or eliminating the Iowa Core.
Heidi Doellinger, the district7;s instructional strategist, said prior to the core curriculums each Iowa school district wrote its own curriculum but that changed when the Iowa Core was implemented. Doellinger said they aligned the district7;s curriculum with the Iowa core and again with the national core.
“It7;s tedious doing this again and again,” she said.
Related Topics:
Ames Community School District, Curriculum, Dan Woodin, Legislators, Mandy Ross, No Child Left Behind, and Schools
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Ames Administrator Said Curriculum is Sound - Ames, IA Patch - 4 views
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Cool Cat Teacher Blog: QR Code Classroom Implementation Guide - 0 views
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They can save us time. They can save paper. They provide a link to mobile devices that help students do their homework and follow along.
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Once on your computer, it is a picture that can be put into presentations, graphics, and blog posts.
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Mobile Websites Don7;t Show All Features. Problem: When used on a mobile device, many websites (like Ning) will take you to their mobile-enabled website which may leave out the item (like a blog) that you need to assess. Solution: Look at the bottom of the page for the "view the regular version of this website" link. I recommend this if you7;re on an ipad, in particular.
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The Changing Face of Education in Iowa: 5 Characteristics of Effective Instruction - 6 views
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So not only will Iowa7;s high schools develop implementation plans for the content next year, they will also conduct a self-study to determine which characteristics need attention and put forward a professional development plan to improve in that area(s).
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ICC is a process. To see this change to its fullest extent, the DE is proposing a plan for each district to create a plan to roll it out over several years. (This is how we should/might view our classrooms...focus on making a few changes at a time, but do them well rather than trying to be Mr. Awesome Teacher in all kinds of areas without enough time/thought/trial & error.) <-- this is KEY. What are your thoughts, Russ?
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I like that it is built on reflection and continual improvement. You've explained it to me before as being "what good teachers should be doing." I think all teachers, rookies and veterans, can benefit from an open discussion on that point.
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I'm leery of the plans becoming planning for planning sake, but the intention is good--trying to get at the process of continual improvement, as you mentioned.
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Evan, there's no doubt that some schools/districts will simply write a plan, then check it off the list of things to do. However, many others that recognize the value in the intent, or spirit, of the IC will approach the process seriously.
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Just to piggy back here, I also like it that there are people that are going to reflect on what may or may not be working. Often enough, I don't think that gets done enough. As Teresa said, some and perhaps the majority of schools will just fulfill what they have to, but some will put in time and get some neat things out of this process. I hope that many will take it seriously.
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Our district is currently working on the plan. I hope we do a good job so we can implement and use it!
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Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students as part of instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of core content.
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I didn't think about this until my 5th year of teaching. What is your "assessment plan"? How will you assess? How often? What will you do if students are absent on assessment day?
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Your comment made me think of the quote we shared with you this past weekend: "our generation wants in 7 years what our parents worke for all their lives." That's what I feel fairly often since I've been surrounded by veteran teachers. There are many times I need to slow down and remember that I'm learning, learning. learning. So, to "answer" your questions, I don't know. I appreciate being able to learn from your experiences.
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A rigorous curriculum is one that is complex, provocative, and personally or emotionally challenging
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This is a never-ending task. I don't expect to "master" this, even when I'm ready to retire. It involves really thinking about the content and the students and how authentic work can be created by them according to their interests. This is TOUGH!
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Evan had a great comment on this point: "The key is to teach students how to learn that advanced content on their own--to become life-long learners. No one is arguing that teachers aren't cognitively limited; they are. But that is (or should be) irrelevant. To continue the transmission model of education, where teachers have all the knowledge and students have to get it in the approved way, will continue to stunt the growth of students."
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Good point. It's the old 'liberal arts' education lingo...becoming a life long learner. From my experience, it's difficult to get some students to learn the basics, let alone do any learning on their own (the few that come to school because they're required...or only desire a passing grade...or some other sort of grade to please parents). Not saying it can't be done, but lots of thought, motivation and modeling needed.
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One thing I've found is that out of the 5, this is the one that teachers say, "Yeah, I've got this one down". It seems everyone has seen the graphic of the quadrants. What's difficult is, even though we all know we need to be rigorous & relevant, we don't often know which of our lessons truly are rigorous & relevant. The best professional development will give teachers some specific, tangible examples to show how to ramp up rigor.
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This definition is adapted from Teaching What Matters Most by Silver, Strong and Perrini. It's a great read (ASCD)
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Differences can best be accomplished by engaging in a process which has teachers using student and instructional assessment data to make sound instructional decisions to meet the needs of individual students.
