Tools 4 NC Teachers

In collaborative lesson planning sessions.  Teachers will be able to select material that is proven and tested by others.

I agree John. I think teachers will appreciate a place to get materials. 

I agree.  I like the timing of this hub and the availability to remix these materials after teachers have implemented some of the lessons and tasks in our classrooms.  Learning from our own trial and error will be very beneficial.

Trial and error is definitely a good description of how we learn best and make those beneficial changes.

I totally agree learning from our error is truly beneficial. We are not perfect, we do our best and sometimes one thing doesn't apply exactly to the other group.  We can always improve.  

I completely agree that trial and error is very important.  Especially because your class changes year to year and something may not work for a certain group.  Having teachers actually implementing and vetting these lessons will be great. 

Great thinking Kristin! I agree. We learn best through working through it ourselves first, and then this provides a great collaboration/support group.

I am a living witness that others will use the materials on the Hub. I know that a few of the teachers that I'm currently working with are using some of the materials off of Tools4NCTeachers. So far they have used the "Serving Lemonade", "Miguel's String", and "The Scrambled Egg" lessons. We also like the assessments they have by each cluster. 

I am excited to look into the assessments more. We currently create our own bi-weekly assessments for math/literacy. This could be a time saver that would be much appreciated. 

I am excited as well about exploring the assessments!

I think assessments are on of the most difficult things to create as a teacher, because you don't want to include your own bias, but you want to make it accessible to every students! I agree that having assessments available, is a wonderful feature!

I agree with you completely!  When I am creating assessments for my children often the thought occurs to me, "I wonder what they are doing in ..."  Having the assessments on a state platform will help me align my teaching to be comparable to those in other, larger areas.

Last year we used these math games and resources as suppliment activities for MTSS. I can attest to their ability to grow kids and keep them engaged. 

Shelbie, I am curious about your role and the grade levels with which you work.  I am looking for games for my kinders and wonder if you have any you can suggest?

Hey Pamela. 

I teach 2nd grade but I had students who were working on a Kinder level. If you go to T4T Kindergarten Cluster 5 and find the section called resources. There is a resource called Fluency with Games and it links all the games that are appropriate for Kinder. They are awesome!

Is the fluency with games for foundational math skills?  Can you share the link here?

This is wonderful news Ms Morris.  I just spoke with a lady I taught with a few years ago and just now found out she utilizes the materials.  I wished she'd shared it with me years ago and all teachers across NC become informed of this resource.

I am glad to hear that other schools are already using resources from the Tools4NC Teachers Hub and that the teachers are providing positive feedback on the resources they found.  I am also interested and excited to explore the assessment documents as well.

Marquita, our district is also using Tools4NCTeachers too!  There are so many great resources on there.  The level of rigor is exactly what we are looking for too to support our core instruction.

I am not sure what additional support is needed at this time.

I envision teachers using the materials provided in the T4NCT Hub when planning lessons/units, as well as uploading and sharing resources of their own.  

During the webinar, someone asked in the chat box about remixing the resources that are uploaded.  The response was that they could be remixed and that the new, remixed version would then be available to everyone.  How will this look?  Will it be listed as an option off the original resource or listed as a new resource?  Depending on how things are stored, teachers may need help navigating the hub.    

That's a really good question.  It will be listed at a separate resource. It will have the same title, with the word "Remix" in it.

Good point. I wonder if each remixed resource will be linked or stored 'under' the original, on the same screen. Like each resource having a filing cabinet for each remixed resource right there for teachers to browse and see whihc remixed resource works for them. 

I would hope when a resource is remixed there is a spot fo teachers to write exactly how they remixed that resource so other teachers are aware. 

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? 

I think Tools4NC teachers is a great starting point for new teachers. It provides a general "pacing guide".  I think it will be a great place for teachers to share their materials and remix some of the resources already there! 

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

I think teachers may need additonal support with out to upload their own resources. 

I agree! I know I will need assistance uploading my own resoruces. (I'm not very tech-savy!) 

I agree.  I know that I have worked diligently over the years to create some resources.  Being a mentor to young teachers, I know that being able to accurately upload materials they can use would be greatly appreciate.  

I agree that Tools4NCteacher is great for new teachers and also veterian teachers working with new curiculum or changing up their lessons. 

I agree with Danielle that it is a great starting point for new teachers. It is also great for veteran teachers that are switching grade levels, too. I also agree that some teachers may need support with the uploading. Some teachers are more tech savvy than others. 

