Celebrating Clarenceville!
CCR and Technology Integration- Two Innovative Practices
Many wonderful initiatives have occurred at Clarenceville Schools this year. As you may know, technology integration and Close and Critical Reading (CCR) are just two aspects that teachers and students have been working on during the 2014-2015 school year.
We don’t always have an opportunity to learn about the great work that our colleagues are doing across the district. In this issue, we’d like to celebrate some of the instructional activities that have been taking place in relation to technology integration and Close and Critical Reading.
What is Close and Critical Reading (CCR)?
What is Technology Integration?
Teachers and Students in Action!
CCR
Technology Integration
Meeting a State Senator!
The Governor Loves Robots!
Ooooh! Look at That!
School and Classroom Happenings!
Recap of the Year and What's Next!
Close and Critical Reading Recap
The Close and Critical Reading (CCR) strategy was rolled out question by question during the first semester of 2014 during PD sessions at each of the district’s four schools. Follow-up coaching occurred the Thursday after the PD, when teachers could meet with the CCR coach to ask questions, collaborate on planning, schedule a classroom visit, or ask for a demonstration lesson. It was exciting to talk with teachers at all levels as they integrated CCR into their classroom practice. Many teachers found innovative ways to teach their students the components of CCR while other realized they had been teaching the strategy all along!
Baseline data for all students was gathered in the fall, and in February, students were given a mid-year assessment. After the mid-year scores were entered into Google Sheets, teachers were able to participate in Data Dialogues that took place in February and March of 2015. By comparing the baseline data with the mid-year scores, grade-level teams developed Action Plans for the rest of the year.These discussions enriched teacher understanding and provided valuable insights into the CCR process with the aim of increasing student growth.
During the spring, CCR Leadership teams were created in each building to revise the current rubrics for the CCR questions and to develop a building implementation plan for 2015-2016. The teams worked diligently to improve the rubrics so they would be more user-friendly. At the elementary level, the rubrics were compared with the Common Core State Standards to provide students with the most aligned documents to support their learning. Over the summer, these leadership teams will meet to complete their work. Throughout the year, Clarenceville teachers have persevered in their efforts to help all students achieve!
Looking ahead to the fall, teachers will continue practicing CCR in their
classrooms using the “Gold Standard,”a guide that helps teachers utilize the strategy with fidelity. Additionally, staff will reach out to students and parents to get their feedback on the CCR initiative.
Technology Integration Recap
My name is Allyson Dewar and I am a Technology Integration Specialist with Oakland Schools, Field Services South. Currently, I partner with Royal Oak Schools, Clawson Public Schools and spend every Thursday in Livonia Clarenceville. I just wrapped up my first year working with Clarenceville. In this short amount of time, the district has made tremendous strides and the future is so very exciting! Device wise, all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers have an iPad and Apple TV. 190 Chromebooks were pushed out to the elementary schools and middle school. Oakland Schools donated Mac desktop computers to the district that were no longer being used at their tech campuses. There is now a Mac Lab at the middle school and high school. Technology is readily available to educators and students in Clarenceville, making the district stand out amongst its peers. Clarenceville Schools is a K-12 Google Apps for Education District. Students and educators are using their Google tools to increase efficiency, collaboration and engagement. Middle school and high school educators participated in the 22i TRIG Classroom Readiness Professional Development Program which builds capacity to assist educators in planning and implementing the best practices and technology required to support 21st century learning. A new district website was rolled out this past winter. This new website is aesthetically pleasing, easy to navigate, and provides up-to-date information for all Clarenceville stakeholders. A big THANKS to Linda VanTassel for managing the website. All Clarenceville educators are currently working on creating a profile page on this new website that will provide a teacher bio, picture and relevant class information. Clarenceville also formed a new district technology team this year. This team is comprised of district teachers, administration and Oakland Schools Technology Department members. The technology team focuses on developing means to improve student achievement through the infusion of technology into the learning process. Throughout the year I met with teachers one-on-one,conducted building visits dedicating the entire day to that specific building staff and participated in after school Thursday PD. This “shoulder-to shoulder”work time with Clarenceville educators was extremely benefical for all, especially for our students, and I look forward to continually building strong, meaningful relationships!
This summer, the Oakland Schools Technology Integration Team will be providing numerous technology professional development opportunities throughout the county and in Clarenceville for district educators and administration. These small scale sessions will provide participants with new ideas, concepts and tools to start off the new school year with a bang!
Looking Ahead…
2015-2016 proves to be very exciting. The kickoff to the school year will begin for teachers on Tuesday September 1, 2015 with Clarenceville’s own “Trojan Tech Huddle” happening in the afternoon at Clarenceville High School. This first ever event will have district teachers leading sessions and sharing with their colleagues on how they utilize technology in their classrooms! Students throughout the district will be encouraged to Bring Their Own Device to enhance academic instruction, take control of their own learning and have access to information at their fingertips. Next school year, I will be in district two days instead of one which I am tremendously excited about! This extra time will allow for leading Thursday PD, conducting building visits, working with teachers/grade-level groups/specific subject areas, and collaborating closely with the Curriculum Department. Go Trojans!Please contact us if if you have any questions or would like additional information.
Allyson Dewar
Technology Integration Specialist, Oakland Schools
allyson.dewar@oakland.k12.mi.us
@dewcmu
CCR Consultant/Instructional Coach
Space does not allow us to include every picture in this newsletter. We look forward to next year as you continue to provide us more opportunities to record the wonderful things that are happening in Clarenceville.