PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS STUDENT SU PEDAGOGY & CURRICULUM How good are opportunities for learning and developing learners? NT LEADERSHIP NEW! ASSESSMENT INTERACTIVE AND ENGAGING TEACHING STRATEGIES Research shows that increased student engagement increases overall retention of the target subject matter. This seminar introduces a variety of strategies for teachers to use as they move into a facilitator role in the classroom while engaging students in the learning process. Participants will discuss guidelines for establishing and maintaining an active classroom, and they will leave with easy-to-implement activities and ideas to use with their students. CONCEPT-BASED TEACHING When teachers teach content in multiple modalities and students apply knowledge to a variety of contexts, conceptual understanding and transfer are increased. Teaching to the concept and providing flexibility and play in the active manipulation of content aids memorybuilding and retention, along with ease-ofaccess in a variety of different contexts outside the classroom. In this session, participants will learn the foundations of conceptual learning and practice the process for concept-based planning and instruction that will help students build schema to enhance learning and apply and transfer knowledge and understandings. NEW! BLOOM S TAXONOMY: ALIGNING OBJECTIVES, QUESTIONS, AND ASSESSMENTS In order to effectively engage students in all levels, teachers should be crafting objectives, questions, and assessments at each level throughout the lessons and units that they teach. This session will focus on the levels of cognitive demand presented in the revised Bloom s Taxonomy. Participants will analyze objectives at each level, practice writing their own, and craft questions with various levels of cognitive demands. Participants will examine assessments and ensure that they are assessing the intended level of cognitive demand, and they will leave with a better understanding of the kinds of cognitive processes required of students to engage in various learning experiences. COOPERATIVE LEARNING AND TEAMWORK Cooperative learning is more than a classroom strategy used to support academic achievement and social development; working cooperatively is a college- and career-readiness skill. In this session, participants will identify tools and strategies to create high-functioning teams and facilitate and manage cooperative learning in the classroom. They will explore the symbiotic relationship between learning environment and teamwork and create a plan of action for implementing cooperative learning and teambuilding activities in the classroom. 4

STUDENT SUPPORT PEDAGOGY & CURRICULUM ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP NEW! WEBB S DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE This session will help teachers transition their thinking around classroom questioning from Bloom s Taxonomy to Webb s Depth of Knowledge. Teachers will understand the reasoning behind Webb s Depth of Knowledge and why it s an essential part of rigorous, standards-based classroom instruction. Participants will explore the difference between difficulty and complexity and how Webb s can support teachers as they plan instruction around more complex text and tasks. Finally, participants will have an opportunity to discuss teaching strategies they can incorporate into their classroom using Webb s Depth of Knowledge. MARZANO S HIGH-YIELD INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES Research-based instructional strategies maximize a teachers ability to enhance student achievement. Based on the strategies presented in Marzano s book, Classroom Instruction that Works, this session will provide clear descriptions and concrete examples of how strategies look and sound in the classroom. Participants will gain implementation ideas for each strategy that will be immediately applicable for classroom use. Better understanding and consistent implementation of these nine strategies will have a positive impact on student achievement for all students, in all subject areas, at all grade levels. LEADING STUDENT-CENTERED DISCUSSIONS This session focuses on a thought-provocative, active learning strategy that provides students with text-based questions that require textual evidence to support their opinions and arguments. This strategy calls for students to use deep, reflective thinking through analysis of the text, synthesis of ideas, evaluation and validation of ideas, and inferential reasoning. Engaging in these discussions will also help students to learn respectful behaviors and necessary communication and social skills. Participants of this session will understand the fundamentals, know the components, and learn the process of implementing student-centered discussions, and they will practice facilitating and participating in a student-centered discussion and will identify challenges and solutions for successful implementation of the strategy. NEW! CRAFTING LEARNING OBJECTIVES Learning is most efficient when students know the objectives of a lesson or activity. When teachers set clear objectives, they give students a target for their learning. The process of setting objectives begins with knowing both the standards and the knowledge and skills that teachers want to develop in their students. In this session, participants will reflect on their current practice and evaluate the effectiveness of sample objectives from core content areas. They will practice writing measurable objectives and learn how to communicate objectives to engage students in the learning process. 5