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when formative assessment is done well, differentiation comes naturally. Again, easier said than done....so we need to be patient in this area as we learn the common misconceptions of students in our curriculum, this practice will become more visible over time.
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I saw this on a large scale when I visited Knoxville West Elementary school as part of our IDM team. They had reading data on all students and used it to adjust the instruction for all kids. Do you think formative assessment flows naturally from the assessment to the remedial instruction? What I mean is, say a teacher formatively assesses students, do we assume that teacher is using that data to influence instruction? Is the "changing intruction" part of the definition of formative assessment?
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You hit the big "aha" moment ICC is going to (hopefully) help so many educators in Iowa realize. I sort of feel like differentiation and formative assessment aren't mutually exclusive...one in the same (assess, use data to create new individualized/group instruction to help students move along the continuum of learning; repeat). Not sure if it's worth debating the definitions, but rather seeing the ideas as working together to improve classroom practice. Yes, it is possible to collect data and do nothing with it. This is the major misconception of 'formative assessment,' in my opinion. The analogy of "formative assessment is chef's ongoing soup tasting during prep; summative assessment is restaurant customer liking or disliking soup" seems to fit, but when some educators hear this, they only taste the soup (collect data, quiz more often, etc.) but never make any changes to the soup recipe (instruction). I'm guilty and to be honest thought this way until earlier this year. We can't just assume the data is being used, you're right. In a quality classroom, I think it would be pretty obvious that the data was being used (maybe my class next year?!).
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The only reason I bring up the definition is so everyone is on the same page when discussing it. If some think "formative assessment" is only the assessment and others think it includes the instruction-adjustment, there's a disconnect. That's all. Plus I'm an English guy, so I like definitions. I'm already loving this ICC stuff now that I get "the point." So here's my big thought of the day: how are college education programs going to use the ICC? If the state has defined effective practices, will colleges follow suit in what they focus their teaching on...both in the ed. training programs and how the faculty teaches?
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I think ICC defines formative assessment as a process of both collecting the data and modifying instruction: From ICC, Module 5: "Assessment FOR Learning (Formative Assessment): Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students as part of instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students' achievement of core content. As assessment FOR learning, formative assessment practices provide students with clear learning targets, examples and models of strong and weak work, regular descriptive feedback, and the ability to self-assess, track learning, and set goals. (Adapted from Council of Chief State School Officers, FAST SCASS)."
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Not sure how/if it will impact higher ed. Impact on higher ed. will surely aid in determining success of ICC, but won't necessarily directly affect our day-to-day instruction. If new staff are trained with ICC in mind, it would help the process along. To be realistic, I think it takes extended classroom experience to get a grasp on what an abstract idea such as "assessment for learning" truly is. Nonetheless a theoretical framework (aside from modifying/extending student teaching/practicum as you and I have discussed previously), is one possible step forward.
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You both make excellent points, and I like the "chef" anaology. As far as post-secondary ed is concerned, some of them are coming to the table to at least sniff the soup. Eventually, I think they'll buy the whole meal because (1) schools will be demanding that teacher ed programs include the IC, and (2) students who have experienced full implementation of the IC in high school will demand the same of their experiences at the post-secondary level. It's just going to be a long-term process.
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In Student-centered Classrooms, students construct their own knowledge based on experiential, holistic, authentic, and challenging experiences.
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From what I know about you, Russ, I think you'll do well in this area (student-centered classroom). Realistically, this can only be done "well" with a solid classroom management plan coupled with a focused look on the desired culture of your classroom.
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I appreciate you saying that, Matt. It struck me as funny, mainly because of what I emailed you last night: "I'm nervous about classroom management/atmosphere." :)
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See other bookmark in this group, re: Harry Wong and procedures. Wish I would have known Wong (and implemented it) earlier on. You'll be much wiser and knowledgeable than me. Read the book and/or the website. Becky probably has the book. I can email you my procedures if you're interested. Rehearse! It seems goofy and a strange use of time for the first few weeks, but pays huge dividends. Once procedures are established, you can shape the culture (a la more student-centered) and build relationships with students to your heart's content.
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while these 5 characteristics are essential to a successful school, they are not necessarily mutually exclusive of each other.
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Amen, Evan! See my notes on differentiation and formative assessment. They go together!
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It's my gut feeling that the DE thinks this is implicit; that everyone knows this. But given that the DE's main role is in checklist accredidation, they'll need to be a bit more explicit to districts, or I think they will have districts treating each one separately.
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Great point, Evan. I would venture to guess that the majority of the educators I know would say that "assessment" and "instruction" are mutually exclusive entities. I hear things all the time like "Today is quiz day" rather than viewing it as an ongoing activity. I discussed my thoughts related to this topic here: http://bit.ly/NBqyH This will be a HUGE task on the DE/AEAs part, in my opinion...helping Iowa educators see the conceptual connection as well as how it looks (and doesn't look) in practice.
