Curriculum Connection
Updates, Information, and Ideas for DCSC Staff
March 17, 2020
In order to be respectful of everyone's time, I have broken the newsletter down into information that staff "Have To Know" and information that is "Nice to Know." In addition, I have tried to break things down further by grade level or subject area. Please ensure you read and/or respond to anything in the "Have To Know" section that applies to a grade level or subject area you teach.
If you find any ideas, websites, books, etc. that you think are worth sharing out, please send them my way and I am happy to include them!
Morgan Walker
Director of Academic Services
K-12 Teaching Staff
eLearning Reminders and "Must-Dos"
NEW items:
- Because we have both online materials and paper copies available, ALL students should be able to stay fairly up to date on the curriculum. Please reach out to students that you know have not requested paper copies and are not logging in to Schoology.
- Students will have the week we return to catch up on all eLearning work. (Assignments that could only be completed online, assignments that were accidentally missed, etc.)
- When you text/email parents from Infinite Campus, please remember to include your name (and course/class period if applicable) so they know who the message is coming from.
Reminders
- ALL teachers should have an eLearning folder in Schoology. You can add either add folders inside that folder by date OR if you regularly post your lessons in Schoology every day, you can create an eLearning folder and just direct students to today's lesson in another spot.
- All eLearning work should be up for students by 9 AM every day. (It's ok to post it earlier than that.)
- Please answer parent/student questions that you receive by 2:30 PM should be answered by 3:30 PM.
- You will need to track attendance for each eLearning Day. Having at least one "task" for students to complete each day will be vital. I suggest tracking this as you go for easier organization when we return. Check out the form from Heather Jackson shared below.
K-12 Teaching Staff
Keep On, Keeping On.....
How can I introduce new content when I am not with my students in person?
- Record a Screencastify video explaining a concept- no one can say it better than you can!
- Schedule a Google Meet session to talk live with your students- and then post this video in Schoology for students that aren't able to log on to watch later.
- Give students something to read or watch and then have them answer a question using a FlipGrid board.
- Create a "blind GimKit" (you can use any similar platform) to introduce a topic and see what student's know to get them thinking about the lesson to come.
Think through a normal lesson- "How would I normally teach this in class?"- and then find a tool to do the same thing digitally.
Example:
- I would start by introducing today's concept with a video....I'll link it to the lesson instead.
- Then I would explain the concept....now I will record myself explaining instead.
- Then I would put up four posters around the wall and break students up into groups so they could fill out a seed discussion map (information I don't understand, things that seem surprising or interesting, vocabulary I want to know, things that remind me of other things I know).....now I will create a padlet with these headings and have students add thoughts underneath.
- I would end class by giving an exit ticket....now I will have them answer three questions on a Schoology quiz to check-in.
Feel free to send me parts of your lesson you are having trouble finding a digital option- I'll see what I can do to help!
K-12 Teaching Staff
Tracking Attendance
Heather Jackson at DCHS created an attendance tracking form that she gave me permission to share so everyone doesn't have to create their own system. Please feel free to steal and use it if you haven't already made something. Each tab can be a separate class period or subject.
You can go to your IC grade book and highlight the names and copy them into the different tabs of the google sheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12lWf-v29TiMllcvMxIsh1f5IlhEBHz3KqCZhCrTKJyk/copy
K-12 Teaching Staff
Curriculum Mapping Form is Open until May 1st
A continued goal this year is to ensure we have a guaranteed and viable curriculum for every course and that it is organized into a central location. This work can be done during a small portion of your PLC time (adding information as you go through the year), grade level/department meetings, during your prep/school day as needed, and I am also opening back up Title II grant funds for certified staff to work outside the contract day for payment if they choose (see info below).
**Certified staff- If you are working on this outside the school day....click here to submit a form so I can pay you for this time. (This page is also located on the training page of the Curriculum site.) You can submit up to 10 hours at this time and each hour will be paid out at $27.39 per the teacher contract. If you start working and decide you need additional time over the 10 hours, please let me know before you submit so I can ensure I have additional grant funding to cover. All hours must be submitted on the Google Form by May 1st. At that time, I will send out Accounts Payable forms for staff to sign and return to me for payout and let you know if we have enough grant funds to open up the form again.
All ILEARN/ISTEP+/I AM/IREAD-3 Test Administrators (Just in case)
Important Update to AIR’s Test Administrator (TA) Interface
All ILEARN/ISTEP+/I AM/IREAD-3 Test Administrators (Just in case)
Updated Accessibility and Accommodations Guidance and Accessibility Frameworks
The 2019-2020 Accessibility and Accommodations Guidance and the ILEARN Accessibility Framework were updated to reflect recent changes. These changes ensure Individualized Education Programs and IDOE guidance align. Test Administrators should review the updated 2019-2020 Accessibility and Accommodations Guidance (see pages 48-49) and both accessibility frameworks for more details about these and other updates to ensure accommodations are being utilized appropriately during Spring test administration.
Some key updates related to the ILEARN Science Grades 4 and 6 and Biology ECA include:
- Hundreds Chart and Multiplication Table. The updated 2019-2020 Accessibility and Accommodations Guidance reflects the usage of a Hundreds Chart and Multiplication Table. Please review this memo for more information on the specific changes.
Calculator Policy. The Calculator Policy was revised to include the addition of the Hundreds Chart for ILEARN Science grades 4 and 6 and Multiplication Table for ILEARN Science grades 4 and 6 and Biology.