I envision teachers using this hub to locate resources and share materials. I think teachers would like support in uploading resources and understanding how to determine the ratings of a resource.

Natasha, I said the same thing. I think the main use for T4NCT and GoOpen will be to find resources that work in the classroom to supplement their own resources and curriculum.

Natasha, 

 Teachers need a copyright review before they begin uploading and identifying resources to the hub. 

Barbara, 

I agree with you so much. I can see teachers being so excited to upload resources that they use--but not all teachers are aware and considerate of Copyright reviews. 

Natasha, 

I agree that I would like to see feedback and suggestions on how teachers are using the resources. It would help teachers gauge the success the resource.  I think rating such as rigor, scaffolds, suggestions on what worked well, what did not work well and how it can be remixed. 

Natasha,

That's a good point. The star ratings are a bit subjective. How will they know what is appropriate to use the resource, when is it appropriate to use it, and how do you supplement the resource? 

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub?

Teachers can help teachers build active classrooms, where students are engaged, helping teachers to be engaged.

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

Maybe the chat box can organized in a manner where those resources can be uploaded to a folder of similar topic.

I feel that if we get teacher engaged in teaching without having them stand up and lecture; it will be more benefical to the students and they will learn more therefore taking away more from the lesson.

Adding resources. Making each resource even more helpful. 

Tools4NC Teachers will be able to provide so many resources, lessons, and assessments for math teachers. 

Teachers will benefit from the additional support of having differentiated activites at the end, in order to be able to help our struggling learners or our high flyers! 

Yes!  Love that we can not only get help meeting the needs of our struggling students, but also those who are high achievers.  They are often the hardest to grow and the easiest to let slide.  They need to have resources, too.

I envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub in many ways.  It will be a great place to submit lesson ideas, talk about areas of struggle or concern, and engage in conversation about ways to meet the needs of our very diverse learners.

I think the Hub can help connect teachers who may be in buildings near each other.  Perhaps they could set up times to meet in person or do class visits to see great ideas in action.  I'd love to see videos on the hub of teachers using strategies.

Sometimes teachers go to their classrooms and isolate themselves unintentionally.  Whether they are too busy preparing lesson plans or using planning time to to have parent meetings etc...The Hub can be utilized to see great things happening when they have available time. 

So true!  The hub will help those who don't have a collaborative team, or the time to truly collaborate due to other duties,  to fill that need to share and collaborate with colleagues.  I'm excited about what this Hub will do to help all teachers.

The hub is a great opportunity for us to add differentiation to the tasks.  I've differentiated the tasks in my classroom by simply changing the numbers in the task to meet the needs of all learners (acceleration or remediation), adding self reflection questions to the end of the task to allow students to reflect on their learning,  or add simple models that might help scaffold the instruction for some students.  Adding various techniques to these resources that we've already learned are beneficial by experience will be a great way to collaborate across our state.

Additional support that teachers might find helpful would be an "overview" of resources in the cluster with the specific objective addressed in each activity (maybe a document with this all in one place?).  Sometimes it can be tedious to read through tasks or lessons trying to find an activity that meets my specific needs for my plans.

I just posted my original reply and love your "overview" idea.  I had thought that maybe items could be listed in some sort of suggested teaching order, but the overview would be an easy way to view all at once.  I was also trying to think of ways to save time in our searching!  Great idea :)

I love the idea of an overview of resources!

I agree about having an overview for each cluster.  I like the idea of using the hub to help differentiate tasks as well.  Knowing how to adapt and remix a task to differentiate, and sharing ideas that others have used will be extremely helpful when finding tasks to meet the needs of all of our students.

I envision teachers utilizing the hub just as they would typically use google, TPT, Pinterest, etc. to locate resources.  The plus to this site is that it is all created by NC teachers for NC teachers and are directly related to the NC standards!  No more reading through huge numbers of activities and ideas that may not be relative to the NC content.  

I am not exactly sure yet about additional supports that might be necessary.  However, I do wonder if there would be a way of listing the resources in a progression for suggested teaching order.  For example, if a cluster included instruction in three different standards, could they be organized that way?  I appears as though they are just added at the bottom of the list at this time.  I am not even sure that would be possible and may be way too time consuming.  Just a thought for beginning teachers that might be helpful.  :)

Donna, I love that siggestion about somehow listing the resources in a teaching progressoin. We all know that while we teach the standards, there is a progression inside each standard so students can build their schema. 

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub?

