HTHS Teachers Engaged in Book Study

A group of HTHS teachers, led by Dr. Jennifer Cardwell, are reading Leaders of Their Own Learning, by Ron Berger.  The pilot group members read, discuss sections of the book, and try out Berger's suggestions in their own classrooms.  Berger recommends the use of learning targets in the daily classroom.  The term target is significant.  It emphasizes that students are aiming for something specific.  Learning targets are meant to focus students, directing their efforts and attention as would a physical target.  Berger says that learning targets help students define what they are learning and why they are learning it.  This enables students to monitor their progress toward the learning goal. Students, consequently feel motivated to accomplish a task when they know it is in their reach.

Dr. Cardwell will lead teachers in a study of portions of the book this summer.  Contact Dr. Cardwell if you are interested in participating.

Learning Targets from Tim Stull's Pre-AP World History Class

Students check off the "I Can" statements as they gain clear understanding of each one.  These targets are for one unit, which Dr. Stull says will be ongoing for approximately 10 days.  

How to Apply for a Book Love Grant

"There is something about that moment, when literature becomes accessible, and a door of the world opens."—Lois Lowry

All adolescents are reading less. There is a calamitous drop-off in students’ reading after age 13 and a downward trend in voluntary reading by youth at middle and high school levels over the past two decades.

 And yet… students who I believe are determined nonreaders become committed, passionate readers given the right books, time to read, and regular responses to their thinking. The pathway to difficult reading begins with books they enjoy. Once they’re reading, together we can reach for the challenging literature I want them to know. Rich and rewarding reading lives are within reach for all teenagers.

However, as public libraries struggle for funding and school libraries close, today many students do not have access to books. There is only one book for every 300 kids living in poverty in the United States. We can change this. We have to.

The Book Love Foundation is dedicated to teachers who inspire a love of reading. We provide classroom libraries of hundreds of books carefully chosen to meet teenagers where they are and lead them to the deep rewards of reading. We put those books into the hands of teachers who demonstrate a commitment to rich reading lives for all students.

Download the 2015 application form.

Applicant Requirements

The applicant…

•must be a full-time teacher in a middle school or high school in the United States or Canada.

•must have demonstrated a commitment to choice and independent reading, and have started the process of building a classroom library.

•must be willing to maintain the Book Love Foundation library in the applicant's classroom. The books received from this grant are not intended for a school-wide library.

•must be willing to be included in Book Love Foundation promotional materials including the website, and participate in research into the effectiveness of classroom libraries on student outcomes in reading.

•will collect data on books read from the Book Love Foundation library in order for us to create the next year's library list. We suggest using the Book Source classroom library app for checking out books.

 Grant applications must be completed and submitted electronically to booklovefoundation@gmail.com by May 1, 2015.

The Board of Directors will make grantee selections by July 1, 2015, and will notify grantees via email.

Books will be delivered to grant winners by Book Source as they are available. Our goal is to complete delivery for the start of the 2015-2016 school year.

Flex Days Information

FLEX DAY PROCESS

Flex Days for 2015-2016 school year:  August 6, 2015 and January 4, 2016.

To earn credit for the two flex days, teachers must complete 12 hours of professional development outside of the school day prior to the flex day.

When teachers return to school on August 7th – request professional leave for August 6th in the time system.  Before teachers leave for Christmas break, they should request professional leave for January 4th.

BEFORE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY:

• Complete Appendix A Project Application (if this is a group project, contact person will fill out application and list participants.  Contact person is responsible for turning in sign in sheet and back-up paperwork.
• Get Principal’s signature of approval on Project Application
• Send Project Application to Mrs. Bruno for her approval
• Theresa Ray will enter in STI PD and email number to you.  If PD is held outside of TCS & has been assigned an STI PD number by the presenter, write that number on Project Application.

AFTER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IS COMPLETE:

Complete Appendix B Small Group Project Summary Form and send to Theresa Ray along with sign in sheets to receive credit in STI PD.  If this was PD outside of TCS, send certificate of attendance with summary form.

Click here for links to Appendix A Project Application and Appendix B Summary Form.

A comprehensive list of professional development offerings will be available to teachers in our system by May 1.

From Edutopia: Efficient Ways to Check for Understanding

What strategy can double student learning gains? According to 250 empirical studies, the answer is formative assessment, defined by Bill Younglove as "the frequent, interactive checking of student progress and understanding in order to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately."

Unlike summative assessment, which evaluates student learning according to a benchmark, formative assessment monitors student understanding so that kids are always aware of their academic strengths and learning gaps. Meanwhile, teachers can improve the effectiveness of their instruction, re-teaching if necessary. "When the cook tastes the soup," writes Robert E. Stake, "that's formative; when the guests taste the soup, that's summative." Formative assessment can be administered as an exam. But if the assessment is not a traditional quiz, it falls within the category of alternative assessment.

To see 53 Ways to Check for Understanding, click here. (In my opinion, this is the BEST and MOST CLARIFYING article I have read on formative assessment.)

Six Differentiation Strategies from The Teaching Channel

Click on The Teaching Channel's Six Strategies for Differentiating to read about ways to include all students.

How to Stop Students from Breaking the Same Rule Again and Again

Read How To Stop Students From Breaking The Same Rule Again And Again By Michael Linsin.