Inspired Curriculum
Nicole Smith
Instructional Rounds
Taking a deeper look at our classroom instruction
Right before our much needed Thanksgiving break, we all participated in instructional rounds to look at what is happening in our school, collaborate as a professional team of educators invested in improving student learning.
What does our school's data tell us?
- Based on our analysis of that we collected during classroom visits, it is evident that we are doing a great job engaging our students!
- While it is clear that we are incorporating writing into our instruction, we all agreed that we need to work on this area. We noticed that students were writing; however, it tended to be basic sentence construction with quick writes or completing a graphic organizer. Several teachers have students writing in depth analysis but we don't have a lot of that student work up to show evidence.
- We tend to focus on the lower levels of bloom when we question students.
Student Engagement
Highlighted Super Strategy: Inside Outside Circle
Click on the Teacher Tool Kit link below for a video on using inside/outside circles and an article detailing variations of the strategy.
Discovering Voice: Inside-Outside Circle
When to Use
Use Inside/Outside Circle at any point in the lesson to structure meaningful conversation:
- Before introducing new material to begin a discussion or highlight key issues in the presentation to come
- During a lesson to process important concepts before applying them in group or independent work
- After a reading to discuss key concepts
- Before an assessment to review information
- As a way to practice solving problems with assistance from a partner
Inside - Outside Circles: Math
Tech Strategies and Apps
Stick Pick App
Have you ever used equity sticks (popsicle sticks with each student’s name written on them) to ensure that you are calling on all your students equally? Wouldn’t it be great if your sticks could do more? What if your they could help your students build higher order thinking skills? Or what if they could help your English language learners improve their English? With Stick Pick, you can!
Post It App
The Post-it® Plus App takes the momentum from your collaboration sessions with your students and keeps it rolling. Simply capture your student's notes (exit tickets), organize and review later or share with everyone.
Popplet
In the classroom and at home, students use Popplet for learning. Used as a mind-map, Popplet helps students think and learn visually. Students can capture facts, thoughts, and images and learn to create relationships between them.
KeepVid Video Downloader is a free web application that allows you to download videos from sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitch.Tv, Vimeo, Dailymotion and many more. All you need is the URL of the page that has the video you want to download. You can download videos that you want to show your class at home and not have to worry about buffering or internet connection.
Check out this exit ticket from Ms. Atchley's Class
This is an awesome way to assess students and gain insight into their thinking and how well they understand the concepts you taught. It looks like a mini tracker.
Reciprocal Teaching
Thank you to all teachers who implemented our highlighted super strategy. I was able to observe and even participate in classes as this strategy was used.
Super Strategies display in the hall of heroes
Ms. Jessie's Class
Upcoming Events
Nicole Smith
Curriculum Specialist
Email: nicole.smith@hsv-k12.org
Location: Westlawn Middle School, 9th Avenue Southwest, Huntsville, AL, United States