Classroom Technology Professional Learning: Updated Links for December 8th

Our next round of professional learning to support classroom technology will take place tomorrow, December 8th.

For this training session, we will be learning about the software Lynx for both your teacher device and your Clevertouch board.  The Lynx app has been pushed to all chromebooks.  If you are not using a chromebook, please use this link to install prior to Wednesday.  

Additionally, ALL teachers need to uninstall and install Lynx to their Clevertouch board.  You can find those directions here.  This process should take less than five minutes!

The training on both dates will run from 7:30 AM-9:00 AM for secondary staff and 2:30 PM -4:00 PM for elementary staff.  This training will take place in your classroom.  Please make sure that you have:

• a charged chromebook
• headphones (optional)

You will want to be in your classroom near your Clevertouch board for this training.  If you do not have a Clevertouch, please buddy up with a colleague in your same training group for tomorrow.  

As a reminder, each building has representative Clevertouch cohort teachers that will be available if you need extra help.  They have previously received the training that is scheduled in December. 

Below is the schedule as well as the training links for the December professional learning.

Mitchellville Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/84775246395?pwd=RGdCQUhTUTlsUXFpVTFkMk1ncUVJZz09
Centennial Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/89459654246?pwd=eTVwaTRtTWN0a0hreC9TZThucVlQUT09
Clay Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/83585176150?pwd=c01EcDVUQ1ZHV00vVDBzRGVCOFJXUT09
Altoona Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/86578613922?pwd=V0RNN3A2K1FuZ3dSdjBicHUzb3E1QT09
JH Teachers - Group 1	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/84775246395?pwd=RGdCQUhTUTlsUXFpVTFkMk1ncUVJZz09
JH Teachers - Group 2	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/89459654246?pwd=eTVwaTRtTWN0a0hreC9TZThucVlQUT09
JH Teachers - Group 3	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/83585176150?pwd=c01EcDVUQ1ZHV00vVDBzRGVCOFJXUT09
JH Teachers - Group 4	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/86578613922?pwd=V0RNN3A2K1FuZ3dSdjBicHUzb3E1QT09

Southeast Polk Standards-Based Learning Site

As our Grading and Reporting work groups and our collaborative teams continue their journey in supporting standards-based learning, we wanted to highlight our Southeast Polk Standards-Based Learning site. 

Southeast Polk Standards-Based Learning Site

This site includes a page and actions for each of the work groups:

• Assessments and Proficiency Scales
• Behavior Reporting
• Communication
• Feedback
• Letter Grades and Reporting

There is also a page for 'Resources' and some new resources have recently been added.

Standards-Based Learning Resources

This page includes examples from Southeast Polk teachers as well as articles and videos for team study.  If your team has any resources they would like to share, please send them to any member of the Grading and Reporting Leadership Team, and we will get them added.  Thank you for your continued efforts to support student learning!

Classroom Technology Professional Learning

Our next round of professional learning to support classroom technology will take place during 2 Wednesdays in December--December 1st and December 8th. 

For this training session, we will be learning about the software Lynx for both your teacher device and your Clevertouch board.  The Lynx app has been pushed to all chromebooks.  If you are not using a chromebook, please use this link to install prior to Wednesday.  

Additionally, ALL teachers need to uninstall and install Lynx to their Clevertouch board.  You can find those directions here.  This process should take less than five minutes!

The training on both dates will run from 7:30 AM-9:00 AM for secondary staff and 2:30 PM -4:00 PM for elementary staff.  This training will take place in your classroom.  Please make sure that you have:

• a charged chromebook
• headphones (optional)

You will want to be in your classroom near your Clevertouch board for this training.  If you do not have a Clevertouch, please buddy up with a colleague in your same training group for tomorrow.  

As a reminder, each building has representative Clevertouch cohort teachers that will be available if you need extra help.  They have previously received the training that is scheduled in December. 

Below is the schedule as well as the training links for the December professional learning.

