Benefits of Focus Activities Help students focus and pay attention Eliminate distracters Open “mental files” Provide choices Encourage self-directed learning

Algebraic Logic Puzzle Discover the value of each of the shapes. The total weight is 32. Clue: Puzzle = + Use your number sense to discover the value of each shape. Rules to remember: 1.The right and left sides of each horizontal beam must balance. 2.Each shape has a unique and consistent weight within the puzzle and no shapes weigh zero. 3.There are no ‘useless’ clues. 4.All weights are either one- or two-digit, positive whole numbers. 5.A piece hanging below the fulcrum does not affect the balance between the left and right arms. Although this piece has its own definite weight. 6.Size of pieces has no relation to weight.

There are three parts to any research-based lesson: Beginning – ‘check for’ and ‘build’ background knowledge of each student; (BL) During – teach and actively engage each student in new content – making connections to prior knowledge; (DL) End – check for understanding - provide each student with an opportunity to summarize (in their own way) and practice the essential knowledge and skills conveyed in the lesson. (EL)

Personal Learning Goals I will recognize the benefits of obtrusive, unobtrusive, and student, and student-generated assessment; I will recognize the benefits of obtrusive, unobtrusive, and student, and student-generated assessment; I will understand strategies to create assessment for learning and assessment of learning; I will understand strategies to create assessment for learning and assessment of learning; I will support my peers by offering constructive feedback to improve their efforts; I will support my peers by offering constructive feedback to improve their efforts; I will create assessment samples that will best elevate learning for my students; and I will create assessment samples that will best elevate learning for my students; and I will enjoy working with my colleagues! I will enjoy working with my colleagues!

SAMPLE Pre-assessment that includes differentiation SAMPLE Pre-assessment that includes differentiation Matter!

Premise of the Workshop As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, the U.S. education system must equip students with the four Cs: 1.critical thinking and problem solving, 2.communication, 3.collaboration, and 4.creativity and innovation. "For as long as assessment is viewed as something we do ’after’ teaching and learning are over, we will fail to greatly improve student performance, regardless of how well or how poorly students are currently taught or motivated." Grant Wiggins, 1998 "For as long as assessment is viewed as something we do ’after’ teaching and learning are over, we will fail to greatly improve student performance, regardless of how well or how poorly students are currently taught or motivated." Grant Wiggins, 1998

Mix it Up in the Box Listen for the topic and the amount of time; Silently mix around the room; When directed, pair up with person closest to you; In pairs, Partner A shares and Partner B listens; Partner B responds to what he/she heard by paraphrasing: “LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I UNDERSTOOD YOU TO SAY”; Record summary of partners response; then Switch Roles

1234 What is an action taken by you, your grade-level/department or your school that you attribute to resulting in increased achievement for each student impacted by the action last year? What is the process used to create classroom assessments? What do people ‘do’ with the results? Look at the picture above. How does this picture relate to your role as a teacher? Complete this sentence: The image is like my teaching in that_______ Reflect on yesterday’s workshop…what is an action you, your grade-level/department or school should consider based on your experience?

12 34 What is an action taken by you, your grade-level/department or your school that you attribute to resulting in increased achievement for each student impacted by the action last year? Look at the picture above. How does this picture relate to your role a teacher? Complete this sentence: The image is like my teaching in that_______ What is the process used to create classroom assessments? What do people ‘do’ with the results? Reflect on yesterday’s workshop…what is an action you, your grade-level/department or school should consider based on your experience?

NUTS TO YOU!!! PASS NOT PASS Nearing Proficiency Novice Proficient Advanced

Self-Assessment Tool

Personal Learning Goals I will recognize strategies that have improved achievement for our students; I will recognize strategies that have improved achievement for our students; I will use data to focus additional improvement efforts to reach more students; I will use data to focus additional improvement efforts to reach more students; I will support my peers by offering constructive feedback to improve their efforts; I will support my peers by offering constructive feedback to improve their efforts; I will decide which structures will best elevate learning for my students; and I will decide which structures will best elevate learning for my students; and I will enjoy working with my colleagues! I will enjoy working with my colleagues!

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: Sports YESNo StrikeStick SplitPuck PinHoop GutterGoal Rule: Bowling Terms Page 8 Page 8

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: History and Social Science YESNo HemisphereOlympic Games EquatorDemocracy Prime MeridianKings RegionsWealth Rule: Things you’d find on a globe

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: Geometry YESNo TriangleCube RectanglePyramid SquarePentagon QuadrilateralOctagon Rule: Plane figures with less than 5 sides.

