Happy New Year 2016

Happy New Year!

Can you believe it is 2016?  
How did you celebrate the new year?  
Here are New Year Traditions around the World!

The New  Year brings time for reflection on the past year and resolutions for the future.
Here are the top 12 reflections for teachers.

You will reassess students and reflect on your SLO.  You will make predictions toward meeting the SLO and reflect on actions needed for the remainder of the school year to help every individual grow as a reader.
Time and support will be provided!









Jan. 5- PLC- Reflection on Professional Practice Goal (PPG)- Protocol will be in your box Monday

Jan. 5-28- Gather Midyear data for SLO 
       Jan. 29-F & P Due  (Formal if SLO)
       Jan. 11-22- MAP Data- Choice 
       Jan. 11- Feb. 19- PALS Optional


Jan. 18- 8-4 Professional Development Day-  Unpacking Standard 5 and SLO Midyear Preparation

Feb. 4 & 9- Midyear SLO Review
Sign up  here for an individual conference if you are on cycle or if you are not on cycle you can meet as an individual or as a team.  

This is the format for the midyear meeting.  Here is a sample video so you know what to expect.
In My Learning Plan,open up Goal Setting Review and answer the following questions:

I hope you have  a Happy 2016.  

Please comment on a tradition, resolution, or prediction for 2016!  

December in Public Schools

December in Public Schools  

December can be a stressful and challenging time for students and staff, personally and professionally. Every December public school teachers and administrators face the difficult task of acknowledging the various religious and secular holiday traditions celebrated during this time of year while balancing the need for sustained high quality teaching and learning.  In an effort to help create a school environment that celebrates diversity by respecting differing points of view concerning religions, the following suggestions are offered.

·      Public schools must never appear to endorse religion over non-religion or one particular religious faith over another.

·       Public schools must be careful not to cross the line between teaching about religious holidays (which is permitted) and celebrating religious holidays (which is not).

·       Religious music, literature, art or other religious activities should not dominate school activities.  School events, assemblies, concerts and programs must be designed to further a secular and objective program of education and must not focus on any one religion or religious observance.

·       Religious symbols are not appropriate seasonal decorations in public schools. At the same time, students should not be restricted from choosing to express their religious views in course assignments (e.g., artwork, personal narrative).

My goal is to provide an inclusive learning environment for all students.  Every student should feel welcome and represented at a public school and should be able to participate in every activity we have.

High quality standards-based instruction and student learning is the expectation in December as it is throughout the school year. Holiday activities, parties and showing of videos should be a minimal part of the school day.  Maintaining routines are important to increase student learning and minimize behavioral difficulties.

Great Reads on this topic!

Religious Holidays in Public Schools

How-handle-religious-holidays-public-schools

Keeping Kids Motivated During the Holidays

If you have any questions, please contact me.

To celebrate each other you are invited to come to Hudson Perkins on Dec. 17 from 7:15-8:30 for breakfast/ staff meeting.  Menu

Dec. 10- Guided Reading Micro-teaching

On Dec. 10 we have a late start from 8-10:30 in our building.

I am asking that prior to Dec. 10 every teacher videotape themselves teaching guided reading or teaching a class.

Music, PE, Art, Media, Counselors, Psychologists, Early Childhood , Gifted and Talented, ELL, Motor may choose to meet together at the location of their choice. Here is a google doc for your plans.

EBD, Speech, SLD:  You may stay in the building or work as a district team.  If your small group is meeting separately send plan to Terri Gulbranson if under student services and building principal.  If you supervise EA's working in the am include their plan. You do not have anything to complete within the google doc.

Immerse
What is micro- teaching? Micro-teaching is an organized training method where a teacher plans a short lesson, teaches it to a group of students and then reflects on their teaching afterwards. The session is video recorded for either individual or peer review.
Micro-teaching

Why are we going to do this?
Micro-teaching has .88 effect on student learning according to John Hattie from Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Related to Achievement.

