6bflyslandonme

Last Entry for the year!

2009-05-23T19:30:00.002-04:00

What an amazing journey we have had. This will be my last entry for the 2008 - 2009 school year.

I look forward to reconnecting in August and sharing all new experiences for 2009 - 2010.

The final exam is Tuesday, the 26th. The students were not given a study guide as I did not intend for the final exam to encompass recalling facts. They will be tested on the skills and strategies that have taken place throughout the year through the district mini formative assessments. The students will read 2 passages and answer questions that analyze words in context, compare and contrast ideas within the passages, drawing conclusions, inferring, identifying a strong versus a weak argument, identifying author's point of view, identifying character development, and identifying main idea/essential message. I feel confident that all students will perform well as they have worked diligently during the course of the year to master these skills.

Enjoy this video of the students' journey through webquesting. I'm still working on publishing some of the finished webquests. I promise, I am trying!

Flynnies Podcast Blog

2009-05-04T17:58:00.007-04:00

Please visit my new podcasting blog which is located at Flynnies Podcast Blog.
I have just completed the second of three technology classes as part of my own professional development. You will hear some students' reading of their figurative language poems. Impressive! My final podcast will be a video of the students earlier in the year as they participated in creating their own Webquests. I have enjoyed creating this venue as another resource for students, parents, and visitors alike and will continue to focus on improving the blog quality as I experiment and gain more experience.

Other News:
On April 30th, I had the honor of representing Julia Landon as their Teacher of the Year at the EDDY Awards. It was a very inspirational evening as I listened to all the accomplishments the finalists had achieved. I came home with a new sense of focus and drive to continue developing my craft of teaching. I truly believe that I am a master of nothing and that I must continue to refine my knowledge and define my own style of teaching.

We are nearing the end of the school year. There are many exciting trips planned, and exciting projects to participate in. As always, our expectation is that students remain focused and work diligently to develop their leadership skills and abilities. It is also important to stay academically focused. I have personally been sending home weekly progress reports for ALL students. Students still have time to attain and achieve their academic goals. My recommendation to students is to continue to turn in all in-class assignments and homework, but more importantly, the quality of their work needs to be their personal best! This is the time of year when students think it is okay to just get by. Remember, success is just around the corner.

Important Reminders:
Formal Progress Report: May 13, 2009
End of Course Exam: ELA May 18th and 19th, 2009
Memorial Day: May 25, 2009
ELA Final Exam: May 26, 2009

Please make sure to click on the calendar for the month of May. This provides everyone a month at a glance ELA classroom activities and homework. I always recommend that students be proactive by printing out the calendar to help them prioritize their work outside of school. As always, the agenda is the primary source of information!

Summer Fun!

2009-05-04T16:57:00.000-04:00

Brain Quest Deck: Grade 6 Brain Quest Deck: Grade 6 Workman Publishing In what country can you visit the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh? How many cells does an amoeba have? Find a tall building in the letters w-r-o-t-e. Plus prefixes and suffixes, measurements, geography, presidents, the elements, percentages, homophones, Grab Bag, and: Ivan the Great ruled Russia from 1462 to 1505. How many years did he reign? Brain Quest Grade 6 quizzes kids on the stuff they need to know when they need to know it, with 1,500 curriculum-based questions and answers reflecting the latest school standards. Vetted by a panel of America’s highest award-winning teachers, and embraced by kids and parents because it flat-out works, Brain Quest opens a world of information and education with its fast-paced question-and-answer format, bright full-color illustrations, and lively attitude. For more information, please visit http://www.workman.com/products/9780761137672/

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Puzzles & Games questions Trivia

2009-04-05T13:17:00.001-04:00

Monthly Newsletter Monthly Newsletter flynnk

Publish at Scribd or explore others: 2008 newsletter

Matt in Tallahassee!

2009-04-01T11:51:00.001-04:00

Orville and Wilbur Wright Interviews

2009-03-25T21:40:00.001-04:00

Compass Odyssey

2009-03-20T08:16:00.002-04:00

The county has finally made access to Compass Odyssey easier from home.

Home access can now be made by typing in http://odyssey.duvalschools.org

Students, Parents and Teachers simply put in their user name and password and they can begin work!

Please test this out over the next week. This will be your homework for the week of March 23 -March 26, and Spring Break, March 30 - April 3. I encourage any students who have grade recovery for the 2nd nine weeks to access this from home.

The last day for grade recovery for the 2nd nine weeks is on Tuesday, March 24th.

A creative version of our classroom interviews! Olivia and Megan style!

2009-03-16T18:01:00.006-04:00

Here is a video interpretation of our in-class interviews with Orville and Wilbur Wright. They were all great but thought you would enjoy this one online!

What will my classroom look like in the next few years?

2009-03-12T18:16:00.001-04:00

2009-03-12T17:50:00.005-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joepemberton/2885494611/

Licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-share alike license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D.
scottmcleod.net/contact
dangerouslyirrelevant.org
schooltechleadership.org

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaparral/382859222/sizes/o/
http://theline.edublogs.org

Licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-share alike license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

Bill Ferriter
teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical
digitallyspeaking.pbwiki.com

2009-03-10T19:49:00.004-04:00

My plate is full. My blog has been neglected. Hopefully things will calm down over the next few weeks.

Some housekeeping issues:

- All late work was to be turned in by March 6th to avoid zeros. Students that have maintained D's or F's have received weekly printouts and I have been very upfront about their academic status throughout the semester. Everyone has had the opportunity to turn in late work.

- Our FCAT Reading test was completed today. The students were well prepared for this day and I know that they each gave their best effort. We will always continue to work on becoming better readers, building our reading stamina, and going deeper into our reading. Our learning never stops!

- Congratulations to our very own Matt McKetty. Earlier in the year I nominated him for a "Kids Only" Town Hall Meeting to be held in Tallahassee. This event provides a forum for students from across the state to pose poignant questions to the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet about the state of children's issues and services. The 20-member Cabinet chaired by Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, is comprised of government officials, policy makers, and children's developmental and advocacy experts. Matt has been participating in several meetings that will lead up to a real town hall meeting that takes place on Tuesday, March 31 from 10a.m. to 11:30a.m. at Tallahassee City Hall during Children's Week "Children's Capital for a Day". The event will be filmed for statewide broadcast on The Florida Channel. Directly following the "Kids Only" Town Hall Meeting, the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet will conduct their general meeting from 12:30p.m. to 4:30p.m. Matt is part of the 12-member student panel that was chosen out of several hundreds of applicants throughout the state. Matt will be a great representative for not only his family but his family here at Julia Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Development School. A leader in the making!