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: _______________ YESNo Rule: _________________________ STUDENT CENTERED APPROACH

Prepared Especially for the Professional Learning Community of the GREAT FALLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS by Dan Mulligan, Ed. D. August 2010

“If you don’t know where you are and you don’t know where you are going, anything you do will get you there”

Record your responses on the last page…

1.The % of POVERTY students scoring Advanced on the Math CRT in The % of All students scoring Advanced on the Math CRT in According to the Silent Epidemic, the % of U.S. dropouts who would have stayed in school if learning was more interesting and real-world. 4.According to the Silent Epidemic, the % of U.S. dropouts who felt they were ‘too far behind’ by the end of elementary school. 5. The % of All students scoring Advanced on the Reading CRT in The % of LEP students scoring Advanced on the Reading CRT in The % of All students Graduating On-Time in the Class of The % of American Indian students Graduating On-Time in the Class of The % of FEMALE students Graduating On-Time in the Class of At MONTANA Schools: SOLUTIONS: 6, 17, 35, 45, 51, 67, 80, 84,

Minority Student Achievement in Suburban Schools ~Toward Excellence with Equity, Ronald Ferguson, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, 2007 Survey of all students in 15 middle and upper income school districts in 10 states; Examined family characteristics, opinions about quality of instruction, achievement motivation, course-taking, effort, comprehension, GPA and other factors; When I work hard, it is because my teacher tells me I can do well. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No”) (Grades 1 – 6) When I work hard, it is because my teacher tells me I can do well. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No”) (Grades 1 – 6)

Summarizing and Note Taking Approaches to this strategy in the classroom: – Teaching students the rule-based summarizing strategies, – Using summary frames, and – Teaching students reciprocal teaching and group- enhanced summary. What does it look like? – Take out material that is NOT important for understanding, – Take out words that repeat information, – Replace a list of things with a word that describes the things in the list (e.g., use trees for elm, oak, and maple). – Find a topic sentence. If you cannot find a topic sentence, make one up.

Summarizing and Note Taking Generalizations form the research: – Verbatim note-taking is, perhaps, the least effective technique. – Notes should be considered a work in progress. – Notes should be used as a study guide for tests. – The more notes that are taken, the better.

Successful Inclusion Instructional Strategies that Facilitate Successful Inclusion Must … Supply students with STRUCTURE and ORGANIZATION Encourage student COMMUNICATION and COLLABORATION Provide students with VISUAL and HANDS-ON learning experiences

C O V E R C O V E R Allow students to personalize their notebook with a cover collage. Preserve with packing tape.

Table of Content Samples

MIND Notebook Rubric

Knowing the Learner Directions: Rank the symbols (1-4) in order from most (1) like you as a learner to least (4) like you as a learner.

Knowing the Learner Learning Style of Beach Balls

Knowing the Learner Learning Style of Microscopes

Knowing the Learner Learning Style of Clipboards

Knowing the Learner Learning Style of Puppies

“If an educator keeps using the same strategies over and over and the student keeps failing, who really is the slow learner?”

Choice Board or Tic-Tac-Toe This assessment strategy allows students to select their own preferences but still achieve the targeted essential knowledge and skills. After Reading Choice Board

Choice Board Verbal/LinguisticBody/ KinestheticVisual/Spatial Musical/Rhythmical Wild Card Your choice after getting the approval of the teacher. Naturalist IntrapersonalInterpersonalLogical/Mathematical

4 second partner 1.Select a new partner. 2.Identify content to be taught to your students. 3.Outline a Dinner Menu of evidence of student understandings. 4.Enjoy! 4 second partner 1.Select a new partner. 2.Identify content to be taught to your students. 3.Outline a Dinner Menu of evidence of student understandings. 4.Enjoy!

RECALL CREATE CONNECT RELATE

Montana Content Standards Verbs PROBLEM SOLVING AnalyzeDeriveDiscoverEvaluateExplore PredictSolveSurveyVerifyInvestigate REASONING CategorizeClassifyCompareContrastDifferentiate DescribeEstimateExplainGeneralizeInterpret JustifyOrderHypothesizePredictInfer PrioritizeRankValidateSummarize COMMUNICATION ClarifyCorrespondDescribeDiscussDemonstrate ExhibitExplainExpressPersuadePortray RestateShowSpeakStateWrite

KEY QUESTION: Why are common assessments so important? “You can enhance or destroy students’ desire to succeed in school more quickly and permanently through your use of assessment than with any other tools you have at your disposal.” Rick Stiggins, Assessment Trainers Institute WHY do we ASSESS: 1. INFORM INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS 2. ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO TRY

Talk to Me... Directions – Form a team of TWO (2) people… – Decide which person will face the screen and which person will have their back to the screen. – Arrange your chairs back-to-back.

Follow-up Debriefing Each pair should share with your other team members the method you used to graph the figure. Discuss with your team: – Which method appeals to you? – Is there another method that you would prefer? Prepare for a “pairs choice of method” with a new graph.

Key Question Did your performance on the second attempt to complete the grid exercise improve after having an opportunity to self-assess your initial strategy?

Formative Assessment Formative assessment is the process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust teaching and learning for the purpose of improving student learning. Council of Chief State School Officers, October 2006 Notes: Process rather than a particular test…. It is not the nature of the test itself that makes it formative or summative…it is the use to which those results will be put.

Thank you for all you do, for all the children! ~Dan