Gator Run Friday Focus - April 17, 2015

I had a chance to work with my son, Maddox, on an assignment for his class.  He had a choice in what type of project to complete and Maddox chose to make a PowerPoint.  He has never worked in PowerPoint before so I showed him how to select a template and I modeled how to create his first slide, including how to highlight a portion of a word, finding an image online and inputting it into a slide.  During this time I resisted the urge to create more than the first slide for him.  I think it is our natural instinct as adults who have not grown up with technology to want to turn over power to our children.  We believe that they think like us and that technology is a separate part of their lives, when, in reality, technology is their life and there is no separation.  Within a span of five minutes, Maddox had learned how to create a basic PowerPoint presentation.  I share this with you to demonstrate that our students can do anything if we give them the opportunity.  Resist any fear you might have with using technology with your students.  Truthfully, they can all teach us something.  Remember, technology is life for them. 

• 5th grade is taking the ELA portion of the FSA next week.  Students take the ELA and Math assessments on their computers.  Half of the classes will take the assessment on Monday and Tuesday and the other half on Wednesday and Thursday.  
• NESS meeting on Monday at 2:15 in Mrs. Heyman's classroom.  
• Interim reports are due to Team Leaders on Tuesday and to Ms. Felton on Thursday. 
• PLCs are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.  
• Kids of Character names are due to Ms. Felton by Wednesday.
• Kindergarten Roundup is next Friday morning.
• I hope that you can attend our first ever Multi-Cultural Festival next Friday night.  The parents who have created this event have put a lot of hard work into it.  I can't wait!

Quote of the Week - "For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again." - F. Scott Fitzgerald