Happy New Year

Welcome Back from the Winter Break and a Very Warm and Welcome Happy New Year!

Hopefully, you all got a chance to relax and recharge.  To get us back into the groove and rhythms of our days, here are some announcements and reminders

• Winter DRP Administration in Humanities Classes this week
  Nicia will have already shared with the High School humanities teachers the details on how and when to administer the Winter DRP.  We use the DRP (Degrees of Reading Power) to chart reading growth.  During the DRP meetings in Advisory, a lot of teachers reported that students did not take this seriously at the beginning of the year.  Please stress to them now that these measures are used to help them succeed.  Trying their hardest and approaching the exam with seriousness and intent is what needs to happen so that we can get data to best help them.  Please announce in advisory and reiterate in your classes that the DRPs are important exams to help us understand what each of our girls need.
  
• PD this Month 
  During PD Tuesdays this month, we will be reviewing the data on the CBMs (Curriculum Based Measures) and discussing the use of this data in your classes and how to target and structure intervention centers.  To get a head start, go ahead and take a look at the data already on the site for our girls in the lowest third.  We will train you on how to interpret this information, but it will be much easier for you to follow along if you first experiment on your own with the data and what you see.  You'll also be able to start forming questions about what you see to make the session that much more informative and useful for you.  Please visit www.easycbm.com and log in using ksoares with a password of 283adams.
  
• January Regents List
  Nicia and I are finalizing the Regents list.  Students who have previously failed a required regent (Algebra I, Living Environment, English, Global, or US History) will automatically be signed up to re-take the exam.  Students who have previously passed, but have not yet earned the college ready marks of 80 for the Integrated Algebra and 75 for the English, will be signed up to retake the exam.  Please touch base with Nicia with your final list for all other exams not mentioned above.
  
• Regents Review After School Session
  Once we finalize the Regents List, we'll be able to finalize the After School Regents Prep schedule.  So far, the following people have responded with interest for the per session posting:
   - US History:  Brodie & Doris
   - Global:  Colleen, Darby, and Natasha
   - English:  Heather
   - Math:  Mike, Noam, and Hassan
   - Living Environment:  Damon
  Students will recieve test prep schedules on Friday
  
  
• Final Exams, Regents Week, and End of Term SLCs
  Final Exams will be on the 17th & 18th.  Nicia and I are still finalizing the schedule, and should have it out to folks by the end of the week.  Additionally, Nicia is working on the Regents Proctoring schedule and we'll review that with everyone during Tuesday's PD.   As you know, grading is off-site from here on out.  For this month, only the English and Algebra I exams are being graded off-site during the day.  All other exams are being graded through per session.

Welcome back everyone!

-k

Post Observation Resources

As I complete my observations and post-observations meetings, I'll be putting up resources to this particular post to help teachers follow through on next steps.  So keep coming back to this one!

Unison Reading

Read this excerpt from Cynthia McCallister's Unison Reading book.  Here are some quotes & tips to pique your interest:

• "The primary purpose of Unison Reading is to promote student agency and autonomy"
• "[Teachers] follow in to conversations to clarify confusions that cannot be resolved by the students themselves"
• "Normally when we read in school, we're made to think we should hide our mistakes and act as if we don't understand, even if we're confused. But in Unison Reading, you have a responsibility to the group to bring your mistakes and confusions to the center for discussion. [Learning from our mistakes is] what helps you become smarter and also helps other kids in the group. That's also what makes Unison Reading fun."

• Check out Page 7 to see a list of prompts you can use in your UR Groups
• Check out Page 10 to understand what the different codes mean and how to use them to monitor the quality of your UR groups

Professional Development Committee

Here is the Professional Development Activity Calendar.  This calendar is frequently updated.  As a rule of thumb, you should find at least one PD experience for yourself each week.  In general, our lab site visits will be on Mondays and/or Tuesdays with the debriefs of those visits occurring during PD on Tuesdays.  Descriptions are in each of the calendar events.  Click on them to find out more.

If you haven't already done so, please add it to your own list of google calendars.  If you don't use google calendars yet, you should really, really start to do so.  Here's a link to get you started!

Genre Practice

Understanding the purpose and conventions of any text from a poem to a Algebra regents problem to a dichotomous key is necessary for students to be able to have any successful engagement with the text.  In the case of the poem, engagement may look like interpreting theme or analyzing the use of literary device.  For the math problem, students may be asked to write an expression or find a solution.  In using the dichotomous key, students will use the relationships expressed through this diagram to categorize a particular thing or group of things.

Every subject has specific texts that have their own purpose, conventions, and the tasks we pose for students ask them to engage with these varying purposes and conventions in many different ways.  Everytime we ask students to "Read the problem" or "Read the directions" we're actually trying to get them to understand what the purpose of the text is and what they are supposed to do with it (again whether it be a poem, problem, or diagram).

This month, Tara, Emily and Meredith are working together to develop genre practice work in the humanities classrooms.  Look at the calendar above to check out the opportunities to observe and discuss the work in those classes.

Also this month, Emily, Kelly, and myself are working together to help articulate what genre practice looks like in a subject classrooms.  We're working in Noam's room on Tuesday afternoons and are meeting with Noam after school to debrief the visits.  I'm working with Noam in this research residency on Wednesdays and Thursdays to implement strategies for developing genre practice prompts, tasks, and questions in a subject classroom like math.  Also check out the calendar to find out when those meetings will occur.  We'll be sharing out our work with the math team on Tuesdays, as well.

Fall Full Observations

To date, I've been doing short visits to each of your classes.  Now, it's time to get a whole picture.

Starting next week, I'm going to do a round of full-class formal observations.  This post will outline the expectations of the observation:

What is Kiri looking for?
For Everyone:  I'll be evaluating your proficiency levels in the following areas:

• The Lesson (note - The Recordkeeping piece will be formative data only)
• The Classroom Environment
• Independent Work Time
• Learning Conference

For Learning Cultures Teachers:  I'll also be evaluating your proficiency levels in the following areas:

• Unison Reading

What is Kiri looking at?

Also For Everyone:  To prep for our PD needs, I'll be collecting benchmark data in the following areas:

• Classroom Social Norms

Also For Learning Cultures Teachers:  I'll be collecting benchmark data in the following areas:

• The Content Share
• Learning Groups (AKA Small Group Learning)

What do I need to do to prepare?

Pre-observation

• For almost everyone, I'll be mapping your pre-observation meetings onto your pre-existing scheduled conferences with me. There are a few exceptions and I'll email those people directly to schedule the pre-observation meeting.
• PRIOR to NEXT THURSDAY (29NOV12)  If you have not already done so, please make sure you self-evaluate on the following rubrics by clicking on the link and completing the form.  Please make sure you're signed into your UAI gmail prior to doing so.
  
  Unison Reading - LC teachers only
  
  The Lesson - All teachers
  The Learning Conference - All teachers
  The Classroom Environment - All teachers
  Independent Work Time - All teachers
  

When will my observation be?

The observation

• I will be highlighting times on my calendar.  In the description, I'll let you know who's on the docket.  Please check my calendar frequently to see who I'm seeing and when.
• My goal is to complete ALL full class formal observations by DECEMBER 10th.  Call me crazy, but that's what I'm aiming for.

What's the process of the post-observation conference?

After the observation

• Immediately following the observation, I'll send you a Google Calendar Invite for our follow up meeting.  Attached to that invite will be a copy of my low-inference observations and my initial evaluation on the rubrics.
  
• During the meeting, we will discuss the rubrics and collaboratively develop your final evaluation and next steps.  This final letter will be your formal evaluation. This conversation will be evidenced-based, so please bring your binders, student work, and other rubric relevant artifacts from your classroom to this meeting.

Please if you have any questions, see me, email me, reach out.  This process is designed to be a means to get you feedback on your practice and to help you establish goals for growth!  So, please do not hesitate to work with me to make it as productive as possible!

