I did it!  I actually made a successful blog entry!  Woo-hoo!

Re-Imagining ELA: Day 2 Afternoon Session

Blogger: Noriko

After lunch, we made our way into breakout sessions. I'm in the ELA session with Ms. Barbeau, Mr. Escajeda, and Ms. Graham. 

We start off reviewing the charge for these two days and then eliciting needs from the group after yesterday's session. 

There is some general anxiety about how the textbook resources will be rolled out and that anxiety is expressed from teachers from all the adoption groups. 

We looked at how one standard progresses from grades 6-8. 

We looked at what Academic Moves follow each standard. Here is a link to the online resources for the book. (the last word is business). 

https://studysites.corwin.com/secure/burkeacademicmoves/chapter.htm

We then took a few minutes to skim the introduction. 

It's been an long two days of looking at lots of words. 

Re-Imagining ELA/ELD PD at LACES: Day 2 Morning Session

BLOGGER: Noriko

We started the morning by signing in at the cafeteria. Then, we made our way over to the dance room to meet with the HMC Collections.

So, yesterday we ended the day with Lily's blog sadly deleting, Lawrence posting a couple of very helpful posts, learning there is nothing like AR in this program, and picking up our chrome books. The chrome books are nice, and we are already considering how to make use of them.

We then discussed what enriches and inhibits learning. Then we all got logged on and explored some of the resources.

Because of the many tech engagements, she went over "Rules of Engagement"
RED: lids down (laptops closed), guided instruction
YELLOW: collaborative work 
GREEN: individualized work. 

I explored some of the teacher dashboard and

student resources:



Explore these pages to learn all about these resources...

HMH California Collections Unpacked for Special Education Teachers Part II

WRITING/SPEAKING&LISTENING

A. Interactive Lessons

The Interactive Lessons on Teacher Resources are a great resource for doing direct mini-lessons on performance standards in writing and speaking and Listening.

I like that it gives presentations visually and aurally, with accompanying assessment and rubric. These are standards that need to be taught explicitly and do not just happen without the benefit of thoughtful instruction.


B. Graphic Organizers

The Graphic Organizers are not editable, but allows you to type in on a downloadable organizer and print. Great for whole group instruction.

HMH California Collections Unpacked for the Special Education Teachers Part I

HMH California Collections Unpacked for Special Education Teachers
Blogger: Lawrence Ramos

Log in and it will take you to your dashboard. Select your grade level on the upper right tab, then click on Teacher Resources. This will take you to the page with a mustard yellow left tab.

FLUENCY

HMH CA Collections has intensive reading instructional materials through Decoding Power, where you can get fluency passages for those still working on high frequency words and focused sound patterns.

It also has diagnostic, screening, intervention, and progress monitoring assessments with its Journeys component, especially for our struggling readers that need reinforcement with blending practice. We have identified a few among our Special Day students and this will really be helpful if given as a supplementary homework and when they work with our aides.

LANGUAGE

This is a 5-day instructional guide that includes either a written or spoken product. It provides instructional focus on both semantics and pragmatics as there are lessons on making text connections and interpretations, as well as putting these words in practice through scripting and structured/scaffolded collaboration. 

Re-Imagining ELA/ELD: Afternoon session with textbook publishers

and here it is.

And here we are in the after-lunch textbook intro for Collections.

As Noriko is my witness, I took and organized very good notes.

They're gone.

So sorry.

I guess I closed page before I "updated."  I'll get this, promise!

Re-Imagining ELA/ELD Instruction: late morning

Blogger: Tiki -

Academic Moves should be imbedded in a task. The standard we are being asked to assess is Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. This is the New Blooms Taxonomy.

 

blogged out!

Sitting with my team, waiting for lunch, wishing for coffee, learning about addressing English learners. Wow, I'm tired.

Blogger: Noriko

This book has some great resources we can use/adapt for so many assignments: Essential Academic Words, moves and rubrics. Good stuff!

She then connected the ELD standards to how we can implementing these moves with different levels. 

Re-Imagining ELA/ELD Instructional Design: Standards (ELA and ELD)

Blogger: Noriko

I'm back and trying to give other people permission to edit this blog which will be awesome!

OK, so we are looking at The Common Core Companion: The Standard Decoded:

Alma read aloud the section "Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity" and we practiced  

a summary 

sentence, 

phrase,

and word

that capture the essence of the standard. 

We looked at Knowledge of Language under the Language Standards: 

sentence: It's important for students to understand how to use language appropriately. 

phrase: appropriate use of language

sentence: purpose

We posted this on the Schoology course page. 

Part II: How English works...

Then we took a look at the ELD Standards. We got the grade level ELD standards placemat. 

We looked at the statistics of our students and their language classifications. 

We examined how we look at
Part 1: 3 modes of communication:

collaborative, interpretive, and productive.

Part 2: and how English works in
3 processes:
text structures, expanding phrases, and connecting ideas. 

Part 3: Foundational Skills

We discussed how we needed to unpack ALL OF THIS TEXT into a meaningful PD next year to meet our students' language development needs more effectively.

Part I: Modes of Communication

We then brought the conversation back to the circles of instruction and this is "why" it's important.

We then looked back at Part 1: and the three sections: emerging, expanding, and bridging. These levels of proficiency are replacing the beginning, early intermediate, intermediate, early advanced, and advanced.

She talked about what collaborative, interpretive, and productive practice looks like in our classrooms. Then, she talked about how the standards work across the levels as students acquire language. She showed this in standard 9 and then we looked at how standard 11 progresses.

We went on a crazy hunt for how ELA and ELD standards correlate.

Re-Imaginging ELA/ELD: Schoology and Universal Design for Learning

Blogger: Ruth

ELA/ELD Schoology Support

How does Schoology work? Please follow the following steps to view a training video:

• lms.lausd.net
• Enter your SSO

Google slide on ELA/ELD Schoology Support:

http://tinyurl.com/SchoologyELA

Schoology is the new system that will replace MiSiS as soon as full implementation has occurred...

Access...Includes a Course tab for PD's, a Group tab for collaboration, and a resources tab to create material for implementation

Groups is an open collaboration between admin and members

Courses will include you into a course for ELA/ELD training

To enter the coursework for Schoology, please follow the following:

• Go to lms.lausd.net
• Use your SSO to enter
• Go to courses on the top and click "join"
• enter the code for West 6B2KK-CJ87M

You can create groups or join a pre-created group by using a code given by the person that created a group.  Use this website to be able to communicate with other teachers during PDs

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for earning is a framework for implementing the concepts of Universal Access by providing equal opportunities to ALL students.

Helping students become expert learners...

• Purposeful & Motivated Learners
• Resourceful & Knowledgable Learners
• Strategic & Goal-Directed Learners 

"Expert Learners know that learning is a continuous progress..."

Incorporate Multiple Means of Engagement...

• Options for self-regulation
• Options for sustaining effort & persistence
• Options for recruiting interest

Provide Multiple Means of Representation

• Options for comprehension
• Options for language, mathematical expressions & symbols
• Options for perception

Provide Multiple Means of Action & Expression

• Options for executive functions
• Options for expressive skills & fluency
• Options for physical action

This is not just for students with special needs but for all students!

UDL's 3 core concepts

• Learning Goals
• Learner Variability
• Context Environment

Change the environment, not the child...
Clear goals for learning with flexible means...
Variability is the rule, not the exception...
Essential for some, usable by all...

Think, Turn, Talk

How will UDL strengthen your ELA/ELD instruction?

Teacher as Instructional Designer:Part One

Five CLR Instructional Areas
Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Education
by Jaimi Krielaart

Chapter 9: Access and Equity

SELs (EO and IFEP)
Conventions of standard english need to be taught as a way of making connections to EL instruction. This ties in with the circle of implementation on how students must be taught, e.g., motivating, respectful, etc.

Paradigm shift in language instruction such as thinking in terms of what is appropriate and effective, instead of what is proper or good. Grammar has to be taught by emphasizing patterns and not as right or wrong.  Inviting students to code-switch by choosing the language appropriate to the situation and the setting provides them with more access.

Re-Imagining ELA/ELD Instruction @ LACES

Blogger: Lawrence

Visual Synectics Activity: Complete the Sentence
First activity was a partner activity.


Take two different things and compare them laterally, using the prompt:

Instructional design is like.....because

...orchestrating a balancing act....you have to use multiple strategies to motivate kids.
...controlling the temperature...the kids come with different levels of energy and the teacher has to balance it out during class.

Developing an instructional design is like...because...

....having a vision....for it to work out a clear plan must be made on how you initially visualized it.


ELA/ELD Framework Resources
The Vision
by Jamie Krielaart

The framework was rediscussed using the executive summary. It gives a great bird's eye view of what the framework defines.

ELD Framework: The Executive Summary
The executive summary points one to the important parts of the voluminous document.

The Circle of Implementation

page 4: Circle of Implementation

Tech 10 Video

Scaffolding is necessary in giving our students access, including Els and Special Ed students. The framework gives us a blueprint that grounds the purpose and action of the work we do. The core of what we do rests on the CCSS. They provide the overarching goals of ELA/ELD instruction.
CORE: CCSS Different themes provide suggestions on how to deliver the instruction, offering depth and relationship to different areas.
Inner ring: How?
Outer Ring: Why?

page 2: Distinctive Features of the ELA/ELD Framework
Annotation Key: C: Continue, D: Deepen, I: Initiate

Depending on the individual's level of implementation, we rated the features accordingly. The activity aimed to get a thermometer reading of where everyone is in terms of implementing the standards.

Continue
Providing guidance of for implementation of two sets of standards: CCSS and ELD Standards
Deepen
Promotes an integrated an interdisciplinary approach to literacy and language instruction
Initiate
discusses literacy and language instruction in terms of five crosscutting themes


Reflection: This segment of the training reminded me that such document is available for our perusal and has to be used and revisited more often than I am currently doing. I particularly liked the circle of implementation with its corresponding video that is available on the LAUSD website that described how the CCSS and ELD standards can come together in terms on its implementation.

Re-Imagining ELA/ELD Instruction: Morning Session

Blogger: Noriko

I haven't blogged here in forever...

but I figure I might as well. Since our last post, in April of 2013, Emerson has become an independent charter and the turnover in staff has a very different group of teachers here. But here we are and our charge is the same: to teach the students in front of us. 

The ELA department is here at LACES for this training. We're in an un-airconditioned cafeteria. Awesome. This includes: Ms. Nakada (your blogger), Ms. Parker, Mr. Escajeda, Mr. Ramos, Ms. Barbeau, Ms. Ciafone, Ms. Hernandez, and Ms. Reynoso. 

We started 

We started with a welcome from the Secondary ELA Coordinator, Division of Instruction. 

She spoke about the importance of signing in and out and how to sign up to pick up your chrome books. 

After some tech issues, we watched a TED talk by Rita Pierson. 

"We can do this. We're educators. We're born to make a difference."

Then we looked at who are middle school students are (district wide) by demographics, racial, socio-economic, language levels, and GATE/Special Ed. 

We then looked at our charge for the day: to celebrate this new textbook adoption, to 

PD April 26, 2013

Professional Development in the library

Mr. Watson went over the inaccurate PD Dates and Topics handout and then amended the previously distributed agenda. (Yes, a tad confusing).

Mr. Watson then discussed the displacements and expected staffing for next year. We have 19 positions available for next year. 

He then talked about the April 30th meeting and response from the Westwood community schools,  Saturn families, and our school community. 

We talked about how to make sure our sixth and seventh grade students are clear about what going charter means. 

The agenda will look like: 

Watson discussing what it means to be an affiliated charter. 

PACE will help convey that this is a community effort.

One LA will be there, offering translation and advocating for the current feeder pattern. 

Academies will then present who they are. 

We then broke into academies...

April 9, 2013

We are meeting in Ms. Parker's room. We started with announcements. There will be no charter co-location at Emerson next year. Departments need to get supply requests in asap so orders can be made.

Parents: Feldman and Bolinger made some announcements about the message going out about the charter development.

Then Ms. Parker spoke about her manifesto and moving toward a community school.

We then moved into our groups for charter development.

After our meetings we met in grade levels.

March 19, 2013 PD Meeting

We started in the library with Mr. Watson thanking everyone for attending the period by period faculty meetings.

Ms. Farhamand announced that there would be a meeting for eighth graders the Thursday after the break. Also, Ms. Shanley's students will have a special meeting this Thursday.

We then worked in smaller groups on the charter.

PD on Charter Writing

We met in the library after our charter meeting with Michelle Bennett.

Our agenda consisted of Michelle Bennett debrief
Timeline update
Announcement letter
Work groups

Michelle Bennett has recommended an outside writer. We then discussed the meeting with Michelle Bennett and what people took away from that meeting. Ideas mentioned included doing something we are passionate about, improving communication with feeders and parents, clarity and transparency in the process, keeping in mind our dream school, parent role, freedoms in the charter and accountability.

We then looked over Mr. Watson's letter to the community and started looking at Academies. Mr. Watson suggested PLE and SLCs with four different academies.

PD on the Teaching Framework: Self-Reflection

Can you believe we're back? It's been almost a year. Babies have been born and grown, students have graduated and a whole new group of students made their way into our rooms. And yes, we have sat in many a PD but we haven't been blogging.

At the end of last year there was quite a bit of work on the common core standards.

So far this year we have worked through district PDs on the master plan and teacher evaluation systems.

We have explored active reading strategies such as SQ3R and 3Rs. This led to note-taking strategies like Cornell Notes and then writing strategies like Step-Up to Writing.

Today we are looking at the LAUSD Teaching and Learning Framework, but first we had a slew of announcements: Hastings on ESA activities, on GATE training, the CST writing test, classroom moves, and an upcoming science assembly on quantum physics. Also, CST testing will start April 22.

Then we reflected on our levels of questioning in our teaching practice.

My group discussed the various levels of questioning from an SDC class, to English, to PE. Some pertinent questions to emerge, were why the rubric doesn't reflect the various ways students show their learning other than a discussion.

During the ensuing discussion teacher brought up how we reflect on our practice and how a particular lesson might show up differently on the rubric for Standard 3: Delivery of Instruction, Component 3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques. We also looked at how time consuming and often painful engaging conversation.

We then looked at the Individual Growth Plan and specifically the SMART goals which means they need to be: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevent, and Time-based. 

PD March 20, 2012: Common Core Standards

We met in the library and started off with Watson providing the justification for the Common Core Standards. 

We started with a TED talk about how math instruction needs to evolve with the changing times. 

We then went through the district power point and discussed the Common Core Standards and the timeline for roll out. 

PD March 13, 2012

Did you notice there was no blog last week... I was out. It was a tech PD.

Now it's another week and we are in departments meeting about CFAs.

We then had a faculty meeting.

PD for February 28, 2012

Announcements from Mr. Watson:

The old dean's office is now available as a work room! There are copy machines and departments are encouraged to stock surplus supplies there. If you need supplies, send a request through Ms. Garner.

We then split up into seventh grade ET teachers (to prep for the 7th grade writing exam) and departments (to determine supply/budgets).

We will then meet in the library to hear about the facilities plans.