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Recommended Resources for Professional Learning Prompts
& Modules
From Janet Bertram - Six Traits Writing Rubric
Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning (Research Studies on Why and How the Arts Improve Learning)
Key Excerpt from Making Thinking Visible by Ron Ritchart
Marzano Classroom Strategies
Formative Assessment - 5 Key Strategies (Dixie ES already strong in # 4)
Universal Design for Learning
What Works in Character Education
Professional Learning Communities
Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America's Future Through Creative Schools (The Evidence for Arts Integration)
Arts With The Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen (Study Guide)
NeuroEducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain
The Smartest Kids in the World - by Amanda Ripley (Video 18 minutes)
Considerations At Dixie
Feb 15, 1013 - Considering a visit to selected, similar Schools in Atlanta Area - 50%
FRL, 60% white, 10% ELL - Exploring co-teaching for SWD - Prefers face-to-face
professional Learning, open to some blended with distance learning for grade level teams - aims
for more than 70% faculty vote - interested in a model which emphasizes listening to teachers, addressing teacher priorities,
and starts slowly, with volunteers at each grade level....
- possible evaluation plan related
to a doctoral dissertation - will call back after reviewing my website.....
Very Tentative DRAFT WOTS
Up Analysis Internal Strengths: ++Faculty skilled / experienced in meeting individual
student needs(differentiation?) + new Language Gifted Teacher? + Chinese (now grouped?)
Internal
Weaknesses: -Classes grouped by grade level in one room (difficult to not make noise)
--a few volitile
students, some anger or self-esteem issues, in person and internet bullying
External Opportunities: +System
magnet support +Professional Learning - Professional Learning Communities, etc
External Threats:
--Losing students to Arts or Gifted Magnets, or area middle school feeder schools
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2014 - 2015 System & State Resources - CIITS and more......
Proposed Plan for 2014 - 2015 DRAFT Aug 9 - For review.....
Contract for Professional Development
Consultant Services – Between Richard Benjamin, and Dixie Elementary School, Fayette County Schools,
Lexington KY The proposed work will take place on mutually agreeable dates during the 2014 –
2015 school year. It will involve on-site and on-line work with and through teacher leader / instructional
coaches and directly with teachers during their grade-level common planning periods and after school. Individual,
differentiated, and group selected high priority instructional skills, drawn from within the Kentucky Continuous Instructional
Improvement Technology System, will be provided, addressing priorities from the Kentucky Program Review process at Dixie Elementary
School. The focus will be on arts integration and character development (the teaching of
arts standards and the use of the power of the arts to teach key Common Core and 21st Century Standards)
within a context of Invitational Education (Inviting students, faculty, and administrators to more fully realize their potential).
Special attention will be given to English Language Arts – Critical Thinking and Writing, Creative Problem-Solving,
and Establishing High Quality Human Relationships. Interdisciplinary understandings will also be emphasized.
The initial visit (within the 60 day period for teachers to establish their CIITS goals) will review
key strategies and results from previous work during the 2013 – 2014 school year and will invite collaborative identification
of 2 individual and 2 team priority goals for attention during the year. Work
Plan: - On-Site - Four
site visits of two days each during the school year. o
- On-Line - The equivalent
of Two 10 hour days for on-line provision of group and individual development . o
Resources: Kentucky
Program Review Process and recent results for Dixie ES Kentucky Continuous Instructional Improvement
Technology System and current selected priorities Robert Marzano – Classroom Instruction
That Works (9 top research-proven instructional strategies). Robert Marzano
– Enhancing the Art & Science of Teaching With Technology. Ron Ritchhart –
Making Thinking Visible. And other strategies growing out of Harvard’s Project Zero. Sherry
Norfolk – Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom.
What Is the Plan? Each
of the project activities below will directly address key dimensions of the Kentucky Program Review Process and Documents: -
Working with volunteer faculty, explore and implement one research-based arts-based strategy per month. - Orchestrate
selected students preparing and teaching other students, in their own classroom, and with younger students, focusing on writing,
using the Six-Traits writing rubric. (see resource column to the left) - By February, link volunteer 'Specials'
faculty to volunteer regular grade-level volunteer faculty through 'digital collaboration' to plan and implement arts
integrated lessons and/or units, focusing on appropriate interdisciplinary 'concepts' drawing together timely academic
standards, involving formative (performance) assessment and collaborative analysis of student work.
