Differentiation 2.0 by Kathy Wimberley

Members of the Educational Services team are excited to invite teachers to be a part of an exciting three-day interactive workshop event that will have a threefold purpose.  First of all this will provide a follow up opportunity for teachers who have previously attended the DI workshop.  Secondly, in an effort to sustain the philosophy of differentiation in our district, this event will continue the dialogue about DI and support teachers in their differentiation journey.  And finally, the outcome of this event will be the beginnings of a lesson bank from which all Springfield teachers can benefit.  

The content of these lessons will be as diverse as the teachers who attend, but all lessons will contain the elements of differentiation, our district’s Learning Model and our district’s curriculum. Through this event teachers will have an avenue for creating quality lessons and contributing to a website of lesson plans.

The goal of the workshop will be for participants to examine the components of a quality, differentiated lesson. In doing so, teachers will work collaboratively and independently to create lessons, present their work to and receive feedback from the group, and then upload those lessons to a website designed to be a resource for other teachers.

Intended Audience 

Limited size:  As a pilot for a future workshop model, the number for this first workshop will be held to 20 participants.

Prerequisite: This workshop will serve as a follow up for teachers who have attended the Differentiated Instruction Workshop in the previous eight years.  Therefore having “Differentiated Instruction” in your training record of Employee Self Service will be a prerequisite to being accepted for this event.  To check, go to “My Training.”

Additional Professional Learning Follow up Opportunities:  Follow up will require teachers to use the lesson they created.  Teachers will then reflect on the results.  They will also have opportunities for posting pictures of their lesson in action and receive feedback from other teachers who use the lesson.

Specifics:
- June 18 – 20, 2013
- Informational Literacy Training Room at GSC
- 8:30 to 3:30
- Registration is available through this Employee Self-Service link.
- Teachers will receive a $225.00 stipend upon completion of the 3 full day session.

 

Cooperative Learning Summer Opportunities Expanded
by Debbie Yonke, Coordinator of Professional Learning Integration and Alicia Moore, Professional Learning Specialist

It seems to come with the seasons—during the long winter months, we long for spring and just a little sunshine.  When spring comes (and along with it a much needed spring break) our thoughts then begin to wander to summer.  Here in the Professional Learning Department, our thoughts have already headed to summer and we are excited to be able to offer some expanded learning opportunities in the area of Cooperative Learning. 

Cooperative Learning Modules have been available for Year 2 STEP UP teachers for the past several years.  During this past year, we heard from many veteran teachers that they would like to be able to participate in this learning as well.   For this reason, and due to available funding, any teacher who has never attended the 3-day training is invited to participate in one of this summer’s sessions.

During this 3-day workshop you will learn…
   -the difference between Cooperative Learning and group work.
   -many of the 36 basic structures to take back and immediately use in your classroom.
   -how Cooperative Learning can positively impact areas such as classroom management and social skills.

Implementation of Cooperative Learning allows our focus to be driven by our content and provides a framework for our students to practice critical thinking, collaboration, and communication—all key components of 21^st Century Skills.  This alignment to the SPS Learning Model is an additional reason we are expanding our sessions this summer.

If you have not yet experienced the three-day session of Cooperative Learning, we welcome you to join us this summer!  Consider talking to others at your school and coming together with your grade level or content area team to learn and plan implementation together.   Please see details below and contact Cara Burch in the Professional Learning Department at 523-5537 if you have any additional questions. 

Summer 2013 Cooperative Learning Sessions
Session #1	June 18, 19, 20	8:30am - 3:30pm	Tefft Ctr. for Learning
Session #2	June 25, 26, 27	8:30am - 3:30pm	Tefft Ctr. for Learning
Session #3	July  09, 10, 11	8:30am - 3:30pm	Tefft Ctr. for Learning

-Register online through this Employee Self-Service link.

-Registration will show commitment to attend all three days of the training session selected.

-All sessions will be held at the Tefft Center for Learning in the auditorium from 8:30am to 3:30pm each day.

-Participation is limited to 60 per session due to space and budget limitations.

-All participants will receive the Kagan Cooperative Learning text and binder.

-Completion of a session (3 full days) will meet the Year-2 module requirement for STEP UP teachers.

-Non-STEP UP teachers who have never attended a 3-Day Cooperative Learning Workshop at SPS are eligible to register and will receive a stipend of $225.00 upon completion of the 3-day session.

Seeing is Believing by Sarah Logan

   Have you ever found yourself wondering how many times you have to remind students to follow certain classroom procedures?  Have you ever grown weary of hearing students ask questions like, “What are we supposed to do again?”  Have you ever been bothered by finding that the materials that you spent hours organizing have been carelessly tossed back on the shelves?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, take heart. You’re not alone. And there’s good news: there’s an approach you can use that’s even better than having a magic wand to make these frustrations disappear!
   Classroom management experts Rick Smith, Grace Dearborn, and Mary Lambert suggest that the use of visual cues and rubrics are just what you’ve been looking for. In fact, their book Picture This! (2011, Conscious Teaching) is based on the premise that visuals create a link between classroom behaviors and how the brain processes and stores information.    

   Seeing the value of this strategy will likely get you believing these principles:

1.    Pictures are worth a thousand words (or more). Brain researchers have found that the use of visual cues greatly aid memory and understanding. When students can see what you’re talking about, they are more likely to meet your expectations. For example, a photograph of a textbook, binder, pencil, and eraser neatly arranged on a desk top shows students precisely what you mean by “Have your supplies ready when class begins.”  

2.    Something visible can enhance some things that are invisible. When teachers use visuals that incorporate authentic classroom items and photographs that feature members of the school community (students and staff), there is a sense of ownership and identity created. The message sent is “This is how we do things in our classroom.” These visual cues present opportunities for students to self-assess and adjust accordingly. For example, by posting a “Room Checklist” of photographs depicting how the tables, chairs, shelves, floor, etc., should look at the end of the day, students can take responsibility for meeting the expectations on their own. 

3.    Limitless possibilities for you and your students are just snapshots away. Perhaps the greatest benefit of incorporating visual cues is that there is no end to the number of ways a teacher can implement them. Certainly they can be used for any type of classroom procedure—readiness to learn, transition time, efficient management of time and materials….and on it goes. Teachers may introduce visual cues for whole-class purposes, but there may also be times when individual students could benefit from visuals created for specific needs. Teachers may even find value in visual cues for themselves. For example, at the beginning of a school year or semester, a teacher could create a seating chart with pictures of each student next to their names to help him learn their names quickly.

   So, what are you waiting for? Give this strategy a try and see for yourself what a difference a picture can make!