K-12 Teachers
53 Ways to Check for Understanding
Tired of the same ol, same ol? Most of these checks for understanding can easily be converted to a digital format. Students could snap a picture of something on paper and turn it in, describe it in video on flipgird, answer in a quiz format, etc.
- Summary Poem Activity
- List 10 key words from an assigned text.
- Do a free verse poem with the words you highlighted.
- Write a summary of the reading based on these words.
- Invent the Quiz
- Write ten higher-order text questions related to the content. Pick two and answer one of them in half a page.
- The 411
- Describe the author’s objective.
- Opinion Chart
- List opinions about the content in the left column of a T-chart, and support your opinions in the right column.
- So What? Journal
- Identify the main idea of the lesson. Why is it important?
- Rate Understanding
- Clickers (Online Polling/Response System)
- Teacher Observation Checklist
- Explaining
- Explain the main idea using an analogy.
- Evaluate
- What is the author's main point? What are the arguments for and against this idea?
- Describe
- What are the important characteristics or features of the main concept or idea of the reading?
- Define
- Pick out an important word or phrase that the author of a text introduces. What does it mean?
- Compare and Contrast
- Identify the theory or idea the author is advancing. Then identify an opposite theory. What are the similarities and differences between these ideas?
- Question Stems
- I believe that ________ because _______.
- I was most confused by X.
- Mind Map
- Create a mind map that represents a concept using a diagram-making tool (like Gliffy). Provide your teacher/classmates with the link to your mind map.
- Intrigue Journal
- List the five most interesting, controversial, or resonant ideas you found in the readings. Include page numbers and a short rationale (100 words) for your selection.
- Advertisement
- Create an ad, with visuals and text, for the newly learned concept.
- 5 Words
- What five words would you use to describe ______? Explain and justify your choices.
- Muddy Moment
- What frustrates and confuses you about the text? Why?
- Collage
- Create a collage around the lesson's themes. Explain your choices in one paragraph.
- Letter
- Explain _______ in a letter to your best friend.
- Talk Show Panel
- Have a cast of experts debate the finer points of X.
- Study Guide
- What are the main topics, supporting details, important person's contributions, terms, and definitions?
- Illustration
- Draw a picture that illustrates a relationship between terms in the text. Explain in one paragraph your visual representation.
- KWL Chart
- What do you know, what do you want to know, and what have you learned?
- Sticky Notes Annotation
- Use sticky notes to describe key passages that are notable or that you have questions about.
- 3-2-1
- Three things you found out.
- Two interesting things.
- One question you still have.
- Outline
- Represent the organization of X by outlining it.
- Anticipation Guide
- Establish a purpose for reading and create post-reading reflections and discussion.
- Simile
- What we learned today is like X.
- The Minute Paper
- In one minute, describe the most meaningful thing you've learned.
- Interview You
- You’re the guest expert on 60 Minutes. Answer:
- What are component parts of _______?
- Why does this topic matter?
- You’re the guest expert on 60 Minutes. Answer:
- Double Entry Notebook
- Create a two-column table. Use the left column to write down 5-8 important quotations. Use the right column to record reactions to the quotations.
- Comic Book
- Use a comic book creation tool like Bitstrips to represent understanding.
- Tagxedo
- What are key words that express the main ideas? Be ready to discuss and explain.
- Classroom TED Talk
- Podcast
- Play the part of a content expert and discuss content-related issues on a podcast, using the free Easypodcast.
- Create a Multimedia Poster with Glogster
- Twitter Post
- Define _______ in under 140 characters.
- Explain Your Solution
- Describe how you solved an academic problem, step by step.
- Dramatic Interpretation
- Dramatize a critical scene from a complex narrative.
- Ballad
- Summarize a narrative that employs a poem or song structure using short stanzas.
- Pamphlet
- Describe the key features of _______ in a visually and textually compelling pamphlet.
- You've Got Mail
- Each student writes a question about a topic on the front of an envelope; the answer is included inside. Questions are then “mailed” around the room. Each learner writes her answer on a slip of scratch paper and confirms its correctness by reading the “official answer” before she places her own response in the envelope. After several series of mailings and a class discussion about the subject, the envelopes are deposited in the teacher’s letterbox.
- Bio Poem
- To describe a character or person, write a poem that includes:
- (Line 1) First name
- (Line 2) 3-4 adjectives that describe the person
- (Line 3) Important relationship
- (Line 4) 2-3 things, people, or ideas the person loved
- (Line 5) Three feelings the person experienced
- (Line 6) Three fears the person experienced
- (Line 7) Accomplishments
- (Line 8) 2-3 things the person wanted to see happen or wanted to experience
- (Line 9) His or her residence
- (Line 10) Last name
- To describe a character or person, write a poem that includes:
- Sketch
- Visually represent new knowledge.
- Top Ten List
- What are the most important takeaways, written with humor?
- Color Cards
- Red = "Stop, I need help."
- Green = "Keep going, I understand."
- Yellow = "I'm a little confused."
- Quickwrite
- Without stopping, write what most confuses you.
- Conference
- A short, focused discussion between the teacher and student.
- Debrief
- Reflect immediately after an activity.
- Exit Slip
- Have students reflect on lessons learned during class.
- Misconception Check
- Given a common misconception about a topic, students explain why they agree or disagree with it.
Full article can be found at: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/dipsticks-to-check-for-understanding-todd-finley
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DCSC Curriculum Connection
Contact: Morgan Walker, Director of Academic Services
Email: mwalker@danville.k12.in.us
Website: www.danville.k12.in.us
Location: 200 Warrior Way, Danville IN 46122
Phone: (317) 745-2212
Twitter: @walker8208