Check out the MRVED website
Click here for an article on the MELT along with a slideshow set to music. After tallying the evaluations, overall the MELT received very positive reviews. Thank you for your feedback.
Upcoming Meetings
March 4 Agriculture
March 6 Industrial Technology
March 11 FACS
March 14 Title III Paraprofessionals
March 18 Guidance Counselors
March 20 Social Workers
March 21 Business (rescheduled from March 10)
March 26 Superintendents' Council
Friday, February 28, 2014
Brandon's Brainwork - Instructional Coaching
Instructional Coaching
Instructional coaching has been a hot topic lately in Minnesota, due in part to the legislation on teacher evaluation. If we are to truly make our peer review or instructional coaching models effective, we need to think deeply about the process we have in place. Here are a couple questions to help guide the discussion in your district.
Instructional coaching has been a hot topic lately in Minnesota, due in part to the legislation on teacher evaluation. If we are to truly make our peer review or instructional coaching models effective, we need to think deeply about the process we have in place. Here are a couple questions to help guide the discussion in your district.
- Who should the instructional coaches or peer reviewers be?
- Should there be more than one coach? Should everyone have to observe and provide feedback?
- Who will see the observation notes and feedback?
- Is everyone getting constructive criticism, or is it merely "pats on the back"?
- Do all the teachers have a clear understanding of the framework being used?
- Do all instructional coaches and peer reviewers have a clear understanding of the framework?
- Is there ample time given for reflection and feedback?
As your district embarks on looking at peer review as part of the evaluation process, take a moment and reflect on the process you have put in place. Will it really make a difference in the classroom?
A good activity to do as a whole staff, grade level or content team is to find a video of a teacher teaching a lesson. It can be a video of someone you know or a complete stranger. Watch the video together and take observation notes. See where you have agreement and/or disagreement. This activity really gives a good test to your rubrics and/or model. It also gives you a great opportunity to talk about what good teaching looks like.
The Kansas Coaching Project with Jim Knight is an excellent spot to go when looking for instructional coaching resources. He has also authored a number of books on instructional coaching that I highly recommend.
Reflection Questions
1. Am I capable of providing constructive criticism to my peers?
2. Do I know what good teaching looks like?
3. Do I have a "toolbox" full of ideas to help a colleague?
4. Am I in the right mindset to be able to accept constructive criticism and then make a change based upon that feedback?
Looking For Ways to Raise Money
If you are looking for different ways to raise money for classroom technology or supplies, here is a great article from t h e Journal that provides examples as well as resources to go to for fundraising. The scavenger hunt example is a fun and amazing way to raise funds for anything as well as include community and businesses in your venture.
Tech Tip
Screencast from Chromebook
One downfall to using a Chromebook was that you could not do any screencasting on them. Websites like screencast-o-matic and screenr did not work on the Chromebooks. Then I came across a post on FreeTech4Teachers and Richard Byrne introduced me to Screencastify. Being able to screencast on the Chromebook now opens up a variety of activities you can do in your classroom.
You can now screen record straight from your Chromebook, allowing you to record directions or lessons. Students can record projects, processes, and if they are having issues with their device, they can record their screens to demonstrate their issue.
One downfall to using a Chromebook was that you could not do any screencasting on them. Websites like screencast-o-matic and screenr did not work on the Chromebooks. Then I came across a post on FreeTech4Teachers and Richard Byrne introduced me to Screencastify. Being able to screencast on the Chromebook now opens up a variety of activities you can do in your classroom.
You can now screen record straight from your Chromebook, allowing you to record directions or lessons. Students can record projects, processes, and if they are having issues with their device, they can record their screens to demonstrate their issue.
Friday, February 21, 2014
MRVED Business
TAC Meeting Update
The Teacher Advisory Council met at the MRVED on Thursday of this week. The day consisted of multiple opportunities to network as well as a great activity on peer review and teacher evaluation. The group enjoyed lunch at Pizza Ranch and more networking over the lunch hour. The afternoon was spent looking at MELT evaluations and providing feedback on future professional development opportunities through the MRVED. Lots of great ideas were generated in the afternoon. The TAC does an excellent job of providing direction for the MRVED. Thanks for a great day!
Upcoming Meetings
February 26, 2014 Superintendents' Council
March 4, 2014 Agriculture
March 6, 2014 Industrial Technology
March 11, 2014 FACS
March 14, 2014 Title III Paraprofessionals
March 18, 2014 Guidance Counselors
March 20, 2014 Social Workers
March 21, 2014 Business (NEW DATE)
The Teacher Advisory Council met at the MRVED on Thursday of this week. The day consisted of multiple opportunities to network as well as a great activity on peer review and teacher evaluation. The group enjoyed lunch at Pizza Ranch and more networking over the lunch hour. The afternoon was spent looking at MELT evaluations and providing feedback on future professional development opportunities through the MRVED. Lots of great ideas were generated in the afternoon. The TAC does an excellent job of providing direction for the MRVED. Thanks for a great day!
