August 26, 2013

The March on Washington occurred 50 years ago this week.  I appreciate the synchronicity of recalling Dr. King's words during our Rachel's Challenge assembly immediately before such an anniversary: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."  

Monday's Faculty Meeting: You Choose
Many of you have indicated how you will spend your Fourth Monday Faculty Meeting.  If you have not, click here to do so, please.

Open House will be on Wednesday, August 28th, beginning at 6:30pm.  You can look at the schedule and some notes by clicking here.  Open House is important to our relationships with parents/guardians and is never perfect, so please be flexible, as you always are.  I know you are diligent with what and how you present to parents.

August 30th

• Morning: Friday, August 30th is a district PD day. Dr. Simpson will be sharing information regarding the morning sessions: these will take place at the high school and will involve a deeper consideration of design questions 2-5 from The Art and Science of Teaching.  
• Lunch: You will have lunch on your own (from 11am-12:30pm).
• Faculty Meeting: We will meet as a faculty in the cafeteria from 12:30-1:30pm.  My goal for this meeting is to present a little of our MAP data as a whole and as it relates to our School Improvement Plan.  It will be helpful if you skim the current draft of our SIP by clicking here as I also plan to gather some of your feedback before my final revision and presentation to Dr. Simpson.
• Afternoon: You will have from 1:30-3:30pm to work as departments.  Because there have been some changes with department leaders, I am asking that department leaders e-mail me by clicking here to confirm their leadership role, please.  I will share more information about 8/30 in my response to that e-mail.
• The building closes at 4:30pm.

September's Thinking Strategy

Proficient learners use background knowledge to connect to new information.  You can find more information about September's Thinking Strategy (making connections and building background knowledge) by clicking here.  

Previewing new content is one of our Marzano strategies, the desired effect of which is that students will be able to link prior knowledge to new content.  All of our classrooms will benefit from this month's thinking strategy.

New Information: Field Trips
Faculty must deposit all funds collected from students.  The teachers should complete the deposit slip and document student name, amount paid and cash/check number.  Faculty may not take the cash to pay for any portion of the field trip.  The purchase order for the trip and the bus must be processed prior to the field trip.  Teachers may elect to pay for items/events and turn their receipts in for reimbursement.  We can use the MasterCard to pay for reservations, but only if a purchase order has completely cleared our routing system.

District Benefits Meeting
Generally, we spend an hour at the beginning of each year reviewing benefit updates and information with JoAnn Kite or another central office representative.  This year, we will not have such a meeting.  Much of this information is online; click here to view a PowerPoint presentation about our district benefits and how to access the information online.

Hixson Day at the Ballpark was both fun and hot. I am glad Dr. Miller facilitated this opportunity for our staff and our community.

I will be out of the building Wednesday afternoon to meet with curriculum coordinators and part of Thursday morning for a doctor's appointment. Have a great week!

May's Thinking Strategy: Book Talks

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of May.

The focus in May will be to celebrate our successes and reflect on the reading students have completed this school year. So, while there is not a thinking strategy to focus our Discovery instruction upon, May’s Discovery expectation is that students to share their favorite book with their classmates.

PowerPoint: This PowerPoint presentation provides detailed information about book talks. This may be used as background information for the teacher, or as a prompt for classroom discussion.

Mini-Lesson and One-Pager: This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager.  The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.

This month’s one-pager helps students plan for their book talk. Because the book talks should be on any book the student has read during this school year, book talks may be given at any time during the month of May. Students will need at least one, if not two, Discovery reading time periods to plan for their book talk.

Thinkmark: This month’s bookmark should be able to be copied double-sided so that the back may be used as a reading log.

Click here to access the PowerPoint, Mini-Lesson and One-Pager, and the Thinkmark.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support. 

March Thinking Strategy: Using Sensory Images

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of March.

PowerPoint: This PowerPoint presentation provides detailed information about this month’s thinking strategy. This may be used as background information for the teacher, or as a prompt for classroom discussion. This month’s PowerPoint includes a think aloud and questions for discussion in the notes section. You may want to preview before using with students.

Strategy Mini-Lesson and One-Pager: This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.

