Sunday, August 29, 2010

Save or Toss?

0 Comments

View Binder Makeover
A question I hear from parents every year is, "What do I do with all of this stuff?" Throughout the year, you may wonder what to keep and what to toss. I say we address this now. My advice? Use portfolios!

One of the most useful ways to document your student’s progress is to create two portfolios - one for Writing and another for Favorite Projects. A portfolio could be in the form of a binder, a large album or a scrapbook. Large view binders are my favorite, because you can personalize the cover with scrapbook paper and a title (left). You can also add clear plastic sheet protectors inside to hold odd-sized pages.

Writing Portfolio: Whether you are a kindergartener or an 8th grader, it is important to store your writing in a portfolio. Every piece of writing can go into the portfolio (even if it was a quick write or rough draft). Keep everything in order by date and you will be amazed at your student’s progress over time! 

Favorite Projects: Have your students choose their favorite lessons and projects as you go through the year. If they want to keep EVERY project, put them in a bin and revisit them at the end of the school year. Fun things to include are:
  • Exceptional or favorite pieces of work 
  • Notes about your student's progress and experiences 
  • Photographs of your student performing science experiments and other fun lessons
  • Photographs from educational outings and family trips
  • Photographs or scanned images of completed projects
Students will enjoy sharing their portfolios with family and friends. They also serve as a memory book of the year. Many of my former students (who are now in their twenties!) have told me that they still enjoy looking through their portfolios from elementary school!

Do you have a nifty way of saving student work? What do you save and what do you toss? Please share it with the rest of us by leaving a comment!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Welcome to Blog Land!

0 Comments

Howdy kiddos! Welcome to our class blog. First, let me introduce myself. My name is Mrs. Sol and I am a K-6 teacher with WAVA. If you found this blog, I bet you are in my class this year! To find out more about me or to read about our exciting class program, check out our class website.

This year, we will use this blog as a fun way to communicate with one another. As you may already know, weekly communication between teacher and student is very important! There are many ways you can communicate with me each week:

Add a comment on this blog.
Attend an Elluminate lesson or workshop.
Enjoy a class outing.
Talk to me on the phone.
Send me a k-mail.

Every Monday, I will post a comment, a question or a sample of student work on this blog. Sometime during the week, please log on and leave your comment. It will be fun to see what other students have written as well! Are you ready to join the blogging world? Check your k-mail for blogging directions. Then, stay tuned for our first official post on September 7th!


Blog ya later,
Mrs. Sol

Ready for an Adventure?

3 Comments

Yeehaw! Walter and Wen are ready to make their way across Washington State! If you are a family enrolled in the Washington Virtual Academy, and you would like Walter or Wen to visit you this year, please send your home address to Mrs. Sol via k-mail before September 30th.

All of the addresses will be compiled into two lists, one for Walter and one for Wen. Yes, they will be traveling separately to cover more ground and visit more families. Your guest will arrive in your mailbox with a letter and directions. You can take your new friend with you everywhere you go! Walter and Wen love learning about new places, collecting souvenirs and taking pictures.

Walter and Wen's photo at the top of this page is (almost) actual size! They are small, light and easy to mail. Before mailing your buddy to the next family, send Mrs. Sol a k-mail journal of your visit with Walter or Wen and she will post it here along with any photos you would like to share. Then check back to see where the travelers go next!

Who knows, maybe next year Walter and Wen will be WORLD wanderers!

More info coming your way when school starts on September 7th!