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS 6 MAXIMIZING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME Academic Learning Time is evident when all students are actively manipulating content in a variety of ways and modalities. In this session, participants will discuss the importance of creating opportunities for students to discuss their thinking, practice new skills, and reflect upon their learning. This seminar explores the notion of time on task and the kinds of active learning strategies teachers can incorporate to ensure that classroom time is used productively. PLANNING: PUTTING THE QUESTION FIRST Rigorous standards signify the need to change practice in the areas of content, instruction, and assessment. Intentional, standards-based planning will be an essential foundation for these changes. Participants will explore how student engagement and teaching for transfer can be more effective when teachers put the question first. Participants in this session will learn the principles of backwards design and how to align standards and assessments to daily lesson planning. PLANNING: BUILDING KNOWLEDGE WITH CLOSE READING Using reading to build knowledge in the disciplines is essential for complex comprehension. Teachers must ensure that students are closely reading more complex texts, provide time and experience with those texts, and engage students in rich conversations about what they read. Participants in this session will learn strategies for using text to build knowledge as opposed to building knowledge prior to reading, and they will develop an understanding of how to scaffold instruction so all students will experience success with increasingly complex texts. PLANNING: HOW TO PROMOTE INQUIRY IN MATH In this workshop, teachers discuss a process and template for planning a coherent unit of instruction. Attention is giving to a special set of math-specific strategies for unpacking standards into knowledge and skill objectives that can be used to organize and plan lessons in a unit. Participants will also learn how to write and use essential questions and lesson questions that promote inquiry into mathematics and make math learning more coherent. As time allows, participants will try these strategies with an upcoming unit of study. CLOSE READING Reading Using close reading techniques builds knowledge and is essential for complex comprehension. In this seminar, participants will practice applying a process for engaging students in the close reading of complex texts. Participants will understand the importance of setting a clear purpose and recognizing text structure, and they will also learn methods for having students reread the text and annotate it to examine vocabulary, structure, language, and meaning. EXPLORING TEXT COMPLEXITY There are a variety of resources that can be used to enhance rigorous and relevant instruction and learning, if one just knows where to look. In this session, participants will use text samples and complexity rubrics to explore various texts based on language, structure, purpose, and meaning. Participants will use a text analysis protocol to learn to choose appropriate texts for instruction including: journal and magazine articles, historically situated primary documents, full-length books, newspapers articles, book chapters, multimedia, and digital texts.

STUDENT SUPPORT PEDAGOGY & CURRICULUM HOW TO INCORPORATE TEXT DEPENDENT QUESTIONS Adding text dependent questions builds student knowledge and ability to think in complex ways. In this session, participants will analyze the purposes for questioning and the connection to the close reading process. Participants will practice writing high-level, text-based questions and collaborate to analyze, edit, and improve each other s questions. There will also be time to reflect on how the level and text dependency of the questions being asked can be increased within their classrooms. DEVELOPING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Complex literary and informational text often contains specialized vocabulary. In this session, participants will practice intentionally selecting vocabulary to explicitly teach and develop students ability to use and access words that appear in everyday text especially those that may be slightly out of reach. Participants will categorize vocabulary into tiers and will discuss strategies to teach the essential vocabulary that has been selected through associations rather than in isolation. CONNECTING READING TO WRITING Making the connection between reading and writing is an important way for students to communicate complex understanding. Participants will examine sample lessons from Catapult Learning s close reading program, Read to Write, to learn a process for developing textbased questions, leading rigorous text-based discussions, and structuring writing assignments in which students state opinions and defend claims by gathering and evaluating information and presenting it in a structure and format that addresses task, purpose, and audience. Writing WRITING FROM SOURCES Student writing should include a balance between literary and informational writing assignments for students. Teachers need to build opportunities for students to analyze and understand the structure and purpose of both literary and informational writing. This session will build participants capacity to use mentor texts to teach text features and structures and apply them to writing, provide opportunities for students to synthesize and analyze ideas and concepts across many texts in order to draw a conclusion, structure assignments that require students to write from multiple sources about a single topic, and model expectations for writing using rubrics and student work to help students learn how to self-evaluate. TEACHING STRATEGIES: OPINION WRITING (K-5) ENVIRONMENT Writing and speaking to topics or texts and supporting a point of view with relevant and sufficient evidence is one of the critical skills required for college- and career-readiness, and teachers are expected to introduce and build upon these skills beginning in the elementary grades. In this workshop, participants will develop an understanding of the expectations for opinion writing based upon evidence from the text. They will explore the connection between close reading and writing from sources, understand the components of Reading to Write lessons, and learn specific strategies for teaching opinion writing. LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT 7