The one-pager should be completed in Discovery class at the end of the month. Teachers may choose to have students submit the one-pagers digitally or as a hard copy. Most students should be able to complete the one-pager in the first twenty minutes of Discovery; however, there are some, especially struggling readers, who may need additional time. Students should always complete the one-pager in class to ensure an authentic response.

Thinkmark: This month’s bookmark should be able to be copied double-sided so that the back may be used as a reading log.

Reader’s Toolkit: This document contains tools that can be utilized in your content area classes to assist ALL students in using this month’s strategy. During Discovery intervention time, those students who have been identified as struggling readers will benefit from explicit instruction in using these tools. Teachers should choose at least one tool and use assigned reading from their content to teach students how to utilize the tool.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support. 

Sensory Images Mini-Lesson & One-Pager.pdf Download this file

Using Sensory Images.pptx Download this file

Sensory Images Thinkmark.pdf Download this file

Reader's Toolkit - Sensory Images.pdf Download this file

February's Thinking Strategy: Repairing Confusion

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of February.

PowerPoint: This PowerPoint presentation provides detailed information about this month’s thinking strategy. This may be used as background information for the teacher, or as a prompt for classroom discussion.

Strategy Mini-Lesson and One-Pager: This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.

The one-pager should be completed in Discovery class at the end of the month. Teachers may choose to have students submit the one-pagers digitally or as a hard copy. Most students should be able to complete the one-pager in the first twenty minutes of Discovery; however, there are some, especially struggling readers, who may need additional time. Students should always complete the one-pager in class to ensure an authentic response.

Thinkmark: This month’s bookmark should be able to be copied double-sided so that the back may be used as a reading log.

Reader’s Toolkit: This document contains tools that can be utilized in your content area classes to assist ALL students in using this month’s strategy. During Discovery intervention time, those students who have been identified as struggling readers will benefit from explicit instruction in using these tools. Teachers should choose at least one tool and use assigned reading from their content to teach students how to utilize the tool.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support.

Repairing Confusion Thinkmark.pdf Download this file

Repairing Confusion.pptx Download this file

Repairing Confusion Mini-Lesson & One-Pager.pdf Download this file

Reader's Toolkit - Repairing Confusion.pdf Download this file

January's Thinking Strategy: Determining Importance

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of January.

 Determining Importance Mini Lesson and One Pager

PowerPoint: This PowerPoint presentation providesdetailed information about this month’s thinking strategy. This may be used asbackground information for the teacher, or as a prompt for classroomdiscussion.

Strategy Mini-Lesson and One-Pager: This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.

The one-pager should be completed in Discovery class at the end of the month. Teachers may choose to have students submit the one-pagers digitally or as a hard copy. Most students should be able to complete the one-pager in the first twenty minutes of Discovery; however, there are some, especially struggling readers, who may need additional time. Students should always complete the one-pager in class to ensure an authentic response.

Thinkmark: This month’s bookmark should be able to be copied double-sided so that the back may be used as a reading log.

Reader’s Toolkit: This document contains tools that can be utilized in your content area classes to assist ALL students in using this month’s strategy. During Discovery intervention time, those students who have been identified as struggling readers will benefit from explicit instruction in using these tools. Teachers should choose at least one tool and use assigned reading from their content to teach students how to utilize the tool.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support.

Determining Importance.pptx Download this file

Determining Importance Mini-Lesson & One-Pager.pdf Download this file

Determing Importance Thinkmark.pdf Download this file

Reader's Toolkit - Determining Importance.pdf Download this file

Determining Importance Mini-Lesson & One-Pager.pdf Download this file

January Thinking Strategy: Determining Importance

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of January.

 Determining Importance Mini Lesson and One Pager

PowerPoint: This PowerPoint presentation providesdetailed information about this month’s thinking strategy. This may be used asbackground information for the teacher, or as a prompt for classroomdiscussion.

Strategy Mini-Lesson and One-Pager: This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.

The one-pager should be completed in Discovery class at the end of the month. Teachers may choose to have students submit the one-pagers digitally or as a hard copy. Most students should be able to complete the one-pager in the first twenty minutes of Discovery; however, there are some, especially struggling readers, who may need additional time. Students should always complete the one-pager in class to ensure an authentic response.