Upcoming Meetings
February 26, 2014 Superintendents' Council
March 4, 2014 Agriculture
March 6, 2014 Industrial Technology
March 11, 2014 FACS
March 14, 2014 Title III Paraprofessionals
March 18, 2014 Guidance Counselors
March 20, 2014 Social Workers
March 21, 2014 Business (NEW DATE)
Brandon's Brainwork- Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning
I heard this quote recently, "Human beings are not static people, we are constantly moving. Either you are moving forward or you are moving backward". I'm not sure where this quote came from, but it really made me think and eventually put something into writing! Teaching is a craft. Like any craft, there is always something more to be learned. Even the best teacher can learn something new and/or get better at their job.
Sometimes this learning is self-directed, driven by choice. Whereas, other times learning is forced upon us, either by state mandates, school administration, or a number of outside forces. Either way, with the right mindset (see Brandon's Brainwork - Mindset) something new will be learned. Even going into a training on something you already know, with the right mindset, will lead to learning something new, even one thing.
We want our students to become life-long learners, and we should do our best to model what it is we expect of our students. Continue to get better. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are a part of the learning process. You don't expect your students to be perfect 100% of the time when learning new things, why should you expect any more/less from yourself.
A quick search on Google for "Becoming a lifelong learner" yields 217,000 results. I know it's not fully researched based, but WikiHow has a great quick read on becoming a lifelong learner and offers some very good advice. Becoming a Lifelong Learner from WikiHow.
You can always start your new lifelong learning journey by attending one of your teachers associations conferences. A list can be found in the update this week.
Questions to Consider1. Have you embraced the role of lifelong learner in your craft?
2. Do you reinforce lifelong learning in your classroom?
3. Do you go into all new learning experiences with the right mindset?
Upcoming Spring Conferences
Spring Conferences
Here is a list of upcoming spring professional development conferences from the different teachers associations. If you have never been to one, make this the year!
Minnesota Science Teachers Association - February 21-22, 2014
Minnesota Council for the Social Studies - March 2-3, 2014
Minnesota Council of Teachers of English - April 3-4, 2014
Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics - May 2-3, 2014
If you know of any other Spring conferences, please add it in the comments below.
Here is a list of upcoming spring professional development conferences from the different teachers associations. If you have never been to one, make this the year!
Minnesota Science Teachers Association - February 21-22, 2014
Minnesota Council for the Social Studies - March 2-3, 2014
Minnesota Council of Teachers of English - April 3-4, 2014
Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics - May 2-3, 2014
If you know of any other Spring conferences, please add it in the comments below.
Tech Tip
Online Field Trips, Virtual Field Trips, Skype an Author
Check out this great list of websites you or your students can use to have a virtual field trip. Having your students navigate some of the field trips on the interactive whiteboard is a great way to get kids involved in the learning process. Another idea would be to create a webquest and have the students explore the resources on their own.
Another option for a virtual field trip is to get in contact with Pete Royer at LCTN. They offer a wide variety of online field trips including, knee surgery, autopsies, MN Wolf Center, MN Historical Society, etc... If you are interested in taking advantage of this great service, contact Pete Royer (pete@lctn.k12.mn.us) and he will send you all the information you will need.
Your class could also utilize the Skype an Author Network to bring real writers into your classroom. Many of the authors in this network offer this service free of charge or are free to chat for up to 15 minutes with your classroom. Students would love to be able to meet the person who wrote the story they just read. Give it a try today!
Check out this great list of websites you or your students can use to have a virtual field trip. Having your students navigate some of the field trips on the interactive whiteboard is a great way to get kids involved in the learning process. Another idea would be to create a webquest and have the students explore the resources on their own.
Another option for a virtual field trip is to get in contact with Pete Royer at LCTN. They offer a wide variety of online field trips including, knee surgery, autopsies, MN Wolf Center, MN Historical Society, etc... If you are interested in taking advantage of this great service, contact Pete Royer (pete@lctn.k12.mn.us) and he will send you all the information you will need.
Your class could also utilize the Skype an Author Network to bring real writers into your classroom. Many of the authors in this network offer this service free of charge or are free to chat for up to 15 minutes with your classroom. Students would love to be able to meet the person who wrote the story they just read. Give it a try today!
