Learning-Focused Connections
Issue 45:  Week of  April 27, 2009
The LEARNING-FOCUSED Connections Newsletter is a weekly link to exemplary practice and ideas that will help you as an educator to increase achievement in your classroom and school. Some weeks there will be a mix of articles in the mailer; other weeks we will follow a theme. We are all working with the same goal in mind, continuous improvement in student achievement.
In This Issue
Snapshots
Some Tips on Helping English Language Learners
Making Connections: Interdisciplinary Units and the LEARNING-FOCUSED Model
Past Connections Articles
Is your budget keeping you from getting LEARNING-FOCUSED professional development and products that you need?

We understand that many of you are experiencing budget difficulties as states slash their educational dollars. During this short term budget crisis, LEARNING-FOCUSED is going to do everything possible to help you continue getting the training and products so necessary for increasing achievement and teacher collaboration.  

Here are four ways LEARNING-FOCUSED is increasing our support to you during these difficult times!

1. Now through May 1st we are offering 15% off on all materials purchased with a credit card or check (not purchase orders) on orders over $100. This offer does not include the sale of discontinued item #800 which is already on sale for 50% off. Download our order form, and complete the credit card information, or include a check. Either fax the form (with credit card info), or mail us the form and check. Be sure to deduct the 15% on your order form! You can also place a credit card order on our website. Type in the code "SPRING-09" when you are checking out. Remember, the code should only be used if the order is $100 or more, and you are using a credit card.

2. If you are a Florida administrator or teacher leader, you can attend our Updating Florida Educational Leaders Seminar on May 7th and 8th in Orlando for FREE!
See the seminar advertisement below for details.

3. Attend 2 days of our Summer Institute (July 13 - 17 in Greensboro, NC) for FREE!
See the Summer Institute advertisement below for details.

4. We have a new FREE service called Focus on Funding, created to help you locate funds for LEARNING-FOCUSED Professional Development and products. We have an easy-to-use database of over 600 specially selected grants available for you to select from to apply for funding. Many of the grants include example applications that can be used as a model for yours. We also have a full time Focus on Funding staff available to help you write grant applications and review grant applications to ensure the highest probability of your grant being accepted! Visit www.LEARNINGFOCUSED.com, click on Products and Solutions, then Focus on Funding.

Thank you for allowing us to work with you and your fellow teachers and administrators. We do what we do because of your support and dedication to increasing achievement for all students.

We hope to see you soon!


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Updating Florida Educational Leaders Seminar
 
Read below to find out how to attend for FREE!

May 7-8, 2009
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
Orlando, FL

This seminar is for experienced educational leaders (administrators and teacher leaders) and for educational leaders new to LEARNING-FOCUSED.

Registration Fee: $50.00 per day or Free**
Visit www.LEARNINGFOCUSED.com for additional seminar information and to register.

May 7th: Leadership, Balanced Achievement and Accountability and our new Starting and Sustaining Exemplary Practices

Have you received your dose of Max lately? Have you developed an achievement game plan with our new Starting and Sustaining Exemplary Practices solution? Have you learned how other schools and districts are getting (and keep getting!) results?

May 8th: Unlocking the Secrets of the new LEARNING-FOCUSED Strategies v.7 Model

Have you discovered:  the power of teachers collaboratively planning common assessments? how to plan standards driven assessment prompts? the secrets of distributing assessment prompts throughout lessons? the characteristics of quality lessons? the many uses of Student Learning Maps? Learn why the latest version of LEARNING-FOCUSED Strategies is the most powerful and highest regarded solution we have ever developed!

**Want to attend for free? Here's how!:

Bring a leader, as your guest, from a school or district that has not implemented LEARNING-FOCUSED. The leader must be a Superintendent, Assistant or Associate Superintendent, Director of Title 1, Director of Curriculum and/or Instruction, Director Professional Development, or Principal. Both you and your guest will attend.

Visit www.LEARNINGFOCUSED.com for additional seminar information and registration.
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LEARNING-FOCUSED Summer Institute on
Sustaining Exemplary Practices
 
Read below to find out how to attend for FREE!

