WMS Weekly Bulletin
October 21-27, 2018
I have a confession to make: I've been feeling very scratchy with the new curriculum and trying to make sense of it all from a conceptual level. I'm quite yellow so I can usually bring the big thinking down to a level of blue/green, but I've been struggling. Even watching the Schoology course videos in August had me searching for some concrete pieces to put together.
I had a huge ah-ha moment while at Understanding by Design (Ubd) training on Tuesday.
I was finally able to see the big picture view that included enough details to help me see how it all comes together. I knew we were only looking at one part of the framework (Stage One) and really spending a lot of time there, but I couldn't see how it connected with the end product.
Y'all know me well enough to know I was asking *all the questions* at the training until our facilitator showed us a visual model of the framework all put together. I will share that below so you can see what I saw and hopefully have a lightbulb moment, too!
Once I saw how all the pieces all fit together, my anxiety decreased quite a bit. It is still scratchy because I like to have things finished and wrapped up with a pretty bow. However, having written curriculum before, I know that this is a time-intensive process. We are currently charged with writing curriculum while we teach and teaching curriculum that isn't fully written yet. That is hard.
My encouragement to you: Be OK with being scratchy right now knowing there is a plan and we are working the plan. It will take us a little while longer, so in the meantime, keep teaching your heart out and become a master at Stage One so when it's time for the rest of the framework to be developed, we are ready to take it on with gusto!
Go Warhawks! And, remember, you belong here.
-Mishler
Stage 1 - Transfer Goals
Stage 1 - Bundling Standards
Stage 1 - Task Analysis
- Understandings: general statements that connect multiple standards together
- Essential Questions: thought-provoking questions that allow Ss to show problem-solving skills in authentic situations
- Knowledge: basic information Ss will know by the end of the unit
- Skills: verbs/processes in the standards
Stage 2 - Assessment/Evidence of Learning
Performance tasks will measure the mastery of understanding and transfer goals. The assessment should match the level of knowledge/understanding/skill. For example, if the verb in the standard says "calculate", a vocabulary quiz would not match, but an open-response question would.
CSISD has not started this stage yet.
Stage 3 - Learning Plan
CSISD has not started this stage yet.
Overview - Big Ah-ha!
Week in Review
Dress Up & Post Pictures on Social Media with #WMSWarhawks
Essential Questions Posted in Classrooms
Non-Core Content Teachers: While you haven't been thoroughly exposed to essential questions yet, consider what overarching unit questions you can include to show the connectedness between lessons and learning for your scholars! (And, know that essential questions are an integral part of the Understanding by Design [UbD] curriculum framework that everyone will be using eventually.)
P.S. This is a great place to build in accountable talk strategies!
CSISD Learner Profile
Over the course of last year, CSISD Principals, Assistant Principals, and Central Office Administrators worked together to create a profile of a CSISD graduate. The descriptors included are qualities and characteristics that we think represent the final product of time spent being educated in our district.
As you plan your lessons and have conversations with scholars on our campus, consider how you are helping to form our scholars into the CSISD graduate. I tell kids all the time, "High school graduation seems so far off, but the decisions you make today will have a direct result in the outcomes you'll experience in a mere 4-6 years from now!"
Here's a question to reflect on: where are we at in preparing our scholars in middle school, specifically at WMS, to achieve every quality in this learner profile?
From Nurse Flater
-Nurse Flater
Grant Opportunity
The Texas Retired Teacher Foundation is proud to provide thirty $500 grants to teachers to improve the learning environment for students, learning platforms, software, and much more. Since 2008, TRTF has provided $63,500 in grants to active educators all across Texas. Last year, three teachers from the Bryan and College Station ISDs were awarded grants. This initiative is yet another avenue for teachers to enhance their instruction.
HERE is a copy of the grant application.
Further information can be found at https://trtf.org/initiatives/classroom-assistance-grants/. Please feel free to contact Danny Stribling if you have questions (dmstribling@yahoo.com or 979.777.2420).
Design Team Plans
Remember we will meet with Design Teams every 1st Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting is November 7th.
Staffulty Spotlight: Kim Pritchard
Years Teaching: 24 (8 @ Oakwood, 4 @ TAMU Texas Coop Extension, 12 @ CSMS)
Birthday: May 15
College: Panola Junior College, TAMU, George Washington University
Random Factoids: I went to high school with Matthew McConaughey, the bassist for Little Texas, and the screenplay writer for Corky Romano. I have been playing flute for 38 years. I have sung at Carnegie Hall twice! I recently connected with my biological mother, brother, aunts and uncles, through the 23andMe DNA program.
Favorite Things: Chocolate, Marvel Movies, and Karaoke
Duty Stations & Personnel
Upcoming Events
10/29 - 7th Football Tournament - TBD
10/30 - 8th Football Tournament - TBD
10/31 - Hat Day $1
10/31 - School Picture Retake Day
11/3 - Region Band Auditions @ WMS
11/5 - 7th Football Tournament - TBD
11/6 - 8th Football Tournament - TBD
11/7 - Education Foundation Grant Patrol
11/9 - End of 2nd Six Weeks
11/9 - Comp Time Period 1 Ends
11/12 - Report Card Grades Due by 4:00 PM
11/14 - Pajama Pant Day $1
11/14 - Leadership Team Meeting, 4:15 PM @ War Room
11/19-23 - Thanksgiving Break
11/28 - AVID Site Team Meeting, 4:15 PM @ Doles' Room
11/29 - Boys Bball vs. Hunstville