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Teaching for Understanding is leading students (to engage in a variety of thought-provoking activities such as explaining, finding evidence in examples, generalizing, connecting, applying, making analogies, and representing the topic in new ways.
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Iowa Department of Education 21st Century Skills - 0 views
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Friedman
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(1) critical thinking and problem solving; (2) collaboration and leadership; (3) agility and adaptability; (4) initiative and entrepreneurialism; (5) effective oral and written communication; (6) accessing and analyzing information; and (7) curiosity and imagination.
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I think these are all great...but think back to the '5 essential characteristics' and formative assessment, etc. How will we be able to "assess" these skills? It's tough to assess these soft skills, in my opinion.
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Yes, these are definitely broad topics. What underlying, assessable skills make up these survival skills?
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Teachers.Net Gazette October 2002 - HARRY & ROSEMARY WONG: EFFECTIVE PRACTICES APPLY TO... - 0 views
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Teachers put off dealing with non-emergency situations and needs until students are working
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I like to say, "let's talk about it later..." It gives students a chance to cool down and me a chance to think about it...as well as keeps the class moving forward.
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This is a great idea! How much of my class time is spent with students telling me "I forgot my book" or "I had pizza last night" or other things that may be interesting, but not relevant to what we need to do!
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I agree. A lot of time during class is spent on nonrelevant discussion. We need to refocus to keep the class flowing.
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High school and middle grade teachers have bellwork/warm-up/sponge activities on the board or overhead projector so students get to work as soon as they enter the classroom
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If you haven't thought about a bell-ringer, you should. It gets the students working right away and gives you time to take attendance and do other things for the first few minutes. It may seem like "busy work," but you'll eventually figure out how to use the bell ringer to maximize your instruction, too.
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Objectives for the day are displayed on the board
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I can go either way on this one. I used to post objectives, but students didn't really get into it. Instead, I post a bulleted list of the day's activities on the board, i.e. 1) Discuss HW 2) Go over quizzes 3) Circumference of Circles 4) Area of Circles This takes away the "what are we doing today?" questions and gives students an idea of what to expect for the day. It also establishes a nice routine, helps you metacognitize before the day, and provides a 'back-up' in case you freeze. It's not uncommon for students to say, "hey..weren't we supposed to go over our quizzes?!" when I've mistakenly moved on.
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A student "class secretary" maintains a "What Did I Miss?" folder
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Create whatever system you want for missing work. After a few weeks of helping absent students see how the system works, you'll never have to answer the question, "What did we do yesterday in LA?" Students will know the routine (who to ask or where to go) to get the handouts, assignment, etc.
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I was never able to get that developed. Eventually, when I put things on Moodle, students got into the habit of checking there after missing (or before). Still, I could see many other setups being just as effective.
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Re: make-up work - this task can easily become digital - assignments, handouts, summaries of the lesson by other students, etc. could be posted on a class wiki so it's accessible 24/7
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Each teacher has a system of procedures for setting up small groups
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Students are informed of and discuss the specific purpose/s before viewing a vide
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I would add, "Students are informed of and discuss the specific purpose before ANYTHING"...not just videos. Saves the "Why do we have to do/know this?" comments.
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Students do need to be informed about everything they're doing. It saves a lot of time answering questions rather than spending it repeating the information over and over again. We want to make sure they're prepared and ready to go.
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shakes hands
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Students who have something of a non-emergency nature that they wish to tell the teacher can fill out a prepared form titled "Listening Ear" with a line drawing of an ear and four blank lines for the student7;s message.
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Harry Wong - okay, so this isn't ICC, but it does talk a lot about effective practices. If you haven't read "The First Days of School," you should. If not, check out this website. It summarizes lots of the main points. I'll mark it up with what I see as the most important points.
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Some teachers send home progress sheets and letters informing parents whenever a new chapter or unit begins, outlining the objectives and providing information about any cultural activities or projects associated with the new unit.
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I think this is a good way to keep parents informed on what their child is going to be working on. This can help promote interaction between parent and child.
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11. Social Media : Imagination: Creating the Future of Education & Work - 0 views
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For example, the educators community in Iowa uses #IowaCore for their discussions related to that subject. The group might have a real-time discussion, say, from 5-7 pm on a Tuesday afternoon, with participants hash-tagging their contributions so the thread appears in one column for people who follow that particular hashtag. Since a single brief tweet can contain a link to a richly textured site, essay, wiki or other content that lends far more depth to a subject, statement or inquiry, the limiting factor of 140 characters can become an asset, streamlining the dialogue in this format to essentials.