- I have recently finished a Beginning Podcasting class at the Schultz Center. The class culminated in the creation of our very own podcasts. I am currently working on the Intermediate Podcasting class where I will learn how to broadcast and provide a subscriber's feed to my podcast. I plan on using the podcast to augment my current blog and will keep you posted on when it will be broadcast for your enjoyment!

- I have several creative in-class projects planned for the duration of the semester. Students must remain diligent and focused on learning. I have taken the opportunity to use the time prior to Spring Break to provide more creative outlets to demonstrate their learning. I hope that they enjoy this time in the classroom.

- Remember to check the calendar for Early Release and Homework information.

FCAT Reading Practice

2009-03-01T12:18:00.002-05:00

Please find below a link for you to practice and refresh your memory on taking the Reading portion of the FCAT. Please use the link below to access the passages.

Wednesday: You are expected to read pages 4, 5, and 6 for Wednesday night and complete the questions on pages 7, 8, and 9. Please write out the questions and provide the answer with the letter of the answer and the answer written out.

Thursday: You are expected to read pages 10 and 11 for Thursday night and complete the questions on pages 12, 13 and 14. Please write out the questions and provide the answer with the letter of the answer and the answer written out.

Friday: You are expected to read pages 15 and 16 for Friday night and complete the questions on pages 17, 18 and 19. Please write out the questions and provide the answer with the letter of the answer and the answer written out.

Saturday: You are expected to read pages 20 for Saturday night and complete the questions on pages 21 and 22. Please write out the questions and provide the answer with the letter of the answer and the answer written out.

Sunday: You are expected to read pages 23 and 24 for Sunday night and complete the questions on pages 25, 26 and 27. Please write out the questions and provide the answer with the letter of the answer and the answer written out.

Please make sure that you look under the 2006 FCAT Released Tests heading, and click on:

Grade 7

Test Book

We are using this test booklet as the released Grade 6 booklet has been utilized within the classroom as non-graded assessments for ongoing monitoring of your child's progress.

Differentiation with Technology!

2009-02-10T17:35:00.003-05:00

What is differentiation?

By differentiation the authors mean making changes, from small changes to larger ones, which enable children to learn from the school curriculum, designed for their age group, with their peers in an inclusive schooling system.

http://www.down-syndrome.net/library/dsii/16/07/

The best way to meet pupil’s different learning needs is to deliver the curriculum in a number of different ways; to differentiate the vehicle by which the skills, knowledge and concepts arrive, as well as presenting a range of tasks. The reason for doing this is because it ensures the maximum amount of pupil involvement, ie pupil planning, pupil assessment and pupil decision-making. In fact, the three can be fitted into a logical progression of teach, practice and assess:

‘The key to the differentiated curriculum is the flexible use by teachers of a wide range of activities and lesson organisations.’

http://www.pearsonpublishing.co.uk/education/samples/S_494342.pdf

Differentiation is not more class or home work, it is taking a regular curriculum topic and exploring it in greater depth and complexity. This means instead of learning algebraic formulas and practicing them in a classroom setting, through the use of worksheets and the text book, you might apply them to "real life" situations.

http://www.k12.hi.us/~gtstate/the_role_of_the_teacher.htm

Differentiation is the recognition of and commitment to plan for student differences. A differentiated classroom provides different avenues to acquire content, to process or make sense of information and ideas, and to develop products. The goals of a differentiated classroom are to maximize student growth and to promote individual student success.

http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/hottlinx/tier1/faq/faq.htm

Differentiation is the matching of work to the differing capabilities of individuals or groups of pupils in order to extend their learning.

Ofsted

What I have learned is that differentiation works best for all of my students. Step back into time and click on the archives. Remember the "Flynn's Famous Four Squares"? That is an example of how I differentiate learning. Did you notice the different levels of thinking involved? Have your students talked about our "Deeper Questions" lesson? Have you noticed the different activities that I have for the advanced versus gifted classes? Does your child feel a difference in the complexity of what they do and what they have been asked to do over time?

I have really worked hard to provide my advanced and gifted classes with a unique set of learning activities, strategies and opportunities thereby allowing each student to explore the concepts that match and extend their learning.

Make sure that when you receive a packet of your child's work you make note of the complexity of the task and the specific feedback that I provide your child to help guide them to a more fruitful performance.

Back to Basics:

We have returned to our biweekly "Leaders and Success" essays. I have tweaked the expectations a bit to help the students become more efficient and organized in their thinking and writing. A new piece that has been added is the use of a graphic organizer known as the "Four Square Perspective" and the FRIESS method for incorporating details (Facts, Reasons, Incidents, Examples, Statistics, and Sensory Details). I felt that the students needed more guidance when it came to thinking of all the important details that need to be included in the essays and a more concrete way to organize the information. When they turn their essays in, they will be expected to turn in their graphic organizer, their rough draft and their final copy. The "Leaders and Success" essays provide a wonderful platform to incorporate these strategies.

A personal thanks is extended to Ms. Hoskins who so graciously provided personal time to get the essays back in order.

Technology is Mac!

Has your child told you about the way they check books out from the classroom library? Has your child also told you about how they now check out their "Leaders and Success" essays? Have my gifted students taken you on the tour of our "Monster" website? Two students have tried out the online activities and I am very pleased with the results. Thanks Case M. and Jack M. for taking the first leap with Mrs. Flynn. YOU ROCK! Have my gifted students shown you the YouTube videos comparing Emily Dickinson's "Hope is a Thing With Feathers" by a young child and a country band? They are expected to analyze the two interpretations of the classic poem.

Needless to say it's been a unique and differentiated personal learning journey with my Mac. I hope the kids are as excited as I have been in creating these new technology experiences. My goal? A PAPERLESS CLASSROOM.

I'll get there Dr. C-D!

