September Coordinator Newsletter
Welcome to the 16-17 School Year!
The Student Services, Curriculum, and Technology Departments are teaming up to bring you a monthly newsletter. In this newsletter, you will find important information about current District initiatives, upcoming events, and resources to help you in your classroom. We H.O.P.E. you enjoy this newsletter and we look forward to working with you this year to promote the growth of our students!
We are excited to introduce our new administrative team members:
Tricia Nagel, Director of Teaching and Learning
Sheila Huckins, Math Coordinator
Karen Anderson, Student Services Coordinator
Erica Rock, Student Services Coordinator
Worldwide Day of Play - Saturday, September 17
Worldwide Day of Play is scheduled from 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon on September 17th at both Washington Junior High School and Hufford Junior High School. This District-wide event is a great way for Joliet 86 employees to interact with our students and families outside of the classroom and get to know the students and families in a more relaxed atmosphere. Worldwide Day of Play was created by Nickelodeon in conjunction with its "Let's Just Play" campaign. The annual event is designed to encourage children and parents to turn off the television and play, especially outdoors.
We are looking for volunteers from all buildings to support the event and have a wide range of available positions. The event will have 7 different activity stations for the students and parents to participate in with kite flying, throwing and catching, kicking activities, jump rope activities, outdoor games (bean bag toss, bocce ball), bounce house with obstacle course and parachute games.
This event has multiple time slots for volunteers who are interested in a two hour shift from 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM or they can work "all day" from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM. If you are willing to volunteer, please follow the link here to enter in your information.
Welcome MyOn Reader
Power IEP Launch
This school year, all schools will have transitioned from eSped to Power IEP. PowerIEP is a proficient and comprehensive software program designed to streamline the IEP process~and reduce staff~frustration.~~PowerIEP offers a comprehensive IEP experience by including state and~core learning standards, an~information tracking form, parental contact data logs, a variety of~administrative reports, and much more! This transition is a result of limitations of our previous system. Some things to consider as we transition:
· Student demographic information will come from the student management system
· Last eligibility and IEP / 504 is already uploaded under each student
· Multiple Users can work on the Same IEP at the Same Time
· Built-in Indicators Help Ensure Completion of Required Fields
· Easily Transfer Student Data Between Districts that Utilize PowerIEP
· Staff Can Create a Customized Caseload
· Data Entry Format is Easy to Follow
· Data Auto Populates – Where Possible
· Built-in Common Core Learning Standards
· Built-in, Searchable Objectives Databases
· EE Codes Automatically Calculated
· Allows Staff to Access From Anywhere Using Any Device with Internet Access
· Compatible with all Modern Web Browsers on Windows, Mac, and iPad.
Special Education Technology Update
The Student Services Department is working hard to get technology into the hands of all staff. We are following the District's three year plan and are ordering new laptops each school year. This year's new laptops have been imaged and are heading out to our classrooms. A plan is being developed to allow staff access to their laptops over the summer.
iPad training will begin in September for special education teachers working in the inclusion and instructional level classrooms. Several teachers took advantage of the training offered at the August Special Education Institute Day. Remember to use the application form when requesting apps for your device. iPads are ready to be picked up for staff that had an iPad last year. Staff will be receiving the iPad and charger they turned in last school year. iPads may need to be updated the first time they are turned on as they have been off all summer.
September is Deaf Awareness Month
If you are interested in learning some sign language, www.aslpro.com is a great resource.
In light of the recent Olympic Games, let's take a moment to celebrate some Deaf athletes:
Derrick Coleman- Super Bowl winning Seattle Seahawks fullback
Gerry Hughs- first Deaf man to sail solo around the world
Matt Hamill- UFC fighter
Lou Ferrigno- THE HULK
Ashley Fiolek- the youngest ever female American National Motocross Champion
Luther Hayden Taylor- legendary Deaf pitcher for the NY Giants-1900's
Parent University - Saturday, October 22
Joliet Public Schools District 86 will hold its first Parent University on October 22, 2016 at Gompers Junior High School. A variety of sessions will be offered to parents with topics such as college and career readiness, community resources, health and wellness, special education, and technology. Registration is available through October 7 at www.joliet86.org or on the District 86 app.
Out and About...
Third Grade- Formative Assessment
Assessment training and discussions
I see a math standard as an 'I CAN' statement!
Student Mindset Poster
5th Grade, Comprehension "codes"
Good Writers Anchor Chart
Musings from the Math Side...
With our newly revised Core Curriculum Guides distributed to teachers in all buildings, we’re off to a great start. Teachers are ready to dive into the Units, CRA instructional strategies and work will their new math manipulatives! Coaches are working hard to support all teachers, those newly hired and those returning for another great year of amazing learning in Joliet 86. With the latest data available, the Math Masters have rolled up their sleeves and are ready to get to the nitty gritty of math instruction, planning & preparation, PLCs, modeling & co-teaching and assessment support, while being a sounding board for new and innovative ideas. With student achievement fueling the sail, our mathematical vessel is ready with a navigation plan that will encourage, support, reiterate and model the best practices we expect to visit at each and every port.
For updates on “travel adventures”, please on contact your Math Master (coach) today!
