The previous 2 weeks have been broad strategies for whole school improvement and supporting change. Sometimes, however, literacy leaders and coaches need to work with small groups for improving instruction, supporting achievement/learning, planning curriculum. Before you begin reading, review the guidelines for supporting adult learning from the E-P&L book and the L&T book that you read and we discussed earlier in the semester. For the first part of your entry responding to this blog entry, apply them to what you have learned about program improvement as a way of thinking how they might be used to facilitate that improvement. The four strategies for program improvement that you will read about for this week include creating implementation guides, using assessment data and student work to plan and reflect on instruction, and reflecting on units of study for revision to enhance student learning and engagement. Have you ever participated in any of these activities at your school? The second part of your response to this blog should include how you think these terms fit in with program improvement or one of the strategies you will read about: essential questions, data, student work, unit of study, academic vocabulary, standards, assessments, rubrics.
Everyone should read all four of the Strategies for coaching small groups for program improvement this week. However, each person will be responsible for leading the discussion or application activity for 1 or 2 of them, so be sure to negotiate who will do what in your blogs. I will describe what I'd like you to do/discuss below, and you can, of course add to what I am suggesting if there are key points that you would like to bring up or discuss with everyone in your group. This is also a reminder that Task 2 of the PD plan is due by Nov 3. Please upload it in the PD plan dropbox folder on D2L.
Strategy 8: Be the coach/facilitator to create an implementation guide together using the form in the book for either literacy related early learning standards OR a set of PASSkills from Grade 5 in the ELA section (like vocabulary or research skills or comprehension).
Strategies 9 and 10: How do you think these strategies support each other in program improvement? What are the strengths and challenges of doing each, do you think, in your setting? How would they help the faculty you surveyed to make change?
Strategy 11: Describe a unit of study that you have taught this semester. What were The essential questions you wanted the students to be able to answer? What were some of the ways you would respond to the questions in the reflection form in the book? What feedback would you like from your group?
Happy Halloween!
I have only truly used a couple of the strategy plans for improvement. I have used student assessments and work to plan and reflect on instruction. With Literacy 1st we were required to test students weekly, then bring the data to our weekly data meeting. Then as a grade-level we'd plan small groups for the following week. With the data collection we would notice students who were not improving and then "double dip" them in several small groups to try to raise their weekly assessment score.
ReplyDeleteEach summer my grade-level would have a big meeting were we would reflect over our curriculum of the year before and make changes to the next years curriculum. Obviously we couldn't make specific individual plan for students because we didn't know them. We would try to map out the years curriculum though. By this I mean we planned units and themes for each week. Talked about the previous years themes and how they worked out. Reflected on our approaches.
Julie and Erin,
I can do Strategies 9 and 10
When I reviewed the principles of supporting adult learners I was reminded of how critical teachers are to program improvement. The 6 guidelines listed in EP&L describe how adults want to know why they need to know something, how it's relevant to their current life, and that the need to be involved in their own instruction. Adult learning is also problem centered and they bring their own experiences to learning situations. Teachers such as these are the type I would want on a literacy team that is responsible for planning, implementing, and training others. One of my group mates said it well in their blog.....teachers must be on board and all in for improvement to be successful.
ReplyDeleteLike Kaitlin, I've only used a couple of the strategy plans. When I put together the curriculum for our two year old class, student assessment was included. We looked at what children that age should typically be doing and created lessons/activities to assess their growth. My PreK teachers use assessments to determine where to go next with students. With program improvement, I think student assessment and teacher reflection is highly valuable. To improve your program you must first be able to assess it and reflect critically on pros and cons.
Kaitlin & Erin---I'll do Strategy 8.
In terms of what we've read/discussed about adult learning, I think it's really important that program improvement feels relevant to everyone in the school and that teachers feel like they have the ability to build upon what they already have going on. That's why it's really important to get a good sense of the school's strengths and areas of need so that the program improvement plan is genuinely tailored to that particular school. If it feels relevant, and if it focuses on the good things that are already happening, I think that is the key to getting more people in the school invested in the program improvement.
