What's in a Word?
~Daniel Chuhta, Assistant Superintendent
The term "effectiveness" seems to be getting lots of use these days. Just take a look at Google's N-gram viewer above, which plots the relative number of mentions of the word in books over time. It indicates a slight decrease since 1980, which, in the world of education, might be a bit of a surprise! Surely if this only included books from the field of education, there would probably be a sharp increase. Two of our current initiatives, the first to develop a system of proficiency-based learning and the other, to develop a "Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth" (PEPG) system, both involve effectiveness. So how is that word defined? According to Google (of course), it means:
"the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result; success."
This is terminology that comes almost directly from the Marzano Evaluation model as well. Each design question has a "desired effect," or in other words, there is an explicit purpose for each group of elements in the model. By using one of the elements, or better yet, multiple elements in coordination, we ask what we're hoping to achieve. In a similar fashion, the PEPG system is being designed to give educators feedback on their practice, and design pathways to grow in effectiveness.
We are building a proficiency-based (rather than time-based) system of learning for our students,
--> The Reinventing Schools Coalition is helping us develop the indicators that will ensure the greatest success in achieving this transition
-->--> The Marzano Evaluation model is a tool which illuminates research-based instructional practices, and facilitates feedback about them
-->-->--> iObservation is a tool used to collect observed data, and provides a platform to share feedback
-->-->-->--> The PEPG system will use the Marzano model, evidence of professional goal achievement, and student growth data to provide feedback and a framework for professional growth plans
Though their political genesis is somewhat different, and the purpose behind these required changes can be seen as discrepant, our internal "why" should be quite clear: we want our students to meet high expectations - we'll help them achieve this by employing proven strategies - and we'll work together to be successful, giving each other feedback along the way.
I have confidence that we'll be successful in producing the desired result in the end! We're already effective but can be even more so as we learn and grow together.
(By the way, the Google define command can be a handy tool. Simply type "define: word" into your Google search bar, and a whole bunch of information will likely be returned; definitions, origin, use!)
~Daniel Chuhta, Assistant Superintendent
The term "effectiveness" seems to be getting lots of use these days. Just take a look at Google's N-gram viewer above, which plots the relative number of mentions of the word in books over time. It indicates a slight decrease since 1980, which, in the world of education, might be a bit of a surprise! Surely if this only included books from the field of education, there would probably be a sharp increase. Two of our current initiatives, the first to develop a system of proficiency-based learning and the other, to develop a "Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth" (PEPG) system, both involve effectiveness. So how is that word defined? According to Google (of course), it means:
"the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result; success."
This is terminology that comes almost directly from the Marzano Evaluation model as well. Each design question has a "desired effect," or in other words, there is an explicit purpose for each group of elements in the model. By using one of the elements, or better yet, multiple elements in coordination, we ask what we're hoping to achieve. In a similar fashion, the PEPG system is being designed to give educators feedback on their practice, and design pathways to grow in effectiveness.
We are building a proficiency-based (rather than time-based) system of learning for our students,
--> The Reinventing Schools Coalition is helping us develop the indicators that will ensure the greatest success in achieving this transition
-->--> The Marzano Evaluation model is a tool which illuminates research-based instructional practices, and facilitates feedback about them
-->-->--> iObservation is a tool used to collect observed data, and provides a platform to share feedback
-->-->-->--> The PEPG system will use the Marzano model, evidence of professional goal achievement, and student growth data to provide feedback and a framework for professional growth plans
Though their political genesis is somewhat different, and the purpose behind these required changes can be seen as discrepant, our internal "why" should be quite clear: we want our students to meet high expectations - we'll help them achieve this by employing proven strategies - and we'll work together to be successful, giving each other feedback along the way.
I have confidence that we'll be successful in producing the desired result in the end! We're already effective but can be even more so as we learn and grow together.
(By the way, the Google define command can be a handy tool. Simply type "define: word" into your Google search bar, and a whole bunch of information will likely be returned; definitions, origin, use!)
A big THANK YOU to all of our district-wide committee members. There is always a great deal of work to accomplish, but these folks are so dedicated, and worked in thoughtful, flexible, and focused ways!
