tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31646078070417276442024-03-18T20:36:39.553-07:00nchsneasc13B (S-Z)Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-25056859055750785582012-02-09T07:47:00.000-08:002012-02-09T07:55:07.679-08:00Curriculum Sub-Committee MeetingThe Curriculum sub-committee will hold a meeting on 2/9/2012 at 2:15 in room 102.<div><br /></div><div><div>Agenda:</div><div>1. review future meeting dates (during faculty meetings and CAPT testing)</div><div>2. review the next steps in the process and our goals by the end of CAPT testing</div><div>3. develop plans for sorting through the evidence collection boxes</div><div>4. begin sorting through evidence</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Meeting attendance and notes will follow below as comments.</div>Bob Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05304810360527270535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-50990595407862959052012-01-05T18:59:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:30:49.606-08:00Evidence collection & more<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iuaoeZY_O6B4eGRHDyQORgXoZ-GW1iag2mZk7kRBx_tD3SC-P9gffdVkFVOW7_iu9Lp5N6SAaywJDDRUKpap7qxroeICd2RS2g1q9ZmBqVHOV2_YdtqREwk52lAYdMYHbhhBfzAPPdQ/s1600/IMG_0425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iuaoeZY_O6B4eGRHDyQORgXoZ-GW1iag2mZk7kRBx_tD3SC-P9gffdVkFVOW7_iu9Lp5N6SAaywJDDRUKpap7qxroeICd2RS2g1q9ZmBqVHOV2_YdtqREwk52lAYdMYHbhhBfzAPPdQ/s320/IMG_0425.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We spent some time today planning for evidence collection.<br /><br />We placed evidence boxes in four department offices. Each box is labeled with its respective standard. We will add more as we collect more boxes.<br /><br />We also revised the <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B5EY_6wgXBGXN2E0NzI0Y2QtMjM2OS00OTg4LWFiMTgtOGNhN2Q0NDE4N2E3" target="_blank">evidence submission cover sheet</a>, merging elements from the CAS-provided template and the form used by the science department during its recent Tri-State visit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYI3j8Qa_zmWZiCPG6kcSmQFCWOc54cfs2DnUVj3c8-knOiDE2cgV6niG1EmKe9P1aFNvSgg9x62-KD6prgCu7WeDb5yJmIm2jVxWS7_up0Gtt1bbCYL0kBHLKTWx9FzW5ybWNpz3uQmU/s1600/IMG_0426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYI3j8Qa_zmWZiCPG6kcSmQFCWOc54cfs2DnUVj3c8-knOiDE2cgV6niG1EmKe9P1aFNvSgg9x62-KD6prgCu7WeDb5yJmIm2jVxWS7_up0Gtt1bbCYL0kBHLKTWx9FzW5ybWNpz3uQmU/s320/IMG_0426.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a>We set up a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/nchsneasc13" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>, and cloned our <a href="http://nchsneasc13.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>, giving all certified faculty editing rights.<br /><br />We also created 60 posters of our <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ZYAZNbTjTB9HP3YkzhLJlglj6cABdQ0f-WpZk1HnrY/edit" target="_blank">Core Values/Beliefs and Learning Expectations</a> - one for each classroom. We will distribute them to the department chairs at next Tuesday's meeting.<br /><br />Finally, we are working on developing a digital companion form to the hard-copy evidence submission cover sheet. There is still some debate as to how this will be used, but we feel there is sufficient justification to warrant creating the form.Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-75306408879716833642011-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:30:49.616-08:00Question of the Week: December 19, 2011What does personalization mean in your classroom?Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-10966020468398413032011-12-15T10:21:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:30:49.633-08:00Post-faculty meeting NEAS&C activity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqKsuzu9JiZXBC7ET9tm60LxEbEjFJ3vdBRWEmW_6Ok2gWnYJ5EyhPWca58yjG2cJ73t6sepihuZZoIqn_G0435o1v68wUt_5t7wbgB4jFvbGou-b8oAqXrzHD0uDmExn5c6O3BS7KJ8/s1600/4+Themes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqKsuzu9JiZXBC7ET9tm60LxEbEjFJ3vdBRWEmW_6Ok2gWnYJ5EyhPWca58yjG2cJ73t6sepihuZZoIqn_G0435o1v68wUt_5t7wbgB4jFvbGou-b8oAqXrzHD0uDmExn5c6O3BS7KJ8/s400/4+Themes.png" width="390" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After the faculty meeting today, Mike explained that we are officially moving into the self-study phase of our review process. To this end, he introduced our NEAS&C activity for the afternoon.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />We distributed the standards booklets, and introduced the <i>4 Themes 4 ED</i> (see image on left). This was one of the activities from the Connecticut Association of Schools' (CAS) NEAS&C workshop we attended last week. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />Grouped according to standards committees, the faculty identified which theme(s) were association with which standards indicators. Then we passed around the mic to share out which indicators addressed the theme of personalization (there is an audio record of that).</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We introduced the <a href="http://nchsneasc13.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">NCHSNEASC13</a> blog as a vehicle for continuing the conversation between meetings. We have a limited number of face-to-face meetings left this year, but we hope to use the blog to share anecdotes about our teaching and learning experiences with students to help our colleagues better understand what we do in our daily practice that addresses the NEAS&C standards. Mike posted an example in the last blog entry.