Prepared Especially for the Grade 4 through Grade 6 Professional Learning Communities of Constitution Elementary and Sunrise Elementary by Dan Mulligan, Ed. D. December 2009

Stacking Cups Supplies Please send a team member to obtain the supplies for your team.

Stacking Cups Supplies Team Task: Your team task is to create the pyramid of cups (illustrated above); without touching the cups; using each of the 6 pieces of string and the rubber band; each team member must participate in the solution. Team Procedure: analyze and reach consensus on a method of solution; value each person’s opinion and contribution; After consensus, execute (modify as needed) your team’s plan.

Self-Assessment Tool

Before……. Underline all the adjectives on page 10. Then use at least 8 of these adjectives in a paragraph of your own about a topic of your choice. After……. Sit in front of the school and write a paragraph that describes clearly how the school looks from your perspective. We will your description to a student in Alaska, who will draw a picture of the school as it is described by you. Be as specific as possible, so that the drawing will look just like your view of the school.

Moving BEYOND “the correct answer” My only skill is taking tests.

Premise of the Workshop We need to stop asking “how?’ We now have all the knowledge, the skills, the methods, the tools, the capacity, and the freedom to do whatever is required to serve all students well. All that is needed is the will and the courage to choose and to move on. Peter Block, 1998

Give One … Get One …  On the back of your handout, write one way being a teacher/administrator in Arizona is like an astronaut on a walk in space. Think and be creative.  When signaled, circulate the room to meet a colleague. Give him/her your answer and get their answer.  You need a total of 2 answers. You may not get more than one idea from an individual. When you have completed your task, return to your seat.  Enjoy!

14 Identifying Similarities and Differences

What processes can students engage in to identify similarities and differences? Comparing The process of identifying and articulating similarities and differences among items. Classifying The process of grouping things into definable categories on the basis of their attributes. Creating Metaphors The process of identifying and articulating the underlying theme or general pattern in information. Creating Analogies The process of identifying relationships between pairs of concepts (e.g., relationships between relationships).

Similarities and Differences Analogies putter putter is to a set of golf clubs as 2 is to the set of primes 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, … What is the common relationship?

Hey… This looks familiar… Which of the high yield instructional strategies do you see in this structure? Hey… This looks familiar… Which of the high yield instructional strategies do you see in this structure?

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: Sports YESNo StrikeStick SplitPuck PinHoop GutterGoal Rule: Bowling Terms

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: History and Social Science YESNo HemisphereOlympic Games EquatorDemocracy Prime MeridianKings RegionsWealth Rule: Things you’d find on a globe

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: Geometry YESNo TriangleCube RectanglePyramid SquarePentagon QuadrilateralOctagon Rule: Plane figures with less than 5 sides.

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: _______________ YESNo Rule: _________________________ STUDENT CENTERED APPROACH

Steps: 1.Find a person currently not seated next to you. Make friends 2. This person is now your FOUR-SECOND PARTNER!

Personal Learning Goals I will recognize strategies that have improved achievement for our students; I will recognize strategies that have improved achievement for our students; I will use data to focus additional improvement efforts to reach more students; I will use data to focus additional improvement efforts to reach more students; I will support my peers by offering constructive feedback to improve their efforts; and I will support my peers by offering constructive feedback to improve their efforts; and I will enjoy working with my colleagues! I will enjoy working with my colleagues!

SAMPLE Pre-assessment that includes differentiation SAMPLE Pre-assessment that includes differentiation

When students know what they are learning, their performance, on average, has been shown to be 27 percentile points higher than students who do not know what they are learning.

Mutualism When one thing helps another. Types of pictures: Draw the concept.

Change Types of pictures: Draw the concept.

Explorer Types of pictures: Draw an example.

revolve Types of pictures: Draw the concept.

Research on Imagery as Elaboration 6 37 percentile pts. higher than… …students who kept repeating definitions percentile pts. higher than… …students who were using the terms in a sentence. Students who used imagery to learn vocabulary, on average, performed # of studies

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS Cindy McCain Organizing Theme: Things someone would say… Bill ClintonGeorge Bush Barak Obama! Sarah PalinJohn Kyle SPECIAL ELECTION 2008 EDITION

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS noun Organizing Theme: English Grade 3 verbadjective parts of a story transition words parts of a letter

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS Science Experiment Hypothesis Energy Electron DissolveAtmosphere

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS

Minority Student Achievement in Suburban Schools ~Toward Excellence with Equity, Ronald Ferguson, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, 2007 Survey of all students in 15 middle and upper income school districts in 10 states; Examined family characteristics, opinions about quality of instruction, achievement motivation, course-taking, effort, comprehension, GPA and other factors; When I work hard, it is because my teacher tells me I can do well. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No”) (Grades 1 – 6) When I work hard, it is because my teacher tells me I can do well. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No”) (Grades 1 – 6)

a. The number of cavities the sixth graders have? b. The number of people in the sixth graders’ families? c. The ages of the sixth graders’ mothers? d. The heights of the sixth graders in inches?

Knowing the Learner Directions: Rank the symbols (1-4) in order from most (1) like you as a learner to least (4) like you as a learner.

Knowing the Learner Learning Style of Beach Balls

Knowing the Learner Learning Style of Microscopes

Knowing the Learner Learning Style of Clipboards

Knowing the Learner Learning Style of Puppies

“If an educator keeps using the same strategies over and over and the student keeps failing, who really is the slow learner?”

