English and Language ArtsDepartment Instructional Leaders

WorkshopSeptember 30, 2009

“…grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot

change, the courage to change the things I can, and

the wisdom to know the difference.”

~Reinhold Niebuhr

MYTH OR FACT

If I don’t use the curriculum framework lesson plans,

my students won’t be prepared for the

embedded assessments.

MYTH

Use the grade level scope and focus on the following to ensure adequate

preparation:

Focus on Tested Benchmarks Color Coded Tested Benchmarks (Yellow & Blue)

Five (5) Tested Areas Literature, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Information

and Media Literacy

Non-Tested Benchmarks Incorporate vs. Focus

MYTH OR FACT

I cannot teach novels this year.

MYTH

Look at the scope and to determine the sequence of benchmarks that need to be covered. Cycle #1

LA.8.2.1.2 Elements of Characterization LA.8.1.7.3 Main Idea LA.8.1.6.3 Vocabulary

Next, choose one of your favorite pieces that can adequately cover those benchmarks. The Giver by Lois Lowry

Incorporate activities that will support the learning of each benchmark. Two Colum Notes One Sentence Summary Quizzes (Warm-up/Wrap-up)

MYTH OR FACT

I cannot use supplemental technology-based resources such

as PowerPoints, websites, webquests, tutorials, worksheets,

etc. which I created or purchased in the past because of the requirements of the ELA

framework.

MYTH

Teachers are NOT mandated to use the supplemental technology-based resources from the ELA Framework!!!!

If teachers wish to use their own resources, they have the freedom to do so as long as they address the standards for a given cycle.

Remember to look to the Scope and Sequence to determine the benchmark focus.

The content writers have added a variety of technology-based resources throughout the ELA Framework for several reasons.

To enhance teaching practices with the use of multimedia and other forms of technology within the curriculum (e.g., PowerPoints, video clips, podcasts, websites, webquests, tutorials, assessments, etc.)

To provide an effective means for teaching information To provide a fresh, exciting, and, often, new means for teaching

information (e.g., “The Cask of Amontillado” music video from Cycle #1)

To help build or expand the resource repertoire of teachers (e.g., new and master teachers)

To make resources easily accessible to all teachers (i.e., Use Best Practices when accessing resources).

To include teacher-created, teacher-tested and/or teacher-friendly resources (e.g., Literary Analysis for Enrichment from the Prentice Hall Resource-Pro CD)

To provide standards-based resources. (e.g., Reader’s Log Notes for Cycle #2)

Teachers may alternatively use the resources on the ELA Framework by…

Using resources from a portion of a lesson (e.g., Warm-up and/or Wrap-up).

Adding their own material directly to the resources provided on the ELA Framework by simply downloading and saving.

Adding their own resources to those provided in a lesson.

The teacher best knows his/her students and, therefore, knows which resources will be the most effective for meeting their learning needs.

MYTH OR FACT

I can adequately cover the material in one lesson

from the ELA Framework given a fifty-minute class

period or a block class period.

FACT

The ELA Framework is full of information rich in substance and rigor designed specifically for a fifty-minute class period.

Why are the lessons organized the way they are? Warm-up/Wrap-up I Do, We Do, You Do Model Reteaching and Enriching

What do I do when out-of-the-ordinary (e.g., fire drill, testing, etc.) circumstances arise and I must deviate from the lesson?

Focus on the most important part of the lesson. Refer to the Grade Level Scope and Sequence.

Adjust the lessons to fit your time frame and students’ needs. Assign homework. Examine additional components of lesson for need and time.

Content writers have carefully created the lessons for the Palm

Beach Writes and Embedded Assessments.

Palm Beach Writes Lessons: Brief (5 minute) Warm-ups/No Wrap-ups

Embedded Assessment Lessons: Assessment is the focus of the lesson.

Block Teachers…Make use of all of the components of

a lesson.Use two lessons per day.

MYTH OR FACT

I am expected to covered everything included in the

curriculum framework within a given cycle

exactly the way it has be written?

MYTH

The lesson plans and resources found within the ELA framework may be used by teachers if they choose.

If a teacher is using the framework, he/she is encouraged to differentiate instruction in order to meet the needs of students.

Differentiation of instruction may require the lengthening or eliminating of calendar lesson plans.

Covering the Entire Cycle

If a lesson must be lengthened, requiring the elimination of another lesson in the same cycle, just be sure to cover all primary benchmarks on the grade level scope.

Teachers may wish to take bits and pieces from framework lessons as well as from their own “bag of tricks” to create the most effective lesson.

