Cluster 3/6/12

Why is it important for me to consistently incorporate ACE in your daily lessons?

It keeps the students attention and focus. It can also help provide immediate feedback on whether a student adequately comprehended a concept.

Cycle 2 Reflections

My cycle two goals were met in regard to improvement in an analysis question on an exam.  I am still somewhat confused by this because we just selected an analysis question from a previous test to start.  There were scores higher and lower than the one that was chosen.  I picked from the mid-range.  I wish that I would have picked my lowest or highest. At least that way, I could really see the difference that this new strategy is possibly making.  I think that I will go back and select my lowest and highest score.  I will make sure that it is the same SE.

Reflections on Restatement

 As you enter, look at this week's collection of student work, and reflect in your journal about the following:

• Are the high level students consistently restating at the high level?
• for the most part
• Are the medium level students rising to the high level? Why or Why not?
• their was some improvement but a reluctance to annotate
• What have you, as the teacher, done to assist them?
• re-emphasized writing skills
• pushing them to annotate
• Are the low students rising to the medium level? Why or why not?
• some are, some are not
• What have you, as the teacher done to assist them?
• individual re-teach

Failed Expectations

What expectations did you have for your classes at the start of the year that you did not keep up with?

At the start of the year, I had planned to complete skill-building warm-ups at the beginning of each period.   I was late in getting these going and did not keep up with them over the course of the semester.  I have got to develop a better way of selecting the warm-ups, as well as grading them & returning them each day.  Another expectation I had was to keep up with the speed of my counterpart.  Apparently I do a little more talking, possibly about things that I need to work on limiting dialogue, so I can maximize my class time more efficiently. I also had family illness during the semester and was constantly struggling trying to keep my head above water.

Effective Questioning Strategies Cont.

Team discussed in pairs what we researched yesterday in terms of effective questioning and then shared out with the whole team. Websites were shared to create a data base for continual research on the topic.

• www.brockport.edu/~slc/tips/questioning.html
• http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/ClassroomTips/classroomtips.htm
• educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/569
• slideshare.net/maryosbonor./essential.questions-for-students
• towson.edu.ows

Transferring Cluster to the Classroom

• Our Goal is to have students accurately restate what they've read
•  
• Use "R's" everyday
• ------> To determine if we are achieving our GOAL we'll track student restatements and schedule appointments to view restatements in your class...

Tracking Student Restatements

1. With your team, discuss ways to keep track of student restatements IN 1 class ONLY.

• Will you track frequency of restatements?
• Accuracy of restatements?
• By student?
• Will you use tally marks or write down what they say?
• If you just tally how can you measure accuracy?
• What about referencing the visual?

2.  After you determine how, create the document that you will track student restatements with.  Begin gathering data today!!

Effectively Questioning Students

Suggestions for Effective Questioning

Below is a list different types of questions. The questions are listed in order of their recommended usage. The types of questions at or near the top should be used with more frequency than those at or near the bottom.

1. Ask students to seek out the evidence:
   • What kind of evidence did you find?
   • What makes you think that...?
2.  Ask students to explain:
   • How would you explain this?
   • What were some of the causes that led to...?
3. Ask questions that relate concepts, ideas, and opinions:
   • How does that compare to...?
   • What did other people discover or say about ...?
4. Ask questions that encourage your students to predict:
   • What will you do next?
   • What will happen if you...?
   • What could you do to prevent that ?
5. Ask students questions that encourage them to describe:
   • What did you do?
   • What happened?
   • What did you observe happening?
   
   

   • Maximize...	Minimize...
     ...asking questions that begin with words like "What if," "Explain," "Analyze," "Create," and "Compare and contrast," etc.	...asking questions that have a "yes" or "no" response and questions that require merely direct recall of definitions etc.
     ...the amount of time you wait after you pose a question, i.e. wait-time, in order to allow students to process the question in their minds.	...calling on students directly after you pose a question and calling on a student before you even ask the question.
     ...asking students to elaborate on their answers and asking students "why."	...telling a student their answer is wrong and not asking them to think of why it is wrong.
     ...opportunities for students to pose questions amongst themselves.	...straight lecture without student interaction.
     ...providing opportunities that challenge students' original conceptual understandings.	...providing opportunities that do not encourage creative and critical thinking.
     ...encouraging students to work through their decision making process, even if it bring frustration and makes them leave their comfort zone of learning.	...giving students direct answers to their questions without allowing them to think through the decision making process.

     Learning is an active process. Teachers must work hard at encouraging students to think on their own and construct their own explanations. This will allow students to maximize their learning potential.
     
     (clicking the back button will reveal the original source)
     

Cycle 2 Goals

As the 9th grade teachers have been digesting the various parts and rubrics associated with TAP, two main goals have been established for cycle two.

• By the conclusion of cycle 2, all students will be proficient in, and actively using, RAPS in the 4 core subjects to increase their analysis scores by at least 5 percentage points.
• By the conclusion of cycle 2, all teachers will demonstrate proficiency in the area of questioning as measured by our cycle 2 observation.