Understanding Our Process

As we continue to work in our PLC groups, I'm amazed at the work each team has done!  We have taken the Iowa Core and thoroughly dissected each English Language Arts Standard.  As a result of our work, teams have asked me several tough questions.  I have been on a search for answers.  I also wanted a better understanding of the Core.   I believe research says we must hear something 18-21 times before it becomes knowledge in a our long term memory. Several sites that I have found helpful:
         www.achievethecore.org  and  Common Core State Standards Initiative  and    The Iowa Core homepage

How does the Core help me as a teacher?
The standards provide student learning goals and benchmarks for achieving certain skills & knowledge by the end of the year.
It allows each school district to develop and provide better assessments that more accurately measure whether or not students are learning what was taught.
The standards guide teachers toward choosing better curricula and teaching strategies that will give students a deep understanding of the subject and skills they need to apply their knowledge.

WOW!  Look at the work we have done to align with these core standards in regards to literacy.
(Reading-Writing-Speaking-Listening-Language Arts)

• Literacy Non-Negotiable Document
• Workshop Model-Grandual Release Theory
• Leveled Readers (BSA benchmark assessment kits)  Students reading at their level everyday to build stamina! 
• Making Meaning with Vocabulary & IDR
• Being a Writer-Units of Study ...Students writing every day!
• Differentiation, Small Group Work

This perfectly aligns with the Core !  

How can we possibly assess all of these standards?  We are doing all of this work but how soon will it be forgotten?      ( reality of teacher's feelings or frustrations)

STOP!!  I truly believe this work we are doing will be here for a long time.  We are going to keep improving and getting better at developing our assessments and curriculum.   What we must remember is much of this assessment is going to take place by observation, checklist and performance based.

We will model many of the reading skills through lessons and teachers will be assessing through conferring, small groups and discussions during turn & talk.   Our curriculum and beliefs allow this to happen.  (Gradual Release, IDR, Making Meaning)

We have to let go that every assessment for every child will be a cookie cutter assessment.  Think of all the great graphic organizers that will work or the fabulous checklist we are developing using Google Forms.  Most of the time it will NOT be assessed WHOLE group.  We will truly be teaching and assessing at the child's level through IDR, small groups and strategy groups.  This is an entirely new thought for most of us.  I am thankful we studied Formative Assessment for two years & don't forget our study with Richard Marzano's research.  Look through these text again when needing ideas as your team develops assessments.  

Rubrics will be vital as many readers will not be at grade level but will be able to perform the comprehension strategy with a text at their level.  (1 below level, 2 at grade level, 3 above grade level)  To be at grade level a student must be reading grade level text as our district has adopted the Fountas & Pinnell text gradient system.  ONLY Kindergarten assessments will be based on the child's listening comprehension as most of these students will be entering a beginning reading stage.   

Think back to the years teaching with a Basal and everyone reading the same text.  Did you know each reader?  Could you answer a parent's question of  "What do you know about my child as a reader"?  

Why do we need to teach text deeper?  What is close reading?  Why do we need to teach using far more non-fiction and SHORTER text with students?

We must be able to model and have students practice comprehension strategies at a quicker pace than with 125 page chapter books each week.  It takes students many days and even weeks  to finish long text. 

  

Articles, non-fiction text excerpts, portions of content textbooks, poetry, famous speeches or documents and rich picture books are so important!  The students need to be using reading skills and comprehension strategies each week with text that can be read and re-read in a day or two span.  This allows gradual release...I will do it, We will do it together, You will do it!  The students must have successful practice before they can go off and do it successfully and independently.  Long text will not allow this gradual release to happen.  (During IDR they can still read their choice chapter books but this can not be the only reading material)  

I found a powerful article that made this so clear to me.  Please take time to read it!  I think it will help you understand why we need the gradual release model and most importantly teaching with shorter text and non-fiction text.  I also believe it helps me to understand our Making Meaning IDR scripted activities and questions. 

                             

                                           Closing in on Close Reading by Nancy Boyles

I am proud to be able to say our elemenatry teachers are experts in literacy.  We must persevere! We have much work to finish and we know we will be adjusting our thinking and documents created along the way.  

Happy Reading! Mrs. Speake

The Iowa Core Standards (The Common Core Standards)

This year our teachers have been digging into the Common Core Standards for grades K-4 in literacy.  It has been quite a journey!  Iowa adopted the Common Core Standards thus calling it The Iowa Core.  The CCSS initiative is to make all U.S. students "college and career ready".  The standards lay out a map of what children need to learn in regards to literacy at each grade level (and math).  At South Side we adopted these standards and are currently going through each one at every grade level.  This was our first step in our S.I.N.A. (school in need of assistance in the area of literacy) plan.  After surveying all of the teachers at South Side last fall, it was quite apparent that each teacher was following their own path of curriculum which was creating a hit and miss learning environment for our students.  We needed a plan to unite us and to make sure we offer a quality learning environment and curriculum plan for every student in every classroom.

What do teachers need to know to implement the core standards? 
(this list was taken from an article in Reading Today, December, 2012)

*Know that new levels of literacy are required 
Our students have greater demands on them as they enter college or the workforce.  The curriculum must become more intentional and rigorous instruction in the classroom must happen.
*Know the standards
There are 10 anchor standards in both reading and writing and are constant across K-12 (narrative and information texts)
*Know the connection of reading and writing
The standards place equal weight on reading and writing which is essential in reshaping classroom instruction.  We must go beyond just engaging the students in writing but also help them to write about their reading.
*Know the value of challenging texts
Teachers must use more complex texts during instruction.  Teachers must use the gradual release model or scaffolding.  Reading complex texts (which cause students to struggle) but only WITH guidance and support from the teacher.  Easier text can then be read as the student works to gain independence. (non-fiction, non-fiction and more non-fiction!!) Middle school and high school teachers must also teach students how to read the text at every level.  DO NOT assume your students know how.  All teachers must teach effective comprehension strategies in every area of the curricular.
*Do purposefully select the texts used in instruction.
(Luckily we have adopted an wonderful curriculum that did the hard work for us.)  Add more non-fiction.
*Do more with less
Embrace the idea of spending more time with one piece of text and digging deeper for different purposes.  Teachers must make sure to engage students in reading, talking, writing and thinking about these texts.  Teachers must support higher order thinking skills for all students. (Bloom's Taxonomy)
*Do stay current
Work collaboratively with other teachers to learn new practices to meet these high expectations.  Teachers need to be lifelong learners.  Once you get behind in best practices and the latest research, it can be difficult or almost impossible to catch up.

I know I am excited about the CCSS!  There should be no question of what we are teaching or how we are teaching it.  I have spent too many years spending hours figuring out what to teach, its nice to have a plan.

If you are feeling lost and confused about the Common Core...start digging into it.  Find a site that has students "I can" statements regarding the standards, this is a quick and easy way to begin.  There are many resources on the web that can help you understand the CCSS too.

If you are wanting to avoid it or ignore it, then you might want to think about retiring or possibly a career change.  Our students deserve teachers that are lifelong learners and able to provide them the best curriculum opportunities.  The Iowa Teaching Standards are also a good place to review the qualities of a teaching professional.
  (Iowa Teaching Standards)  

Happy Reading! Mrs. Speake