Dowell Academic Coaches

Narrative Writing

An effective narrative composition:

tells a personal or imaginative story

may include the writer's imagination and personal experiences that are related to the story

contains narrative elements such as characters, plot, point of view, setting, conflict, and/or significant events

contains narrative strategies such as, flashback, foreshadowing, dialogue, tension and/or suspense

has mutli-paragraphs

presents a story that has a well developed beginning, middle and end

A Narrative is not....

a list of events and/or facts

an abundance of facts or personal anecdotes that are unrelated to the topic

a list of reasons, opinions, or unrelated episodes

formulaic, repetitive writing

a single paragraph

a paper that lacks a clear beginning, middle and end

Access to PICASSO from home/ adding documents to your blog

It it now easier to access PICASSO, Cobb County's intranet page and the academic portal from your laptop computer while at home.  To connect to any of these resources- simply click on the Cobb County VPN shortcut. Once this shows connected on the Open Network and Sharing Center (same place you check to see if you wireless is connected) you will be able to access any of those resources!

 

To add word documents to your blog (Thanks Amy Johns for helping me figure this out)- you have to covert all word documents to the old version of word.  When you save a file- click on:

file

save as

change save as type (bottom drop down menu) to Word 97-2003 document.  That should work!

Don't forget that we have lots of iRespond resources on the T-drive under the iRespond folder.   Instead of choosing the Teacher folder, choose the iRespond folder on the T-drive.

A list of characteristics of print and skills that are mastered at each F& P level

Here is a list of characteristics of print and skills that are mastered at each fountas and pinnelle level. The characteristics and skills continue to build as the child moves from level to level.

Download Charactersitics of readers

 

Online Textbook Access

Download Instructions to view math textbook online

Social Studies Online Textbook Access

 

Harcourt Science Textbook Online

Teachers and students may access the Harcourt Science textbook online at www.thinkcentral.com.  Each school has a generic user name & password.  The user name is dowellteacher and the password is science.  Additional information and support for using the online textbook resources are posted on the ES Science BLOG  http://cicobb.typepad.com/es/2011/08/how-to-access-the-science-textbook-online.html 

 Online Reading Resources:

Reading Street-

Registration/Log In:

• Go to www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
• Click Register
• Type in Access Code:  SFRDLR06NTEN00T (zeros)
• Click next
• Fill out your information on the registration page.  Make sure that your username is your badge!  

Adding a Class:

• Click on “Classes”
• Click on “Build a New Class” 
• Type in a class name.  (Ex:Watkins09-10)
• Click the box next to product and click save
• On the next screen, click the circle beside your class name and then click view under “Roster”
• Click “Select from School Roster”
• Click on your grade level from the drop down box and click search
• Scroll down and click the box next to your students’ names and click save (Make sure all of your students are added successfully)

 Assigning Books:

• Once all of your students are added, click on “Leveled Reader Database”
• Here you can search by specific DRA levels, Lexile levels, languages, specific reading skills, etc…
• Once you have selected your search options, click search and a list of books will appear matching your specific criteria.
• Click on a book title.  Here you will see book properties, a place to print out a “Teacher Guide” for the book, and a “Student Practice Sheet”.
• Click on the picture of the book and the book will open in a new window.
• Click “Assign to Class/Group”
• You can decide how long you want this book to be assigned to your students by clicking on the “End Assignment” drop down menu on the top right side of your screen.
• To add to the whole class, click the box next to your class name.
• To add to specific students, click on your class name and then click the box next to the students that you wish to assign that text.
• Click confirm.


Online or Printable Guided Reading books

http://www.pearsonlearning.com/microsites/goodhabits/secure/login.cfm?CFID=28179914&CFTOKEN=38377186    (less steps to manage)

 http://connect.pearsonlearning.com/

 USERNAME CCSD (all caps)

PASSWORD Cobb (1^st letter capital) 

Allows you to search the GHGR database to select texts based on several criteria:

Click on Advanced Search

• Reading Skill (cause & effect, compare & contrast, plot, fiction features, nonfiction features)
• Phonics Skill (blends, consonants, compound words)
• Word Study Skill (antonyms, plurals, word origins)
• DRA2 focus for instruction
• Genre
• F&P level
• DRA level
• Grade level

Allows you to view lesson plan without leaving your computer  



All login/password information is located on PICASSO.  Login to PICASSO, select Social Studies along the left hand menu, and then select the grade level.  On that page, to the right of the course guide, notice the link named "K-5 Online access." This tells every item we have purchased that has an online component and how to access it.