Sunday, November 29, 2015

Look ahead for November 30, 2015

Notes from the Principal:

***As we are looking at our short term action plans and looking to improve academic performance and student success I came across some notes on a conversation I had with my peers in Azle.  I think they fit in 100% with what we are trying to accomplish this year.

Appropriate, goal oriented, feedback creates a road map for student success.  It shows them how far they can go towards mastering a subject or lesson by creating specific targets in which to improve academic success.
So what does this feedback look like?  It is showing your students what opportunities present themselves as they work towards mastering a concept.  It is about getting the student excited about what they are learning.  It is about growing and developing an interest for your students.

Transparency is key as well.  No one likes to be made to guess at something, adults and children alike.  Students want to know what is expected of them because it is much easier to understand and process the feedback being given.  When a student knows the expectations of an assignment, concept, lesson, etc. they are given the best chance to be successful.

What does transparent feedback look like?  Rubrics are an outstanding way towards honest feedback and improve academic success.  It's an honest, no guesswork, way to have a conversation.

Feedback provides a clear course for your students.  All in all it tells the class or student what to do next.  Again, they should never be left to guess what they are supposed to do, learn or take away from a lesson.

Feedback needs to be actionable.  A simple way to gauge whether we are being successful in giving feedback is to ask yourself will your students know where to go and how to proceed.  The worst thing we can do is to have our kids ask "what does this mean?"  Appropriate feedback needs to be clear, actionable, concise all while using common language in the classroom.

Timeliness is another key to look at when looking to give feedback.  It must be timely and while the activity is fresh on the student's mind.  After all our students are dependent on us to master those skills important to their education.  Honest feedback allows our students to focus on what's important and how to make their learning opportunities better.  Look for those opportunities to give direct and honest feedback; whether it's during peer observations or classroom instruction.

Let's have a great week.

Generic Morning Announcement: - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dAG5eWCok&feature=youtu.be


Mastery Connect:

okcps.masteryconnect.com

Star360 logins:

Student Login:  http://10.3.110.92/rploginstudent/

Username: FirstName.LastName (this is their single sign on login information used for computers)
Password: XStudentID#

Teacher Login:  http://10.3.110.92/rploginstaff/

Once the student has successfully logged on, they will then select either STAR Early Literacy (K-1), STAR Reading (2-6) or STAR Math (2-6).  After selecting an assessment, the student will need to select the class labeled reading. The student will then proceed with the pre-test. Once the student has completed the pre-test, a box will pop-up asking for a monitor password to advance to the real assessment portion.  Please note that the student will select the class labeled reading for both STAR Math and STAR Reading after they select the designated assessment from their dashboard.

Admin/Specialist Login:  https://hosted58.renlearn.com/217454/

*** Oklahoma State Blueprints: ***


Available accommodations for the OCCT:


***Additional Pacing Guides for 5th Science***
    Broken Arrow Pacing Guide

    Lawton Pacing Guide

    Lawton 5th Science Test Prep Examples

    Elementary Science Vocabulary

    Properties of Matter lessons:


    ***Additional Supports for 5th Social Studies***

    Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 1

    Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 2

    Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 3

    Social Studies CRT Study Guide 4

    Videos Worth Watching:

    Hunting Your Goals Using Persistence - via @drneilgupta

    Regina Hartley: Why the best hire might not have the perfect resume - via @TEDTalks

    David Beckham - The Power of Practice - A very short, but important, video showing why we practice on a skill.  Plus, it's David Beckham.

    Articles Worth Reading:


    How to Give Students Specific Feedback That Actually Helps Them Learn - via @TeachThought

    The Best Teachers Don't Do What They're Told - via @TeachThought

    Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers - via @TeachThought

    The Future Belongs to the Curious: How Are We Bringing Curiosity Into School? - via @jackiegerstein

    10 Examples and Non-Examples Of Differentiated Instruction - via @TeachThought

    15 Examples of Student-Centered Teaching - via @TeachThought

    12 Rules Of Great Teaching - via @TeachThought

    Designing Collaborative Spaces for Schools - via @THE_Journal

    Transform Your #Thinking: What I Can Say to Myself - via @WeAreTeachers

    Let’s Keep Learning (Even When It’s Less Convenient) - via @aaron_hogan

    So many students come to school for much more than just an education - via @NicholasFerroni

    Your Guide to Reading the World - via @TEDTalks

    Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help Us Learn - via @MindShiftKQED

    Pay Attention to Your Digital Footprint - via @PrincipalStager

    “Why Are We Doing This?” Establishing Relevance to Enhance Student Learning - via @facultyfocus

    Sunday Morning Pictures - via @blogforiowa


    Weekly Look Ahead:  Informal observation window (Those that count towards your final evaluation) until December 11th.  This Saturday is part two of Ruby Payne Training!!!!!  Please make plans to attend.  ***STAR360 TESTING THIS WEEK!!!!!***

    Monday November 30, 2015 - OSU extension to Ms. Oltmann's class; SpEd to visit Hayes for Task boxes

    Tuesday December 1, 2015 -  EDM4 training; Faculty Meeting this week in the Cafeteria; Boy Scouts in the Gym; Character Counts; Adult English Classes in the library; 2 IEP meetings - 

    Continued -  Pre-K and Kinder Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Swindell's classroom.

