Quote of the Week -- April 30, 2017

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future."

Paul Boese

Have a good week,

I'm on Kidblog: Three Types of Math Problems

I have been using the paid version of Kidblog this year to give my students another platform to publish their writing.  I started with book reviews so that students could share what they were reading with others and get suggestions for a new read.

My Kidblog post about book reviews is here. 

 To download the book review checklist I use with this assignment, click here.

After using them for a few months, Kidblog invited me to write a post about blogging in math.  I wrote three types of problems for my students to solve and discuss online.  You can read about my experiences with blogging in math here.


Overall, I have been pleased with the Kidblog experience.  I have been able to guide my students to better digital citizenship because of the teacher controls they offer.

I am happy to answer any questions you might have about blogging in the classroom.  Ask me anything.

Quote of the Week -- April 23, 2017

"Reading -- the best state yet to keep absolute loneliness at bay."

William Stryon

Have a good week,

The Prairie Thief by Melissa Wiley

Louisa Brody's Pa is arrested for stealing from the neighbors and Louisa is forced to stay with him until the sheriff can sort things out.  Louisa and her friend Jessamine discover the creature who has actually been taking things from both houses.  Can they convince the judge and sheriff that Pa is innocent?


For an explanation of my rating scale, click here.
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Quote of the Week -- April 16, 2017

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."

Louis Smedes

Happy Easter to my Christian readers.

Have a good week,

Equivalent Expressions Exit Tickets

Here is the third in a series of exit tickets I have created for my fifth graders.  We have been using the district adopted curriculum, but often I need a quick check on a concept to see if they understand it before we move on.

This set of six focuses on using distributive property to create equivalent expressions.  We have already spent time in class reading and drawing models of how distributive property works.  Now I want to know if they can use it.

To download my Equivalent Expressions Exit Tickets that focus on Distributive Property from my Google Drive, click here. All of my math activities come with an answer key.

Quote of the Week -- April 9, 2017

"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today."

~H. G. Wells

Have a good week,

Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle

When Tony's mother is sent to prison for dog-fighting, Tony is sent to live with an uncle he has never met.  He meets Gabe, a search and rescue dog, and he experiences the love of community and a new way of life. 

Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle is told in free verse from Tony's and Gabe's perpectives.


For an explanation of my rating scale, click here.
Find me at Goodreads.

Quote of the Week -- April 2, 2017

"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run."

~Babe Ruth

Have a good week,