*_*

Poetry, Poetry, Poetry

2009-02-02T19:48:00.004-05:00

I am truly excited about our genre study, Poetry. I have really spent a lot of time trying to focus our lessons to meet the needs of all learners. Our Advanced learners will spend a good deal of time understanding, applying, and analyzing specific types of Poetry. Today they worked diligently on creating their own Acrostic, Limerick, and Haiku forms of Poetry. The Acrostic poem's theme revolved around our DCPS character trait this month, Respect and Tolerance. They also had to differentiate between a Limerick and a Haiku. Our class was filled with the sounds of clapping, tapping, and singing out their poetry lines to fit the Limerick style. Students easily transitioned to the Haiku and had the opportunity to stare out the window to inspire their nature theme.

Our Gifted learners got their first exposure to metaphors in Poetry. We embarked on our two week focus on Emily Dickinson's, Hope is a Thing With Feathers poem. I am very excited about the activities that I have planned to help them understand metaphors in Poetry. They will apply this knowledge, analyze the use of, evaluate the use in, and create their own poem using metaphorical thinking. Students can only gain a deeper understanding of the piece through many readings and much dissection.

I am also very excited about our upcoming Literature Study on the novel, Monster, by Walter Dean Myers. This book was chosen for the literary beauty of how the story is told. The author writes the novel in two forms; narrative and from the main protagonist's perspective, as a screenplay. The quality of the writing is outstanding and provides our Gifted learners with a challenging and complex story. They will need to be actively engaged, not only from a reader's perspective, but from a writer's perspective. This story's main focus is on our judicial system and its fairness. What a great opportunity to engage, challenge and inspire our students!

Finally, I hope that the Gifted students are narrowing down their choices for their "Living Poets". I can't wait for their final projects to unfold into a true "Living Museum" for all our classes to enjoy.

Please make my blog a weekly visit. I am always adding new and unusual things to the blog. Did you notice the image at the top of this post? In 1956, Benjamin Bloom developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important to learning. That image is the updated version reflecting relevance to 21st century work. Did you know that Bloom's is an integral part of my planning for your child's success? Did you also notice the calendar on the right hand side? Click on the link and a month view calendar will pop up. I will have a two weeks at-a-glance look at the homework, tests/quizzes, and Landon happenings. I hope this helps your child take a more proactive approach to their academic experience. It's a great tool for prioritizing!

Opportunities Abound!

2009-01-27T17:36:00.009-05:00

ESSAY CONTEST!

Open to all Florida students in fourth through 12th grades, the essay contest asks students to answer the following question:

"The recent election of our nation's first black president demonstrates how far racial equality has advanced since the Emancipation Proclamation was penned by Abraham Lincoln 146 years ago. In his acceptance speech, our new president-elect encouraged all citizens to work together for our nation's continued growth and prosperity. As a citizen of Florida, one of the nation's most diverse and culturally rich states, what do you do to contribute to a brighter future for Florida and all its citizens?"

One winner will be selected from each of the three grade-level categories, elementary (grades 4-5), middle (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12).

Winners will receive a full four-year tuition scholarship to a Florida public college or university of their choice, provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

Guidelines:

Each student may enter only one essay, no longer than 500 words and typed or handwritten in print, rather than cursive writing.
Essays must include the student's name, home address, telephone number, school the student attends, grade level and essay title.
Essay must be accompanied by a parental waiver form, which can be found at www.FloridaBlackHistory.com.
Entries must be mailed to the Executive Office of the Governor, Attention: Black History Month Essay Contest, 400 S. Monroe Street, Suite LL-10, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.
Entries must be postmarked by February 6, 2009

WOW! What a great opportunity. I highly encourage all my students to enter! Just remember the formula for a great essay: 5 paragraphs with FRIES! Good Luck and let me know if you choose to submit an essay! I'll post your essay on the blog!

Here is another wonderful opportunity on behalf of one of our students; James H.

James' family has had family members battle cancer and lose to cancer. THEY WANT TO HELP FIND A CURE! Several years ago, James and his brother organized and implemented "Kids 4 a Cure" Relay for Life team. They have been participating in this event ever since. Please go to the links provided below for further information or to provide a secure contribution.

We salute James H. for providing leadership by example! James, we are proud to have you on our team!

Click here to visit the personal page of James' parents

Click here to view the team page for Kids 4 A Cure

2009-01-22T10:01:00.006-05:00

As we embark on the third nine weeks of school, there are a few housekeeping issues.

The end of Engrade is upon us. Be advised that we are using a new grade book mandated by the county and Engrade will no longer be available. The parent portal is unavailable/not live at this time. Launch date TBA. More information will be forthcoming.

Our Webquests were a success! According to Matt L. and Ryan M., "They were fun yet challenging," and "They offered a rewarding experience." Of course we incurred several technical difficulties, but our perseverance and patience helped us through the challenging moments. We learned much about IWeb and Macs together. IT WAS AWESOME! I have set up and reserved the Macs for the next three Fridays, after school. Students have one opportunity to sign up for "Fridays After Hours." They are expected to reserve their Mac to complete their Webquest and if they missed this go around, there will be another sign in sheet for next week.

PARENTS: it is your responsibility to be at Julia Landon by 4:00pm to pick your child up. These students have reserved a Mac for this Friday, Austin M., Raven H., Sawyer G., Janna I., Aaron E., Nick P., Zach M., Addison K., Daniel F., Joe G., Sherrel J., Imani J., Reid E., Kaia L., and Sam F. Parents may wait in the car riding zone on Thacker Avenue.

Just a few remaining thoughts. Let us stay true to the mission of Julia Landon where we are conscientiously preparing students for the next level and ultimately for college. There must be a true commitment and dedicated leadership focus in order to ensure a positive educational experience. The Seven Habits extend beyond the Great Books classroom, beyond Mrs. Flynn's 6th grade classroom, and even beyond Julia Landon. Helping your child develop GOOD HABITS NOW is essential to their future.

