PLC: Professional Learning Communities 4 Crucial Questions

What do we want each studentto learn, know, or be able to do?What evidence do we have of the learning?

How will we respond when some students don’t learn?How will we respond to those who have already learned?

PreparingSorting

& Analyzing

Identifying Learning NeedsDifferentiating

Instruction

SLE, Iowa CoreScaffold & Deconstructing

Rubrics, SMART goals

Formative and Summative AssessmentsStudent Self –Assessment

Differentiated Strategies

Considering: Interest, Profile, and Readinessand

Content, Process, Product, Learning Environment

Role of Assessment

Cassandra Erkens, 2008Anam Cara Consulting, Inchttp://www.anamcaraconsulting.com

Wall Space at a Premium!With your table team (a little friendly competition):

List objects on your classroom walls – 2 min.

Do not include those items that are teacher only – your duty schedule

Anchors are a source of stability and security. Thrown overboard, the anchor

stables the boat holding it firmly in a desired location.

Likewise, an Anchor Chart displayed in a classroom learning community anchors

student thinking while offering a source of visual reference for continued support as the

learner moves forward.

Anchor ChartsThree Types of Differentiating

Content-what students will learn and the materials that represent that learning

Process-methods students use to make sense of the content

Product-what the students do to demonstrate learning

Individual Anchor ChartsResources that students use to support their

learning needsExplicitly taught on how to use and find the

information need to expand learningEasily differentiated to meet needs

Examples:100’s charts, writing folders, phonics sound

sheet, timeline

Anchor Charts – ContentContent – anchoring information,

understanding, concepts

Source: http://lilac.edublogs.org/classroom-displays/

Content Anchor Charts

Source: http://lizslessons.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-instructional-resource-update.html

Anchor Charts – Three TypesProcess –anchoring procedure, sequence,

how-to

Source: http://working4theclassroom.blogspot.com/p/teachers-resources.html

http://mathhombre.blogspot.com/2009/10/anchor-charts.html

Process Anchor Charts

Anchor Charts – Three TypesProduct – anchoring purposeful independent

work

Anchor Charts – Three TypesContent – anchoring information, understanding,

concepts

Process –anchoring procedure, sequence, how-to

Product – anchoring purposeful independent work

Wall Sort

Anchor Activities

Purposeful practice that is engaging, motivating, and at the independent learning level

Represents learning that has been directly taught, but now can be done without teacher guidance

Change activities as expectations changeFrees up teachers to work with small group

Connection to Daily 5-ReadingStudents make choices of activities

Read to selfRead to someoneListenWriteWord work

The choices are anchor activities, they can do them independently and continue learning.

Anchor IdeasWriting journalsCreative writing promptsIndependent readingContent-related readingReading games and activitiesMath gamesSpelling practiceVocabulary activitiesArt activities tied to contentMusic tied to contentIndependent projects or studiesSmall-group projectsExtensionsOther to fit with curriculum

How Do I Get Started?1. Teach the whole group to work on an anchor activity

independently and quietly. The teacher is not a contact person at this time.

2. Progress to one group on an anchor activity and another group on an another activity - then flip flop groups. This may be done later in the day or in back-to-back time slots.

Example - One group may be working with the teacher on math manipulatives while the other group works independently on anchor activities.

How Do I Get Started?3. Progress to 1/3 of the class on anchor activities,

1/3 involved in a teacher directed activity and 1/3 working at mini lab on a curriculum related unit.

4. Move to the next stages only when your students are ready. Length of time can be increased at the second stage before moving on to the third stage.

Must Do-May DoBalance of what is non-negotiable and what is

student selectedExpand the initial understanding by synthesizing and

creating new variations that enhance learningMust have clear expectations and outcomesMay Do’s vary and do not always address the same

How do I manage it?Monitoring for learningWhat procedures need to be in place for this to be

successful?

Anchor Critera: o Appropriate o Engaging o Reinforce or make new connections o Provide a different pathway o Appropriate challenge level o Practice in short chunks to build endurance with

students o Able to Self-assess

Questions to Ask When Preparing Anchor Activities…

What SLE’s will be emphasized? How is the activity differentiated to meet the

needs in the class?What instruction needs to happen so students

can do it independently?What materials will be needed to be engaged?

Helpful Websites:

Working 4 the Classroom – Classroom Anchor Charts and Posters http://working4theclassroom.blogspot.com/p/teachers-resources.html

School Anchor charts by Alison Voakes http://pinterest.com/alisonvoakes/school-anchor-charts/

Anchor chart – Writing http://pinterest.com/pin/204069426835435492/

Hundreds of examplesGoogle: Anchor charts, anchor charts for middle school, anchor charts for…..

Individual Profile

InterestsReadiness Content

ProcessProductLearning

Environment

Reflection If…then…