Thinkmark: This month’s bookmark should be able to be copied double-sided so that the back may be used as a reading log.

Reader’s Toolkit: This document contains tools that can be utilized in your content area classes to assist ALL students in using this month’s strategy. During Discovery intervention time, those students who have been identified as struggling readers will benefit from explicit instruction in using these tools. Teachers should choose at least one tool and use assigned reading from their content to teach students how to utilize the tool.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support.

Thinking Strategy for December: Summarizing

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of December.

PowerPoint: This PowerPoint presentation provides detailed information about this month’s thinking strategy. This may be used as background information for the teacher, or as a prompt for classroom discussion.

Strategy Mini-Lesson and One-Pager: This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.  The one-pager should be completed in Discovery class at the end of the month. Teachers may choose to have students submit the one-pagers digitally or as a hard copy. Most students should be able to complete the one-pager in the first twenty minutes of Discovery; however, there are some, especially struggling readers, who may need additional time. Students should always complete the one-pager in class to ensure an authentic response.

Reader’s Toolkit: This document contains tools that can be utilized in your content area classes to assist ALL students in using this month’s strategy. There isn’t a lot of time in Discovery during the month of December to provide support with summarizing.  However, you may observe students struggling with this skill throughout the year.  The reading department has additional resources on summarizing that may be helpful throughout the year.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support.

Summarizing Mini-Lesson & One-Pager.pdf Download this file

Summarizing.pptx Download this file

Book Talk Scale.pdf Download this file

Reader's Toolkit - Summarizing.pdf Download this file

Summarizing Thinkmark.docx Download this file

Thinking Strategy for November: Inferencing

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of November.

PowerPoint: This PowerPoint presentation provides detailed information about this month’s thinking strategy. This may be used as background information for the teacher, or as a prompt for classroom discussion.

Strategy Mini-Lesson and One-Pager: This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.

The one-pager should be completed in Discovery class at the end of the month. Teachers may choose to have students submit the one-pagers digitally or as a hard copy. Most students should be able to complete the one-pager in the first twenty minutes of Discovery; however, there are some, especially struggling readers, who may need additional time. Students should always complete the one-pager in class to ensure an authentic response.

Bookmark: This month’s bookmark should be able to be copied double-sided so that the back may be used as a reading log.

Reader’s Toolkit: This document contains tools that can be utilized in your content area classes to assist ALL students in using this month’s strategy. During Discovery intervention time, those students who have been identified as struggling readers will benefit from explicit instruction in using these tools. Teachers should choose at least one tool and use assigned reading from their content to teach students how to utilize the tool. The reading department also has a resource with specific lessons on inferencing if you need some additional resources.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support. 

Inferencing Mini-Lesson & One-Pager.pdf Download this file

Inferencing.pptx Download this file

Inferencing Thinkmark.pdf Download this file

Inferencing Toolkit.pdf Download this file

Discovery Projects

Happy Monday!

I read a blog post last week of a teacher I follow and it made me think of our Discovery Projects.  This middle school teacher is dedicating one class period a week to what we have built in to our schedule every other day.  Click the link here to read his post.  Also check out his link on "Innovation Day".  I like his model and from his perspective it seems to work.  

Patrick Dempsey

8th Grade Science

Hixson Middle School

"You probably want to do something interesting, let me get out of the way."
-Daniel Pink
Phone: 314.963.6450
Class Website
Twitter: @midschoolsci

Discovery Project--Narrowing the topic

Hi all--

I've talked to a number of teachers who had said that narrowing the topic for a research project can be difficult for many students. It's been lots of years since I taught English, but I certainly remember that to be true then.

This is a link to a pdf which address this task pretty well, I think. It's provides a good example of narrowing a topic. Even if you don't run these off, it would be pretty easy to illustrate on the board.

http://rpc.elm4you.org//guide/docs/step1/narrowing_a_topic.pdf

The  pdf comes from the list of resources that is in the link Patrick sent last week.  Other good stuff is there, also, to use as needed.

http://rpc.elm4you.org/guide/support_materials.php

I'm teaching students in English classes this week and next how to access the new library catalog throught the new library website, so I hope that will help, also. We'll need to stress that even if the library doesn't have a book completely on Siamese cats, we do have books on cat breeds, so a chapter or even pages in that book could be used as a resource. We're doing research projects, not just book reports.