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS 8 TEACHING STRATEGIES: ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING (6-12) Rigorous writing expectations include writing for argumentation and writing sustained research projects that require clear reasoning and sufficient evidence. Participants will learn a process for moving beyond standard book and lab reports to writing in which students defend claims by gathering and evaluating information and presenting it in a structure and format that addresses task, purpose, and audience. SUPPORTING EMERGENT WRITERS (K-3) PARTS I AND II Time to write each day, for multiple purposes, is essential to student success in writing even at the earliest stages. This seminar focuses on the developmental stages of early writers and the importance of writing for K-3 students. Participants will explore the process of early writing and strategies, tools, and techniques to use in the classroom to support emergent writers. SUPPORTING DEVELOPING WRITERS (4-8) PARTS I AND II This seminar focuses on the characteristics of writers in grades 4 through 8 who are building the craft of writing, while also being expected to use writing across the curriculum to demonstrate their thinking and their growing knowledge base. Strategies, tools, and techniques for creating a writing-friendly environment and for embedding writing instruction throughout the curriculum will be explored and practiced. NEW! WRITING ACROSS THE HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM Although there is general agreement that high school students need to be developing their writing skills in all their classes, many high school teachers have limited training in the teaching of writing and find it challenging to integrate writing into their already packed class time. This seminar provides an overview of the writing process, provides some techniques for incorporating writing tasks into every discipline, and equips teachers with a framework for assessing writing. Math LITERACY IN MATH Literacy strategies can help students develop a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics. During this session, participants will identify evidence of literacy demands in math standards and explore strategies for supporting student literacy achievement in math. Participants will explore a range of vocabulary instruction strategies, many of which are fun and practical. Emphasis will be placed on three major variables in vocabulary development: exposure, context, and variety. Participants will collaboratively learn techniques for applying reading and thinking strategies to problem solving, review the process of mathematics problem solving, and learn strategies to support problem solving. PROBLEMATIC MATH PROBLEMS Explore the need for students to engage with more rigorous, abstract, unpredictable problems as part of math instruction that meets collegeand career-readiness expectations. In this session, participants will examine the limitations of most textbook math problems and learn strategies for altering materials in ways that increase both rigor and engagement.

STUDENT SUPPORT PEDAGOGY & CURRICULUM INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR THE K-8 MATH CLASSROOM Effective math instruction focuses on big ideas and aims to provide a solid foundation of conceptual understanding so students can make their own connections to real-world problems. In this seminar, participants will explore best practices in math instruction and will experiment with a variety of tools, techniques, and approaches for teaching math. Discussion will center on creating tasks with a high level of cognitive demands and how to scaffold that instruction so all students experience success. THE PROCESS OF PROBLEM SOLVING Problem solving is an important skill students need to master for success in education as well as life in the "real world." In this session, participants will solve a grade-level appropriate word problem and debrief their solutions. This will serve as a springboard for analyzing the universal steps of problem solving as a process. Participants will explore strategies for teaching students that process (including language and classroom tools such as a problem-solving poster). They will also explore the role of the 8 Mathematical Practices and multiple representation (verbal, symbolic, numeric, and graphic) in the problem-solving process. As time allows, participants will also analyze how that process plays out in three diverse problem solving cases: (a) routine problem solving; (b) so-called "rich" or "authentic" problems; (c) end-of-year testing. IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE MATH PRACTICES Rigorous standards in math have an increased focus on the essential practices of mathematically proficient students. In this session, participants will examine effective math practices with a focus on how each one informs and affects the way math is taught, learned, and used. Participants will discuss how these standards can be implemented throughout the year in support of all content standards. An exemplar lesson will provide the foundation for in-depth analysis of the mathematical practice standards and the relationship to the overall instructional shifts of mathematics. Disciplinary Literacy DISCIPLINARY LITERACY IN THE SCIENCE CLASSROOM (6-12) To ensure student success in the 21st century, teachers of all disciplines even science must become skilled at teaching literacy. In this session, participants will gain an understanding of the application of reading and literacy strategies to a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts through the unique perspective of a scientist. Participants will focus on analyzing the author s purpose, integrating and evaluating multiple sources of information, and evaluating scientific processes, data, and conclusions. DISCIPLINARY LITERACY IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM (6-12) To ensure student success in the 21st century, teachers of all disciplines even social studies must become skilled at teaching literacy. In this session, participants will gain an understanding of the application of reading and literacy strategies to a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts through the unique perspective of an historian. Participants will focus on issues of causation and corroboration, separating fact from speculation, and understanding how cultural or political context can affect an author s voice and point of view. ENVIRONMENT LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT 9