- Within the
above pilot student digital portfolios at one grade level - Portfolios to include student monthly personal and academic goals
and self and peer-assessed writing samples. - Guide a set of visitors to demonstration schools and classrooms in the
Atlanta area - probably Sept 17-19, 2013 - Possibly assist in planning and implementing a visit by students from a Hong
Kong School - probably late January, to coincide with the Chinese New Year.
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Project Activity
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Resources & Notes
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Kindergarten
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Prep - View some Audra Knight Videos How to
Teach Human Paragraph to students
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1st
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KPREP Sample Items
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KPREP Sample Items
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2013 DRAFT Plan: Particular items of the Program Reviews will be addressed
within three specific areas of emphasis: Part A : Arts Integration (The numbers correlate with the Arts and Humanities
Program Review numbers) Curriculum and Instruction
· 1a – intentionally scheduling time
within the instructional day for a balanced program of creating, performing and responding to the arts in each of the four
disciplines (dance, drama, music, visual arts) ·
1b – instruction in each arts discipline containing its own body of knowledge, skills, and
ways of thinking ·
2c – The school curriculum provides opportunities for integration as natural cross-curricular
connections are made between the arts and other content areas (particularly STEM and STEAM) · 2d – the arts curriculum includes
the study of representative and exemplary works of art and from a variety of artists, cultural traditions, and historical
periods
· 4c – students, with teacher guidance,
routinely use creative, evaluative, analytical and problem solving skills in developing and/or reflecting in their artistic
performances and products ·
4d – students use written and verbal communication to objectively reflect on exhibits and performances Formative
and Summative Assessment ·
2c – Teachers develop rigorous student learning and academic growth through student learning objectives and refined
SMART goals.
· 2c (distinguished) teachers engage students
in creating their rubrics or scoring guides for creating, performing or responding, and Professional Development (distinguished)
Professional Development · 1b – A variety of job embedded professional development opportunities
[collaborative analysis of student work and collaborative development of arts integrated instructional lessons and units]
are available to the Arts & Humanities teachers to encourage continuous growth and are tailored to meet individual needs
of teachers and students [modeling differentiation], and 2b (distinguished) Arts and Humanities teachers take on a leadership
role in professional learning communities to address issues related to instructional practices, data analysis, and improving
student achievement and share this information school-wide. Part B: Character Development
/ Health Education: Particularly KDE Program Review Standards · 1e - frequent opportunities for cross-disciplinary connections · 3a – integration of 21st Century Skills
& Knowledge · 3b – problem-solving,
goal setting, critical thinking, decision making, and analyzing information · 4e – the application of core academic skills such as reading and
math to solve real word problems. Coaching appropriate to the strengthening of a school culture of caring and continuous improvement for all students
and school staff. ·
Strengthening or initiating character education key principles integrated within effective classroom practices and
instructional units as appropriate, including the use of ‘Dinner Dilemmas’ to guide moral reasoning linked to
Common Core writing prompts, and the use of class meetings, student goals, and Academic Service Learning (students teaching
other students) for character development toward moral values, performance values and work ethic, civic values, and Social-Emotional
Learning.
Part C: School Transformation Professional Development will be delivered
collaboratively within the framework of Professional Learning Communities, aimed to strengthen the relationship between the
School Improvement Plan and the Kentucky Program Review Standards. ·
Assessments 1a – Kentucky Core Academic Standards & 21st Century Skills & Knowledge are used
in the development of formative and summative assessments ·
Teachers and other leaders will be coached in transformational, ethical, invitational leadership. Existing
structures and priorities will be honored and utilized in the commission of activities provided for by this proposal, including
the School Improvement Plan, the existing school committees and planning opportunities, and the Professional Learning Communities
components.
