KCS Curriculum and Instruction
Teaching and Learning News in KCS: January 2016
Thank you.
This must be the first order of business for this Curriculum and Instruction newsletter: to acknowledge you and what you do for our students. And who can thank you more authentically than a student? Sara Newell's ELA students at KMS worked on open letters to characters in a text, and then they had the option to compose their own open letter to individuals of their choice. One of her students chose you. All of you. Please take a moment to read this and let it sink in:
KCS Professional Development
You may also know that there are new state requirements for license renewal. One specific change is the increase of literacy credits needed for renewal in grades K-8. Please see this flyer for more information and opportunities to learn and earn literacy CEU's.
We know your individual schools are also providing professional development, including collaborative planning, coaching, and teacher-led workshops, to meet your needs related to your school improvement plans and PDP's. We hope this balance of district and school PD supports your professional growth and sends the message that we are all still learning.
Top 5 Links to Bookmark or Visit Now!
2. NCDPI's Site for Common Core and Essential Standards: Use the left-hand task bar to find the official North Carolina Course of Study, which includes the Common Core (for ELA and Math) and NC Essential Standards (for the rest). The unpacking document pages are a must-use resource, and you can also find released tests and specifics for your EOG's, EOC's, and NCFE's.
3. DPI Subject Area Wikis: If you haven't attended a DPI workshop lately or heard directly from a fellow teacher who has, you might not know that each subject has a wiki full of resources from DPI. Scroll to the bottom of this link or look on the left and choose your subject and you'll find more resources than are on the NCDPI main website. These wikis have the most updated curriculum resources for your subject.
4. Teaching Channel Videos: Browse, search, or filter these short, high-quality videos. It's a quick way to get a sneak peek into someone else's classroom and learn a new strategy. By the way, did you know we have our own little amateur version of KCS Teaching Videos?
5. Lesson Planning Menu: This is an old resource, but a favorite because it was a place where I was able to collect many of my favorite instructional strategies that I've seen teachers use over the years. I'm sure it could use updating, but I hope it will spark some new ideas for you.
Have a resource or idea you want the whole district to know about? Submit it here!
KCS Classroom Connections: Strategy Spotlight
Student Motivation
Authentic Learning
Rich Discussion
KIS Principal, Erik Johnson, recently observed 5th grade teacher Blake Rhyne and shared this: "I was blown away during the observation. He did a Socratic seminar with his whole class on a text (Tuck Everlasting) and it was amazing to see students of all levels rise to the occasion and be able to participate, making connections and verbally demonstrating their understanding, ALL without being prompted by Blake." Mr. Rhyne balances this occasional, supported whole class discussion of grade-level text with small group differentiated instruction, but most importantly, he believes that all of his students can participate in this rigorous, high-level thinking.
Embracing Diversity
Chris Goodnight is a former Kannapolis City School student and Cabarrus County Kindergarten teacher. Chris spent his last year in Ecuador and is now teaching fifth grade at KIS. Mr. Goodnight has incorporated his fluency in Spanish into his classroom procedures and instruction. He is able to teach lessons in both languages and use class attention strategies in Spanish and English. His classroom is diverse with students who are only fluent in English, fluent in Spanish, fluent in another language, or bilingual.Chris uses the backgrounds and experiences of himself and his students to build a tolerant and inclusive classroom. His ability to teach his lessons in both languages not only deepens the students’ knowledge of content, but also exposes them to another language. The students spend much time talking with each other, making his classroom climate one of open communication and acceptance of differences. Mr. Goodnight’s class feels good and is a place you not only want to visit, but you want to stay all day. His students adore him and are eager to enter his class and the building each day.
Student Movement
Collaborating with Specialists
Planning Ahead
Academics + Character = College and Career Ready
As part of our district Strategic Plan, a Kannapolis City Schools committee is developing a K-12 comprehensive framework addressing Character and Career Readiness. The goal is to work collaboratively with families, schools, and the community to inspire our learners to become responsible and productive citizens who are driven by a strong internal compass. We believe that equipping students with the skills of creativity, empathy, integrity, resilience, sociability, self-awareness, resourcefulness, and curiosity is crucial for successfully navigating a successful path now and in the future. See the image below and click here to learn more about these particular skills. We know you do many things now to teach character and skills that complement academics. We look forward to sharing the good work already happening and supporting you with more strategies in the future.
“Too often, social and emotional learning is episodic. Some students finish high school. Some don't. When you look back in the rearview mirror, you can almost always see social and emotional learning as a determining factor of their success."
- Bob Wise, President of the Alliance for Excellent Education
KCS Curriculum and Professional Development Coordinator
Email: cara.wolford@kcs.k12.nc.us
Website: http://www.kcs.k12.nc.us/departments/curriculum_and_instruction/curriculum_resources
Location: 100 Denver Street, Kannapolis, NC, United States
Phone: 704-938-1131
Twitter: @carawolford