Period 1: The group reviewed the Unit and Lesson Planning Guide. There is a wealth of information contained in this resource for teachers to use in collaborative lesson planning sessions. Of particular intrest to us was the section on DOK. Learning to implement pre-planned questions that address the four DOK levels will provide increase opportuniites of expanding critical thinking in all studens.

Period 2: We liked the reference to formative assessment and the utilization of DOK questioning. One of our group is looking for some old material to add to the guide that will be useful to teachers in developing essential questions utilizing the backward design process.

Period 3: We talked about getting back and using the Close the Achievement Gap stratigies: vocabulary work, Frayer, advanced organizers and QARs. We like the graphic organizers and the cooperative group structures added behind tab 8 in the guide, they will be really helpful. Now we know why the "Power Verbs" are so important, they elevate the rigor whenever used in any application.

Period 4: The guide will be very helpful as we move forward collaboratively in with lesson design and delivery. The chart on technology utilization is a new and different insight for teachers as we begin to plan more effective ways of using technology. As a district, we are seeing greater opportunities for the use of technology in providing immediate feedback and reinforcing student progress through the use of the clickers in all math classes.

Period 5: The overview of the notebook was very helpful. The group was told about some of the rationales behind the inclusion of many of the elements in the guide.
Tab 4 - We were reminded of the power of reflection. Using (+ / - / ∆), we can note those positive + things that happened, think about things that were negative -, and most importantly about the (delta) ∆, things we could change to make the lesson better next time.
• ? Do you know what MSIP means by “peer review”? See the included peer review definitions.
Tab 6 – Use DOK notations to align the lesson plan, classroom activities, and the assessments. Notice that the POWER WORDS are mostly DOK 3 & 4.
• ? Do you know what MSIP means by “using technology”? See the included Grapling Technology Spectrum for definitions and notice that our goal should be to work toward Transforming
• ?What does Rigor look like?, see the scoring guide for examples.
Tab 7 – Non-Negotiable Reminder.
• Instructional Review Scoring Guide
• PIES/Kegan Cooperative Learning Strategies.

Period 6: Dr. Scully went through the lesson plan binder with the teachers, and reminded them of the essentials unit plan design.

Period 7: Dr Scully reviewed our new lesson plan 3-ring binder and explained the multiple tabs. We believe it will be very helpful to know and understand the specifics of what observers will be looking for in our classrooms, so as the technology definitions and the Dese definitions of what strategies mean will be helpful. We further discussed how having multiple lesson plans for different classes will look when put into the binder. We are anxious to try to move from left to right on the technology matrix.

Period 2: Our group initially discussed the walk-throughs that occured on 9/25/08. This led into a discussion of needed reinforcement of school rules and polices, especially in light of the recent school climate tensions. 1) Men's shirts and pants are still an issue. Teachers in this period talked about a repeated effort in reminding and mandating to students that they need to follow the school policies. This is NOT having the desired effect. Suggestion: Students need to be, as they were last year, turned away at the front doors by officers and administrators if they are not prepared to enter our building to our agreed standards. 2) Hall wanderers. Students who refuse to participate in class activities, even when given several different options to be a part of the educational activities, are becoming a larger problem. Specifically, they know they can leave the room, wander the halls, and MAYBE get caught later by a referral or another teacher. Suggestion: There need to be more frequent "sweeps" of the halls during classes. When students are caught in the halls, they need to have a pass available to present OR be taken to a "holding room" so they don't have a free hour of hall wandering. 3) Breakfast trash. Students are taking food out of the cafeteria more often in the morning. When told to turn around, they either argue OR duck down toward the back hallway.

Period 3

Discussed walkthroughs … about all staff being on board with the concept; don't be intimidated by admin coming in room; positive comments on from those whose classes were visited. Discuss our HSTW goal of receiving the "most improved" HS in America. Ms Gordon discussed strategies for improving school climate and classroom management by being open to collegial assistance in controlling classrooms.

Period 5: We spoke about the walk through by Dr. Phillips and C&I Staff. Some of us were unsettled by the visit because the C&I staff, because they are not as familiar to us, as our administrators. Many of the classrooms were affected by the large number of students attending the fieldtrip to watch the presentation “CLAY”.

School climate is a bit unsettled at times, but we are focusing on be positive with students.

The HSTW site visit seemed positive all the way around.

Note: There are a number of students that have more than 10 absences. We have noticed that the phone numbers for many of these students are not in working order

Period 7: Our group is very concerned about the school climate. The fights, student injuries, and student mentality is becoming a poision. Our fear is that "this feeling" in the building is growing. We feel that a strategy in which Admin., teachers, and police station themselves in areas of the building to take care of the pockets of students just hanging around. We also feel that passes should be limited or done away with. There are too many students in the hallway. We also think that alternative punishment need to be looked at. We need to find punishments that actually scare the students. OSS is seen as a vacation. How do we fix this problem? Tuesday our group will meet at the back mall before imbedded and start flushing out hallways.

Period 7: School climate is a major issue. Students getting into fights, students being injured, police having to be involved this problem is getting worse. We as teachers are becoming concerned about the "extra energy" that has become a cancer in our building. Our group has decided to take on the issue of discipline. We feel that a big help would be for teachers to make an effort to break up those pockets of students and help flush them on to class. Our group is suggesting that during passing period, lunch shifts, and before and after school teachers, admin, and police are stationed around the building taking names of students who are loitering, and have those students reprimanded when they are consistently hanging

This morning we talked about the studies behind the nine Marzano strategies. Using these strategies in the classroom has shown to move the bell curve in greater effect. These strategies are on the classroom observation sheets that will be used in the MSIP review and with all walkthroughs. DESE believes that these strategies are that important. Our sessions will include going over the startegies and breaking them down into pieces that will help teachers implement them in their classroom. All teachers will aslo receive the review of the walkthrough in their classroom by the District C&I personnel last week.

Group 5 Meta analysis is a research technique that combines the results from a number of studies to translate the results into a unit of measure. The effect size is the increase or decrease in achievement of the experimental group. The effect size of 1.0 means a percentile gain of 34 points. A table of teacher practices that have been found to increase student achievement included higher ended questions. The book refers to the 9 strategies as being further discussed in subsequent chapters. The disclamor is that no instructional strategy works equally well in all situations. Student centered instruction when emphasized in the classroom negatively increased the differences between performance of boys to girls, low income to high, and minority to majority.

Period 2
This morning we talked about the school vision. There was some conversation on the omission of the word technology, but overall it looked pretty good and we appreciated the fact that it was more concise than some of the previous statements. Conversation then turned to failing grades, understanding the tutoring system, and how the freshman Algebra 1/Math Lab works. Finally we talked that we should have handouts for parents at PTC about how to access parent portal.

BLOCK 2 -
REVIEW MARZANO'S STRATEGIES
DISCUSS COMPARE/CONTRAST -
EXTRA HELP - IDENTIFY TEACHERS THAT ARE TUTORING MATH ON TUES/THURS.
DISCUSS "EFFECT SIZE"

*PARENT NOTIFICATION OF MISSING TEACHERS FOR THURSDAY 10/30 PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES - POSSIBLE NOTIFICATION TO ALL CLASSROOMS BY TEACHER AVAILIBILTY FOR CONFERENCES? OUR PARENTS NEED TO KNOW THEY NEED TO COME ON WEDNESDAY.

Period 5-
Reviewed Compare/Contrast. Kids often do one or the other, but rarely both. We need to teach them to "answer the question that is asked" and to "answer all the parts of the question".
Reminder - Parent Teacher conferences WED 4-8pm, THU 3:30-7pm, and many teachers will be attending school functions, so let your parents know if you will be out of the building. If a parent teacher conferences is expected to exceed 10 minutes, plan to set up an alternate time. Don't forget to let parents know when a student is in danger of failing. Kepp contact logs.

************************quarter ends 10/22, grades due 10/24

Next week,
TUE 10/12, read hoandout on Similaritites and Differences and be prepared to discuss "contrasting"
WED 10/15, departmental collaboration
FRI 10/17, PLC Coaches at Union Station

Period 6
We talked about instructional practices, children's cooperation and how to "motivate" students to do their work. We compared our days we have meetings to the days we don't and how much we are able to get done on the days we don't. Also, we were wondering the point of meeting so much, when we all have so much to do. We are concerned the people up high are not aware of the amount of paperwork we are required to complete every day of our life as teachers. How can we create relationships with students and plan meaninful lessons for our students when we are supposed to be filling out forms all the time? this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

We discussed comparing and contrasting. It seems that we as teachers do this almost everyday in class without even thinking about it. I think this is a practice that all teachers do in any discussion in class. It is good and beneficial to the students.

5th period - PDC
Reminders: PDC hours due to Chris R. Dr. Scully asked teachers at the last teacher's meeting to work on including basic algebra and/or reading non-fiction comprehension skills.
We talked in our group about good kids and staying positive and how families make a difference. http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm
All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.