NWEA MAPS Testing

NWEA MAPS is starting this week!

Make sure you share the importance of doing your best work on the MAPS tests.
They are used...
1.  To help teachers meet students individual needs.
2.  To measure student's growth.
3.  To make student goals for improvement.

Make sure you share good test taking skills prior to the test.
1.  Read the question carefully.
2.  Eliminate answers.
3.  Check answers.
4.  Don't rush.

With the new web-based reports are available right away!  No waiting!
Click here to see the new reports that are available right away. 
Here are the MAP Norms.

Please comment what you think of the new web- based format which is similar to the SMARTER Balanced assessment we piloted last year. 
What are the wows and wonders?

Writing in the Common Core

Thank you to everyone for the great work with scoring your students writing collaboratively.  Don't forget to give Tammy any exemplars to scan for the T Drive.  Here is a compilation of our feedback from our protocols..
Reflections on Narrative Writing

Here are some more resources on writing:
Videos on Narrative Writing in the CCSS
Common Core Article
CCSS Writing Standards

Welcome to Provoking Thoughts from Prairie

The purpose of this blog is to continue our quest for professional learning at Hudson Prairie.  On August 27, 2013 we all were inspired by my hero, Heidi Hayes- Jacobs.    

Here is her Ted Talk. You may want to refresh your memory or just want some good entertainment.  Well, she has inspired us to prepare our students for TODAY's world, not the 21st Century!

Our 2013-14 enduring understanding is:

Preparing learners for a changing world requires responsive shifts in teaching and learning.

Our essential questions are:

What do learners need to prepare for our changing world?

What shifts can we make in our practices to prepare our students (and ourselves) for our changing world?

This is HSD 2025.  We want to transform education and it's exciting, yet scary too!  Well I took the pledge like each of you.  You have inspired me!  

Here is my list of changing my practices as a leader.

1.  I am going to use Twitter, Pinterest, and Electronic Media to feed my curiosity and learn. 

2.  I will model my risk-taking with my students and staff.   Blogs, Wikispaces, Today's Meet, Voice Threads, Google Docs, etc,

I am on my journey and I invite you to join with me on our LEARNING JOURNEY TOGETHER!

Please comment on YOUR pledge to prepare our 460 Hudson Prairie students for TODAY!