December 1st-Secondary 7:30-9:00 PM

HS - ELA, Counselors, World Language	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/84775246395?pwd=RGdCQUhTUTlsUXFpVTFkMk1ncUVJZz11
HS - Science, Math, Harbor	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/89459654246?pwd=eTVwaTRtTWN0a0hreC9TZThucVlQUT10
HS - Social Studies, Art, PE	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/83585176150?pwd=c01EcDVUQ1ZHV00vVDBzRGVCOFJXUT11
HS - CTE, Level 3 Special Ed, Music	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/86578613922?pwd=V0RNN3A2K1FuZ3dSdjBicHUzb3E1QT11

December 1st-Elementary 2:30 PM-4:00 PM

Delaware Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/84775246395?pwd=RGdCQUhTUTlsUXFpVTFkMk1ncUVJZz09
Four Mile Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/89459654246?pwd=eTVwaTRtTWN0a0hreC9TZThucVlQUT09
Willowbrook Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/83585176150?pwd=c01EcDVUQ1ZHV00vVDBzRGVCOFJXUT09
Runnells Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/86578613922?pwd=V0RNN3A2K1FuZ3dSdjBicHUzb3E1QT09

December 8th-Secondary 7:30 AM-9:00 AM

JH Teachers - Group 1	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/84775246395?pwd=RGdCQUhTUTlsUXFpVTFkMk1ncUVJZz09
JH Teachers - Group 2	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/89459654246?pwd=eTVwaTRtTWN0a0hreC9TZThucVlQUT09
JH Teachers - Group 3	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/83585176150?pwd=c01EcDVUQ1ZHV00vVDBzRGVCOFJXUT09
Spring Creek Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/86578613922?pwd=V0RNN3A2K1FuZ3dSdjBicHUzb3E1QT09

December 8th-Elementary 2:30 PM-4:00 PM

Mitchellville Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/84775246395?pwd=RGdCQUhTUTlsUXFpVTFkMk1ncUVJZz10
Centennial Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/89459654246?pwd=eTVwaTRtTWN0a0hreC9TZThucVlQUT12
Clay Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/83585176150?pwd=c01EcDVUQ1ZHV00vVDBzRGVCOFJXUT10
Altoona Elementary Teachers	https://tierney.zoom.us/j/86578613922?pwd=V0RNN3A2K1FuZ3dSdjBicHUzb3E1QT10

Learning Recovery-Scaffolding Resources

As we continue with our learning recovery plan, school teams have been implementing interventions and multi-tiered systems of support.  Today's blog has resources with multiple strategies to support scaffolding of instruction. 

The New Teacher Project (TNTP) has a website with several resources for teachers and leaders.  The page below has several strategies to support instruction during learning recovery.  They identify 4 guiding practices that align with the goals in our learning recovery plan.

Scaffolding Practices

Keep equity and rigorous content at the forefront of all decisions on what and how to teach students who are behind grade level.

• Always use the relevant grade-level college and career ready standards as your baseline for planning content. Ensure you are deeply familiar with the standards for your grade level and/or content area, as well as how they connect to students’ previous and future learning. 

• Any other standards you may be using, such as English language development standards, should work in tandem with—not supplant—grade-level college and career ready standards.

• Provide all students with the opportunity to work with the same grade-appropriate texts and/or tasks in whole-group instruction. 

Set aside time, both when initially creating unit/lesson plans and on an ongoing basis, to plan when and how you’ll incorporate specific scaffolds to support students. 

• Proactively plan scaffolding in each lesson according to the learning objective, target standard(s), and your students’ needs. Regularly revisit the scaffolds you’ve planned to gauge whether they are meeting students’ needs and adapt your plans as needed. 

• If using a curriculum that includes scaffolds, evaluate their appropriateness for your content and population of students and adapt as needed.  

• Co-plan with other staff members who work with your students (such as intervention specialists) to ensure students consistently receive appropriate scaffolds that support them in accessing grade-level content. 

• When possible, build time in your unit plans for regular progress checks to remediate specific content as needed (versus doing a broader review of multiple standards on a less regular basis). 

Tailor scaffolds to the specific content you’re teaching, the demands of grade-level standards, and the needs of your students. 

• Regularly assess where your students are currently performing to understand their academic progress and identify the most effective scaffolds to address their evolving needs. 

