A Morning with Marzano

A Morning with Bob!  

Grand Forks Public School spent the morning with Dr. Robert Marzano.  

The topic, other than personal stories and jokes shared by our guest speaker, was teacher evaluation.  But, if you listened carefully, the true message was being committed to continuous growth, caring about your craft, the challenge of making a difference, and the willingness to work at improvement (small increments over time - making an impact and becoming an expert).

We were engaged in learning and learning games.  Many of you recognized these games from professional development, curriculum committee work, and your very own classrooms!

Last year, I provided professional development on Effective Vocabulary Instruction.  A key step in this process is using academic games.  I also blogged about using games last year.

If you would like to read previous posts on using games and effective vocabulary instruction, click on the links below. 

http://jessieerickson.blogspot.com/2012/07/vocabulary-instruction-five-common.html

http://jessieerickson.blogspot.com/2012/02/building-academic-vocabulary.html

http://jessieerickson.blogspot.com/2011/11/nine-instructional-strategies.html

Have a great Friday and holiday weekend!  Feel free to visit with one of your instructional coaches about using games to increase student engagement, motivation, and understanding.

Why I Hated Meredith’s First Grade Teacher: An Open Letter to America’s Teachers by Kylene Beers

This is great blogpost that comes right to the heart of teaching - the students!  No matter how old they are, children, our students, need to know you care about them.  Our work is important work!  We can lift a child up, share knowledge, help them understand and enjoy new learning!

"But, I promise, underneath that bravado of the seventh grader or swagger of the tenth grader you will find that small first grader who wonder, "Will my teacher like me?"  And when that child - that teen - knows that you believe he or she matters, then that student will do most anything for you."

To read the full post, click on the following link:
Why I Hated Meredith’s First Grade Teacher: An Open Letter to America’s Teachers Kylene Beers

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Educational Leadership:Effective Grading Practices:Reporting Student Learning

Ken O'Connor and Rick Wormeli discuss grading in the article "Reporting Student Learning", from the November 2011 issue of Educational Leadership.  Some good points to think about.  To read more click on the following link:  Educational Leadership:Effective Grading Practices:Reporting Student Learning

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Five Habits of Highly Effective Teachers

According to the article, Five Habits of Highly Effective Teachers by Neil Bright (The School Administrator, October 2011), highly effective teachers exhibit the following habits:

• Take a wider view of student success:  Outstanding teachers know the purpose of school isn't solely students' academic performance but also to do well in life.  Linking curriculum and instruction to post-graduation demands and real-life experiences requires teachers to incorporate creative writing, research, oral presentations, and persuasive essays as well as other authentic but labor-intensive activities.
• Recognize instruction as a performance:  Superior teachers employ several strategies to improve instructional delivery. 
• Internalize personal accountability:  The most effective educators internalize lofty performance standards for themselves.  They focus on what they can always control-their own actions.
• Understand student motivation:  Excellent teachers use instructional strategies that overcome such lethargy by focusing on learning's essential motivating factors of doability and importance.
• Continue to focus on instructional improvement:  The best teachers have an insatiable appetite both for good student results and for their own learning.

Teaching Self-Efficacy with Personal Projects

21st Century Skills and Learning Projects.  Another good article from Educational Leadership.  Click on the link below to read more.

Educational Leadership:Supporting Beginning Teachers:Teaching Self-Efficacy with Personal Projects

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Elementary and Middle School Social Studies classrooms in Grand Forks are going to become TCI Classrooms!

What Is TCI?

TCI is a K-12 publishing company created by teachers, for teachers.  TCI attempts to bring the best teaching strategies, great content, meaningful technology, and interactive classroom experiences together. The end goal:  Students of all abilities and learning styles succeed.

Students participate in a tug-of-war to learn about the American Revolution. They conduct press conferences as historical figures. They take a walking tour of Florence to uncover details about the Renaissance.

To read more about TCI - click on the links below:
Inside a TCI Classroom | TCI
TCI Theories and Strategies

Vocabulary Instruction: Five Common Misconceptions

"Rote memorization of word lists has never worked. To unleash the power of vocabulary instruction, focus on exploration and engaging word play."

It is best to use specific instructional strategies when teaching vocabulary.  Last year we looked at Marzano's six-step process (Marzano, 2004) of effective vocabulary instruction.  It involves the following steps:

1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term.
2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words.
3. Ask students to construct a picture, pictograph, or symbolic representation of the term.
4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their vocabulary notebooks.
5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
6. Involve students periodically in games that enable them to play with terms.

In the latest issue of Educational Leadership; Padak, Bromley, Rasinski and  Newton point out that when young readers encounter texts that contain too many unfamiliar words, their comprehension suffers.  They explain that vocabulary knowledge is a key element in reading comprehension.  Therefore, in order for students to comprehend fully and learn well, they need regular vocabulary exploration.  The article goes on to identify five common misconceptions that often stand in the way of effective vocabulary instruction.  To read more, click on the link below:

Educational Leadership:Strong Readers All:Vocabulary: Five Common Misconceptions

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