PreK-6 Newsletter
December/January 2016
Welcome back and HAPPY 2017!
We hope you had a restful holiday and are recharged! Can you believe that we are almost halfway through the school year? We have had a great start and we're excited to see the continued focus on learning for our MGSD students. Not only do we want to continue to see our students challenged academically, but we want to make sure we are continuously providing a culture of caring in order to reach the WHOLE CHILD! In an effort to continue to build these relationships, we have initiated a Positive Contact Challenge during third quarter! You'll be receiving more information from your principals soon, but our challenge is that EACH student will have a positive parent contact for third quarter (phone call or letter/postcard). We can't wait to see and hear how this impacts our families. Happy 2017 and thank each and everyone of you for all you do! :-) Scott & Jemma
Upcoming Important Dates
- iReady Growth Monitoring Assessment 1/6
- mCLASS MOY Opens 1/9-1/31
- ELA EOQ 1/18
- Math EOQ 1/19
- iReady MOY 1/20-2/3
- End of 2nd Quarter 1/20
- Elementary Data Meeting
- Intermediate Data Meeting
- Report Cards go home 2/7
M-4 Data-Driven Instruction (Dec.) & M-5 Differentiation & Personalization (Jan.)
What does DATA DRIVEN INSTRUCTION mean?
We all have the same goals in mind- improve student learning. This involves us teaching content, formally / informally assessing the knowledge retained, and then reflecting on that data to make an action plan or next steps.
How can we achieve this?
We have MANY tools and strategies to help us with data in the classroom. This can come from both informal and formal assessments or classroom observations. The key to all of the data we collect is REFLECTION.
Our classroom instructions should include core learning, but even then, data can help to make personalization. According to the MTSS process, we then need to use data to drive our targeted instruction of up to 15% of our students and intensive interventions to up to 5% of our students.
Complexity! Rigor! Increasing Cognitive Demand!
Buzz words aside, what does it mean to ask the “right” question? How do we scaffold in a balanced classroom with a variety of questions and tasks at multiple levels of cognitive demand?
Read more from Kids at the Core here!
Tried Google Form for your Anecdotal Notes?
Do you take anecdotal notes when conferencing with kiddos? Looking for a way to organize them and really be able to use your notes to drive your instruction? Google Forms is the answer for you.
What does Differentiation and Personalization Look Like?
- Use guided reading and math groups and strategies to meet students where they are
- Provide lesson content in multiple modes, multiple times (video, kinesthetic, audio, visual, etc.)
- Survey students to determine their learning styles and plan lessons/groups based on results
- Use digital resources that personalize instruction (TenMarks, Newsela, Raz Kids, iReady, etc.)
- Incorporate elements of choice and student voice in learning activities
- Differentiate by content, process, product by readiness, level, interest
- Regroup frequently and across multiple classrooms if needed to meet individual needs
- Collaborate with parents to get to know a student's preferred and successful learning methods
- Use choice boards for projects and assignments
- Incorporate school specialists and instructional assistants to provide more 1:1 learning
- Use adaptive release in Blackboard Learn to differentiate assignments
- Build personalized content and resources using Symbaloo
- Use stations and small groups to allow for more choice
- Follow and understand IEPs to provide scaffolded support for learners
- Provide tiered instructional resources (leveled readings, Blendspaces with different resources, etc.)
- Plan enrichment and early finisher activities
