TEI Tuesday Tip for 9/24

Our school has launched TEI Tuesday. The purpose of TEI Tuesday is to intentionally engage your students in the kinds of thinking and rigor used in the TEI (technology enhanced items) questions.

Need a quick look at the kinds of TEI questions your students might be asked? Take a look at the sample math, reading, writing TEI items in these pdf documents.

Grades 3-7 Sample Math TEI Questions
Grades 3-8 Sample Reading-Writing TEI Questions & Paper Templates

Let's start by knowing where to find TEI resources on the Sealston website. If you haven't explored the Websites for Staff page, http://kgcs.k12.va.us/ses/staff_websites.htm, take a few minutes today to see the wealth of instructional resource links. Among the links are ones that our instructional leaders, LJ Darcy and Fanya Morton, have worked on developing. I started this blog last year, which will continue to expand this year.

Make sure you sign up for Teacher Direct, http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/teacher_direct/index.shtml, from the DOE. You will receive SOL related information throughout the year.

Most importantly, start discussing among your grade level, how you can start getting your students to think beyond one right answer.
 

Here's to a great day of "thoughtfully engaged instruction"!

Reading TEI Flipcharts

King George County Division Reading Specialist, Laura Jo Darcy, has created reading TEI flipcharts for grades 3-6. Her goal in creating these is to provide teachers with resources which align to the current VA reading standards. These flipcharts are designed to be an instructional tool to help with building reading skills as well as exposing students to technology enhanced items (TEI). You are encouraged to use these as an assessment for learning with your students and not merely a stand alone activity. With each question, guide your students to use the tools on the page (highlighter, pen) to find supporting evidence in the selections.

If you would like to view the contents of the reading flipcharts, but you do not have ActiveInspire, a pdf for each of the reading templates can be found on the "Reading TEI Templates" page.

• Grade 3 Taj and Berto Reading Flipchart
• Grade 4 A New Chewing Gum Reading Flipchart
• Grade 5 The Amazing Hummingbird Reading Flipchart
• Grade 6 Follow That Mouse Reading Flipchart
• Guide Words Flipchart 
• Coral Reefs, Reading a-z, Level Q Flipchart

To contact Laura Jo Darcy about the reading flipcharts, email her at: ldarcy@kgcs.k12.va.us

Math Training TEI Flipchart

I would like to extend a thank you to Michael George, Instructional Technologist, at Fredericksburg City Public Schools, for the opportunity to be a part of the ActivInspire training with his staff. Our consultant, Penny Izquierdo, did a wonderful job of helping me understand all of the unique features of ActivInspire as well as the learner response systems. I am excited to look at my flipchart designs with  some new possibilities. I am already considering how to find funds for purchasing ActivExpressions!
In the meantime, I would like to share a flipchart that is geared for trainers to use in showing how to modify TEI items in flipcharts.This flipchart is designed to help introduce TEI items by first having participants practice mini-tasks. Please feel free to use this flipchart as needed.

Math TEI Training Flipchart

Fractions TEI Flipchart

This flipchart contains TEI (technology enhanced items) questions pertaining to fractions. K-6 math teachers in King George County Schools worked in grade levels to incorporate increased rigor in the teaching of fractions. One way to help students with this is by creating questions that can be used as assessments for learning. In using these with your students, note their ability to not only use the tools, but understand the thinking that is involved with answering these.

Fractions, K-6, TEI Flipchart

Math 3rd-7th Make It - Take It - TEI

This flipchart has all of the sample math TEI (technology enhanced items) questions for grades 3 - 7. Each sample is followed with a template of the sample item that can be modified for any grade level. If you are new to using ActivInspire, the first few pages will help to orient you to the basic skills you need to work with the templates.
I hope that you will find these helpful resources in creating TEI flipcharts for your students. My school division does not have Promethean Boards in every classroom. In testing how these flipcharts work in a computer lab setting,  I have worked with several teachers and classrooms. We had no problems having the students open the flipchart and use them individually on a PC or laptop. The students enjoyed using the tools in ActivInspire and they were able to simulate the TEI question types.

Math 3rd-7th Make It - Take It - TEI Flipchart  (also posted on the Math Templates page)

Reading Make It - Take - It TEI

This flipchart is a compilation of all English SOL practice TEI items for grades 3-8.  Each sample item is followed with a page containing a blank template of the sample. Each page is formatted with tools that are found on the VA SOL online practice test. Sample items can be adapted for various grade levels and content areas. I am excited about the design of this flipchart. With each one, I learn more about what a powerful took ActivInspire is for creating and designing.
One tip if you are learning how to use ActivInspire. I have found it tricky to know if Design Mode is blue or red so I came up with this little rhyme. Red to Edit and Blue to View.

Reading Make It - Take It - TEI Flipchart

Make It - Take It Templates

I am pleased to post my first "Make It - Take It - TEI" math flipchart. My idea was to create a flipchart which is formatted to resemble the layout used with the online SOL practice items. I also wanted to include a real sample for each of the template pages so that you can see how these can be adapted to many different levels of learning.
Here is the link to the Math Make It - Take It - TEI flipchart. You can also find it on the Math Template page. These templates only open if you have ActivInspire software on your computer.

Please feel free to email me if you have questions about accessing the flipcharts.
sjames@kgcs.k12.va.us

More to come!