Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Middle of July??!!
It's SOOOO hard to believe that we're in the middle of July already! I enjoyed a few days off with my family last week, visiting with my two sisters-in-law, as well as my sister, in Louisville, Kentucky and Alliance, Ohio. A few weekends ago, I enjoyed a family reunion on my father's side of the family in Springfield, Missouri. And, I was lucky enough to spend a weekend with my mother and my aunt, at my mother's new home in S. Carolina. I hope you have had a chance to relax some with your family, as well!
That brings me back to work! We are currently working on professional development ideas, looking at paraprofessional needs, creating lilac placement sheets, and generally 'sharpening our points.' Please let me know if there's anything you need at this time, getting ready for the school year to start!
That brings me back to work! We are currently working on professional development ideas, looking at paraprofessional needs, creating lilac placement sheets, and generally 'sharpening our points.' Please let me know if there's anything you need at this time, getting ready for the school year to start!
"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. " ~Erma Bombeck
Monday, June 14, 2010
Looking Forward!
I am working towards a Professional Learning Unit (PLU) through Birmingham City Schools. It's essentially an overview of the Curriculum Departments and the various wonderful programs and people that we have with a wealth of information to share.
I recently attended one of the sessions that addressed using data to teach. Although, intuitively, we all (should) know that data should be the guiding force to drive our instruction, most of us simply do not take the time to really disaggregate assessments. As a special educator, I loved the concept that we should determine ahead of time what we consider to be mastery for a student. We must individualize instruction to allow our students to reach mastery. A major point is that, as educators, we can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results (picture someone yelling louder in English to a person who only speaks French); in actuality, we MUST teach differently. The best quote? “Every child can learn – the question is, can you teach every child?”
Formative assessments are a key element to the instructional process, to engage students and provide feedback as they learn. Last week, at the administrative retreat, we ‘revisited’ the concept of Professional Learning Communities. A large part of the discussion centered on the idea that PLCs consist of “Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators” (Dufour, Dufour, Esker & Many 2008).
The focus is to determine what OUTCOME we want to see for student achievement, and empowering each other to be risk takers in a supportive environment.
The primary questions, which also replicate much of what we learned in the PLU session, are:
1. What is it we want all our students to learn?
2. How will we know when each student has acquired the essential knowledge and skills?
3. What happens in our school when a student DOES NOT learn?
4. What happens in our school when a student DOES learn?
The PLC sees assessment as part of our normal routine as educators! I look forward to this coming school year where we begin working as a PLC to increase student learning!
I recently attended one of the sessions that addressed using data to teach. Although, intuitively, we all (should) know that data should be the guiding force to drive our instruction, most of us simply do not take the time to really disaggregate assessments. As a special educator, I loved the concept that we should determine ahead of time what we consider to be mastery for a student. We must individualize instruction to allow our students to reach mastery. A major point is that, as educators, we can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results (picture someone yelling louder in English to a person who only speaks French); in actuality, we MUST teach differently. The best quote? “Every child can learn – the question is, can you teach every child?”
Formative assessments are a key element to the instructional process, to engage students and provide feedback as they learn. Last week, at the administrative retreat, we ‘revisited’ the concept of Professional Learning Communities. A large part of the discussion centered on the idea that PLCs consist of “Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators” (Dufour, Dufour, Esker & Many 2008).
The focus is to determine what OUTCOME we want to see for student achievement, and empowering each other to be risk takers in a supportive environment.
The primary questions, which also replicate much of what we learned in the PLU session, are:
1. What is it we want all our students to learn?
2. How will we know when each student has acquired the essential knowledge and skills?
3. What happens in our school when a student DOES NOT learn?
4. What happens in our school when a student DOES learn?
The PLC sees assessment as part of our normal routine as educators! I look forward to this coming school year where we begin working as a PLC to increase student learning!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
ESY and Summer School Begin!
