#5thchat Archive
#5thchat is for people interested in chatting about topics in education, especially as they relate to Grade 5. The goal is to connect people who enjoy learning & sharing, plus supporting & creating partnerships worldwide!
Tuesday December 15, 2015
Welcome to ! It is my first time moderating so bear with me! I'm excited to share ideas and connect w/you! 5th grade tchr from NJ
Hi from Ohio! I teach 5th ELA.
Hi Dana here. I teach 5th grade in CT
Mark from South Jersey, 5th grade teacher, all subjects
Looking forward to connecting and learning!
Greetings! I see we aren't too far from each other! I teach in Haddon Township, NJ.
Q1 - What is your favorite read aloud for fifth graders? Title and author. Mine is Fish in a Tree
A1 I love to start the year with Dear Mr Henshaw to set the mood on developing strong readers a d writers
Fish in a Tree is my favorite Read Aloud for 5th this year too!
4th grade teacher now, but 5th grade for 15 years prior!
A1: Love Because of Mr. Terrupt! Also The Westing Game :)
I taught 4th for 19 years! Moved to 5th 10 years ago! - Love this age group!
A1 Sir Cumference and The Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander is one of our favs! (math is tough for read alouds :/)
Great debate in our class about the others in the series. Our favorite is the first one!
A1 Love all books! I can't even pick a favorite, they all touched me and my Ss hearts!
Which level do you prefer? I teach 5th and 6th currently.
A1: This year I read Origami Yoda (a nod to Star Wars mania) and they loved it!
Sorry -ters, but those 4th graders are sweeties! I love them so much,so sweet!:)
Fav pic book read aloud: The Big Orange Splot.
- A1 - Love the new book title suggestions!
I haven't heard of this one! Who's the author?
Not familiar. Is it geometry-related in any way?
A1 This year, we really enjoyed "Fish in a Tree!".
Never read either one, will need to add them to my class library. https://t.co/aZcyfr6L6R
A1: Love Because of Mr. Terrupt! Also The Westing Game :)
A1- My favorite math related book has to be The Math Curse.
- Q2 coming up in a minute.
- A2 - My favorite blog is Blogging in the Fourth Dimension. Other resources are
Q2 - Do you have a favorite web resource or blog that you would recommend to others?
A1 The number Devil is pretty great for a
A2: Wonderopolis! Love love love! Also Nerdybookclub!
Believe it or not, (don't judge),this was my 1st year reading "Because of Winn-Dixie"! Showing the movie soon. Kids loved it!:)
Just started using bubbl.us for mind mapping, pretty cool.
Sounds cool, is it an app?
Love but haven't heard of Nerdybookclub! Can't wait to check it out!
A2: Desmos, Animationist, and Prezi have been awesome resources for flipping my math classroom and creating my own video lessons.
This is one case in which I think movie is as good as the book!
A2: Favorite Resource= Currently in the Classroom. Kids write monthly and we can track improvements! https://t.co/WvcLq5m7v8
Web based, probably HTML5 so any browser can run it I believe.
Is this an app, book, website?
A2 Of course A staple in my classroom for years!
A3 - A favorite of mine is We use it for everything! Today we also had fun with to compare characters!
Q3 - What is a favorite app you use w/your Ss? How do you use it in your classroom?
A2 Formative assess? (They're not paying me tonight,just love their tool),
A3: Love Chatter pix (can make books, animals, etc talk), Explain Everything for making flipped lessons
Hi, I'm Jordan checking in late from Princeton, NJ. I love and to get immediate feedback on lessons
A3: Only app technology is my phone...I use on it, but that is it for my classroom.
My school finally paid for their own google server and can safely host educational YT videos, which has been huge for flipping
General Q...when flipping lessons, what's your go-to method?
I love using Classroom with my students!
I'm a control freak lol, so I prefer to assign video content that I have created myself to match my style of teaching
Google classroom is indispensable to me
I love Google Classroom! I use Doctopus and Goobric for writing assignments to grade and give feedback.
