This week the readings focus on how to support and sustain change in a school's literacy program, regardless of the level of the school. The example will be from elementary schools, so those of you in secondary (high school or middle school) need to think carefully how it applies to you. WE have gone through several changes in our undergraduate literacy program and in our graduate one as well. Change for our undergraduate students was not easy as they had preconceived ideas (from listening to their peers) about what would be happening, and the change, even if for their own improved learning, made them uncomfortable. I think it is easier for our program to make change because there are 4 of us and we collaborate to think about new standards and how to build and enact the curriculum. In your school settings, there are many more faculty to involve. Think about a change in your schoolwide or grade level/team/department's program that was discussed adn our implemented. What are some things the literacy leader or school leaders did that facilitated the faculty making the change? What are some things that got in the way? Tell me about them.
You will be reading a chapter (WSQ 5) that focuses on whole school curricular change to improve student achievement. The second chapter (WSQ 11) is specifically about evaluation and change in a school program and the role of the literacy specialist. You will all read both chapters. I'm going to provide 3 different prompts for your own blogging and discussion this coming week. I hope it will make the blogs more like discussions. I read blogs on Wednesday, so please make sure your blog is up by the day and time you decided on and you have responded at least once to the other 2 people's blogs by Wednesday evening and then remember, you need to go back again for the discussion aspect which I will read and respond to on Thursday afternoon.
I appreciate your involvement in this class as we all work to figure out how a hybrid class works and is different from a regular face to face class that meets weekly. When I see you again on Nov. 14 I"ll be asking for advice on how to make things smoother.....I'm learning too.
Now for the prompts for your own blogs.....remember, you need to divide them up so each is addressed by someone in your group.
1. Respond to the reflection questions in the gray box on page 83 of WSQ 5
2. Also on page 83 of WSQ 5 is a second gray box titled Project Assignment. It sets up a scenario with three questions for you as a literacy leader. How would you answer them?
3. On page 163 of WSQ 11is a table that describes the 10 guiding principles that will help a literacy leader support change in a school. Choose the 2 that either you find the most challenging for your setting or that are most germane to supporting change in your setting. There are self-reflective questions with each one. Respond to those questions for the 2 principles that you chose.
Remember to respond and provide suggestions to each other about what the blogger wrote in response to the task. Let me know if you have questions..... (note: make sure you have notifications enabled on your blog so you know when someone responds to your blog....)
Hope your week was good.
I think one of the biggest changes my assistant and I have made at our school is in our two year old program. When we would observe them throughout the day, their class appeared chaotic and we only observed them having free play, lunch, and outdoor play. Kyla & I talked about what we wanted to see and read the Early Learning Guidelines for two year olds. We met with the teachers at nap time and started by asking how they felt their class was operating and if there was something we could do to help their day run more smoothly. We copied the ELG packet for everyone and had a weekly meeting for three weeks. I then asked them to modify their schedule to include story/group time and library books available at all times. We spent time in their room helping sort manipulatives and offer feedback. Overall it's been successful. I will say that I don't think I was really a partner or teammate with them. I was pretty strict about what I wanted and when it should begin. I don't think they had enough input. One of my teachers was very standoffish and didn't want to change. I don't know if that was from how I approached her or because it meant more work.
ReplyDeleteErin & Kaitlin-----I would like to blog about prompt #3, but let me know if you're set on doing that one.
Last year, our Language Arts department was able to have a day to plan vertically. We analyzed what each grade level was teaching, what students needed to know for each grade level, and divided the teaching responsibility between the grades. As we discussed student expectations, we ended up completely recreating the curriculums for each grade level. We analyzed strategies, concepts, and projects, and although we had a few disagreements, we were able to quickly resolve them and work together to map out a common language as well as which texts would be read in each grade level and when conventions and literary elements would be introduced and mastered. Overall, it was extremely productive, and we will be meeting again this year to plan more and tweak existing plans.
ReplyDeleteAngela and Jacqueline, I can complete prompt #1.
Melissa and Angela, I can respond to prompt #2
DeleteWhen the elementary school I was at implemented Literacy First, which is not curriculum, but more of a school wide approach to assessment and small grouping. It did however change how every teacher taught and implemented instruction. One of the biggest things that got in the way was changing literacy into a 120 minute literacy block time and how that looked in the class. Many teachers who had done literacy a certain way fought this change. Teachers had been breaking up their literacy through out the day. They had done their instruction a certain way and having to change it after so many years was hard. Understandably. Yet, my question was "is this best for kids?" I don't believe in just changing something unless it benefits the kids most. For our school the 120 minute block benefited kids! It allowed for grade level teachers to host several different small groups and each teacher taught a different level. Students could go from class to class based on their needs. This change allowed ALL students to be seen a least once a day and our struggling students were seen twice. Though it took a LOT of pre planning and getting on the same page, ultimately we were able to reach and teach more children on their level all working together! I think the biggest challenge was getting everyone one on the same page and having understanding on why this was the best for kids!
ReplyDeleteI will do prompt 1! So erin is prompt 2 good for you?
This past year, we implemented our own RTI-ish program. I say RTI-ish because it is exactly like that but it is not called RTI. I think one of the major things that got in the way, was that there was very little follow up, so it almost seemed pointless. I like the idea of RTI, mainly because I like how there is this constant progress monitoring and meeting with a team. I guess I was disappointed with the fact that we made our tiers, discussed it one time but then that was it. I would have liked to have more follow up, to keep track of our students and how they are moving through the tiers.
ReplyDeleteBeing at a new school we have had a lot of changes this year. Looking at my previous year and school, like Jacqueline, my school implemented RTI. It was not successful. There were not meetings to help support the teachers and no one to really talk to about suggestions. This year at my new school, we are implementing RTI. It really has just begun. My team has a set date each month to meet with our principal. I'm hoping with this support and meeting with our principal that it will be successful. I think it's going in the right direction and there is a sense of collaboration with my team and with the administration.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for my lateness--life's been crazy the last three days--I'm just now really getting a chance to sit down to my laptop.
ReplyDeleteI feel like most of the initiative for change in literacy approaches comes from our administration, rather than literacy leaders at our level. A few years before I came to this school, our literacy coordinator for the district decided that all students who fail their 8th grade reading test will be required to take a literacy course. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much support for the program. I took it over this year, but before that it was just tossed onto any teachers who had an extra slot in their schedules, and according to the previous teachers I talked to, they didn't really know what to do with it. There was no professional development and minimal literature for quite some time, I think.
Another change that I've seen was this summer when we tried to vertically align our ELA programs. One or two teachers from each school met, and we essentially re-wrote the CCSS in easier-to-understand terms and tried to compare them to make sure they aligned well from grade to grade. I feel like it would have been more helpful if we had more teachers and actually worked with the curriculum rather than the standards. We did, however, also meet to create an academic vocabulary list for each grade, and I think that was actually pretty helpful.
I'll take the third prompt, Melissa and Jacqueline.