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We aslo discussed plans to start collecting evidence after the winter break. It is important to start this process soon so that we have a full year's evidence when the visiting committee arrives.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Next up: January 19th faculty meeting with our NEAS&C Director, Janet Allison.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After that: The community survey</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Handout: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QpnPSvmj2gZIfDS3qITeuOGrHA83W4lg2Wk1dJsDhXk/edit" target="_blank">NEAS&C First Newsletter</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Resource: <a href="http://cpss.neasc.org/" target="_blank">NEAS&C website</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/" rel="license"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" style="border-width: 0;" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span href="http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/StillImage" property="dct:title" rel="dct:type" xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/">4 Themes 4 ED</span> by <a href="http://www.newcanaan.k12.ct.us/" property="cc:attributionName" rel="cc:attributionURL" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#">mluhtala</a> is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/" rel="license">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Based on a work at <a href="http://nchsneasc13.info/" rel="dct:source" xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/">nchsneasc13.info</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at <a href="http://nchslibrary.info/" rel="cc:morePermissions" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#">http://nchslibrary.info</a>.</span>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-64254298701544917502011-12-14T10:09:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:30:49.642-08:00Mike McAteer's Pick a Poetry Project Project<div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7045005934778601"></b></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7045005934778601"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While I hate the “no wrong answer” bias that students bring into poetry class, I also know that I have no single right answer about what poetry is. Some students are drawn to traditional poetry, some are drawn to children’s poetry, some are inspired by performance poetry, some want to read epic poems, others just like to be subversive. Taking all these factors into account, and knowing that any study of poetry has to involve some combination of reading, writing and speaking, I’ve developed my </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/document/d/1u0OfAUquOaWPbAnwxfiKsIbDh9ERBkCc01gvlJf2B30/edit?hl=en_US" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pick a Poetry Project project</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. In this unit, students have to find their own resources, organize their time, and have an outcome in mind. While they may not all end up on task every moment of the day when we’re working on this project, it has resulted in some very provocative work.</span></span></b></div></div>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-47008009383510417072011-12-07T03:41:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:30:49.663-08:00NEAS&C Seminar CAS 12/5 & 12/6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO-4Dil_x4PMOwvMPU9HN3qWaHNo13Lpx_Yo8H8ykXhDnes7_d1_zC3qv-YHhWjokrhmSW0MnPr-eOV6APwgsKgdBdQadQTEFe5Jx7ANRTzAJKaR1BGLs2JW3E_56HNAl531amrcLD1I/s1600/IMG_0238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO-4Dil_x4PMOwvMPU9HN3qWaHNo13Lpx_Yo8H8ykXhDnes7_d1_zC3qv-YHhWjokrhmSW0MnPr-eOV6APwgsKgdBdQadQTEFe5Jx7ANRTzAJKaR1BGLs2JW3E_56HNAl531amrcLD1I/s200/IMG_0238.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Just spent two days in a NEAS&C Steering Committee seminar at Connecticut Association of Schools in Cheshire. It was daunting. Most attendees' visit is scheduled for 2014, and at this point, we have a lot to do.<br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/103_fUowt33ki-rVAT1Kr6b9fonxqigHKkiU_hc2uLF8/edit" target="_blank">My notes</a> look more like a giant ToDo list. Mike and Bryan took notes also. One thing I would like to focus on next is merging our notes and putting together a timeline starting backwards. I think it will reduce some of the anxiety I currently feel about time.<br />NCHS sent a team of 5: Anthony Bloss, Kris Goldhawk, Bryan Luizzi, Mike McAteer, and Michelle LuhtalaMichelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-90773258550907165202011-11-15T17:33:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:30:49.674-08:00Message to faculty about rubric development<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hello Colleagues,</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Thank you all for the hard work you put into rubric writing last week. While we received a lot of positive feedback, we also know that this process is not at all easy. As we follow Thursday’s faculty meeting with rubric revision time, it’s important that we maintain perspective on the current task.