Professional Development 2/22

Today we are sitting in the library for our PD.  Next Tuesday is the 7th grade writing assessment and the ET block will be 120 minutes.  Megan is offering up a writing lesson plan for ET.  She handed out a thick packet with a lesson plan, an article, and a say-mean-matter chart.  At first, I was thinking "why would I want to do a writing lesson with my ET?" but now that I see the content, my view has changed.  The article is about bullying and when it crosses the line from cruel to criminal.  I do plan to use this article in my ET next Tuesday, maybe not in the exact lesson plan form that Megan is offering but I do believe a discussion and short writing exercise would be beneficial to my ET.  I think that our students have strong opinions about bullying and what constitutes bullying and they need to share those opinions and hear about options for reacting to bullying. 

Some teachers are concerned about how students will react to bullying and that it may lead to suicide.  Other teachers are expressing their opinion that as a school we need to talk about bullying and how students may react to this.  My opinion - which I am going to share since I am blogging - is that talking about things is a great way to help students in a general manner.  Students can find out answers to their questions, dispel beliefs, and realize that others feel the same way.  The article is about Phoebe Prince and the 9 students who bullied her until she decided to commit suicide.  This is a horrific story and upon further review, the content of the article is good, but I'm not sure that it is a perfect article for my ET.

 We are waiting for the 7th grade teachers.  still waiting.......we waited 15 minutes for the meeting to resume.  Apparently, we have a full agenda and now we must rush through it.

Now, we are getting certificates for students that have improved on CSTs over the past 2 years.  We are getting a lot of points for students who move from FBB to B.  Next we moved into departments and Megan is handing out a list of students who are very close to moving up a band on CSTs.  We are supposed to choose some students as a focus group during our instruction.  I have a confession - I got bored during the transition of passing out papers and I took a walk around the hallways and I visited Ms. Gonzalez in the main office.  It made me realize that if I was a student and there was down time, I would probably act out because what else is there to do?

Ms. Gonnella is handing out the new staffing ratios for 2011-2012 - AWESOME!!  To break it down for you - class size is going to 38.5 each.  We will share Patty Granados with another middle school.  Counseling ratios will increase to 1000:1 for each counselor.  Negative outlook - the next year will be even worse financially!!  How is that possible, you ask?  I have no idea!  We will lose 2 regular staffed positions to lower our count to 27.  Our projected enrollment for next year is lower than this year.  We need to publicized this information.  I am now even more distraught than I thought possible.  Thanks for listening.....


Robin Nagle

  

SDAIE part deux - Title III Access to Core

Brief Announcements - Kathy Gonnella
Everyone met in the library and sat with their primary department.
Kathy welcomed our new SDC teacher, Mr. Oliden.
Ms. Branch, Mr. Perez, Doc Saxon, and one more were mugged and congratulated for their perfect attendance last month.
Kathy passed out a budget showing the categorical budgets for this year. There will be substantial cuts for next year's budget so staff is being asked for feedback on which items can be cut and which are the last to go. We will not have the federal stimulus money, approximately $126,000. This year those funds were used for a CSR teacher in math and the library aide. I hope people really do let Kathy know what their most important items are.

SDAIE - Meghan Schooler
Reviewed long range goals - SDAIE as an organic part of our teaching
Today's Objectives-

1- Learn the components of the Universal Access/SDAIE Lesson Design Template
2- Look at a sample lesson to identify the four critical elements of SDAIE.

We were asked to discuss attempts at infusing SDAIE into lessons during last week. I'm sitting with science and Heather and Robin shared that they had students use realia to build atoms (Bohr models). Both teachers have a huge range of abilities in their students groups and the good lesson was successful across the board.

We did the Four Critical Elements Sort - good for Heather because they are starting classification in her 7th grade class.
Content - Connections - Comprehensibility - Interaction
We put examples (tree map) under the correct (some flow between answers) element. Science is working in 2 groups because they have all these extra folks like me. In between the activity, there was a lot of specific talk on lessons since we have 7th and 8th grade at this table. Our table got the "right" answers because we are good test takers (or because we are crazy competitive). We also have a table full of folks who have done Thinking Maps, and other trainings to make access to the curriculum a done deal.

Think-Pair-Share
Steps in a well-designed lesson plan? We did the 5 Es. Engage, Explore, Explain, something related to practice that starts with an E, Evaluate. The full group added examples that they personally use(d).
Going to look at the CALLA Handbook on lesson plans. Basically, the form has the teacher focus on the What and How of the lesson. One big difference with this plan is that you have 2 Objectives - Content and Language. I personally think the language objective and SDAIE Vocabulary part is a good add. This form has you think of SDAIE as you plan. I like it. It will make you remember where your kids are and where they need to go. A plan like this goes into depth and that is not what the SPAs require with students who learn at a different pace than the magical ones that all curricular decisions at the district level are based upon. I know tha is an awful sentence.

SDAIE Element: Content
Looked at the GRAPES model in social studies (Ghana and Mali). We're taking a standard and seeing how to build the lesson and where more input is needed for our SDAIE kids. Took the standard and highlighted the important bits to capture the BIG idea.
I noticed that Elvia had a great UTLA sweatshirt, probably because I'm getting cold. Robin mentioned that I have one on my chair but Elvia's is better.
Looked at a completed lesson plan for this standard. I wish I had my reading glasses. Everyone wants to know what a FLEE map is. Meghan has a sample on the wall. Meghan asked if there were parts in the lesson plan that were new. Folks thought the EL components, Language Forms really make things explicit for the kids.
We are going to look at some tools, different graphic organizers.
We are going to go over the Narrated Pictorial Input Chart (Whew) This one has a script. I'm kinda complaining about writing the script. I understand the use, making sure you cover all the parts but man oh man. Many of us use bullets and notes, not an entire script.