District Committee Updates
√ Have you read the 2014-2016 Board Goals? They are available in the top right corner of the district's website, or by clicking here. √ Curious about next year's calendar? The Calendar Committee has drafted a calendar, and after continued collaboration with RSU 5 and Brunswick School Department, a first read with our Board of Directors is being planned for March. |
Curriculum Adoption and Program Evaluation Updates
This year we have two teams working: The Science and Technology committee is taking time to review the new Next Generation Science Standards. (Though the State has not formally adopted these new standards indications from the ME Department of Education is that they will be presented to the Legislature this session.) At the same time, the State's sample graduation standards in this content area are being considered. A recommendation to the Board, via the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Committee, will occur this spring, which will realign our K-12 learning expectations in the fields of science and engineering. The adoption of a new curriculum will be followed by a science and engineering program evaluation. The Health and Physical Education Program Evaluation Committe conducted a survey of elementary teachers, school-counselors, and nurses to learn what is currently being taught for health education in grades k-5, and compared the results to the district's curriculum. In addition, health teachers at the Middle and High Schools, as well as k-12 physical education teachers, are working to outline what they currently teach, and will then compare it to the the Maine Learning Results. Finally, the committee is working to determine graduation standards for both disciplines. Pilots The K-12 Mathematics Committee has had a very specific task this year - seeking a potential new program to replace our exisitng version of Everyday Mathematics. Based on our review of mathematics assessment data, as well as the current version's mis-assignment to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, the Committee decided to seek alternatives. After reviewing a number of different possibilities, reaching out to a number of other districts, and evaluating those possibilities against our "rubric", we have a number of classrooms piloting two possibilities: Everyday Mathematics 4, and Envision 2.0. As part of our work with a proficiency-based learning system, we have teachers piloting two monitoring and reporting systems. Both systems - Empower and JumpRope - will be used this spring, and a recommendation will be made for grades 5-9 implementation next year (additional grades added as we proceed until we have a k-12 implementation). |
Smarter Balanced Assessments for ELA: How will students be ready?
~Judy Johnson, Literacy Coordinator How can I best prepare my students for the reading and writing in the new Maine Educational Assessment (MEA/Smarter Balanced Assessment)? We know that these new assessments include the CAT--Computer Adaptive Test, as well as a Classroom Activity and PT--Performance Task. Our students will sit in front of large amounts of digital text and be asked to use keyboards to write and do many other tasks. We can gain insights from a recent article in The Reading Teacher by Timothy Shanahan: “How and How Not to Prepare Students for the New Tests.” Shanahan debunks the notion that work on isolated skills, such as the ability to answer main idea or drawing conclusions-type questions, has a positive impact on test performance. Analysis of factors influencing test performance on reading comprehension measures conducted by ACT, formerly the American College Testing Program, showed no consistent pattern for individual factors (ACT, 2006), except for one, and that was text complexity. Dr. Shanahan suggests five steps we can take in upper elementary, middle and high school that would serve our students well in preparation for our spring assessment. It is not profitable to emphasize question types. Our focus should be “making students sophisticated and powerful readers.” *
We can support our students, allowing them to develop into more sophisticated readers and writers, focusing on stamina and independence--their best tools for approaching the new MEA. *Shanahan, Timothy. "How and How Not to Prepare Students for the New Tests." The Reading Teacher 68.3 (2014): 184-88. Web. (For the full article, click here.) Strategies for Staff to Help Improve Student Attendance ~Mary Booth, Health Coordinator As a district we are reviewing student attendance data and the Board has set a two-year goal of reducing the number of students who are chronically absent by 25 percent. An attendance protocol and data monitoring tool have been developed and are being implemented and used by staff at the elementary level. These tools are being adjusted for the middle and high school. A critical factor in improving attendance behavior is establishing a relationship between a classroom teacher and a student’s parents/guardians. Reaching out to the parents/guardians every time a student misses school, in a positive, caring manner, helps to build a relationship. In addition to establishing a relationship with parents/guardians there are certain strategies staff can implement to engage students in feeling welcome and supported while in school.
