RamsaysClass on Twitter

Research has proven that one of the most powerful learning tools for middle level students is the ability to socialize.  We are fortunate to live in a time that provides us with the opportunity to learn from anyone, anytime, and in any place. In our digital world, social media is extremely prevalent. It is imperative that students learn how to make safe and wise choices when they interact online.

My goal is to prepare them for their lives outside of the classroom walls in today's digital world. We will spend the beginning of the school year learning about netiquette, online safety, and cyber bullying. The students will be developing lifelong habits while in the safety of the classroom. Just like we wouldn't ban pencils from the school if one student writes on the restroom wall, we do not want to prevent students from expanding their horizons by supporting their learning using a tool which can broaden their horizons and cause them to take ownership of their learning journey.

With that in mind, our class will be connecting with students from all over the world through our class Twitter account. You can find us at https://twitter.com/ramsaysclass where you also will gain a peek into our daily activities. Please be aware that I am the only one with access to this account. I will approve and monitor everything that my students tweet out as well as anything that other students tweet to us. Twitter is a powerful tool where students can reflect on their learning, compose stories, participate in book chats, write poetry for an authentic audience, set academic goals, connect with authors, share their insights, and probe other students for deeper understanding of content.

This is my seventh year to tweet with my classes. It is always astounding how much learning is generated in using a simple tool like Twitter. We hope you will join us in our learning journey this year as we tweet away.

PS- You can also find us (@RamsaysClass) on Instagram using the same procedures as we do on Twitter.

Class Syllabus, Practices, and Expectations 2015-2016

Below you will find the link to our 2015-2016 Class Syllabus. This includes information on our learning and grading practices, procedures, and expectations.

An online version can be viewed here: https://goo.gl/wu0B61

Our First Days at #RQMSJags

This school year has gotten off to a phenomenal start. Our days were filled with top secret missions, art, critical thinking, music, challenges, games, engineering, team building, and problem-solving. We spent time establishing our learning environment and setting the norms for a year filled with learning. Below you can see some of the highlights. Be sure to sign up on this blog to get emails when a new post is published and follow us @RamsaysClass on Twitter and Instagram. You don't want to miss a single moment of our epic learning adventures.

Welcome to an Amazing Sixth Grade Year!

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to sixth grade! I am your English Language Arts and/or Reading teacher. I am a twenty-one year teaching veteran, educational author, writer, and National Board Certified Teacher. I have been eagerly anticipating the beginning of a new school year with you; one that I am confident will be highly successful. My class is a student-directed learning environment where students have a voice and choice in their learning with the support and guidance from me that each student needs, wherever they are on the learning continuum. Every practice in which we engage is supported by proven research for best practices in promoting the highest level of success for each student.

 Many of the traditional teaching methods that you may have experienced in the past will look different than the practices in our class. Much of our learning will take place with the support of digital tools using digital age literacy to increase a student’s growth. My students will be connected with students from around the world to collaborate, connect, and learn with throughout this entire school year. Although our learning may appear different, students will be held to high expectations and challenged on whatever level they may be on in each of the content area standards. In this type of environment, students take ownership of their learning. I feel very fortunate to get to witness how each student blossoms and grows in this type of learning environment.

In order for our students to have the highest degree of success, I know that we need to build a strong relationship between home and school. I have arranged several different mediums where we can communicate, and you can stay informed of our classroom learning activities. First, we have a class website, http://ramsaysclass.com/. This site contains important information about procedures, routines, and units of study. As school begins, additions will be regularly made. For classroom activities and news, you can visit our class blog, http://ramsaysclassblog.blogspot.com/, where we will post more specific activities, giving you a window into our classroom. I will write the first several posts, but then the students will take ownership in writing and publishing the blog posts, under my guidance. Please take time to sign up for alerts when a new blog is posted by filling in the “Follow RamsaysClass by Email.” I know that you will not want to miss any of the exciting things going on in our class. Also, for a further connection, please consider following our class on Twitter and Instagram, @RamsaysClass, for current insight into not only announcements, but also into the learning that is taking place in our classroom and through our global connections.

I realize that for many of us our prime source of communication is through text messages. Please take a minute to join the Remind group where I can disseminate pertinent information to you in a timely manner via text or email. All numbers are confidential. If you would like to sign up via text, please send a text to 81010. For the message, please text the following code: @ramsayrqms. If you prefer to register online, please visit the corresponding website: https://www.remind.com/join/ramsayrqms  

I deeply value your expertise on your student. In an effort to increase my knowledge of your student and to effectively plan instructional practices to support his/her learning, please take a moment to complete the following survey: https://goo.gl/PvI3si. Collaboratively, I am confident that we can provide your student the most successful year possible. I am thrilled as we embark on this epic learning adventure together!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Ramsay, NBCT
jramsay@tusc.k12.al.us

The Amazing Race to 7th Grade- 2015

On May 15, 2015, we spent an entire day working in teams to demonstrate mastery of interdisciplinary standards through RQMS6's Amazing Race to 7th Grade. There were a total of 12 challenges where we used the knowledge and skills we've learned this year along with problem solving, communication skills, and creativity to successfully accomplish each hands-on station. This day was filled with lots of learning, growing...and fun. Enjoy the slideshow below.

(You need flash to view the photos.)

Innovation Day 2015

On Friday, February 27th, we had a day where we got to answer our own wonderings. We spent a day choosing what we wanted to learn about, how we learned it, and create a product to share with our peers. On March 2nd, we had a gallery walk where we got to share our learning with our peers, teachers, and parents. Enjoy our collaborative story about this exciting day below.

Our 6 Word Memoirs

Welcome to 2015! We spent our first school day back  from the holidays reflecting on how much we have grown and changed as learners (and individuals) since the beginning of the year. Then, learners created their own Six Word Memoir. Here is a storify of their Six Word Memoirs: