Social Media for Parents link

I made this Smore to share with parents tomorrow night at our Book Fair Family Night.

Here you go: Social Media and You


Feel free to share! Have a great end of the week ;-)

Live Binder Update

Two new Symbaloo Links were added to my Live Binder of Resources along with a new tab for my Smore creations. As the summer approaches, and conference season is among us I will be updating these frequently so stay tuned here or follow me on Twitter for updates.


Tech Treasures Binder

6 + 1 Traits of Writing review

This was the first book we read for our PLC's at school this year. I finished it last week during a snow day and am using this week to write what I've learned etc. I have post it notes throughout. If you are teacher of students third grade and up I highly recommend this book. It was very practical with tips and examples of student work throughout the book. All quotes/notes are from the book and items that I found to be beneficial.

Chapter 1:
This chapter talks about how writing fits into assessment and instruction as well as the differences in revising and editing. Students need to see the differences in the two, so they can start to apply the process.

• Revising: Re-visioning your work....Messy ideas until they come into focus 
• Editing is putting the house in order before company arrives. 
• "The purpose of revision is not to correct, but to discover." ~Lucy McCormick Calkins
• "Revision is re-seeing the topic so the writer can discover meaning. Editing is making the meaning clear so that the reader can understand meaning." ~Donald Murray 

Chapter 2

This chapter introduces the Ideas trait. It details the process of ways to teach the trait as well as assess the trait. This chapter was full of meat and ideas ;-)

• Writing begins with having something to say 
• Writing is always better when it is written for the writer and not the teacher or reader. (I loved this point because writing is such an outlet for me. I love blogging, writing in my journal etc.)
• Students have to see themselves as writers not just finishers. 
• Details need to be unique to writers' experience. 
• Teachers should always reinforce the positive. 
• The purpose of assessment is to improve student performance the next time the task is attempted. 
• Telling statements vs. Showing statements ...Show me, don't just tell me!
• When you write about things you care about, ideas soar. 

Chapter 3

This chapter introduces the organization trait. I love how throughout this book using examples for literature that is familiar to the students is encouraged. Examples are also included in various chapters. 

• A piece with strong organization begins with a clear purpose that creates anticipation in the reader. 
• The reader never loses the big picture....
• For every piece of writing there is a structure that makes sense...(In other words it's not always a five paragraph format that works for every prompt...)
• Am I process teacher or a product teacher? 
• Birthday gift illustration: Main idea: Box's content, Details: Bow and Wrapping Paper, Conclusion Sentence: Ribbon that ties it all together.

Chapter 4

This chapter introduces the trait of voice. Students need to learn and see how to create something that is a voice and not an echo. I loved the voice 

• Almost every writer has a style or voice. 
• "Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish." ~John Jakes
• Voice: the writer's music coming out through the words, the sense that a real person is speaking to you and cares about the message. 
• Emails can confuse reader at times and is subject to interpretation....needs to be well crafted (oh how true this is. We often times forget that our voice must shine through our words in every text or email, so that our true purpose can be felt.)
• "Live in the moment with your students, and they will prepare themselves for the future." (My favorite quote of the entire book)

Chapter 5

This chapter introduces the trait of Word Choice. 

• learn to look for the logic behind the errors ( most students have a reason or rhyme to why they choose the words they do(right or wrong). 
• Steer students away from impressive vocabulary and toward the skill of to use every day words well. 
• Active vs. Passive Voice

Chapter 6

This chapter introduces the trait of Sentence Fluency.  Many strategies that we use to teaching Reading Fluency can also help with teaching Fluency in writing as well. 

• Giving students an opportunity to read their writing aloud is vital. (I've found that reading a students written work out loud to them is a way for them to recognize their mistakes. When they hear it read, it becomes obvious it doesn't sound right.)
• Classrooms where there is writing taking place should have noise. 
• Fluency can work hand in hand with instruction on other traits (i.e. conventions). 

Chapter 7

This chapter introduces the trait of Conventions. The author compares the use of conventions to the good table manners of writing. This chapter was one of my favorites, not because it is a topic I enjoy, but one I found very beneficial. Many times in the classroom grammar and conventions are practiced in the form of worksheets etc. When this is done, students have difficulty applying the skill in the writing process. This is also an area that needs to be practiced and reviewed daily, even as adults. We tend to forget what we do not apply. 

• Make sure conventions are correct when "publishing" 
• See conventions for what they are and pay attention to evolving language and how technology plays into it. 
• Hold students in Grade 7 or above to a higher standard for conventions. (By this time most students should know how to apply most conventions). 
• Teachers/Students should choose a convention goal. Practice applying one skill, area at a time until mastery. 

Chapter 8

This chapter introduces the trait of Presentation. The student examples in this chapter brought to life the information the author was discussing. Presentation is the additional trait that was added later. This trait is referenced to rolling out the welcome mat for the reader. 

• How the paper looks influences our reaction to it, no matter how hard we try (Often times as teachers we learn how to read writing that non teachers would dismiss as illegible). 
• Presentation demonstrates to students that first impression (in many areas) means a lot.  

