Agree with Mollie

Yesterday Mollie Defrancesco Turner and I had the opportunity to run a staff training with some of the literacy strategies we learned at the SURN conference. I would say our staff was very open and responsive to the brain based researched strategies we used. I think everyone enjoyed practicing marginalia after we modeled an example for them. I also think they liked using the graphic organizers that had them summarize, predict, question, and connecting. All staff agreed that if we can connect our students to the text it become more relevant and fun to learn. Also, 3-2-1 exit strategies were a big hit! Thanks!

Spreading the Word...

Today, we, the participants in the SURN iTune Into Literacy Program, gave out first staff development (of many) to the rest of our school. We divided into 4 groups and, in pairs, we gave an hour session to about 30 high school teachers across all content areas (120 total).

The breakdown went like this:
"Getting to Know You" Bingo
Overview of the "Magnificent 7"
Reading With Purpose: "The House" (modeling Marginalia)
"The Connection Between Math and Music" (modeling Reciprocal Teaching)
3-2-1 Exit Ticket

I admit I was a little nervous, but we all agreed that the session was well-received. I think it will take another session or two before we get through all of the major areas we want to share . I am hoping to do a whole session on "Explicit Instruction" because that was an "Aha!" moment for me in Williamsburg. I am also looking forward to sharing more of the "Power Tools" with the rest of the teachers at our school.

Well, school starts in one week, and I'll be busy working on lesson plans for the next few days. The three of us Earth Science teachers are planning to work together to incorporate the Magnificent 7 in our lessons as much as possible. I'm looking forward to a good school year!

PS- if anyone is interested in the details of our staff development please ask, and I will gladly pass it on!

Time to process...

... now that I've had time to process all the wonderful information we learned last week. I am still in awe of all the wonderful people I met and all the ideas that were shared. I'm really looking forward to applying all the different techniques we discussed. As I reflect back on the previous year, I understand why my oceanography class had such a difficult time with the project I gave them. I assumed since they were 11th and 12th graders that they already knew how to find the main ideas, summarize, and then share that knowledge with a partner. Well, we all know what happens when we "assume"! =)
Needless to say, the first of the "Magnificent 7" that I plan to teach all my classes is "Determining Important Ideas and Summarizing". As we all get ready for school to go back I pray for a restful Labor Day weekend and a productive and meaningful school year. Always remember you are never alone in this profession - help is just a click away.

Blog to begin August 19, 2010