Investigate
8:00-8:15- Review Rubric
Guided Reading Micro-teaching- Teachers who teach guided reading
Stronge Standards Micro-teaching- Other teachers
Hard copies will be in your mailbox on Friday. 
They do NOT need to be turned in.

8:15-8:45- Watch video and fill out the evidence above. 
You may pause the video to review. Pausing and reflecting is a great technique to use with students when viewing videos.

Coalesce
8:45-9- Reflection

• What did you see that confirmed your strong practice?
• What is one thing I can do to improve my practice?
• Do I need support from my team, the instructional coach, the Principal?

Go Public
9:15-10:45- Collaborative or Individual planning for Guided Reading 

Ideas:
1.  Guided Reading Lesson Plans- Fill in Lesson Templates and put in the baggies with guided reading books.  I have printed copies of the lesson plans in the workroom.  Collectively we can plan and leave lessons for our colleagues in the baggies.  The SMART  Team wants lessons to be written and shared.
Jan Richardson Lesson Plans

2. Explore online Resources
Comprehension Toolkit Articles
Short texts
News ELA
2014-15 Professional Resources Exploration
Blog Exploration
HP Media Resources

3. Choice

You can videotape another lesson and review it with your instructional coach or your grade level team.

*********************************************************************************************
From Nancy Dressel:

Here are 3 tools you can use to record video from a webcam on a laptop or chromebook.  They are in order from easiest to hardest to implement -- they also move from a 5 min recording limit to unlimited.

Clip Champ App - Limit of 5 min.  

1. Install and open the app

2. Click record video

3. Enable webcam

4. Click start recording 

5. Click stop recording

6. Click Share - select Google Drive or YouTube

Screencastify - extension - Limit of 10 minutes

1. Install the extension

2. Click on the extension

3. Allow access to the webcam

4. Click no the cam tab to only record from the webcam

5. Click start recording

6. click stop

a new tab will open, it should automatically save in Drive

Youtube My Webcam - Limit 15 min (unlimited on verified account)

1. Go to YouTube and sign in with your school email and echalk password (if you are already signed into your HSD google account when you click sign-in it will automatically sign you in.

2. Go to Youtube My Webcam 

3. Allow access to your webcam

4. Click start recording

5. Click stop recording

6. Click blue continue button

7. Name the video and select unlisted or private.

8. Click Save.

To verify your YouTube account, to be able to record more than 15 min:

1. Click on your account (email or profile icon in upper-right corner and select account setting (gear icon).

2. Click on view additional features

3. In the longer video section, select Enable.

4. Complete the process of receiving and entering a verification code.

Student Surveys Work Session- Optional Dec. 3, 2015

For all teachers in year 2 of the Educator Effectiveness Cycle, Student Surveys are given.   On Thursday Dec. 3 we will have an optional work session.  Bring a device.

• Aria Krieser
• Rachel Stanchik
• Stephen Dahle
• Abby Mertig 
• Kathy Heth
• Cory Eller
• Jodi Magee
• Kayla Rihm
• Maija Stubbendick
• Michele Delong

What?
Student Survey Presentation

Why?

• Multiple measures are used to determine effectiveness
• Research consistently indicates that students from K-12 can provide reliable information related to teacher effectiveness
• Student ratings of teachers are a significant predictor of student achievement--better than parent or administrator ratings

When?
1st Survey- December
2nd Survey- March

How?
Examples on My Learning Plan- Use them or adapt them.

K-2 Survey
K-2 Specialist Survey
3-5 Survey
3-5 Specialist Survey

Examples from TLA- Use them or adapt them.

Design your own

Paper/ pencil or Google Form or Survey Monkey

Web samples
MET Project- Bill and Melinda Gates- p. 25-27
#1
#2
#3


Reflection- Most important portion!

Gratitude

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we will practice gratitude just like our students did.

grat·i·tude

ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

   "she expressed her gratitude to the committee for their support"

   synonyms:

   gratefulness, thankfulness, thanks, appreciation, indebtedness;

Here is a 7 minute video about gratitude!  

