Celebrate Digital Learning Day
by Kathy Gross, Director of Professional Learning

Have you taken time to celebrate accomplishments in 2013 yet?  Hopefully you and your students make a habit of noticing attained success criteria toward specified goals in your classrooms.  We have a lot to celebrate in SPS; for a moment consider what you are proud of in the arena of technology.  Nationally, educators are being asked to celebrate effective use of technology in their classroom on February 6, 2013, the second annual “Digital Learning Day.”  Perhaps you could use this date as an occasion to stop and celebrate what you do every day.  Many of you may be willing to tweet or post a picture on Facebook to showcase what you do with your SMARTBoard, within eMints classrooms, or with Web 2.0 tools, etc.  Some of you may choose to explore the suggestions at this link to participate in the event of this date. 

http://www.digitallearningday.org/

Thank you for taking time to consider how you and your students might benefit from this focus and enjoy your celebrations.

Shirley Hord Learning Team Award
by Curtis Cunningham, Professional Learning Specialist

The Department of Professional Learning believes in the power of collaborative teams. SPS students benefit from the meaningful collaboration between teachers, principals and support staff. We believe it is time for everyone to know about the excellent work at SPS sites.

The link below will take you to a web page which outlines details for applying to receive the Shirley Hord Learning Team Award. While there will be some work required, the award provides $2,500 for the winning school and contributions from Corwin Press to the school’s professional library. Learning Forward will also give a winning site $4,500 toward travel expenses to the Learning Forward Summer Conference.

We encourage you to consider applying for the award as your time and interest permit. The deadline for applying is March 1, 2013.

 http://www.learningforward.org/get-involved/awards/hord-award

 

Superheroes and Skills for Success
by Debbie Yonke, Coordinator of Professional Learning Integration

   Remember back to early elementary school days?  The days when many of us dreamed about what we might want to be when we grow up?  An airline stewardess was always high on my list (until I discovered you had to be able to swim to be on transatlantic flights)!  Children today still dream of what they might become and the dream jobs that await them.  According to Forbes, being a superhero is “the single most popular career for kindergarteners”—with Spider-Man being number one!  Other students want to be princesses and one even hopes “to grow up to be SpongeBob SquarePants.” 

   As our students are dreaming of what they might become, the job market is continuing to change--right along with the competitive needs of a global economy.  According to the American Management Association, business leaders and executives are saying they need a workforce fully equipped with skills well beyond the basics of the traditional three Rs.  Instead “skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity, and innovation will become even more important.”   We are realizing that these important C’s are replacing the three R’s and that we are preparing our students for a future and for jobs that we can only predict and imagine.
   
   So what does that mean to us as educators?  How can we embed the critical capabilities of Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking into our everyday practice?  How can those critical components of the Springfield Learning Model take life in our classrooms?  One venue for embedding these skills is the use of Cooperative Learning structures. 

   There are over 250 different Cooperative Learning structures which serve ten different functions.  The structure I would like to highlight today is a basic structure which can help us accomplish many goals at one time. Think-Write-RoundRobin can serve as a classbuilder or teambuilder.  It also works well for decision-making, procedure learning, processing information, and thinking skills.  Think-Write-Round Robin revolves around a basic structure which is well-known to many of us--Round Robin. What differs with this structure is the opportunity for students to have individual think time and increased accountability by recording their answers before sharing their learning/answers with their team mates. 

Think-Write-Round Robin

1.     Teacher poses a problem/question to which there are multiple possible responses or solutions, and provides think time. 
2.    Students think about their response, then independently write it down.
3.    Students take turns stating responses or solutions going around the team until time is called.

   As we look to the challenge of preparing our students for the 21^st Century, Cooperative Learning structures can help us respond to the need for “more complex and demanding instructional strategies” while embedding the critical components of the 3Cs within our content areas (Kagan, 2004). 

   If you are interested in learning more about Cooperative Learning opportunities in our district, please feel free to contact me at dyonke@spsmail.org.  Best wishes for a successful second semester!

Resources:
When I Grow Up:  Kids’ Dream Jobs by David M Ewalt (2009) www.forbes.com
Executives Say the 21^st Century Requires More Skilled Workers (2010) available at www.p21.org
From Lessons to Structures-A Paradigm Shift for 21^st Century Education by Dr. Spencer Kagan (2004) www.kaganonline.com

 

Choose Your Own Adventure

by Sarah Logan

     Research tells us that educators make literally thousands of decisions per day—a fact that likely comes as no big surprise to those of us in the field. Wouldn’t it be nice if making those decisions could be a little bit more like the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series of books for young readers? That way you could explore a variety of paths your decisions have the potential of taking. If you don’t like where one leads, simply go back, select one of the alternatives, and continue the journey.

