Chapter 1 - Setting Objectives

I think Surveymonkey will be a very useful site. I have set up my account and have some ideas for using the surveys in my classroom. I am going to try a survey as a reading interest inventory at the beginning of the school year. The students might enjoy seeing how their interests compare to other students interests. I've always used interest inventories but I have only used the results for my own insight into the students likes and dislikes. A survey would also be useful at the beginning of a new novel. I always go through some thought questions- like an anticipation guide - before we begin. A survey would be an easy way to do this.

I am also interested in using a blog with my classes. I'd like to try to figure out how to have students post book reviews to my blog. I think I'll have to start out with just my SEARCH classes so I don't get overwhelmed reading responses from all five classes at once. Since I'm VERY new to blogging I'm going to have to spend a lot of time figuring out all the ins and outs.

With my team I would like to start a different email system to parents then we've used in the past few years. The science teacher on the team sends out alerts for important dates, assignments, etc as they arise at school. I want to start out with a more organized system this year similar to what I received from my daughter's team last year at LJI. At the Meet the Teacher night, I only had to fill out one info sheet for her whole team of teachers and it was very brief. One teacher from the team sent out a group email for the team each Friday. It gave an idea, obj, assignment for what would be going on in the core classes on each day of the following week. It gave me a heads up on what I could be expecting my child to be working on each night. It came to my email which I check much more frequently than a monthly calendar or an assignment folder. We will be imlementing something very similar to this.