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">When we unanimously passed our statement on Core Values, Beliefs and Learning Expectations, we stated that we want our students to be “active participants in their learning,” by which we mean that we want them to choose resources, set goals, self-monitor, self-assess and reflect. In order to achieve this goal, we need to provide concrete information about our expectations, and that’s where the rubrics come in.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The Process</span></b></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Now, the process is messy, and where we are right now is near the end of the first stage of a three-stage process:</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; margin-left: 40px;"><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Stage one: We draft rubrics.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Stage two: We use them in pilot form to communicate with students about the work we’re asking them to do, and then ask the students to assess their work using the rubric, while we do the same. From this, we identify the challenges and advantages of using the rubrics to communicate with students and assess student work, and we make recommendations for changes.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Stage three: We revise the rubrics based on the data collected from the pilot experiment.</span></li></ol></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A Pressing Concern: Assessment</span></b></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If there was one overarching concern expressed on our PD Day, it was, “But I can’t see how I’ll use this rubric to assess my students.” If you were one of the ones saying this, you’re probably right.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But this raises misconception number one: that our NEASC rubrics are for assessment. What we are working on are <i><b>analytical rubrics</b></i>, not assessment rubrics. While they will be used for assessment, their primary function is to clearly communicate expectations. If we think of them as communication of our learning expectations so that students can be “active participants,” the writing may be a bit easier.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In addition, you may not ever use the problem-solving rubric, for example. But if we can all speak the same language and communicate the same expectations when students are solving problems in our disciplines, you can imagine the effective habits of mind students will develop as they go through all our subjects in ninth grade, in tenth grade…you can see where we’re going. The clearer we are about what we want our students to do, the more quickly they will internalize our school’s standards for their performance.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If you’ve read this far, thank you. If we can understand the stages of the process, our work can be much easier on Thursday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">See you then.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Your Friends on the Steering Committee</span></span>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-14810669308145408922011-11-08T16:35:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:30:49.685-08:00Professional Development Day - Rubrics<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/luhtala.michelle/November8th2011PDDayNEASC?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="160" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oI7dCCTiWnU/Tt1gRLodWdE/AAAAAAAABgM/4uSSiuqP45c/s160-c/November8th2011PDDayNEASC.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 0pt; margin-top: 1px;" width="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on picture<br />to see slideshow</td></tr></tbody></table>We spent election day 2011 developing rubrics for our 21st century learning expectations. We used the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_793657469" target="_blank">NCHSNEASC1</a><a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/nchsneasc13/home/rubrics" target="_blank">3</a> website rubric page to access the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zi9__1NQox4MVIxo3fvIgSjTPBFeHt33vfweA63h5U4/edit" target="_blank">instructions</a> and <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApEY_6wgXBGXdHktTXpDSmlPOWVIelRjSDZPMFl6SlE" target="_blank">rubric</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApEY_6wgXBGXdHktTXpDSmlPOWVIelRjSDZPMFl6SlE" target="_blank">template</a>, then brainstormed to develop indicators for each expectation. This is slide show of our day's activity.<br /><br /><br /> <br /> </div>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-34618520818643171332011-11-08T03:16:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:30:49.702-08:00Leadership meeting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3V6O3T0KOt7xgLPqrqv6-ipszfM8U-MM9ypW3AAecduVUGeAEknkHXA_82b7KbZkB0rgWLa1Z3w27icLT5EW6glLIITESj-FyI3iLOiwrUTuJckZr2gi66_7aFR1xEmshoeNf01GXOg/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3V6O3T0KOt7xgLPqrqv6-ipszfM8U-MM9ypW3AAecduVUGeAEknkHXA_82b7KbZkB0rgWLa1Z3w27icLT5EW6glLIITESj-FyI3iLOiwrUTuJckZr2gi66_7aFR1xEmshoeNf01GXOg/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The NEAS&C Steering Committee met with the Standards Committee co-chairs to assign expectations to standards committees and determine which departments would pilot which expectations rubrics.