#CatholicEdchat Archive
CatholicEdChat is a twitter chat. Topics focus on discussions around educational issues for Catholic Educators and topics beneficial to Catholic Schools. We look forward to continuing to connect Catholic Educators online to discuss education and teaching with faith in our schools. The chat takes place on Saturday mornings. Time 9am EST.
Saturday September 24, 2016
My tweets for the next hour will be devoted to
I will be and to follow along with
Good morning! Fun group of topics today! We are going to play Love It or List It
I'll be missing today's because I'm getting ready to attend the funeral for a 4-month old that passed away. God bless.
It's the polite name for the EdCamp favorite session usually called 'Rocks and '
I'm so sorry! Prayers for the family.
Good morning from northeastern PA.
Morning all, nice start to an Iowan Saturday,
just a little late getting organized. But here we go!
morning! Get ready for the rain.
Beautiful morning in Omaha, but rain is on it's way!
Buenos dias! Abe from NYC. Hope everyone had a great week!
I'll be in and out as I can. We're ready to start family meeting time with my Benedictine Community here in Ferdinand In
we need it- im certainly not complaining...
busy! visitor from Tanzania on Monday, we were the readers for Mass on Wednesday and a Skype call yesterday.
I saw your tweets! Giving me great ideas! Thx for sharing!
That is the whole reason I do. Together we are better when we share.
makes for a unique parking lot once a year... many families are farmers in the community...
We had a visit from this week. I have a great pic of him writing on our HOPE wall, which is an idea from .
Good morning, All! Beautiful morning in KC, but storms are coming here too I believe! It's a great day for
For each topic, say why you love it or might shape it in a new way
Good morning from cloudy & cooler Chicago.
Students in the High School drive their tractors to school!
Love it or list it - Cursive Handwriting
My high school did the same thing.
big front on it's way through. I'll be in KC next weekend. Looking forward to your city.
Love teaching Cursive Handwriting! Important for find motor skills
A1. Love it at younger grades, list it at older grades-good skill early on, not be-all in ms/hs,
Still love Cursive Handwriting for older grades, they need to be able to write their signature!
Good morning Attending today. Have a great week!
A1 I don’t think cursive is required, but manual writing of any kind is a must! Beautiful handwriting is a talent!
There also may be a connection to higher levels of critical thinking by students who write in cursive.
We did a number of prayer walks for Wonderful!
Joining in late due to morning hockey practice for my son! Michelle, Chicago burbs
Cursive is becoming a secret language for those not taught it in school. How will we read our Constitution?
It's just something that we don't need anymore.
A1: Cursive Handwriting -Love it
Good morning late again, my sleep patterns have been messed up since January 22 (school shooting), better but not on track
morning! Playing Love It or List It. New topic every 5 min.
I would list it as an option, but its not everything for me. Im w/ - we don't need it anymore...
I seldom see anyone younger than 40 writing in cursive. Is it worth the amount of time we spend on it?
A1: We require it through 5th grade, encourage it in grades 6-8.
try being from Suburban NJ- I had never seen a combine before- great to learn more about my ss culture.
the folks joke that it can be used as a clue because some kids can't read it anymore
A1: Important to know how to read it and sign your name. Good to teacher younger kids. By MS don't care if they use it.
I guess you don’t get thank you notes?? LOL! That’s really the only place I see adults using cursive.
A: Important for teachers to model it...chalkboard, graded papers, notes home, etc.
Zaner-bloser is a great Columbus, Ohio company, but most of cursive research was paid for by them.
Love it or list it - Indoor Recess
I don't even see cursive there. Wedding invites are about the only place I see cursive anymore.
interesting! We use a Catholic company so we are learning our faith too.
I offer cursive as a choice in 3rd, for some students it's easier, guide them thru a practice book at their own pace, model
moring! We are playing Love It or List It!
Perhaps handwriting is a form of self-expression and not just a means of transferring info?
Tractors are WAY more advanced than my day 30 yrs ago. Cabs/AC were a luxury!
hmm, I think we do need to teach and use it. cursive handwriting literally connects words.
Love It! it is way better than no recess because of weather!
A1 Found when I taught MS the kids that had not had cursive in lower grades could not read it. Caused barriers for them.
Indoor Recess: LIST IT. 😖👎🏻 Too loud, not enough room for movement. They need to run off energy!
Indoor recess: I know classroom teachers would say LIST it, but I love seeing students play board games.
makes Indoor Recess awesome! But in CA, we rarely need it!
I agree to an extent, but I'll admit my cursive is poor to begin w/ my, so some bias present there-
Cursive looks better I think - more professional appearance into the workplace - likely to change with less use
In or out we have recess. Just wish they could use the gym or something so they can MOVE!
A1: What does the research show? Thats where we should start.
