LaSalle County Teacher Institute Day Oct. 11, 2013

 Are we really preparing our students to enter the work force someday?

2mRM4i6tY&noredirect=1

The Common Core... provides a clear and rigorous set of learning targets aimed toward what students must learn. The CC standards are designed to help students to develop deep understanding of topics with connections to authentic, real world scenarios. The standards aim to engage students in building knowledge and skills needed for success in college and careers.

 Literacy is taught in ALL subjects! ◦ Science and Technical subjects: Literacy/RST/6-8 Literacy/RST/6-8 ◦ History: Literacy/RH/6-8http:// Literacy/RH/6-8 ◦ Writing (this should be happening in EVERY class): Literacy/WHST/6-8 Literacy/WHST/6-8

 Using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles

 Think Backwards in Planning Your Lessons ◦ Backwards Design

 This is a kid‐friendly question that represents the BIG IDEA. It is sufficiently broad to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the material in its entirety.  A question is essential when it: ◦ causes genuine and relevant inquiry into the big ideas and core content; ◦ provokes deep thought, lively discussion, sustained inquiry, and new understanding as well as more questions; ◦ requires students to consider alternatives, weigh evidence, support their ideas, and justify their answers; ◦ stimulates vital, on-going rethinking of big ideas, assumptions, and prior lessons; ◦ sparks meaningful connections with prior learning and personal experiences; ◦ naturally recurs, creating opportunities for transfer to other situations and subjects. Grant Wiggins (2007). What is an essential question?. [ONLINE] Available at: [Last Accessed Sept ].

 How well can fiction reveal truth?  Why did that particular species/culture/person thrive and that other one barely survive or die?  Is there really a difference between a cultural generalization and a stereotype?

 Create one rubric that focuses on the CONTENT or standards and not on the project itself.

 In your group, determine identified results and acceptable evidence for the essential question: Is it better to buy or lease a car?

 What pieces of evidence were you able to come up with?

 In your group, create an essential question on a unit that you already teach. ◦ Does the question meet the essential question criteria?  should not be able to be answered in a sentence/do not have one "correct" answer  should create a deep and "enduring understanding“  are multilayered questions  point to the "key inquiries and the core ideas of a discipline“  are cross-curricular  result in other questions

 What standards are you going to meet?  What content do you want the students to retain?

 What types of assignments prove your students know the content?  List many types of assessments that will fulfill the desired results.  What does the rubric look like?

 Rubistar is a good place to start!

 Present your group’s lesson to the entire group.  Share it with the ROE so that we can make it available to other teachers in our area and so that you have access to others’ lessons too!