The 3 R's and OWL

I attended another great session at NSTA for science notebooks. The purpose of our notebooks are record, reflect, and reach out. If you are wanting to add something to the notebook ask yourself first if fits in with one of the three R's. If not, it still maybe something for science but it may not need to go in the notebook.

One great to record observations is to use and OWL chart. This chart is similar to KWL but instead of what do you know and what do you want to know the children would record what they observed and what they wonder.

Foldable Alert!!!!

Just found a great website for foldables.
Enjoy!
Foldable Blog

Foldable Addiction

I have a problem, but it's adorable, so I've been told!!! I love foldables. They are a great tool for student engagement and organization. I had the pleasure of attending one of Dinah Zike's mini sessions at NSTA in San Antonio a few weeks ago. She is amazing and inspiring.
I found a Reading/Study Skills and a Math Book with tons of foldable ideas.
There are many more books to choose from on her website: http://www.dinah.com/

Here is a sample for my Biography Display Cube Project with an accordion timeline pocket attachment.

Teacher Toolkit

Need engagement ideas and activities for your classroom?
Teacher Toolkit is a great website, created by Region 13, to find the tools your are looking for. It is very easy to navigate and there are great templates available for all grade levels and content areas. Check it out today.

Processing Standards

What are your students doing in science?
Hopefully, they are investigating, observing and exploring. I have spent a lot of time the last few weeks defining the process standards and what they might look like in the classroom through the year. Thanks to region 13, I was able to organize my notes and share with other teachers in our district.

Kinder   First   Second   Third   Fourth   Fifth

Problem Solving

I worked with some third grade students last week on problem solving strategies and they inspired me to create some task cards. Enjoy.

Problem Solving Task Cards

Personal Financial Literacy

The new math TEKS are coming soon and we have a new strand to learn and teach; personal financial literacy. There is a conference this summer in San Antonio for educators in June. It would be a great opportunity to learn and share ideas on teaching this new strand. Here is the link if you are interested. 

TCEE Smarter Texas Conference

Math and Science Notebooks

I loved our science notebooks last year. The kids did a great job with them. I felt they told our science story for the year. Our math notebooks on the other hand were a different story. They were an unorganized mess and I just couldn't get a grip on what I wanted them to look like. After searching all summer I found this great blog that gives step by step directions and photos.

If you want to have great notebooks for next year, you need to check out this blog:

Tales of Frogs and Cupcakes

Even though, I am not in the classroom next year, I am going to set up a math and science notebook for trainings that I attend and/or give. I can't wait to share. 

Welcome

My name is Ginger Bordeau. I have been an educator for 19 years. Many of those 19 years were spent teaching math and science in elementary schools. I did a brief time in middle school teaching math and then returned to elementary. 

This is my first year as an Instructional Coach with HaysCISD. 

My passion is math and science and I want to share great ideas I find with my educator friends. 

Welcome to my blog.