MRVED Business

MELT
Thank you to the 350 people that provided feedback on the MELT.  There was lots of great feedback and overall the MELT had 90% of the respondents give it a 4 or 5 on a 5 point scale.  The Superintendents have seen the feedback and the Teacher Advisory Council will be going over all the feedback and making recommendations for next year.

Upcoming Meetings
February 9 - Title III Teachers
February 11 - MRVED Board - 7 p.m.
February 19 - Teachers' Advisory Council

Summer Professional Development

Tonka Institute
If you are looking for some good, high quality, professional development this summer, the Tonka Institute is the place for you! This year they have a variety of speakers on 3 very important topics in education.  Below, you will find more information on the Tonka Institute.  More information can be found by going to the Minnetonka Institute for Educational Leadership website.

Please plan to join us for the 7th annual Minnetonka Institute for Educational Leadership! We hope that you can leverage this line-up of thought-provoking speakers to accelerate professional development and growth in your district. Each day of the institute will feature an important area of interest for educators as well as engaging experts who will offer keynotes, workshops, and other special opportunities. Here is the list of dates, themes, and speakers:

Monday, June 15, 2015 – Interventions and Achievement Gap
• George Batsche (from the RTI Action Network)
• Yvette Jackson (author of Aim High, Achieve More and The Pedagogy of Confidence)

Tuesday, June 16, 2015 – Innovation in Education
• George Couros (Blog: The Principal of Change)
• Heather Staker (author of the new book Blended with Michael Horn)
• Eric Scheninger (author of the new book Digital Leadership)
• Patti Drapeau (author of the new book - Sparking Student Creativity: Practical Ways to Promote Innovative
Thinking and Problem Solving)

Wednesday, June 17, 2015 – Assessment and Grading
• Doug Reeves (Director of Leadership and Learning Institute)
• Rick Stiggins (Director of the Assessment Training Institute – appearing via live feed)
• Nicole Vagle (national speaker on the topic of standards-based grading)
• Jeff Erickson (Minnetonka principal and author of scholarly articles on standards-based grading)

Wednesday, June 17, 2015 - Technology Half & Full Day Workshops
Thursday, June 18, 2015 – Technology Institute
• Tom Murray (leader of #edtechchat and Tech Consultant at Alliance for Excellent Education)
• Greg Kulowiec and Beth Holland (EdTechTeacher consultants)
• Area Technology Leaders and TIES Staff

Technology Tip - AwwApp

AwwApp
AwwApp is a collaborative online whiteboard.  It is touch-friendly and works in any internet browser.  This cool web app could be used for idea generation, group KWL, draw a group picture, finish the sentence, plus so much more!  It's an awesome tool to show your class and watch them use it.

Brain Breaks

Brain Breaks and Focused Attention Exercises

This is one of those articles that I normally would have glanced at as a teacher and disregarded.  However, the more I start to learn about the importance of brain breaks and focused attention activities, the more I wish I would have taken the time to learn about them.  The one gripe I would have had as a teacher is the time it takes to do one of these activities.  I now truly believe that the benefit to these activities outweighs the time.  Here is a great article from edutopia on brain breaks and focused attention exercises.  It provides a great list of practical activities you can do.

Energy and Calm: Brain Breaks and Focused Attention Practices by Dr. Lori Desautels

MRVED Business

MELT
Thank you to everyone that participated in the MELT this year.  It appears it was another successful conference and the weather was fantastic (for a change).  If you have not done so already, please fill out the MELT Evaluation Form.  The feedback is vital to planning future events, so spend a few moments and provide good, honest feedback on your day.

Thank you to LQPV for hosting once again.  Everyone from the janitorial staff, to the cooks, teachers, technology coordinator, and administration kicked in to make the great day.  Also a gigantic thank you to Mary Brown for the organization and handling registration.  Thank you to all the presenters who took the time to share their expertise with everyone.

The MELT committee will pour over the evaluations in the coming weeks and the planning for next year has already begun.


Upcoming Meetings
Superintendent - January 28
Board - February 11
TAC - February 19
Principal - February 20

MDE Report on Physical Education in Minnesota

MDE Report on Physical Education in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Education has issued their 2015 report on Physical Education in Minnesota. This report provides the findings from a survey conducted of Minnesota schools to gather information about the duration and frequency at which students receive physical education; physical education requirements in high school; fitness testing measures used; educational preparation of physical education teachers; duration and frequency of recess for students in grades K-6; substitution of credits practices for high school students; earning physical education credits online; before and after school physical activity opportunities provided; and practices of coordination with developmentally adaptive physical education specialists.