To ensure your child's success for seventh grade, our team has made a change in the Homework/Late work Policy. Your child may turn in late work but it will be penalized. We provided many opportunities the first and second nine weeks of school for your child to submit missed/late assignments. We have noticed that this is not helping your child, it is enabling your child to give less than 100% effort. Our team's philosophy is that we need to help your child move forward. If your child consistently does not do the work that is expected, and they are consistently having to make up work, there is no forward progress and it ultimately hinders us all. The bigger question is, "What lesson has your child truly learned?"

On a lighter note, please take notice of the gadgets on the right hand side of my blog. I have tried to create an interactive area for your child to explore. I have added several new items and I hope your child takes the time to investigate all the links, activities, and videos. It is also with great excitement that I announce to you the first official opportunity for your child to check out books from my classroom library. It has been a most unusual undertaking trying to figure out how all my students can have access to my books. I have had no system other than the honor system. My library is designed specifically to meet the needs of all readers and my goal is to empower your child with making good book choices, and helping your child develop a love for reading that extends beyond the classroom. This is how easy it is. . .

On the top right side of my blog is the electronic Book Check Out. All your child has to do is choose a book from my library and while they are in the classroom, they will pull up my blog and electronically fill out and submit the form. The form then gets sent to my Google docs account and I have an electronic record of which student has checked out which book. Technology is awesome!

I hope this entry has re enlightened and refocused us all as a community of learners. I can't wait to finish my IMovie of the students working on their Webquests! It will show up as a vodcast sometime in the near future. *_*

2009-01-16T16:53:00.003-05:00

(Image courtesy of www.patrickmoberg.com)

In honor of the upcoming Presidential Inauguration, I chose this image to present as a bellringer and posed this statement, "Analyze what point, if any, you think the artist is trying to make." My students had some great responses for the obvious. It wasn't until I presented another perspective when I asked them to consider the Pledge of Allegiance:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all."

It was only then did my students view the image with different eyes. "Oh, I see, there is no women!" Some questions that generated from our short discussions were, "Have we made enough progress? How many more lines of faces before there will be a female face? Maybe the next one?" Hopefully some tiny seeds were planted because of this image.

2009-01-07T18:58:00.001-05:00

Monthly Newsletter

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

How's It Going?

2009-01-06T17:39:00.009-05:00

Our bellringer today consisted of this quote:

"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There is no courage unless you're scared.

- Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973)

I have to admit the best part of our bellringers is challenging the students not to use the same words that are found in our quotes. We brainstormed words that could replace courage and they came up with bravery, strength, perseverance, but the best one of all, fortitude.

Fortitude: strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.

We then refreshed our memories about the exact meaning of interpret.

Interpret: to conceive in the light of individual belief, judgment, or circumstance.

Here are 3 samples of the responses that I received.

"I think that Eddie Rickenbacker's message from this quote is telling you not to be discouraged when you find that you are afraid, but instead, this is an opportunity to practice having fortitude. I like this quote because it gives you encouragement in fearful moments."

- Morgan J.

"Fear is not something to regret or be ashamed of. Fear is a gift that tells you when something is wrong. But where there is fear, there is a conscience that tells you to do something about it. This is also a gift and its name is fortitude. In a time of need fear is a warning but fortitude becomes your most valuable ally."

- Rachael R.

"Darkness is not the opposite of light, but the absence of it. Subtraction is not the absence of addition but the opposite of it. Bravery is neither the opposite of fear nor the absence of it but bravery cannot exist without fear because bravery will stand up to fear and face it, even if weaker, but bravery will always win victoriously."

- Nick K.

I can tell you that I had some of the best interpretations of any quote so far this year. On a more interesting note however, it helped me to demonstrate how the use of technology in the classroom is a VERY SCARY endeavor. Especially in light of the circumstance of trying to implement an idea that seems so simple, especially when you know the technology works, but becomes quite complex when the technology doesn't work the way you had anticipated and planned.

For two days, I have told the students that I am more scared now, than ever before, about implementing an idea. Especially in light of the fact that I have 120 students with all different abilities and little to no technology background. I think I have stated, "my idea is CRAZY, I KNOW, and WHO KNOWS IF THIS WILL WORK, but LET'S JUST GO WITH IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!"

What I have come to understand in a matter of two short days is that fortitude, flexibility, a Plan B, and a "my idea is CRAZY, I KNOW, and WHO KNOWS IF THIS WILL WORK, but LET'S JUST GO WITH IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!" attitude just may turn out to be a more productive, effective, and FUN way to teach than I ever dreamed of.

Thank you for sharing your children with me. And in the final analysis, it just doesn't matter what their Webquests look, sound or feel like, I am enjoying the pleasure of growing and learning with your child. Seeing your children going through this process has encouraged me to seek new and different ways of reaching, teaching and mentoring your child. There is no better job in the world!

Student Generated Webquests

2008-12-21T09:07:00.002-05:00

Upon returning from the holiday break, my students will embark on a very unique learning experience. They will spend two weeks developing and creating their very own Webquests!

I will be taking them step by step through the different stages of development and their final product will be a published Webquest.

I prefer not to limit their topics, however, for my own selfish reasons, I am going to have them take the perspective of a teacher and they will have the opportunity (through the creation of their Webquest) to demonstrate that they not only understand the content of Language Arts so far, but they in turn can apply what they have learned within my classroom to teach others.

I have created some links for them here so that they may get a head start on familiarizing themselves with the whole process of creating a Webquest.

http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuestTemplate/webquesttemp.htm
(template for developing)

http://www.eduscapes.com/sessions/travel/create.htm
(how to create a Webquest)

http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/web_quest/
(practice with an online template)

http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic4.htm
(Exploring Webquests)

http://webquest.org/index-resources.php
(Webquest resources)

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/documents/focus.pdf
(5 rules for generating a great Webquest!)

Interacting with our Text

2008-12-11T07:59:00.009-05:00

Reader are Writers and Writers are Readers.

Wow! A simple but important concept. We dialogue ever day about how important it is to interact with our text. I love to give them the example of when I read, I am constantly taking notes. I create summaries, I make noticings about characters, I create questions all the time. This is how we engage our brains before, during and after reading. There is no difference when it comes to test taking. We utilize the same strategies because, after all, we are reading.

I am posting a wonderful example of how one student uses writing to engage her brain in thinking about her reading. It is fun to see how her brain is thinking and as I have explained to my students, this is the reason she scored well on the assessment.