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All About the ACCESS for ELLs ®
~Peggy Callahan, English Language Development Coordinator Returning from winter vacation typically marks an uptick in the number of assessments administered to our students. The assessment season runs well into spring, and for English learners in the State of Maine, there is one more to be added to the list, the ACCESS. ACCESS for ELLs® stands for Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners. It was developed by the WIDA Consortium and is the predominant English language proficiency test given throughout the country. The ACCESS for ELLs is Maine’s mandated assessment used to satisfy state and federal requirements for the annual assessment of English learners’ English language proficiency. The ACCESS measures an English learner’s proficiency as it relates to the language found within five different content areas: Social and Instructional Language, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Within these content areas, the test measures proficiency in the four language domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The test is based on WIDA’s English Language Development Standards, so the scores are measured on the Standards’ levels of 1-6. The six levels are titled: Entering, Beginning, Developing, Expanding, Bridging, and Reaching. These descriptive levels relate to the learner’s level of English proficiency, measured in relation to those content areas listed above. For classroom teachers, the score reports can assist them in better understanding what their students know and are able to do in each of the content areas—in English. For example, in the Listening portion of the test, students hear a teacher talk to her class about a science experiment and directions about the assignment she is giving. There is a lot of technical language specific to the science class as well as typical language many teachers use when explaining assignments. After listening to the segment, test takers are asked questions such as: What are the students supposed to do after they complete the experiment? What does the teacher say is the purpose of the assignment? According to the teacher, why would you want to do Step 3 before Step 4 of the experiment? The English learners then have to select the most appropriate response to the verbal prompt. These types of questions exemplify what the test is like; the test does not measure English language acquisition by a discrete set of questions, but relates the language assessed to the language the students will be exposed to and be expected to know in the mainstream classroom. Therefore, the score reports can be a valuable piece of information for the classroom teacher about the English learner . For classroom teachers, the score reports have the capacity to inform them of the degree to which the English learners sitting in their classes understand the subject matter as delivered to them in English. The reports also provide Can Do Descriptors relative to each of the six acquisition levels. These descriptors can aid the classroom teacher in the development of appropriate assignments and help them set goals to move the learner to the next acquisition level. So as our district’s students begin the season of assessments, consider another test in the stack that our English learners are asked to take and remember that when the scores are released in April, classroom teachers of English learners will have another tool that they can use to help these unique learners be successful in school. Here’s a link to the ACCESS for ELLs webpage, as well as two recommended sites for further reading:
Visit http://blog.tesol.org/leap-it-a-visual-social-search-engine-for-ells/ for more details, or experience Leap It yourself. |
Technology as a Tool in the Learning Model
~Ryan Palmer, Secondary Technology Integrator
As an educator, I sometimes reflect back on my own education and the process that I took part in with the hope that I would retain important information or develop the skills that would make me an educated person. This process often involved being lectured to or assigned to read what I was to learn. I would then be quizzed or tested on my ability to memorize that information. More often than not, I would find that at some point between my passing in the assessment and receiving a grade, I would probably forget about 80 percent of what I had memorized, depending on my level of interest in the topic.
Late this past August, I had the opportunity to take part in an Applied Learning Workshop at the middle school. During this workshop Bill Zima gave a short presentation about Applied Learning and its place in the Learning Model. The Learning Model involves Input of information (data, facts, vocabulary, and skills); Process, where learners use their interests to build understanding and relevance to new skills and concepts; and ends with Output, where students are assessed on their application of these skills and concepts, not simply what they know (or memorized) about a particular subject or topic. It was the Process portion that really got me thinking as well as the idea that it wasn’t enough for students to meet a standard on an assessment. Rather that they could apply that knowledge in a culminating interdisciplinary project.
As often happens when I am at a conference or workshop and the speaker says something that starts my engines, the wheels in my head start turning, and I am no longer able to focus on what he/she is saying. Instead, I am processing what was just said, what it means to me, and how I might apply it to my work. When I was a classroom teacher, some of my best lessons and units where planned during a keynote presentation where the speaker probably thought I wasn’t paying attention. Anyway, I started to think about the role technology could play in the input and output portions of the Learning Model. Not only does technology put the information of the world at a student’s fingertips, but it can be a dynamic and efficient tool for students to show what they have learned.
Technology as a Tool for Input
At no other time in human history have people had as much access to information as they do now. With the invention of the laptop, smartphone, and tablet, information is not only portable, but omnipresent. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the 1:1 classroom where finding the definition of an unknown vocabulary word is as simple as a double-click, and finding an article on any topic can be done in the time it takes you to type your topic and hit return. We’ve come a long way from digging out the dictionary, World Book Encyclopedia, or going to the library and searching the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature. To say that technology can have an impact on how today’s students can gain new knowledge is a complete understatement. Online resources like Google, YouTube, and even Khan Academy have had a tremendous impact on how students find information as well as how teachers deliver instruction. It is truly mind-boggling to think about the many ways to use the Internet to gain information. With online books, audiobooks, newspapers, news sites, blogs, wikis, and podcasts it is simple and inexpensive to be both well-read and current with the news of the day. Online courses, educational videos, skill-development resources, and even world language development sites now make it simple for one to be a self-guided and life-long learner. Social networking can even play a big part in sharing online resources with others, so much so that we now have the term PLN (Personal Learning Network) to describe the group of users that we learn from and with whom we share our own learning resources. So using technology as a tool for input of information or new skills is extremely common and efficient.
Technology as a Tool for Output
As a k-12 student in the 70s and 80s, most of my learning was measured through quizzes and tests. Occasionally, if I had a dynamic or newly trained teacher, I would need to make a poster or sometimes a model. In the late 80s, education seemed to shift and concentrate more on the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning. Students began showing what they knew or could do by creating various products. Essays, posters, models, speeches, and poetry were some of the products teachers started to use to assess students. Rubrics, rather than answer keys were used to measure the learning or skill of the student. Then came the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). Seemingly overnight, students could show what they had learned through presentations, graphic organizers, videos and other multi-media products. The development of Web2.0 in recent years has changed the web from a tool students used to search for and gain information, to a place where they can create and post their own content for the world to see.
In the Learning Model, Output is where we want students to apply the skills and concepts they learned in the creation of a culminating interdisciplinary product or project. With seemingly ubiquitous access to computer devices and the Internet, these output products have the potential to be dynamic in their scope and creativity. The historical figure report can now be turned into an engaging and moving biographical video. The traditional book report can now be a video book trailer. The persuasive essay can now be an audio podcast. With the access to technology and the Internet that our students have available to them, their Output can now be dynamic, engaging, and brought to a worldwide audience, which in turn motivates students to publish their best work.
In early December, the first Androscoggin Team Film Festival took place at the Orion Performing Arts Center. Throughout the day student-created documentaries were shown to teachers, parents, other educators, and of course the seventh-grade students who wrote, produced, performed in, edited, and directed them. These documentaries were the product (Output) of the interdisciplinary applied learning project these students completed after their unit on biomes. The documentaries in the Applied Learning Project were planned, produced, and created by the 7th grade Androscoggin Team students. They planned their projects with storyboards and scripts. Students searched for and found, evaluated, and downloaded web resources to use in their videos. Several even produced their own video content in front of a green screen. Once they had all their planning done and resources ready, they used iMovie to create the documentaries. They embedded video and still images, added voice-overs and soundtrack audio, text, transitions, effects, and credits. The level of creativity and originality the students displayed was impressive. Their documentaries were informative, engaging, entertaining, and had distinct touches of middle school whimsy. The thinking skills involved in such a project involved all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, from knowledge to creation.
For several years technology and the Internet have been tools for teachers and students to find new information or gain new skills. There are more and more of these resources every day. But with online Web2.0 tools, and those found on their laptop devices, students can now be creators of Internet content and share their learning and skill with a worldwide audience. By having students applying their learning after their unit of study to create an interdisciplinary project, students will be more likely to hold on to their learning longer than they would after completing those traditional assessments many of us educators were subjected to as students ourselves. The Biome Documentary project is an excellent example of how technology can be an important tool for students to show what they know and apply their knowledge or skills in creative ways.
~Ryan Palmer, Secondary Technology Integrator
As an educator, I sometimes reflect back on my own education and the process that I took part in with the hope that I would retain important information or develop the skills that would make me an educated person. This process often involved being lectured to or assigned to read what I was to learn. I would then be quizzed or tested on my ability to memorize that information. More often than not, I would find that at some point between my passing in the assessment and receiving a grade, I would probably forget about 80 percent of what I had memorized, depending on my level of interest in the topic.
Late this past August, I had the opportunity to take part in an Applied Learning Workshop at the middle school. During this workshop Bill Zima gave a short presentation about Applied Learning and its place in the Learning Model. The Learning Model involves Input of information (data, facts, vocabulary, and skills); Process, where learners use their interests to build understanding and relevance to new skills and concepts; and ends with Output, where students are assessed on their application of these skills and concepts, not simply what they know (or memorized) about a particular subject or topic. It was the Process portion that really got me thinking as well as the idea that it wasn’t enough for students to meet a standard on an assessment. Rather that they could apply that knowledge in a culminating interdisciplinary project.
