New Channel One Thinkmarks!

Thanks to Tony for helping get a new Channel One Thinkmark started!

After talking with Tony, we decided that we needed to adapt the current Thinkmark for Channel One. The other version might be too vague for some students. This new Thinkmark required students to complete it four out of five days during the week. It asks them for the main ideas, previous learning, and new learning. There is also a section for predictions of future stories.

These Thinkmarks are copied on pink paper and are still a half sheet size. They are in a basket next to the yellow Channel One Thinkmarks. The yellow Thinkmarks will continue to be available for those who want to use them.

Let us know what you think of this new Thinkmark and how it worked in your classroom. The original is on the Rosemore wiki, if you'd like to download it and make any changes to it.

The Bin Fairy has arrived!

Thanks to Courtney, we have a new tool to help our students keep their bins clean!

During one of our literacy meetings, many teachers expressed their frustrations with messy and unorganized literacy bins. As a results items get misplaced, destroyed, or "stolen." The idea was that on random days, the Bin Fairy will visit, leaving a note and a treat to reward the students for keeping their literacy bins clean and organized.

I have made a few different types of notes to help this work. They are the size of business cards, printed on various colors of card stock. They are already cut and in a basket by the Thinkmarks in the bookroom. Please feel free to take them and use them. If you have created your own notes and would like them copied and cut out, please email it to me and we'll add it to our notes!

Be sure to share how it worked in your class!! One lesson that Courtney learned the hard way - don't give chocolate as a reward if you store your bins on the heater!!

Here are a few examples of Bin Fairy notes:

This is a bin that would receive a visit from the Bin Fairy:

This is a bin that would not receive a visit from the Bin Fairy: