January 3rd Professional Learning

We are looking forward to our professional learning in January.  Part of the day will offer district trainings and the other half will be dedicated to our district focus of Response to Intervention.  Based on your feedback from the survey on September 23 and the work of the Professional Development Steering Committee, we will be providing some differentiated opportunities on how Tier 2 interventions and enrichments are being provided in the core classroom.

Elementary

District Level Trainings (please choose 2 sessions)

Session 1 Options

At-Risk Plan/Identification of Homeless Students 8:15-9:15 - HS Multipurpose Room

This session will focus on the identification and supports for homeless and at-risk students.  What exactly does ‘at-risk’ or ‘homeless’ mean?  Who is at-risk in our district and why?  What makes a student homeless?  This session will present the criteria established for Southeast Polk students as required by the Iowa Department of Education (at-risk) and the Federal McKinney-Vento Act (homeless).  Included will be the early warning system developed through Infinite Campus, identification of students, associated interventions, and outcomes to determine the effectiveness of interventions to support homeless and at-risk students.

Parental Custody Issues and Schools 8:15-9:15 HS Auditorium

Shannon Woods, Attorney at Law with Whitfield & Eddy will provide information and answer questions related to custodial issues and the obligations of schools.  

Cultural Competency  8:15-9:15 JH Orchestra Room

Did you know there are more than 24 languages other than English spoken among families whose children attend Southeast Polk schools?  Our district is becoming increasingly multicultural and multi-ethnic.  Cultural competence is a key factor in enabling Southeast Polk educators to be effective with students from cultures other than their own.  Join us for an opportunity to learn about the cultures represented by the students in your classroom.,and effective ways to support student success. A panel of community members, ESL educators, classroom teachers, and students will share their experiences and answer your questions.

Session 2 Options

Mental Health First Aid 9:30-11:30 - HS Band Room

What are the mental health issues that affect our students and what can you do to assist these students as they work their way through your class? These are some of the things that we will discuss during this Mental Health and the School refresher. If you find that you are having difficulty with understanding students who are struggling with a mental health diagnosis and would like to know what you can do to help them be successful then come and learn a few ideas that may help.

Green Team 9:30-11:30

Green Team Scenarios

Location: Green Teams will meet at their respective buildings

During this session, Green Team members will practice at least four health emergency scenarios and walk through what these situations may look like within their respective settings.  There will be an opportunity to examine and evaluate Iowa Emergency Guidelines for Schools.  Participants will conduct a debriefing of each scenario and simulation.

Co-Teaching Model-HS Multipurpose Room 9:30-11:30

This training session will further participants’ understanding of the six co-teaching approaches that can be implemented in classrooms as well as providing information on when each approach may be most appropriate to use.  The effective implementation of collaborative consultation will also be covered during this training.  To maximize effectiveness it is recommended that co-teaching teams of both general education and special education teachers attend this training.

12:30-4:00: Response to Intervention

For PK-5 grade level RTI meetings, please bring your laptops and 8 copies of one math or ELA example on how you differentiated instruction with interventions or enrichment.

As you are sharing your differentiation examples with your team, you will consider the following information:

*To what standard is it linked?

*In what unit is it taught?

*What has been the impact/response with students?

Locations-Grade Level Teams

PK-Altoona Elementary--Media Center

Kindergarten-Four Mile Elementary

1st grade-Willowbrook Elementary--Media Center

2nd grade-Delaware Elementary

3rd grade-Clay Elementary

4th grade-Runnells Elementary--Library

5th grade-Centennial Elementary

Job-Alike Teams

Counselors - Centennial Elementary Guidance Office Room 110

Level III Special Education - Delaware Elementary Room 1

Music - Willowbrook Music Room

PE - Four Mile Gymnasium

Art - Willowbrook Art Room
Nurses - The Homestead, Altoona

Secondary

8:00-11:30: Response to Intervention

For 6-12 content level RTI meetings, please bring your laptops and one example on how you differentiated instruction with interventions or enrichment.

As you are sharing your differentiation examples with your team, you will consider the following information:

*To what standard is it linked?

*In what unit is it taught?

*What has been the impact/response with students?

Locations-Spring Creek and Jr. High

All SPRING CREEK and JR. HIGH (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, etc.) staff (except secondary job-alikes) initially report to the JH Auditorium for further information on team location. *Those who have breakout meetings at the High School do not need to report to the Jr. High first--you may go directly to your job-alike meeting.

High School

ELA - N248

Math - N375

Science - N325

Social Studies - N362

CTE - N165

World Language - N148

Secondary Job-Alike

Counselors - Jr. High Library 158

Art - High School Art Room 108

Music - High School Room 122

PE - High School Conference Rooms N124 H and J

Level III Special Ed - High School Room 132

Nurses - Jr. High

District Level Trainings (please choose 2 sessions)

Session 1 Options

At-Risk Plan/Identification of Homeless Students 12:30-1:30 HS Multipurpose Room

This session will focus on the identification and supports for homeless and at-risk students.  What exactly does ‘at-risk’ or ‘homeless’ mean?  Who is at-risk in our district and why?  What makes a student homeless?  This session will present the criteria established for Southeast Polk students as required by the Iowa Department of Education (at-risk) and the Federal McKinney-Vento Act (homeless).  Included will be the early warning system developed through Infinite Campus, identification of students, associated interventions, and outcomes to determine the effectiveness of interventions to support homeless and at-risk students.

Parental Custody Issues and Schools 12:30-1:30 HS Auditorium

Shannon Woods, Attorney at Law with Whitfield & Eddy will provide information and answer questions related to custodial issues and the obligations of schools.  

Cultural Competency 12:30-1:30 JH Orchestra Room

Did you know there are more than 24 languages other than English spoken among families whose children attend Southeast Polk schools? Our district is becoming increasingly multicultural and multi-ethnic.  Cultural competence is a key factor in enabling Southeast Polk educators to be effective with students from cultures other than their own. Join us for an opportunity to learn about the cultures represented by the students in your classroom.,and effective ways to support student success. A panel of community members, ESL educators, classroom teachers, and students will share their experiences and answer your questions.

Session 2 Options

Mental Health First Aid  1:45-3:45 - HS Band Room

What are the mental health issues that affect our students and what can you do to assist these students as they work their way through your class? These are some of the things that we will discuss during this Mental Health and the School refresher. If you find that you are having difficulty with understanding students who are struggling with a mental health diagnosis and would like to know what you can do to help them be successful then come and learn a few ideas that may help.

Coaches' PLC 1:45-3:45 - Jr. High Vocal Music Room  *New Session*            

During this session, participants will revisit the Vision, Mission, and Core Values of the Southeast Polk Community School District as they pertain to Activity Programming.  Participants will revise and finalize the Activities Department culture contract.  We will begin to examine what it means to provide activity participants with a "preferred experience". This session is open to all athletic coaches as well as sponsors for Band, Vocal, Speech, Drama, Cheer, and Dance.

Green Team 1:45-3:45

Green Team Scenarios

Location: Green Teams will meet at their respective buildings

During this session, Green Team members will practice at least four health emergency scenarios and walk through what these situations may look like within their respective settings.  There will be an opportunity to examine and evaluate Iowa Emergency Guidelines for Schools.  Participants will conduct a debriefing of each scenario and simulation.

Co-Teaching Model -HS Multipurpose Room 1:45-3:45

This training session will further participants understanding of the six co-teaching approaches that can be implemented in classrooms as well as providing information on when each approach may be most appropriate to use.  The effective implementation of collaborative consultation will also be covered during this training.  To maximize effectiveness it is recommended that co-teaching teams of both general education and special education teachers attend this training.

September 23 Professional Learning--Response to Intervention

September 23 District Professional Development

The focus of our learning on Monday will be looking at Response to Intervention through the lens of "what we teach."  Our work on  learning progressions will be an important foundation for how we- 'scaffold up and scaffold down'-how we provide interventions and enrichment to improve and extend the learning from strong core instruction.  Another goal of our RtI model is to examine academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs together to determine the best and most effective interventions.

Our schedule for the day is as follows:

8:00-11:15--District Focus: Secondary Teachers (6-12)

Location: HS Auditorium

8:00-11:30--Building Focus: Elementary Teachers (K-5)

12:45-4:00--District Focus: Elementary Teachers (K-5)

Location: HS Auditorium

12:30-4:00--Building Focus: Secondary Teachers (6-12)

The district pd will be organized into 3 sections:

• A shared understanding of the Southeast Polk Response to Intervention Model
• Job-Alike Collaboration
• This will be differentiated--those teaching math and reading will collaboratively study and identify instructional practices based on an item analysis of the Iowa Tests.  Other subject areas will have an opportunity to reflect on and discuss guiding questions related to the RtI model.
• Summarizing and sharing

The job-alike sharing (other than reading and math teachers) will take place in the commons area of the high school.  You will have a structured note-taking guide to facilitate discussion and whole-group sharing around the RtI model.  If you finish this task, you may work on additional collaborative tasks related to student learning.  If you have been working on some projects with your job-alike group, you may want to bring this information and/or student data to the pd session.  You may bring laptops if it facilitates your learning, but they would not be required for the district sessions.

Teacher teams working together around our focus areas leads to improved outcomes for students.  We are looking forward to this day of professional learning.

Teaching and Learning Resource Center--Open House

Our curriculum team has moved!  Our curriculum coaches, coordinators, and special education team have moved to the "Teaching and Learning Resource Center" (formerly Central Place).  It has been great to have a central location for learning, planning and collaboration.  The center also offers some meeting spaces for small groups.  You are welcome to stop by and visit at any time, but we will be hosting an open house next Tuesday, September 24 from 3:30-5:00.  Stop by to visit, look around, and have some refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!

Learning Opportunity--EdcampDSM

Looking for a FREE PD opportunity?  Join 200+ educators from around the midwest on Saturday, September 28th at Crestview Elementary in Clive for EdcampDSM.

What’s an Edcamp? “Edcamp is a form of unconference designed specifically for teachers and their needs. What makes Edcamp an unconference? Unlike traditional conferences which have schedules set months in advance by the people running the conference, Edcamp has an agenda that’s created by the participants at the start of the event. Instead of one person standing in front of the room talking for an hour, people are encouraged to have discussions and hands-on sessions. Sponsors don’t have their own special sessions or tables, all of the space and time are reserved for the things the people there want to talk about. People could pay hundreds of dollars to attend another conference, or they could go to Edcamp for free.

Built on principles of connected and participatory learning, Edcamp strives to bring teachers together to talk about the things that matter most to them: their interests, passions, and questions. Teachers who attend Edcamp can choose to lead sessions on those things that matter, with an expectation that the people in the room will work together to build understanding by sharing their own knowledge and questions (edcamp.org).”

For more information on EdcampDSM, visit the website, register to attend, or contact Jamie Fath!

Professional Learning

Southeast Polk Professional Development

We have increased our time for professional learning this year.  Collaboration and professional development increase the quality of instruction and this time has been used to continue and sustain our focus on increasing academic achievement for all of our students.  Additional time for professional learning allows us to improve our craft as we carry out the mission of the district: "Engage all students in learning a challenging curriculum delivered through quality instruction."

In a recent study*, the authors found that effective PD that has these characteristics:

-   It goes beyond one-shot presentations and is sustained over time.

-   The content is anchored in the standards, content, curriculum, and assessments being used by teachers.

-   It involves teachers in analyzing students’ work and group discussion.

This release time is well structured to maximize teaching and learning. Teacher leaders are particularly important in facilitating this process, and we have many great examples of this at Southeast Polk.

Delaware teachers collaborating on the design of productive group work tasks.

Teacher leaders from the Gradual Release Cadre creating model lessons.

Spring Creek teachers discussing authentic literacy tasks that support meaningful learning.

The Iowa Core Leadership team designing professional development to implement at their buildings.

* “Shaping Professional Development to Promote Diffusion of Instructional Expertise Among Teachers” by Min Sun, William Penuel, Kenneth Frank, Alix Gallagher, and Peter Youngs in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, September 2013 (Vol. 35, #3, p 344-369)

Bullying Prevention Summit

Southeast Polk continues their efforts to provide safe and supportive schools. We will be taking a team of more than 30 educators and students to the 2nd Annual Bullying Prevention Summit on November 4th in Des Moines. At the summit we’ll hear from Iowans and national experts, including young people, about how students and adults can make a difference. It is encouraging that Southeast Polk and many Iowa schools - and their communities - have launched anti-bullying campaigns. Let’s continue to build momentum for change. This is a challenge we can meet.

“I see what is right with you, despite your struggles. And I believe what is right with you is more powerful than anything that is wrong.” The message communicated by a teacher, counselor, nurse, bus driver, school secretary, or volunteer that makes the difference to a student, quoted in “Havens of Resilience” by Nan Henderson in Educational Leadership, September 2013

Tech Tool of the Week--Padlet

Looking for ways to  check for student understanding and feedback?  Padlet is a tool that can help you do this. 
Padlet allows you to add stickies to the board. You can place text, videos, weblinks, documents and images into your stickies. 

Looking for more ideas?

32 Ways to use Padlet in the Classroom

Try it out!

Created with Padlet

Up and Running

The new school year is off to a great start, and we appreciate everyone's efforts that contribute to this smooth beginning.  As we welcome new students to our district, our rosters are beginning to finalize.  We should be getting closer to all students represented in Data Director and orders filled or placed for increased needs.  If your rosters are still not showing up accurately, please complete a Tech Tracker ticket with specific information.  If you are short on textbooks due to additional students and/or sections, please submit an Increased Needs Request Form. 

Perseverance in Math

 As we shift to the new Iowa Core standards, math is less about the math facts and more about the problem-solving processes.  My favorite quote from this article summary from the Marshall Memo--"wrong answers are a part of the learning process."

In this thoughtful Education Week article, Kentucky teacher Alison Wright describes how two students in her Algebra II class reacted when they got back a quiz on which each had the identical score: 6/10. The first student looked at the grade, rolled her eyes, threw the paper on the floor, and loudly complained that the test wasn’t fair and shouldn’t count. The second student read Wright’s comments, reworked the problems to figure out her mistakes, and talked to her after class to set up an after-school meeting to go over the questions and discuss her study skills. “This scenario is troubling to me,” says Wright. “Multiply this incident by how many classes the students take, by how many assessments they will have in each class, by how many years they are in school – the possible ramifications are staggering.”

            After doing some research, Wright came up with approaches she’s going to implement in her classes this coming year:

            • Teach students that wrong answers are a helpful part of the learning process. “Over the years, I have seen so many math students shut down because they are so afraid of having the wrong answer and ‘failing,’” says Wright. She wants her students to be adventurous, to take control of their own learning, and not let fear of bad grades get in the way of learning. A helpful tool in this regard, she says, is Leah Alcala’s Teaching Channel video, “My Favorite No” – https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/class-warm-up-routine. Alcala has students write their answers to a math problem on 5x3 cards at the beginning of class, then quickly sorts the correct and incorrect answers and displays her “favorite” wrong answer (without mentioning the student’s name) and discusses with the whole class what was right and what was wrong. Alcala believes this is superior to using “clickers” because the teacher can make a judgment call on the most interesting and informative wrong answer – plus, it’s cheaper.

            • Use cooperative group work as often as possible. Wright gets groups working on  Math Design Collaborative assessments - http://map.mathshell.org/materials/index.php – and finds this helps them grapple with the content and think about their own learning processes. “Not only are students developing social skills necessary for teamwork,” she says, “but they are also constructing arguments and providing valuable feedback to each other in a non-threatening environment.”

            • Use “A” and “Not Yet” as the only two possible grades. Wright believes this might have helped the first student in the scenario above address her math learning issues rather than throwing a mini-tantrum about her grade.

 “Developing Non-Cognitive Skills: A Math Teacher’s Perspective” by Alison Wright in Education Week, Aug. 21, 2013, http://bit.ly/12mlcT2

Text-Dependency and Higher Level Questioning

A shift in the Iowa Core standards for reading and language arts includes supporting claims with text-based evidence.  As we focus on our questioning and text-dependent answers, we will need to be careful not to ask a litany of literal level 'memorization' questions.  Timothy Shanahan emphasizes this in his blog post below.  Shanahan reminds us that there is a difference between "close reading" and "thorough reading".  It is not necessary to remember every detail through intensive literal reading.  Rather, "the key is to ask questions that are not only text dependent, but that guide the reader to accomplish interpretive goals."  

Timothy Shanahan--Text Dependency is Too Low a Standard

Resources--Visual Arts and Arts Education

This week's resources support Visual Arts and Arts Education...enjoy!

• Arts Education  Arts education has been on the decline in urban public schools for more than a generation. Since 2005, Wallace has been working with nonprofits and school districts to find out how they might engage more young people in high-quality arts learning during the school day and beyond.  
• Federal Resources for Educational Excellence Teaching and learning resources from Federal agencies identifies resources in architecture, drawing and prints, painting, photography, sculpture, and other visual arts.
• National Standards for the Visual Arts Developed by the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations (under the guidance of the National Committee for Standards in the Arts), the National Standards for Arts Education is a document which outlines basic arts learning outcomes integral to the comprehensive K-12 education of every American student.
• STEM to STEAM  Check out how the STEM initiative is tying in art!
• The Teaching Palette recommends these website/resources for educators of visual art
• Art Education 2.0
• The Incredible Art Department
• National Art Education Association
• TeacherTube
• Artsonia
• Art Education (Wikipedia)
• Artcyclopedia
• National Gallery of Art – Education
• The International Society for Education Through Art
• Art Junction
• KidsArt
• National Art Education Association Elementary Division
• ArtLex Art Dictionary
• ArtBLAH
• Artists Blogs, Art Blogs
• Art Room Videos

New Beginnings

Welcome to a new school year full of promises and potential.  It is exciting and rewarding to be a part of a profession that has opportunities for 'new beginnings' each and every year.  We hope you had a relaxing summer with some adventures to share as your students return.

By the way, below is a picture of what beach sand looks like when it is magnified 250 times!

We had a productive and reflective summer of curriculum work, professional learning, and opportunities to extend learning for our students.  We are looking forward to sharing and implementing the results of your hard work.

Productive Group Work--The First 20 Days

With continued efforts on implementing the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, many buildings are working on implementing collaboration routines for the "First 20 Days".  This document is available for you in the 'Gradual Release Resources' folder on the Professional Development site, but we will also be placing orders through print shop for those who would like a hard copy.  If you would like to order a copy, please complete this form by August 23.

RESOURCES
There's an App for That
Many of you have downloaded and use the MasteryConnect app for the Math and ELA Standards. They now have a new app for the Next Generation Science Standards.

You may download this FREE app by searching for "Next Generation Science Standards" or "Mastery Connect" in your favorite app store.

40 Maps that Make Sense of Our World

In the past, working with maps typically meant labeling countries, states, capitals, landforms, etc. Today, technology can provide us amazing views and infographics.

Below is a map that illustrates world population. I was particularly struck by the inset circle which illustrates that there are more people living in that circle than outside. What are the implications for trade, education, etc. based on the information from this map?

For more maps that make sense of our world, visit the website below:

40 Maps that Help You Make Sense of the World

Technology Integration--iPad Apps
As we continue to increase access to technology and devices across the district, we have great classroom models of implementing technology as a tool to enhance learning.  When thinking about ways to use technology, it helps to consider it in the context of what we want students to know and do. The link below organizes iPad apps based on desired student outcomes.

For example...

I WANT MY STUDENTS TO.....

Create written content

OR

I WANT MY STUDENTS TO...

Collaborate

OR

I WANT MY STUDENTS TO....

Use iPads in math class

For more ideas on using technology by leading with learning, visit the site below:

I Want My Students To.....

Close Reading-Building the Foundations
During our Close Reading training last spring, we had excellent examples at the K-1 level.  But how do we build the foundations for making inferences and close, analytical reading?  This week's "Hello Literacy Blog" has some good ideas for using pictures to support this, particularly with our emergent readers.  It also has some nice web links for pictures that could connect to science and social studies.

What do you observe in this picture? What details do you notice? What do see when observing it "closely"?

 What inferences can you make based on what you see in this picture? 

As the school year gets up and running, we will continue to add close reading lessons to our Googledocs folder.  

Our scholars will be here Monday--we are looking forward to a great year.

LEAVE YOUR MARK!