Reading is fun when we are able to interact, use our reading strategies but reading is mostly fun when we feel success of knowing our writing has had a positive effect on our reading.

Children's Home Society of Florida

2008-12-08T16:24:00.005-05:00

Thank you Matt McKetty for Helping Children and Families in Jacksonville. Matt single handedly arranged for our team to collect the gift of new clothes that will help a child in one of Children's Home Society of Florida's programs this holiday season. CHS serves children of all ages (newborn to 18) and of all sizes (newborn to adult.) Let us support Matt in his effort to help CHS programs feel the warmth of a magical holiday season. Socks, underwear, jeans, sweaters . . . anything new can be used. Donation boxes will be located in the hallways outside of Team 6B's classrooms. Donations may be taken until December 16, 2008. Congratulations, Matt, for displaying outstanding leadership qualities. We appreciate you and your effort!

For Better or For Worse

2008-12-04T17:20:00.002-05:00

2008-12-03T18:49:00.002-05:00

Thought this might be of interest to you!

THINK Summer InstituteApplications are available for the 2009 THINK Summer Institute , (http://www.davidsongifted.org/think/) which will run July 11 through August 1. Students can earn up to seven college credits at this three-week residential summer program on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. To qualify, students must be 13 to 16 years old during THINK. The deadline for early acceptance is Jan. 14, 2009.

2009 Davidson Fellows Scholarship ApplicationsApplications for the 2009 Davidson Fellows scholarships are available at http://www.davidsongifted.org/fellows/Article/Davidson_Fellows___Download_Applications_361.aspx. Young people under the age of 18 have the opportunity to win a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition of a significant piece of work in the categories of Science, Technology, Mathematics, Music, Literature and Philosophy, or a project that represents Outside the Box thinking. The application deadline is March 4, 2009.

Comprehension Tools

2008-11-15T11:01:00.002-05:00

Students need to understand what's involved in the work of active learning. This video mini lesson from Angela Maiers, shares with students how their brains learn best, where attention is controlled, and how motivation affects engagement and overall understanding. POWERFUL!

Nonfiction Reading Strategies

2008-11-09T16:16:00.004-05:00

We have focused our second nine weeks on the genre of nonfiction. Who would have thought that nonfiction incorporates so many wonderful pieces of literature. We have read some exciting stories in our Prentice Hall Copper Series and learned some interesting things from each story. We have completed "The Shutout" which was a historical essay about a variety of stick-and-ball games from different cultures and how events in our own history lead to current "baseball" as we know it. We learned about Amanda Borden, an Olympic gold medalist, who shared her personal journey to reach the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. We got a different understanding of Mark Twain, the author, through his own daughter's eyes. Susy Clemens shared in her biography, how Samuel Clemens was a family man, with striking features, and a humorist with a kind sympathetic nature. We will continue in our journey through nonfiction focusing the next several weeks on autobiographies, first-person narratives, and three types of essays; persuasive, informational and narrative.

My noticing for the first weeks of the beginning of the second quarter is that the students are not continuing their hard working habits they started for the first quarter. Specifically, we have already gotten one Selection Test under our belt. The students are very familiar with the test format and the types of questions that are asked (they range from simple recall to higher level inference.) If students remain diligent in doing the Review and Assess at the end of each story, they complete and utilize the study guides that are provided prior to the test, and they reread their stories more than 3 times prior to the Selection Test, they should perform at average to above average on the Selection Test. If your child's score is below average, ask them if they are taking advantage of all the resources available to them to help them be successful. Another noticing that I have is that most of my student's reading comprehension is average to above average. Therefore, if they are not practicing the reading strategies made available to them during the daily lessons, they are simply reading words. It is much easier to just read words and say "I read," however, as I model in class everyday, reading, thinking, and applying the reading strategies takes time and patience. These strategies must be practiced every time they read. It is truly a mental workout! Just a note; there are fiction specific reading strategies and nonfiction specific reading strategies. Please feel free to review in your child's Prentice Hall Copper Series textbook the nonfiction strategies that we have been and will continue to focus on the entire semester. They are located on page 529.

Engrade is still extremely slow. Grades are not posting for several days. Please be patient to view your child's information and the monthly calendar. I have updated the lessons and expectations for the entire month of November. Enjoy!

Wordle

2008-11-02T18:12:00.003-05:00

The second nine weeks has begun in full force. The students have already started accumulating grades for the new semester. I have been very diligent about inputting grades into the online grading system Engrade, however, I have noticed that it has been extremely slow and sometimes inoperative. I am hoping this will not be an ongoing problem, however, if the problem persists, I will need to keep student grades on my school computer. Therefore, you may not continue t have the luxury of viewing your child's grades online. I may also need to transition my blog into a homework portal. Whatever the case, please be patient with the technology and potential transition.

I continue to remind the students that it is not sufficient enough to read the literature story one time. I continue to provide your children with reading strategies that will help them be more efficient and proficient nonfiction readers. They must utilize these strategies during reading in order for them to develop the higher level thinking required to understand the literature. They continue to have nonnegotiable homework; either reading out of a chapter book for 30 minutes a night, or Compass Odyssey for a minimum of 30 minutes a night (this is aligned with the Prentice Hall Copper Series .) The negotiable homeowork; Review and Assess at the end of each literature story, and the study guides. If completed, these will help students gain deeper understanding of the literature and ultimately help them be successful on the Selection tests. The Four Squares that are completed within the classroom augment the literature and provide a deeper application and understanding of the story as well.

We have implemented a new bellringer. I have taken the character trait from the Duval County Public School website and aligned it with quotes that utilize that trait. The students are expected to create a short written response (FCAT based.) The students provide a framework for the quote by creating a focus on the key concepts within the quote. The process of responding involves identifying the key concepts within the quote, putting those concepts in their own words and explaining why the concept (quote) is important and/or making connections to other ideas or concepts. I have had some amazing responses and this clearly demonstrates that the students are well on their way to higher level thinking! Again, we will continue to practice these habits as they are not a natural part of most students' thinking. One must learn how to be a critical and analytical thinker.

Mrs. Flynn's Famous Four Squares!