I'm excited because I think it will be a place for NC teachers to collaborate and share resources that align directly to our state standards. 

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

Videos of lessons being taught is one suggestion. 

I am very excited to see our teachers collaborate.  Especially the teachers who have nobody else to work with in their school.

I am always excited to be able to collaborate with other teachers. I feel like the hub is a good way to collaborate across the state. Maybe a teacher at another school has an excellent way of teaching something your students struggle with. I can't wait to dive into the resources and to share ideas with other teachers. 

I agree....teachers need to see other teachers modeling the lessons.  Videos of lessons is an excellent idea!

Love the video idea.

I agree!  Video is the way.  Sometimes good lessons get lost in the words.  A video would be a good hook. 

There are some videos of Number Talks currently uploaded.  I like the idea of having some videos of lessons as well.  

Claire, I would also really love to see videos of lessons being taught--I do not often get to see other teachers teaching the same things that I teach, and I'd love to see someone else's take on a lesson!

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? This is going to be a fantastic tool for collaborative planning! Teachers will have the ability to remix and to know when that is acceptable. Having lessons, formative tasks and resources all in one place is going to be a lifesaver.

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub? I don't have any suggestions at this time since I haven't been able to explore as much as I had hoped. 

I agree that this is going to be a fantastic tool fro collaborative planning.  I think this will also help teachers create a classroom culture of highly engaged students who are excited for math to start.

I think teachers will appreciate having a platform that houses materials for North Carolina Standards. I think they will also grow as they are able to work with teachers outside their school and district.

Mary I agree with you about the growth that Tool4NCTeachers will foster.  The confidence that teachers are getting quality lessons tested and reviewed will make a big difference for beginning teachers especially.

I totally agree. Districts tend to follow the same curriculum and resources. Working with teachers outside my district allows me to borden my thoughts even more. 

I think that the Hub will give teachers more reliable and researched based lesson and activities to pull from. I believe math centers for upper-grades would be nice since many schools are requiring centers in the upper-grades as well. 

I envision teachers using the Tools4NCTeachers Hub to assist in team planning with lesson planning. Teachers will have one central location to be able to pull from. It will save time for teachers. 

Additional support teachers may want through this hub is testimonials from teachers who actually used the materials in their classroom. 

I agree that the Hub would be great for team planning.  I think teachers struggle to find valuable tools when team planning so this will definitely be a game changer.

I agree that having all the materials in one place will make planning more efficient.

I see teachers using the Hub to find engaging resources and lesson plans.  I think new BTs will need additional support in navigating the site especially and possibly, downloading or saving materials.

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? 

I anticipate that once teachers realize all the resources availabe in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub, and all the possibilities that are offered, teachers are going to enjoy this open support system.  I also feel that some will be willing to contribute and rate the resourses.

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

A quick way to see all resources available.

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? 

I can see myself using this for new and innovative ways to teach different subject areas as well as I hope to be able to encourage others. I also plan to use this in PLC groups at my school.

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

I think that in the additional catagory, I would say ways to assess learning. 

I can see teacher's uploading their resources to the platform and then collaborating by remixing resources and reviewing resources. I think having rubrics to "grade" resources and plenty of teacher made resources to look at would help.

I agree with you, collaboration is huge! The rubrics are helpful and it makes grading easier and consistent. 

I envision teachers using the hub to prepare entire units of instruction.  I really like the ability to upload materials directdly to my google drive which can then be entered into my google classroom.  This will greatly impact my ability to work with so many varied levels of students simultaneouly.  I will also be able to make connections with teachers that teach the same areas as mine and to collaborate through the hub.

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? 

I hope that teachers will use the Hub as a place to find a resouce to use, then use in their classrooms, and come back to leave a comment on how they used it and what changes they may have made. This will help other teachers epanded their content knowledge and teaching practices. 

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

I'm not sure at this time. 

I think that teachers will use the Tools4NCTeachers Hub to find new resources, lesson plan, and get ideas for pacing. I believe that teachers will need support in learning the procedure for using the resources and how to remix and upload new resources.

I envison teachers engaging in Tools4NCTeachers by using these instructional resources with fidieltly. I would also hope that educators would share these materials with co workers. In terms of the Hub I see teachers uploading lessons and other tasks that could benefit our student mathematically. 

I envision teachers using the Tools4NC Teachers Hub as a resource guide. This is a great place to get ideas for content as well as support or things that may not be understand. 

I envision teachers sharing different resources, interacting with each other, and helping each other out with suggestions on different useful materials that we might find here. 

