Igniting the Common Core with Inquiry Mary Ratzer learningcurvemr@gmail

1. Igniting the Common Core with InquiryMary Ratzerlearningcurvemr@gmail.com

2. Teacher Actions TODAY • ACTION PLANNING • GOAL setting • Evidence Based Practice • Consider the status quo • Analyze using research • Decide on local change • Use research to plan • Implement change • Measure/document

4. CAIRNS

5. What are our cairns?

6. Build deep understanding of and commitment to the new Common Core State Standards and assessment • Support leadership in planning, goal setting, deep professional development, and implementation • Correlate current standards and assessments to the Common Core • Use State Standards and assessments to identify gaps • Adjust curriculum to address the new requirements • Enhance current instructional and assessment practices to increase capacity from the district to the classroom level • Develop and implement a process to monitor ongoing adherence to plans and goals The International Center for Leadership in Education "Transitioning to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Assessments" by Willard R. Daggett, Susan A. Gendron, Daniel A. Heller

7. The International Center for Leadership in Education "Transitioning to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Assessments" by Willard R. Daggett, Susan A. Gendron, Daniel A. Heller

8. Teacher Actions Today • Actively analyze the common research base for inquiry based learning and the Common Core Learning Standards • Actively analyze New York State’s Teaching Standards – January 2011 • Actively analyze APPR rubrics approved for teachers • Identify BIG IDEAS and common ground • Construct a clear vision of NEW expectations for teachers that exceeds prior knowledge

9. DRAW ORIGINAL CONCLUSIONS and APPLY • Decide on concrete areas in local practice that need change to meet the new standards

10. Draw original conclusions and apply • Identify concrete strategies and plans to transform professional practice and learning outcomes, using inquiry to ignite the Common Core, increase rigor and relevance of authentic intellectual work

11. SET GOALS/ Develop an Action Plan

12. Share

13. Critically Respond

14. Ignite the Common Core with Inquiry Vision:School librarians and classroom teachers collaborate to ignite the Common Core with inquiry to promote student learning. Rationale: School librarians actively promote the Common Core Learning Standards through the Inquiry Process to ensure students have the skills to conduct research and to produce and consume media to successfully "gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize and report on information and ideas."*** ***Common Core State Standards, page 4 Making students W.I.S.E.R. through collaboration within the Common Core.

16. http://digitalsandbox.weebly.com/unit-development.html

17. http://digitalsandbox.weebly.com/unit-development.html

18. Domain 1 Planning and Preparation -The Library: Reflects what is going on in classrooms Library schedule of classes Knowledge of common core and where inquiry connections occur Collection Management / Collection Development, Quality materials specific to classroom learning Provide accessible resources for diverse learners audio books, lexiled resources especially non-fiction Holdings are accessible Orders based on needs of teachers/classrooms and curriculums Assist teachers in discerning reading levels of materials – lexile counts Assessments embedded into lessons Formative & summative assessments, rubrics Works cited sheets Synthesize various requirements, info literacy focus Collaboration: dept. meetings, curriculum maps, 1 on 1 Technology for collaboration and instruction Knowledge of Learning Standards & CCSS Being prepared for all learners – DI & materials, Knowledge of IEP’s Lesson essential Questions, word wall Curriculum Maps, Student performance indicators Ticket out the door, guided practice, essential questions posted, KWL Forwarding lesson plans to administration DANIELSON

19. Domain 2 The Library Environment Inviting - Displays, bright, organized Materials, brochures, signage, posters Making good use of space for diverse student learning (Measure-Are students engaged? Faculty using facility? Manage Student Behavior –not just classroom with assigned seats & rows Elementary – book selection & checkout HS – classes – instruction with research; study hall; computers Managing classroom procedures, collection management The Classroom Environment Expectations of respectful, safe behavior taught: routines Consequences for misbehavior Choices and self-directed learning Students have pride in work due to choices Manage material – experts Organization – experts Structured environment to access information Supervise volunteers and paraprofessionals Transitions – routines for each class year-to-year, similar routines; visual schedule Create a welcoming and challenging intellectual space DANIELSON

20. Domain 3 -Instruction in the Library Inquiry-based lessons Align library skill lessons to curriculum Use technology (teachers and students) Use rubrics for assessment Cooperative learning groups Incorporate differential learning styles Instruction: Student directed, Inquiry-based learning Assessment Pre-testing/Post-testing rubrics/Rubrics Student self-assessment rubrics, checklists Closure! –summary of learning objective Ticket out the door, one-liners, give 1—take1, etc. Students can articulate the lesson goal, when asked. Collaboration - Core curriculum, variety of assignments Research projects, Proactive, Peer review Collaboration log , Exemplars of research units EQ’s drive lessons, Exemplars of student learning, quality work on display, photos Pre - post assessment samples, Testing logs Questioning – peer questioning, student ownership of lessons - examples of student questioning Lessons integrate technology & engagement , differentiated Use of graphic organizers for instruction DANIELSON