Covering the Entire Cycle

For example, I may select to teach cause and effect (LA.910.1.7.4) through the Leiningen and the Ants lessons, but I choose to use the warm-up from the Like the Sun, Tell all the Truth lesson to teach capitalization (LA.910.3.4.2) even though I will eliminate teaching the entire lesson due to time constraints. Additionally, I will include a self-made PowerPoint I found great success with in my classes last year to reinforce conflict (LA.910.2.1.2) instead of the PowerPoint found in the Leiningen and the Ants Lesson 1.

Covering the Entire Cycle

The most important point:

COVER ALL PRIMARY BENCHMARKS BEFORE THE END OF THE CYCLE AND

EMBEDDED ASSESSMENT.

MYTH OR FACT

I am evaluated on how my

students perform on embedded assessments.

MYTH

The embedded assessments were developed to establish where students are in their learning, assess where they are going, and determine how best to

get there. They are formative assessment, meaning that they are used to inform the teacher about

student progress and guide instruction.

Embedded Assessments Basics

• They are created from the CORE test bank (which contains, among others, passages and questions from the common assessments).

• All questions are identified by the benchmark(s) which they test. Only questions which center on the benchmarks of the cycle are selected.

• Passages are chosen based on lexile and length of text.

Question Creation

LA.6.1.7.4 (Identify cause and effect relationships in text) LA.6.2.1.2 (Identify and analyze literary elements) LA.6.1.7.5 (Analyze a variety of text structures including… cause/effect...and explain their impact

on meaning)LA.6.2.2.2 (Use information from the text to answer

questions on main idea and supporting details)

What event leads to Marita finding new friends?• A Her apartment caught on fire.

• B She knocked over a boy on the stairs.• C Pedro jumped out the window.

• D She wrote a letter to her best friend.

MYTH OR FACT

My reading re-take students will not be prepared for

the 10th grade embedded assessment.

MYTH

Grade 11 and Grade 12 ELA teachers of FCAT Reading Re-take students may log onto Learning Village and go to FY10 ELA. Once on the High School Landing Page, scroll down to the “Additional Resources”

section (see snapshot below). Click on “Palm Beach Writes and Embedded Assessment Information” and

go to the second page.

Answer(s): Grade 11 and 12 Embedded Assessment – Support (cont.)

The second page of the “FY10 ELA Assessment Windows” document provides teachers with

necessary Embedded Assessment information to include a special note to Grade 11 and Grade 12.

teachers.

Answer(s): Grade 11 and 12 Embedded Assessment - Support

Grade 11 and Grade 12 ELA teachers of FCAT Reading Re-take students may log onto Learning Village and go to FY10 ELA. Once on the High School Landing

Page, select Grade 10. Then scroll down to the “Additional Resources” section (see snapshot below).

Click on “Benchmark-Focused Lessons/Tutorial Support: Tenth Grade.”

Answer(s): Grade 11 and 12 Embedded Assessment – Support (cont.)

Here, Grade 11 and Grade 12 teachers may select lessons on Grade 10 tested benchmarks for each ELA Cycle. Teachers may wish to assign students lessons

during class time or attach portions of the lesson(s) to EDLINE for students to work on from home.

For additional resources, teachers may also view the Grade

10 calendar and advance the calendar to the days marked “Embedded Assessment.”

By clicking on the Embedded Assessment bar, additional activities used to review, re-teach or

enrich will appear. Teachers may select any of these support materials to assist FCAT Reading Re-take

students with preparing for the Grade 10 Embedded Assessment.

MYTH OR FACT

I have to Palm Beach Writes in specific windows of time this

year as identified by the scope and calendar.

FACT

MYTH OR FACT

As a Double Block Reading

English/Language Arts teacher OR SpringBoard English/Language Arts

teacher, I am expected to prepare my students for FCAT Writes!.

FACT

A writing schedule was developed for Double Block Reading English/Language Arts teachers. This schedule is meant to serve as a guide when incorporating writing lesson plans.  This schedule is not to be used everyday, but only when writing lessons are part of the framework.  The reading scope and calendar for both middle and high school contain a red box around the days in which writing lessons are incorporated.

When writing plans are included in the framework, they are located via a link in the "Writing Connection" box and attached at the end of the Read 180/Edge lesson. 

SpringBoard English/Language Arts teachers may opt to use the district writing lessons on the Train U site.

Both Double Block Reading/ELA teaches and SpringBoard ELA teachers administer the Palm Beach Writes in the specified windows.

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”

~Marcus Aurelius

ELA TEAM SUPPORT

Rachel Amburgey Diana YoheOffice: 434-8054 Office: 357-5989Cell: 629-6814 Cell: 951-8326

Angie Fitch Tara SmithOffice: 434-8071 Office: 434-8094

Jennifer ZumpanoOffice: 963-3869