Thanks for the positive reaction I've heard from so many of you. Any feedback is appreciated!

JoAnne

JoAnne Williams

Hixson Middle School LMS

williams.joanne@wgmail.org

314-918-4568  ext. 14918

Discovery's Thinking Strategy for September

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of September.

“Connect to the Text” PowerPoint

This PowerPoint presentation provides detailed information about this month’s thinking strategy. This may be used as background information for the teacher or as a prompt for classroom discussion. Feel free use whatever slides will be most helpful to you and to your students. Thanks to Elkhart Community Schools for producing such a resource.

Discovery Strategy Mini-Lesson and One-Pager

This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager. Remember, there is an emphasis on this being a MINI-lesson.  Most students are familiar with the strategy. They just need to be reminded to use it as they read. The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.

The one-pager should be completed in Discovery class at the end of the month. Teachers may choose to have students submit the one-pagers digitally or as a hard copy. Most students should be able to complete the one-pager in the first twenty minutes of Discovery; however, there are some, especially struggling readers, who may need additional time. Students should always complete the one-pager in class to ensure an authentic response.

September Bookmark

 This month’s bookmark should be able to be copied double-sided so that the back may be used as a reading log.

Reader’s Toolkit

This document contains tools that can be utilized in your content area classes to assist ALL students in using this month’s strategy. During Discovery intervention time, those students who have been identified as struggling readers will benefit from explicit instruction with using these tools. Teachers should choose at least one tool and use assigned reading from their content to teach students how to utilize the tool.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support. (Please refer to last week's “How to Use Your Reading Specialists” post to determine who is best to contact.)

Connect to the Text.ppt Download this file

Discovery Strategy Mini-Lesson & One-Pager - Sept..pdf Download this file

September Bookmark.pdf Download this file

Reader's Toolkit - Sept..pdf Download this file

Thinking Strategies for Discovery Overview

Many define reading as an act of engagement between the reader and the text.

What do our students need in order to engage with text?

•Strategies to think about the text when reading wordsalone doesn’t produce meaning.

•Accessible text that is near their reading level.

•Purpose and relevancy so they know that their time is being used wisely.

While we often provide the text and purpose, it is up to our students to choose the strategies necessary to comprehend the text. Our work this year in Discovery will provide our students with an introduction to eight thinking strategies they may usewhen reading the words alone doesn’t produce meaning.

Below are two documents. One is an overview of the thinking strategies we will address in Discovery this year. The reading teachers will monthly post to the Network a detailed explanation of a specific strategy, a bookmark that can serve as a reminder to your students to use the strategy as they read, a one-pager to hold students accountable for their reading in Discovery, and activities you could use either in Discovery or your content area classes to support students with using the strategy.  The second document contains models of how students can use these strategies when conducting a mathematical, scientific, or social scientific reading. You may consider posting one (or both) of these documents in your classroom.

(Tovani, 2010)

Thinking Strategies.pdf Download this file

Proficient Reader Models.pdf Download this file

Thinking Strategy for October

The documents below will help you implement the reading expectation in Discovery for the month of October.

“Questioning” PowerPoint

This PowerPoint presentation provides detailed information about this month’s thinking strategy. This may be used as background information for the teacher, or as a prompt for classroom discussion.

Discovery Strategy Mini-Lesson and One-Pager

This document contains background information for teachers, suggested activities for a mini-lesson, the monthly one-pager, and possible feedback teachers may provide to a completed one-pager The mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of the month during the first twenty minutes of Discovery.

The one-pager should be completed in Discovery class at the end of the month. Teachers may choose to have students submit the one-pagers digitally or as a hard copy. Most students should be able to complete the one-pager in the first twenty minutes of Discovery; however, there are some, especially struggling readers, who may need additional time. Students should always complete the one-pager in class to ensure an authentic response.

October Bookmark

This month’s bookmark should be able to be copied double-sided so that the back may be used as a reading log.