Link to Report

Math Leader Networking Meeting

February 12, 2015 MATH LEADERS MEETING

Mathematics Leaders Networking Meetings -- TOPIC: Assessments and Interventions

8:30-11:30am at MN Department of Education Conference Center A, Room 14

As part of this meeting Nicole Bridge from Minneapolis Public Schools, will present “I’m not a Math Person:" Identity and Its Impact on Math Success

We will also have an opportunity for participants to network around 3 essential questions in Formative Assessment

• Where are we going? Do teachers and students know the standards?
• How are we doing? How do we assess student understanding and give feedback?
• What’s the next step? Enrichment? Intervention? A new concept 

The MN Math Leaders networking meetings are designed for leaders to give and receive support. The Networking time includes:

• opportunities to share and celebrate what is working well
• structures to work in role-a-like and/or grade band groups regarding previously selected topics
• time for participants to provide their expertise
• "hot topics" identified by the participants at the beginning of each meeting

There will also be open time following each meeting for continued work in self-identified groups.

The goals of these networking meetings include:

• Share ideas and collaborate with other MN Math Leaders
• Receive updates about mathematics education policy
• Learn about resources available to support your work

This event is open to anyone who is in a department, school, or district leadership position. Administrators and teacher leaders who are passionate about leading change in mathematics education for all students are encouraged to attend!

It is recommended that participants purchase the book, "NCTM Principles to Actions", available at www.nctm.org as an ebook for $4.99 ($3.99 for NCTM members). One of the topics for each of the networking meetings will use readings and resources from this book.

Register for February 12 Meeting

Technology Tip - Oregon Trail

Play the original Oregon Trail

When I found thie resource, I was thrilled!  I have always wanted my 7 year old to play some of the computer games I grew up with in school (namely Oregon Trail, Number Munchers, and Speedway Math).  Obviously I don't own an Apple //e computer with an external floppy disk, so I thought she would never enjoy the great games I once enjoyed.  Until now!

At archive.org they have a huge database of old "stuff" including old computer games.  I was able to find games such as Number Munchers, Oregon Trail, and Speedway Math, among others!  If you are curious if your favorite old game is out there, use the easy to use search bar on the website.

Grading Practices Workshop in Minnesota

IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE GRADING AND REPORTING PRACTICES WITH THOMAS R. GUSKEY

Topic: Implementing Effective Grading and Reporting Practices

Presenter: Dr. Thomas R. Guskey, Professor at the University of Kentucky, International Consultant and Author

Audience: K-12 Teachers, Principals and District Level Administrators, Building Leadership Teams and School Board Members

Dates: February 18, 2015

Location:
Double Tree by Hilton Rochester-Mayo Clinic Area
150 S. Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
(507) 281-8000
Hotel Website

Registration: 8:00 am-8:30 am

Cost:
$225 per person if you register on or before February 6, 2015
$250 per person if you register after February 6, 2015
$210 per person if a school registers with a team of 5 or more

*Price includes coffee in the morning, lunch, refreshments throughout the day and all workshop materials*

Workshop Time: 8:30 am-3:00 pm

Workshop Description: Based on his recent book On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting, participants who attend this workshop will learn how to create and sustain a learning environment where students thrive and stakeholders are accurately informed of student progress. Mr. Guskey will clarify the purpose of grades, craft a vision statement aligned with this purpose, and discover research-based strategies to implement effective grading and reporting practices. He will also identify policies and practices that render grading inaccurate, and understand the role grades play in students’ future success and opportunities.

By the conclusion of this workshop, participants will:

• Learn how to question traditional grading and reporting practices, and seek more accurate practices.
• Identify the purpose of grading, and ensure school and classroom visions, practices, and policies support it.
• Implement research-based grading and reporting practices that promote accurate, useful accounts of student learning.
• Understand why traditional practices, such as grading on the curve and offering plus or minus grades, don’t fully report student academic performance.
• Examine grading and reporting policies, and make sure they support students, parents, and other stakeholders.

To register for this workshop, please call (920) 479-6504 or email us at info@firsteducation-us.com.

