21st century literacy Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings


HABITS of MIND/ THROUGH LINES/APPROACHES TO LEARNING: Metacognitive, confident, reflective, innovative, creative, flexible (roles, approach, thinking), tenacious, efficient, collaborative, holistic, empathic, tolerant, inquisitive, open-minded,

How do I find and use information to construct meaning and solve problems?

How do I effectively communicate?

How do I responsibly use information and communication to positively contribute to my world?

Students will begin to understand:

  1. The necessity, values, and methods of reflecting throughout the information gathering process.
  2. Why and how to effectively search for, evaluate, select, analyze, interpret, and synthesize appropriate information to problem solve.
  3. Bias influences the creation and interpretation of information.
  4. People use their prior knowledge to learn how to build new understandings and deal with any new technologies. 

Students will begin to understand

  1. Purpose and audience for communication determine the appropriate media choice.
  2. Design and layout impact the quality and effectiveness of communications.
  3. People reflect on, organize, analyze, interpret, and synthesize information in order to effectively communicate and create ideas.

Students will begin to understand

  1. Communication networks are powerful mediums to spread positive change or to negatively impact others.
  2. People use information and communication tools to learn from each other , innovate and collaboratively problem solve.

3. Communication behaviors and actions impact the access and safety of users.

4. Everyone is biased and that bias is based on each person’s life experiences.


 

Effective Learners

Effective Communicators/Creators

Effective (Global) Collaborators


NEXT STEPS and Implementation Framework

AREA
 WHAT?
 HOW?
 WHEN?
Shared understanding of this "vision" (and how it fits with ISB's Vision)
 Agreement, Leadership & staff buy-in to the essential questions and enduring understandings.
 Individual conversations with admin

Team presentations to leadership

Presentations to faculty including clear ways that teachers will be supported to do this (see ProD).
 Before 12 April 2008 - meet with individual division admin

Before end of April 2008 - meet whole leadership group.

Before June 2008 - all faculty (division or whole) presentation from admin and us
Communication
 Big picture framework and transparency (sample framework from MKIS)
  • Who does what - including us and support staff
  • Aligns with vision
  • The process

Ensuring carry-over and continuity of process with new teachers and new people joining our group 		ISB wiki environment in which we can all collaborate and develop this framework.

We must determine what all the work is

We must determine who is responsible for what (there will be overlap)

Need to articulate the curricular "embedding" process

With a checklist of end of year action and collaborative process (keep this information ongoing)
 Use Wired Wednesdays to focus discussion with specific groups (personal invites)

Wiki (Kim & Justin to create) will get started Feb 25 and we will all contribute to it to meet again on March 24




Professional Development How will we support teachers and bring them on board?
 Mentor program to create more "experts" out there

On the ground resources
  1. Exemplars
  2. Rubrics
  3. Resources/tool box

How to embed this framework in the curriculum - How do we get it to invisibly run along side how we "do business at ISB" Effective use of our resource people. (planting seeds, working with leaders, embed the building of their understanding)

Establish the need for the ISB staff to use a wide range of collaborative tools How do we use our students?  (Students get matched up with teachers - two way mentorship) *Just in time learning
Assessment Assessment tools to provide teachers

Reflection on successes/failures

Guide improvement plans
 Create rubrics for 3 "roles" that are 3 division specific


 Deadline for first 12 rubrics drafts: May 2 2008-
Carol/Kim=primary
Kim/Justin=intermediate
Ida/Rob=MS/HS
  
Community Support Parent understanding
 PTA meetings

Morning coffees

Night sessions
 2008 - 2009 school year
Resources
 		Personnel
 Ed tech to effectively deal with issues of troubleshooting!!!

"Just Dennis" issue--impossible to address this with one person and ??? teachers **Justin and Kim are helping MS regularly as they're being called to help.
 Dennis spends about 40% of his time on PowerSchool
Justin is spending a good amount of time on trouble shooting to get stuff working.
 