A Theoretical Exploration of Learning Cultures

Cynthia's Coming to Visit!
Cynthia McCallister, creator of Learning Cultures is coming to visit on Friday.  She'll be sitting in to model various formats, observing various classes, and hosting an informal discussion to field your questions and thinkings around Learning Cultures.

This blog post is dedicated to some of the underlying theories around Learning Cultures.  In addition, I hope it starts to address some of the wonderful questions that began to arise from our last Tuesday's PD.

What are Speech Acts?

Unison Reading

From Unison Reading
by CynthiaMcCallister

Also read this article to gain another perspective on Reading Aloud.

After Hurricane Sandy...

Recovering from Sandy

Hopefully everyone is able to enjoy this bright, beautiful fall day.  It was good to reconnect with everyone, yesterday, and hopefully you and your families are returning to normal as power and transit continue to come back online for many areas of the city.

I want to officially recognize the dedication of our high school staff in having 100% of the teaching staff report to work.  In particular, Martine (from house sitting in Long Island) and Mike (from his powerless New Jersey home) get the biggest shout outs for traveling the furthest and most complicated transits into school yesterday.  Everyday, your actions speak volumes of your commitment, and Friday was just the latest testament to the caliber of your work!

Preparing for Monday

• First and foremost, Nancy, Jen, Mara, and our Carrerra partners worked furiously on Friday to reach out to families.  Luckily, many of our families weathered the storm well and are in good shape.  Inevitably, however, some of our young women will have been negatively impacted in some way by Sandy's reach.  Jen will be emailing everyone soon regarding protocols for getting whatever support our girls may need.  Please look out for that email and connect our students to the grade level social workers should they be showing signs of trauma.
• As transit service improves, hopefully your commutes will be much more manageable on Monday.  However, it will inevitably have some hiccups, so please stay in contact with me via my cell (917-776-0460) or email (kiris@uainstitute.org) to let me know if you're having issues coming into school.
• There is a chance that we will be hosting some of the girls and staff from the Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women.  If their school has power by Sunday night, they'll return to their own site.  If the power is not yet up, they will join us on Monday.  Please check the blog to learn more as I will be posting info here as the situation develops.
• On a minor note...don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend! It's daylight savings time.

Finally, the DOE has compiled a list of resources to reference in supporting our young women move through this process.  Additionally, Carol, Jen, our Carrerra and Girls Inc Partners have many other resources at their fingertips.  So please, if a student is expressing needs or concerns with respect to the Sandy aftermath, please connect them to your grade's social worker

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Key Links From the DOE

Crisis Response Resources - Hurricane Sandy 

Below please find crisis response resources that schools can use to help students and their families recover from Hurricane Sandy : 

• Office of Emergency Management Disaster Mental Health Support Call Center 347 396 7952  
• 1-800-LIFENET: Toll-free and confidential Mental Health Information and Referral Line with access to Mobile Crisis Team.  Staffed by trained Social Workers 24 hours, 7 days per week, 365 days per year
• HITE is a free online resource directory for mental health services and other community resources. Click Social Services, then enter address for services in your neighborhood
• Sesame Street Hurricane Toolkit - Hurricanes, storms, and other natural disasters can be difficult for young children who may not fully understand what's going on around them. These tips, activities, and videos can help them feel safe, cope with emotions, and understand that there is hope for the future.
• Hurricane Resources from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network  

Resources to Help Schools Support Students and their Families

www.DisasterAssistance.gov provides the support resources below which are designed specifically for children, from those promoting mental health to ensuring children stay enrolled in school even if they have evacuated to a new school.

Tips for Talking to Children After a Disaster: A Guide for Parents and Teachers - provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, this brochure discusses talking to preschool, early childhood, and adolescent children about the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster.

Helping Children Cope with Disaster - produced by FEMA and the Red Cross and provided by Federal Citizen Information Center, this fact sheet discusses a child's reaction to disaster by age.

After the Storm: Information for Parents on How Schools Can Help After Disasters -Children do not lose their right to attend school when a disaster strikes. The National Center for Homeless Education has prepared a brochure about how to enroll in school even if you don't have any paperwork and have been displaced due to a disaster.

Child Trauma Toolkit

Prepare Today, Cope Better Tomorrow

Tips for Teachers in Talking to Kids about Hurricane Sandy

Guidance for Administrators, Counselors and Teachers

 The American School Counselor Association has gathered a number of resources to help you work with students during this time.  Perhaps most important to keep in mind, are these tips for helping children in terms of crisis and stress:

• Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limit exposure to television and the news. Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listen to kids' fears and concerns.
• Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be, but sometimes bad things happen.
• Parents and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.
• Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships.

Bereavement and Grief Counseling

Bereavement Support: Guidance from Calvary Hospital

Grief Counseling Resource Guide: A Field Manual. This manual has been developed as a guide for those who encounter individuals reaching to trauma related grief reactions in the course of their outreach work.

New York Life Foundation: (FREE) Resources for Grieving Children & Families; Bereavement Camps for Grieving Children (Camp Erin services ages 6-17, Comfort Zone Camp Services ages 7-17).

Reimbursment Forms

Reimbursement for medical expenses from NYC

Preparing the Data

Hi All

First thanks again for letting us visit your classrooms today.  Kelly & I worked with Emily, Tara, and Kerry to take a schoolwide snapshot of where we are in the school.  Many of you have made large strides in getting their Classroom Environment, Independent Work Time, Conferencing, and Unison Reading formats up and running.  All of us are still working on refining and improving our practice.  We have done so much is such a little amount of time.


We have come far

• All classrooms have roughed out the formats (all mandated formats of conferencing, independent work time and unison reading (in LC classes) are up and running)
• All teachers have established resources and taught into their classroom environments so that students are beginning to understand how to find and use them
• All teachers have established unit arcs that include student choice and are aligned to state standards
• All teachers have moved to making the standards transparent on JumpRope
• All teachers have completed standards aligned mastery grading for the first Marking Period

Give yourselves a woot woot!

Now back to it, because we still do have a long way to go...

Initial analysis of grades and student opportunities (for conferencing and unison reading (in LC classes)) shows that many of you are struggling to meet mandates.

• Some of you have met or are exceeding mandates (all students in the lowest third (L3) students have >2 conferences and they have participated in > 4 unison reading groups, and everyone else has had at least 1 conference and 4 UR groups)
• Many of you are approaching mandates (e.g. the majority of students in the L3 had 2 conferences and 3 UR groups, and everyone had at least 1 conference with at least 3 UR groups).
    
• Many of you are below mandates (e.g. the majority of students in the L3 and the rest of the class have 1 or fewer conferences and 2 or fewer UR groups)

I'm still gathering and analyzing JumpRope grade data and your tally data.  I'm aiming to complete this analysis by Friday.  I'll share this complete data set with you guys starting in our conferences and in PD next week.  As you move forward this marking period, please reach out to your peers who have strong tallies in yours or in other grade teams.

If you are struggling to figure out how to schedule your time to meet your aims and required mandates, please reach out to me, your team, another team, teachers in the middle school, and/or Tara/Emily/Nicia.  There are also many PD opportunities to help you better develop capacity in unison reading, conferencing, and independent work time.  I strongly, strongly encourage you to visit your peers and engage with them to find ideas of what to do to shift practice and meet your goals.

Keep checking the PD calendar and reach out to Colleen, our high school PD rep to request specific PD opportunities so that we can work together to meet our goals!

Unison Reading - Following In

In the upcoming weeks, I'll be visiting Learning Cultures classes to evaluate Unison Reading groups and all classes to evaluate conferences.  I've asked Emily to be a guest blogger today on the concept of Following In, a key instructional tool for both of these formats.  Thanks Emily!!

