CFI Team Presentation February 2, 2009

Presenters Laura van Keulen, AP Data & Technology Emily Lawton, Mathematics Alex Moore, English Antonietta Pace, Science Erik Sudduth, Social Studies

Projects Continuing Projects from : -Note Taking -Writing Style Guide -Technology New for : -Cross Curricular Collaboration

Math Department Meeting “Students are not good at taking notes.” “Students are not good at taking notes.” “This note taking approach should be reinforced at all levels and should be taught in all freshmen classes on the first day of class.” “This note taking approach should be reinforced at all levels and should be taught in all freshmen classes on the first day of class.” “There is a misconception that kids should not write in a math class. It is helpful to ask students to review their notes to find answers as a means of holding students accountable. There must be common approaches that are used by all teachers.” “There is a misconception that kids should not write in a math class. It is helpful to ask students to review their notes to find answers as a means of holding students accountable. There must be common approaches that are used by all teachers.”

English Department Meeting “Some students try to copy down everything that is said.” “Some students try to copy down everything that is said.” “If students do not take notes, they will not be able to succeed in my class.” “If students do not take notes, they will not be able to succeed in my class.” “It is important to impress upon students the importance of being able to take good notes in college.” “It is important to impress upon students the importance of being able to take good notes in college.”

Designing Lessons to Meet Students’ Needs – Feedback Forms The workload for our class was _________. The workload for our class was _________. a) 5% very or somewhat light b) 95% somewhat or very heavy The instructor treated us as if we were _________ intelligent than we are. The instructor treated us as if we were _________ intelligent than we are. a) 7% less b) 93% more

Note Taking: Further Development Teacher: Mr. Moore Teacher: Mr. Moore Student Population: the bottom 50% of the teacher’s E1 classes according to eighth-grade ELA exam scores Student Population: the bottom 50% of the teacher’s E1 classes according to eighth-grade ELA exam scores Goal: Students will improve their ability to synthesize information, which will be demonstrated by an increase of one point on a ten-point rubric on our Regents-based note taking assessments. Goal: Students will improve their ability to synthesize information, which will be demonstrated by an increase of one point on a ten-point rubric on our Regents-based note taking assessments.

Note Taking: Further Development

Note Taking: Wider Implementation Teachers: The Note Taking Team (NTT) Teachers: The Note Taking Team (NTT) –One teacher from each of the following departments: English English Mathematics Mathematics Science Science Social Studies Social Studies

Note Taking: Science Lesson plan #4: Using Notes in Science (Ms. Pace) Lesson plan #4: Using Notes in Science (Ms. Pace) Reason for Lesson: The science educator noticed that students were not successfully focusing on what they needed to know in order to succeed on course assessments, such as examinations. The studying of many students was not focused. In order to address this, Ms. Pace decided to teach students how to use their notes to create a study sheet that would then help them to prepare for an examination. Reason for Lesson: The science educator noticed that students were not successfully focusing on what they needed to know in order to succeed on course assessments, such as examinations. The studying of many students was not focused. In order to address this, Ms. Pace decided to teach students how to use their notes to create a study sheet that would then help them to prepare for an examination. Aim: How can I organize my notes into a study guide? Aim: How can I organize my notes into a study guide? Instructional Objectives: Instructional Objectives: Students will understand the value of good note taking. Students will understand the value of good note taking. Students will learn how to extract the salient information from their notes and organize it into a study guide. Students will learn how to extract the salient information from their notes and organize it into a study guide. Performance Objectives: Performance Objectives: Students will begin to create a review sheet in class. Students will begin to create a review sheet in class. Students will earn higher grades on the next examination. Students will earn higher grades on the next examination. Materials: transparency with skeleton with the beginning of a sample review sheet, review sheet forms for students to begin to complete Materials: transparency with skeleton with the beginning of a sample review sheet, review sheet forms for students to begin to complete Procedure: Procedure: Hook3 minutesExplain to students that the lesson today needs to be taught because of the strengths and weaknesses of the students in the room: Several of them need to develop this skill of synthesizing and reorganizing information in order to create helpful study guides (data-driven instruction). Hook3 minutesExplain to students that the lesson today needs to be taught because of the strengths and weaknesses of the students in the room: Several of them need to develop this skill of synthesizing and reorganizing information in order to create helpful study guides (data-driven instruction). Modeling10 minutesUse the overhead projector or laptop projector to demonstrate the beginning of an effective study guide. Elicit student responses to fill in the beginning of the guide. Modeling10 minutesUse the overhead projector or laptop projector to demonstrate the beginning of an effective study guide. Elicit student responses to fill in the beginning of the guide. Pair Activity20 minutesStudents use their notes and work in pairs to fill out a worksheet that will act as a sample study guide. This is submitted at the end of the period but will be returned before the test. Pair Activity20 minutesStudents use their notes and work in pairs to fill out a worksheet that will act as a sample study guide. This is submitted at the end of the period but will be returned before the test. Summary and Share Out7 minutes Students share their experiences and explain how they were able to create review sheets. The educator reminds students of the procedure that can be followed to use notes to create a study guide. Summary and Share Out7 minutes Students share their experiences and explain how they were able to create review sheets. The educator reminds students of the procedure that can be followed to use notes to create a study guide. Homework: Use your notes to create a review sheet for the upcoming test. Homework: Use your notes to create a review sheet for the upcoming test.

