Viewing: September, 2015
September 25, 2015
Checking Your Child’s Spelling Assessment Results
Our first online spelling assessment went perfectly! Kids were able to complete the assessment at their own pace, and students seemed to enjoy the process of practicing their words online over the week. Because the assessments were completed online, there are not hard copies for me to send home. To check your child’s assessment results each week, have him or her log into Spelling City. On the top-right corner of the screen, click on My Records. Then, locate the spelling list for which you want to check the results, or the activity, or the date. Click on the activity name to see the results of the assessment. Please feel free to email me with any questions! Enjoy your weekend!
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
September 21, 2015
Spelling Words Starting Today
We are excited to launch our spelling program this week! Each week, the spelling list will be generated from the week’s lessons. Words on the list might be vocabulary terms from the week’s lessons, words that came up in the course of discussions in class, or words that are being introduced in preparation of upcoming lessons. We will also have weekly states and capitals to practice.
Last year, my class piloted the use of a program called Spelling City for practicing spelling words and taking spelling assessments. This year, the pilot has expanded to all of fourth grade, and all five classes are using Spelling City for these purposes. Every Monday, students will log in to Spelling City to access their spelling list. The site has many apps and games to help students learn their words. Because their spelling list comes from class discussions and lessons, this system will also help them to practice the meanings of the words.
On Fridays, students will take their spelling assessments on Spelling City. The system will read them the words aloud, use them in sentences, and allow students to spell the words. The advantage of this system is that students can work at their own pace, rather than struggling if the words are coming too quickly. Also, because the assessments are self-grading, students receive immediate feedback about their performance.
Each week, your child should come home and be able to explain why certain words made it on the list (unless they are words being introduced in preparation for an upcoming lesson). Students are encouraged to use Spelling City to play some of the games in order to practice their words in a more enjoyable manner. They are NOT required to complete all the games, despite what the “assignment” might imply. (There may be days in which I will assign a specific game, but I will share that explicit assignment in class.)
In the weeks to come, we will improve our routines with using Spelling City, and we will begin to place more emphasis on the meanings of the words, in addition to the spelling. Coming home today, you will find a letter that explains more about the program and provides you with your child’s username and password. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me!
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
September 8, 2015
Curriculum Night Video
I enjoyed seeing many families at Thursday’s curriculum night. If you were unable to attend, you can watch the recording of the session online (below). There were no handouts, since all materials are available on our class website.
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
September 8, 2015
New email accounts!
Today, students were excited (to put it mildly) to receive their own Avon Public Schools email addresses. We set them up as a class, and students sent test emails to me and to their classmates. These email addresses also enable Google Drive, which will allow for students to collaborate in and out of school on assignments, in addition to making some of our online homework assignments more secure. Students should remember Google Drive and Google Classroom from their work in third grade.
Students have their log in information written on letters that they should be delivering to you.
Over the next few days, we will spend a significant amount of time discussing proper email behavior. We will talk a lot about the SERIOUS, MAJOR topics, such as cyber bullying, internet safety, and the permanency of online communications, as well as email etiquette. Students will learn about how to appropriately use the subject line, how to choose when to include multiple recipients, and more. As kids continue to use their new accounts, I will certainly continue to take advantage of teachable moments to extend these skills. Remember, using email isn’t just a technical know-how skill. It also includes new social norms, pragmatics, and problem-solving skills.
Here are a few things you might want to know about the email accounts and how I am managing them:
- As discussed in the Responsible Usage Agreement that students and parents signed in the fall, email accounts are being distributed to students in Avon Schools starting in gr. 4.
- Students can only send email to and receive email from other avon.k12.ct.us email accounts. (So you cannot email your fourth grader, nor can they email you. This is for privacy and safety reasons.)
- All emails (and other electronic communications within the Google system) are archived pursuant to federal law.
- I do have usernames and passwords for all student email accounts. (I told students this in advance of them choosing their passwords since I know some students may have preferred passwords that they use for many things but might not want to share with me.)
- I told students that they MUST share their username and password with their parents. (If they don’t, email me and I’ll share it.) No secrets here!
- When composing new messages within a web browser, it’s easy to send an email to another APS individual with the same first or last name that the user has started to type. It’s important to carefully select the RIGHT recipients.
- I take any sort of online teasing (up to and including cyber-bullying) very seriously. Kids, don’t test me on this.
- Kids may not set up their APS email accounts on any device (such as an iPad) without parental permission. (Although some kids have their own devices, some parents may prefer that online communication stays on a family computer so they can supervise. That’s why I made this rule.) If parents are ok with this, then be my guest!
- Students are welcome to email me when they have questions or concerns. In the past, I’ve always CC’ed parents when I reply to students. But since you will have their usernames and passwords, I may not continue to do so. I explained to kids that there is one of me and 22 of them, so if I get inundated with emails, I will reply to urgent emails more quickly than less urgent messages.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss