Grant Opportunities from IEA

Check out some great opportunities for grants via IEA!

Read Across America Library Grant, Deadline November 28, 2016

Reading is the Way Up: Support literacy in your classroom with grants up to $500

The Meemic Foundation Grants: Grants for school and classroom projects now available, up to $500; Deadline December 31st

Your Voter Guide

The election is coming up in just a few weeks. Please take a look at Your Voter Guide from Illinois Education Association. You can also click here to see iPace Recommended candidates. Let's use our votes to make a difference in education!

Danielson Rubric 1e. Designing Coherent Instruction

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing information about the Danielson Evaluation Rubric.

Twice a week, we'll highlight a different indicator, explain it's components, share differences between excellent and proficient ratings, and end with ideas for artifacts and questions for reflection.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
1e. Designing Coherent Instruction

The elements of component 1e are:

Learning activities

Instruction is designed to engage students and advance them through the content.

Instructional materials and resources

Aids to instruction are appropriate to the learning needs of the students.

Instructional Groups

Teachers intentionally organize instructional groups to support student learning.

Lesson and Unit structure

Teachers produce clear and sequenced lesson and unit structures to advance student learning.

Indicators include:

• Lessons that support instructional outcomes and reflect important concepts
• Instructional maps that indicate relationships to prior learning
• Activities that represent high-level thinking
• Opportunities for student choice
• Use of varied resources
• Thoughtfully planned learning groups
• Structured lesson plans

Excellent Rating:

The sequence of learning activities follows a coherent sequence, is aligned to instructional goals, and is designed to engage students in high-level cognitive activity. These are appropriately differentiated for individual learners. Instructional groups are varied appropriately, with some opportunity for student choice.

Proficient Rating:

Most of the learning activities are aligned with the instructional outcomes and follow an organized progression suitable to groups of students. The learning activities have reasonable time allocations; they represent significant cognitive challenge, with some differentiation for different groups of students and varied use of instructional groups.

Suggestions for Artifacts:

• Unit Plan
• Activity or assignment

Questions to consider for reflection:

1. How will you engage your students in the learning? What will you do? What will the students do?
2. Will the students work in large or small groups or individually?

Danielson Rubric 1d. Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing information about the Danielson Evaluation Rubric.

Twice a week, we'll highlight a different indicator, explain it's components, share differences between excellent and proficient ratings, and end with ideas for artifacts and questions for reflection.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
1d. Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources

The elements of component 1d are:

Resources for classroom use
Materials must align with learning outcomes.

Resources to extend content knowledge and pedagogy
Materials that can further teachers' professional knowledge must be available.

Resources for students
Materials must be appropriately challenging.

Indicators include:

• Materials provided by the district
• Materials provided by professional learning organization
• A range of texts
• Internet resources
• Community resources
• Ongoing participation by the teacher in professional education courses or professional groups
• Guest Speakers

Excellent Rating:

The teacher’s knowledge of resources for classroom use and for extending one’s professional skill is extensive, including those available through the school or district, in the community, through professional organizations and universities, and on the Internet.

Proficient Rating:

The teacher displays awareness of resources beyond those provided by the school or district, including those on the Internet, for classroom use and for extending one’s professional skill, and seeks out such resources.

Suggestions for Artifacts:

• Unit Plan
• Range of texts used across a unit
• Anecdotal notes regarding specialists you've collaborated with in order to provide appropriate and differentiated instruction

Questions to consider for reflection:

1. What resources are available to you in planning instruction for this classroom? (people, materials, museums, local experts, videos, websites, print materials)
2. What resources are available to your students if they need assistance? (people, materials, programs, counseling, donations)

1st Starbucks Card Winner!

Thanks to those who Tweeted in the last week, and congrats to Scott at Pershing! You've won our first Starbucks card!

We'd love to see more tweets to the #WeAreSBEA hashtag, and each Tuesday a new winner will be announced. Check out this post for more details!

Danielson Rubric 1c. Setting Instructional Outcomes

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing information about the Danielson Evaluation Rubric.

Twice a week, we'll highlight a different indicator, explain it's components, share differences between excellent and proficient ratings, and end with ideas for artifacts and questions for reflection.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
1c. Setting Instructional Outcomes

The elements of component 1c are:

Value, sequence, and alignment

Outcomes represent significant learning in the discipline reflecting, where appropriate, the Common Core State Standards.

Clarity

Outcomes must refer to what students will learn, not what they will do, and must permit viable methods of assessment.

Balance

Outcomes should reflect different types of learning, such as knowledge, conceptual understanding, and thinking skills.

Suitability for diverse students

Outcomes must be appropriate for all students in the class.

Indicators include:

Outcomes of a challenging cognitive level

Statements of student learning, not student activity

Outcomes central to the discipline and related to those in other disciplines

Outcomes permitting assessment of student attainment

Outcomes differentiated for students of varied ability

Excellent Rating:

All outcomes represent high-level learning in the discipline. They are clear, are written in the form of student learning, and permit viable methods of assessment. Outcomes reflect several different types of learning and, where appropriate, represent both coordination and integration. Outcomes are differentiated, in whatever way is needed, for individual students.

Proficient Rating:

Most outcomes represent rigorous and important learning in the discipline and are clear, are written in the form of student learning, and suggest viable methods of assessment. Outcomes reflect several different types of learning and opportunities for coordination, and they are differentiated, in whatever way is needed, for different groups of students.