As a teacher I enjoyed this book as well as a writer. I read the content with instructional practices in mind as well as application as someone who blogs or writes on a regular basis. Writing is quickly becoming a lost art in the classroom. Students are feeling forced to stay within set limits, set parameters, and the creativity that often times makes a student's writing come to life is not found. When we give students an opportunity to demonstrate their voice, to show who they are, they begin to learn to write with a passion. I have been fortunate to see these traits applied in the classroom. Using these traits and the rubric the book provides has guided my conferences to them to see what they did well and how they can improve. 

You Make a Difference

So for most teachers in the country, last week was a crazy week of weather closings and/or weather delays. It's left everyone scrambling over the weekend to "catch up" and the traditional Sunday night panic has started to ensue. Regardless of what you teach, everyone seems to be feeling some kind of stress right now. As a special education educator, it's paperwork. The demands of the paperwork seem to never end and just when I think I've gotten a handle on it and it's organized for now...boom something changes to mess with that "plan". Teachers by nature are good at being flexible and "rolling with things" to a certain point as long as they know what they are doing makes a difference.  Some how every year we justify the stress as long as we know that in the end it is making a difference for at least one. That's why we do what we do so much and why we push past our own needs. Recently I was met with a comment that rubbed me the wrong way. It made me question what I do and made me analyze my time spent on certain tasks. In short it made me feel like what I was doing, the time, the effort, to put towards not only Plan A, but having Plans B-Z ready just in case wasn't worth it. Sometimes I think it's hard to not see past our own stresses and realize everyone is stressed this time of the year. So I had a decision to make, could I keep pushing the replay button on that comment and let it affect how I view what I do or could I do something about it. Inspired by some amazing ladies in my PLN I pulled together some of my favorite quotes. This blog post is not a techie post, a book review, but simply an encouragement post. For a minute I realized, if I am feeling this way, maybe someone else is. My hope is that one of these quotes will be what you can hang on to this week and push through all of the demands. Despite the stress, the endless to-do list, and the calendar that has more to do than hours, you are making a difference. You decide which comments go in the replay section and which ones go in the delete section, choose wisely. One last shout out before I add the quotes....if you are a special education teacher...YOU MATTER! I know we do not always hear it as much as the general education teachers do, but what you do makes a difference and matters to so many.

Have an amazing week teachers and never forget... You Matter!! 

Webinar tomorrow...

Webinar tomorrow for Simple K-12 and I found an amazing website:

Interactive Sites

I wanted to give my blog readers a sneak peek at this resource I will be sharing tomorrow. I'll post a Symbaloo Link on Twitter tomorrow and on here later this week of all of the resources that I will be sharing. Stay tuned more coming I promise!

Follow me on Twitter @mnmann

My word for 2015

I started off with choosing three words for the year and then later had to narrow it down to just one. That took some time. When I think of imprint, I think of an impact and indention in something. I want to leave an imprint on the lives I come in contact with in 2015. I want my students to know how much they matter each and every day. I want my students at school to know that they can do anything they set their minds to. I want them to know what it feels like to reach that goal they have set for themselves. I told them at the beginning of the year that if they would put themselves in the game, I would be their biggest cheerleader. I want the kids I see outside of school to know that someone believes in them and is there for them. I want them to see the importance of time. Time doesn't mean playing a game on a computer or a video controller. Time sometimes means listening. I want to leave my imprint on them and I'm working on now to listen more than I talk. To listen more than spending time on my phone(ouch yeah I'm resolving to work on that). To leave an imprint this year I also have to take care of me. I have to pour in so I can pour out. I have to strengthen myself inside and out in order to make that imprint throughout the year and to have the stamina to keep the pace I have created for myself. So after reading two blog posts, I finally settled on a word for the year..2015 is the year for leaving an imprint like footprints in the sand because whether we realize it or not...others are following.

Imprint...touching others so they can impact and touch on their own! Imprint...being God's hands and feet and making a difference in 2015. Imprint...taking the You Matter message to every student I can. Imprint...taking care of me when needed so I can give to others.

Why I do what I do..........

I didn't realize when I first saw the You Matter manifesto on Twitter last year just how much it would change my life. It has become an integral part of why I do what I do. I've not only hung it on my bulletin board this year, but I've made kids read it. Sometimes as a special education teacher, I don't always get to see the academic light bulbs or the academic progress. However this year I've gotten to see the bulbs that go off when all kids realize that they matter and can make a difference. Today I had the privilege to serve as a hero alongside other heroes(policemen, firemen, members of the armed forces, and medical heroes etc.). We had the opportunity to take kids on a shopping spree for Christmas, thanks to a local church. Watching these kids spend almost an hour shopping for what they wanted was priceless and humbling at the same time. Today was a day I will never forget. Today was a day that I got to see the You Matter manifesto seed planted in almost 600 kids. This is why I do what I do. I also caught myself talking about "my kids" today and had one of the other volunteers ask if I had kids. (Other teachers understand what I mean).

If you are unfamiliar with the You Matter manifesto, check out this link:  You Matter Manifesto