LearningCommunities

Alas... the Last Day of Conference.... what a wonderful thinking and reflection time the team has had. To just feel empowered to help our students learn to the max. And the realization that we can do this by just working together, supporting each other, an being thoughtful in how we help all of our stdents arcoss the school succeed. Think about it... When I learn I win! When I work hard! I achieve! I learn Well! We believe all students can learn and improve to high levels. We are growing we are the leaders of tomorrow!!

[|www.marshallmemo.com] - paid research site - current....

Friday Morning

Title: What it Means to "BE" a Professional Learning Community Presenter: Robert Eaker

Goal: Help students learn to high standards How will we get there::::: take the journey... becoming a professional learning community We move from Knowing,,,,, doing.... to being...

Bottom up Ownership depends on Top Down Leadership. Why does this have to be up and down. Shouldn't this be a climb upward together. Commitment starts follows after.... you have some success.

KNOWING: Do we have a shared mission.. do we understand and believe in the vision of our school, do we value the importance about helping all students learn at high levels, and do we have goals...

Do we understand and take time to work in collaborative teams... do we work together as inquiry and action teams which support continouse improvement? Do we see result? Academic achievement

KEY IS: WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COmmunity is... A way of thinking....about schooling....about connecting minds and best practices of what is working of helping each other to help our students learn better We need to always keep the why? we are doing this in mind, *worthwhile....it has to be worth the effort.

We have to do DO THE WORK..... we have to learn by doing just like our students. Just begin...just get started..now! then get better.... this is hard work but as long as it is worthwhile.. we will create our own inspiration... move from randon acts of desperate to working together.. Align ourselves.... we are actually teaching to the power standards.

Changing Practices: Teams will have to agree upon what needs to be changed through out our practice grades should report learning progress/improvement over time. first attempts are just that first attempts at learning... dont' students get better over time with support... at home projects depend to much on parental support.

SHIFTS.... Teaching to Learning Teach less but be more significant - Use assessments to guide learning Give time for kids to support and get better at their learning Establish a system wide intervention support

Isolation to Collaboration Input to Results Celebrate Improvement - we have winners... --- this is one reason we don't have a good community understanding... we don't celebrate the improvements... the little steps... the events that what we are doing... Have Passion and Persistence. Motivate and Inspire,

Bottom Line we are the first generation of teachers that have the challenge to have all students reach top standard! Take a hand, open a mind, empower the learner.

Thursday PM Closing the gap - there are alwasy kiddos who don't get it.

Finding Time:

Weekly Collborative Time within School Day -- Time for intervention for students and enrichment Structure for student needs....

Problems with Internet today! Sorry! Here are the notes from yesterday...

It is within us… to change to move…NOW Thursday Morning

The whole team is back for another heavy thoughtful thinking day! We have heard some great ideas but everyone is right on about how schools need to work together to help our students learn.

Title: The Mythology About Education Presenter: Robert DeFour

We are organized into independent kingsdoms due to the myth that we are teachers who work in isolation. We get tried of it! iT BEING DONE TO US.

Teachers need to work together to learn.... what? Common formative assessment - monitor student learning -- same assessment -- Informative.... it is information to use as Common Assessments - Students need to know what they need to learn Gather the evidence of student learning Analyze evidence Identifiy powerful teaching strategies Work together as teams ..... to improve student learning.

Overwhelming….statistics on highschool and college dropouts. Telling teachers to change isn’t going to work. It has to be from the inside, from within The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves. We are the ones we have been waiting for.
 * We need to change teachers behavior...how? show results of student learning, positive peer pressure to bring about change -- timely feedback, comparing them to others... this can be very challenging to the teacher who does not feel or isn't successful. This teacher could be very threatened. We need to be in the rowboat together.. rowing together.... not run the marathon for ourselves....

Thursday Morning

The whole team is back for another heavy thoughtful thinking day! We have heard some great ideas but everyone is right on about how schools need to work together to help our students learn.

Title: The Mythology About Education Presenter: Robert DeFour

We are organized into independent kingsdoms due to the myth that we are teachers who work in isolation. We get tried of it! iT BEING DONE TO US.

Teachers need to work together to learn.... what? Common formative assessment - monitor student learning -- same assessment --

Wednesday Evening.... Most of us took walks or a swim.... we met for dinner and then went to the SUNS basketball game. I didn't know all the things that go on at a Basketball game during time outs. This guy in a gorrilla outfit did flips off a jump ramp and but the basketball into the hoop.