Teachers might need additional support navigating the page and being able to find useful resources in a timely manner, not spent hours searching the web for different resources that in the end are not what we are really looking for. 

I envision teachers using the materials provided during their lesson planning.  My team and I already use Tools4NC Teachers for this purpose. I'm not sure what additional support would be needed.

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub?

As a resource to supplement and enhance Math and Literacy with engaging activities/lessons that are proven to be effective. A source to go to after analyzing data to use for action plans and reteaching. A source for small group instruction during all block/enrichment/readers/math workshop. A one stop shop for teachers to get resources that are aligned and includes all worksheets/videos needed to implement. A place to find Social Studies/Science/Health lessons aligned to curriculum that are quick fun and engaging.  

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

Information on how to upload lessons that they want to share. How to create folders to place all lessons they want to use organized by subject to keep on hand with easy access. 

I see the Tools4NCTeachers Hub becoming an integral part of grade level planning.  It will be a resource for lessons to supplement a curriculum, or replace curricular lessons that may not satisfactorily appear to meet the standards. It can also be explored to find small group activites and lessons for reteaching.

The Hub can already be accessed through grade level and/or standard which is a big help.  I did notice that there were few games which can make learning meaningful for students.  Encouraging professionals to upload a variety of activities, lessons and resources will enable teachers ro select more developmentally appropriate lessons for their students' needs..  

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? 

I feel like teachers will be excited to have a place where they can go find reliable resources for use in their classrooms. I think it would be awesome if there were groups/hubs by grade and subject area so we as teachers could collaborate together even if we are not at the same schools. This would be a great support for beginning teachers. 

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

Maybe an infographic about the hub and what all it has to offer. I feel like once teachers are able to get in and access the materials they will find it easy to search and find what they are looking for. 

Hi Kristy,

   I agree with you when you say that teachers will be excited to have a place to find reliable resources! I think that is the thing I am most excited for too.

I envision teacher engaging in the T4NCT hub, through collaboration, creation and remixing. Teachers have the great opportunity to vet and use each others work through this hub, as well as gain some wonderful resources that they can remix and use in their own classrooms. 

I envision teachers sharing ideas and resources that have been successful and have been proven useful with their students.  I also think it will be helpful when teachers are planning and searching for better ways to teach concepts during their lessons.

I don't know what additional support teachers might want from this Hub.  Until I get a chance to spend more time exploring, then I don't feel like I can answer this question well.

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? I envision teachers using the hub to find quality resources, that are standards aligned, to use and implement in their classroom.

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub? I think the biggest level of support teachers would appreciate would be the ability to give and receive feedback based on their implementation of the resource. For example if a teacher picked a resource for small group work they could record their teaching and elicit feedback from the hub.

Teachers will get resources that are actually used in classrooms currently.  They are vetted by teachers and are great resources to use.  It will help really knowing what works in a classroom and having a place to go and find quality lessons to use.  

Teachers will need to give each other feedback and assistance when it comes to trying out the different resources in the classrooms.  When we all work together we are stronger because we all have one common goal, to educate our students. 

Teachers engage in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub during PLCs, really any focused planning times. As a collaborative group, they are able to review and determine which lessons from the Hub meet the needs of students. Additional support systems may include suggestions for modifications to engage higher level learners. 

I imagine teachers using the materials and sharing those materials with their instructional teams.  I also think they will be able to dig deeper into each lesson and be able to break the lessons down in a way that someone else may not have thought of.

I think teachers will need support with uploading their own reasources as well as with remixing resources already on the platform.

I envision teachers using the hub to locate resources that have "passed the test."  Materials that have proven results will be available at their fingertips.

I agree with you, Angela.  This hub will make it easier to find trusted materials because they have already been vetted.  

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? 

I see teachers who co-plan or co-teach collaborating to identify high-quality tasks to use with their students.  They will be able to trust that the posted tasks are of high-quality, engaging, and trustworthy.  This should cause teachers to want to share tasks that they created in a database that can be used by peers across the state.  

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

Teachers may want guidance on how to ensure that their tasks are of high-quality.  If not, they may ask, what should I do to make this task high-quality?  (before the original posting of such tasks)

I envision teachers on a team being able to decide on premade, tested and vetted assessmnets that can be used as a progress monitoring tool in math. I also see teacher using this for interventions. 

I believe that teachers need to be able to contact the person who made the resource especially special area teachers because a resource may be part of a larger group of lessons or activities and only one resource is posted for the whole thing. 