<br /><br />We also reviewed <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zi9__1NQox4MVIxo3fvIgSjTPBFeHt33vfweA63h5U4/edit" target="_blank">the agenda</a> for the Nov. 8 Professional Development day, and articipants gave feedback on the <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/nchsneasc13/home" target="_blank">NCHSNEASC13</a> website's new <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/nchsneasc13/home/rubrics" target="_blank">rubric page</a>.<br /><br />It was recommended that we remove the points, values and total columns and rows from the NCHS rubric template to minimize confusion.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-62684666930651927742011-11-04T03:10:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.710-08:00NEAS&C activities for November 8th PD Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXUaX1hy7o6nscaa-OBCicTSeZu_kClREXg4vBbKS9U-mye-3D9F9ArAl6EZ705wBagx0qFPkLw3FQXZuzaAOBo_yEHDKquu1D2LUlWT4ooUsVExdVtOdBNDF2MiXdVMeafZ3s7tI6oU/s1600/IMG_3310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXUaX1hy7o6nscaa-OBCicTSeZu_kClREXg4vBbKS9U-mye-3D9F9ArAl6EZ705wBagx0qFPkLw3FQXZuzaAOBo_yEHDKquu1D2LUlWT4ooUsVExdVtOdBNDF2MiXdVMeafZ3s7tI6oU/s200/IMG_3310.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The faculty sent in several more rubrics this week, so we reassessed our meeting needs and called a quick twenty minute after school meeting with steering committee and committee co-chairs on Monday, November 7th from 2:15-2:35. At the meeting we will review the following day's activities.<br /><br />As PD leaders, Cathy and Chris offered to develop a<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PEn3fuo6d0miTSvtJvol2juSavFMw4IdAxcwr5jWe70/edit" target="_blank"> Checklist</a> for the PD day, which was quite helpful.Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-44654093653766733822011-11-02T03:00:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.718-08:00Steering Committee meeting canceled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMp_1PdAMdJJvtiVWVa5XtEd3o8kbPjBJI9U7rnYZUnL774zI5DAdMIbZyo0GI9YyTRBV8bBKQ80iPYeZUYwcWRxxjzBIbtW1femJdSyr_p9OlnnhaiDmPbN349ZDEbW1QH9WF2rOsW8/s1600/Noreaster+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMp_1PdAMdJJvtiVWVa5XtEd3o8kbPjBJI9U7rnYZUnL774zI5DAdMIbZyo0GI9YyTRBV8bBKQ80iPYeZUYwcWRxxjzBIbtW1femJdSyr_p9OlnnhaiDmPbN349ZDEbW1QH9WF2rOsW8/s200/Noreaster+2011.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A freak October snowstorm set us back some. Since two school days were canceled, our scheduled November 1st steering committee meeting was also canceled. Our original plan to review and filter NCHS rubrics with the steering committee was deferred to the PD Day on November 8th. Mike emailed the steering committee about the new plan.Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-73991801721377148472011-10-26T18:26:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.727-08:00Resources on creativity, critical thinking, and rubric design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNq_c_TpYZUkmouGm1S_uzaNVLgRwj5ImgczM6O-wYKpB8mKDQmvlaiEo7iZCoZGfBJMf6lqOzKdFMcC2F_ctLfFaIE44KivuOeLdivA83GSjGrow9jy_R3IMFSxkb1SeSK57XLT0OJE/s1600/Cybraryman1+convo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNq_c_TpYZUkmouGm1S_uzaNVLgRwj5ImgczM6O-wYKpB8mKDQmvlaiEo7iZCoZGfBJMf6lqOzKdFMcC2F_ctLfFaIE44KivuOeLdivA83GSjGrow9jy_R3IMFSxkb1SeSK57XLT0OJE/s320/Cybraryman1+convo.jpg" target="_blank" width="320" /></a></div>A Tweep (Twitter speak for someone you know through Twitter, but have never met face to face: Twitter + peep = Tweep), a retired librarian now living in Florida, Jerry Blumengarten, just Tweeted a link to his <a href="http://cybraryman.com/criticalthinking.html" target="_blank">Critical Thinking page</a>. This prompted me to ask him about a <a href="http://cybraryman.com/creativity.html" target="_blank">creativity page</a>, and <a href="http://www.cybraryman.com/rubrics.html" target="_blank">resources for rubrics</a>. They are all posted on our <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/nchsneasc13/home/test">nchsneasc13 resources page</a>. Twitter = the best PD resource on planet earth ;-)Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-50696139957476726072011-10-25T19:48:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.735-08:00Steering Committee co-chairs meeting with Principals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVl7lGIKjxzNEGyW6JT_a-X5S2C3JFOxpVugTfbXBj6y1zrI6RGIH5Mue1ISwLSjSvKk13qtxGp-rwJxOS_-3wm3E0o_qGpTdllPpBG2yO3Ewf18715_6OT4u6ZBkif62p4gyd9IAupwc/s1600/Notes+from+10%253A25+NEASC+meeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVl7lGIKjxzNEGyW6JT_a-X5S2C3JFOxpVugTfbXBj6y1zrI6RGIH5Mue1ISwLSjSvKk13qtxGp-rwJxOS_-3wm3E0o_qGpTdllPpBG2yO3Ewf18715_6OT4u6ZBkif62p4gyd9IAupwc/s200/Notes+from+10%253A25+NEASC+meeting.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>In fairness to the recorder, these notes were taken on an iPad during first and second lunch, while standing at the cafeteria ramp :-)<br /><br />Big Question: How is steering committee going to spend Nov. 8? In Steering Committee, or with standards committees?<br /><br />Who is writing the first draft of the rubrics?Standards committees?If standards, the steering committee should participate. If not, then steering committee should meet together.<br /><br />We clearly need a rubric forcritical thinking. What indicators should be included? While observing an engineering class, Ari asked if we had an engineering rubric - one that included problem solving. The answer was yes. We should take a look at that.