Friday, February 14, 2014
MRVED Business
MRVED Business
Principals' Council
The Principals' Council finally met again on Wednesday after missing the January meeting due to weather. After meeting monthly all year, this was the final meeting of the principals until the joint meeting with the TAC in April. The principal group has been working on a variety of topics all year including providing effective feedback, effective teaching strategies, and teacher evaluation.
MRVED Meetings:
February 20, 2014 Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
February 26, 2014 Superintendents' Council
March 4, 2014 Agriculture
March 6, 2014 Industrial Technology
Principals' Council
The Principals' Council finally met again on Wednesday after missing the January meeting due to weather. After meeting monthly all year, this was the final meeting of the principals until the joint meeting with the TAC in April. The principal group has been working on a variety of topics all year including providing effective feedback, effective teaching strategies, and teacher evaluation.
MRVED Meetings:
February 20, 2014 Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
February 26, 2014 Superintendents' Council
March 4, 2014 Agriculture
March 6, 2014 Industrial Technology
Growing Professionally
Growing Professionally
Are you looking for a way to grow professionally. Here is a list of some organizations and websites that can help you learn about a variety of topics. In most cases, membership to these organization is fairly reasonable or offer a portion for free. If you are not a member, check out any conferences they organize.
Tech Tip
TalkTyper
Do you have students that struggle to type? Have them try TalkTyper. TalkTyper provides Speech Recognition absolutely free. It makes voice dictation freely available to "the rest of us". Anyone with a computer can use it. That's why we made it!
How it works
Click the microphone icon and begin speaking. Dictate about one sentence at a time. When the speech is recognized, it will appear in red.
If you want to hear it, click on the Speaker icon.
If your speech wasn't recognized correctly, click the Alternatives button to view other 'recognitions', or just try again. If the text is okay, click the Okay button, and your text will be added to the box at the bottom.
When you're all done, click the Copy button and then paste it into your document, email, blog, or tweet! (If the copy button doesn't work for you, remember that the shortcut for copying is "Ctrl-C")
Do you have students that struggle to type? Have them try TalkTyper. TalkTyper provides Speech Recognition absolutely free. It makes voice dictation freely available to "the rest of us". Anyone with a computer can use it. That's why we made it!
How it works
Click the microphone icon and begin speaking. Dictate about one sentence at a time. When the speech is recognized, it will appear in red.
If you want to hear it, click on the Speaker icon.
If your speech wasn't recognized correctly, click the Alternatives button to view other 'recognitions', or just try again. If the text is okay, click the Okay button, and your text will be added to the box at the bottom.
When you're all done, click the Copy button and then paste it into your document, email, blog, or tweet! (If the copy button doesn't work for you, remember that the shortcut for copying is "Ctrl-C")
Brandon's Brainwork- High Expectations
High Expectations
Having high expectations for all students is critical in receiving quality work from your students. I was reminded of this recently when my daughter (who is in Kindergarten), was sitting watching a movie and out of the blue decided to tell me "dad, do you know your prefrontal cortex is the front of your brain and the hippocampus is behind your ears?" This statement totally blew me away, but it got me thinking about having high expectations for all students.
Most teachers would say they have high expectations for their students, but closer examination may reveal that this is not true. A simple, yet effective, task could be going through your class list and identifying those students that you may or may not have high expectations for. After identifying students, then being cognizant of how you interact with each of the students.
A great resource on creating and communicating high expectations for all students comes from The Department of Safe Schools, Single School Culture for Academics, from The School District of Palm Beach County, FL. It is based on the Marzano framework, is short and to the point, and has lots of great information about high expectations.
Communicating High Expectations for All Students from The School District of Palm Beach County, FL
I also like to refer to Austin's Butterfly when talking about high expectations. This teacher has high expectations for his/her students and it shows!
Questions to Consider
1. Do I really have high expectations for all students?
2. Do I accept mediocre work, just because it's easier?
3. Do my actions or words show my expectations of my students?
Having high expectations for all students is critical in receiving quality work from your students. I was reminded of this recently when my daughter (who is in Kindergarten), was sitting watching a movie and out of the blue decided to tell me "dad, do you know your prefrontal cortex is the front of your brain and the hippocampus is behind your ears?" This statement totally blew me away, but it got me thinking about having high expectations for all students.
A great resource on creating and communicating high expectations for all students comes from The Department of Safe Schools, Single School Culture for Academics, from The School District of Palm Beach County, FL. It is based on the Marzano framework, is short and to the point, and has lots of great information about high expectations.
Communicating High Expectations for All Students from The School District of Palm Beach County, FL
I also like to refer to Austin's Butterfly when talking about high expectations. This teacher has high expectations for his/her students and it shows!