2008-10-07T21:01:00.030-04:00

The quality of classroom assignments and rubrics makes a difference in student learning. Moreover, assignment quality provides students the opp ortunity to make choices in their learning and rubrics provide the guide for students to know what is expected of them. You may have noticed that with every story that we read, I have a Four Squ are activity that students are expected to complete wit hin t he classroom setting. I felt it was important to post some sa mple work from students from all different class periods. Please make note of the different four square activity rubrics assigned for the different periods. These activity rubrics not only serve as a diagnostic tool for me to assess the strengt hs and weak nesses of a students learning, the students are guided by the rubrics and know what the expectation is for quality work. The activity rubrics set clear and ri gorous learner outcomes, a nd gives students a chance to apply complex thinking skills. The rubrics communicate t he expectations for high quality work to students and teacher comments provide the support for student revision on future four square activities. In sh aring these samples, pl ease know that your ch ild is working hard to exceed the standard and I will hold them accountable for their best work.

Our First Official Socratic Seminar

2008-09-26T16:40:00.010-04:00

Monday, September 29th will be an exciting day in every Language Arts classroom at Julia Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Academy. The Language Arts classrooms will be participating in Socratic Seminars to discuss the summer reading assignments. I have no expectations other than pure excitement for this day because this will be the first time I will have held my own Socratic Seminar. In preparation for this day, I have instructed the students regarding my expectations for participation and advised them of the necessary materials to bring with them on Monday. I have also reminded them that this format may not seem so unfamiliar as we truly have a Socratic classroom learning environment.

The Socratic method of teaching is based on Socrates' theory that it is more important to enable students to think for themselves than to merely fill their heads with "right" answers. Therefore, he regularly engaged his pupils in dialogues by responding to their questions with questions, instead of answers. This process encourages divergent thinking rather than convergent.

Students are given opportunities to "examine" a common piece of text, whether it is in the form of a novel, poem, art print, or piece of music. After "reading" the common text," open-ended questions are posed. Open-ended questions allow students to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in text, and express ideas with clarity and confidence. After all, a certain degree of emotional safety is felt by participants when they understand that this format is based on dialogue and not discussion/debate.

Dialogue is exploratory and involves the suspension of biases and prejudices. Discussion/debate is a transfer of information designed to win an argument and bring closure. Americans are great at discussion/debate. We do not dialogue well. However, once teachers and students learn to dialogue, they find that the ability to ask meaningful questions that stimulate thoughtful interchanges of ideas is more important than "the answer."

Participants in a Socratic Seminar respond to one another with respect by carefully listening instead of interrupting. Students are encouraged to "paraphrase" essential elements of an other's ideas before responding, either in support of or in disagreement. Members of the dialogue look each other in the "eyes" and use each other names. This simple act of socialization reinforces appropriate behaviors and promotes team building.

My goal is to have another Socratic Seminar wherein every student will purchase a common book, read the book as part of their 25 book standard, then participate in a seminar discussing that reading.

Those students whom did not turn in the required summer reading essay may not participate in the seminar. They will be located in a separate part of the classroom with an in-class assignment that will be turned in for a grade. Students participating in the seminar will be graded for participation based on the Socratic Seminar Summer Reading Rubric.

A copy of the rubric is located on the Engrade calendar under September 29th. Click on the title and it will pull up the rubric!

Mindfulness of Errors

2008-09-20T09:48:00.002-04:00

As you may have noticed, a small, rectangular, white piece of paper was attached to your child's tests that are to be signed and returned. The purpose of the white slip is to help your child be more proactive in their learning and to hold your child accountable for their errors.

As I address errors, one must first consider why errors occur. Errors are due most often to the convergence of multiple contributing factors. Blaming an individual does not change these factors and the same error is likely to recur.

That brings me to my next thought that students do not arrive in my classroom as an empty vessel waiting to be filled with knowledge. Then when tested and errors occur, I simply tell them the "right answer" to the question.

During instruction, I introduce the major components of Short Stories:

* identifying important characters and their personalities and motivations
* identifying the main problem and significant plot development
* noting characters' attempts to solve problems, and
* identifying a narrative's overarching theme.

The instruction is highly interactive as I demonstrate and "think aloud" as I read through a story, illustrating how I arrived at my conclusions. I elicit student discussion about the story. When students commit errors, I will direct them to the appropriate section of the narrative to reread it for the correct answer. I use guided questions and model as necessary to help students come up with an appropriate response.

I am trying to facilitate proactive learning; encouraging the students to identify, challenge, test assumptions, and to take different perspectives from which to critically encounter and evaluate their mistakes.

I am developing a classroom learning community; relating literature to students' lives, making the learning process an inviting and welcoming experience, engaging students to analyze reading passages and encourage them to come up with or choose alternative ways to learn the material covered. (ASK YOUR CHILD ABOUT OUR NON-NEGOTIABLE AND ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO HELP THEM BE MORE SUCCESSFUL)

Our learning community values intellectual effort, diversity in thinking, mindfulness of errors, and striving for excellence. In short, your children are learning to be critical readers.

Attending to text and correcting one's errors are important skills that make one a good reader. I hope the ideas presented will be useful in knowing how to help your child become a more proactive learner and to understand these important reading skills.

John Rosemond on Parent Leadership

2008-09-14T08:33:00.004-04:00

I had the honor and pleasure of attending a John Rosemond seminar this weekend at Southside United Methodist Church. I thought I was there to listen to his advice on how to raise a "strong-willed child." After all, I have one and was looking for solutions. What I came out with was a change in my paradigm of thinking. Here is an excerpt from his seminar:

John Rosemond: Discipline requires parents’ leadership

I’ve said it before, but it cannot be said often enough: The discipline of a child is not accomplished by manipulating reward and punishment. Yes, a child needs to understand that behavior results in consequences, but that understanding alone is not sufficient to grow a well-behaved, well-mannered child.

Besides, whereas proper consequences will virtually guarantee proper behavior in a dog, proper consequences do not guarantee proper behavior in a child.

Discipline is the process by which parents transform a child into a disciple, a little person who will look up to them, follow their lead and subscribe to their values. This is accomplished through proper leadership, not through the manipulation of consequences. The principles that define proper leadership do not change from one leadership context to another.