We have hit the ground running! PD/Training for ESY and Summer School was this past Tuesday, and the children arrived on Wednesday! Summer School sites are at Huffman and Jackson-Olin High Schools, Green Acres, Huffman and Hudson Middle Schools, and Gate City, Lee, and Hudson Elementary Schools. ESY is being held at EPIC School.
From the Special Education Department, program specialists are out at the summer sites, as well as testing and meeting with MEDC teams, verifying IEPs and re-evaluations, and planning for and developing professional development for the next school year, among other things. We anticipate a very busy summer - remember that we are working long hours Monday-Thursday (7-5:30), and will not be working on Fridays.
Next week is the administrative retreat at Jackson-Olin High School, so most of us will be attending workshops there.
Please let me know how you are doing this summer, and don't hesitate to call or visit when you can.
From the Special Education Department, program specialists are out at the summer sites, as well as testing and meeting with MEDC teams, verifying IEPs and re-evaluations, and planning for and developing professional development for the next school year, among other things. We anticipate a very busy summer - remember that we are working long hours Monday-Thursday (7-5:30), and will not be working on Fridays.
Next week is the administrative retreat at Jackson-Olin High School, so most of us will be attending workshops there.
Please let me know how you are doing this summer, and don't hesitate to call or visit when you can.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Keeping Current
I recently re-joined Phi Delta Kappa International after an absence of several years. For those of you who may not know, PDK is a professional association for educators. Copied from the website, http://www.pdkintl.org/:
"Phi Delta Kappa International is the premier professional association for educators. For more than 100 years, it has focused its work on the tenets of service, research, and leadership.
PDK is one of the largest education associations and has more than 35,000 members, including teachers, principals, superintendents, and higher education faculty and administrators. PDK publishes the highly-regarded Phi Delta Kappan, the No. 1 education policy magazine, and sponsors the annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools.
PDK is the sole sponsor of the Future Educators Association® (FEA), the only national and international professional organization that provides students who are interested in education-related careers with activities and materials that allow them to explore the teaching profession in a variety of ways.
More than 250 local PDK chapters, most located on college campuses, give PDK members a unique opportunity to network with other like-minded educators.
PDK’s mission is to support education, particularly public education, as the cornerstone of democracy. Its vision is to be the experts in cultivating great educators for tomorrow while continuing to ensure high-quality education for today."
Now, obviously, I'm promoting PDK by including them in my blog. But even more importantly, I hope that I am promoting the idea that we, as educational professionals, should be participating in one or more organizations that celebrate, uphold, and encourage the teaching profession. Keeping up with latest research and the ideas of the pioneers in education allows us to self-examine our traits and styles to weed out less than the best practices.
"Phi Delta Kappa International is the premier professional association for educators. For more than 100 years, it has focused its work on the tenets of service, research, and leadership.
PDK is one of the largest education associations and has more than 35,000 members, including teachers, principals, superintendents, and higher education faculty and administrators. PDK publishes the highly-regarded Phi Delta Kappan, the No. 1 education policy magazine, and sponsors the annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools.
PDK is the sole sponsor of the Future Educators Association® (FEA), the only national and international professional organization that provides students who are interested in education-related careers with activities and materials that allow them to explore the teaching profession in a variety of ways.
More than 250 local PDK chapters, most located on college campuses, give PDK members a unique opportunity to network with other like-minded educators.
PDK’s mission is to support education, particularly public education, as the cornerstone of democracy. Its vision is to be the experts in cultivating great educators for tomorrow while continuing to ensure high-quality education for today."
Now, obviously, I'm promoting PDK by including them in my blog. But even more importantly, I hope that I am promoting the idea that we, as educational professionals, should be participating in one or more organizations that celebrate, uphold, and encourage the teaching profession. Keeping up with latest research and the ideas of the pioneers in education allows us to self-examine our traits and styles to weed out less than the best practices.
If you are interested in joining PDK, please let me know. I am serving the local chapter as Membership Chair this next year. I would be pleased to talk to you more about what being a member can mean.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
In Like a Lion...
And out like a Lamb!! What beautiful weather we are having after so many tornadoes and rainstorms...
