Math/Science Leadership Awareness

December 13, 2007

Terry Parkey and Becky SmithRegional Teacher Partners

PIMSER

Group Norms• Start and end on time• Put cell phones on silent• Be respectful of all

comments• Everyone participates• Exercise the ‘rule of two

feet’• Come prepared for the

meeting

Goals of the MSLSN

• Professional Learning Community

• Content and Pedagogical Content Knowledge

• Research

Review from November• How Students Learn—Chapter 1• How the Special Needs Brain Learns• Assessment: OF vs FOR

Road Map for Today

How the SpecialNeeds Brain Learns

EffectiveQuestioning

Breakout SessionNext Meeting: January 17

Talking Partners

• Choose a Partner

• Talking Partners Sort Activity

Think-Pair-Share

How the Special Needs Brain LearnsDavid Sousa

Chapter 2When Learning Difficulties Arise

Possible Causes of Learning Difficulties

Responsiveness to

Intervention

• What is your district’s policy/procedure for identifying student’s with learning difficulties?

• Does my school/district have a plan to help gifted students with learning disabilities? If so, is it effective? If not, should we?

Strategies Integration Model (SIM)

pages 40-43

Learning Strategies

• Choose a strategy.

• Have you used this learning strategy in your classroom?

• What new or different strategy have you decided to use in your classroom this month?

Questioning

Research-Based Strategies• 4 Research-based strategies that

significantly improve student learning:• Sharing criteria (clear learning targets with

success criteria)Questioning• Feedback• Peer and self-assessment

• “More effort has to be spent in framing questions that are worth asking; that is, questions which explore issues that are critical to the development of students’ understanding.”– Assessment for Learning: Putting It Into Practice

• Pg. 42

Effective Questioning• “You understand it

only if you can teach it, use it, prove it, explain it, or read between the lines.”– Wiggins and McTighe– Understanding by Design

• “Current classroom practices generally encourage superficial and rote learning, concentrating on recall of isolated details, usually items of ‘knowledge’ which pupils soon forget.”– Black and Wiliam– Inside the Black Box

Effective Questioning• Questioning should

be used to:– Cause thinking– Provide data that

informs teaching

• Questioning should NOT be used to:– Direct the attention

of the class– Keep students on

task• Dylan Wiliam,

NSTA Preconference on Assessment, 2005

Effective QuestioningCh. 4 Formative Assessment in

Action

• Wait time• No hands up• Talking partners• Debates• Snowballing

Effective Questioning• Provide 5 seconds of wait time.

– Best with some structure (e.g., white boards or talking partners)

• ‘No hands up’ increases wait time and child focus, but used with recall questions is counterproductive.

• Having talking partners/groups before responding to questions enables all children to participate, think, and articulate…

Effective Questioning• Encouraging children to generate their own

questions furthers their independence as learners.

• Effective questioning involves effective modeling.

• Effective questions should further and deepen learning, rather than simply help establish prior knowledge.

• Teachers need to create a supportive climate so that ‘put downs’ are avoided and children can articulate their ideas without fear of failure.

Role Play Talking Partners

• Working with a partner, role play a poor talking partner and a good talking partner. (pg. 57)

• What are some considerations for making this an effective instructional strategy?

Question for Role Playing with Talking Partners

• Why do you think some people put off Christmas shopping until the very last minute?

Reframing Questions• From your reading guide, write your two

reframed questions for What physical activities improve the efficiency of the heart? on sentence strips and post on the labeled charts.– Red: range of answers– Blue: agree/disagree– Green: opposites– Purple: reframed, give answer first– Orange: opposing standpoint

Thinking Hats• Draw a hat from the baggie.• Find 2 others in the room with the same hat.• Consider the following question from the

perspective specified by your hat color: Why is gold considered to be a precious metal and iron is not?

• Return to your original table. Have each person share their “hat” perspective pertaining to this question.

Six Thinking Hats• White Hat – facts, figures, information• Black Hat – caution, truth, judgment• Red Hat – emotions, feelings, hunches• Yellow Hat – advantages, benefits, good• Green Hat – create, explore, new ideas• Blue Hat – reflections, lacks decisions

Formative Assessment in Action, p. 66

MC Design Considerations• Factors to consider for the KEY and the

DISTRACTORS

– Provide one, and only one, correct answer– Include plausible options that demonstrate a

student’s level of understanding– Colleague review

School Bus ItemA teacher is planning a field trip and will need school bused

to transport students. A school bus holds up to 36 students. If 1,128 students will be transported, how many buses are needed? Explain your answer.

A. 31B. 31.33C. 32D. 36

Sample NAEP question taken from the Nations’ Report Card at www.nces.ed.gov

Based on student answers, what could you determine abouta student from each

choice?

School Bus ItemA teacher is planning a field trip and will need school buses

to transport students. A school bus hold up to 36 students. If 1,128 students will be transported, how many buses are needed? Explain your answer.

A. 31B. 31.33C. 32D. 32.33Sample NAEP question taken from the Nation’s Report Card at www.nces.ed.gov

How did changing D make this

assessment moreformative in nature?

What to do with the results?Based on the students’ answers, you attach a

problem for them to work on.A. Rounding ProblemB. Rounding for Real-World PurposesC. Correct—Extension ProblemD. A division problem

An item like this can give a teacher differentiated information for the class so the teacher can figure out who needs extra help.

Science ExampleDeer herds in KY are currently plagued by a fatal

hemorrhagic disease. Which population will be most affected by the loss of deer?

A. AcornsB. GrassC. SunD. CoyotesJustify your response.

• What do the distractors need to discriminate about student understanding to be used formatively?

• What might be better distractors for formative purposes?

What to do with the results?Deer herds in KY are currently plagued by a fatal

hemorrhagic disease. Which population will be most affected by the loss of deer?

A. AcornsB. WolvesC. HumansJustify your response.

A. Examine various energy pyramids and determine population changes

B. Correct answer – extension activity (e.g., analyze more than 2 populations compared graphically)

C. Examine population growth of humans vs deer over time and determine what the relationship is between the two.

Now, It’s Your Turn

• Develop a multiple choice question for your class that will give you formative information about the students.

• For each selection, determine best next steps.

• “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”

– Abraham Maslow

Reflection:• The benefits/impact of using these

strategies…

• The barriers…why we don’t see these strategies used more in our classrooms.

Group Debrief• Working with your table

group, complete the synectic summary matrix for questioning.

• How is effective questioning like each of the musical instruments?

D

• “The important thing is to not stop questioning.”

– Albert Einstein

Break Out SessionsHomework for Next Time from HSL:

Math: Read Chapter 6 (elem), 7 (MS), or 8 (HS)Based on your grade level assignment

Science: Read Chapter 10 (elem), 11 (MS), or 12 (HS)Based on your grade level assignment

Use the reading guide to help organize your thoughts

Next Meeting---January 17