august 20, 2013. report cards, portfolios, data collection, math trailblazers, read to achieve,...
TRANSCRIPT
A Brand New Year: Updates for 2013 - 2014August 20, 2013
Report Cards, Portfolios, Data Collection, Math Trailblazers, Read to Achieve, Cursive, Fountas & Pinnell Kits
Updates
Report Cards
K-2• Standards Based• Minor changes• Shading based on
pacing• Second grade will
pilot using report cards with PowerSchool as soon as logistically possible
3-5• Will remain the
same• Committee looking
into Standards-Based
• Yellow Card is no more!• PowerSchool data• Data spreadsheet is no
longer a district requirement• Data sheet/sticker will
be printed for portfolio
Portfolios & Data Collection
In other news…• Third grade will be using Handwriting Without
Tears to teach cursive. For grades 4-12, it is the expectation that students complete at least one assignment in cursive each grading period.
• 3-5 Benchmarks will be through School Net (a part of PowerTeacher). There will only be two benchmarks this year (Nov & March).
• If there is a Fountas and Pinnell kit in your classroom, please don’t discard it. These can be used for students who read at level U or above or for progress monitoring.
Math Formative Instruction and Assessment Tasks
http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Elementaryhttp://www.mymathtrailblazers.com/
Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication21st Century Skills
21st Century Skills Framework
www.p21.org
Elements of 21st Century Learning
21st Century Themes
• Global Awareness• Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial
Literacy• Civic Literacy• Health Literacy• Environmental Literacy
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/97673
• Becoming a more critical thinker is not easy. It takes time and effort.
Growing critical thinkers takes work!
Kindergartener’s are 98% divergent thinkers. By the time they reach
3rd grade, they are 40% divergent thinkers
• Critical thinking occurs when students construct meaning by interpreting, analyzing, and manipulating information in response to a problem or question that requires more than a direct, one-right-answer application of previously learned knowledge
• Adams
What is critical thinking?
• The rubric for our teacher evaluation lists these specific skills:• Think creatively and critically• Develop and test innovative ideas • Synthesize knowledge• Draw conclusions • Exercise and communicate sound reasoning• Understand connections •Make complex choices• Frame, analyze and solve problems
What is critical thinking?
• An essential requirement of critical thinking is the ability to think about thinking, to engage in what is sometimes called "metacognition".
• The art of thinking about your thinking while you're thinking in order to make your thinking better: more clear, more accurate, more fair
Understanding critical thinking:
• Critical thinkers strive to treat similar things similarly and different things differently.
• Uncritical thinkers often don't see significant similarities and differences.
• Things superficially similar are often significantly different.
• Things superficially different are often essentially the same.
• Only through practice can we become sensitized to significant similarities and differences.
Ways to think critically: Compare/Contrast
• Teach important vocabulary• Use thinking maps/graphic organizers•Model (read alouds discussing similarities/differences)• Practice, practice, practice
Teaching Strategies for Compare/Contrast
• Critical thinkers must be creative thinkers as well, generating possible solutions in order to find the best one
• Very often a problem persists, not because we can't tell which available solution is best, but because the best solution has not yet been made available-no one has thought of it yet.
Ways to think critically: Creativity
Sample of the Critical Thinking rubric for grades 3-4.
Pacing Guide and Units
•Development•Focus•Purpose•Sharing
General Information
Acselementary.wikispaces.com
