Sustainability/ASAP Success Stories

Please use this post to share specific success stories involving teachers or students.  You do not have to use a name but please identify the school.

February 26, 2010

• Tanya will begin visiting classes in our Sustainability schools.  Be prepared to share your "schedule" for teaching classes at the Sustainability schools.  Remember to submit your sustainability schedule for each school where you are working  to me either via email or place on the "g" drive and let me know it is there. I belive the schedules are in the ASAP folder on the "g" drive.  These will be placed in the schools data notebook.

• Specialists:  Do you  have any of the following books?  They will be needed at the Statewide Staff meeting in April.  Please let Lynn know which ones you already own (if any).   THANKS!

1.      Science Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning by Page Keeley (ISBN 978-1-4129-4180-8)

2.      Assessing Science Learning: Perspectives From Research and Practice by: Janet Coffey, Rowens Douglas, & Carole Stearns (ISBN 978-1-93353-140-3)

3.       Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Vol. 1: 25 Formative Assessment Probes by Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, &Lynn Farrin (ISBN 978-0-87355-255-4)

4.      Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 2: 25 More Formative Assessment Probes by Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, &Joyce Tugel (ISBN 978-0-87355-273-8)

5.      Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 3: Another 25 Formative Assessment Probes by Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, & Chad Dorsey (ISBN 978-1-93353-124-3)

6.       Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 4: 25 New Formative Assessment Probes  by Page Keeley & Joyce Tugel (ISBN 978-1-93515-501-0)

 Science Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning

• Vicky has suggested that the "E's" on Down the Road workshop be changed to a date other than Friday.  She has said that historically, teachers do not attend workshops on Friday.  Please choose a new date and I'll confirm that there is a room available  Keep in mind...Their big workshop week is June 21-25 so they may not have any extra rooms that week. 

February 19, 2010

April 28th - K-5 --Math Content Builidng for our teachers from the PLT schools.  It would be GREAT if Sandra, Kay, and Donna can attend.  I have requested that the 6-8 science training be that day too.  Still waiting for confirmation.  If Sue can attend that day, you will be able to use the materials with your teachers and in their classes.  We are purchasing the materials.  (ACHE)

May 5th - Laying the Foundation will provide training for the 6-12 math teachers from our PLT schools.  It will be great if Mary can attend.  I have requested that the K-5 science training be that day too.  Same thing..... waiting on confirmation.  If Carol and Polly can attend, then you will be able to use the mateirals with your teachers and in their classes.  We are purchasing the materials. (ACHE).

Calhoun County requests that their Alphabet Soup PD be either June 7, 9,  14, 15, or 16.  This will allow the teachers to pull all of this together before the curriculum project and allow all of their teachers to be on the same page next year. 

I have a CD on Energy Efficiency if someone would like to borrow it to use with teachers.  I have an email to the authors to see if it can be duplicated.

Lorrie Moody, Kevin Lockridge, and Jerriann Bentley may be contacting Sue and Mary for suggestions on differentiate instruction PD. 

February 12, 2010

Happy SNOW DAY
Lila Wooten from Scott Foresman paid a visit to the site. Very nice. She is the one that will be conducting the content building training provided by the ACHE grant. Date is not set. Waiting on the SDE for a definite date.  I gave her a business card from Sandra, Kay and Donna and she left one for each of  you. She was very interested in the results of the data meetings and will attend a data meeting next year. 

I will attend the Calhoun County Roundtable on Tuesday, February 16.  Please let me know what I can report to them based on our sustainability plans at their schools. Maybe I will get a date for the inservice K-5 math is going to present for them.
Making the blog come to your email is a little more complicated than one setting. I have the directions but haven't had time to subscribe to another service to make it available by email. I'll get to it, but this week has been one big ACHE week.

We will resume watching the FISH video on Monday, February 15.  We will resume our discussion of the book on March 1st so please complete the reading of  the book.  The book and videos operate independently. 

I think we need to revisit offering FITH for summer workshops.  Here's my reason ...  we are offering Alphabet Soup for only  5th and 7th grade science. It would be great to offer something at every grade level and reminding the teachers that FITH is something they can always use and should use since it activities based on the COS.  3rd - 5th grade lessons are already written in 5 E format.

Literacy Strategies are also another offering that should be considered. 

These things can also be offered to schools as In-Services.  Once they are developed we will have a
We need to have agendas, outline and material list for the sessions for this summer by the May 3 staff meeting. 

February 5, 2010

• Governor Riley may be in this area on Wedneday.  Steve is attempting to set up a visit to one of our schools.  Keep this under wraps until I have confirmation.  I will email confirmation.  We are thinking we will take him to Oxford Middle School.
• More suggestions for summer work shops :  
• How about a 5 E workshop?  Like the one  delivered to  CE Hanna? 
• AND would the one that K-5 math did for Calhoun County aides or for the Presevice JSU class be appropriate for the summer? 
• How about -( needs a name) -- taking a traditional textbook lesson and making it a hands on lessons -- maybe call it "AMSTIing your textbook"?
• What about "Fill in the Hole" Sessions for science?
• There is a Gyro Mouse missing from its holder.  Does anyone know where it is? 
• GW Floyd is hosting a MATH NIGHT on February 23.  Contact Ms. Chester if you can help.
• Banner will be shut down the week of February 15.  All travel should be submitted to Lynn before 10 AM on February 10 so it can be entered, carried to campus and paid by February 12.  Banner will reopen on February 22.  Any travel after Feburary 10 can be submitted for reimbursement at that time.
• Email:  if you "migrated to Zimbra" and are no longer using Outlook, then the mail that goes to the cableone account is not being sent to Zimbra.  On the accounts set up page admin page, I can set it to forward your email to your jsu account.  If you need it forwarded, please let me know.  I forwarded Lynn's and all is well.