2014-15 Literature Circles Professional Development Unit

1. 2014-15Literature CirclesProfessional Development Unit By: Lisa Gathright Swigert Third Grade

2. During the course of this PDU, what three instructional strategies did I implement? What strategy worked best? Why? I implemented several instructional strategies that I learned in our PD readings and discussions. Book club folders, reflection checklists, and modeling a discussion are three. I believe the book club folders were a great asset to the group discussions because the students knew the sentences stems and additional questions were located on the folder and easy to refer to.

3. How did I apply the PDU strategies in my classroom/practice? (examples) Who did I collaborate with during the PDU? Discuss the ways you collaborated while implementing the PDU strategies. I applied the Book Club folders, half sheet book discussion sheet, and also ideas for my reading mini-lessons. I collaborated with my leader, Linnea, and other classroom teachers from multiple grade levels. We collaborated by sharing different ideas we use in our own classroom and discussing topics in our readings.

4. What did I learn to do differently as a result of the PDU and strategy implementation in my classroom or in my practice? • I focused on a shorter passage during my reading mini-lessons instead of trying to read a whole book. I have found passages on readwords.com that go along with the IB focus on the unit. • I have started using Book Club folders to assist my students’ in their discussions. • I have had my students use a reflection sheet after their book club discussions.

5. Why is this PDU action research process important to my students learning and to my growth as a professional? • This process is important to my student's learning because they are reading more complex texts and having discussions around those texts. • This PD has given my more insightful ideas in how to plan my book clubs from discussions with colleagues and reading literature on book clubs.

6. PDU Data AnalysisReflecting on the data you have collected, how did this experience impact instruction, progress monitoring, student performance, and your own practice? • This PD changed my instruction on book clubs. I added book club folders with sentence stems, a reflection sheet, and an assessment sheet for students. • My students are very engaged in the book they are reading and are excited to get together and share with their group. • My data has helped me change the way I have students prepare and reflect for book clubs.

7. How will I apply my new learning in the future to further my practice? What are my next steps? • Next year I will start the year with showing my class examples of a thoughtful book club conversation with a fish bowl with other teachers or having fifth graders share a discussion.

8. PDU Artifact #1 • (i.e. Data Charts, Pre/Post Work, Lesson Plans, Reflection Logs, Discussion Questions, etc.)

9. PDU Artifact #2 • (i.e. Data Charts, Pre/Post Student Work, Lesson Plans, Reflection Logs, Discussion Questions, etc.)

10. PDU Artifact #3 • (i.e. Data Charts, Pre/Post Work, Lesson Plans, Reflection Logs, Discussion Questions, etc.)

11. Exit Ticket • Please write • What support(s) do you need to further your professional growth in future PDUs? Continued discussion on book clubs, ideas for reading mini lessons, ideas for exit tickets • 2 things that you took away from the PDU this year new ideas for book club reflections, book club folders • 1 piece of constructive criticism: we met several times right after a break when there wasn’t much time to implement new ideas discussed the previous session