<br /><br />We agreed to collect all the school rubrics <a href="mailto:neascrubrics@ncps-k12.org" target="_blank">via email</a>. We will need both digital and hard copies (if only a hard copy exists, we will create a digital version). There was some discussion about this - whether to collect them all or just those perceived as relevant to expectations. We decided to collect them all, in case Steering Committee members saw correlation where folks who live with them every day did not.<br /><br />We will align the rubrics with learning expectations, then assign each one to a department. The department will pilot using the rubric, and report back with recommendations for revision.<br /><br />The Steering Committee will meet on November 1st, at which point we will sort through the collected rubrics and assign each one an expectation, and then which committee will work on which expectation.<br /><br />One thing we should address on November 8th is language. Our rubrics should reflect a common language - one that students can understand. The committees will go through their assigned rubric packets and aggregate a list of commonly used terms (word cloud opportunity?). They will also determine which parts of the rubric will cross departments, and which department will pilot which expectation rubric.<br /><br />When departments meet, at least one person in that meeting will have participated in the committee meeting responsible for that department's <i>expectation allocation, </i>and will be able to explain the rationale for the departments' assigned pilot. Then they will use the collected rubrics and NEAS&C examples to develop new ones.<br /><br />We had a conversation about indicators and rubric adoption - one I was not able to transcribe - distracted and hungry? Suffice it to say that Mike spoke eloquently on the topic, and that when necessary, I am confident he will be able to reconstruct what he said beautifully :-)<br /><br />After the pilot, we will look at rubric formats and scales, but we think we should <i>live with them </i> for a bit before doing that.Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-17480384518599183972011-10-20T18:52:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.745-08:00Faculty meeting in the library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxmwn8yDqdNv0oayLrfb56_80zyXldhZRa_mY-IOsQzXFsL3HHR3IKVRRxK_4KObFqg1rWaw_EI26DLKYAXJBT_3kR3_R_sDC8k-mdX-RHL17q0XcJp7n_cTix8fwSUn3TWzIMqInwvI/s1600/IMG_3185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxmwn8yDqdNv0oayLrfb56_80zyXldhZRa_mY-IOsQzXFsL3HHR3IKVRRxK_4KObFqg1rWaw_EI26DLKYAXJBT_3kR3_R_sDC8k-mdX-RHL17q0XcJp7n_cTix8fwSUn3TWzIMqInwvI/s200/IMG_3185.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Faculty meeting in the library (NEAS&C business will not be deterred by space constraints!). After Mike provided a succinct review of the process that led us to craft the <i>Core Beliefs, Values and Expectations</i>, and a "screening" of the nchsneasc13 website, the faculty approved the document without discussion :-)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDejoh0qSuwDunm7UmdVnakFKX0J69-YIGQP2QWhyphenhyphen7C08crYUcQJsxvLi8d8OlD6JKUTLSnmYHqT4OnMr5XE1UoI7kdAjmUrQ-nxtIjrB9k3JJ8fYPS0RVrstpc3LmhMFg1drcKfYPsEg/s1600/IMG_3184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDejoh0qSuwDunm7UmdVnakFKX0J69-YIGQP2QWhyphenhyphen7C08crYUcQJsxvLi8d8OlD6JKUTLSnmYHqT4OnMr5XE1UoI7kdAjmUrQ-nxtIjrB9k3JJ8fYPS0RVrstpc3LmhMFg1drcKfYPsEg/s200/IMG_3184.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shhhhh! Food in the Library!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EWFmCig0n-kcDpK-lfxL_FBpU8vy8w-UJSGEPQ_muShWnFOoNj08ydT18idBaZH6ZQAaYdBio8AzaTJxy25wigdVdYElWv5Hi-pP5rGLBCL1vBdNjZ2kw_sLfjxdrWYWaZ_WTfNo_v8/s1600/IMG_3183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EWFmCig0n-kcDpK-lfxL_FBpU8vy8w-UJSGEPQ_muShWnFOoNj08ydT18idBaZH6ZQAaYdBio8AzaTJxy25wigdVdYElWv5Hi-pP5rGLBCL1vBdNjZ2kw_sLfjxdrWYWaZ_WTfNo_v8/s200/IMG_3183.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Habla usted Espanol? </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO_P3FY9z4Hxa8IefzSZQTerENLG-ZjC67p-6VVH8TbvXoDmhSV2vDpZRfw7WWA8c1aqQunTqYcbjExXD9vC594o6rgAx5v5rCaarF051u-ZscvvpX94cYsI3bybVhMbwvK3nBcwWQac/s1600/IMG_3182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO_P3FY9z4Hxa8IefzSZQTerENLG-ZjC67p-6VVH8TbvXoDmhSV2vDpZRfw7WWA8c1aqQunTqYcbjExXD9vC594o6rgAx5v5rCaarF051u-ZscvvpX94cYsI3bybVhMbwvK3nBcwWQac/s200/IMG_3182.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ouvrez vos yeux, Mme Swan!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FxRF2muq88HL269ob65glxw3P68aW7OvYEZZ_doxiHxwnkuOWnI5-73znB8bRKc6wfvd_P25rEP3euUPA5Pk0_74iC3ABeyammqq-loBuKou_YCcExdYa4uQfLFfnu7z6tVIrGZBpjs/s1600/IMG_3181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FxRF2muq88HL269ob65glxw3P68aW7OvYEZZ_doxiHxwnkuOWnI5-73znB8bRKc6wfvd_P25rEP3euUPA5Pk0_74iC3ABeyammqq-loBuKou_YCcExdYa4uQfLFfnu7z6tVIrGZBpjs/s200/IMG_3181.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ms. Brown, Ms. Goldhawk, and Ms. Floryshack Windman</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-88155937349099479302011-10-18T13:32:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.761-08:00Steering Committee co-chairs meeting with Principal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu3fJroeYHcNkTdSYwMRWWfSFV6fZNWN3xtfzTWR3nhyphenhyphenc1RuPxFeqAD4d1ukfxI3rOQZaGl4W008KTd-hMhCZNsZrfERqO3cGaBjRtUB28iDwrvh_0SycnnPChwtvAyToeOG_0nyn7XPw/s1600/IMG_1335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu3fJroeYHcNkTdSYwMRWWfSFV6fZNWN3xtfzTWR3nhyphenhyphenc1RuPxFeqAD4d1ukfxI3rOQZaGl4W008KTd-hMhCZNsZrfERqO3cGaBjRtUB28iDwrvh_0SycnnPChwtvAyToeOG_0nyn7XPw/s200/IMG_1335.