Literacy Strategy Focus: Monitoring Comprehension
How do we get our students to monitor their own comprehension? It is all about the inner conversation. Readers become actively engaged when they learn the strategy of monitoring their thinking as they have inner conversations with a text. Readers merge their thinking with the new information. As teachers keep readers’ interest through a purposeful selection process, readers stay on track when they question, connect, infer, sort and sift through new ideas. Readers also monitor their inner voice to focus on their thinking. They notice when they lose their way and use fix-up strategies to get back on track. They listen to the voice in their head and leave tracks of their thinking allowing the inner conversation to come alive. Readers think their way through a text as they read, write and talk about what was read. Skillful readers can monitor meaning, articulate their thinking by using a common language and develop new insight. When readers pay attention to their thinking, they are more apt to learn, understand, and remember what they read.
Funds of Knowledge
In District 86 we have many students who know a second language. Spanish speakers are by far our largest group. According to SISK12 more than 2000 students are registered as Spanish being the Home Language. These Spanish speaking students come with two languages and bring a treasure trove of cultural and literacy experiences that are very different from their monolingual counterparts. According to Luis Moll (2001), a “fund of knowledge” is the accumulated and culturally developed body of knowledge and skills that are essential for an individual to function and have well-being, (p. 133). When teachers see those funds as rich resources that are different from the mainstream norm, they can begin to tap into them to provide culturally responsive lessons that take on greater meaning for students.
Here are two simple strategies you can use to tap into the “funds” of your students:
- Get to know the background of your students. As simple as that sounds, it allows you to connect to your families in deeper ways. Ask each family to write up a family history book that identifies things like what is the family's favorite candy?
- When a Spanish speaking student is stuck and can’t come up with an answer in English, ask them to tell you in Spanish. This sends the strong message that the student’s “knowledge fund” has value.
For more reading on Luis Moll’s Funds of Knowledge for Latino Students, go to this link.
How Smart Readers Think
In order to get students to become aware of the mental activity that takes place during reading, strategies have to be used. One common strategy, Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA), is helpful to use in whole class instruction. The process involves reading, reflection on key points out loud and then moving on. Here are the four major steps to use to integrate these strategy in a classroom setting.
- Let students know you will be stopping to think as you read and what they should notice.
- Use a short passage. Stop after reading a couple of sentences and connect it to your own experiences.
- When you stop, change the inflection in your voice so students know you have stopped reading and started to share your thoughts out loud.
- After modeling, have students try this strategy in pairs.
Source: Subjects Matter: Every Teacher’s Guide to Content Area Reading
(Daniels and Zemelman)
Why Music? Part 1
In District 86, the beginning of each school year marks the beginning of a journey for our 4th graders. It serves as an entry point into one of the most storied musical organizations in the country - the Joliet Grade School Music Program. Don't believe me? Google "Joliet Grade School Band" and scroll through the results. But times have changed, you might say. Why do we still need to support music in our schools?
In the following excerpt, world renowned music educator and music education advocate Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser answers that very question.
Music is a place for everyone. Our traditional music programs have inadvertently promoted a false concept of “music is for the musically talented students." This elitist view has found its way to more people than we might expect. The study of music actually breaks down societal barriers from race to socioeconomic strata. Music often “reaches" the students who are struggling with their other academic studies. Advanced brain research continues to verify and confirm all brains are “wired for music." Eric Jensen, research author on brain-based learning, writes, “Music is part of our biological heritage and is hard-wired into our genes as a survival strategy." (Jensen, E. 2001, Arts with the Brain in Mind, p.15.)
Do parents, administrators, community leaders, and teachers of other disciplines understand (even know) this information? Are we (as music educators) sharing this extraordinary news with our educational partners? Music is NOT for the “chosen few," but music is for all those who want to pursue this exciting pathway of learning, and shouldn’t that be everyone?
To read the rest of the article, click here
Myths About Differentiation
In this Education Week article, Illinois instructional coach Lisa Westman acknowledges that differentiation is challenging but says there are several myths that make it seem more difficult than it needs to be:
• Myth #1: Differentiation means I have to plan something different for every student. Not so, says Westman. Curriculum standards can be a springboard for relevant, skills-based learning experiences that take into account the class’s interests and learning levels. Pre-assessments are helpful for grouping students, and ongoing checks for understanding can help fine-tune lessons as a unit progresses.
• Myth #2: Differentiation means grouping students by reading ability and giving them texts at their level. This may seem like differentiation, says Westman, but it’s really tracking. “Leveled texts don’t necessarily address the specific needs of students, which are often unrelated to reading ability,” she says. “All students deserve access to challenging and interesting material. Differentiation comes into play with how students interact with text… The same text can be used by most students by compacting the curriculum for high-achievers and scaffolding for students who need more support… Differentiate the process (task) and product (how learning is demonstrated) for students.”
• Myth #3: It’s possible to differentiate using one data point. Impossible, says Westman. Teachers need to use a variety of ongoing, high-quality assessments to take into account students’ cognitive and affective needs.
• Myth #4: One way to differentiate is giving high-achieving students more work and low-achieving students less. “Differentiation is not more or less,” says Westman. “Think quality over quantity. It is quite possible that one high-level question is more challenging than twenty low-level questions.”
• Myth #5: Differentiation is too hard! “Don’t beat yourself up,” says Westman. “You are not alone.” Work with an instructional coach or a colleague. Join a book study group and try something together. Use social media to build a professional learning network.
“Yes, Differentiation Is Hard. So, Let’s Get It Right” by Lisa Westman in Education Week, August 11, 2016, [ http://bit.ly/2b9znaf ]http://bit.ly/2b9znaf