Ms. Alvey's Extreme Classroom Makeover

So how do you all like the Science Centers?  For those of you who haven’t gotten to all of them yet here is what you have to look forward to:

Interacting with the ActivBoard/completing guided questions-without Mrs. Alvey

Play-Doh Art-making an example of conduction, convection, and radiation-then use the digital camera or your phone to take a picture of your groups materpiece

iPod video-This video discussed the Coriolis Effect-which we will get into next week

Computer Center-defining your last four vocab words and adding illustrations if wanted and locating a current event.  Your event must include one of the following topics:

Ocean Currents

Weather

Technology

Science

Engineering

Math

And last but not least small group with Mrs. Alvey-here we will be discussing more in depth how to go about annotating the text.

Now that you have finished 2 of the 5 centers what do you think so far?  Would you want to do something like this again? What other activities could we include in our centers?

As many of you have heard this morning as you entered the school building Gresham Middle School has suffered a great loss today.  I know that at times we all deal with certain situations that are difficult in our life.  If you would like to take a moment to write how you are feeling this is totally fine.  You don’t have to put your name.  Allow this blog to be your support system as we deal with this great loss.

If you find a current event on the web or in the newspaper and would like to share it with our team please post it here.  I would love to turn this blog over to you all and let you be the ones in charge of the postings.  So lets see what you’ve got.  Bring on the current events!!!!!

Hey guys,

I have a special visitor coming to your class on February 22 and 23.  So get ready to be amazed.  Paul, is a former Science teacher who now works for the company that makes  Promethean Activboards.  He is going to teach you how to create your very own flipchart.   I can’t wait to see what you all create.

So you all have made quite an impression this year with all of the activities and technology you use in class. Here is what I want to know: How do you think this technology has helped you in Science? Please put forth some effort in your responses. I really want to know your thoughts on all of this cool stuff we have.

Today a group of 30 students are going to learn how to create their very own audio podcast.  These students will then take what they have learned and teach their classmates how to complete this easy task.  Like I said before making a podcast is so easy my four year old can and has done it.  Happy Podcasting!!!!!

Hey Guys!

I just wanted to let you in on a little secret I found out today.  I was voted one of Gresham’s Teacher’s of The Year by the faculty and staff at Gresham.  I’m sure that they never would have done this had they not seen and heard about all the amazing things we have been doing this year in class.  All of these things would never have been possible without all of your guys energy and enthusiasm exerted in class.  THANKS GUYS!!!!!

I have created two podcasts for all of you about how to create your very own podcasts.  Please view the two podcasts located on my Gresham Middle School blog.  I am going to try and upload them to this site also.   So stay tuned.  Happy blogging and podcasting!!!!!!

Hey guys,
I just attended a workshop about Skype and Voicethread. These are two great sites that we are going to be using in the near future to interact with people all over the world. Let me know your thoughts on who you would like to Skype with and why. For those of you who don’t know what Skype is that is where you can communicate on the computer or via cell phone with people all over the world and it’s free…..even better!!!!

I am about to start my workshop called Making Education Stick. I will let you know how it goes!!!!