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.