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Mike and I met with Bryan today to plan for Thursday's faculty meeting.<br /><br />It is going to be a succinct presentation. We will highlight the foundations of our <i>Core Beliefs and Values Statement</i> - communication, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, respect, and empathy. Present the <i>Core Beliefs, Values, and Expectations</i> page of our <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/nchsneasc13/home/first-draft-of-core-expectations">NCHSNEASC13 website</a>, and vote to proceed with self-assessment using it as a guide. We will also clarify that this is a living document, it is not written in stone, and that we can update it and revise it throughout the process. <br /><br />We also discussed rubric templates, pulling together a team to attend a steering committee workshop in December, and self-study survey results.<br /><br />Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-63232150848958132112011-10-13T13:05:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.770-08:00Selection Committee co-chairs meeting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/nchsneasc13" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ-Lut27I_hU6AclE3ocKf4Er17Qrz_mZNexGOmRbK29Hm5tj_HItOiune2snaBWI32vcViWRzeid90bBf0-L8jqULWL5avQhUO1DBLCmrsjzZOmx_EiRgdvXptVjqpKNSBi_dMbZrxo/s200/Screenshot+of+CVBE+page.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Mike and I met to decide how to present the first draft of the <i>Core Values, Beliefs and Expectations</i>. We settled on <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/nchsneasc13/home/steering-committee/first-draft-of-core-expectations">uploading it to the web</a>, and allowing for comments rather than sending a <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/document/d/1lFMmZYipzCGX6Ig_oC4kTvWmZrEZ16hlkoO5Bz8NNlw/edit?hl=en_US">Google Doc</a>.<i> </i>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-25009771189100257562011-10-11T15:10:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.778-08:00Steering Committee meetingProductive Steering Committee meeting. We used laptops to revise our <i>Core Values, Belief and Expectations</i> in Google Docs, and showed the committee our <a href="https://bit.ly/nchsneasc13" target="_blank">nchsneasc13</a> portal.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5EY_6wgXBGXOWFjMjljMTQtYTVhNi00YmQ2LTljMmEtMWFlMzMzZGM1NjBk&hl=en_US" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknq3pK3oO678ZKym-K864SmKi-unmHYzrwRHzM4XcTkKkXjuhUzp6hkNX6M9ooQyO_mu_qOazoCatrBovsth5LlkNWcy43yyFHhH2hnqD6iqJHjcFho-4C9jsdAeVz2BTlm4_XaMZQps/s400/Oct.+12+Steering+Committee+meeting.jpg" target="_blank" width="400" /></a></div><br />Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-13956947857047104402011-10-07T07:53:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.793-08:00Steering Committee co-chairs meetingMike and I met this morning to discuss our technical options for the hover text in the <i>Core Values, Beliefs and Expectations</i> working document. We don't want to encumber the message with wordy explanations, but we want to emphasize its alignment with our <i><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApEY_6wgXBGXdGQ2QzhpaXIwQ25XZ0JQcWtkV29yVnc&hl=en_US" target="_blank">Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate</a></i> (our work from the August 25 professional development day and the homeroom activity with students)<i>.</i> <a href="http://www.darienps.org/dhs/corevalues.php" target="_blank" title=" Darien's <i>Statement of Core Values and Beliefs</i>">Darien</a> effectively uses the hover to elaborate on the details of mission and expectations. We like this model and hope to emulate it in ours. We composed the text for those hovers as comments in the existing Google Doc until we upload the final version to the <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/nchsneasc13/" target="_blank">NCHS NEAS&C '13 website</a>. Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-48516155799623488782011-10-05T03:12:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.802-08:00Steering Committee co-chairs meeting<br /><div style="background-color: transparent;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWN-8oALvPMNl6mY-kj_DHQuSTdl6-qmNAt39uWZgGJ2jy5I9VtdlXY098_HEGJd_uuB56SQU4qNa2tfPIGVHXH98AWBad0Kk9xH-JQJ0Tendvptzgzy9vGv5fBSPLastuy0xibkVEiwA/s1600/Core+values+revision+history.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWN-8oALvPMNl6mY-kj_DHQuSTdl6-qmNAt39uWZgGJ2jy5I9VtdlXY098_HEGJd_uuB56SQU4qNa2tfPIGVHXH98AWBad0Kk9xH-JQJ0Tendvptzgzy9vGv5fBSPLastuy0xibkVEiwA/s320/Core+values+revision+history.jpg" width="106" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Core Values revisions</td></tr></tbody></table>Mike and I went over our <a href="http://first%20draft%20of%20core%20values%2C%20beliefs%20and%20learning%20expectations%20october%204%2C%202011/" target="_blank">First Draft of Core Values, Beliefs and Learning Expectations</a><br /><br />Thanks to Mike for the following examples recent NEAS&C-assessed schools' <i>Core Values Statements</i><br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.cantonschools.org/chs/content/pdfs/CHS_Core_Values_and_Beliefs.pdf" target="_blank">Canton Public Schools</a></li><li><a href="http://www.darienps.org/dhs/corevalues.php" target="_blank">Darien