Wednesday PM Title: Pyramid Response to Intevention - RTI, PLCS, and how to respond when students don't learn Presenter: Mike Mattos web.mac.com/mikemattos

We have to change our thinking... all these presentations have just been driving home this point. Think Differently and Ask questions? How do we assure hig lelves of learning for all studnets

Get rid of Pacing guide for learning - stinks... we leave kids behind.... don't just implementation programs RTI isn't the end point, check list doesn't help kids learn Better kids and parents wouldn't make this happen...

The Right question to ask? to reculture - culture is the unwritten rules of the adults that work in that school Will our school culture allow us to succeed. What do we want for our own children? Quality of Character and future?

What we want for our children is not passing the state test.. what we really want is to give them safe, secure, successful experiences that lead them their future success... MISSION OF BIRCHWOOD - be involved in my learning - Our mission is to have students learn! We believe all student can learn at high levels and we take responsibility to ensure that all students learn I LEARN! I BELIVE IN MYSELF!

We have the power to teach our students, we control the reading and teaching, we are responsible? We know what to do? Engage students in their won leanring

For all Students to learn we have to have 1. Highly effective research based core instruction - good teaching -- that believe the at risk kids can make it 2. Identify students not successful 3. Give them time to learn 4. Have professional learning community which is the most effective process to systemically change school culture and improve student learning

How do we respond when students don't learn?.... key questions.....this has to be the most important thing our PLC need. There is a building alignment. RTI helps us to provide the how to do it... Can't do RTI without a PLC

1. Start with a foundation What do we want the kids to learn? Focus on Learning: does this help kids learn? high levels of learning Our mission is to have students learn! We believe all student can learn at high levels adn take responsibility to ensure that all students learn

2. What is the most critical? What can we paired down? and focus on... what do we want them to learn....look at need to know...page 334

2. Don't let staff spew posion.. do condone... have courage to say something Don't be an educational terrorist.. get off the boat and change!

Intervention: Best intervention is prevention - you don't get help until you fail - fill the gaps - foucs on success Need to have prior skill building blocks.... need the building blocks... be proactive

More of the same is rarely the answer... giving them more of what didn't work isn't the answer... More target the intervention the more likely it will work... **Why** failed... have to answer the question..

When you write the assessement prior to teaching - road map Create 2 versions. Reteach and have a reassessed version - teachers create the assessment adn then own it! Teachers will own the learning.

When to teach it... same time to respond correctiviely. Have an enrichment standard to go more in depth... connect and extend learning - this is what the kids who got it do while you are reteaching the kids who didn't get it.. Guide resources....

Focus on results... who is getting it and what isn't....

What should guide our interventions Common assessment information must tell us ... 1. Which students mastered spedicif essential standards ? 2. Which instructional practices work? Gives us what worked the best instructional practices

Break Out Session

Roadmap to PLC's Getting Started Nice step by step system to get started with

Learning by Doing What works in schools? - Marzano use it as a base…. Revisiting Professional Learning Communities that work Road Map: Journey to Beocming a PLC…. Stops along the way Stop 1: Clarify what is a PLC? Yellow Light: Build a Shared Knowledge of PLC characteristics and its links to research on effective school practice Red Light: Build shared knowledge of current reality in our school – not just what is wrong, what is working? Start with what is proud of… Green Light: Develop a guiding coalition Most respected teachers on faculty - Hey this is a good thing Right Turn: Establish a common vocabulary Performance indicators everyone in school that knows what we are Learning by Doing – glossary of terms Use of email to define terms on a weekly base…builds common understanding Establish Why we need a PLC Moral purpose – Goal of the PLC - Getting commitment to ensure high levels of learning for all --- A way of thinking, a way of action, getting kids to know more, learn more Avoid using the term PLC.. how to low key roll out…just let it happen…establish the process…

Multitask it… 3rd Stop Commiment Piece We believe, Everyone understands the answers…. Mission - What is our core purpose ? Talk and dialogue - Vision - What kind of school do we want to become Values - What commitments behaviors and attitudes. We are willing to do this… to become this type of school so all - stated as values Goals – How are we going to do this? First steps, short term and long term – This is your action plan

Alignment… Group of people do we really mean this…. To ensure all kids learn? Check your district and polices and procedures. Do they apply to the learning mission? If not change them. Algin the policies, practices and procedures.. .what are ones we have that are contrary to learning. New policy and procedures check to make sure they ensure learning How do we Monitor, model, question, resources, celebrate, confront – in professional caring way Back to School Night – standards and shared what the standard means what does it look like to meet that standard… parents only see their own child’s work. Samples of writing and math…. Build the Teams as a teacher we sign the contract to ensure learning… prinicals role is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn Embed collaboration into the routine practices of our every day Co Labor not co blabber To be on a team you need a purpose to be on the team… flexibility- link up to share common purpose – work online together in teams.. don’t be a singleton…might have to cross boundries of school district – special ed teachers work with other special ed teachers Provide time for teams to collaborate – 1 hour a week Maintain team focus on the critical questions of learning – Products that are generated by team.. what do we produce… wrap hands around… Team norms… agreement to work together the how.. be prepared be focused … revist Essential outcomes power standards - focused on surrounded learning Pacing guide – Common formative assessment Analyze learning Kid by Kid skill by skill the unlearned skills… drill down…\ Teams are working well … if Its good if more kids are learning….