As often happens when I am at a conference or workshop and the speaker says something that starts my engines, the wheels in my head start turning, and I am no longer able to focus on what he/she is saying. Instead, I am processing what was just said, what it means to me, and how I might apply it to my work. When I was a classroom teacher, some of my best lessons and units where planned during a keynote presentation where the speaker probably thought I wasn’t paying attention. Anyway, I started to think about the role technology could play in the input and output portions of the Learning Model. Not only does technology put the information of the world at a student’s fingertips, but it can be a dynamic and efficient tool for students to show what they have learned.
Technology as a Tool for Input
At no other time in human history have people had as much access to information as they do now. With the invention of the laptop, smartphone, and tablet, information is not only portable, but omnipresent. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the 1:1 classroom where finding the definition of an unknown vocabulary word is as simple as a double-click, and finding an article on any topic can be done in the time it takes you to type your topic and hit return. We’ve come a long way from digging out the dictionary, World Book Encyclopedia, or going to the library and searching the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature. To say that technology can have an impact on how today’s students can gain new knowledge is a complete understatement. Online resources like Google, YouTube, and even Khan Academy have had a tremendous impact on how students find information as well as how teachers deliver instruction. It is truly mind-boggling to think about the many ways to use the Internet to gain information. With online books, audiobooks, newspapers, news sites, blogs, wikis, and podcasts it is simple and inexpensive to be both well-read and current with the news of the day. Online courses, educational videos, skill-development resources, and even world language development sites now make it simple for one to be a self-guided and life-long learner. Social networking can even play a big part in sharing online resources with others, so much so that we now have the term PLN (Personal Learning Network) to describe the group of users that we learn from and with whom we share our own learning resources. So using technology as a tool for input of information or new skills is extremely common and efficient.
Technology as a Tool for Output
As a k-12 student in the 70s and 80s, most of my learning was measured through quizzes and tests. Occasionally, if I had a dynamic or newly trained teacher, I would need to make a poster or sometimes a model. In the late 80s, education seemed to shift and concentrate more on the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning. Students began showing what they knew or could do by creating various products. Essays, posters, models, speeches, and poetry were some of the products teachers started to use to assess students. Rubrics, rather than answer keys were used to measure the learning or skill of the student. Then came the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). Seemingly overnight, students could show what they had learned through presentations, graphic organizers, videos and other multi-media products. The development of Web2.0 in recent years has changed the web from a tool students used to search for and gain information, to a place where they can create and post their own content for the world to see.
In the Learning Model, Output is where we want students to apply the skills and concepts they learned in the creation of a culminating interdisciplinary product or project. With seemingly ubiquitous access to computer devices and the Internet, these output products have the potential to be dynamic in their scope and creativity. The historical figure report can now be turned into an engaging and moving biographical video. The traditional book report can now be a video book trailer. The persuasive essay can now be an audio podcast. With the access to technology and the Internet that our students have available to them, their Output can now be dynamic, engaging, and brought to a worldwide audience, which in turn motivates students to publish their best work.
In early December, the first Androscoggin Team Film Festival took place at the Orion Performing Arts Center. Throughout the day student-created documentaries were shown to teachers, parents, other educators, and of course the seventh-grade students who wrote, produced, performed in, edited, and directed them. These documentaries were the product (Output) of the interdisciplinary applied learning project these students completed after their unit on biomes. The documentaries in the Applied Learning Project were planned, produced, and created by the 7th grade Androscoggin Team students. They planned their projects with storyboards and scripts. Students searched for and found, evaluated, and downloaded web resources to use in their videos. Several even produced their own video content in front of a green screen. Once they had all their planning done and resources ready, they used iMovie to create the documentaries. They embedded video and still images, added voice-overs and soundtrack audio, text, transitions, effects, and credits. The level of creativity and originality the students displayed was impressive. Their documentaries were informative, engaging, entertaining, and had distinct touches of middle school whimsy. The thinking skills involved in such a project involved all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, from knowledge to creation.
For several years technology and the Internet have been tools for teachers and students to find new information or gain new skills. There are more and more of these resources every day. But with online Web2.0 tools, and those found on their laptop devices, students can now be creators of Internet content and share their learning and skill with a worldwide audience. By having students applying their learning after their unit of study to create an interdisciplinary project, students will be more likely to hold on to their learning longer than they would after completing those traditional assessments many of us educators were subjected to as students ourselves. The Biome Documentary project is an excellent example of how technology can be an important tool for students to show what they know and apply their knowledge or skills in creative ways.
Using Effective Differentiation To Increase Student Growth & Engagement
~Kim Emerson, Gifted Talented Coordinator So, you have students in your classroom who are gifted and talented. Now what? How do you differentiate the curriculum to ensure these students remain engaged and challenged to reach their learning potential? Differentiating for gifted students is not about adding more of the same, i.e. more “work” for when they complete what is expected of everyone in the classroom. It is about using data gathered through pre-testing and careful observation to design respectful learning tasks. Effective differentiation for gifted learners requires increasing the pace of instruction, adding greater complexity in thinking, and providing opportunities to delve deeply into learning, Pace refers to the rate of instruction as well as efficient management of classroom routines and procedures. Accelerating the instructional pace is an essential aspect of differentiating for the gifted learner. Gifted students are typically able to acquire necessary background (input) knowledge with less practice and repetition than other students. They need consistent opportunities to apply their knowledge as they practice becoming autonomous learners. Pace does not mean simply moving through core content more quickly in order to cover more material. Rather it is about spending less time on background knowledge, offering fewer examples on how to do a particular task, giving less teacher led practice and, most importantly, allowing time for applied learning that requires the application of higher order thinking skills. Adding complexity to student learning requires leading students to think at high levels when completing an authentic task. Designing opportunities that require students to work at the Knowledge Utilization level on Marzano’s taxonomy can lead to effective differentiation for gifted students. When you require students to practice divergent, critical and creative thinking you are increasing the complexity of the learning task. When activities are complex, students need to rely on background knowledge and skills while using greater self-regulating strategies (planning, organizing, persistence, and patience) to solve problems. Most gifted students thrive when they are cognitively engaged in complex thought. Gifted students tend to become more motivated when they are required to think beyond the simple recall and comprehension levels of learning. It is more exciting and intellectually stimulating to think deeply, investigate, experiment and creatively problem-solve problems. Differentiation is a complex set of decisions, involving the consideration of student choice, learning styles and readiness levels, that are made to optimize learning opportunities for each student. Thinking about pacing, complexity and depth of learning is a good place to start when planning for high ability learners. Accelerating the pace of instruction while increasing depth and cognitive complexity will enhance engagement and improve learning for high ability students. While all students need to be encouraged to think at high levels and in depth, gifted students should spend more of their time at sophisticated levels of higher order thinking and in greater depth of content. This is where we can nurture student potential, develop the seeds of curiosity and help our gifted learners blossom. Ten Critical Elements in Differentiation for Gifted Learners
From Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics by Diane Heacox, Ed.D., and Richard M. Cash, Ed.D., copyright © 2014. Free Spirit Publishing Inc., Minneapolis, MN; 800-735-7323; www.freespirit.com. This page may be reproduced for use within an individual school or district. For all other uses, contact www.freespirit.com/company/permissions.cfm. Resources: Heacox, Diane, Ed.D, and Richard M. Cash, Ed.D. Differentiation for Gifted Learners Going Beyond the Basics. Minneapolis: Free Spirit, 2014. |
Student Engagement: Try a Technology Option
~Kate Greeley, Elementary Technology Integrator I was completing our recent homework for the Marzanno iObservation Academy and came across this suggestion for Design Question Five: What Will I do to Engage Students?: For one month, keep a log of how often you use technology to enhance student engagement with content. Then analyze the data. Are you surprised by the results? Marzano points to much research on using academic games (Element 25) and managing response rates (Element 26) for increasing student engagement with the content. So how can we put some of those ideas into practice through the use of technology? There are many interactive tools out there, and it’s hard to know which one to try. Below are three possible tools. Whether you have one-to-one access or just one computer, using technology for increased engagement is possible at all levels. Making a Jeopardy Game using Flippity.Net link: http://www.flippity.net/QuizShow.asp Technology needed: One computer hooked up to a projector (speakers needed if embedding sound files or movie clips) Flippity.Net uses Google Sheets to create an interactive game you can edit and share with your students. If students have access to computers consider sharing a copy of the template and having them create the questions for reviewing content. Each group could develop a column of questions. Flippity.net has other resources as well. If you like this one, be sure to check out their site for other ideas at http://www.flippity.net/ Kahoot! link: https://getkahoot.com/ Technology needed: One computer hooked up to a projector (speakers needed if embedding sound files or movie clips) and one device per team or student for inputting responses (tablet, smart phone or computer) Many elementary staff had a chance to “play” a Kahoot game when Dan Chuhta embedded this tool into our review of Marzanno’s iObservation Academy. What fun we had, and we were definitely engaged with the content! This response system goes beyond what Socrative or Poll Everywhere have to offer by adding the gamification factor. (Socrative and Poll Everywhere are still very good choices and are linked here so you can check them out.) For Kahoot inspiration, go to: http://blog.getkahoot.com/ Plickers link: https://www.plickers.com/ Technology needed: One computer hooked up to a projector (speakers needed if embedding sound files or movie clips) and one device for inputting responses (tablet or smartphone with software downloaded) Do you want to try using a response system for collecting data you can display instantly, but do not have devices for every student (or don’t want to take out those laptops)? Check out Plickers. With Plickers you assign a QR code to each student, create your quiz and display the question(s). Students hold their QR codes for you to scan the room grabbing each student answer. Put the QR code on cardstock so it’s durable and can be used over and over. Imagine using this as a ticket out the door for grabbing quick formative assessment data on the day’s learning target. Whether it’s a jeopardy game for review, a ticket out the door with a QR code, or a game of Kahoot, using technology to enhance your formative assessment and student engagement is a win/win! Going Above and Beyond the Hour Once again our students in kindergarten through grade five participated in Hour of Code. From Angry Birds to Frozen to building masterpieces in Scratch, students explored the world of computer programming. Creating, problem-solving, collaborating, and communicating - all part of our Learning Commons curriculum - were evident across all the grades! So what happens now? Many students are exploring more coding opportunities on their own, though some schools have set up even more opportunities. At Harpswell Community School a coding club is underway being led by Chase, a fifth-grader. Bowdoinham Community School will be offering a before school coding club in the coming weeks. Students in all our elementary schools have the opportunity to learn more by visiting the Learning Commons website and clicking on Beyond the Hour of Code. |
Rather than maintain a quiet location for individual study, the school wanted to create an environment for 'collaboration and knowledge co-construction.'"
From the 01/14/15 article, "21st-Century Libraries: The Learning Commons" @ http://goo.gl/APnwcB
Learning Commons Updates
In addition to the implementation of a new K-12 Learning Commons Curriculum this year, there are lots of other exciting things happening!
Elementary
~Trish Suthers, Elementary Library Media Specialist
The Learning Commons began the year with a new curriculum and new lesson plans. Staff taught a variety of things including procedures and expectations, Digital Citizenship, how to use the digital catalog, choosing “just right books,” and how to locate books on the shelf. Sometimes we read Chickadee Award books or discussed Maine Student Book Award contenders. The year ended with a bang by spending two weeks doing Hour of Code! And oh yes, let’s not forget the book fairs!
During the Digital Citizenship unit, in addition to learning how to be safe on the Internet, students were shown how important it is to give credit and to cite works they have consulted. This meant reviewing where to find the author, title, publisher, and copyright date of a book. Students also tackled the more difficult task of locating the author, title, URL, and date of a web page. You can help students get into the habit of doing this by making them responsible for giving credit and citing the images, books or websites that they have used.
Remember that our new online catalog, Destiny, makes it easy to borrow books from other schools. Here’s how. Log in to Destiny using your email username and password. Search. When you find a book you want from the search results, click on the title to take you to that book’s main page. On the right side, you will see the “Hold It” icon. Click it, and voila, your job is done! The book will be delivered to you and when you’re finished, simply return it to your LC. If you have problems or questions about anything to do with Destiny or the Learning Commons, please ask any of the LC staff for help.
Middle School
~Gina Stokes, Middle School Library Media Specialist
Since completing the district-wide shift last year from Libraries to Learning Commons, there have been many positive changes improving the quality of teaching and learning.
One of the most important changes in the MAMS Learning Commons is the reworking of 6th and 7th grade lesson plans to align more authentically with the new Learning Commons Curriculum established by the Learning Commons Curriculum Development Committee, and accepted by the school board in 2014.
During the 2014-2015 school year, 6th and 7th grade students will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful, project based learning that not only follows the newly created Learning Commons curriculum, but also reflects the work being done in the district to improve student learning by supporting teachers in using the Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model to inform instruction. Lessons within each 6th and 7th grade unit are created to help students meet specific student learning targets. Students are introduced to learning targets at the beginning of each lesson.