Reader’s Toolkit

This document contains tools that can be utilized in your content area classes to assist ALL students in using this month’s strategy. During Discovery intervention time, those students who have been identified as struggling readers will benefit from explicit instruction in using these tools. Teachers should choose at least one tool and use assigned reading from their content to teach students how to utilize the tool.

Please contact Jen or Aimee if you have any questions or are in need of support.

Questioning.pptx Download this file

Questioning Mini-Lesson & One-Pager.docx Download this file

Asking Questions Thinkmark.docx Download this file

Reader's Toolkit - Questioning.docx Download this file

August Discovery

Those of us who worked on Discovery this summer thought that setting an implementation start date of Sept. 4^th might serve two purposes:

1. Give teams time to determine how they'd like to organize and manage Discovery and Officer Davis time to schedule Project Alert.
2. Provide time for teams to conduct community building activities, PBIS lessons, team expectations and other beginning of the year lessons, if desired.

If you find that you have extra time to fill during August, I have the following ideas for lessons to prepare students for the 20 minute reading expectation beginning Sept. 4. You could also start reading sooner than the 4^th – there’s no harm in that! J

1. Conduct a mini lesson on choosing a “just right” book. Visit http://bcove.me/zyr2gihk for a short, informational video to help you prepare (it isn't a very student friendly video, unfortunately). Attached is a bookmark you may provide students as a reminder. I have also attached a “one pager” for August if you would like students to practice completing these.

2. Conduct one (or several) of the Reader’s Workshop lessons from previous years (see attached; make sure you click on the view menu in Adobe to rotate the scanned documents clockwise). The book talk could be centered on a book read this summer or last school year.

3. Give students the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) (attached) to survey students’ use of reading strategies.

4.  Ask students to take a self assessment on their interest in reading (also attached).

Please let Jen or I know if you are in need of more suggestions!

Aimee Vogt

just right bk.pdf Download this file

What Were You Thinking - Choosing the Right Books.pdf Download this file

RW - Abandoning a Book.pdf Download this file

RW - Book Talk.pdf Download this file

RW - Checking Out Books.pdf Download this file

RW - Listening Skills.pdf Download this file

RW - Reading Rate.pdf Download this file

RW - Silent Reading.pdf Download this file

RW - Stuck Reading.pdf Download this file

RW - written directions.pdf Download this file

RW- Book Tasting.pdf Download this file

RW- Rules and Routines.pdf Download this file

RW-QAR.pdf Download this file

MARSI_2002.pdf Download this file

student_reading_assessment.docx Download this file

Discovery Powerpoint

 (info page) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nPXeiOvVODheIJ4OlDo5wK_M5ChU0HmFX5Jpk6ZPNxU/edit 

(PPT) https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HK7_f1pwOrEd2jNPrlZM6EiIVUUD8ANO-T5G6klRdbA/edit 

Discovery Expectations

The purpose of Discovery is to support student literacy and learning in a variety of meaningful ways based on available data and information.  Discovery is divided into two sections: Reading (20 minutes) and Other Activities designed to support student learning.  

Discovery is:

• a time for students to develop and practice reading skills using self-selected material.
• a time to implement interventions to support student learning, per reading ILIPs or other plans.
• a time for pre- and re-teaching as necessary.
• a time for enrichment.
• a time for team building.
• a time for Project Alert lessons.
• a class that requires preparation based on student needs.

Discovery is not:

• unstructured free time for students.
• additional time for content area curriculum.
• a study hall, unless this is an intervention stated in a plan (e.g. IEP, ILIP, 504, etc.).

Grading and Scheduling

• Students will receive a pass/fail grade for Discovery.
• Teams may re-organize students during Discovery for the purposes of meeting student needs.

Teacher Input

On 8/9, team teachers will have an opportunity to meet with faculty members who spent time this summer responding to feedback about Discovery, brainstorming possibilities, and planning improvements.  Their time and effort is valuable, and they advocated strongly that you have time to review expectations and ideas and some time to plan for August. More information about the 8/9 schedule will come.

• To review the presentation they created, click here.
• To the Thinking Strategy lessons and/or Reader’s Toolkit resources posted to the Network last year, click here.