• When students need more support, provide repeated and varied opportunities to engage with grade-level content (for example, having students read the same text multiple times with different purposes and supports). When students need less support, resist the urge to over-scaffold; use scaffolds only when necessary and only for the students who need them.  

• For groups of students with different needs, consider how best to address them with targeted scaffolds or small-group instruction. 

• If working with the same group of students over an extended period of time, gradually decrease the frequency or level of scaffolding over time to promote students’ increasing independence. 

Continuously build your expertise in scaffolding best practices. 

• Considering the population of students you work with and the content you teach, seek out corresponding development opportunities and resources about the most effective support strategies. 

• If you are a content area teacher (for example, science or social studies), familiarize yourself with literacy scaffolding best practices. 

Scaffolding Strategies

Below are a few examples of some scaffolding strategies along with a link to access more ideas. 

Literacy

Supporting All Learners With Complex Texts

• Support vocabulary
• Use deliberate annotation
• Use questions as planned scaffolds
• Allow time for reflection and discussion

Fluency Resources

Guidelines for Supporting English Learners

• Interdependence of oral language, disciplinary writing, and text engagement
• Sustained language and content support
• Learner awareness (Metacognitive strategies)
• Leveraging students' assets
• Formative assessments

Math

Addressing Unfinished Learning in the Context of Grade-Level Work

• Understand
• Study the focus standards for upcoming instruction
• Identify critical prerequisite skills and understand students need to access grade level content
• Diagnose
• Determine student understanding of prerequisites based on diagnostic or formative data
• Consider if gaps exist for the whole class or a small group
• Take action
• Whole class needs: plan to build needed scaffolds into upcoming lessons.  If needed, adjust pacing to add in additional lessons.
• Small group needs: plan differentiated instruction or coordinate to address gaps within intervention periods

How to Select Math Intervention Content

• Use formative data to gauge student understanding and inform pacing
• Provide 'just in time' support within each unit during intervention
• Prioritize the most essential prerequisite skills and understanding for the upcoming content
• Trace the learning progressions, diagnose, and go back just enough to provide access to grade-level material
• Provide a new experience for students to re-engage when appropriate
• Connect learning experiences in intervention and core instruction
• Consider the aspect of rigor called for in the standards when designing and choosing tasks, activities, or learning experiences

Source: The New Teacher Project

TNTP Scaffolding Strategies Toolkit

The New Teacher Project Website

Our next elementary grade level collaboration is this Wednesday, November 10th.  The focus of this session will be reflecting on learning from the PLC professional learning on October 15th and discussing ideas for collecting evidence of meeting social studies and science standards. Below are the learning targets for the afternoon.

• Participants will understand that high levels of student learning are achieved when standards, assessments, and interventions align.

• Participants will demonstrate their understanding by reflecting and sharing their learning from the RTI at Work Institute and classroom practices around standards based learning.

We will start promptly at 2:30 PM, and end our work at 4:00 PM.  Please bring with you a charged laptop, any notes from October 15th, and any samples/examples of data collection tools or other ideas for documenting evidence of student learning. 

Below are the meeting locations:

Preschool: Clay

Kindergarten: Runnells

Grade 1: Mitchellville

Grade 2: Willowbrook

Grade 3: Four Mile

Grade 4: Altoona

Grade 5: Delaware

Core Plus (Specials): Centennial

Nurses: Clay

Counselors: Centennial

Level 3 Special Education: Centennial

Teacher Librarians: Centennial

Level 1 and 2 Special Education teachers, Reading Specialists, Title I, TAG, ESOL will join a grade level at your home building. 

We are looking forward to our collaboration on Wednesday! 

Online Resources Update

As a follow up to our hybrid streaming event on October 15th, I wanted to share some related online resources to support our work moving forward.  Please note that the access for some of these resources has changed.

The Global PD Solution Provides job-embedded PD by giving teachers access to the largest library of PLC videos and books in the world. Videos are less than 20 minutes, and books can be browsed by chapter to accommodate your team's busy schedules. Teams can refresh their knowledge of PLCs from experts like Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Mike Mattos, and others.