ES Support Model Possibilities
Multi-Prong 
1. Mini lead by example (embed every time we meet as a faculty)
2. Team level embedding (focus on one essential question, one content area and build understanding from there) *This would simultaneously help with their understanding of how enduring understandings drive learning in the classroom.
3. GODs (Geeks on Demand)
4. Clarify roles and responsibilities
5. Individual support
6. Grade-level based PD
7. Individual or small group PD
STEP 1) ISB Leadership TEAM : Common understanding at the Leadership level 

Email Bill - Wed 31st - "Getting LT on board" -  Present  Essential questions (get feedback) - Present action plan - 
look for (Justin - email Bill ) - Next Wednesday LT - 8 am 

a. Wednesday October 31st - Launch with Shift Happens video (8 minutes) "Think, Pair, Share--HEADLINES"
b. Ask for feedback from our shared understandings - (framed as compilation of research and experience conducted over the last few years)
    "Claim, Support, Question"
STEP 2) "ES Vertical Planning Team Planning"  - Tuesday November 13th -  The Role of Technology in 21st century Learning


Meeting Outline: 
  • Launch with Shift Happens video (8 minutes) "Think, Pair, Share--
  • Ask for feedback from our shared understandings - (framed as compilation of research and experience conducted over the last few years)  "Claim, Support, Question"

STEP 3) ES LEADERSHIP TEAM - Monday DECEMBER 3rd  - After school - TC's or Team Reps - 


STEP 4) WHOLE STAFF - DECEMBER 11th - EARLY Release


Ste 1.2 - Set some dates - (early release day?)  - Is it possible to have TC's present?? A team presentation ? We have some leaders here - Scott, Darryll, Ellen, ED.

Step 1.3. Whole staff launch - Timing crucial here - after xmas ?? - Transparent to whole staff at one time.
           Let them in on the journey that has brought us to this point and how far we have come        
          How can this help us reach our organizational goals?
          How do we get them to feel that it is not add on?  Everything we do should be FRAMED BY READING.

Step 2: Team meetings for planning - This needs to be staged, perhaps starting with grade 5 and working our way down - we need to make sure that we can support whatever comes up at these meetings.




Plan of Action:
1. Clarify roles and responsibilities of Justin, Carol, and Kim to the STAFF
A. Justin (Technology and Learning coordinator): Ed tech issues, making sure things are up and running + helps Kim when he can
B. Kim: Embedding 21st century literacy (PreK to 5)
2. During the rest of October and November:  Meet with each team so that they choose one essential question to tackle in one content area. We help them embed the accompanying enduring understandings in an upcoming unit.


 

How can we efficiently deepen student learning through focused, collaborative inquiry?

 

EQ

How can we focus our time and energy to deepen student learning?

How can we collaborate around our strengths to deepen student learning and stay sane?

 

How can we develop a culture of inquiry to deepen students’ understanding?

 

EU

 

Focusing on the how and why of teaching will deepen student learning.

 

 

 

Distributed leadership improves pupil learning and the quality of teaching.

 

 

 

Learning focused teams maintain a culture of inquiry by continually looking at data to maximize student learning.

 

 

FOCUS

COLLABORATE

INQUIRE

Support

 

§       CIA: reading and science only

§       Data profile

§       Provide the what (CIA+)

§       Book worm project leader

§       PD (RW in NYC, FOSS next Sept)

 

 

§       Tapping into others’ strengths

§       IA training & IA project leader

§       Teresa, Kelly to team with teachers

§       Tap into community

§       Tap into resource personnel

 

 

  • A and S to work with teams
  • Project leader for data
  • Electronic data profile
  • Fieldwork support
  • Five minute goal form

Teacher focus & priority

 

§       Select area of focus (science,  reading, articulation-specialist)

§       Focus on the how (powerful practices) and why (begin where the student is and take him/her as far as possible)

 

 

§       Reflect on own strengths--Step up 

§       Reflect on challenges--Learn from colleagues

 

 

§       Ask questions (action research)

§       Take risks

§       Filter decisions through data and philosophy