Presenters: Pam Lange Barb Rowenhorst Janet Hensley March 13, 2008

1. Welcome Back Presenters: Pam Lange Barb Rowenhorst Janet Hensley March 13, 2008

2. To extend conversations on the importance of homework. To have a data driven dialogue based on the results of the December on-site visits. To understand the definition of a learning group. To extend knowledge of Marzano strategy implementation. Outcomes:

3. 8:00 Welcome • Homework • December on-site visit data • Learning group overview • Strategy #1 Lunch • Strategies #2, 3, 4, 5 Team Planning Time 3:30 Closure Agenda

4. We have covered: • Vision for homework • Personal practices and beliefs • Research on homework – many beliefs • Purposes of homework • Establishing guidelines Final Homework Discussion

5. Final Homework Discussion Explore: Your attitude about homework

6. Let’s practice Brainstorm Web Belief about recruiting in high schools

7. Brainstorm web Determine topic for web. Brainstorm creating as many branches to the web as you can within the timeframe given. If you get stuck, begin a new branch. Circle all of the words at the end of each branch. Using each circled word, complete a three-minute quick write about your topic.

8. Your turn Your personal attitude/belief about homework in Meade School District

9. Webbing website http://www.visuwords.com/

10. Table discussion Why is it important to continue this discussion in our building?

11. Pam

12. December On-site Visits • What we observed • What students told us • What teachers told us Turning Data into Information

13. Essential questions Questioning Graphic organizers Summarizing and note-taking Grouping of students Other strategies What we observed

14. Very hit and miss; was very evident that some buildings focused on this; other not at all. • Maybe ¼ of classrooms in district had EQ posted. • Students were exposed to vocabulary of essential questions, but did not always understand what was expected of them. • Some teachers actually used the questions on the end of unit tests. Essential Questions

15. “This is the important stuff.” “I think these are the focus questions.” “Teachers put them on the board and we answer them about every three weeks.” “Based around the main idea – students see it and they think about it.” “We have to write it down. If it’s written, we get $1.00 scholar dollars.” “She puts it on the board.” “We are not sure.” “We write it in our planner and our parents have to sign it.” EQ Quotes from students

16. Teachers and students were very aware of wait time and questioning all students. Majority of students interviewed suggested they do not have a lot of opportunity to formulate questions in the classroom. Majority of students interviewed felt the teachers do a good job of making sure all students get to answer questions. Good mix of thick and thin questions used. Questioning

17. “Teacher puts questions in different ways and puts it on the board sometimes.” • “If we say “ummm” we can ask for hints or help, quite a lot of questions.” • “Some kids answer more because the teacher calls on you if you’re waving your hands.” • “Some teachers ask questions and make the class all wait to answer. Raise your hand. If teachers don’t think that students understand, they tend to ask these students rather than the ones who might know the answer.” • “You are subject to be asked a question if you are sleeping.” • “Teacher will call on you; if you don’t know, then others get to help.” Questioning Quotes from students

18. Teachers are using many different types of graphic organizers. Viewed a lot of books, binders, etc. with graphic organizers. More used at the lower levels; fewer visible at the upper levels. Mostly used as worksheets; did not observe a lot of release of responsibility to students to create their own. Graphic organizers

19. “Most are all worksheets; except Venn Diagram – we draw these.” • “In SS, use them for comparison; in reading, to help describe the books.” • “All students are required to do them, even if we already know how to answer the question.” • “I think they help some students, but we need different kinds.” • “I think the teachers are required to use them because at the end of the semester, we have to do a lot of them.” • “What is a graphic organizer?” • “Venn diagram in social studies comparing Incas and ?” • “Yes, we use graphs and make posters.” Graphic organizer quotes from students

20. When teachers were asked about the strategy they felt was most beneficial, they stated overwhelmingly, note-taking. Our observations show that this strategy has probably been implemented the least. We observed very few types of note-taking strategies being used. We asked for examples and looked at journals, etc. Note-taking

21. “Sometimes takes notes and puts on board.” • “We take notes sometimes. We don’t have a specific form.” • “In science, we take notes. First we practice together, then we have to do independently.” • “In eighth grade, we are taking more notes now to prepare for high school; mostly work with outlining.” • “It is hard to use outlining for every subject.” • “We do not use in upper classes.” • “We haven’t been taught, we probably should know, but we don’t.” • “We learn some in English class.” Note-taking quotes from students

22. PASS training is better • More focused • Working better – do not feel like this is a waste of time • PASS trainers listen to us • Very focused and has a theme • Bonus to PASS: Hearing from other colleagues What teachers told us about PASS

23. “Try to use essential questions – don’t use them all the time.” • “Orally give Essential Questions – do not post it.” • “Essential questions keep us focused and let us have good discussions within our content area.” • “Enjoy that I can select which strategies pertain to my content and then implement them.” • “Nice getting information from practicing teachers.” • “All staff members are not on board with the PASS members.” (came up in many interviews). What teachers told us . . .