To access PLC Global PD Solutions:

• Go to https://www.solutiontree.com/
• On the menu bar at the top of the page, go to "Global PD" and drop down to 'Sign into Global PD' 
• Email: joellen.latham@southeastpolk.org
• Password: SEPRams21!

Please contact me or members of the curriculum team if you are interested in a professional development session to support use of the Global PD Solution.

The Marzano Compendium of Instructional Strategies is an online resource for teachers, instructional coaches, teacher mentors, and administrators. Using The New Art and Science of Teaching framework, the Marzano Compendium presents 10 categories of instructional elements. Each of the 43 elements has a number of strategies associated with it. In total, there are 332 instructional strategies presented.

Ten brief videos summarize the categories and provide an overview of the framework. Additionally, 43 videos of Dr. Marzano explaining each element provide more detail and allow educators to thoughtfully select growth goals. Each element includes a summary of the research supporting its effectiveness, detailed descriptions of the strategies associated with it, and downloadable print resources that offer classroom examples, reproducible pages, and scales that teachers can use to rate themselves on each element.

The Marzano Compendium offers a convenient, easy-to-navigate resource that combines and updates content from Dr. Marzano’s most popular titles, including The New Art and Science of Teaching, Becoming a Reflective Teacher, and Coaching Classroom Instruction.

To access the Instructional Compendium:

• Go to https://www.marzanoresources.com/
• Sign in at the top of the home page
• Email: joellen.latham@southeastpolk.org
• Password: SEPRams21!
• On the left hand side of the page under "My Digital Products" click on 'Compendium'

Please contact me or members of the curriculum team if you are interested in a professional development session to support use of the Marzano Compendium of Instructional Strategies. 

Secondary Job-Alike Collaboration

Our secondary job-alike teams will have the opportunity to collaborate tomorrow, October 20th. During our time together, we will:

• Review Data
• Vertical look at ISASP domains
• Review District Goals
• Informed by our data
• PD Reflection
• Reflection and actions to support our goal implementation
• Looking Ahead
• Getting feedback to inform our work
• Standards-Based Learning
• Content specific collaboration

Please bring with you to the collaboration:

• Laptops
• The 'Taking Action" book from Friday's PD
• The binder of handouts from Friday's PD
• Any notes from our day of learning

Secondary teachers will report to the locations below at 7:30 AM on Wednesday.  We will conclude at 9:00 AM.

Job-Alike Teams	Location
Instrumental/Vocal Music/General Music/Guitar	Spring Creek Band Room
Art	HS S108
PE/Health	JH Room 180
CTE (PLTW)	High School - N169
for 10.20.2021 Only - HS Industrial Technology	HS N183
World Language	HS N148
ELA, ESOL 6-12, TAG, Teacher Librarians	Spring Creek - Library
Math	Spring Creek - Science Room
Science	HS N345
Social Studies	HS N268
Counselors	HS Library
Special Ed Level III	HS Rm 135

We look forward to our day of collaboration and learning. 

October 15th Professional Learning: More Details

As we prepare for our professional learning tomorrow, today's blog will provide additional details for collaborative teams.  The information in last week's blog is also included.

• Doors to the high school will be open at 7:00 AM.  A light breakfast will be available, and registration will begin at 7:10 AM.  

• All participants will sign in at one of the registration tables in the HS commons.  They will be organized and marked by sections of the alphabet.

• The auditorium has been sectioned off so that buildings and collaborative teams may sit together.  A map of these sections is below.  They will also be marked in the auditorium. 

• We are excited and proud to host associates from Solution Tree.  Dress is casual, and you are encouraged to wear black and gold.  This might be a good day to show off our #1SEP shirts!

• We have some high quality sessions lined up, and time will be tight.  In order to be efficient with our day, please be seated with your collaborative teams in the auditorium promptly at the beginning of each session. 

• Thank you for not bringing laptops to tomorrow's event. Each participant will receive a binder with handouts of the presentations for notetaking as well as a professional book for reference.  This format will provide adequate space and allow the technology to run smoothly.

• Our goal for tomorrow's learning is to honor your commitment to collaborative teams and strengthen these efforts to further support our students. We are looking forward to the day!

