C&I Chronicles

NEW Classroom & Family Resources Provided by Teachers College

Teachers College has updated their website and included many new resources for teachers and families to support literacy instruction. One exciting feature that has been added are videos that are designed as classroom and family supports. Below is a list of some of the topics that might be most helpful at this time of year:

1. Rituals to Set up at Home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTQ-JHbk79I&feature=youtu.be

2. Spelling Video for Caregivers (K-2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkhhIYfuTzU&feature=youtu.be

3. Allowing Students to Work through the Productive Struggle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrHkmDYLkhk&feature=emb_title

4. Learning Sight Words at Home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9mrBsxWzr4&feature=emb_title

5. Reading Aloud to Build Strong Vocabulary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G0617UEBv0&feature=emb_title

6. How to Help your Child Stay Focused While Reading

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDHb0F4M9Uo&feature=emb_title

If you do not have access to all of the free resources on the Teachers College Website, click here to create a free account.

*Check out the RISD Clarification Documents (found in Unit Overviews) to dig into the standards, get clarification from TEA and other sources, find helpful strategies to use when teaching the standards, and review samples of the standards in assessment items and student work samples!

*K-2: MOY TEKS/SBRC Student Examples can be found in the Unit Overviews in the Assessment box. Remember that students need many, many opportunities to learn and show their knowledge on these most critical of our essential standards. Slides and the video recording of the district PLC are linked here as well for you to review as needed. Let's see how much we can grow our students in their understanding of the essential standards!

*This article is worth another read! (from December S'more)

Unlocking Children’s Math Potential: 5 Research Results to Transform Math Learning

This quick read by Dr. Jo Boaler discusses 5 things that can really make a difference in creating mathematicians!

1. All Students Can Achieve at High Levels.
   
2. Students’ Ideas about their Ability Determine their Learning Pathways and Math Achievement.
   
3. Mistakes and Struggle are Extremely Important for Learning.
   
4. Mathematics should be Dissociated from Speed.
   
5. Teachers Messages are Hugely Powerful.

With so many students experiencing the Covid Slide in math, it's important for us to focus on these high impact ideas in teaching and learning. Number 5 was my favorite idea!

*Knowing Your Learning Target

This article discusses the importance of students knowing what they are going to learn prior to learning it. It's a great reminder to define Student Learning Objectives and use them often during the course of the lesson.

Think 30 Imagine Math Newsletter Check out this month's winners! Way to go!!

We will be holding Science PLCs throughout the spring semester. There will be two types of PLCs to differentiate for your needs. We will meet virtually over zoom for these. We will be offering general science PLCs for K-6th and content preview PLCs for 4th-6th. Please click the image above for topics, dates and times. Register in Eduphoria and join us for collaboration, new learning and planning support!

Each month we will dig deeper to better understand the phases of the 5E Model of Instruction. For the month of January our focus is on ENGAGE. This is a crucial piece in developing deep and lasting science understanding for students and too often, is overlooked. A science unit should begin with an engage learning task that makes connections between past and present learning experiences. It should include anticipatory activities and organize students' thinking toward the learning outcome.

Research has shown the 5E model is needed to support English learners in the classroom with the increasingly technical and academic language in science. Evidence has shown teaching vocabulary in isolation is ineffective. All students need context for the new academic language provided through all the phases in the 5E model, but the steps of Engage and Explore can make a big difference and are especially powerful for our English learners.

The goal of the Engage learning task is to...

• generate interest.
• access prior knowledge.
• connect to past knowledge or experiences.
• set parameters for the foucs of the upcoming learning.
• frame the big idea for the unit.

The students will...

• ask questions such as: Why did this happen? What do I already know about this? WHat can I find out about this? How can this problement be solved?
• show interest in the topic.
• respond to questions that show their background knowledge (if any) on the topic.

What does this looks like in your classroom for science?

• When students conduct and investigation, read text or compose a written response, take 7-10 minutes to elict oral responses that uncover the students' current knowledge about the concept or topic.
• Provide opportunities for students to discuss ideas or questions they have in a small group before whole class discussion.
• Link the new concepts to students' backgrounds and past learning.
• Emphasize key vocabulary in discussion and usage, not teaching in isolation with definitions.
• Use pictures, real objects, or personal experiences to enahnce connection to the learning.

All of these component pieces correspond to specific English Langauge Proficiency Standards in science. This link provides student friendly language for the ELPS.

• 1a. Use prior knowledge and experiences to understand meanings in English.
• 1c. Use strategic learning techniques such as concept mapping, drawing, memorizing, comparing, contreasting and reviewing to acquire basic and grade level vocabulary.
• 2e. Use visual. contextual and linguistic supports to enhance and confirm understanding of increasingly complex and elaborated spoken language.
• 3e. Share information in cooperative learning interactions.
• 3f. Ask and give information using a range of high-frequency, concrete vocabulary, including key words and expressions needed for basic communication in academic and social contexts, to using abstract and content-based vocabulary during extended speaking tasks.

Jan 1 - New Year's Day

Jan 2 - National Science Fiction Day

Jan 8 - Earth's Rotation Day

Jan 9 - National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Jan 13 - Korean American Day

Jan 18 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan 24 - National Compliment Day

Jan 26 - Australia Day

Jan 27 - Holocaust Remembrance Day

FREE virtual conference on Jan 23rd hosted by Houston ISD (For Teachers By Teachers) – Learn strategies on implementing lessons from Active Classroom

Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/FTBT2021

Happy New Year! We are excited to provide more opportunities for our students to experince success through the "Marathon Kids" program for our elementaryr students and the "I Can Do it" program for our secondary students. More information to come.

*Jan. 11-Feb. 12: Grades K-2 TEKS MOY Assessment Window

*Jan. 13-29: Grades 3-6 MAP Assessment Window

*Jan. 13: 3rd Grade RLA Unit 4 PLC (recording will be emailed) & 4th Grade Science Content Preview PLC

*Jan. 14: 5th Grade Science Content Preview PLC

*Jan. 20: 1st Grade RLA Unit 5 PLC & 6th Grade Science Content Preview PLC

*Jan. 21: K-2 Science District PLC & 6th Grade RLA Unit 5 PLC

*Feb. 1: Kinder & 4th Grade RLA PLC

*Feb. 3: 3-4 Science District PLC, 2nd Grade & 5th Grade RLA PLC

*Feb. 4: 5-6 Science District PLC

*Feb. 8: K-2 Math District PLC

*Feb. 11: 3-6 Math District PLC