Indoor recess, a necessary part of midwestern life! They enjoy it but if it's a whole week, they get tired of it.
Yep! We do freeze dance and more! Kids love music and movement. https://t.co/eIW5h8AAz0
Indoor Recess: LIST IT. 😖👎🏻 Too loud, not enough room for movement. They need to run off energy!
A2 Indoor Recess. Love. Outdoor preferred but, my son even uses in our apt since we no longer have a back yard.
moring, playing Love It or List It
I am for a blend of research and experience - qualitative
A2: indoor recess. List It.
What is your temp for not going outside? Ours is 20 degrees F. I'm sure we are considered wimps by our northern friends
A2: For students, IR is a must for academic excellence. Their brains need unstructured time, even if indoors.
A2. I kind of love it for some days in winter-forces ss to be creative w/ activities, especially if no tech allowed.
is popular with our Ss too. My daughters do it at our house... and we have a backyard. https://t.co/sX8lcSRjzG
A2 Indoor Recess. Love. Outdoor preferred but, my son even uses in our apt since we no longer have a back yard.
How much time to you spend on teaching it?
Love it or list it - Dress down days/Uniforms
Indoor recess, necessary evil when too cold but has been decided at much warmer temps past few years, saps energy
I actually think mine is 32F, which I hear is very warm for Iowan standards.
A2: Maybe students can practice their cursive letters during indoor recess time.
I have 34 8th grade Ss in my room for indoor recess. Not enough room for movement based games unfortunately. 🙁
Love uniforms! We changed our casual day so it doesn't interfere with our standardize testing in October
Winter in Ohio = indoor recess often. Like seeing them play board games or cards but not enough time.
There is a different mood when it's a casual day!
A3. Love dress down days every other week, but extremely pro-uniform. establishes routine.
Aaah artistic! And creative. Maybe unlocks deeper connections? catholicedchat https://t.co/z8BnkWWx0o
Perhaps handwriting is a form of self-expression and not just a means of transferring info?
Uniforms: Hands down, no doubt, LOVE it!! as a teacher and parent!
Love Casual Days! Wearing jeans makes life seem a little easier to conquer for the day ;)
love uniforms-- rules out so much anxiety for ss. (but I get tired of nagging over tucking in!)
A3 Dress Down. Love in moderation. I know its a pain for T's, but its a big deal to the kiddos, that makes it worth it 4 me
Ugh, so conflicted on dress down days. I guess I would lean list it for HS. Just makes the day, classes tougher.
Free Dress days are a GREAT way to offer an incentive for FREE! My former school used it as a reward for various things!
It would be interesting to do a follow up chat w/the research pieces
A3: Coming from public to Catholic this year, LOVE UNIFORMS. 👔 Think public schools need them too, honestly! 👍🏻
Our principal started Teacher Spirit day this year. Love it! Once a month, we wear branded shirts of our school
its like Christmas, even for my middle schoolers, when I announce it- hilarious.
Love uniforms! Dress down days turn into monitoring of inappropriate clothing.
I believe we are 20 degrees also. I think 5 minutes of fresh air at any temperature is good.
Love it or list it - Technology
I always see both sides of everything! So hard to go Love it or list it on this one
we stay in at -25c windchill, but used to be -35c still temp no buses at -35c still temp
Technology, for the most part, love it!
Free/casual/spirit dress days are imp to build community. It's feelings Ss remember about school.
The public school I work at has uniforms. I can buy them for my son anywhere vs. pricey uniform store!
When I am getting dressed, I must admit ease of dress down days.
I am starting to think so!
we need indoor recess a lot in Pa!
list tech as substitute for ineffective teaching method
love tech for transformative opportunities
Couldn't live without the tech :)
20 degrees or below with wind chill.
won't have your current job without the tech!
Temp below 0 degrees. I am Wisconsin. It's all about bundling up!
A well timed free dress day does wonders to change mood of a building
Tech. Love it. Getting my J-board installed this week- kids are excited, im excited. we've still done virtual field trips...
Truly - Technology is a part of our lives in 2016
No doubt, love it. Technology is a necessary tool for teachers and students to have access to. But needs correct usage!
you all are hardy! We are wimps.;-)
Not sure what our recess policy is-- parents pressured school to get ride of MS recess years ago.
Catholic schs promote God as the "true, good, beautiful." Maybe cursive is a way to help students see beauty, and thus God.
A4: Tech: Love it when it's done right. Not loving 28 6th graders sharing 15 tablets this year, though. Need 1:1.
It's not right for the students NOT to be using tech in this day!
A3: Love "TAG" days. We use them a few times a year as fundraisers towards a cause or as a reward on your birthday 🎉
we brought it back for 7th and 8th and received an award from Mrs. Obama.
Uniforms: love every day Ss and my own children wear them.
same/ w us, to my knowledge. We make it a study hall, but we also walk a mile to lunch at the high school.