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS 10 NEW! STEM & Technology FOSTERING CRITICAL THINKING WITH INQUIRY-BASED LABS Inquiry-based learning starts by posing questions, problems, or scenarios rather than simply presenting established facts or portraying a smooth path to knowledge. In this session, high school teachers will learn to design inquiry-based laboratory experiences that move students beyond the basic steps of the scientific method to realworld questions and problem solving. Participants will also learn how to plan for and incorporate inquiry-based techniques within traditional lab settings that will build critical thinking in students and engage them in authentic learning experiences. INTRODUCTION TO STEM: INQUIRY BASED LEARNING PART I AND PART II 21st Century careers demand students develop STEM habits of mind. In this session, teachers will explore ways to use inquiry-based methods to engage students in investigating the world around them. Participants will learn how to develop strategies for STEM activities linked to course curriculum, and they will understand how to facilitate inquiry-based learning as part of regular instruction and engage students in experiential and discovery-based learning. HOW TO ENGAGE STUDENTS WITH INQUIRY-BASED INSTRUCTION Increasing student engagement and developing critical thinking are central to preparing students for college and career. In this session, participants will explore the characteristics of project and problem-based learning, integrated curriculum, backward planning, and the use of essential questions and how each of these supports students learning through inquiry. INCORPORATING STEM PART I AND PART II This seminar is designed for schools that have begun to implement inquiry-based learning and are moving forward with their STEM initiatives. Teachers will learn how to incorporate projectbased learning strategies and technology into instruction by employing strategies to create, test, and refine ideas and hypotheses. Participants will explore how to leverage technology in the instruction and practical application of literacy, math, and science lessons and challenge students to apply scientific principles to real-world problems. INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO A 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM As we aim to prepare our students for college and career, we must ensure that teachers feel as comfortable with the technology as their students. This seminar explores various internet-based tools and techniques that can be used for instruction and assessment, as well as active student engagement both inside and outside the classroom. Participants will better understand the digital natives in their classrooms and learn strategies for leading an integrated classroom. Participants will explore resources and plan for implementing new strategies into upcoming lessons. BUILDING COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS WITH TECHNOLOGY Expectations for 21st century career- and college-readiness include a focus on technology integration for communication and productivity. This session provides an overview of the ways in which technology is important for communication and productivity and examples of how participants can apply technology tools to help students achieve the complex thinking, learning, and communicating required.

STUDENT SUPPORT PEDAGOGY & CURRICULUM ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR THE INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD How can the use of interactive whiteboard (IWB) technology enhance student achievement, deepen comprehension, and actively engage students in the learning process? Participants in this session will learn tools and techniques for using the IWB as more than just a presentation tool. Participants will reflect on their capacity to e-teach and share best practices for teaching with the IWB, and they will learn principles for using interactive whiteboards to effectively incorporate high-yield strategies into instruction and develop activities that integrate the use of the interactive whiteboard. IPADS FOR CREATIVITY In this seminar, participants will learn how to use the ipad for collaboration, creativity, and innovation. The topics covered embody the principals of Universal Design for Learning, differentiated instruction, and support college- and career-readiness standards. Participants of this seminar will explore multi-sensory note taking, movie making, use of audio, digital storytelling, writing and vocabulary using the ipad to enhance student learning. Teachers will gain strategies to increase critical thinking with this engaging, dynamic new entrant in the world of educational technology. Apps utilized in this session include, but are not limited to Inspiration Maps, Garage Band, Puffin Browser, Comic Life, Drawing Pad, imovie, istop Motion, Notability, and Whiteboard HD. Multi-Age Classrooms THE MULTI-AGE CLASSROOM: PLANNING FOR LEARNING Planning for instruction in a multi-age setting takes special consideration for curriculum planning. Participants in this session will explore tools for structured planning to address the needs of all students within a multi-age classroom. Focusing on a competency-based approach, participants will learn strategies for determining student readiness, assessing learning style, and uncovering student interest levels. Participants will learn how to use data and information from a variety of pre-assessments to plan for flexible skill groups addressing a variety of needs within a multi-age classroom. THE MULTI-AGE CLASSROOM: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES The multi-age setting can present unique challenges for instruction and classroom management. Participants in this session will gain instructional strategies for monitoring and adjusting instruction according to the demonstrated competencies and needs of the multi-age students within their schools and classrooms. Participants will be introduced to methods for supporting differentiation in a mixed-ability classroom, including ways to differentiate content, process, and product. Participants will focus on strategies that encourage and empower students to become independent learners within multi-age classrooms. Participants will collaborate on plans for implementing new strategies within their multi-age classrooms. ENVIRONMENT LEADERSHIP 11

