Saturday, February 18, 2012

Notes from the School-Based Teacher Leader Meeting 2/15/12


Common Core Curriculum
Changes to come
·      How much nonfiction should you be teaching
·      All teachers are literacy teachers
·      Increase lexile range scores
·      Writing for the common core will be argumentative
·      Big changes are taking place at the elementary level
·      Strands

o   Reading
o   Writing
o   Speaking and listening
o   Language
o   Media literacy
o   Research

·      Reading
o   Balance of literature and informational texts
o   Text complexity
·      Writing
o   Emphasis on argument and informative/explanatory writing
o   Use of technology to facilitate interaction and collaboration
·      Persuasive vs. argumentative writing
o   Kids can’t just make an emotional appeal
o   Well-reasoned argument required
o   What is argument?
·      Text complexity
o   We will need to teach more complex texts
·      Explicit strategy instruction
o   Create awareness
o   Model (that’s not at or above their frustration level) & demonstrate
o   Practice
o   Apply
·      Previewing text
o   Activating prior knowledge
§  Ex. Anticipation guides (to build interest or get a base-line; be a discussion starter; there does not have to be a correct answer)
o   Text impressions
§  Key phrases or ideas from text in order they will encounter them
Example
§  Cats
§  Skyscrapers
§  Window
§  Veterinarian
§  Scientific paper
§  Explain how these words will fit together in a text
§  A cat lived in the penthouse of a skyscraper always staring out the window.  His owner became so concerned that he took him to the veterinarian who wrote a scientific paper about them.
o   Radiolab (podcast?)
·      Argumentation
o   Requires some research
o   The way of presenting information to be most persuasive
·      Making inferences
o   Lowest on every test
o   Inside + outside
§  Inside the text + outside the text + my answer (connecting “inside” and “outside” details)
o   Making inferences about photographs, paintings, etc.
·      Distinguishing fact from opinion
o   Words signaling opinion
o   Because you say it’s a fact doesn’t make it a fact.
o   Who is authoring the piece? Would they want to influence you in a particular way?
o   Interrogation of media, specifically advertising
·      Argument
o   Debate
§  How can we use this to promote good argument

Math:
·      Corestandards.org
·      What should we teach?
·      How should we teach it?
·      NCTM
·      International Standards
o   TIMSS
·      Fewer topics year to year
o   Concrete
o   Pictorial
o   Abstract
·      Common Core State Standards
o   Fewer standards=slow down the pace to insure understanding
o   Focused and more coherent
o   Build deeper understanding of content
·      Students want the teacher to set the problem up so that they can solve, but setting up the problem is the key part.
·      Conversation about how student solved problem (discuss process)/ justification of answer
·      Concretizing math
·      Mix of discovery vs. direct instruction
·      Word problems—application
·      Ask “are you sure?” whether they are right or not. This will lead to them owning their answer.
o   If you say “good job” when a student answers correctly and “are you sure” when they answer incorrectly, then you are tipping your hand.
·      Visualization=concretizing the abstract
·      Bruner (UK; concrete, abstract, pictorial)
·      Draw out the problems when possible
·      PARCC assessment state…software based assessment

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