Follow-in, Joint Attention, Cooperative Reasoning and the development of Joint Intentions
by Emily Jarrell

When my son was just around one, he was using a few key words but they were “baby” words – nana for bottle, dada for all people, mama for me.  I hung on every word he said.  I remember so clearly the spring in the apartment complex we lived in at the time because we had cherry trees in our front yard.  One early Spring day, enjoying a post-hybernation day outdoors, Aydan and I were standing in the front yard and he was pointing emphatically at the cherry blossom tree.  I walked him over to the tree and he wanted nothing more than to touch that tree and to grad the blossoms in his small fists.  It was a moment worth remembering because we were both completely engaged by this tree and both of us were giving this tree our undivided attention.  While Aydan was grabbing the blossoms, I said, “Tree! That’s a tree.”  Aydan continued to touch and grab the tree and I continued to say, “Yes, tree! That’s a tree.”  Needless to say, as I would not be going on about this if this didn’t happen, Aydan said, “Chee.” I responded with immediate excitement and said, “Yes, that’s right.  That’s a tree.  Do you like the tree? It’s so pretty!”  Aydan and I were speaking to one another.  We had a dialogue around the tree. 

If you don’t have children, I’m sure you’re sitting there reading this and thinking, “Seriously?”.  But, what I’m trying to illustrate here is the hard-wired nature of human beings to learn new things when in a situation where there is joint attention – when the parties are all looking at the same thing and trying to make sense of that same thing.  I’m also trying to illustrate the hard-wired nature of humans to make qualitative and quantitative leaps in their understanding of the world around them when they are attending to something – selecting to attend to that something – and someone follows-in to their attention to name, direct, push, and challenge them.  It is in the moment of acting upon the world, that learning is so easy and possible. 

So, what does this mean for us, Learning Cultures teachers? It means that WE DO TEACH!!!!! But, instead of traditional, transmission instructional models, we put our students into the action – through UR, Learning Groups, Table Shares, by illustrating their strengths and needs in their work in conferences – and then we FOLLOW-IN.  We base our strongest instruction in the moments when our students are looking at the same thing, trying to figure that thing out, intentionally formulating problems and trying to determine best means of action to solve those problems.  It’s in those moments that we turn to them and say, “Can I suggest something here?” or “Can I teach you something new?” or “Well, that work you’re trying to do is in the standards, let’s take a look together to see if we can figure this out.”

But, here’s the challenging tension.  WE DO TEACH but WE FIRST NEED TO FOSTER INTENTIONALITY in our students.  In Unison Reading, we need to hold them to the rules and BREACH when we know they don’t fully understand.  We need to hold them to breaching so that they begin to see what they don’t know, they begin to STOP taking their own understandings for granted and INSTEAD BEGIN TO QUESTION.  Once they begin to be curious, to be inquisitive.  Then we teach them to cooperatively reason.  We teach them to tell each other their thinking – “I’m thinking that maybe….” or “What about…?” or “Maybe it’s….” AND THEN we teach them to respond authentically – “Do you get what _______ said? Well, tell him you need him to resay it” and “________said something, he put an idea on the table, you all need to respond.  You can’t just sit and stare!” and “He said __________, now tell him what you think.” 

Once they have joint attention and they are cooperatively reasoning…the magic mix is there.  They will go back and forth naturally.  And you will have opportunity after opportunity to help them close their breaches by giving them the precise terminology to describe their processes, or to describe their new insights and you will be able to easily say, “Can I say something here? Can I teach you something new?”  This is where joint intentions begin.  They will be curious, they will be focused, they will be trying to reason, and you will help push them to new levels. 

So, push.  Push them to speak up every time there is something in that text that you know they should not take for granted.  Stop them and say, “Wait, I know this word is hard.  This is a good place to stop to get smarter.” Or, “Wait, there’s a symbol here and I’m not sure that you all understand what the symbol really means.  Use this opportunity to discuss this together.  This is how you will learn.”  Then TEACH them to cooperatively reason. And FINALLY, follow-in with instruction that will stick.  And, I promise, it will stick so much more if it’s done in this way.  And, if your follow-in is succinct and clear, they will want to pursue more from where your instruction came from – the standards. 

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Thanks Again Emily!