The most important of all leadership qualities is decisiveness. All effective leaders act like they know what they are doing. They act like they believe sincerely in the rightness of their decisions. In parenting, this translates to standing behind one’s instructions to a child, enforcing rules dispassionately and proving to a child that “no” means “no.”

I have taken to challenging parents in my most recent audiences to assess their leadership using this simple standard.

“Raise your hand,” I ask, “if your children know, without a shadow of doubt, that when you give an instruction, you are going to make sure it is carried out, that when you state a rule, you are going to enforce it, and that when you say ‘no,’ you mean nothing less than ‘no.’”

In a recent audience of some 200 parents, only five responded affirmatively.

I then ask, “Now raise your hand if as a child you knew, beyond a shadow of doubt, that your parents were going to enforce their instructions and rules and that when they said ‘no,’ they meant ‘no,’ period.”

In that same audience, I estimated that 150 hands were in the air.

This exercise tells why today’s children come to school considerably less disciplined than children of even 20 years ago (I’ve never heard an experienced teacher testify to the contrary). This tells why today’s parents are having so many more problems in the area of discipline than did their parents, and certainly their grandparents. It is not because they are not manipulating consequences as skillfully; rather, it is because they are not demonstrating to their children that when they speak, they mean exactly what they say.

Yesteryear’s parents were apt to simply tell their children to pick up their toys. Today’s parents are apt to ask their children if they will please pick up their toys, “OK?” When yesteryear’s parents said “no,” they proved to their children that “no” had not simply slipped accidentally out of their mouths. Today’s parents, in the face of their children’s emotional dramatics, are likely to demonstrate to their children that sufficient displays of emotional dramatics on their parts will result in “no” changing to “oh, all right!”

The du jour explanation for a child who will not take no for an answer, who tests every instruction and every rule with the full might of his or her free will, is that an inherited chemical imbalance causes knee-jerk resistance to authority. Supposedly, the child has oppositional defiant disorder and/or childhood bipolar disorder. Concrete verification of this proposition is lacking, but as recent audiences of mine have demonstrated, proof abounds that many if not most of today’s parents are suffering from leadership deficiency disorder.

If true, then this is great and wonderful news, for whereas parents cannot alter their children’s genotypes or brain chemistry, they can look up from this seminar and resolve to begin changing themselves into proper leaders of children who say what they mean and mean what they say."

•Family psychologist John Rosemond answers parents’ questions on his Web site at www.rosemond.com.

Parents and teachers succeed with their children when the kids grow up to become competent, responsible, considerate, and generous men and women who are committed to live by principles of integrity--adults who bring honor to their parents and teachers all their lives through their conduct, conscience, and character.

Raising children to become adults like this is what parenthood and Julia Landon is all about.

a link to read further:

http://www.arcamax.com/parents/s-81042-484462

Test Taking Strategies

2008-09-08T15:57:00.002-04:00

Now that my students have gotten a couple tests under their belts, I have some information I would like to share:

Test-Taking Tips for Secondary Students

Prepare:
􀂃 Arrive early for tests.
Bring all the materials you will need such as pencils and pens, a calculator, a dictionary,and a watch. This helps you focus on the task at hand.
􀂃 Be comfortable but alert.Choose a good spot (if you have that option) and make sure you have enough room towork. Maintain comfortable posture but don't "slouch."
􀂃 Stay relaxed and confident.Remind yourself that you are well prepared and are going to do well. If you find yourself anxious, take several slow, deep breaths to relax. Don't talk about the test to other students just before it; anxiety is contagious.

Test Taking:
􀂃 Read the directions carefully.This may seem obvious, but be sure you read carefully. This will help you avoid careless errors. If there is time, quickly look through the test for an overview.
􀂃 Answer questions in a strategic order:First answer easy questions to build confidence, score points, and mentally orient yourself to vocabulary, concepts, and your studies (it may help you make associations with more difficult questions).
Then answer difficult questions or those with the most point value. With objective
tests, first eliminate those answers you know to be wrong or are likely to be
wrong, don't seem to fit, or where two options are so similar as to be both
incorrect. With essay/subjective questions, broadly outline your answer and
sequence the order of your points.

Review:
􀂃 Resist the urge to leave as soon as you have completed all the items. Review your test to make sure that you have answered all questions, not miss-marked the answer sheet, or made some other simple mistake.
􀂃 Proofread your writing for spelling, grammar, punctuation, decimal points, etc.
􀂃 Do not "second-guess" yourself and change your original answers. Research has
indicated that your first hunch is more likely to be correct. You should only change
answers to questions if you originally misread them or if you have encountered
information elsewhere in the test that indicates with certainty that your first choice is incorrect.

Analyze your test results:
􀂃 Each test can further prepare you for the next test.
􀂃 Use your tests to review when studying for final exams.

Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple-choice questions usually include a phrase or stem (a question) followed by three to five options.

Test strategies:
􀂃 Read the directions carefully.
􀂃 Know if each question has one or more correct option.
􀂃 Know if you are penalized for guessing.
􀂃 Answer easy questions first.

Answering options:
Improve your odds – think critically.
Cover the options with your hand, read the stem (the question), and try to answer to yourself.Then, select the option that most closely matches your answer.

Strategies to answer difficult questions:
􀂃 Eliminate options you know to be incorrect.
􀂃 Question options that grammatically don't fit with the stem (the question).
􀂃 Question options that are totally unfamiliar to you.
􀂃 All of the above – If you know two of three options seem correct, "all of the above" is a strong possibility.
􀂃 Look alike options – Probably one is correct; choose the best but don’t forget to eliminate choices that mean basically the same thing, and thus cancel each other out.
􀂃 Echo options – If two options are opposite each other, chances are one of them is correct.
􀂃 Favor options that contain lots of details. Longer answers may include enough details to more suitably fit the demands of the question.
􀂃 If two alternatives seem correct, compare them for differences, then refer to the stem (the question) to find your best answer.

Guessing:
􀂃 Always guess when there is no penalty for guessing or you can eliminate options.
􀂃 Don't guess if you are penalized for guessing and if you have no basis for your choice.
􀂃 Don't change your answers unless you are sure of the correction,
􀂃 Use hints from questions you know to answer questions you do not know.

