OSP Connected
January, 2017-Office for School Performance-Volume 5
Message from Dayle
Happy New Year! The start of the year is usually about changing behaviors- such as getting in shape, learning to play an instrument, learning a new language or just spending time in ways that prioritize the people you care about most. Change is hard. To make lasting change many of us need support, encouragement and focus.
As we chase attendance and tardies, and work to help our kids seize every moment of their day for learning, I encourage you to think about the idea that, “all behavior communicates something.” For some kids, absences and tardies could mean there are issues at home or basic needs that are not being met. For others, it could mean they are bored or confused and they avoiding class or school. Don’t assume every tardy or absence is a choice. I challenge you to dig in and find the root of the issue and see if- with student, teacher and parent partnering- you can discover ways to communicate and solve problems to assist students to be at school and in class on time. Change is hard. But with focus and a team of support, we can make a difference.
HSD Focus 2016
INSTRUCTION: Check your DOK!
How do we create rich environments where all students learn with purpose and engagement at a high level? One useful tool, Norman Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels, helps teachers meet that challenge.
Try this exercise to better understand the cognitive depth of the tasks you are using in your classroom to improve the rigor of your instruction: “Gerald Aungst edutopia 2016”
- Keep a list or collection of tasks you ask students to do in a day
- At the end of the week group the tasks into the 4 DOK levels (You can’t just group DOK levels by verbs)! Helpful tool: HSD DOK Dots
- Work with colleagues to review your sorted tasks and strive toward a consensus.
- Analyze your groupings for patterns and distribution and list your questions.
- Rewrite a DOK-1 or DOK-2 level task to be at least a DOK-3.
Pointers: "It is not about difficulty. DOK is about how deeply students need to know the content to finish a task. What kind of mental practicing occurs? In DOK-1 it is the ability to recall information. In DOK-2 students are acting on information they’ve recalled. In DOK-3 students use reasoning and strategic planning to solve a problem they haven’t seen before. DOK-4 involves the use of multiple sources to complete a complex task." Karin Hess Webb’s DOK Nov. 18, 2013 You Tube”
Resources you may also consider using:
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS: Who Needs You?
COLLEGE & CAREER READY: Making Real-World Connections
There are many simple and easy ways to help make real-world connections in the classroom on a daily basis. The first step is helping students understand the Career Learning Areas (CLA); the CLA Poster is a great way to introduce the CLAs to students and can be used when planning units/lessons. It is important for students to know the relevance of content to careers. Have students brain-storm off of the CLA poster, which careers would use the information being learned in class, and how the information might pertain to that career. Guest speakers from the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) or parent volunteers can be asked to share their knowledge and answer questions that students have. Help our students dream about their futures. Aspects to being Career and College Ready include having strength in skills such as written/verbal communication, teamwork, initiative, and analysis/investigating skills. If you would like to learn more about how to easily incorporate Career and College Readiness into your daily routines and lessons please contact Kelly Purdy, Early Learning/Career and College Pathway TOSA, PurdyK@hsd.k12.or.us.
Resources:CLA Poster, Career & College Readiness @ Elementary
Thoughtful Third Thursday @ South Meadows
K-12 Classified and Licensed staff are welcome to register and will be paid extended contract.
WHAT
Check out the January session descriptions here. The topics for this month are: SLD en español, physics, academic discourse, AVID Innovation Cafe, SLP Service Delivery, Brief Writes, etc., etc
HOW
Sign up through Serebra!
Thursday, Jan 19, 2017, 04:00 PM
South Meadows Middle School, Southeast Davis Road, Hillsboro, OR, United States
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Learn a New Language
If learning a new language is part of your new year’s resolutions, visit our HSD website to access Rosetta Stone. Is is available in various languages and a free account can be set up for anyone in our community, including YOU! Click on the “Community” tab and select “Rosetta Stone” from the drop-down menu.