As we continue our focus on proving equitable and excellent instruction for all students, I wanted to share this excerpt and encourage you to reflect on these questions. This time of year is a good time to look back on the first semester and plan forward for the rest of the school year.
Source: Creating Highly Motivating Classrooms for All Students: A Schoolwide Approach to Powerful Teaching with Diverse Learners by Margery B. Ginsberg and Raymond J. Wlodkowski.
Excerpt:
Although not exhaustive, the following questions have been useful to the schoolwide planning process and to ongoing renewal in some of the nation's most successful ethnically diverse schools. They are predicated on research about multicultural schools and classrooms.
1. Are we maintaining a focus on highly motivating teaching and the academic success of every student and ensuring that this focus permeates all decision making? (This focus includes providing structural support for social membership and a sense of belonging, positive attention to students' attitudes toward learning, attention to the experiences and interests that students bring to the classroom, personalized and challenging academic opportunities, and clear criteria for success that responds to students' values.)
2. Are we thoughtfully experimenting with promising schoolwide policies and innovations, including organization and management structures, that support an ambitious vision of student success, especially when old practices are not working?
3. Are we, as educators, frequently, passionately, and substantively learning together, sharing our challenges, and collaborating to strengthen instructional practice?
4. Are we, as a school community, experiencing the enhanced communication structures, rich diversity of relationships, and shared leaderhip that will allow us to create the most inclusive and democratic environment for adults as well as children and youth?
5. Are we being loyal to a "no excuses" policy that precludes us from blaming parents and labeling children and that encourages us to model and promote responsibility ourselves?
6. Are we becoming increasingly aware of our own cultural experiences, assumptions, inner feelings, and patterns of behavior so that we can be authentically supportive of all students' cultural experiences, assumptions, inner feelings, and patterns of behavior?
7. Is individual and cultural inclusiveness a core value and accountable practice so that each member of the school community feels a genuine sense of belonging?
8. Is our school a place where families and community members enjoy mutual respect as well as opportunities for important decision making and contributions?
9. Does our school look like it belongs to all of us?
10. Are we coordinating our resources for everyone's success?
11. Do we have well-identified ways to examine school and student growth? Are we sharing the results with our community?
Nook Pilot Program Demonstrations
Our Nook classrooms were featured in The Birmingham News this weekend. See link:
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/02/a_knack_for_nook_e-devices_hel.html Congratulations to these teachers and their students!
During the week of February 27, both teachers are opening their classrooms for demonstrations and observations.
Green Valley Elementary - Karen Darroch, 4th Grade:
Monday, February 27, Observation 8:45 – 9:15 debriefing 9:15 – 9:45
Tuesday, February 28, Observation 8:00 – 8:30 debriefing 8:30 – 9:45
Wednesday, February 29, Observation 8:30 – 9:15 debriefing 9:15 – 9:45
Thursday, March 1, Observation 8:00 – 8:45 debriefing 8:45-9:45
Friday, March 2, Observation 8:00 – 8:30 debriefing 8:30-9:45
Each observation period will be followed by a debriefing in order for you to ask questions of Ms. Darroch.
Gwin Elementary - Ashley Fitzgerald, 5th Grade:
Monday, February 27, 10:00-11:45
Wednesday, February 29, 10:00-11:45
Thursday, March 1, 10:00 – 11:45
Friday, March 2, 10:00 – 11:45
Each observation period will be followed by a 20 minute debriefing in order for you to ask questions of Ms. Fitzgerald.
PLEASE SCHEDULE THESE OBSERVATIONS DIRECTLY WITH KAREN DARROCH AND/OR ASHLEY FITZGERALD.
Science Academy
On Thursday, February 23, our cadre of K-5 teachers will meet for their final session of professional development with the University of Alabama's ALAHASP directors. Beginning next year, these science leaders will serve as ambassadors and professional developers for science education throughout the district.
Upcoming Textbook/Instructional Materials Purchases
In preparation for the implementation of the mathematics Common Core Standards (CCS) in 2012-2013, the following Investigations materials will be purchased: CCS resource books with slip-in tabbed lessons for teachers and new corresponding workbooks for students.
In addition, the adopted Being a Writer program will be purchased this spring and implemented next year. Although the language arts CCS will not be formally implemented until 2013-2014, we will use next year to become familiar with this new writing program.
Life in a Crowded Place Book Study
This group of teachers continues to read, meet, discuss, and implement new ideas from this classic book. I've already been asked, "What book are we going to read next year?" What are the professional books that you have read that challenged your minds and hearts and created positive changes in your teaching practices? What are those "must reads" that every teacher should experience? Please share those titles with us as we make plans for next year's district book study.
Cultural Responsiveness Quarterly Sessions
Dr. Vivian Elliott will return the week of March 5 to meet with both elementary and secondary administrators and counselors. She will also meet with teacher leadership teams from various elementary schools. Ask your administrator, counselor, and leadership team to share with you their valuable experiences!
ARMT+ Item Specifications and Practice Materials
All administrators, reading coaches, and math facilitators have been asked to supply each 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teacher with a print copy of the new item specifications. They have also been requested to facilitate grade level sessions to work through a set of protocols that will assist in familiarizing you with the upcoming new assessment. Additional practice materials are being prepared and will be shared with you soon.
Summer Committees
Two different representative groups of teachers and administrators will meet this summer to revise the kindergarten report card and to redesign the K-5 math pacing guides. Both documents will reflect the mathematics Common Core Standards.
These committee members and I will ask for your input as we get closer to the end of school.
Web Sites
Bloomin' Google
http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html
a clickable image map with Google Tools slated at each level of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy
Free and Open Source Software
a very nice collection of free and open source software categorized by educational use. The list is maintained by educators.