New this year, the Learning Commons is also supporting Duolingo, a new foreign language enhancement program housed in the Learning Commons. The Learning Commons is buzzing with activity.
The Learning Commons team is working hard, and making strides supporting technology and digital citizenship in the classroom, providing information on pertinent topics such as Fair Use policies.
High School
~Deb Tong, High School Library Media Specialist
At the high school level, Learning Commons instruction occurs with individual classes in the Learning Commons and/or in classrooms. In an effort to remind teachers of what we have to offer, and to encourage them to “book” our services, we recently sent out the Learning Commons Menu. The main menu includes basic skills: introduction to the Learning Commons, using databases and EasyBib, locating books for research and pleasure reading, and topic brainstorming.
We also offer in-depth instruction in conducting effective searches online, website evaluation, finding and using primary sources, creating a positive digital footprint, and creating an online portfolio that can be used as a reference for college and job applications.
We are happy to collaborate with faculty on short or long term projects, and we are willing to create lessons tailored to specific needs. The new design of our Learning Commons space makes it easy for classes to spread out and work. We always look forward to our work with classes, whether in the Learning Commons or in classrooms.
In addition to the implementation of a new K-12 Learning Commons Curriculum this year, there are lots of other exciting things happening!
Elementary
~Trish Suthers, Elementary Library Media Specialist
The Learning Commons began the year with a new curriculum and new lesson plans. Staff taught a variety of things including procedures and expectations, Digital Citizenship, how to use the digital catalog, choosing “just right books,” and how to locate books on the shelf. Sometimes we read Chickadee Award books or discussed Maine Student Book Award contenders. The year ended with a bang by spending two weeks doing Hour of Code! And oh yes, let’s not forget the book fairs!
During the Digital Citizenship unit, in addition to learning how to be safe on the Internet, students were shown how important it is to give credit and to cite works they have consulted. This meant reviewing where to find the author, title, publisher, and copyright date of a book. Students also tackled the more difficult task of locating the author, title, URL, and date of a web page. You can help students get into the habit of doing this by making them responsible for giving credit and citing the images, books or websites that they have used.
Remember that our new online catalog, Destiny, makes it easy to borrow books from other schools. Here’s how. Log in to Destiny using your email username and password. Search. When you find a book you want from the search results, click on the title to take you to that book’s main page. On the right side, you will see the “Hold It” icon. Click it, and voila, your job is done! The book will be delivered to you and when you’re finished, simply return it to your LC. If you have problems or questions about anything to do with Destiny or the Learning Commons, please ask any of the LC staff for help.
Middle School
~Gina Stokes, Middle School Library Media Specialist
Since completing the district-wide shift last year from Libraries to Learning Commons, there have been many positive changes improving the quality of teaching and learning.
One of the most important changes in the MAMS Learning Commons is the reworking of 6th and 7th grade lesson plans to align more authentically with the new Learning Commons Curriculum established by the Learning Commons Curriculum Development Committee, and accepted by the school board in 2014.
During the 2014-2015 school year, 6th and 7th grade students will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful, project based learning that not only follows the newly created Learning Commons curriculum, but also reflects the work being done in the district to improve student learning by supporting teachers in using the Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model to inform instruction. Lessons within each 6th and 7th grade unit are created to help students meet specific student learning targets. Students are introduced to learning targets at the beginning of each lesson.
New this year, the Learning Commons is also supporting Duolingo, a new foreign language enhancement program housed in the Learning Commons. The Learning Commons is buzzing with activity.
The Learning Commons team is working hard, and making strides supporting technology and digital citizenship in the classroom, providing information on pertinent topics such as Fair Use policies.
High School
~Deb Tong, High School Library Media Specialist
At the high school level, Learning Commons instruction occurs with individual classes in the Learning Commons and/or in classrooms. In an effort to remind teachers of what we have to offer, and to encourage them to “book” our services, we recently sent out the Learning Commons Menu. The main menu includes basic skills: introduction to the Learning Commons, using databases and EasyBib, locating books for research and pleasure reading, and topic brainstorming.
We also offer in-depth instruction in conducting effective searches online, website evaluation, finding and using primary sources, creating a positive digital footprint, and creating an online portfolio that can be used as a reference for college and job applications.
We are happy to collaborate with faculty on short or long term projects, and we are willing to create lessons tailored to specific needs. The new design of our Learning Commons space makes it easy for classes to spread out and work. We always look forward to our work with classes, whether in the Learning Commons or in classrooms.