December+9th+district+in-service

January 27, 2010 (we were unable to meet Dec. 9 to due the snow, go figure:))
Teachers will meet in small, K-12 groups throughout the building. Each group will be facilitated by a teacher leader. The groups and agenda are below:
 * **Location** || **Elem. Library** || **Sec. Library** || **Merical's Room** || **Jorth's Room** || **Hyer's Room** || **Nelsen's Room** ||
 * **Teacher Leader** || **Stacy Peterson** || **Tracy Ferguson** || **Elaine Merical** || **Brent Jorth** || **Shawn Hyer** || **Kelly Nelsen** ||
 * Teachers || Kim Carey || Trey Armistead || Jennifer Callahan || Rebecca Comer || Wendy Druery || Stacey Wigant ||
 * || Jared Lange || Shannon Miller || Mike Hoffelmeyer || Bart Jones || Kent Miller || Dave Tapps ||
 * || Bob Long || Colleen Tendall || Eric Trudo || Angie Tipling || Holly Heard || Angel Melendez ||
 * || Mindy Doggett || Christa McClintock || Deb Saylor || Lynne Caltrider || Kayleen Bertman || Mary Murillo ||
 * || Lisa Ihnen || Ann Volk || Jenny Stephens || Amber Schenck || Carrie Foell || Cindi Byrnes ||
 * || Lorie Prouty || Lisa Brickman || Janelle Thompson || Bobbi Daggett || Staci Braun || Jim Bragg ||
 * || Marsha Fries || Dustin Wright || Joel Bartz || Diana Mandernach || Rod Beem || Eldonna Skahill ||
 * ||  || JoEllen Wesselmann ||   ||   || Bill Miller ||   ||

// Note: Today's PD is teacher-led. Administrators will be available via email and through the chats on each of the etherpads used in today's learning. //** 1.Review PD goal for the year, the timeline for the rest of the year, and the learning outcome for today (5 minutes)
 * Agenda

Note: we will not be meeting back in the band room today (Jan. 27th) as this video states towards the end of the clip. media type="youtube" key="IXlobePsu8c" height="344" width="425"

2. Reflect on your learning regarding Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum (15 minutes) Take a moment and reflect upon what you have learned about rigorous and relevant curriculum in the past few months. Jot down your ideas on your own paper and then share with the whole group.

Have someone in your group collect the thoughts on the [|K-12 Etherpad]. What do we know about Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum? What questions do we still have about it?

Check out these other resources to help clarify your thoughts:
 * Read the Dept. of Ed. definition listed on your laminated copy of the 5 Characteristics of Effective Instruction
 * []
 * Check out the Van Meter Elementary Staff compilation of ideas

3. Develop a working definition of //Teaching for Understanding// and //Student Centered Classroom.// (15 minutes) Compare the definitions on the laminated handout of the characteristics of effective instruction and the walk-through template that administrators are developing as part of their professional development. Discuss in your small groups what each characteristic is and is not. Have one or two people in your group collect your ideas on the etherpad and offer suggestions to the walk through template wording.

View the walk-through template here

4. Video clip - What do these Characteristics of Effective Instruction look like in the classroom? (20 minutes) media type="custom" key="4989185" After watching the clip, discuss: Go back to the etherpad discussion and have one or two people in your group add any new thoughts or make changes to what you've already shared.
 * Which of the characteristics we've discussed so far are most represented in this video?
 * What does Teaching for Understanding and Student Centered Classrooms look like in the classroom?

5. Deeper conversation about Van Meter: (25 minutes) Have one or two people in your group Collect your group's thoughts here
 * 1) How does your current current curriculum help/hinder teaching for understanding?
 * 2) How does it feel to be a student/teacher in a student centered classroom?
 * 3) How do these characteristics look the same/different in an elementary classroom and secondary classroom?

6. Closure (10 minutes) Today's PD was set up in a very different way than traditional in-services. How did the structure help your learning? What could be done to make the learning experience more valuable for you? Share your ideas on the reflection sheet that your facilitator has given you (an electronic copy is attached below). This information will help us craft even better learning experiences for our K-12 staff as we continue learning about the Characteristics of Effective Instruction. Also, please complete this online poll before your leave today's PD session.

Take the poll

Thank you for your time and willingness to be part of a new professional learning experience for our district!

Data and Results from this professional development:
Results from poll: Synthesis of reflection sheets: Additional Feedback on Walk-through template:
 * = ===3 things I know=== ||= ===I am square with this=== ||= ===Questions going around in my mind=== ||
 * * This type of teaching and learning will take time, training, and collaboration
 * Give kids a variety of ways to demonstrate learning
 * Authentic experiences || * We need to change
 * Students need to take control of their own learning
 * we need to teach them the skills necessary to do this
 * Memorization isn't enough - kids need to use, reflect, and create knowledge
 * Curriculum needs to relate to real world
 * Relationships are important || * Do we need to change our current structures to do this work?
 * Where are we with the Iowa Core Curriculum Implementation?
 * What effects will budget cuts have on this work?
 * How do we assess and grade this type of work?
 * project based learning
 * role of standardized assessments
 * How do we balance instruction between knowledge and skills?
 * Quad. A versus D?
 * Higher order thinking with basics that need to be mastered?
 * What is the role of the "leatherman" in this?
 * Can we really "engage" ALL students? ||
 * Haven't been to my classroom yet/as much as others
 * Why haven't I been on a walk-through?
 * What are the numbers for on the template?