21. Domain 4-Professional Responsibilities Website, Twitter, Facebook, newsletter, displays, handbooks, events PD, in-district committees, mentoring (official, unofficial), new teacher orientation, attending dept. meetings-going to AND providing PD, reading journals, belonging to professional organizations Policies and procedures, maintaining professionalism via technology Know State regulations Keep Statistics (classes taught, usage of space, circulation) Survey results/analysis – evidence binder Database usage, Circ/ILL stats, Collection Analysis reports Library policies in place, up to date Teaching reflection journals ,Collaboration logs with teachers New ideas – newsletter, Emails to colleagues ,Back to school letters. Librarian is able to articulate educational trends Member Plan – evidence binder Librarian has goals – instructional, data Annual or monthly reports Communicate - Home to School, Evidence binder Aligned with BOE and building goals Volunteers – (1,000 book club, author visits) Reading programs – collaboration with community Enmeshed in school events, Attend school functions Advise school club, Committees, PTA Developing PD Professionally, Publish, Share with SLMS DANIELSON

22. AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner • The Standards describe how learners use skills, resources, and tools to: • INQUIRE, think critically, and gain knowledge; • Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge; • Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society; • Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.

23. AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner • Cannot be implemented without collaboration • Outcome driven • Knowledge based • Define an information to knowledge journey • Posit communication to share knowledge • Sustain kids as thinkers • Lead to understanding • Go beyond the information construct to the knowledge construct • SLMC dynamic agent of learning • Posit creation of knowledge products in the context of an intellectual support system

24. ISTE NETS • Creativity and innovation • Communication and collaboration • Research and information literacy • Critical thinking, problem solving, decision making • Digital Citizenship • Technology operations

25. Understanding concepts • Conversation • Social Interaction • Transfer • Their world • VOICE • Student directed • Peer critical engagement • Reflection • Continuous feedback • Process • Question based • Exploration • Curiosity • Ken Kay, President • Partnerships for 21st Century Skills

26. INQUIRY PROCESS • CONNECT • FOCUS • INVESTIGATE • CREATE/CONSTRUCT • EXPRESS • REFLECT • Information Fluency Curricula • Capital Region and QUESTAR III BOCES SLS

27. Inquiry based learning“Keep your eye on the ball!” • Information to knowledge journey-Ross Todd • Informational base – • Exchange information, transfer, locate, access, evaluate • Transformational base- • New knowledge, meaning constructed • Formational base- • Knowledge produced, disseminated with critical engagement

28. Information Fluency Curricula- Information problem solving shifts to INQUIRY Inquiry implies attitude of questioning Inquiry implies reflecting with cognition Inquiry means start with a question Inquiry means open investigation Inquiry is student centered Goal is new understanding in the student Answers involve messy, recursive building of ideas Open-ended, leads to future questions, experiences

29. Information Fluency Curriculum Basics • Learner connects to prior knowledge, questions, constructs meaning from text, evaluates process and products, draws original conclusions, synthesizes, creates, expresses and shares new understanding. • “I care. I count. I can.”

30. BIG IDEA How does research correlate inquiry with student success?

31. Correlates to improved student performance in INQUIRY Model: • Connections to PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, affective area, QUESTIONING, FOCUS, personal meaning and relevance. • Products that incorporate original conclusions, thinking, transformation of text vs. transfer of text, deep understanding, mastery of content knowledge, reading and writing as tools. • Collaboration of teacher and school library media specialist, social interaction with teachers and peers, substantive conversation. • Ongoing assessment for improvement, reflection, intervention at critical points for target skill development, instruction in information literacy. • The construction of meaning, synthesis of new understandings, and sharing of products that demonstrate new learning.