Having said that, please consider this as valuable information for future tests. Keep in mind the way I determine your entire grade. If you "bomb" a couple tests, it won't totally destroy your grade. Tests are half your grade. This should help you to understand the importance of being in class, being on time, paying attention to the lesson, completing all in-class assignments and doing your nightly reading.

Engrade Commonly Asked Questions

2008-09-06T12:14:00.002-04:00

Mrs. Flynn,
How do you weight my grades?

I count your tests and quizzes as 50% of your grade. Your in-class assignments count as 25% and your homework as 25%.

Mrs. Flynn,
How do I add my other teachers to my account?

You need to sign in to your account. In the box where it says "add access codes," add your other teacher's codes. It is important to note that you need to place the cursor at the top of the box. If you try to add your new access code at the bottom, it will not take. The cursor must be at the top and the new access code must be input there.

Mrs. Flynn,
What is the asterisk by some of my scores?

That means that grade was dropped because it was your lowest score. I have my settings to drop the lowest score in every category. Because we are at the beginning of the nine week period, and we have only one test grade and one in-class assignment grade, the computer will not drop that score. So, if you performed poorly on those two items, it may have lowered your percentage. Please remember that we are at the beginning of the nine weeks. You will have plenty of opportunities to raise or maintain your grade. Mrs. Flynn will always make sure that you have plenty of chances to be successful in my classroom.

Mrs. Flynn,
When will you mark citizenship scores?

At the end of the nine weeks.

Mrs. Flynn,
I do not see any comments for me in the comment section.

I will not necessarily use that unless there is something specific that I want you to know.

Mrs. Flynn,
I received a 5/10 on my pop quiz. Where did I go wrong?

I may have posted the grade before you actually received the paperwork to review your errors. I will never give you a grade without passing back your paperwork. Please be patient and you will receive your paperwork within a reasonable time frame. :)

Mrs. Flynn
Is Engrade a good way to communicate with you?

Absolutely. In fact, I love getting messages from you through Engrade. I have received over 37 messages from students and parents so far. It is truly a great tool for you and your parents for communication.

These are just some of the questions I have received. Always feel free to ask me anything about Engrade, my Blog, classroom procedures, etc. Just remember that I may not see your posting right away. As you can see, however, once I do see your message, I respond.

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Please use the Open Book Study Guide that I passed out on Friday. It will serve to help you be successful on Monday's Selection Test on Dragon, Dragon! Have a great weekend!

Official First Week

2008-08-30T08:12:00.003-04:00

Students have done a great job learning the rituals and routines to ensure their success in my classroom. They have been proactive by taking responsibility for their nightly reading and logging their books in their book logs.

They have begun with the end in mind. They are already aware that success in sixth grade will ensure success in seventh, and eighth grades here at Julia Landon. Ultimately, students are already making plans to attend our highly rated magnet high schools! Great goal setters!

Some students have already set priorities for themselves. I have heard them talk about how they have managed their time between homework, family expectations and athletic activities they are involved in.

We have talked a lot about "Win-Win." Specifically, how Mrs. Flynn has tried to make their lives easier by having an organizational system, and rituals and routines in place in the classroom. This ensures that there is never any question about what they are expected to do in my classroom! They are ready to maximize their learning opportunity!

I have just discovered that sixth graders are such social creatures! Yet they are learning to be sincere listeners as we all can gain better understandings of people, our surroundings and other ideas.

My students have already embraced the idea of synergy. We work smarter together than harder individually.

I will be emphasizing renewing themselves. This year will be a huge adjustment for all kinds of reasons. Let's stay focused on the reality of the expectations set forth at Julia Landon. A little effort and good time management from all will ensure that there is time to spend with our families and partake in relaxing activities.

I so look forward to seeing students with their parents at our Open House (September 2, 6:00pm). I will adhere to start and stop times for each period. I will have a prepared presentation to ensure that all important information for parents will be addressed.

I appreciate questions, however, for brevity sake, I will have paper available to jot down any and all questions you may have prior and during the presentations.

I will have a box that you may leave your question, comment or concern in. If you PRINT your full name, your child's full name and their classroom period number, and your email or telephone number. I will make a commitment to return your question within 72 hours.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED COOPERATION IN THIS MATTER!

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Woes

2008-08-21T07:21:00.002-04:00

Wow!

What a great first two days we had in Language Arts. Unfortunately our fast boat to China was abruptly halted. I hope you are staying safe with your families. We will definitely hit the ground running on Friday when we return to school. The first few weeks of school I will be collecting much data from your child. I will be taking writing samples, reading diagnostic tests and looking at your child's standardized testing data all the way back from fourth grade. The information that I will be collecting will be pertinent as it will allow me to diagnose any strengths or weaknesses, ultimately guiding my instruction for your child. I will be reviewing my classroom expectations on a daily basis. I will be firm in my expectations regarding behavior, academics, homework and organizational skills. Your child will be in training throughout this period so if it "seems" like I am being tough, I probably am. My purpose is to guide your child in establishing great habits day one, which will help them be successful throughout their three years at Julia Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Academy. It also creates a very efficient classroom environment wherein our academic learning is maximized. I have truly enjoyed getting to know your children over the first two days. I want to congratulate those students whom have already created a user id and password for their Engrade account. Period 1 had 2 students as of this posting. Period 2 had 5 students, Period 3 came out on top with 7 students. Period 4 had 4, and Period 6 had 6. Just a friendly reminder: please access my blog spot via the Julia Landon website. Please allow me a 24 to 48 hour grace period in responding to your emails or Engrade messages.

I can't wait to get back to school! :) Mrs. Flynn

Curriculum Paper

2008-08-14T18:04:00.000-04:00

6th grade ELA syllabus - Upload a Document to Scribd

Parent Letter

2008-08-14T18:00:00.001-04:00

August 18 letter to parents - Upload a Document to Scribd

2008-07-15T13:27:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Mrs Flynn - Upload a Document to Scribd

2008-07-11T10:45:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Mrs. Flynn's 6B Julia Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Development School classroom! This blogspot is where you will find daily, weekly, and monthly updates of the 6B Language Arts Classroom! I hope you find this tool userfriendly and useful! Mrs. Flynn