Questions to Consider
1. Do I really have high expectations for all students?
2. Do I accept mediocre work, just because it's easier?
3. Do my actions or words show my expectations of my students?
Friday, February 7, 2014
MRVED Business
Physical Education/Health Best Practice Meeting Update
This year we ended up combining the physical education and health teachers for their annual best practice meeting. It turned out to be a great day. The group started off the day with a 21st century skills activity and had great discussion around what it means to be a 21st century educator and student. The group then did an activity on providing effective feedback to students and had another great discussion. Brandon shared some technology before lunch. After lunch the teachers had the opportunity to network and share resources. The day ended looking at academic vocabulary. Another great year with a great bunch of teachers.
Social Studies Best Practice Meeting
Brandon's favorite group (because he is a social studies teacher) came to the MRVED on Thursday for their best practice meeting. The day started once again with a 21st century skills activity. Brandon then had the opportunity to model some technology and have a discussion about the impacts of AR technology on education. The group broke for lunch and had a great time sharing stories and catching up over the dinner table. After the lunch the teachers came back and had the opportunity to hear from a couple ladies from PBS as to what PBS can offer for their classrooms. The last thing the teachers did was network and they were on their way home. It's always nice for Brandon to catch up with his former colleagues and the teachers thoroughly enjoyed the day.
MRVED Meetings:
February 12, 2014 Principals' Council
February 20, 2014 Teachers' Advisory Council
February 26, 2014 Superintendents' Council
March 4, 2014 Agriculture
March 6, 2014 Industrial Technology
This year we ended up combining the physical education and health teachers for their annual best practice meeting. It turned out to be a great day. The group started off the day with a 21st century skills activity and had great discussion around what it means to be a 21st century educator and student. The group then did an activity on providing effective feedback to students and had another great discussion. Brandon shared some technology before lunch. After lunch the teachers had the opportunity to network and share resources. The day ended looking at academic vocabulary. Another great year with a great bunch of teachers.
Social Studies Best Practice Meeting
Brandon's favorite group (because he is a social studies teacher) came to the MRVED on Thursday for their best practice meeting. The day started once again with a 21st century skills activity. Brandon then had the opportunity to model some technology and have a discussion about the impacts of AR technology on education. The group broke for lunch and had a great time sharing stories and catching up over the dinner table. After the lunch the teachers came back and had the opportunity to hear from a couple ladies from PBS as to what PBS can offer for their classrooms. The last thing the teachers did was network and they were on their way home. It's always nice for Brandon to catch up with his former colleagues and the teachers thoroughly enjoyed the day.
MRVED Meetings:
February 12, 2014 Principals' Council
February 20, 2014 Teachers' Advisory Council
February 26, 2014 Superintendents' Council
March 4, 2014 Agriculture
March 6, 2014 Industrial Technology
Olympic Resources
Are you looking for a way to incorporate the Olympics into your classroom this coming week. Here are a few resources to help you do that.
Brandon's Brainwork-Classroom Management
Classroom Management
Classroom management is one of those things that every teacher can improve on. One of the best books on classroom management is Harry Wong's The First Days of School. If this book is not in your professional library, it should be! Harry Wong defines classroom management as "all the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time, and materials so learning can take place". Each person handles classroom management in their own unique way, but there are a couple characteristics that define a well managed classroom. According to Wong, they are:
- Students are deeply involved in their work.
- Students know what is expected of them.
- There is relatively little wasted time.
- The climate of the classroom is work-oriented but also relaxed.
A couple strategies Wong gives for classroom management are:
- Start the class with an assignment, not roll.
- Post your assignments in the same place and manner every day.
- Permanently display your classroom rules and expectation.
- Have procedures for everything! Teach and practice the procedures.
- Dismissal at the end of class
- When students are absent
- For quieting the class
- Handing in papers
- Starting the class
- Be over-prepared!
Reflection Questions
1. Are you over-prepared every day?
2. Do you have consistent procedures for everything in your classroom?
3. Did you, or have you, practiced the procedures?
4. What part of classroom management am I strong in? What can I share with a colleague that would help them with classroom management?
5. What area of classroom management am I weak in?
Resources
Harry Wong- The First Days of School & Professional Reference
Tech Tip
Valentine Day Resources
Valentine's Day is next week. If you are looking for ways to incorporate this day into your classroom activities, look no further than Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers!
Valentine's Day is next week. If you are looking for ways to incorporate this day into your classroom activities, look no further than Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers!
- Valentine Classroom Ideas
- Valentine Craft Ideas
- Valentine's Day Teacher Resources (Teachers Pay Teachers)
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