    Wednesday December 2, 2015 - Normal School Day; Grade Level Meetings in classrooms throughout the day; two IEP meetings

    Continued -  First and Second Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Wolfe's classroom.

    Thursday December 3, 2015 - Normal School Day; Mr. Ross at a Principal's meeting

    Continued -  Third and Fourth Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Flore's classroom.

    Friday December 4, 2015 - LLI training; Normal School Day; 3 IEP meetings 

    Continued -  Fifth, Sixth and AU Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am. (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Billy's classroom.  

    Sunday, November 8, 2015

    Look ahead for November 9, 2015

    Notes from the Principal:

    Respectfully borrowed from Joshua Dickerson:

    I woke myself up
    Because we ain't got an alarm clock
    Dug in the dirty clothes basket,
    Cause ain't nobody washed my uniform
    Brushed my hair and teeth in the dark,
    Cause the lights ain't on
    Even got my baby sister ready,
    Cause mama wasn't home.
    Got us both to school on time,
    To eat us a good breakfast.
    Then when I got to class the teacher fussed at me,
    Cause I ain't got a pencil.

    You never know what challenges our students are facing outside of school.  You never know if Joshua, or Joshua's, are in your class.  How are you going to get to know your students?  How are you going to react when a student needs a pencil?

    Just a heads up:  Progress reports go home next week!

    Generic Morning Announcement: - 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dAG5eWCok&feature=youtu.be

    Weekly Staff Spotlight:

    Coming soon!

    Mastery Connect:

    okcps.masteryconnect.com

    Star360 logins:

    Student Login:  http://10.3.110.92/rploginstudent/

    Username: FirstName.LastName (this is their single sign on login information used for computers)
    Password: XStudentID#

    Teacher Login:  http://10.3.110.92/rploginstaff/

    Once the student has successfully logged on, they will then select either STAR Early Literacy (K-1), STAR Reading (2-6) or STAR Math (2-6).  After selecting an assessment, the student will need to select the class labeled reading. The student will then proceed with the pre-test. Once the student has completed the pre-test, a box will pop-up asking for a monitor password to advance to the real assessment portion.  Please note that the student will select the class labeled reading for both STAR Math and STAR Reading after they select the designated assessment from their dashboard.

    Admin/Specialist Login:  https://hosted58.renlearn.com/217454/

    *** Oklahoma State Blueprints: ***


    Available accommodations for the OCCT:


    ***Additional Pacing Guides for 5th Science***
      Broken Arrow Pacing Guide

      Lawton Pacing Guide

      Lawton 5th Science Test Prep Examples

      Elementary Science Vocabulary

      Properties of Matter lessons:


      ***Additional Supports for 5th Social Studies***

      Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 1

      Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 2

      Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 3

      Social Studies CRT Study Guide 4

      Videos Worth Watching:



      Articles Worth Reading:

      How To Prepare Students For 21st Century Survival - via @TeachThought

      A Project-Based Learning Cheat Sheet For Authentic Learning  - via @TeachThought

      42 Fill-in-the-Blank Prompts For Students To Design Their Own Projects - via @TeachThought

      A Different Kind of Lesson From Finland - via @educationweek

      30 Ideas To Promote Creativity In Learning - via @TeachThought

      What Classrooms Can Learn From Informal Learning - via @TeachThought

      High Stakes to a Whole New Level - via @benjamingilpin

      How to Transform Educational Books into Professional Development - via @rosscoops31


      Weekly Look Ahead:  Informal observation window (Those that count towards your final evaluation) until December 11th.  LEARNER FIRST WEEK!!!

      Monday November 9, 2015 - Normal School Day; OSU extension is Ms. Keith's/Oltmann's class
      IEP meeting

      Tuesday November 10, 2015 -  5th Grade Field Trip to Art Museum - NO Faculty Meeting this week; Boy Scouts in the Gym; Character Counts; Adult English Classes in the library; 2 IEP meetings - National Science Day

      Continued -  Pre-K and Kinder Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Swindell's classroom.

      Wednesday November 11, 2015 - Normal School Day; Grade Level Meetings in classrooms throughout the day - (Discussing Star360 results) Veteran's Day

      Continued -  First and Second Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Wolfe's classroom.

      Thursday November 12, 2015 - Learner First in the library from 11:45am to 1:45pm

      Continued -  Third and Fourth Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Flore's classroom.

      Friday November 13, 2015 - Spirit Day; Normal School Day; IEP meeting (Friday the 13th and Odd day, 11/13/15)

      Continued -  Fifth, Sixth and AU Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am. (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Billy's classroom.  

