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Common Core website PD to teachers all grade levels at SJB
I began to lay the groundwork for the capstone project. At the various grade level meetings, I shared many Common Core websites that I have discovered through my own research and in collaboration with other TLCA teacher leaders. Here we discussed math and ELA websites, but one of the main websites we focused on was Achieve the Core (www.achievethecore.org). This website has pages dedicated to the 3 writing genres of the Common Core (opinion, informational, narrative) -
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TLCA Capstone Project
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PD: Introduced the 6 traits and opinion writing to grades tk-3
On this day we split into grade level groups and I introduced the 6 traits of writing to the teachers in the tk-3 grade level group, the 4-5 grade level group, and the 6-8 grade level group. I touched on opinion writing, but saved the majority of that for our first grade level meeting in September. I introduced the traits, gave suggestions for how to teach the traits, and explained to teachers what will be expected of them for this school year. I also surveyed the teachers. -
Conducted student surveys in grades tk-3
I surveyed the student in grades k-3 of their understanding and feelings regrading opinion and the 6 traits. The K survey was oral and modified, the students in grades 1-3 were able to take the survey as it was written. -
Grade level PD-Introduced Opinion Writing
I introduced the opinion genre of writing. We discussed the elements of opinion (which included writing samples of grades k-4) and looked at various writing prompts that the teachers could use. We spent a lot of time on the process of the writing from finding articles to write about, to sentences starters for each sentence in the paragraph, and discussed where to start and how to complete the final draft. -
Grade level PD- Opinion Samples and Assessment
Today we focused on assessment. We looked at sample rubrics and discussed the creation of our own schoolwide writing rubrics. Each teacher brought a writing sample from each student from his/her class and we discussed student performance, teacher opinions of the process and what we can learn from our experience so far, and how we assessed the writing samples that we brought in to share. -
Tech OC Presentation
Today I shared my Common Core websites with many teachers from the Diocese of Orange in our TECHOC 2014 professional development day. I shared my websites in two fifty minute sessions with a special focus on the writing information from Achieve the Core since this has been my focus lately. Many, many teachers come to hear my presentation. I reached a far larger audience than I had previously had in sharing with my small grade level sessions -
Grade Level PD- Informational Writing
Today I led a training on informative writing. We looked at the different styles of informative writing ("how to" writings, research reports, summaries of fiction and non-fiction, explanatory pieces), different scoring guides to use, sentence starters for informational writing, and various graphic organizers we can use to help the students get started. In looking at the scoring guides, our focus was not assessment (that will be later), but to look at the components of informational writing. -
Grade Level PD- Continued Informational Writing and Shared Writing Samples
Today we focused on informational writing. I began with checking with the group how the writing has gone so far and asked them to share what they have done so far. I was able to assess if everyone has begun the writing type with their students, got a feel for where each teacher was with the writing, and answered a few questions about the structure and characteristics of informational writing. I also shared samples from Achieve the Core and we looked at the standards. -
Grade Level PD- Informational Sample Sharing & Assessment
We shared samples of our informational writing and went over again what we as teachers are looking for in our students' informational writing. We also began to discuss assessment in preparatuon for rubric writing next month -
Grade Level PD & Rubric Writing: Informational Writing
In conjunction with our coach from Captapult Learning, we began the process of developing a school-wide rubric for informational writing. Our long-range goal was to then work towards developing a rubric for each individual genre. We just began to create (pulling from various sources) our informational rubrics. It will probably take us through the end of the year to complete them. We will begin working on other rubrics though next year. -
Grade Level PD- Narrative Writing
This month I introduced narrative writing. I started by leading our grade-level meeting. We looked at the different styles of narrative writing (different scoring guides to use, sentence starters for narrative writing, and various graphic organizers we can use to help the students get started. In looking at the scoring guides, our focus was not assessment (that will be later), but to look at the various components of what makes good narrative writing. -
Grade Level PD- Narrative Writing and Rubric Writing for Narrative
Narrative Writing PD continued and sample sharing. The beginning of our meeting was devoted to these two items. In the second half of our meeting, we put aside our informational scoring guides to begin scoring guides for narrative writing because this is the genre that we are choosing to begin with next year. We want this scoring guide to be ready for next year. -
Capstone Presentation