Now it's crunch time...the IEP Timeline Calendar that Dr. Tucker put out in February has all of the most important upcoming dates. The first and maybe biggest hurdle is to get all of the re-evaluations that are due by 10/01/10 completed and turned in to the psychometrist or timeline compliance team. Re-evals were actually due earlier this week; if you have any outstanding, please let me know the status so that I can provide assistance if possible. I understand that it may seem like overkill to request them before the end of April, but the psychometrists and timeline team must have time to review the files and request additional information if needed PRIOR to your leaving your school for the summer.
Next on the list is to provide submissions for ESY services to Sharleen Williams. Those should be completed as you are meeting with parents for IEP development.
Also, the IEP verification forms are due by the middle of May. Remember that your principal needs to sign your form as his/her acknowledgement that your IEPs are actually completed. DO NOT wait til the last minute to write your IEPs and have meetings. For the most part, your IEPs should already be in draft form with your last few meetings to be held in the next two weeks. Please let me know if you'd like for me to review any of your IEPs or if you would like my participation in an IEP meeting.
Some basic reminders:
Now it's crunch time...the IEP Timeline Calendar that Dr. Tucker put out in February has all of the most important upcoming dates. The first and maybe biggest hurdle is to get all of the re-evaluations that are due by 10/01/10 completed and turned in to the psychometrist or timeline compliance team. Re-evals were actually due earlier this week; if you have any outstanding, please let me know the status so that I can provide assistance if possible. I understand that it may seem like overkill to request them before the end of April, but the psychometrists and timeline team must have time to review the files and request additional information if needed PRIOR to your leaving your school for the summer.
Next on the list is to provide submissions for ESY services to Sharleen Williams. Those should be completed as you are meeting with parents for IEP development.
Also, the IEP verification forms are due by the middle of May. Remember that your principal needs to sign your form as his/her acknowledgement that your IEPs are actually completed. DO NOT wait til the last minute to write your IEPs and have meetings. For the most part, your IEPs should already be in draft form with your last few meetings to be held in the next two weeks. Please let me know if you'd like for me to review any of your IEPs or if you would like my participation in an IEP meeting.
Some basic reminders:
- Don't write a paraprofessional is required unless you have me participate in the meeting.
- Write all of your goals and benchmarks in MEASUREABLE terms.
- Be SMART with your goals and benchmarks
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
TimeLimited - Well written goals will describe what the child will do, when and how he’ll do it, and what the time frame will be for achieving it.
GOALS need to have a Course of Study # attached to them; benchmarks should be steps that are needed to be taken to achieve the goal, and should NOT have a COS # attached.
This is an example of a properly worded benchmark:
"By the end of the second grading period, Junior will correctly answer at least 4 of 5 comprehension questions after he listens to the teacher read a story. "
In my next posting, I'll give some example statements of special education services and specially designed instruction.
Til then, hear these words by Fosdick, Harry Emerson: "The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it."
Monday, March 29, 2010
In Like a Lion...
I can't believe March is almost over! I hope your spring break was restful and everything you wanted it to be. We have certainly had more than our fair share of snow and cold in the past month. It's wonderful to see the pear blossoms and azaleas start blooming. Of course, that also means allergy season...Take the time to smell the roses during the sneezes!
In terms of this past month's accomplishments, we can count:
In terms of this past month's accomplishments, we can count:
- AAA collected and sent to the ALSDE
- Spring Grad exam complete
- ARMT testing over, with SAT10 and ADAW almost done
- Introdution of JBHM consulting firm to work with our high schools in collaboration of general and special educators in meeting the needs of all of our lower performing students
We have several upcoming events and important dates:
- ALSDE on-site monitoring, April 5-8
- Autism Chat April 15
- SLI Chit-Chat April 21
- IEP Verifications Completed
- All re-evaluations for additional or no additional data turned into either the psychometry or timeline compliance offices
- Last day for students May 27
In the meantime, please enjoy this picture of WATER FOUND ON MARS! No kidding, check it out! (And, have a safe April Fools' Day!)
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