Hello,
After the kids went home this afternoon, the teachers gathered and got our first glimpse of the format for the Smarter Balanced test. This is the test that students will be taking in lieu of the NECAP starting next year. Unlike the NECAP, the Smarter Balanced is taken in the spring and is aligned with the new Common Core standards. We have a six hour "practice" session scheduled for our students in March. Our kids will need to learn how to manipulate the online graphing tools, some special function buttons, and the odd calculator (where they can create fractions) before they will be able to properly input their answers. I don't really want to spend much class time on that, especially for a practice test.
Math class was cancelled today. I went with Plan B. We wrote paragraphs that contained a command, a question, and at least one compound word, homophone, possessive noun and contraction. I was happy to see the pre-writing thinking. I also gave them a lecture about the things in writing that I should no longer have to mention: punctuation, capitalization, margins, full sentences. If only that were true for everyone.
Which planet has a longer day than year? Your child should know.
I just chatted with a colleague for over an hour and now have lost my momentum. And it is almost 7:00. I'm leaving now.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
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