     Obviously, that will never happen, but we do have the power of making decisions that have a greater chance of putting students on the path to success. Our power rests in the perspective we choose and the expectations we communicate. Failing to make careful decisions in this realm may lead towards a path we’d rather avoid.

     The following scenario invites you to consider where a teacher’s decisions may lead:

Ms. Appleton’s class has turned in a written assignment. There are two papers without names and three students with no score. “Larry” claims one of the no name papers as his own, though Ms. Appleton believes the handwriting to more closely resemble that of one of the other two students.

Option A: In speaking to Larry, Ms. Appleton says, “Larry, I know this is not your work. Why are you lying to me instead of completing the assignment in the first place?”

Option B: In speaking to Larry, Ms. Appleton says, “Larry, I appreciate that it’s important to you to have something turned in. The writing on this page looks a little different from your usual style. What are your thoughts about this?”

     How Larry might respond to either of these options is very likely correlated to the messages embedded in Ms. Appleton’s language. Option A could make Larry defensive because it communicates a negative presupposition that he is not telling the truth. Option B, on the other hand, communicates a positive presupposition that Larry is a student who wants to be responsible. The open-ended question in option B invites Larry to offer an explanation for his actions.

     Regardless of whether Larry has made an honest mistake or if he has knowingly attempted to receive credit for someone else’s work, the option Ms. Appleton chooses will impact Larry’s future behavior in her classroom. Option B has a far greater likelihood of supporting Larry’s growth in responsibility because it communicates that this is what she expects of him.

     In The Power of Our Words*, Paula Denton, Ed.D suggests that teacher language is the key that allows students to envision success for themselves. She encourages teachers to search for an underlying positive value when struggles occur in order to cast vision statements that guide students towards paths of success. These must relate to what Denton refers to as “….larger human aspirations, such as feeling engaged and passionate about something, feeling competent and autonomous, and making important contributions to a community they care about.”

    So, in a sense, we can choose our own adventure. The path towards student success hinges upon the point of view we decide to take and the expectations we decide to express. Having high expectations for our students begins with having high expectations for ourselves. Choose wisely. 

*The Power of Our Words by Paula Denton, EdD. (2007). Northeast Foundation for Children.

Tis’ The Season of Giving (All Year Long!)                     

by Martha Doennig and Debbie Yonke

 

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us, and with that is the season of giving.   For teachers, though, the season of giving is not just limited to the days when holiday music fills retail stores, garland and lights adorn the city, and holiday festivities fill the hours.   Giving is a year-long commitment; a daily practice when it comes to educating our children.   Giving is a natural tendency for educators, and giving is transparent as you walk building to building, classroom to classroom regardless of whether the holiday season has arrived or not.   Springfield Public Schools is filled to the brim with giving; the giving of preparing all of our students to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  This gift has gone unnamed for years in education, but recently SPS colleagues and community members have worked together to give this gift a name--The Springfield Public Schools Learning Model.  The Learning Model serves to connect all the hard work and initiatives we have in place while at the same time challenging us to continuously grow and learn in order to prepare our students for the future. 

As the Learning Model is implemented it is vital we honor the work which has been accomplished in the past and also strive to meet the varied needs of our sites and staff by offering choice in learning.  Elements of the Learning Model have been brought forth through Site Professional Learning System, SPLS district wide.  Within your building, teams committed to the exploration of one of the four processes: Clear Goals and Success Criteria, Effective Feedback, Person-Centered Relationships, and High Expectations.   Through many conversations with teachers, it is evident that SPS is a “community of teachers who can work together to ask questions, evaluate their impact, and decide on optimal next steps” (adapted from Hattie, p. viii).   So based on this, what affirmation or encouragement might we offer you as a gift this holiday season?  We are hopeful to give you a sense of affirmation that the strong foundation which has been laid in the daily work you do, can be integrated into the Learning Model and serve to strengthen our systematic approach.   

In Visible Learning for Teachers, Hattie discusses the relevancy of each of the four processes involved in our learning model.   Below you will find Hattie’s thoughts and the considerations it might have on your classroom.  As you read through this list, consider the initiatives you already have in place in your classroom and how these four processes may already be embedded in daily practice.

 

Hattie’s Thought on the Processes	Considerations for SPS educators
Clear Goals and Success Criteria:    *all involved are clear of the lesson purpose *learning is full of errors *errors should be more than tolerated; they should be welcomed *set learning intentions at appropriate challenging level *provide necessary support to reduce the gaps between what students know and what they can do *set what is desired students will be able to do at the END of a series of lessons; not necessarily after each mini-lesson	*How might your use of clear goals and success criteria impact your efforts in continuous improvement?   *How might this inform your work as you focus on differentiated instruction in your classroom this year?   *How might clear goals and success criteria relate to your implementation of cooperative learning?
Effective Feedback:   *students know:     Where am I going?     How am I going there?     Where to next? *there are four levels of feedback     Task/product level     Process level     Self-regulation/conditional level     Self level *be mindful of the frequency and timing of feedback	*How might your use of effective feedback impact your efforts in continuous improvement?   *How might this inform your work as you focus on differentiated instruction this year?   *How might effective feedback relate to your implementation of cooperative learning?
Person-Centered Relationships:   *relational trust is classified as all the interpersonal social exchanges that take place in a school community   *relational trust is based on respect, competence, personal regard, and integrity   *relational trust should exist in all our relationships within the school community	*How might this impact your efforts in continuous improvement?    *How might this inform your work as you are focusing on differentiated instruction in your classroom this year?   *How might your emphasis of person-centered relationships support your implementation of cooperative learning?
High Expectations:   *ignore student labels, but rather consider intelligence is changeable (growth mindset)   *hold high expectations for all students and seek evidence to check and enhance these expectations   *believe that all students can reach the success criteria	*How might this impact your use of goal setting for continuous improvement?    *How might this inform your work as you are focusing on differentiated instruction in your classroom this year?   *How might you use your implementation of cooperative learning to model high expectations?

 

As you looked through the chart, which is information taken from the Learning Model Resource Guides, you likely noticed that the considerations in the classroom, regardless of the process you are studying, connect to three focuses we have had as a district for years:  Continuous Improvement, Differentiated Instruction, and Cooperative Learning.   The Learning Model is the visual to what we have been gifting to our students for years—strong research based practices which rely on effective teachers knowing their daily impact.  Rather than adding more to our already full plates, The Learning Model gives us the opportunity to look at what we are currently doing and fine-tune our practices so we are able to give our students the opportunity to be the best 21st century learner possible.  Hattie's book Visible Learning for Teachers draws our attention to the research behind what great teachers do and allows us to move forward in giving our students what has the maximum effect.   Through the overlap of the four processes, we truly give our students the opportunity to grow as critical thinkers, communicators, and collaborators. What better gift could we think to give our students than to be proficient 21st century citizens?  Thank you for the positive impact you make on a daily basis and for partnering with us to be continuous learners as we work together to maximize our students’ potential for the future.

 

Hattie, John.   Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning. 2011.

 

 

BOY WP  DRA2 Letter ID PLAN

PSA QSI  EXPLORE EMS 

directs ?  

by Martha Doennig, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

Puzzled by the meaning of the title?  Curious what these acronyms lead to?   Explore with me.  To date, teachers around Springfield have been collecting data on students using one of the above acronyms and discovering a range of student need.   Now that the data is collected, the expectation is to use the information to support instruction to achieve student growth in a variety of curricular areas.   This expectation can quite possibly be one of the most overwhelming responsibilities of a teacher.   So what strategies can be used to meet the spectrum of needs while effectively moving learning forward for each learner?

?=Differentiated Instruction

"Differentiated instruction is a way of thinking about teaching and learning.  It is also a collection of strategies that help you better address and manage the variety of learning needs in your classroom (Heacox, 2002)."

 

Knowing Differentiated Instruction (DI) is not a new concept to your role in the classroom, please take a moment to refresh your thinking on how you can best implement differentiation using the data that you have collected from a variety of beginning-of-the-year assessments.    

 

To begin with, there are six elements of differentiation that should be considered when developing lessons that will maximize student engagement and growth.  These six can be divided into the following:

 

Teachers can differentiate in three areas:

Content:  “what” students are expected to learn

Process:  “how” students are expected to learn the content

Product:  the end result of the “what is learned” and “how it is learned”

Teachers can differentiate according to students’:

Readiness: the level of preparedness of a student when working with knowledge,

understanding, or skill

Interest: areas of passion for students that can be utilized to push learning beyond

the prescribed curriculum

Learning Profiles: a student’s preferred mode of learning

How you manipulate the elements above is at your discretion based upon the data you have gathered on your students.   Ideally, you will move some part of your instructional class time toward smaller group instruction based on a single or combination of the above elements. 

Regardless of the arrangement of small groups in your classroom, keep in mind that differentiation should be very flexible.  By providing fluid, flexible groups, you are keeping the students’ interests, knowledge, and performance in mind.   In Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn't Fit All, Gayle Gregory and Carolyn Chapman share an effective tool to check grouping in the classroom, TAPS.  TAPS considers the balance necessary in group configuration to afford students the opportunity to be thinkers in a variety of settings.   The acronym TAPS stands for the following:

T	Total Group	There may be information or new skills that need to be shared or demonstrated to the whole class.
A	Alone	Sometimes students need to practice by working alone.   In life, we often work and think independently of others.
P	Partners	Partnering gives students a narrow audience with whom to share ideas, discuss new information, or process learning.   These partnerships may be random or teacher-constructed.
S	Small Groups	There are many ways to construct small groups; keeping in mind that any group larger than three or four has the potential for off-task behavior or lack of commitment to the goal.

When thinking about your classroom, TAPS is a great reminder of the need for balance.   By providing learners the opportunity to engage in many group configurations within any given day, you are naturally decreasing the attention drawn to the grouping.   This is important so students do not identify themselves or their peers with any particular group.   Depending on the activity and the purpose of the activity, you can group students homogeneously, heterogeneously, randomly, or based on student choice.   Regardless of the grouping method, keep in mind that your decisions for groups should be intentional and flexible.   

I challenge you to take the beginning of year data you have collected on your students and start small.  Don’t attempt a sweeping reform in your classroom if this is all new to you.   Begin with one subject or one project; differentiate the activities.   For those of you already working through a differentiated lens, I challenge you to take your practices to the next level.   Think of new content that would benefit from being differentiated.   In the end, remember that there is no single method to execute DI; Differentiated Instruction is more of a guiding principal that supports you as you adapt or modify curriculum and instruction for the variety of learners in your classroom.   You have the power to meet the needs of all your students as you integrate Differentiated Instruction into your instruction.

The Reality of the Innovation Configuration
by Curtis Cunningham, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

I was looking at the Resulting Student Behaviors section of the Innovation Configuration for 21^st Century Capabilities.  This is located in the resources tab of the SPS Learning Model binder.  Listed in the Ideal column is “students display respectful behaviors toward one another which create a safe climate for intellectual risk taking and collaboration.”  This might be a tall order considering that we are heading into the holiday season.  How do we gently nudge our students toward this worthwhile goal?  I turned a few pages back and looked at the reflective guide, specifically the prompts under the question “Do I behave in ways that support effective communication and collaboration?”  The statements below are taken directly from the 3^rd – 5^th reflective guide:

·         I pause and listen to help myself understand.
·         I ask questions to help myself understand.
·         I respect and appreciate others’ opinions.
·         I take responsibility for my words and actions.
·         I am kind and have a good attitude.
·         I follow group norms.

What impact might these statements have on how I manage student behavior?  If students are not functioning well in my classroom, perhaps the reflective guide will provide some talking points.  Could this reflective guide become an integral part of my classroom management system?

In the book Discipline with Dignity, Richard Corwin et al., suggest that teachers need to use a variety of ways to communicate with students and that we should allow students to be responsible for themselves (Corwin et al., 2008, pg 23-24).  It might be that a teachers use of the reflective guide might provide insights into what they are modeling in the classroom and the students’ use of the reflective guide might allow students to take ownership of their own behavior.

It is typical during the holiday season to feel a little pressed for time.  If students seem to have difficulty with self-regulating, perhaps a few minutes to reflect might help them to identify goals which will help to improve their behavior.  We encourage you to consider how the reflective guide might support you as you continue to build strong relationships in your classroom and encourage your students to become effective communicators and collaborators.

Source:  Curwin, R.L., Mendler, A.N. & Mendler, B.D. (2008). Discipline with Dignity (3rd ed.).   Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.