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES Accelerating Readers K-12 Student reading achievement is dependent on knowledgeable, skilled teachers and principals. Catapult Learning s research-based series for reading provides teachers with effective, easily implemented instructional strategies to increase comprehension of complex text across all grade levels and content areas. Our capacity-building seminars are designed to develop new teaching skills and apply new learning techniques in the classroom. All participants will engage in the following study for comprehension and vocabulary over the course of two full days or four half-day sessions: 1. Clarify their definition of comprehension and identify instructional practices essential for increasing student comprehension. 2. Identify the six basic signal words and explain their use in facilitating comprehension. 3. Apply the steps for summarizing in an explicitly modeled lesson. 4. Analyze and apply the critical attributes for planning and teaching an effective comprehension lesson including questioning, clarifying, visualizing, predicting, and inferring 5. Identify specific Fix-Up strategies that can be employed by students when comprehension ceases. 6. Discover that word consciousness is a motivational and affective component of a word-rich classroom. 7. Discuss factors to utilize when selecting words for building meaning. 8. Select Tier Two words and create effective instructional strategies. 9. Analyze components of Tier Three vocabulary instruction and create effective instructional strategies. 10. Determine relationships among vocabulary, comprehension and context. 18

Teachers will examine grade-level content in either two full day or four half day sessions as follows: K-5th Grade Teachers: Phonics and Word Study 1. Examine spelling inventories in order to identify a student s stage of word knowledge or instructional level. 2. Analyze the stages of word study development. 3. Discuss strategies and increase knowledge of the characteristics for the Alphabetic, Pattern, and Meaning Layers of orthography. 4. Analyze students Spelling Inventory results and place students at their correct level for instruction. 5. Identify advanced decoding strategies for determining pronunciation and meaning of unknown words. 6. Enhance their knowledge for teaching the six-syllable patterns and how to use these patterns in decoding multisyllabic words. 7. Learn techniques for word study using prefixes, suffixes, word roots and base words. 8. Match assessment results with instruction by selecting appropriate activities in resources. 9. Examine the purpose of Walls That Teach and experience Word Wall activities that support and increase students word knowledge. 10. Experience the lesson progression for teaching phonics/word study and make connections to the gradual release of responsibility that is such an important component of the Anatomy of a Lesson. 6th -12th Grade Teachers: Strategies for Complex Text 1. Identify the purpose of close reading and analyze its essential components. 2. Discuss the use of text-dependent questions as a vehicle to increase evidence-based student discussions 3. Evaluate text complexity based on qualitative and quantitative measures as well as reader and task. 4. Discuss the necessity of engaging with primary sources in the middle and high school classroom 5. Practice a method of annotating text as a means to increase comprehension 6. Compare and contrast rigor with difficulty, and discuss implications for planning learning experiences and assessments for students 7. Review Bloom s Taxonomy and questioning techniques that lead to critical thinking and long-term retention of content 8. Identify strategies to support diverse learners as they engage with complex text 9. Review and analyze how to use the Close Reading for Complex Text: Lesson Plan Template Instructions. 10. Plan a close reading lesson as a means of teaching complex text 19

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES Teaching for Deep Understanding in Math K-8 Catapult Learning s math series is designed for elementary school teachers of math, as well as content-specific math teachers at the middle school level. This series will focus on the process of problem-solving and present grade-level appropriate approaches to problem-solving while also building a consistent approach that will grow with student thinking over time. All participants will engage in the following over the course of one full day or two half days. 1. Review the core fluencies and major content clusters identified as essential for each grade band. 2. Explore the instructional shifts of fluency, coherence and focus in math and how those shifts can lead to more rigorous instruction and deeper conceptual understanding of math. 3. Discuss the role of Mathematical Practices in deepening students understanding of mathematical concepts 4. Examine multiple representations (verbal, symbolic, numeric, and graphic) in the problem solving process. 5. Analyze how multiple representations play out in three diverse problem solving cases: (a) routine problem solving; (b) so-called rich or authentic problems and (c) end-of-year tests. 6. Discuss the importance of teaching for transfer, with strategies to support students as they move to mastery of concepts. Teachers will examine grade-level content in either one full day or two half day sessions as follows: I. Grades K-1 PD Focus: Counting and Cardinality Building Blocks of Addition and Subtraction Participants will build conceptual understanding of the following topics: Counting and Cardinality Addition and Subtraction Number Relations for Fluency Difficulty with foundational computation skills will prevent students from achieving higher levels of mathematical understanding. In this session, teachers will learn creative ways to help students experiment with counting and cardinality and build number sense. Teachers will learn how to ensure students a solid foundation and understanding of addition and subtraction. Teachers will learn to use manipulatives and games that encourage fluency and enable students to move towards deeper understanding. 20