We listened to the story (Ghana). We modeled how to discuss the story and fill in the FLEE chart. Make sure sentences complete, model language. Question specifics, like, "Who is the they?" I asked how to get kids to care about these types of stories and Noriko gave us an example of a background activity to build prior experience and interest. For example, kids are Berbers, traders, middle men. Then they hear the Narrative and are more interested. My table agreed that using the narrative pictorial as an assessment might be pretty cool. Tech could be nice for this as well.

We talked about using the document camera for the narrative pictorial. Robin and Heather shared their Pangea idea to have graham crackers for Pangea and frosting for ice. Animal crackers have to migrate or perish. So this would be an evaluative narrative. We talked about word walls and other lesson ideas.

People seems to be taking about their kids and how they scaffold, sharing ideas. it would be nice to actually have time to build lessons within departments. Nice to have things drawn and stuck on the wall as well as on the computer.

Reviewed the objectives from today's session.
Next steps: Closer look at language objectives and...sorry, not quick enough. You can go to Emerson's webpage http:/www.emersonms.org -> Teachers -> Ms. Schooler -> and find resources.

PD minimum day

The end of a long day and week... We met in the library.

Kathy started by talking about the modernization meeting. Alternate plans are being considered and she thanked all who attended.

We then heard about safety issues for our students and appropriate behavior. Safety first!!! These issues will be addressed with students next week at discipline, I mean positive behavior talks.

With additional changes being made in the master, Ms. Glazener has been displaced. :( She will be available to sub and will be working on that credential!

IDEC is starting so there will a couple new students.

Monday for the start of the semester we need to take roll on paper rosters and online. Keep accurate attendance.

We then were dismissed to help out with the eighth grade dance or to work in our rooms and enhance our learning environments.

Posted via Nakada's new phone... no, I wasn't texting during the meeting, I was taking notes and blogging!

SDAIE Round One!

February 8th, 2011
Blogger: Heather

We are all gathered in the library for the first of three SDAIE methods presentations by Ms. Schooler.  Noriko briefly showed her blog and asked if anyone wanted to be the blogger, but no one volunteered (except me) so here I am doing it again.  We are suddenly quiet since we are to answer a half sheet questionnaire. Meghan keeps reminding us that this is district mandated training.  People are kind of noisy, especially since they have been given candy to open.

Meghan is reviewing norms for collaboration and now the meeting standards.  Our goal is to understand SDAIE at the school and in the district. Apparently our goal is to be consistent with each other and within the district in how we implement SDAIE and to better communicate that.  Today we will look at achievement data and develop a common definition and language for SDAIE here at the school, no matter what it was called when you first learned about it. Meghan is telling us that she is paid for out of federal money and not out of our budget to try to explain what she does.  For AYP all subgroups must meet certain criteria. For EL students most of the criteria are about doing well on the CELDT, but of course one of the criteria is being proficient on the CST and that is where we fall down.  Charts make my eyes hurt. Thankfully, Meghan is passing one out on paper which makes it better, but not good.

We are a loud bunch. Even as we make progress and improve our students' performances on the tests, the government keeps raising the bar for what counts as "proficient". According to the chart, ELs do worse than everyone except special education.  The chart showing the goal going up every year is depressing and we need to address the fairness and reasonableness of the goal, but at a later time.  In math, EL students do reasonably well, scoring only slightly lower than other students. Now we are supposed to use "accountable talk" to talk to our peers about the charts I guess. Now we have to listen the the four tenets. There are a lot of bullet points and buzz words in this powerpoint, but as yet no opportunities for me to improve my teaching.  Anyone who teaches EL students, even in PE, you should be using SDAIE methods.

Now we have to do a "quick write" as a self-reflection on whatever you know about the definition of SDAIE. Now we have to do a KWL chart on something, but there is much discussion about what to do it about and we have settled on spelunking.  SDAIE is not just good teaching, as good teaching may still leave EL students behind.  Now we are going to do a "jigsaw activity" to read an article on SDAIE.  Read and share, my favorite.  We are discussing the four critical elements of SDAIE (lots of things here come in fours). I know that we are mandated to hear this, but I have heard it all before and I don't feel like I am stretching myself like I would like to at PD.  Just to be clear, I blame this on the district not Meghan. I dislike PowerPoint slides where you can't actually see what is written. And now we get to watch a teacher engaging her students.  The video was probably a good example of SDAIE methods, but the woman was so squeaky and patronizing.  I was sure she was teaching kindergarten, but when I saw her students, I felt bad for them. There must be a way to teach EL students without sounding like that. I guess we have reached the end of the PD as we are reviewing our goals and modeling a way to end class with a think-pair-share activity.

Professional Development Departments

I'm at the somewhat chaotic English department meeting here in Carrie's room. The math department is in 130, history is in Mr. Perez's room, science in Ms. Nagle's room, electives in Wilson's room and PE in the girls' PE office.

After a quick pic Megan Schooler, our title 3 coach, is introducing a faculty book club selection: The Hunger Games. She then went on to clarify her role here on campus to work with our English Language Learners. Lily gave some background on the title 3 course and how Lily is now teaching a support class for PRP support.

Sharon let us know some information about her group of ESL 2B students and then left to take care of ESL portfolios. Sheila mentioned how seventh graders (the middle child)have little to look forward to and it seems to be "a lost year." Carrie mentioned possibly bringing best practices to our next meeting.

Lily mentioned articulation and incoming sixth graders being in 2B. She summarized the meeting Lily and I had with the department chair at Uni, and shared the CORE literature lists. 

Mr. Jones mentioned the possible shortage of Esperanza Rising books. Issue resolved after some discussion.

Carrie talked about the new REVISED SPAs!  Answer sheets aren't here yet but we checked out our SPAs.