32. RESEARCH Rationale • Mastery of content knowledge through application of inflexible knowledge • Construction of meaning from text • Awareness and use of prior knowledge • Clarification of misconceptions • Development of responses to BIG IDEAS of compelling content, sufficient to support investigation

33. RESEARCH Rationale • Mastery of the vocabulary of the content area • Attention to building background knowledge • Moving learners beyond rote and recall • Central importance of questions framed by the learner • Shift to learner centered dynamics • Organization around essential questions, and a team effort to reinforce new learning with essential questions

34. RESEARCH Rationale • Development of assessment tools to convey expectations to learners improve performance • Foundation in brain research • Tapping into the innate curiosity of children and their positive response to hands on, relevant experiences • Building on well planned investigations using diverse and plentiful information resources

35. RESEARCH Rationale • Using reading and writing as a tool boosts literacy • Transparent thinking, reflection, and problem solving • Internalization of process skills • Enhanced affective experience of children in a learning environment with emotion as a key to motivation and success

36. Research • Children come to school naturally curious but lose it if teachers do not encourage it • Encouraging students to form their own questions has a positive impact on learning • Students are likely to face the task of creating questions with uncertainty

37. Theory and Practice Suggest • Quality of the question is best predictor of student performance • Questions requiring low-level thinking encourage copying and regurgitating answers • The best way to improve student projects is to reformulate the question • Good questions engage student interest

38. Generic information to integrate • The difference between good questions and poor ones • What is a solvable question in the timeframe we have? • Narrowing, broadening, adjusting a topic

39. Ideas to test • What happens to your student projects when you spend more time helping them to develop good questions? • Do your students respond positively when they help formulate higher level questions?

40. Annenburg Studies launched by the University of Chicago Cited by Grant Wiggins- The findings confirm that  " Students who received assignments requiring more challenging, authentic intellectual work achieved greater than average gains on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills in reading and mathematics, and demonstrated higher performance in reading, mathematics, and writing on the Illinois Assessment Program"  "We conclude therefore that assignments calling for more authentic intellectual work actually improve student scores on conventional tests." 

41. Authentic Intellectual Work • CES National Web • Dr. Fred Newmann U. of Wisconsin Madison • Chicago schools • Rigorous in-depth • Personally, aesthetically or socially useful products • Construction of knowledge • Disciplined inquiry • Value beyond school

42. Intel Formative Assessment • 21 research studies and 580 articles reviewed by Black and William • Substantial learning gains from strengthening formative assessment • Effect size surpasses that of most educational interventions • Stiggins confirmed in 2006 , formative assessment can impact test scores by a full standard deviation, comparable to one on one tutoring • Low achievers benefit most-

43. Social and Emotional Learning Vygotsky was right!

44. Metacognitive Strategies-Smith, Goh 2004 Students who respond to questions designed to promote thinking as well as personal connections experience a positive effect on achievement. Cognitive, affective and metacognitive questioning strategies explored Increased student engagement and academic success associated with journal responses to text-related AND metacognitive and affective questions Vs. Just text-related journaling had no impact on engagement or success

45. 5 Key Components of Effective Project Based Learning– Thomas 2005 • Central to curriculum • Organized around driving questionsthat lead students to encounter central concepts or principals • Focused on constructive investigation • Involves inquiry and knowledge building • Student driven • Real world

46. Teaching for Meaningful Learning • A Review of research on inquiry based cooperative learning • Dr. Brigid Barron and Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond Stanford University • Multiple studies compiled documenting improved student performance

47. Inquiry Based Teaching :Developing Inquiring Minds vs. Right Answer • Newmann 2128 students in 23 schools in Wisconsin • Higher achievement on challenging tasks when taught w/ inquiry-based teaching • Involvement leads to understanding • More significant impact that any other variable including student background and prior achievement • Projects that result in real world product or presentation to an audience had gains in factual learning superior to students in more traditional forms of classroom instruction • Other studies showed increase in ability to define problems, reason with clear arguments, plan projects

48. Authentic Intellectual Work and Standardized Tests- Conflict or Coexistence -Newmann Bryk Nagaoka • Knowledge becomes more powerful when students can use information to gain deeper understanding of specific problems • Prior knowledge base • In-depth understanding • Elaborated communication • Authentic intellectual activity motivates and sustains students in the hard work that learning requires • Positive impact on basic skills • Student engagement and learning depend on intellectual demands embedded in in classroom

49. American Institute for Research Gates Foundation • Rigor, relevance, and results • The Quality of Teacher Assignments and Student Work in New and Conventional High Schools

50. Question from Steven VolkNortheastern Illinois University Teacher Education Department Have we succeeded as educators if our graduates know the facts and skills taught to them, have learned fractions and earth science, can read a great novel, write a perfect persuasive essay, and have great standardized test scores? Have we succeeded if they have no passion, no wonder about life and the human condition, care little for their world, are indifferent to nature and the environment, rarely vote or know about world events, and fill their days with work, watching TV, surfing the net, and shopping?