II. Grades 2-3 PD Focus: Addition and Subtraction Participants will build conceptual understanding of the following topics: Addition and Subtraction Number Relations for Fluency Categorizing Data Difficulty with foundational computation skills will prevent students from achieving higher levels of mathematical understanding. In this session, teachers will learn creative ways to help students add and subtract one- or multi-digit numbers with or without regrouping successfully. Teachers will learn to use manipulatives and games that encourage fluency and enable students to move towards deeper understanding and preparation for fractions. III. Grades 4-5 PD Focus: Comparing, Adding and Subtracting Fractions Participants will build conceptual understanding of the following topics: Multiplication and Division Equivalent Fractions Teachers will learn ways to build conceptual understanding for students around the relationship between multiplication and division. This key understanding, combined with prior conceptual knowledge of addition and subtraction, will be used to transfer students into the critical understanding of fractions. Participants will examine how equivalent fraction skills progress from one level to the next, including equivalence, composing and decomposing and adding and subtracting with unlike denominators. Teachers will learn methods for applying solid content knowledge to teaching and addressing misconceptions leading to deeper understanding for students. IV. Grades 5/6-8 PD Focus: Solving Equations Participants will build conceptual understanding of the following topics: Equations Ratios This session will help teachers build capacity to ensure students have a strong foundation in representing quantities by variables, the ability to construct simple equations or inequalities, and understand what solving an equation means. Teachers will challenge their own understanding and will learn how to support students as they construct and solve equations and inequalities. Teachers will explore the mathematical progressions of equivalent ratio and unit rate skills and will prepare students to build upon their knowledge of fractions and unit rates to analyze proportional relationships, which will help them in future work with expressions and equations. 21

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES Writing in the Content Area for Middle and High School Teachers NEW! This professional development series has been created specifically for middle and high school science and social studies teachers as they continue to incorporate informative and argumentative writing based on evidence into their curriculum. Throughout the course of the series, the facilitator will model each step in the process and allow time for participants to both practice and plan for transfer to their own classrooms. Teachers will have the opportunity to reflect on and discuss current practices and plan for instruction using their own materials and resources. The emphasis of this series is on how to support students as they write from evidence based on a close reading of primary source documents. Participants will engage in the following: 1. Study the standards and instructional shifts to understand the expectations for close reading and writing based on evidence in the content areas. 2. Annotate an exemplar lesson plan and watch a video clip of instruction for evidence of the 6 instructional Shifts. 3. Engage in a close reading of a primary source document for their content area. 4. Explore a resource for primary documents and discuss how these materials connect to upcoming units of study. 5. Investigate the elements of text complexity and how to evaluate text to determine the appropriate level of rigor. 6. Discuss the role that teacher modeling, think-alouds and text-based student discussion play in the writing process. 7. Use a process for annotating text and plan for using annotations in the classroom. 8. Write a summary and précis, including how to properly cite source material. 9. Compare and contrast persuasive versus argumentative writing. 10. Learn the three basic components for designing an effective writing prompt. 11. Examine a writing rubric and discuss implication on current assessment practices. 12. Plan for the process of a multi-day argumentative writing piece. 22

A Professional Review of Assessment Practices This workshop series has been artfully crafted for teachers of all grades, subjects, and experience. The facilitator will guide teachers in a survey of their own assessment practices and give them opportunity to plan for growth. As a means of demonstrating best practices, the facilitator will engage teachers using a wide range of assessment strategies, ranging from reflective writing, to diagramming, to games, adding in a fun layer of meta-assessment. Participants will engage in the following: 1. Define the term assessment and take a personal inventory of current means of collecting evidence of learning. 2. Distinguish formative assessment vs. summative assessment, examine the gray areas in between, and determine an appropriate ratio between the two. 3. Examine the problems with using averages and letter marks in grading depth of knowledge and explore proficiency marks as a more effective alternative. 4. Examine, via many examples, the next generation of standards-based testing, its greater emphasis on critical thinking skills, and the widening array of assessment formats, including computer-based assessment tools. 5. Use Webb s Depth of Knowledge scale to evaluate the complexity of tasks, with special attention given to tasks that are less complex than they seem. 6. Identify and apply criteria for evaluating the quality of assessments to grade-level and subjectspecific sample tasks. 7. Interpret the evidence of learning provided by assessments by careful analysis of (mock) student work for different grade levels and subject areas. 8. Engage in dialogue about the nature of effective feedback. 9. Survey a four-page sample of (primarily formative) assessment strategies that will give teachers a huge range of approaches for collecting evidence of learning. 10. Analyze Common Issues with Tests using a (simulated) test about assessment rigged to demonstrate these issues. 11. Play a game in which they analyze assessment format vs. type of learning, with the goal of making strong choices in the future. 12. Reconsider the nature and importance of self-assessment, often underused despite research showing it to be a highly flexible, effective assessment format. 13. Analyze and design performance tasks, often underused despite research showing it to be a highly flexible, effective assessment format. 23