I envision teachers collaborating and remixing each other work to meet the needs of their students. 

Teachers may need additional support on how to use the resources provided. 

I envision teachers remixing, planning together, and collaborating on lessons as well as collaborating on teaching methods.  Having lessons and materials ready in one place will be extremely beneficial to teachers.  I do believe teachers may want short webinars on tips on how to utilize the Hub the best or utilize it to it's fullest.

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? 
I can envision teachers taking different tasks and lessons from each cluster and trying them out, and then going back and sharing with their colleagues. Hopefully they will even begin to add their own resources to share with others!

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?
Teachers that have not attended this Hub academy may want/need additional support with copyright laws and how to determine which resources are covered by which copyright.

I envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NC Teachers Hub to share resources electronically.  I also envision teachers using this resource to collaborate on documents electronically.  

I think teachers will need training on this platform.  In addition, I feel like teachers are going to need time to explore the platform to learn about all the options provided with the Tools4NCTeachers Hub.  I know many teachers feel overwhelmed with their workload and often times do not have the time to explore and learn something new.

I believe teachers in this group will be able to contribute resources, evaluate resources, and tweak resources to fit their own needs.  Teachers might need additional support with uploading resources or with technological aspects.

1. Teachers can collaborate and explore new resources.

2. Teachers might need help with what can they remix, knowing how or if can they remix it, and understanding what they can post and share in the hub.

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? I envision teachers collaborating and using resources which are directly related to North Carolina standards.  This makes is easier to find meaningful resources which will meet the needs of a diverse population of students.

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub? As far as additional support needed, I would just say uploading resources and materials.  I really need to do more exploration of the HUB.

The Tools4Teachers Hub will be a great place for us to critique resources and share what we have already created with others.  Being at a school where there is only one math teacher per grade level, often we are vying for time to collaborate with others.  As teachers we want to flesh out things with others and this will be a great way to get that done!

Personally my most challenging students are the ones who are already high achievers.  I would love to have collaboration on how to continue to challenge them and grow them on a daily basis.

I agree about meeting the high flyers where they are instead of holding them back because the majority is not there.  We seem to focus on the middle (because that's the majority of the class) and/or the lowest group (because we want them to show growth and meet MTSS goals), that we forget the high flyers.  They need to show growth also!

I believe there are many teachers who are already engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers platform in my district.  It is one of the resources I push first when supporting teachers who want more help with a specific topic or are looking for good, sound resources for their small math group time.  This hub is going to be a great place for teachers to get rigorous content to use in their classroom that has been peer reviewed.  

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? 

Seeing that T4NCTEACHERS is a continuum of what they have currently been using, I think this will be a natural flow.  

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub? I would like to see master teachers selected and recruited by their districts to collaborate and document lessons to add to the platform with compensation for their time by the district. 

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub?  

I would like teachers to collaborate and share ideas/resources on different parts of the Kindergarten curriculum.

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?

Aside from resources, this Hub brings a great opportunity for teachers with a common goal to communicate and reflect.

I envision teachers being able to find sound, current resources that will help them achieve the standards.

I think additional support would be a chance to question the resources, such as clarification on what's available.

I envision teachers sharing and adding to lessons.  Collaboration and reflecting on their practice.  

Teachers may need short videos of how to actually use the website and how to find the resources they are looking for.

I was just replying to the Webinar 3 prompt about the need for some "how to" videos. I totally agree that this is extremely new to a lot of us teachers who did not grow up doing all this computer "stuff". Just learning the lingo has been a challenge for me watching these webinars. It is a bit overwhelming. I think that having videos to walk us through some of this tech stuff would be extremely beneficial. I know that my grade level has been using the NC Tools 4 Teachers website resources since they became available. I have been encouraging their use since their incorporation into our County's unit planning organizers. I feel like they are rigorous since the FIAs come frome the state. I have found some errors in the assessments, but if you really review them, you can make changes that are appropriate for your county,

We use the Tools4NTeachers Hub for resources to teach 3rd grade math. I use the resources for the FIAs, and the lessons and the formative assessments. I use the assessments to help to guide my instruction and see where my students are in the continuum of learning. The parent handouts are also helpful.  

Teachers might want more support with how to use the lessons. I also know they want more direction in how to pace the teaching of the clusters.

How you do envision teachers engaging in the Tools4NCTeachers Hub? Working together to edit materials to fit NC standards.

What additional support might teachers want through this Hub?  Ways to interact in real time.