It shows the research behind the link of gratitude to happiness.

Take some time to share your gratitude with your...

Students
Colleagues
Family
Friends

Your PLC on Nov. 24 is designed for you to share your gratitude with your team and colleagues. 

 No protocols are needed.

I would like to share my gratitude with you:

I am thankful for teachers that will do everything to help every student grow and succeed. 

I am thankful for the teamwork we show at TARGET time, with special educators, and with our team.

I am thankful that we are all learners and committed to continuous improvement.

I am thankful students are first in every decision.

I am thankful for the smiles and care we show each other everyday.

I am thankful to work with people who like to laugh.

Comment on what you are grateful for on our blog.

*******************************************************************
On Dec. 10 we have a late start from 8-10:30 in our building.
Music, PE, Art, Media, Counselors, Psychologists, Early Childhood , Gifted and Talented, ELL Motor may choose to meet together at the location of their choice. If your small group is meeting separately send plan to Terri Gulbranson if under student services and building principal.  Here is a Google Doc to communicate plans.

I am asking that prior to Dec. 10 every teacher videotape themselves teaching guided reading or teaching a class that we can reflect on.

Standard 4- Assessment for/ of Learning using Technology

We have been studying Standard 4- 

Standard 4 ~ Assessment for Learning

The teacher systematically gathers, analyzes, and uses relevant data to measure student progress, guide instructional content and delivery methods, and provide timely feedback to students, parents, and stakeholders

On Thursday Nov. 19 Nancy will be sharing with us how technology can support our assessment practices.  Please bring a device.





Immerse
Here are some Formative Assessment Reflective Questions to review:

• What differentiation do I need to prepare?
• How will I know when students understand?(criteria for success)
• What are the students’ strengths and needs?
• What misconceptions do I need to address?
• What adjustments do I need to make to instruction mid-lesson?  For next lesson?
• What feedback should I give students?
• Who is and is not understanding the lesson?
• How should I group students to best meet their needs?
• What’s my plan for next steps?

Investigate/ Coalesce

On Thursday Nancy Dressel will share with us some technology tools that can help us to formatively assess student understandings.

Check out her presentation. Please bring a device as it will be interactive.

Standard 4 with Technology

Go Public

Try out one strategy with you students

Please comment on how you currently use technology as an assessment.

Fountas and Pinell Assessment- How can we assess student's comprehension of text?

Fountas and Pinell Assessment- 

Essential Question:  
How can we assess student's comprehension of text and plan for next steps of instruction?

F & P Calibration Nov. 12, 2015
We will start in the media center.

1. Classroom teacher will administer the F&P- Teachers will have books. I have copies of test sheets for fiction and nonfiction.
2. All teachers will score accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.
3. Compare scoring of comprehension
4. Questions to discuss:

How did we score comprehension at the 3 levels?  Why?

What would be this students praise and prompt?

What would be goals for this student?

What would be next steps for instruction?  Use F&P Continuum

Please meet in the following groups in the classroom of the teacher in red.  
Groups for Thursday

Immerse
Comprehension Conversation

Can a child look back at the text during the comprehension conversation?
Though you should not instruct the student to do so, it is permissible for the child to initiate looking back in the text. If the student begins to read the text, ask him to tell the response in his own words.

What happens if the child has to refer back to the text to answer a question? Does this affect his comprehension score? If a child initiates looking back in the text, locates the information, and provides a correct response then you should give credit for the answer. Looking back in the text will not affect the comprehension score.

What if the child does not understand the question? Be sure to rephrase the question until the child understands it. Your goal is to determine whether the student understood the information in the story, not whether the student understood the question.

How can I keep up with the note taking? After you have administered the conversation one or two times, you will be able to interpret the student’s comments and connect them to the “key understandings” in the first column. Check the ones the student has covered and take notes only on the additional information provided by the student (if any). Also, you can take a quick moment to make these checks right after the conversation (while the student writing or after she leaves).

