MEd Program Diigo Group

Document is http://www.fcrr.org/assessment/pdf/smallGroupAlternativeLessonStructures.pdf Article discusses Differentiated Reading Instruction:Small Group Alternative Lesson Structures for All Students, from the Florida Center for Reading Research. Related to elementary reading instruction.

I selected a source from ERIC that focused somewhat upon the novelty and implementation on PARCC assessments in place of other testing batteries in school systems. This article may help us to a degree in honing our focus of our EQ as to why students grades declined significantly in the third quarter. Discussing issues with the ELA and the Common Core in Massachusetts, the very novelty of the testing led one overwrought educator to even remark, "...I'm not really thinking about PARCC yet. I have too much else to do" (Barrett, 2014, p. 25). Herein, Barrett mentions that field testing was just implemented into 18 states, just last year, and income and resource availability may play a significant role in Massachusetts' national performance leadership on former testing assessments and the Common Core (p. 24). Interesting to note is that the two parts of the PARCC testing, the PBA and the end of year examinations are only one month apart, spanning from March-April, and May-June (p. 25). Barrett, L. (2014). Common core 'A really big reset'. Education Digest, 79(8), 22.

This citation caught my eye because I am a Massachusetts educator and it is still undetermined whether or not the PARCC tests will be implemented in my district again this year. In general I felt that, last year, the assessment took too much time away from instruction. Now the teachers and parents I know seem more uncertain than ever that all our preparation efforts are worth it. I think if we weren't in such an all-fired hurry to raise our scores PARCC could actually develop into a meaningful exercise. Everybody relax!

My county uses LearnZillion to help give additional instruction to students. My group was focusing on Counting to 20. This specific lesson provides activities for counting to 20. This helps close the gap by giving support to students that need extra help with counting to 20.

This site provides courses for parents to prepare their children for school. There are lessons on content areas as well as to prepare for independent activities with independence time.

Free DreamBox K-8 math virtual manipulatives to use with any whiteboard bring math to life for students in large-or-small group instructional settings. This is a subscription based product the provides individualized activities for students. If your school doesn't have a subscription this site provides free teacher tools. It allows students to work on skills based on their level not the level of the class.

Formative assessment is vital to teachers in any classroom environment. Teachers have been formatively assessing students for years, because we must know what our students know in order to help them understand what they do not know. Do you know what I mean?! Fortunately, many classrooms are charging into the 21st century with technology initiatives.

From a series of publications by the National Association of Elementary School Principals: "This white paper outlines five recommendations to help principals put student achievement data to the best possible use: 1) Make data part of the ongoing cycle of instructional improvement; 2) Teach students to examine their own data and set learning goals; 3) Establish a clear vision for school-wide data use; 4) Provide supports that foster a data-driven culture within the school; and 5) Develop and maintain a district-wide data system." Suggestions for how to implement these recommendations, along with links to video interviews and supporting documents, are given.

As the school year kicks into gear, try these painless ways to incorporate technology into your teaching day.

This is a great resource for technology integration. The sites listed are easily adaptable across subject areas. This would be a good tool for differentiation and for teaching to different learning styles. I particularly like the ReadWriteThink site and the Screencast-o-matic. The ReadWriteThink site allows students to demonstrate knowledge, and the Screencast-o-matic seems like a great tool to create sub plans!

This blog was very interesting and reminded me of tools I haven't looked at or thought to use in my classroom. I could see using Google Earth for students to have an interactive adventure through history. Also, I envisioned myself using the Screencast-o-matic, Quzziz, and Formative with my students.

How one principal managed to turn around failing grades by instituting a mandatory study hall for missed homework. He also communicated with parents when 5 assignments were missed. The teachers had indicated that grades would improve if students did their homework and were better prepared for class as a result.

I like the idea of a before and after homework study hall. I can contest to being so busy that you do not want to chase your child around to get their homework done. My son is only five and it is a hassle to get him to do his homework, therefore, I can only imagine how it will be when he gets older. I believe that this might benefit more students if this were implemented nationwide. Students can get the extra assistance they may not be able to get at home with their assignments. I wonder how well this would benefit my school?

I think this is a great idea, especially in high school and middle school! I have been speaking to middle schools in Pennsylvania, and the principals discussed how they have decided to implement homework/tutoring study halls. I think it encourages students to stay on top of their own homework. Also, it allows teachers to have one on one interaction with students, who are struggling. I thought it was smart of the principal to have another administrator oversee the process of tracking missed homework. Data has become such an important part of being a teacher, and using it to help students strive to be better in school is great.

Good article on how involving parents in the school community can lead to better student achievement and attendence.

"Parent involvement can make a difference in a child's education." I know this is true in my school. I know for a fact that my students who have parents that are involved do better academically. This does not mean that the parent necessarily has to have a high level of education. I have had students really succeed because their parents check their agenda and homework each night when they come home. Sometimes, just knowing or having a parent that cares and that is there to push you is enough.

I agree wholeheartedly with the quote that states "Parent involvement can make a difference in a child's education." Once I read this line, I was intrigued with the rest of the article. I am a very driven individual when it comes to education, and I want that for my son as well. My wife and I are constantly coaching our son on the importance of education, and making sure that he completes his work on time and correctly. I have seen first hand in my two years of teaching what parent involvement can do for a students school work. I have seen students whose parents are actively involved in their school careers, and the students performed on a much higher level than those of students whose parents did not seem to be involved.

Having teachers experience "a day in the life of an ELL" can be powerful professional development-and at one school it's reportedly helped close the achievement gap. ELL 'Shadowing' Brings Instructional Gaps to Light, Liana Heitin (2011) Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2011/08/24/ell_shadowing.html Retrieved on 10/19/15 Great article with a fresh new idea!!!! This article tells the tale of "A teacher or administrator follows an English-language learner to several classes." I have "shadowed" in a classroom before, usually to observe the teacher. But the purpose of this shadowing is to look specifically at the student's use of academic language. Statistics show "English-language learners spend less than 2 percent of the school day improving their academic oral language." That number is completely unacceptable. I think we as teachers could all benefit from "shadowing" students. It does not have to just be ELL students we shadow. Reviewing data and becoming educated about the students who struggle would help with the shadowing process. Maybe we could start with shadowing the students who aren't improving in order to better understand why they are behind.

The Teaching Channel is "a thriving online community where teachers can watch, share, and learn diverse techniques to help every student grow." This module includes videos and handouts that you can view on your own or present to others. Objectives are to "develop an understanding of how to use multiple data sources, analyze data to trace the causes of low achievement and find solutions, and articulate how to support teachers' use of data to improve instruction."

This article outlines the steps of a lesson plan. This may seem elementary, however the lesson plan forms the blueprint for student learning. With this outline, you can track where students may have gotten lost in the lesson and you can use that data to adjust instructional needs. Using this lesson plan format allows a teacher to be well-informed about the content and student outcomes expected.

This article explains how having data cycles as part of the school culture will increase student achievement. The data cycle consists assessment, analysis and action. Having this cycle in place will allow all stakeholders to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed to benefit student learning.

The Content Literacy Continuum (CLC) provides five levels of support for teaching reading and writing in the secondary content areas. Created by the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning, the continuum enhances and embeds strategies in the classroom, and provides intensive training with support personnel for students reading below grade level.

Contains sample lesson plans and narratives explaining the plans. Also includes a Q&A with literacy expert Cynthia Shanahan with information on teaching strategies, differentiation, and vocabulary instruction.

Teaching literacy in the high school content areas. Contains research and specific ideas for reading and writing in math, science, social studies, and English. Could be useful for working with students learning to write BCRs.