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES SEMINAR SERIES Grades K-2 ELA FACTS AND DETAILS Successful readers continually monitor their understanding of key facts and details throughout a text. Whether during independent, group, or read-aloud interactions with text, students need strategies for identifying and recording key facts and details. During this session, teachers will learn ways to help students identify facts and details during fiction and non-fiction reading by using graphic organizers and charts to identify and record key facts and details. MAIN IDEA What is the main idea? Students who cannot answer that question will have trouble getting beyond basic understanding to deeper levels of meaning. During this session, teachers will learn to use picture walks and annotation strategies to provided a scaffolded approach so that students can identify and articulate the main idea of both fiction and non-fiction texts. SIGHT WORD RECOGNITION Successfully recognizing and reading sight words and high frequency words is essential to beginning readers. In this session, teachers will learn strategies for helping students to recognize sight vocabulary accurately and fluently. Teachers will discuss effective ways to use Word Walls and create print-rich environments so that students will be exposed to new words and increase sight vocabulary. LETTER SOUND CORRESPONDENCE Students who successfully decode words are able to apply multiple strategies including their knowledge of letter sound correspondence. In this session, teachers will learn strategies including games and letter books that will help students to match each letter to its corresponding sound. WHO HAS MORE? Math Solid number sense includes the ability to order and compare quantities. Students need to be able to sequence numbers and have an understanding of the quantities those numbers represent. In this session, teachers will learn strategies and games including the game Who has more? to help students order and compare numbers 1 through 99. Teachers will also learn how to use manipulatives, objects and drawings to help students recognize whether the number of objects in one group is less than, greater than, or equal to another group. ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION Difficulty with foundational computation skills will prevent students from achieving higher levels of mathematical understanding. In this session, teachers will learn creative ways to help students add and subtract one- or multi-digit numbers with or without regrouping successfully. Teachers will learn to use manipulatives and games that encourage fluency and enable students to move towards deeper understanding. 24

THE PROPERTIES OF SHAPES The properties of geometric shapes are essential to understanding their place in the world around us. Students need to understand the properties that define shapes, solids, and special figures. In this session, teachers will learn strategies for helping students use shapes and puzzles to recognize and identify geometric shapes and solids. Teachers will practice strategies and games for actively engaging students in understanding and sorting shapes. PLACE VALUE Understanding the place value within multi-digit numbers is essential to the understanding of computation with multi-digit numbers. In this session, teachers will learn methods for helping students understand place value and identify the value of each digit in numerals 1 through 99. Strategies, including the use of place value counting cards, place value mats, and games will be introduced to provide opportunities for students to identify and quantify the place value of digits. VOWEL PATTERNS ESL The silent e spelling pattern can be challenging for English Language Learners. In this session, teachers will learn strategies to assist ELLs to read words with long vowel sounds that contain the silent e spelling pattern. Teachers will learn to integrate word banks, games, and other multisensory materials, as well as decodable text to provide direct instruction in the silent e rule and silent e words. NUMBER PATTERNS Patterns are the language of mathematics. English Language Learners can use the patterns of math to communicate understanding. In this session, teachers will learn daily math activities that will help students identify, analyze, and complete number and shape patterns. Teachers will practice strategies including using daily math problems, Sudoku games, and partner games to demonstrate number and shape patterns. 25

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES SEMINAR SERIES Grades 3-5 ELA ANALYZING AUTHOR S PURPOSE Recognizing author s purpose can be crucial to understanding the meaning behind text. Student s often have difficulty focusing on the key words of the text that enable them to determine the author s purpose. In this session, teachers will practice using an anchor chart to outline the author s purpose and key vocabulary related to author s purpose. Teachers will learn structured activities for having students compose their own essays intended to inform, entertain, or persuade their audience. QUESTIONS TO GUIDE INFERENCE Getting beyond basic comprehension requires the ability to draw inferences from the text. Students who read at a literal level often struggle with uncovering deeper levels of meaning. In this session, teachers will learn a series of guiding questions that will help students to combine clues from the text with prior knowledge in order to make inferences and uncover meaning. COMPARE AND CONTRAST There are always two sides to a story. In this session, teachers will learn strategies for integrating fiction and non-fiction texts that allow students to compare and contrast differing accounts of the same story or event. Teachers will practice using specific organizers to structure student comparisons of story elements (narrative) and factual information (expository) using two different versions of the same story. WHERE DOES IT FIT? Understanding how words work together is an important part of building comprehension and literacy. Students need to internalize the ways in which words, topics, and ideas can be grouped together to form meaning. In this session, teachers will learn to use flash cards and organizers to assist students as they sort words and information from within fiction and nonfiction texts. Math TAKE A GUESS Making thoughtful predictions about data and numbers can help students to understand reasonable outcomes. In this session, teachers will explore methods for students to use including collecting data and using spinners to practice determining reasonable outcomes. Through these activities, students will learn how probability can be used to formulate predictions. ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION Difficulty with foundational computation skills will prevent students from achieving higher levels of mathematical understanding. In this session, teachers will learn creative ways to help students add and subtract one- or multi-digit numbers with or without regrouping, up to four digits successfully. Teachers will learn to use manipulatives and games that encourage fluency and enable students to move towards deeper understanding. 26