July 13-17, 2009
Greensboro, NC

Sessions include: Training of Trainers and regular workshops at the Institute:
  • LEARNING-FOCUSED Strategies version 7 (regular sessions and Training of Trainers sessions)
  • Reading Comprehension Strategies and Assignments (regular sessions and Training of Trainers sessions)
  • LEARNING-FOCUSED Math (regular sessions and Training of Trainers sessions)
  • Differentiated Assignments (regular sessions and Training of Trainers sessions)
  • Vocabulary Instruction (regular sessions and Training of Trainers sessions)
  • Catching Kids Up with Acceleration (regular sessions and Training of Trainers sessions)
  • Scaffolding Grade Level Learning (regular sessions and Training of Trainers sessions)
  • Leadership, Balanced Achievement, and Accountability with Max Thompson
  • Starting and Sustaining Exemplary Practices with Max Thompson
  • Toolbox Training
  • Toolbox Administrator Training
  • Actualizing your Power Curriculum
  • Unlocking the Secrets of LEARNING-FOCUSED version 7 - a new book and 1-day workshop to provide for those trained in version 5 or 6 the latest information and exemplary practices in version 7!

Early Registration Fee:  $140.00 per person/day - includes all session materials except Training of Trainers Redelivery Kits and Support which are purchased separately.

Registrations after May 1, 2009:  $160.00 per person/day

Session and registration information now available at www.LEARNINGFOCUSED.com

Summer Institute Opportunities to Attend for Free!

We now offer all participants an opportunity to attend two days of the LEARNING-FOCUSED Summer Institute for free!

All you have to do to attend two days of the Summer Institute for free is to submit a 3+ minute video describing why your school/district chose LEARNING-FOCUSED, the impact of LEARNING-FOCUSED in your school/district, success stories, highlights of implementing LEARNING-FOCUSED, and what it is like to work with LEARNING-FOCUSED. Videos can be submitted on VHS tape, Mini-DV tape, CD, or DVD. To qualify for free registration, videos must be received by June 1st (You have plenty of time!).

Ship video to:
Learning-Focused
Attn: Video for Summer Institute Registration
132 Laurel Chase Drive
Blowing Rock, NC 28605

Offer does not include Training of Trainers Kits and Trainer Support - Registration fee only is free.
 
School and District Leaders: We have a second opportunity for you to attend two days for free!  Bring a leader, as your guest, from a school or district that has not implemented LEARNING-FOCUSED to the Leadership, Balanced Achievement and Accountability session and/or the Starting and Sustaining Exemplary Practices Session and you both attend at no charge. The leader must be a Superintendent, Assistant or Associate Superintendent, Director of Title 1, Director of Curriculum and/or Instruction, Director Professional Development, or Principal.

Session and registration information now available at www.LEARNINGFOCUSED.com

Snapshots
by Barbara McSwain

If someone took a snapshot of your school, what would it look like? Is one room representative of the entire school? A vertical walkthrough allows administrators, district office personnel and teachers to see a school at a glance. It works the same way that a photo snapshot works. It does not tell the whole story, but it gives a "picture" of what the school looks like on a given day. Walkthroughs are not something for which teachers need to "get ready." A Walkthrough day should be treated as a regular day school day.

As administrators/teachers walk vertically through a school, they should see a definitive difference at each grade level. Recently, during a walkthrough an administrator was surprised to see that the second graders were producing writing with more quality than the fifth graders. What was happening? Sometimes it is as simple as "expectations." This particular administrator had kept student writing portfolios from the previous year.  When the principal showed the teacher and the students the quality of writing that they were capable of producing, the students rose to the quality of writing that was expected of them. Another question to" look for" or "ask about" is summary point writing. Is there evidence that students are having summary point writing during a lesson? Look at assignments and artifacts; they tell the real story.

Second, a vertical walkthrough allows us to observe the distributed summarizing and distributed guided practice being conducted throughout the school. Do Assessment Prompts encourage students to respond in writing, orally, visually or by showing the teacher? Are the questions requiring extending thinking skills? Are the questions relevant to the students' lives?

Third, one may observe not only if students are using graphic organizers, but also how are they using them. Are they being used for structured note taking, guided reading, or writing? Are the graphic organizers matched to the structure of the text? Is there evidence that there is an emphasis on reading comprehension throughout the school?

