1. Appalachian Teacher Partners Appalachian Math Science Partnership November 19, 2009 We will begin at 9:01

2. Group Norms Place cell phones on silent or vibrate Come prepared for each meeting Listen actively as others are speaking Avoid sidebar conversations Respect and solicit opinions Rule of 2 feet

3. Review from Last Meeting 2 min

4. Roadmap for Today Community Building Unit Development Breakouts How to Talk So Teachers Listen Effective Questioning

5. Vocabulary Conception

6. Unit Development Goal –To develop an understanding of the process of unit planning.

7. Let’s Think… Think about how most teachers unit plan. Describe this process. Is there anything missing from this? Are there any disadvantages to planning in this manner? How is student learning maximized via this process?

8. …Keep Thinking… Considering what you know now about assessment and learning and how you believe most teachers unit plan…. –In order to strengthen units of study, what needs to be considered? –How, if at all, can CTS impact unit planning in math and science? –What are the advantages to this new way of planning versus the old or current way in terms of maximizing student learning?

9. Unit Components Step 1 –Title –Standards being addressed –Learning Targets from Standards –Pre-Assessment –Additional Formative Assessments with Strategies (probes, metacognition, etc) –Key Vocab (10-12 wds) with strategies –Summative Assessment Step 2 –Resources and Learning Plan

10. Reflection Time

11. Math & Science Breakouts

12. Questioning

13. Research-Based Strategies 4 Research-based strategies that significantly improve student learning: Sharing criteria (clear learning targets with success criteria)  Questioning Feedback Peer and self-assessment

14. “More effort has to be spent in framing questions that are worth asking; that is, questions which explore issues that are critical to the development of students’ understanding.” Assessment for Learning: Putting It Into Practice

15. Effective Questioning “You understand it only if you can teach it, use it, prove it, explain it, or read between the lines.” –Wiggins and McTighe –Understanding by Design “Current classroom practices generally encourage superficial and rote learning, concentrating on recall of isolated details, usually items of ‘knowledge’ which pupils soon forget.” –Black and Wiliam –Inside the Black Box

16. Effective Questioning Questioning should be used to: –Cause thinking –Provide data that informs teaching Questioning should NOT be used to: –Direct the attention of the class –Keep students on task Dylan Wiliam, NSTA Preconference on Assessment, 2005

19. Effective Questioning Provide 5 seconds of wait time. –Best with some structure (e.g., white boards or talking partners) ‘No hands up’ increases wait time and child focus, but used with recall questions is counterproductive. Having talking partners/groups before responding to questions enables all children to participate, think, and articulate…

20. Effective Questioning Encouraging children to generate their own questions furthers their independence as learners. Effective questioning involves effective modeling. Effective questions should further and deepen learning, rather than simply help establish prior knowledge. Teachers need to create a supportive climate so that ‘put downs’ are avoided and children can articulate their ideas without fear of failure.

21. Thinking Hats An effective way to get students to answer questions from a variety of perspectives. All students have the same question, but are given different ways to think about it thus making the thinking more manageable and directed. Very useful when the question is complex. A visual aid of the functions of the hats is usually displayed in the classroom »Shirley Clarke, Formative Assessment In Action, pg 65

22. Six Thinking Hats White Hat – facts, figures, information Black Hat – caution, truth, judgment Red Hat – emotions, feelings, hunches Yellow Hat – advantages, benefits, good Green Hat – create, explore, new ideas Blue Hat – reflections, lacks decisions Formative Assessment in Action, p. 66

23. Now Get to Thinking…. Draw a hat from the baggie. Find the others in the room with the same hat. Consider the question on the next slide from the perspective specified by your hat color. When instructed, return to your original table. Have each person share their “hat” perspective pertaining to this question.

24. 10% of the total energy use in California is believed to be consumed by televisions. A recent proposal is to enact some form of regulation on televisions in order to reduce this percentage. A few suggestions have been: a higher tax on TV purchases, a limit on the number of TV’s per household, and/or requiring manufacturers to make more energy efficient models. –Do you agree or disagree with this proposal?

25. Reframing Questions Form Math/Science pairs Using pp. 55-62 as your guide, write 5 reframed questions for the question below What is the definition of balanced assessment system? Write each on a sentence strip and post on the appropriate chart: –Red: range of answers –Blue: agree/disagree statements –Green: opposites—right and wrong –Purple: Starting from the answer/end –Orange: opposing standpoint

26. MC Design Considerations Factors to consider for the KEY and the DISTRACTORS –Provide one, and only one, correct answer –Include plausible options that demonstrate a student’s level of understanding –Colleague review

27. School Bus Item A teacher is planning a field trip and will need school bused to transport students. A school bus holds up to 36 students. If 1,128 students will be transported, how many buses are needed? Explain your answer. A. 31 B. 31.33 C. 32 D. 36 Sample NAEP question taken from the Nations’ Report Card at www.nces.ed.gov Based on student answers, what could you determine about a student from each choice?

28. School Bus Item A teacher is planning a field trip and will need school buses to transport students. A school bus hold up to 36 students. If 1,128 students will be transported, how many buses are needed? Explain your answer. A. 31 B. 31.33 C. 32 D. 32.33 Sample NAEP question taken from the Nation’s Report Card at www.nces.ed.gov How did changing D make this assessment more formative in nature?

29. What to do with the results? Based on the students’ answers, you attach a problem for them to work on. A. Rounding for Real-World Purposes B. Rounding for Real-World Purposes C. Correct—Extension Problem D. A division problem An item like this can give a teacher differentiated information for the class so the teacher can figure out who needs extra help.

30. Science Example Deer herds in KY are currently plagued by a fatal hemorrhagic disease. Which population will be most affected by the loss of deer? A.Acorns B.Grass C. Sun D.Wolves Justify your response. What do the distractors need to discriminate about student understanding to be used formatively? What might be better distractors for formative purposes?

31. What to do with the results? Deer herds in KY are currently plagued by a fatal hemorrhagic disease. Which population will be most affected by the loss of deer? A.Acorns B.Coyotes C. Humans Justify your response. A.Examine various energy pyramids and determine population changes B.Correct answer – extension activity (e.g., analyze more than 2 populations compared graphically) C.Examine population growth of humans vs deer over time and determine what the relationship is between the two.

32. For Homework…. Design or modify 4 multiple choice questions for your unit of study so that they will give you formative information about the students. These questions do not necessarily have to be only used on the summative exam. Using 2 of the questions, for each answer selection, determine next best steps to help improve student learning.

33. “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” –Abraham Maslow

34. Reflection: The benefits/impact of using these strategies… The barriers…why we don’t see these strategies used more in our classrooms.

36. Group Debrief Working with your table group, complete the synectic summary matrix for questioning. How is effective questioning like each of the musical instruments? D

37. “The important thing is to not stop questioning.” –Albert Einstein

38. Time to Reflect

39. Ed Leadership Learning Target: I can create a scenario that illustrates the use of coaching, collaborating, and consulting in effective learning-focused conversation using math or science as the context and that ignites learning.

40. How To Talk So Teachers Will Listen “Teacher Leaders need to engage peers in purposeful conversations about learners and learning.” (p.30) Why is it critical to focus on these two aspects? What would you not want to focus on and why?

41. Vital Elements Effective learning-focused conversations include three vital elements –1) psychologically safe environment –2) a clear focus –3) differentiated approaches. pg.31

42. Safe Environment Attending to the conversation physically and emotionally: leaning in, making eye contact, nonverbal acknowledgements Listening to understand the other’s perspective Purposefully choosing exploratory language and a cordial intonation

43. Clear Focus Thoughtful analysis of multiple sources of data that relate to standards of practice Focus conversation not on teacher’s practice but on factors producing positive results as well as performance gaps

44. Application of Learning Create a math or science scenario, like the one in the article on pg. 30 between Susan and Barbara, that illustrates the effective use of coaching, collaborating, and consulting to solve a data driven problem. This could be based on a fictitious situation or one that you may have already experienced. Work in groups of 2 and place your scenario on the paper provided.

45. Differentiated Support Coaching Collaborating Consulting

46. Time to Reflect

47. For Next Time Bring back MC items with next steps. Read handout of chapter from Powerful Learning— reading guide will be sent via ListServ Read the Intro and Ch. 1 in Global Achievement Gap January 28, 2010 will be our next meeting. Enjoy the Holidays!