All efforts will be demonstrably guided by solid research, (see references below) most notably: 1 - What Works in Classrooms –
the nine Marzano strategies augmented by arts-based emphasis on visual, auditory and kinesthetic dimensions 2 – Champions of Change 3 - Professional Learning
Communities 4 – Effective Schools Research 5 – key principles
from The Character Education Partnership. In this regard, the proposed project activities will draw from recognized best practices, including from Arts
Now, Lincoln Center Institute (http://www.lcinstitute.org/lci-publications/white-papers) , Kennedy Center
ArtsEdge (http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators.aspx) Music in Education
National Consortium (http://music-in-education.org/ and http://music-in-education.org/digital-portfolios/featured-digital-portfolios/), Chicago Arts
Partnership in Education CAPE (http://www.capeweb.org/) and other Arts
Integration initiatives The professional development proposed will address the Core Curriculum State Standards emphasis on integration
across disciplines (http://www.edutopia.org/blog/core-practices-arts-integration-susan-riley) and on the ‘reading’ of artworks
as texts, and most especially on writing, utilizing the initial Core Curriculum Standards and the emerging standards in other
disciplines.
While
this is a one-year proposal, the effectiveness and depth of the efforts will depend on a three year plan.
Year one will focus on the Art and Humanities Team to design and pilot the initiatives internally and with a selected set
of volunteer classroom teachers, at least one at each grade level. This is a practical plan in light of the fact that each
grade level has nearly completed planning for their 24 hours of professional development for 2013-2014.
Dixie ES Dual Proposal May 2013
https://blogs.fcps.net/tisaacs 3. Increasing arts, character
development and 21st century skills into daily instruction
Tara
IsaacsPrincipal's Office This year, Dixie has focused harder on recalibrating and improving our program to fit the needs of our students
and families. Both our students’ and families’ needs are changing. We recognize that in order to accommodate family
needs and student learning styles, Dixie has to look at doing things differently. We are listening to you, our students, each
other as well as to what research says. I have encouraged our staff to fail often…if it will lead to success. Our goal
remains to provide your children with a prescriptive plan for individual success. Changes
1. Shifting from negative
to positive focus on behavior management
2. Reaching out more to build relationships with our community, families and
students
3. Adding more days and frequency of students meeting with gifted/talented instructor
4. Increasing
benchmark markers for student achievement. We are expecting more!
5. Adding more after school clubs and events to invite
parents in to the building
6. Providing enrichment and acceleration for Art and Chinese students
7. Moving towards additional co-teaching models for resource students
8. Training all staff in more effective
ways to teach reading and math
9. Systematic approach to moving all students forward in growth, achievement
and gap closure
10. Building and sustaining a strong school culture and climate along with recruiting
the best Staff Proposals in Discussion
1. Purchasing a full-time gifted/talented teacher serving students five
days a week
2. Adding a science lab
3. Increasing arts, character development and
21st century skills into daily instruction
4. Adding a full time reading interventionist
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Principal: Tara Isaccs
Key Contact: Crystal Peters With: Rachel Louch/art & Instructional
coach .2 859 559 7641
Liza Dicken - Instructional Coach 1.0
?counselor Yan
Wang/Chinese Atlanta Visitors: Dr. Young - FCPS
Dixie ES Staff Directory
Consider showing portions of 'Everyday Creativity' by Dewitt Jones
Tara, Needs updating for 2014-15... list for volunteers: Special Education: ?
K- Kara Gray and Michelle Bowling 1st - Stephanie, Lindsay, Hannah, Janice 2nd - coming on August 2014
3rd- Not..Janet, Laura 4th- Not...Liza, Not...Kim, Jessie, Mac 5th - coming on August 2014
A Pavona, Yan Wang, C Peters, R Losch, K Fischer, Monica Eversole, and S Loscheider
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Dixie ES - Monthly (voluntary) Faculty Workshops
Resources to Explore
Kentucky DOE Arts & Humanities Resources
Kentucky K-Prep Sample Test Items
Janet Bertram - Developing Artistic Writing
Common Core Writing Samples
Edutopia - Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core
Report on Humanities - "The Heart of the Matter"
Reading The Art - Sample Lesson linking Arts Integration to Common Core State Standards
Puzzle, Think, Explore - Artful Thinking Strategy which goes with "Reading The Art" Lesson Example
Enter content here
Kentucky Dept of Education & Reading Like a Historian Page 3 Volume 2, Issue 4 In teaching kids to read like a historian,
Sam Wineburg says history class becomes a series of questions rather than just a series of answers. This creates an inquiry
approach in history classes that increases student engagement in the learning process. Inquiry questions spark student curiosity,
interest and ownership in the learning process while individualizing the learning experience for the student. Primary source
documents are selected to allow the inquiry questions to go in multiple directions. As students are introduced to an inquiry
question and provided with primary source documents, they first begin with sourcing. Sourcing requires the student to ask
a series of elementary questions pertaining to the literacy piece to determine if its source of information is valid and can
be trusted. Sourcing Before reading the document, ask yourself these questions: 1. Who wrote this document? 2. What is the
authors point of view? 3. Why was this document written? 4. When was this document written (a short time or long time after
the event)? 5. Is this source believable? Why or why not? The next step in reading like a historian is to teach students contextualization.