Teams need to work together to build teams that focus on learning – kid by kid · establish norms of collaboration, · work interdependently to achieve common and SMART goals for which they are accountable · be engaged in collective inquiry into best practices and current reality o how can I work better on my team · team leader keeps focused and on task

Re-culture - ring Schools - change it up--- These questions should guide the team’s work--- this will help re culture the school · Additional time and support – pyramid of intervention --- RTI – core instruction not working needs more specifically designed instruction · Practice help and support – look to self as teacher in our own class… what can I do? · Additional time · Timely intervention not sluggish · Direct students to participate in the intervention, create the system that allows students additional time and support according to a school wide plan
 * What do we expect students to learn?
 * How will we know if they have learned it?
 * How do we respond when students experience difficultly in learning? Won’t do or can’t do students
 * How do we respond when students do learn?

Wednesday OK Lunch Time.... back at 1:00 We have a great lunch at the SMITH Bar... wonderful sandwhichs and shrimp. Sat in the sun as we ate lunch. Nice to have warm air around us.

Wednesday AM: **2nd Keynote: Robert Marzano Title: Formative Assessment and Standards Based Grading**

(There are some new books from Marzano about setting goals and learning objectives... looks good)

I love it.. there are so many different definitions of Formative Assessment - depends on who you talk to.

Fomative - Good classroom Assessment - Provides students a Clear Picture of Progress on learning goals and ways to improve

(Rock on... display graphically highest gains... and ... then translate score to... I am here... I need to get there... this is the way I am going to get there) (Like my math assessment folders in math group... students write goals establish notes and record gains, display what goals they are responsible for learning. How can I set a more graphic way for students to see their gains and next steps)

Not a Test...it is the use of assessment... Obtrusive - where learning stops and you take a test Unobtrusive - monitoring notes... where teacher observes.... and then captures it... Student Generated --- I am ready now to show you I am at this level.... brings student into the assessment process.... students assessing themselves.

Students need to keep track of their learning... get them involved in the process... Students need to track their progress over time!

OK... right now we are talking about reliability on classroom and state standards test. Basically the reliability on these is so low that these forms can't measure the learning of the students.

We are better at using a rubric 4,3,2,1 sytesm as we have in place. But making the rubric focused on what we actually want the students to learn. You know the content... you get the score... you don't get extra credit for more... you know where you start...what you have learned..

Keynote: Becky DuFour Title: The Power of Professional Learning Communities: Bringng Big Ideas to Life.

WHAT IS A PLC? A team of teachers focus on student learning! PLC change the way the school learns Educators working collaborativel in ongoing collective inquiry and action research in order to achieve better results for the studnets. Key to improved learning for students is continuous, job embedded, continous

A PLC expects students to learn...to know what they are learning, to know if the the learning is working for them,

Learning is the purpose of our school. We have to work together to make this happen for our students. It is a collective responsibility.

Reasons to Collaborate: Gains in achievement Higher quality solutions to problems Increased staff confidence Teachers support strengths of one another and accommodate weakness We learng together... makre support and expanded pool of ideas, meateirals, and methods.

What is Collaboration? Co Labor ... to work together to analzye my current practice and then implement change... working together to learn to be better.

Skills Needed for Collaboration - Listen Deeply and work Together! Design of Lessons and implementation of lessons

A PLC is built into our current day.. not an add on... we establish goals, deal with critical quesitons, support each other on focused talked about student learning...shift is from activity in the classroom to what am I doing is impacting the learning... looking for evidence of our practice.

As a team we look at the results... We look at which students who are not getting it.. who needs more time aned more support? which students need to move ahead? what teachers got faboulous results? What did they do? Have all of us ... support, share, and build...

SMART Goal - use this to establish good goals for PLC - Goals need to be focused on student learning "HOW WILL WE KNOW?" Strategic and specific - we know the standard Measurable: - the goal is measured through student data before and after learning Attainable: Builds success Results - oriented : provide evidence --- look at what the students do? Team bound - Implement, Celebrate, set new goals?

As a PLC everyone needs to be successful... we need to have a connection to others...believe we make a difference! This is Our Hearts, Mind, and Feet! We CAN change our current situation, but we have to have action in order to turn our dreams into reality, there is no one right way... teams will find their BOTTOM LINE! We will find our way as we learn by doing!