What should I do if the student does not come up with the key understandings? You can use the probes or questions to elicit answers. You do not need to score the student lower because you had to probe for answers. Some children are not accustomed to spontaneously talking about their thinking, yet they may understand the text very well and demonstrate it when questioned.

Should I “count” the “right answers” the student makes in order to come up with the comprehension score? No. These texts vary and have different requirements in terms of key understandings (thinking within, beyond, and about the text). Look at the rubric for scoring each category (within, beyond, and about). Make a holistic decision as to the extent to which the student has demonstrated thinking.

Where can I find more information about thinking within, beyond, and about the text? You will find very detailed descriptions in Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K- 8 by Fountas and Pinnell (Heinemann, 2006).

                                                From- Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark 1 Assessment Guide
Investigate/ Coalesce
Staff Meeting Collaboratively administering F & P and reflective PLC conversations in teachers classroom.

Go Public
Use understanding to help students build comprehension in reading during guided reading.
Question stems for thinking within, beyond, and about the text
Question stems for levels A-Z
Fountas and Pinell Continuum

Nov. 24- Update Guided Reading Levels

• You need to formally assess all kids May 6.  
• You can formally assess kids 1-2 other times based on your choice.

Questions to consider?
Do I need information to confirm my thinking?
Do I need information for my SLO in January?
When should I assess my students as they grow at different times so it is not a burden on assessment?

Take it off the Plate!

Take it off the Plate!

Thank you for the great SLO meetings.  I am impressed at the ease we are as a building talking about data, making rigorous yet attainable goals, and having sound instructional strategies to support every reader.  

This time of the year, we tend to get overwhelmed. Here is an article that may show Signs you have too much on your plate.

I have cancelled the staff meeting on Nov. 5 for you reflect on what you can take off your plate.

    Monday- Wednesday

 I want you to use the filter below for everything you do. 

       Does it have to happen for STUDENT LEARNING or STUDENT SAFETY?

     Yes- Is it a have to?

    No-  Is it a nice to do?  

     Is it a want to do?

You will have this handout in your mailbox to jot notes.

Plate reflection

Determine something you can take off your plate or have students or parent volunteers do.  Hopefully this can help us focus on what is most important- Student Learning or Student Safety.  

Please comment below on something you took off your plate or are doing something different to work smarter!

Using data to Differentiate Instruction

Our SMART Leadership Team wants to give us time to...

Learning Targets:

• Understand the multiple forms of data we have for reading- F & P, MAP, PALS, Running Records, Comprehension checks, AIMS Progress Monitoring, and other formative assessments

• Use the data to meet student needs- F & P Continuum, MAP Continuum

When? 
October 29, 2015 8-8:45

Why?
“One of the potentially powerful resources for informing instructional and school improvement school-wide data is enormously underutilized.”

 “The distinguishing characteristics of school wide data are that they are frequently and systematically collected across a grade level or content area about an important student outcome and quickly aggregated and examined for patterns that can help inform next steps.”

Supovitz, J.A., Klein, V. (2003). Mapping a Course for Improved Student Learning: How Innovative Schools Systematically Use Student Performance Data to Guide Improvement. Philadelphia: Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania.

Research has shown that using data in instructional decisions can lead to improved student performance (Wayman, 2005; Wayman, Cho, & Johnston, 2007; Wohlstetter, Datnow, & Park, 2008).

Where?
K-1 - Sue  Jenson in Mrs. Jenson's classroom
2-3-  Chloe Brine & Susie Prather in Ms. Zamzow's classroom
4-5- Michele Delong in Media Center

What to bring?

1. Data
2. Device
3. F & P Continuum

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Immerse- 
How classroom instruction improves student learning by Thomas Gusky

Explore these resources and your baseline data
PALS
MAP
Fountas and Pinnell

Investigate/ Coalesce
PLC Conversation
Explore reports
Explore resources
Answer Questions Collaboratively

Go Public
Use the information for Guided Reading
MAP Reading South Washington County


Please post questions prior to the meeting or email your leaders so we can discuss them on Thursday.