Contextualization is the process of looking at what is going on in a particular time period through the perspective of that
era and knowing about what is going on in that time period. Contextualization helps prevent students from viewing historical
events or persons through a modern day lens or from passing judgment on particular events or persons using a21stcentury mindset.
This is the point in the learning process where students need to study specific historical content to understand what is going
on in a particular time period. The next step in reading like a historian is to teach students corroboration. Corroboration
is the process of investigation of other primary source documents that may corroboratethedocument/sourceinquestion. Examples
mayincludeinvestigatingdiaries, journals, audio tapes, video clips, speeches, etc., to corroborate what is being said in the
document/source. This is the process where students take their questions and the content they have learned and put it to use
to find answers for their questions. The next step in reading like a historian is to teach students to form an argument/ defend
a position for debate or discussion. Students finalize the process by forming either a written or verbal argument to defend
their position on particular answers to their inquiry questions derived from their extensive investigation of history content
and primary sources. Wineburg argues that reading like a historian approach treats middle and high school students with respect.
Rather than teaching students with worksheets and textbooks focused on predetermined answers to memorize, the reading like
a historian approach allows students to train their minds more rigorously by allowing them to come to their own conclusions
by examining original primary source documents and engaging in their best intellectual abilities
Oct 2013.... I
believe that four KEY steps will boost writing performance. For
your consideration:
- 1 The development and use of a school-wide
Writing Rubric - with appropriate adjustments for grade level standards ........- The
Writing Rubric suggested by Janet Bertrand - 6 Traits, is just fine. ........- Dixie can build on a wonderful current strength - the
use of "I CAN" statements.....These need to be developed to specifically match the school-wide writing rubric....
- 2 The collaborative
analysis of student work by teachers, mostly by grade-level teams, but also with a bit of attention to adjacent levels
(for example - 3rd grade teachers working a bit with 2nd and then 4th grade teachers, and so on for each grade level.... to
provide a view of vertical articulation (KPR 2a) ........-
This process is pretty straightforward.....The teachers meet together, bringing writing samples from their own students - some top, some middle, some low.
The use of a projector to show individual pages is useful to focus the group on the writing sample under discussion. Each participant assesses the sample
individually, using the rubric,
then differences in scoring are discussed.
- 3 Engaging in the
collaborative analysis of student work by students in each classroom - following the process described above....Using
the RUBRIC. Here is where we would consider the use of student
portfolios. .......- Please see the writing sample attached,
from my early work in Fort Worth (I know it is old!)
- 4 The collaborative
study of thinking, by teachers, and then by students, so as to address the Kentucky Reading & Writing Standards
which emphasize critical thinking....especially the location and citing of EVIDENCE to support an opinion/position. .........- The 'Gisting' or Summarizing strategy I presented during my last visit is one, initial, critical
step toward other
thinking standards, like Comparing, Classifying, Induction, Deduction,
Convergent, Divergent, Error Analysis, Abstracting, Constructing Support, Analyzing Perspectives,
and Systems Thinking. .........- Specific
attention to Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Creativity (Creative Problem-Solving) (KPR 2e) .........- Please see the attached PPT from my recent workshop at Jackson ES - a school I
suggest your team visit when
you come to Atlanta (see especially 'Convergent / Divergent Thinking' which I think is key to moving from critical thinking to creative problem solving......which
are both in the Kentucky Standards...... Please let me know how and when I might be of support.....
Best Regards.......
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