Professional Development Activity Group 4: Dena Spickard Anthony Wilson Annie Baker Domenic Saia

1. Professional Development Activity Group 4: Dena Spickard Anthony Wilson Annie Baker Domenic Saia Heather Lankford

2. The target audience for this project is going to be middle school teachers in a rural area. The teachers will teach the following subjects: Math, Science, English, & Social Studies. There is a gap between the elementary and high school grades that needs to be filled. Many students go to high school unprepared to reach the curricular goals of high schools. Middle school teachers within the school district will collaborate according to subject. Upon collaboration, these teachers will need to meet with elementary and high school teachers to fully grasp this gap.

3. Collaboration Collaboration has become a twenty-first-century trend. The need in society to think and work together on issues of critical concern has increased (Austin 2000a; Welch 1998) shifting the emphasis from individual efforts to group work, from independence to community. Peter F. Oliva, an expert in curriculum development, describes how curriculum change is a cooperative endeavor. Teachers and curriculum specialists constitute the professional core of planners. (Oliva, 2009) Significant curriculum improvement comes about through group activity. (Oliva, 2009) “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Austin, J. E. 2000a. Principles for partnership. Leader to Leader 18 (Fall). Accessed Mar. 31, 2004, www.pfdf.org/leaderbooks/L2l/fall2000/austin.html. Welch, M. 1998. Collaboration: Staying on the bandwagon. Journal of Teacher Education 49, no. 1 (Jan./Feb.): 26–38. Accessed Apr. 24, 2004, http://web7.infotrac.galegroup.com. Oliva, Peter F. 2009. Developing the Curriculum (7th edition) Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Page 33

4. What is Collaboration? Collaboration is a trusting, working relationship between two or more equal participants/groups involved in shared thinking, shared planning and shared creation of integrated curriculum/ instruction. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXZS1ktBPqA

5. Collaboration: Makes us Smarter?? Introducing a new curriculum or refining an existing curriculum is complex and challenging. Teacher teamwork makes these complex tasks more manageable, stimulates new ideas, and promotes coherence in a school’s curriculum and instruction. (Inger, 1993) Schools benefit from teacher collaboration in several ways (Inger, 1993) : Through formal and informal training sessions, study groups, and conversations about teaching, teachers and administrators get the opportunity to get smarter together. Schools become better prepared and organized to examine new ideas, methods, and materials. The faculty becomes adaptable and self-reliant. Inger, M. 1993. Teacher collaboration in secondary schools. Center Focus, no. 2 (Dec.) http://vocserve.berkeley.edu/centerfocus/CF2.html.

6. Collaboration: Shared Thinking When individuals come together to share their expertise and ideas in order to construct a fresh and innovative way of doing something, they are demonstrating characteristics of fully developed collaboration. (Montiel-Overall, 2005) Shared thinking or joint participation in thinking together about how to solve a mutually agreed upon “problem” is what is meant by shared problem-solving. (Montiel-Overall, 2005) The coming together to think about an issue and to plan together as co-planners and co-implementors is jointly carrying the plan to fruition. (Montiel-Overall, 2005) Montiel-Overall, P. 2005. Toward a Theory of Collaboration for Teachers and Librarians. AASL (Feb.) http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume82005/theory.cfm

7. What does collaboration look like? Attributes of collaboration are: friendliness congeniality collegiality reciprocity respect propensity to share (shared vision, shared thinking, shared problem solving, shared creation of integrated instruction) trust flexibility communication

8. The Process of Bridging the Gaps Somewhere Middle School will be working in collaborative groups to determine gaps in the curriculum. SMS will start by meeting as a Middle School to consider gaps. Collaborative meetings will be held in subject specific areas: Math, Science, Reading, and Social Studies. After meeting as a Middle School, collaboration will continue with Elementary Schools and the High School in the district.

9. Where does bridging the gap begin? “ For the most part, curriculum goals and objectives develop at any level cut across disciplines…. It is possible for grades and departments to develop curriculum goals and objectives that do not apply generally throughout the school.” (Oliva, 2009)

10. The Middle School Curriculum “The core curriculum is in philosophy and intent the secondary school counterpart of the activity curriculum of the elementary school.” (Oliva, 2009) • Focus on “blending” core curriculum

11. Third grade Science SOL 3.5 The student will investigate and understand relationships among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include a) producer, consumer, decomposer; Biology SOL: Grade 10 BIO.9 The student will investigate and understand dynamic equilibrium within populations, communities, and ecosystems. Key concepts include: a) nutrient cycling with energy flow through ecosystems; Let’s compare the standards

12. Third Grade Teacher Concept learning Vague standard High School Teacher Degree of detail for concept Previous misconceptions At your table, discuss a few problems that the elementary and high school teacher may have in teaching this standard…

13. Middle School Life Science SOL • LS.9 The student will investigate and understand interactions among populations in a biological community. • Key concepts include • the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in food webs; See any similarities?