ReplyDeleteI think that program improvement begins with essential questions about a variety of possible areas of need, followed by the gathering of data, to figure out where the school performs in various areas. A unit of study could be a tool that teachers use to implement various aspects of the improvement plan. Student work can be an artifact to monitor and to show whether key areas of the improvement plan are effective. A way to standardize efforts within the school could be to create school-wide or department-wide lists of academic vocabulary that all teachers focus on. Program improvement should be guided by standards and informed by assessments performed throughout the year, and assessments that teachers administer should use the same rubrics so the data is more useful and more standardized.
Melissa and Jacqueline, I can do strategies 9 and 10.
Sounds good! I will do strategy 11!
DeleteAs I was reviewing the notes from both chapters, I reflected a bit on my own learning and involvement in program development. I can relate to many of the guidelines listed in both of the chapters. Adults need to understand the need for the change. They need to be involved in the process, to help and feel that the they are apart of what they are being asked to change. I also think that adult learners are more willing to learn and be accepting to learn when they recognize that there is a need for a change.
ReplyDeleteLike Julie and Kaitlin, using student assessments is a big part of how we determine what changes need to be made in different programs. I use classroom assessments, but as a school we use the information from benchmarks and from our standardized tests. We look at the strands from the text and compare our scores to determine what areas need improvement. We also reflect on our units of study. I make notes in my plan book about what work, didn't work, things to do differently, so that the following year I can reflect on what I wrote to make the necessary changes the following year, if I do that lesson again.
Angela and Melissa- I will do strategies 9 & 10
Whoops sorry Angela, I will do strategy 11!!
DeleteReviewing the adult learning guidelines, I am able to see connections between them and program improvement. With program improvement teachers are able to provide input that would be relevant to their students and classroom. Also, program improvement is based on evaluating, planning and implementing the instruction. I think what we have read about effective program improvement incorporates principles of adult learning.
ReplyDeleteThis year my school meets with our principal to review our assessments we conduct with the students. We have began to look at the data and decide what we can do with each student to meet his/her needs. I think this is the closest I have ever worked with a strategy. I hope to see improvement not only with my students but with the students in my grade level team members' class.
Kaitlin and Julie- Great! I wanted to do 11.
After reviewing the adult learning principals, I am immediately brought back to when my school was began to implement a new program. Before we started Literacy First, I wanted to know why we needed to change our original program. After learning our test scores were low and to continue to receive title one money, I began to understand something had to be done. When I attended the PDs for the program the topics were interesting because they were grade level specific. They were relevant to my learning. For the 3rd guideline, Lit 1st training was more content centered. We didn't have a lot of opportunity to talk about the problems or foreseen problem of implementation. We dove into the implementation without looking back. The beginning on Lit 1st, the teachers were not involved with the planning and implementation. We were told what to do. It was more of a gradual release method. Once teachers were on board, there was more planning and involvement. I did feel with my grade level we talked a lot about mistakes we had made. Other than with them, I didn't feel there was time to discuss with anyone else. I did respond well with internal motivators. I wanted to do it right because it made me feel good. It also helped my students.
ReplyDeleteWith the example above I felt I could clearly see each guideline, rather it was negative or positive experience. I can see how the 6 principals would be essential when getting teachers on board. Teachers need to feel a part of the experience not just an observer. By taking part in the implementation you become passionate about the program. Everyone response better when they help with something rather than being told how to do it. Therefor when starting a new program it's important to reflect to see if these guidelines are being met.
I think that creating/facilitating a relevant PD program is fundamental to its success. Teachers must be able to not only understand why the improvement needs to be made, but they must also be able to see how it applies to their classroom and how it will positively impact their students. Once these are established, teachers will be more willing to plan the improvement and implement in their classrooms.
ReplyDeleteStudent data is critical, but I think that a shared school vision/mission is equally important so that everyone understands and has agreed upon the course the school is taking and so that data-based improvements are supporting this course. When we analyze our curriculum, we look at student data to ensure that our units of study are effective. When there are deficits that must be accounted for, we make sure that all changes will benefit students, and we make sure that the improvements we make uphold our school's mission and vision statements.