Public Schools</a></li><li><a href="http://www.danielhand.org/page.cfm?p=766" target="_blank">Madison Public Schools</a></li><li><a href="http://www.eosmith.org/index.php/mission-statement" target="_blank">Region 19 (CT)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guilford.k12.ct.us/~ghs/pdf_files/Mission%20and%20Rubrics%202010.pdf" target="_blank">Guilford Public Schools</a></li><li><a href="http://www.monroeps.org/expectations.aspx" target="_blank">Monroe Public Schools</a></li><li><a href="http://www.hs.npsct.org/?PageName=%27AboutTheSchool%27" target="_blank">Newtown Public Schools</a></li><li><a href="http://www.wethersfield.k12.ct.us/High_School/whs_info.htm" target="_blank">Wethersfield Public Schools</a></li></ul></div>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-13921690304306860572011-10-03T07:32:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.810-08:00Steering Committee co-chairs meetingMike and Michelle met (impromptu hallway meeting) to review a draft of the draft for the <i>Core Values, Beliefs and Expectations</i>. Mike cross-referenced the preliminary draft against the Faculty Vision of Ideal NCHS Graduate to make sure we'd covered the academic social and ethical criteria the faculty identified on August 25th.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApEY_6wgXBGXdFpjTDIzMV8wYjdWbERhamh4b1hnVkE&hl=en_US" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpZCnCbms7IWBx3ZNaPdNEpklQ6JlhwZcv4F5VAlKJ2uHI02hu6oC7iwA78JYjPrRaAHlq6ZaRTl0cJfNcefRYS0iVRDBgfumpexowt-wflWR-yWNoZX9k133AJAF7Lkx7TM7ocC8rIM/s400/Faculty+Vision+of+Ideal+NCHS+Graduate+%2528marked%2529.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-39375570002646287232011-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.818-08:00Steering Committee co-chairs meetingShare word clouds to extract terms from teacher and student work for<i> Core Beliefs, Values and Expectations</i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHK9XTMkKrLgINfMQAf41hchIY0_vZX4hKIqu45wV-ex_VAJMMpCxU9TS5r6Uld8Uo_DyTvxB9g7Ns5OCT6UNmku5mJUWuAC3sPp41Q1ZTRQrfEKDXFkakl1IEuP7-lF6mUj2PRUyajM/s1600/Teacher+word+cloud.jpg"target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHK9XTMkKrLgINfMQAf41hchIY0_vZX4hKIqu45wV-ex_VAJMMpCxU9TS5r6Uld8Uo_DyTvxB9g7Ns5OCT6UNmku5mJUWuAC3sPp41Q1ZTRQrfEKDXFkakl1IEuP7-lF6mUj2PRUyajM/s400/Teacher+word+cloud.jpg" target="_blank" width="400" /></a><i><br /></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />teacher cloud:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjff3JK_JsOL1AJHAyCVoShze2DjqKTKTeg308zvWBmVOhQYXjdHs1vzMtYF0sZu6jZ0dIfnz4c6K9ncew2PYo6W23F1NDTocn2GlYw8nJvkbuj7DkXewYTSuZBOuJ9k2X8Q3qLyEyPPeQ/s1600/Student+word+cloud.jpg" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjff3JK_JsOL1AJHAyCVoShze2DjqKTKTeg308zvWBmVOhQYXjdHs1vzMtYF0sZu6jZ0dIfnz4c6K9ncew2PYo6W23F1NDTocn2GlYw8nJvkbuj7DkXewYTSuZBOuJ9k2X8Q3qLyEyPPeQ/s400/Student+word+cloud.jpg" target="_blank" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Student cloudMichelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-44329344043327458122011-09-25T14:52:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.826-08:00Student activity in Homeroom - Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate<br /><div class="p1">Dear Faculty and Staff,</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">As we delineate and define our core values, beliefs and learning expectations, the input of the students is essential. For this Friday’s homeroom, the students will go through an activity similar to what we did during the PD days before school. The two staff members in each homeroom will need to facilitate the activity, for which Tom Honohan has created a Google Form, entitled “<a href="https://docs.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/document/d/1YP04oMWttr37wX6YDWEYFS2bkQBM6wt0a3UNR2ak4rw/edit?hl=en_US" target="_blank">The Five-Question Exercise</a>.” Here’s how things should go:</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">1.<span class="s1"> </span>When students arrive at 9:39, have them arrange their seats in configuration conducive to discussion.</div><div class="p2">2.<span class="s1"> </span>The TV Production class’ weekly presentation will begin promptly, ending with the anchors explaining the activity to come.</div><div class="p3">3.<span class="s1"> </span>The Google Form is accessed through the link, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nchs-5-question-exercise" target="_blank"><span class="s2">NCHS Five-Question Exercise</span></a>, and one staff member can moderate the discussion while the other types in the students’ responses. A hard-copy of the same form is attached.</div><div class="p4"> 4.<span class="s1"> </span>Try to get through as many of the questions as time allows, but it is far more important to allow substantive discussion among the students than to get through all the questions.</div><div class="p2">5.<span class="s1"> </span>At the end of the homeroom, click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the form and make sure the desks are returned to their pre-homeroom state.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">This is the same set of questions we discussed in our groups on the second PD day, just re-worded for students; since all of us have gone through this, I am confident that we can all easily facilitate this version for our students.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Thanks and, as always, let me know if you have any questions.