The Journey
October 2014
In This Issue:
- Instructional Excellence: Purpose
- Tech Connections
- Time Management
- Upcoming Professional Development Events
Instructional Excellence: Purpose
The first thing students need to learn is what they're supposed to be learning. With learning targets:
STUDENTS~
• Reflect on their own learning.
• Assess their own growth.
• Will know what questions to ask.
• Have a clear understanding of what they should know.
TEACHERS~
• Can make better instructional choices.
• Can gauge student mastery.
• Have an instant formative assessment tool.
• Distills the curriculum into manageable chunks.
Brookhart, Susan, and Connie Moss. “Knowing Your Learning Target." Educational Leadership. 68.6 (2011): 66-69.
Learning Target Research
Learning Targets and Success Criteria, Page 1
Learning Targets and Success Criteria, Page 2
Tech Connections
Ways to Utilize Your Interactive Whiteboard/Projector
Today’s projectors and whiteboards have the key word "interactive" attached to their title for a reason. They have been created for the purpose of making information interactive and thus enhancing learning. Below are some resources that make your interactive whiteboard a more effective tool.
Find Ways to Give Control to Students
Students may come up to the board to demonstrate their thinking or justify their answers. In addition to utilizing this during the direct teaching part of a lesson it can also be a critical component of independent work time. Encourage your students to come up and jot down a few discoveries they make during independent work time that might help the rest of the group. This will not only help students learn from each other, but might create an extra incentive for completing the work. Lastly, remember to SAVE the notes. You now have a digital record of the day’s learning and student thinking at a given point.
Thinking About... Managing Time
In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey explains how to prioritize the tasks in your life to make your time more productive and successful. Read on to learn more.
Upcoming Events
- Interactive Whiteboard Training: October 2nd, 4-6pm, Fruit Valley Elementary
- New Educator Monthly: Monday, October 6th @ 4:00pm, Bates Center
- TPEP Training: Saturday, October 11th, 8am-12pm, Roosevelt Commons
Classes are a great way to grow professionally. Remember, classes are FREE and you can pay yourself for attending using your staff development funds. The registration paperwork is available on the Portal under the Human Resources Professional Development tab. For information about classes, check out the online course listings. Let your mentor know if you need help registering or applying for staff development funds.