News and Notes 3/13

News and Notes

From Fourth Grade

Recitation

One of the most common fears is that of public speaking.  Even the most self-assured and confident people are known to suffer from anxiety produced by speaking in front of a crowd.  While it is a very common and relatable fear, it is also an important skill to have - the ability to speak to a crowd.  This week the fourth graders had a chance to practice their public speaking skills in a very specific way... they recited poetry.  After working for weeks on making inferences while reading poetry and analyzing poetic language, the fourth grade readers took to the stage to recite a poem of their choosing.  With inflection and emphasis, with sing-song voices and dramatic pauses, the fourth graders did a fantastic job reciting their poetry.  Not only does this activity help them sharpen their skills of public speaking, it also increases their reading fluency.  Reading and memorizing poetry is a great way to increase both reading comprehension and reading fluency, two of the essential skills of a "reader." 

Practice, Practice, Practice

The fourth graders got to practice this week.  They logged in to their computers and took some practice Smarter Balanced Assessments.  These tests, which we will be taking in April, are the current standardized tests adopted by the state of New Hampshire.  What is different about these "SBAC" tests as compared to the NECAP tests of the previous few years?  The biggest difference for our students is that the tests are completed online.  Instead of filling in bubbles, the students were practicing how to show what they know on a computerized assessment.  The good news is that many of our technology concerns were settled as the network and technology all worked quite well.  The fourth graders are all very tech-savvy also, which will help increase their comfort levels on the actual testing.  Although it may look and feel different from other tests we've taken, these practice tests proved to us that we can do it!  The fourth grade learners are simply extraordinary, and the SBAC will be just one more way for them to show what they know!

Leftovers

Leftovers brings to mind tupperware and microwaves, but for the mind of the fourth grade mathematician, it should conjure images of division.  This week we started working on solving long division problems with remainders.  We worked through a variety of "real life" scenarios that would require division.  Then we analyzed our answers (quotients) and tried to explain what the "remainders" would mean.  One example we enjoyed was imagining taking our class of 23 students and splitting them into 3 teams for an ultimate game of capture the flag.  The question we asked was, "How many students will be on each team?"  We worked through the steps of long division and found that there would be 7 students on each team with 2 remainders.  But then we had to ask, what does 2 remainders mean?  At first we were stumped, but with a little discussion and cooperative thinking, we realized that it just meant that we had 2 students who wouldn't be assigned to a team.  We said maybe they could be subs or work as referees.  Whatever the case, we recognized the importance of the "leftovers" in long division.  Hopefully this means that none of the fourth grade mathematicians will leave out their remainders as they practice their long division skills!