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Ari</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NP5H_6ztPT6zdMG0xZMOjv0PYk6sBh5teyGRgxoKJ64/edit?hl=en_US" target="_blank">Student responses to the NCHS Five Question Exercise</a></div>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-175552568528491492011-09-19T14:58:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.834-08:00Steering Committee co-chairs meetingPlan co-chairs meeting schedule & plan to aggregate faculty and student responses<br /><iframe frameborder="0" height="600" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/calendar/b/0/embed?height=600&wkst=1&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&src=ncps-k12.org_c1t2p3mq00co2eifncmfk424o4%40group.calendar.google.com&color=%23856508&ctz=America%2FNew_York" style="border-width: 0;" width="580"></iframe>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-12278602548356795012011-09-15T17:55:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.841-08:00Faculty meetingAri presented outcomes of August 25th faculty work on ideal NCHS graduate and reviewed homeroom activity for September 25, 2011.<br /><br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApEY_6wgXBGXdGQ2QzhpaXIwQ25XZ0JQcWtkV29yVnc&hl=en_US" target="_blank">Summary of teacher responses to Ideal Vision of NCHS Graduate activity</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApEY_6wgXBGXdGQ2QzhpaXIwQ25XZ0JQcWtkV29yVnc&hl=en_US" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hduuzwiftAtG-PegrnZagowAHdAv0MhdTMprOYB_tiZx5YywH_HSM5GY7MJRbkgL2p3R8oteNmxOufBUxtWeMrOE7lfnaca13iDckEEHmFuKej3IZul9FnJjN1wCl9vl60Wu7ahBPNg/s400/Faculty+Vision+of+Ideal+NCHS+Graduate+%2528unmarked%2529.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164607807041727644.post-87613354031889558652011-08-25T14:47:00.000-07:002012-01-06T06:30:49.849-08:00Faculty activity in on PD Day - Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iyBe-W79G-sgTz0crzkfV16E7YXydqe_BT1rMrJvtf0/edit?hl=en_US" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate</span></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><br /><div style="background-color: transparent;"><div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.9350819862447679" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first – and most significant – step in the NEASC self-study process is the identification, delineation and refinement of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">our core values, beliefs and learning expectations</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Moving beyond the traditional “mission statement,” a school’s core values and beliefs about learning provide the foundation for all decision-making going forward. This is to be a dynamic and inclusive process, beginning with the faculty and subsequently involving students and all other stakeholders, the product of which should be a collective objective to which the entire New Canaan High School community can commit.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Directions</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: In your groups, brainstorm around the following questions. Be as specific as possible, especially as to the thoughts behind your choices. DO NOT address concerns about implementation (funding, staffing, et al) as this is an exercise about ideals. Later, we will re-convene as a faculty and each group will report out. Commonalities will quickly surface and differences will provide an opportunity for spirited, respectful and thoughtful debate. </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What words and phrases best describe the ideal NCHS graduate?</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What should be the goal of a NCHS education? Why?</span></span><br /><ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">skills </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">should each be able to demonstrate?</span></span></li><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">competencies </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> literacies</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> should each acquire?</span></span></li><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">habits of mind</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> should each possess?</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In what specific ways can the school provide for every student to acquire and achieve this? </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Around what, should our </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">program of study</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> be built?</span></span></li><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What types of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">experiences</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> should every student have while in high school</span></span></li><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">supports</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> should we have in place to ensure success for all students?</span></span></li><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In what specific ways should we prepare all students to be informed and responsible members of society and the global community?</span></li></ul></div>Michelle Luhtalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386928415531338234noreply@blogger.com0