24. “Feels like they throw a lot at us at one time – maybe give us less information and let us spend the time learning how to do this in-depth. Spend more on one or two strategies, practice and discuss, create ways to make it meaningful to students in our classroom. Otherwise, I just put it in my binder and don’t use it that much.” • “No more new and let us try to perfect what we have been taught.” • “Give us time to make lessons with the strategies that we have learned.” What teachers told us . . .

25. Table discussion What does this mean for your staff?

26. District Satisfaction Survey • Per building report • District report • Special Education report

27. Barb

28. Learning Groups • What exactly is a learning group?

29. One Possible Definition • …the ways a teacher might organize his/her students within a heterogeneous class.

30. Students learn best when they are actively involved in the process. Researchers report that, regardless of the subject matter, students working in small groups tend to learn more of what is taught and retain it longer than when the same content is presented in other instructional formats. Students who work in collaborative groups also appear more satisfied with their classes. (Sources: Beckman, 1990; Chickering and Gamson, 1991; Collier, 1980; Cooper and Associates, 1990; Goodsell, Maher, Tinto, and Associates, 1992; Johnson and Johnson, 1989; Johnson, Johnson, and Smith, 1991; Kohn, 1986; McKeachie, Pintrich, Lin, and Smith, 1986; Slavin, 1980, 1983; Whitman, 1988) Learning Groups - Research

31. Various names have been given to this form of teaching, and there are some distinctions among these: But all in all, there are three general types of group work: informal learning groups, formal learning groups, and study teams. (adapted from Johnson, Johnson, and Smith, 1991) Learning Groups

32. Informal learning groupsare “temporary” and are formed for specific or immediate needs and can last for a few minutes or an entire class period. • Think/Pair/Share or Ink/Think/Pair/Share • You can use informal groups “on the fly” when and where you need them – for example, to check students’ understanding of new content, to clarify expectations about an assignment, to review a skill, to check homework, to provide an opportunity for students to process information, or to provide closure on an activity. Marzano, Robert, et. al. (2001). Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works by Robert (p. 163) Learning Groups: Page 163

33. Formal learning groups are teams established to complete a specific task, such as perform a lab experiment, write a report, carry out a project, or prepare a position paper. • These groups may complete their work in a single class session or over several weeks. • Typically, students work together until the task is finished, and their project is graded. Marzano, Robert, et. al. (2001). Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works by Robert (p. 163) Learning Groups: Page 163

34. K-2, 3-5, Middle School, High School • Line Up (ABC, Birthday) • Colors (Personality) • Numbered Off • Pair-Share • Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up Learning Groups – PASS Team

35. Why is grouping important in the classroom? Handbook Pages 161 – 162 • Start: Page 161 • Use Elements of Cooperative Learning • Stop: Page 162 • At Varying Grouping Criteria Learning Groups – PASS Team

36. Counting Coup (Vocabulary & Note Taking) Cubing (Questioning – Bloom’s) Think Dots (Choice) Choice Boards (Choice) Exit Cards (Assessment, Knowledge Level Grouping) Grouping Activities

37. Janet

38. On Target Booklets (ESA/TIE) Strategies that Differentiate Instruction K-4 and 4-12

39. www.tie.net

40. Vocabulary: Counting Coup What do you think it means? Counting Coup

41. What do you think the enemy is in today’s world? Not a person But a thing “The biggest enemy our children have are those things sitting in front of you and they’re called books.”—Gerard Baker What’s the enemy?

42. “What do you do with your enemies?” • You conquer them.” • “We have to redefine our enemies and conquer them.” The Warrior

43. Strategies to Build Student Vocabularies • Vocabulary Notebooks/Journals p. 24 Counting Coup

44. Robert Marzano notes five strategies to help students in their learning: • graphic organizers, • pictographic representations, • mental images, • physical models, • kinesthetic representations. Handbook Page 143 NON-LINGUISTIC REPRESENTATION

45. Focusing on graphic organizers, • Teachers can informally assess the student’s understanding by observing the student’s graphic organizer. • Rubrics can be designed to further assess the student’s understanding of concepts. Assessing graphic organizers

46. Individually, define ‘Counting Coup’ in your own words • Compare it to something else • Draw it • Explain it • Non-linguistic representation – put in their own words or draw a picture – do on poster paper and then explain to your group.

47. Explain and compare the different representations of counting coup. Marzano – “Compare and contrast” p. 10 –20 • Perhaps use a Venn diagram and take two things from your group that you compared ‘Counting Coup’ to – Compare and contrast.

48. Discuss specific expectations that you would use if you were having students use a non-linguistic representation or a compare and contrast activity. • Marzano • “Handbook for Classroom Instruction that Works” Non-linguistic representation rubric p. 155 • Compare and contrast rubric p. 17 Expectations/Rubrics

49. In what ways did the Counting Coup activity differentiate? • How could you use this type of activity or a variation of it when teaching vocabulary? How Did We do?

50. DifferentiatingBefore You Begin… • Know • Understand • Do • Strategies that Differentiate Instruction 4-12, pages 6-7 • Grades K-4, p 5 • Let’s apply it to Counting Coup