DOE, where I could look at old released FCAT tests. It was much easier to see the questions on the test, then to hear the concept/benchmark that scored the lowest. I found some helpful ideas for lessons that covered many non-fiction topics at the “Time for Kids” Website. Even though I only have 20 some copies for 60 some students, I was able to print worksheets and utilize the “Time” Website for new ways to present lessons that covered key topics that I needed to help my students improve on. Without the growing use of the Web and companies creating these websites, it would leave teachers in the dark. Having effective lessons at your finger tips really makes the world of difference, especially in our busy lives.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t used the Orange County site as much for teaching or gathering additional resources, but they do pay for a number of online site licenses. These websites are connected to our reading series through a program called “Riverdeep/ Destination”. As outlined in the textbook, it gives the unit and lessons that go along with the skills being taught in whole group. I can, in an hour, create ten lessons that covers all aspects of comprehension skills taught in whole group. This also allows me to coordinate with the computer lab teacher, so their planning is done. I can then use the site to see the level of completion and give tests on specific skills. It seems that Seminole County has gone a step further and created bookmarked pages for teacher and students to go to instantly to alleviate some of the planning it usually takes to search for the sites on our own.