Technology in Our Schools Matter

This week I had the pleasure to attend the TCEA conference in Austin, TX with 12,000 other educators to learn new ways to incorporate technology in our schools. I was more than excited to serve in a district, Castleberry ISD, where we are ahead of the game when it comes to our students'  access to computers and our teachers'  implementation of technology in the classroom. 

For instance,  in Castleberry ISD, all 5th grade students have an iPad and from grades 6-12th grades all students are 1 to 1 with netbooks. In addition, our school district use Canvas to enhance students' 21st skills. Canvas provides secure spaces for posting readings and other documents, holding class discussions, collaboration, collecting and grading assignments, etc for students and teachers. Canvas also allows the use of media such as on-the-spot video, live video conferences, and more. 

This implementation of technology is important because of the every changing economy. Schools everyday are preparing students for a world that's constantly changing due to new developments of technology, medicine, and jobs. When surveyed, major corporations agreed the top five skills needed by students upon graduation are problem solving 51% (agreed), team-working 33% (agreed), communications 26% (agreed), critical thinking 21% (agreed), and creativity 18% (agreed). 

What we have created in our schools at Irma Marsh Middle and throughout Castleberry ISD are platforms and structures for students to demonstrate those skills every day through the lessons designed by teachers. What an awesome system to be apart of where students are prepared to leave each grade level with the skills necessary to be competitive in a global economy. Let's continue to support our students at home by requiring them to read daily for 20 minutes; use their computers or iPads to blog their reading to other students, and mostly importantly, make sure students are at school everyday. 

At Irma Marsh Middle School, we provide our students with exposure to college and career readiness, community engagement, socialization, and 21st century skills. During the month of October, we were able to implement a school-wide strategy for taking notes called Cornell notes. 

Why Cornell notes? Cornell note taking stimulates critical thinking skills; help students remember what is said in class; a good set of notes can help students work on assignments and prepare for tests outside of the classroom; help students organize and process data and information; help students recall by getting them to process their notes.

Students were taught how to create Cornell notes in every first period class on Friday, October 23. Throughout the day, students continued practicing Cornell notes in various subject areas. This process continued for a solid week. The results were eye opening for both students and teachers. Here are what some of the teachers reported: 

"The first thing I noticed when reflecting back upon Friday's note-taking experience is that I do not give students enough time to reflect at the end of class. I was giving time for more examples and more practice at the expense of allowing students to collect their thoughts and tie together what they have learned. 

I also noticed students commenting on how fast classes were going by on Friday. I think the added note-taking lowered the amount of 'waiting' time in class and made students time feel more full...thereby going more quickly." (J. Loudermilk, 6th grade Math Teacher)

"I noticed that once the initial, 'What section does this go?' questions were answered, the students had much more organized set of notes. In the long run, they will become more efficient at discerning what items they should write down, and which ones they don't need to. We talked in a few of the classes about the impact this skill will have in the future, particularly in college, when there won't be someone telling them to write this down." (A. Brady, 7th grade math teacher)

"My students said that they could see a benefit to taking Cornell notes because it was more personalized and they could write notes down in their thought process.  I did not see much academic talk because they were focused on writing in their own words, but I did see how they compared their notes with their elbow partner.  As we continue to use Cornell notes I am seeing that the organization of their thoughts seem to be more logical on paper.  They still seem to be having a difficult time summarizing what they have in their notes.  I think that will just come with more practice." (S. Connor, 8th grade Science Teacher)

"On the first day of Cornell note taking, my students seemed to be a little bit confused. They pretty much just copied down exactly what they saw on the board, with only a few students really taking the concept and putting it into their own words. The second day (which was Monday, for me), my students did a little bit better and many were eager to ask me, “Can I just write it like this?” (Putting the concept into their own words). I was really excited to see my kids start writing down examples independently starting on the third day that I used the notes. My students also seemed to get a better grasp on the meaning of the academic words (like source, citations, guiding questions, etc.). I really believe that the notes have improved their comprehension of academic vocabulary." (R. George, 6th grade English Teacher)

After exposing students to a week of Cornell notes using paper, students were provided opportunities the next week to take their new skill and apply it to using a netbook to take Cornell notes (At Irma Marsh Middle School, all students have one to one netbooks.). As an instructional leader, it was great to see a school committed to one high yield strategy and students were talking about their learning across curriculums and grade levels using one common language.  