      Sunday, November 1, 2015

      Look ahead for November 2, 2015

      Notes from the Principal:

      Star360 Assessment's need to be done this week.  Plan accordingly and get your students assessed.

      Thursday will be busy.  We have EDM4 training all day.  There will be over 10 substitutes in the building.  In addition, Hayes is hosting the cluster principal's meeting for this Month.  That means there will be 11 campus principals in the library from 8:00am to 11:30am.  I want the staff to park in the back lot on this day due to the large number of visitors we will have on site.

      We will have grade level meetings this week.  We will be discussing TLE/Marzano.  Be ready!

      Remember that this weeks faculty meeting will be an increased look at vertical teaming.

      Finally, thank you to Ms. Rich, Ms. Williams and Ms. Briscoe for their willingness to volunteer to be videoed to improve their direct instruction practices.  We will be filming this week and looking at the films during planning (possibly during grade level meetings)

      Generic Morning Announcement: - 

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dAG5eWCok&feature=youtu.be

      Weekly Staff Spotlight:

      Shelby Oltmanns; First/Third Grade

      Ms. Oltmann's is in the beginning of her second year in education and at Hayes Elementary.  She is a graduate of UCO and she is hoping to begin work on her masters degree within the next 12 months.  For the past 17 years she has been attending her local church and she enjoys serving there.

      Shelby was born in Oklahoma but has spent time in Hutchinson Kansas and Longview Texas before coming back home.

      She loves art and photography and the Oklahoma City Art Museum is one her favorite hang outs.  Shelby is an avid coffee drinker and her favorite foods are tacos and pie. (Hopefully not together!)

      Mastery Connect:

      okcps.masteryconnect.com

      Star360 logins:

      Student Login:  http://10.3.110.92/rploginstudent/

      Username: FirstName.LastName (this is their single sign on login information used for computers)
      Password: XStudentID#

      Teacher Login:  http://10.3.110.92/rploginstaff/

      Once the student has successfully logged on, they will then select either STAR Early Literacy (K-1), STAR Reading (2-6) or STAR Math (2-6).  After selecting an assessment, the student will need to select the class labeled reading. The student will then proceed with the pre-test. Once the student has completed the pre-test, a box will pop-up asking for a monitor password to advance to the real assessment portion.  Please note that the student will select the class labeled reading for both STAR Math and STAR Reading after they select the designated assessment from their dashboard.

      Admin/Specialist Login:  https://hosted58.renlearn.com/217454/

      *** Oklahoma State Blueprints: ***


      Available accommodations for the OCCT:


      ***Additional Pacing Guides for 5th Science***
        Broken Arrow Pacing Guide

        Lawton Pacing Guide

        Lawton 5th Science Test Prep Examples

        Elementary Science Vocabulary

        Properties of Matter lessons:


        ***Additional Supports for 5th Social Studies***

        Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 1

        Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 2

        Social Studies CRT Study Guide and Quiz 3

        Social Studies CRT Study Guide 4

        Videos Worth Watching:



        Articles Worth Reading:

        Empathy in Action: How Teachers Prepare Future Citizens - via @edutopia

        7 Myths About Rigor In The Classroom - via @TeachThought

        On Slow Readers and What It Means for Student Reading Identity - via @pernilleripp

        10 Fun-Filled Formative Assessment Ideas - via @edutopia

        How I Learned Differentiation - via @TeachThought

        NAEP Scores for Students With Disabilities Show Wide Achievement Gap - via @educationweek

        What Two Airline Companies Can Teach Us About School Culture - via @spencerideas

        What comes first, the chicken or the egg? - via @benjamingilpin

        San Antonio praised as national model for bilingual education - via @mySA


        Weekly Look Ahead:  Informal observation window (Those that count towards your final evaluation) until December 11th.  

        Monday November 2, 2015 - Normal School Day

        Tuesday November 3, 2015 -  After school meeting in the cafeteria (Vertical Teaming); Boy Scouts in the Gym; Character Counts; Adult English Classes in the library; IEP meeting @ 1:00pm

        Continued -  Pre-K and Kinder Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Swindell's classroom.

        Wednesday November 4, 2015 - Normal School Day; IEP meeting @ 1:10pm; Grade Level Meetings in classrooms throughout the day!

        Continued -  First and Second Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Wolfe's classroom.

        Thursday November 5, 2015 - EDM4 training (full day); Principals Meeting AT HAYES from 8:00am to 11:30am; Mr. Ross at ANOTHER Principals meeting from 1:00pm to 3:30pm

        Continued -  Third and Fourth Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Flore's classroom.

        Friday November 6, 2015 - Spirit Day; Normal School Day  

        Continued -  Fifth, Sixth and AU Grade Learner First Meeting from 8:00am to 8:30am. (students in the cafeteria at that time) - Meeting in Billy's classroom.