A4: LOVE tech with meaninful integration & 2 express creativity. Tech 4 sake of tech can be a problem. Takes time 2 do well
we are 1:1 this year, and it's so exciting to see it in action. No more fighting for limited carts.
Technology and digital media are powerful tools for spreading the good news about your school
Technology is so expensive to maintain and replace! Not an even playing field for our students compared to public
Love spirit days -- themed shirts, jeans, sweats, for grown-ups, too! Homecoming next Sat & looking forward to this week.
As a parent, I don’t mind a “Spirit Day, but dress down days in my house of girls are a pain!
Love it or list it? Snow days
wow! I hope its uphill both ways so your kiddos can brag about it. ;-)
Tech love it when it works, when there are enough devices & bandwidth, support BYOD with guidelines for appropriate use
Snow days! Love it! God telling me to make cookies!
We are 1:1 for 7th and 8th and I LOVE it. Makes it that much more frustrating that 6th doesn't have it!
Ughhh... Get rid of those too. One snow day ruins at lest three days of instruction.
Ts wear our branded Ts every Wednesday. Ts love it and Ss like it too.
Here in sunny Orange County, CA....I can't weigh in on Snow Days! 😂
Snow days: Im 50/50 on it. Personally don't like them w/ teaching- but I love snow- Catch-22
A5: Snow Days - Love it that day, List it when it comes to make ups in June! 😂
I love it all today. Snow day announcements AFTER my own kids go to bed are priceless!
Tech. love it. Technology has allowed me to so deeply discover my creativity.
that is such a new trend. When WE went to school, we found out at 5:30 am!
A5. I grew up in FL. This year was my 1st snow day! Have to admit LOVING it! Way more fun than hurricane days.
Consider yourself blessed! 😂❄️ Though, maybe not due to drought issues?! 😕
Technology: Of course tech teacher says LOVE it! But only if it modifies or redefines learning.
you withhold the applause gif for that one : )
Snow days - non existent for us, do get smoke days due to forest fires & power outage days, water/sewer outage days
me too! I think most of the time I was up and ready to go..then it was cancelled!
Love snow days in moderation. Thanks to tech, student connectivity- Ts and Ss can still accomplish goals during long breaks
hurricane days must be scary! I bet the same for our Louisiana friends with flood days.
wow! Shows us the differences in our worlds.
we moved ours during our testing week.
Never ONCE had a snow day called in Montana where I grew up, and don't exist in California, so no opinion🙂
Love it or List it: Teacher Professional Development Days!
We usu get 1-2 snow days per year. They are nice surprises. I'm not in favor of having alternate plans to work from home.
In 12 years of teaching I've never had a day of school cancelled for anything! 180 days strong!
Depends on the type of teacher PD! EdCamp Style, LOVE IT!
Snow days important if school draws from large geographic areas and transportation compromised, as we've seen in Chicago.
They are always disconnected lessons created in August. Simply busywork for everyone involved.
Let 'em have the day off to rest. It's like an unexpected Sabbath.
List PD if its one-size-fits-all, sit-n-git.
Love PD when its interactive, practical or inspiring, biased towards action
Teacher PD days are needed! You can't squeeze all trainings into before/after the school year!
Love having the time to really talk with my grade level colleagues. So important to share ideas!
A6: PD days are hit or miss. Totally depends on topic & presentation style. Boring lectures = 👎🏻👎🏻
very different, when on boil water advisory school has to provide bottled water dispensers, not individual
Shows commitment & importance of the cause if PD embedded during day too https://t.co/E7MKLZR2nk
Teacher PD days are needed! You can't squeeze all trainings into before/after the school year!
A6: Engaging, hands-on PD experiences in which Ts can share & practice = 👍🏻👍🏻
I usually love PD days. Energizes me when I learn new things. I am biased though, since I work on the PD team
PD Days-Love, especially being a new teacher. Breaks up instructional calendar, I connect w/ colleagues, & learn something.
When someone says "I'm not going to read this slide" promises that the next hour will be someone reading each slide to you.
and next weekend will be all PD, all the time!
Good PD can also build community. Individualized PD has its merits, but also its drawbacks from community standpoint.
We try to offer a variety of topics so more personalized.
Biggest PD challenge for us is we're small school in rural KS, we don't team up with the high school or public
Pd days, need to be quality, need some choice, we had awesome 4 days at startup this year (first time in 30 years)
true! When a Keynote can reach your crowd, it's golden! ie; our time in Omaha this summer
Love it or List it: Fundraisers!!!
Yes John, that is what I benefit from, too.
Fundraisers- necessary for our Catholic schools
Wonderful topic today. It's been great to visit again, but I need to get back to my classwork. Have a good week.
One would think that would be the reasonable thing to do. I've heard its because of funding sources.
thanks for coming. I always love your point of view!