Workshop Flyer

Link to workshop information

Information taken from First Educational Resources

MELT Information

The MELT is just around the corner. We thought it would be a good idea reiterate the list of reminders and pointers about the day.  You should have received an email with the same information.

• First and foremost, the WEATHER POLICY - if the weather is inclement, any cancellation or delay relating to the MELT will be posted by 6:00 a.m. on theWCCO website under Quicklinks - School Closings. We will be listed under MRVED (just our initials.) This will also be posted on WCCO's TV channel.
• Dress in layers. The commons area (morning refreshments and lunch) could be cool because the main doors are there and people will be coming and going. Also, some of the rooms could be warm or cool depending on the number of people in the session. The gymnasium will be open and the bleachers will be down so you have a place for your jackets.
• Coffee and hot water for tea/hot chocolate (tea bags and hot chocolate not provided) will be available all morning in the commons area.
• Lunch (commons area) - there will be two lines so that lunch can be served in a timely fashion. There will be signs around the building directing you to the lunch lines.
• If you are not eating the catered meal, we suggest you bring a bag lunch. The school is out in the country and the nearby towns are not that close to allow you to drive there, eat a relaxing lunch, and return in time for the afternoon session which begins promptly at 1:00 p.m.
• An electronic evaluation will be sent out on Tuesday, January 20. Please complete it as soon as possible. We really listen to your suggestions and your feedback.
• If you are attending a networking session during the day, remember there is no "expert" presenting at these sessions. This is a time for you to bring items (websites, lessons, apps, projects, etc...) to share with others. There will be a facilitator at the networking sessions, but they are there to simply provide guidance and order to the session.
• Lastly, here are the session times in case you are not coming right away in the morning for the first session.
• Session 1: 8:40-9:40
• Session 2: 9:50-10:50
• Session 3: 11:00-Noon
• Lunch: Noon-1:00
• Session 4: 1:00-2:00
• Enter through Door #5 (follow the walkway to the left of the eagle statue). The door also has the number 5 on it.
• Be sure to stop by the registration table in the commons area to pick up your registration packet (personalized agenda, clock hours, lunch ticket if applicable). We have over 500 people picking up packets that day so if you would be so kind as to say your name when it is your turn, registration will go that much faster. The tables will be divided up by the first letter of your last name, so look for the signs on the wall behind the tables to get into the correct line.

As of today, the weather looks like it will cooperate and it is set to be a great day of learning for all. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact either Brandon (braymo@mrved.net) or Mary (mbrown@mrved.net). We look forward to seeing you all on Monday!

Repair Kit for Grading - Fix 15 & Conclusion

Fix 15: Don't leave students out of the grading process.  Involve students; they can, and should, play key roles in assessment and grading that promote achievement.

Students need to be involved in the grading process and should understand how and why they are being graded.  Grading should be transparent, not only for student use, but parent and administrator use as well.  Be clear in what you are grading.

Conclusion
The past 15 weeks we have been focusing on Ken O'Connor's 15 Fixes for Broken Grades.  I highly suggest reading through the whole book, it will change the way you approach grading in your classroom.  It's a very quick read, and well worth the time!

Fixes 1-6: Fixes for practices that distort achievement
Fixes 7-10: Fixes for low-quality or poorly organized evidence
Fixes 11-12: Fixes for inappropriate grade calculation
Fixes 13-15: Fixes to support learning

1. Don't include student behaviors in grades; include only achievement.
2. Don't reduce marks on "work" submitted late; provide support for the learner.
3. Don't give points for extra credit or use bonus points; seek only evidence that more work has resulted in a higher level of achievement.
4. Don't punish academic dishonesty with reduced grades; apply other consequences and reassess to determine actual level of achievement.
5. Don't consider attendance in grade determination; report absences separately.
6. Don't include group scores in grades; use only individual achievement evidence.
7. Don't organize information in grading records by assessment methods or simply summarize into a single grade; organize and report evidence by standards/learning goal.
8. Don't assign grades using inappropriate or unclear performance standards; provide clear descriptions of achievement expectations.
9. Don't assign grades based on student's achievement compared to other students; compare each student's performance to preset standards.
10. Don't rely on evidence gathered using assessments that fail to meet standards of quality; rely only on quality assessments.
11. Don't rely only on the mean; consider other measures of central tendency and use professional judgment.
12. Don't include zeros in grade determination when evidence is missing or as punishment; use alternatives, such as reassessing to determine real achievement, or use "I" for incomplete or insufficient evidence.
13. Don't use information from formative assessments and practice to determine grades; use only summative evidence.
14. Don't summarize evidence accumulated over time when learning is developmental and will grow with time and repeated opportunities; in those instances, emphasize more recent achievement.
15. Don't leave students out of the grading process.  Involve students, they can, and should, play key roles in assessment and grading that promote achievement.