Suggestions for Artifacts:

• Unit Plan
• Activity or Assignment

Questions to consider for reflection:

1. To which part of your curriculum does this relate?
2. How does learning fit in the sequence of learning for this class?
3. Briefly describe the student sin this class, including those with special needs.

Danielson Rubric 1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of Students

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing information about the Danielson Evaluation Rubric.

Twice a week, we'll highlight a different indicator, explain it's components, share differences between excellent and proficient ratings, and end with ideas for artifacts and questions for reflection.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation:

1b. Demonstrating knowledge of students

The elements of component 1b are:

Knowledge of child and adolescent development

Children learn differently at different stages of their lives.

Knowledge of the learning process

Learning requires active intellectual engagement.

Knowledge of students’ skills, knowledge, and language proficiency

What students are able to learn at any given time is influenced by their level of knowledge and skill.

Knowledge of students’ interests and cultural heritage

Children’s backgrounds influence their learning.

Knowledge of students’ special needs

Children do not all develop in a typical fashion.

Indicators include:

• Formal and informal information about students gathered by the teacher for use in planning instruction
• Student interests and needs learned by the teacher for use in planning
• Teacher participation in community cultural events
• Teacher-designed opportunities for families to share their heritages
• Database of students with special needs

Excellent Rating

The teacher understands the active nature of student learning and acquires information about levels of development for individual students. The teacher also systematically acquires knowledge from several sources about individual students’ varied approaches to learning, knowledge and skills, special needs, and interests and cultural heritages.

Proficient Rating

The teacher understands the active nature of student learning and attains information about levels of development for groups of students. The teacher also purposefully acquires knowledge from several sources about groups of students’ varied approaches to learning, knowledge and skills, special needs, and interests and cultural heritages.

Artifacts

• Unit Plan
• Activity or assignment
• Communication with families
• Interaction with individual students during observation

Questions for Reflection

1. How do you become familiar with your students’ individual interests and cultural backgrounds? ( interest inventories, parent surveys about child, attendance to student events)
2. Describe how you establish and implement important classroom routines and procedures. (Materials, transitions, routines)

Danielson Rubric 1a: Demonstrating knowledge of content and pedagogy

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing information about the Danielson Evaluation Rubric.

Twice a week, we'll highlight a different indicator, explain it's components, share differences between excellent and proficient ratings, and end with ideas for artifacts and questions for reflection.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation:

1a. Demonstrating knowledge of content and pedagogy

The elements of component 1a are:

Knowledge of content and the structure of the discipline

Every discipline has a dominant structure, with smaller components or strands, as well as central concepts and skills.

Knowledge of prerequisite relationships

Some disciplines—for example, mathematics—have important prerequisites; experienced teachers know what these are and how to use them in designing lessons and units.

Knowledge of content-related pedagogy

Different disciplines have “signature pedagogies” that have evolved over time and been found to be most effective in teaching.

Indicators include:

• Lesson and unit plans that reflect important concepts in the discipline

• Lesson and unit plans that accommodate prerequisite relationships among concepts and ski
• Clear and accurate classroom explanations

• Accurate answers to students’ questions

• Feedback to students that furthers learning

• Interdisciplinary connections in plans and practice

Excellent Rating

The teacher displays extensive knowledge of the important concepts in the discipline and how these relate both to one another and to other disciplines. The teacher demonstrates understanding of prerequisite relationships among topics and concepts and understands the link to necessary cognitive structures that ensure student understanding. The teacher’s plans and practice reflect familiarity with a wide range of effective pedagogical approaches in the discipline and the ability to anticipate student misconceptions.

Proficient Rating

The teacher displays solid knowledge of the important concepts in the discipline and how these relate to one another. The teacher demonstrates accurate understanding of prerequisite relationships among topics. The teacher’s plans and practice reflect familiarity with a wide range of effective pedagogical approaches in the subject.

Suggestions for Artifacts:

• Unit Plan
• Activity or Assignment
• Show expertise during observation

Questions to consider for reflection:

How did you become knowledgeable about the subject and how did you determine the best practice?

Tweet Us at #WeAreSBEA

SBEA teachers are nothing short of amazing, and we'd love everyone to share the super cool things they are doing in their classrooms ever day. Imagine if everyone tweeted once a day to a common hashtag - we could all share in the joys of one another's classrooms around the district!

And...wouldn't you love a cup of coffee on SBEA? We are running a 20 week Twitter campaign and giving away a $5 gift card every week!

To participate, simply Tweet the awesomeness that is happening in your classroom to #WeAreSBEA. Once a week, a winner will be selected at random, and a few days later, you'll receive a Starbucks card from SBEA.

We can't wait to share in the joys of (your) teaching!

Did you know?

Teachers in their 2nd - 10th years of teaching are eligible to apply for IEA's SCORE Grant: Schools and Community Outreach by Educators. This grant can entitle you to up to $2,000 for a project you are working on. Check it out by clicking here!

Welcome to our new blog!

Thanks for stopping by! We will be using this blog and Twitter to stay connected to our members and also the larger community. Be sure to follow us here and on Twitter (@SBerwynEA100). We'd love to have D100 teachers tweet to our hashtag, #WeAreSBEA, too!

Stay tuned for news and events!