KCS Curriculum and Instruction
Teaching and Learning News for Summer 2017
You made it!
Did You Know?!
Evaluations from past PD are still waiting in TimeKeeper for some of you. Plan to take a few minutes today to see what's waiting for you and fill it out. The presenters deserve your feedback, and you deserve your CEU credit! Every certified staff member MUST have record of attending high quality PD this school year, and this is how we keep track of that.
The What is a Wonder Art and Writing Contest winners were announced recently and many will be honored at the board meeting on Monday (June 12) at 3:00. You can view a list of winners here.
80 KCS teachers participated in the Beyond Accountability Peer Observation project. They got the opportunity to visit other classrooms and meet with the teachers to discuss teaching ideas and strategies based on their professional learning goals. Data collected from the project shows an overwhelmingly positive response. Teachers (no matter whether they were experienced or new, master or novice, elementary or secondary) found the experience to be extremely beneficial, and some even described it as the best professional development they've ever had! When you write your PDP at the start of next school year, consider whether this might be a PD strategy you'd like to use to learn more about teaching from your peers.
Summer Reading (for You!)
Based on the reflection, you may find that you want to dive deeper into some reading. See if any of these titles on our Staff Summer Reading list interest you:
Total Participation Techniques (Himmele and Himmele)
Making Thinking Visible (Ritchhart)
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck), or Mathematical Mindsets (Jo Boaler)
Teach Like a Pirate (Dave Burgess), or Learn Like a Pirate (Paul Solarz)
The Innovator's Mindset (George Couros)
Kids Deserve It! (Nesloney and Welcome)
Grading Smarter not Harder (Myron Dueck)
The Multiple Menu Model for Developing Differentiated Curriculum (Renzulli)
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World that Values Sameness by Todd Rose
Excellent Sheep by William Deresiewicz
SUMMER ONLINE LEARNING (FOR YOU!)
Instead of reading a book, you might be interested in taking summer time to complete an online course for CEUs. DPI offers a number of FREE online courses that you can do either self-paced, or with an instructor to keep you going. Here is the link to learn more about these courses that are accessed in the NCEdCloud in the NCEES section.
The next round of Instructor-Led Courses begin June 19, so if you prefer to take a course with a teacher, register soon:
Building and Sustaining Professional Development - 6 weeks, 0.5 CEU
Connecting with our 21st Century Learners - 5 weeks, 1.0 CEU
Digital Literacies in the K-12 Classroom - 7 weeks, 1.5 CEUs
Effective Digital Strategies for Teaching and Learning in the K-12 Classroom - 6 Weeks, 2.0 CEUs
Introduction to Data Literacy - 5 weeks, 1.0 CEU
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects, Part 1 - 5 weeks, 0.5 CEU
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects, Part 2 - 7 weeks, 1.0 CEU
North Carolina Teacher Standards and Evaluation Process - 6 weeks, 2.0 CEUs
Responsibilities of the 21st-Century Educator - 7 weeks, 1.0 CEU
Universal Design for Learning 1: UDL in the Everyday Classroom - 6 weeks, 1.5 CEUs
Universal Design for Learning 2: UDL and the Whole Classroom - 5 weeks, 1.0 CEU
Our KCS Outstanding Elementary Math Teacher
Congratulations to Rachel Leonard our KCS Outstanding Elementary Math Teacher for 2017! She will be recognized along with the other nominees Blake Rhyne, Nicole Morgan, Amanda Lanham, Colleen Barrese, and Caroline Fongemy at Monday's board meeting at 3:00. These teachers are being recognized for nurturing students' enthusiasm for mathematics and motivating students to excel.
"The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. The hardest thing about being a teacher is that it matters every day." (Todd Whitaker) Thank you for all you do for KCS Mathematics!
COMING SOON!! New Standards for K-8 ELA and Math
COMING SOON!! DIGITAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES
COMING SOON!! KCS INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES CANVAS
AIG Local Certification
Have you ever thought about getting AIG certified but the cost of college courses did not fit into your plan? Have you been interested in knowing more about working with your gifted students but didn't know where to start? Starting in the 2017-2018 school year, the Kannapolis City Schools AIG department will be able to help you meet these goals through a local certification module. This module, which will consist of face to face meetings, independent reading, and online work through Canvas will leave you with an increased knowledge of gifted education and local certification in gifted education. Local certification makes you eligible for AIG positions in Kannapolis City Schools and will help you work with the flexible cluster grouping model that KCS will be using with AIG in the future. The module will also earn you 3.0 CEUS and a portfolio of gifted lessons and information that you can add to your repertoire. If you are interested in hearing more about this WONDERful opportunity please contact Sara Newell, KCS AIG Coordinator.