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Mrs. Spatz's CPU: December 2014
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Wednesday, December 10, 2014. Lessons from Mrs. O'Rourke. Once, when I was twelve years old, I met a woman who showed me exactly the person I wanted to be. It is interesting how much we don't remember about the most important days of our lives. I don't remember the season. I don't remember where the rest of my classmates were. I don't even remember why we were by the church. As I sit back and reflect on her life, I realize more and more the depth of her greatness. So, as I write my final goodbye (thankfu...
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Mrs. Spatz's CPU: Getting a Little Creative
http://mrsspatz.blogspot.com/2014/09/getting-little-creative.html
Tuesday, September 23, 2014. Getting a Little Creative. This year I took a leap. After years of studying and teaching English, I've begun a new journey: teaching technology. My new position has brought with it a flood of creativity and energy. I'm challenged in new ways, and I am able to challenge my students in new ways. As I revamp my curriculum and step into such a radically different position, I find my thoughts continually returning to one central question: What is the purpose of school? The best wa...
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Mrs. Spatz's CPU: January 2016
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Saturday, January 30, 2016. Community Building Activity Ideas. This week we will be beginning our Phase II of programming for the ExpandED Schools. Program at The Island School. On Monday, students will begin their new courses (Graphic Novels, Robotics, Dance, Art, Athletics and STEM.just to name a few), where they will learn domain specific skills and vocabulary in order to conquer real world, authentic challenges. Here are a few tried and true activities to help bring this community to life:. When I ta...
mrsspatz.blogspot.com
Mrs. Spatz's CPU: Lessons from Mrs. O'Rourke
http://mrsspatz.blogspot.com/2014/12/lessons-from-mrs-orourke.html
Wednesday, December 10, 2014. Lessons from Mrs. O'Rourke. Once, when I was twelve years old, I met a woman who showed me exactly the person I wanted to be. It is interesting how much we don't remember about the most important days of our lives. I don't remember the season. I don't remember where the rest of my classmates were. I don't even remember why we were by the church. As I sit back and reflect on her life, I realize more and more the depth of her greatness. So, as I write my final goodbye (thankfu...
mrsspatz.blogspot.com
Mrs. Spatz's CPU: What thousand words?
http://mrsspatz.blogspot.com/2014/09/what-thousand-words.html
Tuesday, September 30, 2014. My students began presenting their Visual Autobiographies. My 6th graders struggled analyzing their friends. They focused on the surface. "Matt loves his dog. He spends time with friends and family.". They caught the main ideas, but were stuck on the literal, on the true subject of the image. They dug deep to make strong inferences: "Grace is happy with herself and her life. She has siblings, one sister and brother. She loves them a lot. She has a dog which she lo...But the 8...
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Mrs. Spatz's CPU: How Are You Learning?
http://mrsspatz.blogspot.com/2014/10/how-are-you-learning.html
Tuesday, October 14, 2014. How Are You Learning? Over the past few weeks, my colleagues and I have spent a majority of our time discussing educational software, hardware and web tools. We have shared top resources, analyzed assistive technology, discussed potential pitfalls, and explained the systems our schools have in place to help teachers learn new programs. However, there has been one, overwhelming sentiment that has arisen after each conversation:. WE NEED MORE TRAINING. Learning Eating = My Kind o...
mrsspatz.blogspot.com
Mrs. Spatz's CPU: You Did What??: Assistive Tech for ELL Students
http://mrsspatz.blogspot.com/2014/10/this-past-week-my-students-presented.html
Tuesday, October 7, 2014. Assistive Tech for ELL Students. This past week, my students presented their Visual Autobiographies. In order to challenge them to actively practice analyzing images (you can read about my struggles HERE), I created a Google Form for viewers to fill out. It turns out that he had translated the page into Spanish on his Chromebook and was answering the full questions right on the form- no modified handout needed. This week I have been exploring assistive technologies; what I've co...
mrsspatz.blogspot.com
Mrs. Spatz's CPU: Community Building Activity Ideas
http://mrsspatz.blogspot.com/2016/01/community-building-activity-ideas.html
Saturday, January 30, 2016. Community Building Activity Ideas. This week we will be beginning our Phase II of programming for the ExpandED Schools. Program at The Island School. On Monday, students will begin their new courses (Graphic Novels, Robotics, Dance, Art, Athletics and STEM.just to name a few), where they will learn domain specific skills and vocabulary in order to conquer real world, authentic challenges. Here are a few tried and true activities to help bring this community to life:. When I ta...
mrsspatz.blogspot.com
Mrs. Spatz's CPU: October 2014
http://mrsspatz.blogspot.com/2014_10_01_archive.html
Tuesday, October 14, 2014. How Are You Learning? Over the past few weeks, my colleagues and I have spent a majority of our time discussing educational software, hardware and web tools. We have shared top resources, analyzed assistive technology, discussed potential pitfalls, and explained the systems our schools have in place to help teachers learn new programs. However, there has been one, overwhelming sentiment that has arisen after each conversation:. WE NEED MORE TRAINING. Learning Eating = My Kind o...
mrsspatz.blogspot.com
Mrs. Spatz's CPU: January 2015
http://mrsspatz.blogspot.com/2015_01_01_archive.html
Sunday, January 11, 2015. The Quickest Way to Learn Problem Solving: The Hour of Code. A buzz filled the air as I looked around my computer lab. Some students were so enamored with their work that they could not take their eyes off their screens. Some were excitedly pointing to other students' windows, sending helpful hints, explanations and sometimes just telling the answers. Despite the occasional cries of frustration, my students were hooked. The Hour of Code was working its magic. I ask questions lik...