(Blog repost from last week)

We are pleased to be partnering with Solution Tree next Friday to host a hybrid event.  This will include virtual presentations from Luis Ruiz, Mike Mattos, and Nicole Dimich.  We will also have onsite support from PLC associates Tim Brown and Scott Carr.  This day is designed to build on the foundations of collaborative teams and target our work around multi-tiered systems of support.  Outcomes will include creating practical and precise actions steps to implement critical components of MTSS--collective responsibility, concentrated instruction, convergent assessment and certain access.  Below are some key details to support the day.  

• Our day will run from 7:30 AM-3:30 PM. All certified staff will report to Southeast Polk High School.

• Registration with a light breakfast will begin at 7:10 AM in the HS Commons.

• Please report to your building/level registration table (they will be marked) to pick up your learning materials.

• Each participant will receive a bag with the book Taking Action: A Handbook for RTI at Work by Austin Buffum, Mike Mattos, and Janet Malone. The bag will also include a binder, handouts, and a PLC t-shirt.

• Please be seated with your collaborative team in the auditorium by 7:30 AM.

• If you are not able to arrive early for registration, you may pick up your learning materials during one of the scheduled breaks. 

• Because part of this day will be virtual, we want to make sure all technology runs smoothly.  Please do not bring your laptops to this session.  This will also allow for more room for collaborative teams to have space for reflection and planning. 

• Lunch is on your own.  You may want to consider bringing your lunch as our afternoon session will begin promptly at 12:15 PM. 

• Our learning day will conclude at 3:30 PM. Our next job-alike/grade level collaborations will allow time for additional planning and reflection among teams. 

We thank you for your work in collaborative teams.  This collective commitment across the district was recognized with the Model PLC District designation in 2020.  As one of only 18 districts at the time across the United States to earn this honor (this now stands at 24 districts), we are proud and excited to build on this work and continue our efforts to support all learners at Southeast Polk. We are looking forward to this day of professional learning.  

7:10-7:30 AM Registration and Breakfast

7:30-7:45 AM Welcome and Opening Comments

7:45-9:15 AM Luis F. Cruz-Redesigning Our Schools for All 
Students: Embracing the RTI at Work Process

9:15-9:30 AM Break

9:30-11:15 AM Mike Mattos-Focus! Ensuring Equity and Access
Through a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum

11:15-12:15 PM Lunch

12:15-1:45 PM Nicole Dimich-Assessment: Powerful Information to 
Increase Student Learning

1:45-2:00 PM Break

2:00-2:40 PM Mike Mattos-Eating the Elephant: Transforming Ideas 
Into Action

2:40-3:15 PM Preparing for Next Steps
Q and A with Onsite Associates

3:15-3:30 PM Closing Comments

Onsite Associates

Tim Brown, a consultant, has 30 years of experience in education. As principal of elementary, middle, and high schools in Missouri, he led each to become a successful professional learning community. These PLCs feature highly collaborative environments where clear goals, formative assessment, analyzing data, practicing differentiated instruction, and providing interventions and enrichment have resulted in increased student achievement.
Tim’s middle school was recognized as a Missouri Gold Star School. His last school, a high-poverty elementary school where 87 percent of students qualified for free or reduced lunch, was recognized as one of Missouri’s Most Improved Schools and as an Exemplary Practices School. In 2005, Tim was honored by his peers as Missouri’s Distinguished Elementary Principal. You may know Tim from our PLC Institutes as he is a regular emcee at our events. 

Scott Carr has more than 25 years of experience as an educator and administrator at the middle school level. He has been the principal at Heritage Middle School in Liberty, Missouri, since 2000. His school has operated as a professional learning community since 2003. During this time, the school made Missouri’s top 10 list on the state assessment in 2006. In 2007, the school was recognized as Outstanding School of the Year by the Missouri Center for School Reform.
Scott earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Missouri Parent Teacher Association for his work to improve parent involvement. He has worked as a Solution Tree PLC associate since 2008. As a principal, Scott has guided his school in technology integration through a one-to-one adoption. He has been trained in project-based learning and data teams and has a passion for makerspaces and STEAM education.