April 17, 2011--Repost from http://kjacobsportfolio.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/response-frames-and-precision-partnering/
At the Iowa Culture and Language Conference in February of 2010, the district ELL staff heard presentations by Kate Kinsella. We found her response frame and precision partnering concepts compelling and in line with the goals the district has for ELLs. In the last year, we have worked to implement response frames into the curriculum.
Response frames are like sentence starters, but they provide more structure. Students are asked a question, and together, they come up with a grammatically correct sentence starter for the response. The teacher provides what part of speech or element of grammar should be added when students give their answer. Students brainstorm a list of possible answers. Together, the class takes those possible answers and creates a list of more powerful, academic vocabulary that could be used in its place. Students repeat the response frame, filling in their own grammatically correct answer, to each other, which provides and opportunity for every student to speak and be engaged. A few ideas can be shared with the whole class. Through this process, students read, write, listen, and speak in high-level, grammatically correct, sentences filled with academic vocabulary.
Language functions, in the poster and pdf link shown below, allow students to participate in everyday classroom interactions with grammatical, academic vocabulary.
By practicing using response frames and language functions in class, teachers can have high expectations for student answers and interactions.
Great to of had Buell Gonzalez (Drewsey), Kelcie McCauley/Stacey Moser (Fields), Anne Clark (Suntex), Katie Tracy (Pine Creek), Karla Neuschwander (Double O) and Carolyn Koskela (Frenchglen) at the Achievement Compact/Report Card work session!
Sept 30--Last day to pull down assessment funds from EGMS
Oct 3-4--CCSS Science training @ ESD--flyer from robbinsc@harneyedu.net Oct 15--Achievement Compacts Due
When I was teaching in Yokohama, I made a set of PYP Key Concept cards. One card for each concept. On the back of the cards are questions divided into learning areas (language arts, music, art etc). The questions come from within the PYP Making It Happen guide.
These cards travelled with me from Japan to Boise and then to Germany where a new set was typed up and then shared. Except, as I created the new ones, I ended up inadvertently duplicating one of the sets of questions. I have FINALLY gotten around to fixing this error and can now offer a free download of the revised Concept-Question cards!
Creating a collaborative
culture is the single most important factor for successful school improvement
initiatives and the first order of business for those seeking to enhance the
effectiveness of their schools.
Kenneth Eastwood and Karen Seashore Lewis (1992)
During our opening gathering in August at our Rural Inservice, we talked a good bit about Professional
Learning Communities (PLCs) and getting together in some form or fashion to "learn and share together." Although the first few hours back to school are
hardly the ideal time to absorb new learning of a substantive nature, I have
long been a big-time advocate of PLCs and all that they can accomplish—provided
the process is undertaken slowly, steadily, and with a commitment on the part
of all teachers and administrators within the school and school district. In 2012-2013 several teachers gathered at the ESD and asked for PLCs in front of the ChalkBoard Project leader and in front of ODE personnel. A PLC book by DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many
(2006) titled, Learning By Doing: A
Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, is a great read that I undertook 4 years ago. I recently read it again. Although I have read this book before, I enjoyed rereading it recently. If interested, I'd love to purchase this book for those interested in doing a PLT book read together. Just e-mail Janet at caldwelj@harneyedu.net and we'll see if we can form a book read for those interested (PDUs available!!!). I hope that
between now and the end of January—when we complete our study of this book— leaders will share with you what they have learned about PLCs and their
personal thoughts on this framework.
I suspect that most everyone in Harney County schools is at least somewhat familiar with PLCs and the success and notoriety
that Stevenson High School achieved through their work as they began the
PLC journey that has continued for well over a decade now. Perhaps the most
important “thing” to remember when we consider embarking upon a similar journey
is that PLCs are not a “thing” at all. The PLC concept is not a program in any
aspect, but a way of consistently and systematically conducting our core
business of teaching and learning. A school that is functioning as a true PLC
embraces certain areas of focus which
become embedded into the school’s culture.
There are, of course, a plethora of
books written on the topic of Professional Learning Communities, many of which
extol the virtues of PLCs and how they have dramatically impacted student and
teacher learning around the world. I would commend several of these books to
you, but, for now, I did want to share with you an abbreviated overview, which
you will likely recall from previous learning. I repeat the basic information
here because it truly encapsulates the entire PLC framework. Put simply, PLCs
are basically centered on four critical questions all educators should ask
themselves within a culture that emphasizes three key behaviors. A true
Professional Learning Community includes members who exhibit (a) a focus on
learning, (b) a focus on results, and (c) a collaborative culture.
Within this cultural framework,
teachers and administrators constantly ask themselves the following four questions:
1.What
is it we want our kids to learn?
2.How
will we know if they have learned it?
3.How
will we respond when kids do not learn?
4.How
will we respond when kids have already mastered the intended learning
objectives?
In a nutshell, the above statements are
really all there is to the PLC concept! Moreover, the above seven statements
are the essence of effective schools staffed by dedicated teachers who do not
settle for merely teaching the
curriculum, but instead ensuring that kids are learning the intended curriculum. Earlier this year, Todd Whitaker
reiterated what I have already stated on several occasions: there is really
only one thing that makes a school great and that is having great teachers. We
are blessed to have great teachers in our schools, great teachers who focus on learning, focus on results, and work
collaboratively to ask and answer the four critical questions posed above.
As we embark on this PLT/PLC journey together, we should consider this good news. Most of you are already half-way there. The
critical components of a PLC are already in
place to a certain extent in your schools. Working together to further our focus will fine tune these procedures!
Have a great week!
Eric
Kudos to Jeff Zhoul for modification of this Creating a Collaborative Culture Blogpost!
INDISTAR TRAINING @ ESD on 9/19/14 sponsored by ODE
For those accepting Title 1A funds and that are school-wide Title, INDISTAR is required by 2016. Did you not receive and invite to the INDISTAR training? Are you a Title school? If you answered yes, to both questions...contact Stacie Ankrum (503) 947-5633, Federal Systems Specialist.
A Reminder . . . Schools and Districts Must Observe Constitution Day, September 17
In 2005, Congress established September 17 as Constitution Day. Schools, federal and state agencies, and others that receive federal funding are required to provide educational programs related to the United States Constitution on that day. The Federal Register Notice of Implementation is available at http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2005-2/052405b.html. Many organizations provide resources to support schools’ activities on that day:
Annenberg Media
The Constitution: That Delicate Balance: features a panel discussion on constitutional issues by distinguished personalities in government, media, and law. http://www.learner.org/resources/series72.html
Hear leading historians recount American history illustrated by historical footage in Democracy in America. http://www.learner.org/courses/democracyinamerica/ The course Web site has downloadable readings that include the writings of Frederick Douglass, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas Paine, and Alexis de Tocqueville.
Making Civics Real: A Workshop for Teachers presents effective high school lessons and access Web-based materials including student and teacher perspectives, essential readings, and primary source documents. http://www.learner.org/workshops/civics/
For middle and high school teachers, America's History in the Making looks at the early development of the U.S. system of government. http://www.learner.org/courses/amerhistory/ See unit 4, "Revolutionary Perspectives," and click on OAH Talking History to listen to the radio programs "Revolutionary Mothers" and "Washington's Slaves." Then see unit 20, “Egalitarian America,” for a look at more recent constitutional issues.
Programs in The Western Tradition relevant to the Constitution include program 5, "The Rise of Greek Civilization," program 6, "Greek Thought," program 37, "The American Revolution," and 38, "The American Republic." http://www.learner.org/resources/series58.html
Search for historical artifacts –- images and documents -- related to the Constitution in the American Passages archive. http://www.learner.org/amerpass/slideshow/archive_search.php. Our special slideshow tool also allows you to create one or more presentations using items from the archive.
Classroom Law Project
“Visitor from Outer Space”: Great with all age groups. The U.S. is overtaken by space aliens and learners are asked to ponder which rights are most important.
The Bill of Rights Institute has developed materials to help students and other observers understand the significance of the U.S. Constitution in observance of Constitution Day. Free materials are available to download from the web site. There are Constitution Day lessons for middle school and high school as well as a Constitution Cube lesson with activities for all levels. "Champions of Freedom" is a middle school activity that includes images of the Founding Fathers.
The Constitutional Rights Foundation provides resources to educate young people about the responsibilities of "civic participation in a democratic society." Among the resources are lessons with the following titles: "A Visitor for Outer Space (V.O.I.C.E.)," "Diversity and Equality (The Challenge of Diversity)," "The Constitution and Governance (The Challenges of Governance)," "The Tired King (Adventures in Law and History, Vol. II)" and other titles.
The Dirksen Congressional Center promotes an understanding of the U.S. Congress and its leaders through archives, research and educational programs. On the Historical Documents page under "Constitution" are a number of links to other resources.
The First Amendment Center provided information about the First Amendment freedoms to protect and preserve the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The center is housed at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and Arlington, Virginia. Materials are organized according to the five freedoms in the First Amendment. Lesson plans are also included.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute has a module on the U.S. Constitution under "For Teachers and Students." Resources include primary sources, a bibliography of books, films and additional web sites. Lesson plans illustrate how to put all of the resources together.
The Law Focused Education, Inc. web site has activities for students, lesson plans and other materials for teachers to use in planning for Constitution Day. There is a weekly Constitution quiz, a Constitution game, Preamble Scramble and Branches of the Federal Government among several interactive activities.
Liberty Day is a nonprofit organization dedicated to education youth about the basics of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence and to distributing copies of those documents to the country’s fifth graders. They also provide a Complete Education Resource for teachers on the Constitution. The Resource includes a Teacher’s Packet containing a lesson plan, two evaluation forms, and multiple-choice pre- and post-tests. Also included are copies of the documents and a set of 24 Q&A flashcards on the contents of the Constitution. For more information, go to the web site www.LibertyDay.org, or contact Andy McKean at Andy@LibertyDay.org.
National Archives
The National Archives Building in Washington, D. C. houses the handwritten copy of the U.S. Constitution. An article included on the web site entitled "A More Perfect Union" provides details of the Constitutional Convention and the process for ratifying the U.S. Constitution. Interesting facts about the U.S. Constitution are included in "Questions and Answers Pertaining to the Constitution." These resources are available on the Constitution web page.
The National Constitution Center is dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution. Their resources include a toolkit for a group of people to read the Constitution aloud and lesson plans and other resources. The first web address is for the home page for the National Constitution Center. The second web address is for Constitution Day activities. The third web address links to the "America Reads the Constitution" tool kit.
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) web site has at least thirty-five lessons and other activities relating to the U.S. Constitution. One lesson for high school is entitled "Why Celebrate Constitution Day?" Most of the lessons appear to be for high school and middle school classes.
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Students
learn over half of what they know from visual images.
Mary Alice White, Teachers
College at ColumbiaUniversity (1999)
In keeping with our monthly theme of precision partnering and graphic organizers...
This upcoming summer is my twentieth high school reunion in Baker City, Oregon.
It'll be great to see old friends and how they have changed over the years. I'm sure I'll have a tremendous time as I attempt to recognize some folks that I haven't seen for 20 years.
A facebook post mentioning the reunion started me thinking about my school days. I was a decent student who made average grades. From what I can remember, most of my
teachers lectured, and I spent most of my time not listening very well.
If my teachers used graphic organizers or visual aids, especially those used
today, I sure don’t remember them. So my questions to you are: (a) When you
present information to your students verbally, how much of it do they
retain? (b) If your students see and
hear the information, do they have a better comprehension of the material?
As
a former Social Studies teacher, I used to require students to bring in a
current event article with a brief written summary on occasion. There were some great
summaries and some not so great. A teacher recently shared a document she created that allows a student to breakdown their article so that
her students have a better understanding of what they are reading.
This organizer can be used in several classes, but what about something for
assisting students with vocabulary? I've seen a drama teacher, whose students often
copied words and their definitions from the whiteboard and were expected to be
prepared for tests on these vocabulary words. The graphic organizer below
allows students to become actively involved with the vocabulary on many
different levels. You can offer students a chance to share their
sentences, clues, or what the word isn’t. This allows students to not
only recognize the new words, but also understand them.
The
purpose of graphic organizers is to assist students with understanding the material
being taught. There are a variety of organizers available for your use;
limit the number you use to those that are most effective for your purposes.
GOSSIP is an instructional strategy
that can be used at different points during the lesson. It can be used as a way to activate
background knowledge about a specific topic or for summarizing or synthesizing
information. GOSSIP stands for go out
and selectively search for important points (Close, 2009) and follows the
idea of real gossip.
Putting the
Strategy into Action:
●Students are provided with a
concept or question to find out more about.
●Students spend a few minutes
generating their own ideas in one box on their paper.
●Students then go to a first
person and each share what is important.
They write this information in one of the boxes.
●Students move onto to two
different people, asking what is important and sharing their own ideas intertwined
with the gossip they heard from preceding partners.
●After gathering ideas from
multiple partners, students move back into their working groups and share their
new information. (This can be done in
pairs, small groups, or as a whole class.)
G•O•S•S•I•P
(Go Out
and Selectively Search for Important Points)
My ideas
Partner 1 ____________
Partner 2 ___________
Partner 3 ___________
Reflections:
Goal(s):
Happy
teaching & learning to all; have a great week
Eric
Kudos to J. Zoul for modification from above posting
