CPUMS
Week of February 6
Quote of the Week
High-Impact Instruction
Our last discussion was on the chapter on guiding questions. The chapter starts with these quotes:
"Success depends upon previous preparation, and without preparation, there is sure to be failure."-Confucius
"Pay attention to where you are going because without meaning you might get nowhere."-A.A. Milne
Knight explains the process of creating guiding questions. These are his "To Sum Up" statements.
- "When teachers create guiding questions, they frequently increase student learning because they are better prepared, place correct emphasis on the most important content, focus on learning more than on activities, provide a target for students, keep themselves and their students on tasks, and are better able to differentiate learning."
- "Planning instruction involves a paradox. On the one hand, teachers need to make deliberate plans that lay out exactly what will be learned. On the other hand, teachers need to be ready to adjust their plan when opportunity or slow progress suggests they need to change."
- "Effective guiding questions (a) address standards; (b) identify the knowledge, skills, and big ideas students need to learn; (c) are meaningful and important; (d) are personally relevant; (e) use the most appropriate words; (f) are easy to understand; (g) identify learning strategies; (h) identify technology; and (i) identify communication skills."
FYI-I have an extra copy of his book if you are interested.
WOW-Working on Work
We have discussed Schlechty's Levels of Engagement.
To achieve high levels of engagement Schlechty believes we must work of the designs of our instruction. He includes the following things as important:
- Content and Substance
- Product Focus
- Organization of Knowledge
- Clear and Compelling Product Standards
- Protections from Adverse Consequences for Initial Failures
- Affiliation
- Affirmation
- Choice
- Novelty and Variety
- Authenticity
Each week I will include more information of each of these concepts:
Affirmation Students are more highly motivated when their parents, teachers, fellow students, and other "significant others" make it know that they think students' work is important. Portfolio assessments, which collects student work for scrutiny by people other than the teacher, can play a significant role in making student work "more visible."
A perfect opportunity for this is student-led conferences.
Choice When students have some degree of control over what they are doing, they are more likely to feel committed to doing it. This doesn't mean students should dictate school curriculum, however. Schools must distinguish between giving students choices in what they do and letting them choose what they will learn.
Calendar
Monday 2/6/17
- Triad meeting-Mrs. Burkhart and Mr. Winterhof
- Grade level task meetings
- Work with 6th grade students
Tuesday, 2/7/17
- New Teacher Center-all day-GWAEA
- Subject area meetings
Wednesday,2/8/17
- New Teacher Center-all day-GWAEA
- Faculty Meeting
- Work with students and teachers
- Team learning meetings
Friday, 2/10/17
- Work with students and teachers
- IC Meetings-PM
If you would like to see my Google calendar search my name while in Google Calendar.