Cross Curricular Collaboration Teachers: Teachers: –two teachers of American Literature –two teachers of U.S. History –Additional academic and studio teachers Teachers will produce new ideas for cross curricular collaboration in today’s workshop. Teachers will produce new ideas for cross curricular collaboration in today’s workshop.

Writing Style Guide: Student Benefit Time is measured the same way in English and social studies classes. A fourth of a note in a music course has the same meaning as a fourth of a pizza in a math course. Do paragraphs in English, social studies, and drama classes share anything in common? Time is measured the same way in English and social studies classes. A fourth of a note in a music course has the same meaning as a fourth of a pizza in a math course. Do paragraphs in English, social studies, and drama classes share anything in common? Dali, Salvador. The Persistence of Memory Museum of Modern Art, New York. 30 Jan

Writing Style Guide: Further Development Members of the CFI Team will present the Style Guide to each academic department on February 23. We will then facilitate discussion and collect feedback in preparation for future revisions. Members of the CFI Team will present the Style Guide to each academic department on February 23. We will then facilitate discussion and collect feedback in preparation for future revisions. We will encourage the use of the guide in classrooms. We will encourage the use of the guide in classrooms.

Writing Style Guide: Successful Implementation Teachers from several departments will design lesson plans to introduce the Writing Style Guide to students in each discipline. Teachers from several departments will design lesson plans to introduce the Writing Style Guide to students in each discipline. The Guide will be offered online and cost no money to produce. The Guide will be offered online and cost no money to produce.

Writing Style Guide: Recent Developments We added new information. We added new information. We asked for feedback from the APs. We asked for feedback from the APs. We are piloting this Guide with four groups of ten students in different academic disciplines. The members of the CFI Team will distribute the guide and ask each student to keep a feedback log throughout February and March. We are piloting this Guide with four groups of ten students in different academic disciplines. The members of the CFI Team will distribute the guide and ask each student to keep a feedback log throughout February and March.

Technology The CFI continues to celebrate teachers’ effective use of technology in the classroom. We recently promoted intervisitations in classes where teachers are using Web sites, SmartBoards, and other modern teaching tools. The CFI continues to celebrate teachers’ effective use of technology in the classroom. We recently promoted intervisitations in classes where teachers are using Web sites, SmartBoards, and other modern teaching tools. Today’s workshops will equip educators with information about new technological resources that allow us to more accurately assess student understanding and adjust our teaching accordingly. Today’s workshops will equip educators with information about new technological resources that allow us to more accurately assess student understanding and adjust our teaching accordingly.

THE END (Please applaud now.)