A Great Start to the School Year

I would like to thank our parents for a superb start to the school year. For the first time, we have issued netbooks to all middle school students from grades 6th-8th. In addition, to reduce the number of tardies our students were getting last year and to accommodate the large student population at our campus, we developed a system where students do not use lockers. This has allowed students to get to and from class within the five minutes allotted. Moreover, teachers are working hard to ensure our students are using their netbooks to demonstrate knowledge and to explore engaging classroom content. Our students are doing a great job demonstrating a growth mindset. Students understand the purpose of school is to learn new content. Furthermore, not understanding a subject and scoring below 75% requires that they attend tutoring. 

Tutoring begins the week of September 14 for our students. The below schedule for tutorials is as follows: 

Monday       (Science)

Tuesday       (Language Arts)

Wednesday  (Math)

Friday          (Social Studies)

All after school tutorials are from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. An after school bus will run for students who need a ride. Please talk to your student about not going outside of the school if they are attending tutorials. Students should remain in the building and report directly to their class. Snacks will be provided for students who attend tutorials. Teachers may provide additional tutoring during the morning or after school in addition to what is posted. We ask teachers to honor tutorials that are assigned for that day, so students who are in need of assistance in multiple subjects may attend tutorials that are needed. 

Me gustaría agradecer a nuestros padres por un excelente comienzo al año escolar. Por primera vez, hemos distribuido cuadernos a todos los estudiantes de grado 6 al 8. Además, para reducir el número de tardanzas que los estudiantes obtuvieron el año pasado y para acomodar el número de estudiantes en nuestra escuela, desarrollamos un sistema donde los estudiantes no utilizan armarios. Esto ha permitido que los estudiantes lleguen a tiempo a clase dentro de los cinco minutos asignados. Por otra parte, maestros están trabajando duro para garantizar que nuestros estudiantes estén utilizando sus cuadernos para demostrar el conocimiento y participación en clase para explorar contenido académico.  Nuestros estudiantes están haciendo un gran trabajo demostrando una mentalidad de crecimiento. Los estudiantes comprender el propósito de la escuela es para aprender nuevos contenidos. Por otra parte, no comprender el tema y obtener un grado menos de 75% requiere que el estudiante asista a tutoría.  Tutoría comienza la semana del 14 de septiembre. A continuación, encontrará el horario de tutoría:
Lunes           (ciencia)
Martes         (lenguaje)
Miércoles     (matemáticas)
Viernes         (estudios sociales)

Tutoría se llevara a cabo después de escuela de las  4:15 a 5:15 p.m. Tendremos un autobús después de tutoría para estudiantes que utilizan ese tipo de transporte. Les pedimos que por favor hablen con su estudiante sobre la importancia de quedarse adentro de la escuela y no salir afuera si tienen tutoría.  Estudiantes deben permanecer en el edificio y reportarse directamente a su clase. Bocadillos serán distribuidos para estudiantes que asistan tutoría. Maestros pueden ofrecer horas adicionales de tutoría durante la mañana o después de la escuela aparte de las que mencionamos anteriormente. Les pedimos a los maestros que honoren las horas asignadas de tutoría diariamente, para que los estudiantes que están necesitando ayuda en varias materias tengan la oportunidad de recibir la ayuda necesaria.

Students, "Are You Dreaming College and Careers?"

My name is Derrick Spurlock, new principal at Irma Marsh Middle School. It is with great enthusiasm I joined the excellent educators of Castleberry ISD. It has been a joy to visit with parents and teachers since my arrival on July 7. My goal is to ensure our students and teachers develop a growth mindset which means at Irma Marsh Middle School all of our students are scholars and our teachers are facilitators of learning. We are determined to ensure your child is college and career ready upon entering high school. Our motto is “Are You Dreaming College and Careers?” I look forward to meeting you on August 4 and 5 for registration. If you have not registered online, please do so. If you need assistance, please call the school for one of our support staff members to assist you.

 

Mi nombre es Derrick Spurlock, el nuevo director de la escuela Irma Marsh Middle School. Me da un gran entusiasmo de tener la oportunidad de colaborar con un equipo de excelentes educadores de Castleberry ISD. Ha sido un placer visitar con los padres y profesores desde mi llegada el 7 de julio. Mi objetivo es de asegurar que nuestros estudiantes y profesores desarrollen una mentalidad de crecimiento, siendo así nuestros estudiantes de Irma Marsh Middle School serán reconocidos por su nivel académico y nuestros maestros como facilitadores del aprendizaje.  Estamos determinados a asegurar que su hijo esté listo para el colegio y una carrera al empezar la secundaria. Nuestro lema es "¿Estás Soñando Colegio y Carreras?" Espero tener el gusto de conocerlos este 4 y 5 de agosto durante las inscripciones. Si no se ha inscrito por internet, por favor hágalo. Si usted necesita ayuda, por favor llame a la escuela y pida hablar con el personal para obtener asistencia.

Test Run