Tuesday Teaching Point February 11

Tuesday Teaching Point

February 11, 2014

http://tuesdayteachingpoint.blogspot.com/

·       Equitable Access to Rigorous, Standards-based Instruction

·       Results-focused Professional Learning and Collaboration

·       Strong Partnerships with Families and Community

·       A Culturally-Responsive Organization

Teaching Point:

Charlotte Danielson says, “Teaching is a purposeful activity”. Communicating instructional outcomes entails identifying exactly what students will be expected to learn; not what students will do, but what they will learn. The instructional outcomes should reflect important learning and lend themselves to various forms of assessment. All students should be able to demonstrate their understanding of the content. The learning objective, or teaching point, determines the learning activities, the resources used, suitability for diverse learners, and the methods of assessment.

State Criteria #4 is to ensure we provide clear and intentional focus on the subject matter content and curriculum. Largely, the fourth criterion is made up of Domain 1 of Charlotte Danielson. In 1C, Setting Instructional Outcomes is akin to setting a learning target, and described in multiple ways from factual and procedural knowledge, to conceptual understanding, thinking and reasoning skills, and collaborative and communication strategies. Experienced teachers are able to link their learning outcomes with others both within their discipline, and to other disciplines taught in the school.

Some indicators of quality outcomes:

• They are of a challenging cognitive level

• There are statements of student learning, not student activity

• They are central to the discipline and related to those in other disciplines

• There are directly related activities and assessments of student attainment

• They are differentiated for students of varied ability

For clarity, outcomes, objectives, teaching points, purpose or learning targets reflect what students will know and be able to do. Not what students will do, or their activity for the day.

Teaching Standard:

CDIF 1C Setting Instructional Outcomes

State Teacher Evaluative Criterion 4: provide clear and intentional focus on the subject matter content and curriculum

5DIF ver. 4: Purpose

Teaching Assessment:

At the New Start site, my PLC, and colleague principals will be coming around today (Tuesday) looking for how Teaching Point is communicated. I am looking forward to having a lot of good feedback for you (from a different set of eyes.)

Professional Collaboration and Learning:

A special thanks to Frank Cantwell, and your participation, for an informative PCT last Friday. Great learning around Criterion 5 and Domain 2!

This week, we split. New Start will convene our All-Staff Success Team (Please come prepared with your intervention check sheets). CHOICE you will have learning around Common Core in Math and Science. This Friday, 1:00, February 14, Valentines Day. Have a happy one!

Your Instructional Leader,

Mike

Tuesday Teaching Point February 4

Tuesday Teaching Point

February 4, 2014

·       Equitable Access to Rigorous, Standards-based Instruction

·       Results-focused Professional Learning and Collaboration

·       Strong Partnerships with Families and Community

·       A Culturally-Responsive Organization

Teaching Point:

Assessment of student learning is recognized to be an integral part of instruction. Clearly, it is important for teachers to know whether students have learned what teachers intend them to learn. While assessment has always been, and will continue to be an important aspect of teaching, Charlotte Danielson says, “Assessment for learning has increasingly come to play an important role in the classroom practice.” In order to assess student learning for the purposes of instruction, teachers must have a “finger on the pulse” of a lesson. Teachers do this by monitoring student understanding and provide feedback where appropriate.

Teaching Standard:

State Evaluation Criterion 6 & Charlotte Danielson 3D Using Assessment in Instruction.

Teaching Assessment:

In what ways do you integrate assessment into your instructional practice? Do you have regular routines or systems to keep your finger on the pulse of the lesson, and what students are learning? Please respond in email or person. I look forward to hearing what you have to share.  

Professional Collaboration and Learning:

This Friday, February 7, all alternative programs staff meets at Salmon Creek for Professional Learning around Charlotte Danielson and the Professional Growth and Evaluation system. The focus will be understanding the “State 8” Criterion for Evaluation. All certificated staff are required to attend this PCT. 1:00 in the Salmon Creek Library.

BTW:

Welcome aboard Michael McSweeney, our new Teacher-Leader at HIPP! Please stop by and introduce yourself if you have not yet met Mike.

Michael joins us from the VITAL program at PSSC, where he has spent the last 14 years growing and developing the program into a fully accredited and graduating high school (Puget Sound HS) for skill center students. I am very excited to have Mr. McSweeney as the latest great addition to our Alternative Programs team!

Your Instructional Leader,

Mike