14. Think… Pair… Share… 1- Think about how this science teacher can bridge a fundamental concept. 2- In Pairs talk to your neighbor about how you might combat this problem. 3- Share

15. Collaboration 2.0 Web 2.0 are technological tools to aid individuals and groups communicate and collaborate more effectively. Some of the web 2.0 technologies that we will be discussing and utilizing to aid in bridging the gaps in our curriculum are: blogs wikis breeze connect groups google groups facebook community

16. Participate in our collaborative wiki site: Tools to Aid in Collaboration http://bridgingthegapseducation.wikispaces.com/

17. Tools to Aid in Collaboration Participate in our collaborative blog: http://www.bridgingthegapseducation.blogspot.com/

18. Tools to Aid in Collaboration Participate in our collaborative online meeting: https://breeze.radford.edu/sp6154?launcher=false

19. Participate in our collaborative google online interactions: Tools to Aid in Collaboration http://groups.google.com/group/bridgingthegapseducation?hl=en

20. Participate in our collaborative facebook community: Tools to Aid in Collaboration http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bridging-the-Gaps-in-Education/101114436598058?v=app_2309869772#!/pages/Bridging-the-Gaps-in-Education/101114436598058?v=wall

21. Differentiating Lessons 1. Differentiating the content/topic 2. Differentiating the process/activities 3. Differentiating the product 4. Differentiating by manipulating the environment or through accommodating individual learning styles

22. Word Study • Used for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. • Provides a practical way to study words with students. Based on the research on invented and developmental spelling. • The framework of the text is keyed to the five stages of spelling. • Focuses on literacy development

23. Instruction for all students • Filled with examples every teacher can use to meet the diverse learning needs of students. • A resource for teachers that translates powerful and complex research and ideas into actual strategy and examples that are easily about to use. • Ensures that educators are more knowledgeable about best practices and are better equipped the address the needs of our students.

24. Differentiating Lessons Ways to work intelligence into your lessons: Musical Language Nature Social Spatial Logic/Math Self Body Movement

25. Enjoy saying, hearing, and seeing words. Like. telling stories. Motivated by books, records, dramas, opportunities for writing Look at different kinds of dictionaries Keep a journal Read from books written by or for new readers Use a tape recorder or tape stories and write them down Trade tall tales, attend story-telling events Explore and develop the love of words, i.e. meanings of words, origin of words and idioms, names Language • Read plays and poetry out loud • Write a story for a book or newsletter • Read together, i.e. choral reading • Read out loud to each other • Read a section, then explain what you’ve read • Read a piece with different emotional tones or viewpoints –one angry, one happy. Etc.

26. Remember things visually, including exact sizes and shapes. They like posters, charts, and graphics. They enjoy drawing. Write a language experience story and illustrate it Study and create maps, diagrams, and graphs Color code words so each syllable is a different color Take a survey. Put the information in a chart Cut out words from a magazine and use them in a letter Use the say-copy-look method of spelling Use colorful newspapers like USA Today Spatial • Write a work on the chalkboard with a wet finger. Visualize the word as it disappears. See if you can spell it afterward. • Write words vertically • Use pictures to stimulate reading or writing • Visualize spelling words • Use crossword puzzles

27. Enjoy exploring how things are related. Like to understand how things work. Like mathematical concepts. Enjoys puzzles and manipulative games. Good at critical thinking. Arrange cartoons and other pictures in a logical sequence Sort, categorize and characterize word lists Explore the origin of words Play games that require critical thinking Work with scrambled sentences Make outlines of what you are going to write or of the material you’ve already read Look at the advertisements critically. What are they using to get you to buy their product? Logic/Math • While reading a story, stop before you’ve finished and predict what will happen next • After finishing a story, mind map some of the main ideas and details • Write the directions for completing a simple job like starting a car or tying a shoe • Write a headline for a story you’ve just completed • Look for patterns in words. What’s the relationship?

28. Like to move, dance, wiggle, walk, and swim. Good at sports. Have good fine motor skills. Like to take things apart and put them back together again. Go through your wallet and put out 3 things to talk about Make pipe cleaner letters Write on a mirror with lipstick or soap Take a walk and read all the words you find during the walk Body Movement • Use magnetic letters, letter blocks or letters on index cards to spell words • Take a walk while discussing a story or gathering ideas for a story • Change the place where you write and use different tools to write

29. Like the rhythm and sound of language. Like poems, songs and jingles. Enjoy humming or singing with music . Use a familiar tune, song, or rap beat to teach spelling rules, or to remember words in a series for a test Clap out or walk out the sounds of syllables Read lyrics to music Musical • Create a poem with an emphasis on certain sounds for pronunciation • Read together (choral reading) to work on fluency and intonation

30. Like to develop ideas and learn from other people. Like to talk. Have good social skills. Take part in group discussions or discuss a topic one-to-one Read a dialogue or play together Social • Do team learning/investigating projects • Set up interview questions, and interview your family. Write the results

31. Like to spend time alone. Take in information and process it and discuss it later. Like working on projects alone. Prefer to learn by trial and error. Need time to reflect. Go on “guided imagery” tours Set aside time to reflect on new ideas and information Use brainstorming methods before reading Listen to and read “how to” tapes and books Self • Encourage journal writing • Work on the computer • Practice breathing for relaxation • Read “inspirational” thought for the day books

32. Enjoy interacting with the outside world. Spend time outside noticing patterns in nature Take hikes and record significant features about what you find Read books and articles about nature and the environment Nature • Compare seeds, seedlings, and adult plants. Mix them up and ask your learners to match each seed to it corresponding seedling and adult.

33. Learning Pyramid Lecture 5% Reading 10% Audio/Visual 20% Demonstration 30% Discussion Group 50% Practice by doing 75% Teach others 90%

34. Summary Somewhere Middle School teachers have joined together with the elementary and high school teachers and improved differentiating lessons in the classrooms, as well as collaborating with instruction in the middle school. Practice with these techniques by the middle school teachers will continue until the gap of curricular goals with the high school has been met.

35. Group 4: Dena Spickard, Anthony Wilson, Annie Baker, Domenic Saia, & Heather Lankford all completed different parts of this final presentation. April 26, 2010 EDUC 615-02 Dr. McCracken