The goal of this series over the past 4 months was to get you to examine your grading practices.  In order to make any change, one must first realize and understand what the purpose of a grade is.  The purpose of a grade is to communicate what a student knows and is able to do.  Without this clear understanding, teachers tend to lump behaviors and expectations into grades, thus inaccurately reporting what a student knows and is able to do.  I highly recommend Ken O'Connor's book on grading.  He provides fixes that are practical for any classroom and will give you a more accurate picture of where your class is.

If you are looking to go deeper into standards-based grading, which was referenced many times over the past 4 months, I suggest looking at Thomas Guskey and Jan Bailey's book Developing Standards-Based Report Cards.

Technology Tip - Appear.in

Appear.in
Appear.in is a great video conferencing website and/or app.  The site allows up to 8 people to video chat at once.  There is no login or installing required!  The quality is great.  All you need is a camera and a microphone.  It's almost too easy!  This could be an option for an online class, or for a student that has been absent for an extended period.  It could also be used personally as well to make video calls.  It also works from an iPad or iPhone through their app.  And it's all free!

MRVED Business

MELT Update

MELT is only 10 days away!  All presenters have been working hard on creating an engaging and worthwhile experience for everyone.  LQPV has been busy getting ready to host over 500 teachers.  Mary has been feverishly handling last-minute registrations and making sure everyone is well-informed.  We are looking forward to a great day of learning for everyone.  Look for an email next week with more specific instructions as to where to park and enter, wifi information, etc...  All the information from the email will also be in the update next week.

Upcoming Meetings
January 16, 2015  Community Ed
January 19, 2015  MELT
January 28, 2015  Superintendents' Council
February 9, 2015  Title III Teachers
February 11, 2015  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
February 19, 2015  Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)

Host a School Garden Workshop

Host a School Garden Workshop at your School

Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom is providing free school garden workshops for educators at schools this year featuring hands-on, standards-based lessons. Participants will complete a variety of lessons that will serve as a starting point for brainstorming opportunities to use school gardens as a vehicle for contextualizing learning in science, social studies, language arts, math and health/nutrition. Each workshop is designed to fit the specific needs of your school and build on your current garden use (or give you the tools to start a garden!). FREE resources and lessons will be shared. For more information and to schedule a workshop, please contact Zoe Hastings at zoe.hastings@state.mn.us or 651-201-6260.

Repair Kit for Grading - Fix 14

Fix 14: Don't summarize evidence accumulated over time when learning is developmental and will grow with time and repeated opportunities; in those instances, emphasize more recent achievement.

This fix encompasses many different things.  The prime example for this fix is the student who has scores like this:

• Homework 1 - 10/20
• Homework 2 - 8/20
• Homework 3 - 6/20
• Quiz - 14/20
• Homework 4- 14/20
• Homework 5 - 12/20
• Homework 6 - 10/20
• Test - 48/50

According to the test score the student learned what he/she was supposed to learn.  With all categories being equal the student has a 64% for this unit, when the student got a 96% on the summative assessment.  Like the previous week, are we grading the learning or what was learned?

Analogy:  If I am running a race, it doesn't matter what position I started in, nor does it matter the position I was in for most of the race.  The only thing that matters is where I finish.  If I have accomplished my goal of finishing first, should I punish myself for not starting in the 1st position?

This is another concept that requires rethinking grading formative assessments and practice.  It is a change in some teaching philosophy that requires deep thought and discussion.  If we are assigning homework to teach responsibility, then it goes against the first fix about grading behaviors and not learning.

Technology Tip - Smarty Pins with Google

Smarty Pins with Google
Smarty Pins with Google is a trivia and geography game wrapped into one.  It is a very interesting concept because you use Google Maps to place pins in locations based upon trivia questions.  You start with 1000 miles, a question is asked, and for every mile you are off, you lose points.  It would be a great general trivia game for the classroom!  It would work great on your interactive whiteboard.