THE PROPERTIES OF SHAPES The properties of geometric shapes are essential to understanding their place in the world around us. Students need to understand the properties that define shapes, solids, and special figures. In this session, teachers will learn strategies for helping students maintain a classification booklet that identifies, describes, and classifies geometric shapes. Teachers will practice strategies and games for actively engaging students in understanding, analyzing, and classifying geometric shapes. SOLVING COMPLEX PROBLEMS Given real-world problems, students need to increase their ability to choose and apply the appropriate math concepts and calculations to solve the problem. In this session, teachers will learn strategies to help students use manipulatives, base ten blocks, or fraction tiles to represent the numerals in a given word problem and model any combination of operations required to solve the problem. ESL WHAT S THE MAIN IDEA? Students who are English Language Learners need to employ specific skills to comprehend what they are reading and determine the main idea of the text. In this session, teachers will learn to use the Guided Practice technique, with a Main Idea Graphic Organizer, to help students comprehend what each paragraph or text selection describes and identify the main ideas. FACT OR OPINION? One of the key nuances that English Language Learners struggle with is distinguishing between facts and opinions presented in informational text. In this session, teachers will learn to use a Fact/Opinion Exemplar Chart to help students learn the definitions and associated exemplars and use them to judge between fact and opinion in texts. 27

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES SEMINAR SERIES Grades 6-8 ELA ANALYZING AUTHOR S PURPOSE Recognizing author s purpose can be crucial to understanding the meaning behind text. Student s often have difficulty focusing on the key words of the text that enable them to determine the author s purpose. In this session, teachers will practice strategies for identifying the topic and intended audience within a variety of text including poetry, narratives, and newspapers, and helping students to identify words or phrases that determine the author s purpose. QUESTIONS TO GUIDE INFERENCE Getting beyond basic comprehension requires the ability to draw inferences from the text. Students who read at a literal level often struggle with uncovering deeper levels of meaning. In this session, teachers will learn a series of guiding questions that will help students to combine clues from the text with prior knowledge in order to make inferences and uncover meaning. UNLOCK MEANING THROUGH ROOT WORDS Decoding complex words is essential to the increasingly complex demands of informational text in the middle grades. Students need to be proficient with using root words to read unfamiliar words in and out of context. In this session, teachers will learn strategies to increase students abilities to use known root words, including Greek and Latin root words, as clues to the meaning of unknown words. Teachers will practice using a word web to help students break apart words by identifying root words. CLUES TO CONTENT VOCABULARY Content-specific text often contains specialized vocabulary. Students need to be able to determine the meaning of those specialized words in order to gain content knowledge. In this session, teachers will learn specific strategies, including the Vocabulary Improvement Strategy, which provide students with tools to learn and retain content vocabulary. Math PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER Computation with fractions can present a real challenge for students and make a significant difference in their ability to progress into higher levels of math. In this session, teachers will learn how to help students add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions with like and unlike denominators. Teachers will learn specific strategies, including modeling with fraction tiles, so that students will gain deep understanding of computing with fractions. SOLVING COMPLEX PROBLEMS Given real-world problems, students need to increase their ability to choose and apply the appropriate math concepts and calculations to solve a problem. In this session, teachers will learn the strategies to help students use manipulatives, base ten blocks, or fraction tiles to represent the numerals in a given word problem and model any combination of operations required to solve the problem. 28

ESL WHAT S THE MAIN IDEA? Students who are English Language Learners need to employ specific skills to comprehend what they are reading and determine the main idea of the text. In this session, teachers will learn to use the Guided Practice technique with a Main Idea Graphic Organizer to help students comprehend what each paragraph or text selection describes and to identify the main ideas. FACT OR OPINION? One of the key nuances that English Language Learners struggle with is distinguishing between facts and opinions presented in informational text. In this session, teachers will learn to use a Fact/Opinion Exemplar Chart to help students learn the definitions and associated exemplars and use them to judge between fact and opinion in texts. 29