Fundraisers: I wish the required $ amount would go away and just be rolled into tuition.
One of my most challenging assignments as a student was to use only images and not text in my PP slides.
I agree! Community PD can also be a future reference point for all on journey.
We are doing love it or list it - different topics every 5 minutes
A7: "Write a check" fundraisers are my favorite. 😂 I hate selling things!!! Fundraisers are necessary for Catholic schools!
It is important to differenciate to our Ts too. But l know that some information has to be given to all.
morning! Playing Love it or List it! our topic now is fundraisers.
Teacher Professional Development: VERY important, couldn’t ever list it. Hopefully Ts have a say in the planning
Great challenge. I'm still trying to get my ss to not over-text on slides.
usually combine with water out, not always, once lost week & had another week of split days at hs due to sewer
Fundraisers brings up overall financing model of Cath schools. nickels and dimes vs. dollars.
List it. Just tell me how much extra I should make the check so I can get out of it. I know, that makes me a bad dad.
I like 'friendraisers' - build time in for people to get to know others in their community
Sometimes, a nice boring lecture for PD is a great time to zone out and really think about the important things.
Fundraising, we ditched the candy bar for a walk a thon. Raising similar amount of money.
always hard balance for me- because many ss-at least many of mine-want all notes on slides.
FR can be great community builders...love those. Just had a spaghetti dinner and talent show. Always look forward to them.
Most of my lectures are flipped, so they can listen again and get the notes that way.
Agreed! Would rather pay flat fee more & not be bombarded with fundraising. That should be an option.
our Fall Festival is tomorrow, big community builder!
show them the power of the and the professional development is easy! I know you know that!
Agree. Wish we could revisit voucher systems.
Fundraising- Love- middle school just raised 20G selling chocolate- competiton/community made it fun
Love it or List it: Standardized Testing
The challenge has stuck with me. I use very little text now. We remember images.
You can lead a horse to water...
Kind of off point re: fundraisers but tuition model of financing is becoming less viable.
2 part answer 1.A humbling moment for me as a PTO parent in charge of paper fundraising was involvement of families.
In SK both Catholic & non are publicly funded, but still need to fundraise to provide qualiity play equip nutrition, sports
PD: Began to particip8 in Innovator's Mindset book study https://t.co/1DlbHnMHkw Loving it bc deeper study of topic
A8: LIST IT!!! Standardized testing is the one part of my job I HATE. 👎🏻😡👎🏻
same here! I teach them the trick to hide all the things they want to say in speaker notes.
My sons loved Standardized testing in grade school, they could read after finishing the tests and no homework that week
Part 2. Some families are not in position to give, but really wanted to have opportunity to sell so they could contribute.
How about tuition-free for parishioners? Our diocese (Jefferson City MO) is in all 37 elementaries. HS tuition.
Neovouchers are the next frontier.
that’s interesting. I think I like that too! Fundraisers are necessary. I like “FUNraisers, that raise funds.
https://t.co/WWPuNOuDbA
Ditto for EDUCATOR SUCCESS. When OUR passion becomes OUR purpose, we can fulfill our destiny, too. … https://t.co/NNrb7cSSsu
A2. Student success to me is when students clearly have connected their passion to their purpose to fulfill their destiny. 🤓
I especially do not like fundraising from the very people who are already paying tuition.
Last topic for our fun Love it or List it chat - Memorization!
That's awesome! Is it based off of the Wichita-model?
Standardized testing not fully here YET but list it! Gets bandied about a lot, especially in non election years
As per my usual this morning both/and
List if its the main objective
Love if its going to enable deeper convo + thinking
I think vouchers are slippery slope for Cath schools.
I still pray prayers that I was required to memorize as a child. Memorization has its place.
Memorization- math facts- important for my 3rd graders
As in, memorizing facts when learning?
Love-Memorization- in specific places-certain dates, certain algorithms, certain people/prayers.
Sorry I missed this morning. Homecoming weekend. Will most likely miss next Sat too. 😅
We believe there is a certain body of knowledge that needs to be passed on. Memorization is a tool for this.
In what way? Separation of church/state?
For HS, list it. What's the point? What do you want Ss to know? How does that help critical thinking, problem solving?
Have to sign off a bit early...helping my son with a minecraft "emergency" lol. Have a good week everyone!
La Loche, in northern Saskatchewan, just east of Ft, McMurray Alberta oil sands
A9: Memorization is needed for basic skills & math facts. I teach MS history. Mem. of historical dates/details = unnecessary
what constitutes a minecraft emergency? Did a creeper get in?
me too! Keeps me grounded when I can recite a prayer, memorare
yes, in its place it's good
Ditto! https://t.co/RZ1yaTKgI5
Love-Memorization- in specific places-certain dates, certain algorithms, certain people/prayers.