Me too...I want to make mine more engaging. I guess it just comes w/practice
We are a school, couldn't live without it!
Q4 What chats have you found helpful? Which is your favorite or go-to chat?
These are new to me! I love getting all these ideas! Thanks for sharing!
This has been a great help to me as well this year! I give all my feedback thru Doctopus.
A4 - When I can I love to follow - I try to participate in on 2nd and 4th Thursdays
A4 with two young kids at home, I only really have time for 1...so it's all the way!
And it seems that all my favorites are integrating with Classroom! LOVE it! Pushing out assignments is ez! https://t.co/xAgu9QX4KU
Google classroom is indispensable to me
A4: chat on Wednesdays on Sunday's
A4: I like for great book ideas!
So glad I discovered this Phone is dying so I am going to sign off. Great to meet and grow my PLN, esp my 5th grade network!
My kids are older, but it's still hard to find the time to participate. I can totally lose track of time!
Thanks for joining in! Greet to meet you!
A4 of course! Hard to keep up with all the chats. When I'm off, I drop in on some.
- Thanks for joining in tonight! I can't wait to go back and try out some of these new ideas!
8:33pm ยท 15 Dec 2015
Q5 - I love to find new ideas - What is a favorite, fun or creative project or lesson idea you can share?
A5 going to capitalize on the Star Wars hype and teach the Constitution by creating a Galactic Congress!
A5: has great lesson ideas. I see them on Instagram and Periscope.
A5: Incorporating maker stations into the group activities--it's an awesome way to increase creativity into the classroom!
- A5 - I "borrowed" this idea from a colleague - Real Estate Ads for Native American homes - https://t.co/J1NcNlmtgp
A5 - I am interested in learning more about maker stations! It's the next thing I want to learn about!
A5 Continental Congress Reader's Theater acted out, videotaped, and posted on Youtube. The kids got a kick out of seeing themselves!
- A5 We had a great time today using to combine faces and compare character traits!
They're awesome! Check out the chat on Tuesdays.
Community Service project. Ss collected over 400 pairs of socks for a homeless shelter. "Socktober" project.
Q6 Everyone can use a good resource to add to their bag of tricks- Any favorites?
Minecraft seems to have so much STEM potential! Are there specific chats for incorporating Minecraft in the classroom?
A6 - We r using Why We Must Run With Scissors: Voice Lesson in Persuasive Writing - Fun way to teach persuasive writing
Not that I know of...minecraftedu.com is a great resource as well as .
A bit off topic, but I am curious to know what math program anyone is using. I am piloting new version of Everyday Math
We use Math in Focus at my school.
That is the other program being piloted. Any feedback?
Do you like it? Pros/cons?
I used to use Khan and IXL for my flipped math Ss, but now I mostly assign them my own lessons from my YT channel
I've heard things about Math in Focus. Any thoughts?
I look forward to checking out some of your lessons! I'd like to try out some more flipped lessons
PRO: I like that it gives kids options in problem solving Con: Parents hate it! LOL
How much newer is it? We are using EDM as well.
I used to use Investigations as well. I loved it. Ps hated it. Mostly bc it wasn't what they'd grown up with.
Yes, they are used to traditional problem-solving. https://t.co/Y8LFP7k3Nf
I used to use Investigations as well. I loved it. Ps hated it. Mostly bc it wasn't what they'd grown up with.
We made some of our own lessons explaining math thinking using ! Great resource
Best thing is their record and draw feature! Sharing with parents is easy too!
Last question coming up in 2 minutes!
Very cool! I'll have to check it out. I use animation software instead of doing write overs.
I think that is the case for the upper grades that are piloting. Thanks for sharing
Q8 - Words to end our chat. We can all benefit from good advice or appreciate an inspiring quote. What's your favorite?
Thanks for participating! I survived moderating my first chat! Glad to grow my PLN! I have a lot to explore!
Thanks so much for moderating!
Thank you for moderating Brenda, you did a fantastic job!
Thanks everyone for the great ideas and insights! I followed as many as I could!
Thanks for moderating tonight!