Choice Board or Tic-Tac-Toe This assessment strategy allows students to select their own preferences but still achieve the targeted essential knowledge and skills. After Reading Choice Board

Choice Board Verbal/LinguisticBody/ KinestheticVisual/Spatial Musical/Rhythmical Wild Card Your choice after getting the approval of the teacher. Naturalist IntrapersonalInterpersonalLogical/Mathematical

Multiple Intelligences in the Reading ClassroomVerbal/LinguisticMusical/RhythmicVisual/SpatialLogical/Mathematical Is a fluent reader Listens attentively Communicates in writing Links new and prior learning Debates issues Researches topics Expresses a point of view Reads for pleasure Enjoys listening to someone read Uses verbal mnemonics Uses language to communicate effectively Comprehends with background music playing while reading Finds interest stimulated with beats Looks for rhythmic patterns and poetry Spells words to a beat Attacks words by dividing them into syllables Creates songs, poems, jingles, or raps to remember information Enjoys reading while playing background music that depicts the setting Color-codes and highlights Doodles while listening Visualizes pictures while reading about events, character descriptions, and settings Uses graphic organizers to plot thinking Needs visual hooks Views, interprets, or draws pictures and graphics to understand text Prepares visuals Uses art to express understanding Organizes information Outlines and classifies data Yearns to understand sequence of the information Learns by using timelines and step-by-step procedures Reasons logically Needs clear; precise directions Learns trivia facts Enjoys logic-related games and puzzles Thinks abstractly and critically Uses the computer and other gadgets Is a problem solver

Multiple Intelligences in the Reading Classroom Body/KinestheticNaturalistIntrapersonalInterpersonal Learns by role-playing Simulates events Creates artifacts Needs centers, labs, and hands-on Needs a comfortable spot of choice to read and work Can skillfully use the body Uses manipulatives to explore, learn and discover Can show it or demonstrate it Needs to move to learn Responds to actions and feelings of characters Yearns to discover with nature Intuitively relates and learns factual information about science and the world around her Creates habitats Conducts experiments Is a survivor Sees patterns in nature Copes and survives in most environments Relates to events and settings Works best independently Needs time to make personal applications Reflects in a journal Is self-reflective Needs time to process new learning independently Needs a quiet space to read and work Accepts goals and responsibility Enjoys reading alone Learns with personal links and connections Works best with others Enjoys partner reading Communicates with others Learns through interactions such as text or literary talks Empathizes with struggling readers Needs to talk while learning Works well in flexible grouping Enjoys discussions Is a social butterfly Understands others’ feelings and emotions Needs interaction, conversations, and discussions Needs a listening ear

4 second partner 1.Select a new partner. 2.Identify content to be taught to your students. 3.Outline a Dinner Menu of evidence of student understandings. 4.Enjoy! 4 second partner 1.Select a new partner. 2.Identify content to be taught to your students. 3.Outline a Dinner Menu of evidence of student understandings. 4.Enjoy!

Successful Inclusion Instructional Strategies that Facilitate Successful Inclusion Must … Supply students with STRUCTURE and ORGANIZATION Encourage student COMMUNICATION and COLLABORATION Provide students with VISUAL and HANDS-ON learning experiences

Summarizing and Note Taking Generalizations form the research: – Verbatim note-taking is, perhaps, the least effective technique. – Notes should be considered a work in progress. – Notes should be used as a study guide for tests. – The more notes that are taken, the better.

Self Reliance There are three types of baseball players—those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened. Tommy Lasorda teachers & administrators

High-Yield Instructional Strategies

Research-based Strategy: Cooperative learning Percentile Gain 27 The GARDEN Plot

Why Group Teams Heterogeneously? One high, one high medium, one low medium, and one low achieving student Produce the greatest opportunity for peer tutoring and active participation Maximum cross-race, cross-sex, & cross-ability team contact Make classroom management easier - assign roles Balanced HHM LM L

TALK TO ME

Follow-up Debriefing Each pair should share with your other team members the method you used to graph the figure. Discuss with your team: – Which method appeals to you? – Is there another method that you would prefer? Prepare for a “pairs choice of method” with a new graph.

Key Question Did your performance on the second attempt to complete the grid exercise improve after having an opportunity to self-assess your initial strategy?

Empowers students to reflect on and refine their own understandings.

Formative Assessment Formative assessment is the process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust teaching and learning for the purpose of improving student learning. Council of Chief State School Officers, October 2006 Notes: Process rather than a particular test…. It is not the nature of the test itself that makes it formative or summative…it is the use to which those results will be put.

“If you don’t know where you are and you don’t know where you are going, anything you do will get you there”

Constitution – Reading Far belowApproachesMeetsExceedsPassing Grade Grade Grade Grade Sunrise – Reading ContentFar belowApproachesMeetsExceedsPassing Grade Grade Grade Grade

Constitution – Math Far belowApproachesMeetsExceedsPassing Grade Grade Grade Grade Sunrise – Math ContentFar belowApproachesMeetsExceedsPassing Grade Grade Grade Grade

Constitution – Writing Far belowApproachesMeetsExceedsPassing Grade Grade Grade Grade Sunrise – Writing ContentFar belowApproachesMeetsExceedsPassing Grade Grade Grade Grade

Constitution – Science Far belowApproachesMeetsExceedsPassing Grade Sunrise – Science ContentFar belowApproachesMeetsExceedsPassing Grade

BRAIN BREAK Select Team Leaders

DO OR

Thank you for all you do, for all the children! ~Dan