Fourth, is there evidence that teachers have planned for students to use the top five strategies (extending thinking, summarizing, vocabulary in Context, advance organizers, non-verbal representation) that increase achievement? Are these strategies being used consistently, and are they pervasive throughout the grade levels? Are vocabulary words coming from state standards?  Are students using researched-based strategies to learn vocabulary?

Finally, how are teachers receiving feedback from the walkthrough?  How are coaches using the information gathered on the walkthrough to assist teachers in implementing strategies that will increase student achievement? Are coaches modeling as well as conducting professional development?

To learn more about walkthroughs, please see the Leadership Collection materials under products/solutions at www.LEARNING-FOCUSED.com.
Monitoring for Achievement
Monitoring for Achievement binder                              
          















Monitoring for Achievment

How does monitoring improve instruction?

LEARNING-FOCUSED monitoring is the tool for providing high accountability and high support. LEARNING-FOCUSED Monitoring provides: Evidence that all of your teachers use the most effective research-based instructional practice; Evidence that your school improvement plan is more than a notebook on the shelf; Evidence that classroom instruction is driven by state standards; School leaders with a practical model for using brief, informal walkthroughs and reflection meetings to determine if the school's focus is consistent, pervasive, and being implemented with quality; And the data teachers need in order to continue growing.

Monitoring for Achievement
SKU:  632
Categories:  Leading Collection
Binder and Book:  $45.00
Some Tips on Helping English Language Learners
by Cindy Riedl 

At the 2007 Annual ASCD Conference in Anaheim, CA, I attended a session entitled "A Comprehensive Overview for Teaching English Language Learners" presented by a group from Carroll County Public Schools, MD.
 
Kristin Kreit, Pamela Mesta, Debbra Puhak and Olga Reber performed one of the best presentations I have ever experienced, and they were novices at the task. We experienced first hand what it was like to be an ELL student when Olga Reber taught us math concepts in Russian! She also demonstrated how you would modify the assessment piece to reflect the level of language skills of different learners. Powerful!
 
There are so many factors that influence a student's second language acquisition including:  native language proficiency, cultural background and prior schooling. On average it takes a child one to two years to learn basic interpersonal communication skills like greetings and basic requests and from five to ten years to learn content terminology and academic language. Older students have a larger bank of background knowledge to draw upon when transferring from their native language to another; therefore, it is easier for older students to acquire a second language. Yet younger children develop more accurate second language pronunciations than older learners. There is no standard progression of which language skills develop first, i.e. listening/speaking, reading/writing.
 
When students start speaking English at school depends upon the student. All students experience a 'silent period', which lasts for different lengths of time (receptive vs expressive language). These students need to hear good language models regardless of what language they experience. Therefore, as long as they hear their native language at home, and it models accurate language skills, the transfer to English is much faster than when it does not.
 
Even when students can communicate in English, they will continue to need support and scaffolding as they acquire academic language, such as learning accommodations and modified lessons and assessments. Even if they can pronounce the words correctly as they read the text, it takes about five years for them to develop the ability to interpret complex written language. "In order for ELLs to catch up to grade level norms within 6 years, ELL students must make 15 months gain in every 10 months of the school year." (Cumming, 2006)
 
At the secondary level, if students do not read and write in their primary language, it will take longer for them to learn to read and write in English. Also, it is mentally exhausting for these students to translate from their native language to English for extended periods of time.
 
Most educators believe that the more time students spend listening to English in the classroom, the faster they will acquire the language, which is not true because of the fatigue factor. Teachers need to identify the key vocabulary, demonstrate and model it, increase the context with visual cues, such as pictures and charts, paraphrase and simplify sentences, and provide additional support in their native language.
           
Suggested Modifications for ELL Students:

· Allow additional time for oral responses in class.
· Model or demonstrate activities before students are asked to participate.
· Use simplified language when giving instructions; avoid using synonyms and idioms that might cause confusion.
· Provide examples when explaining concepts.
· Write key vocabulary words and concepts on the board.
· Encourage students to use bilingual dictionaries/vocabulary lists.
· Limit the number of questions or problems assigned (ex. Assign only enough items needed to test students' knowledge or comprehension.).
· Permit shorter written responses on assignments (ex. one or two sentences instead of one paragraph).
· Assign a responsible peer tutor or buddy to help model what is expected and re-explain difficult concepts.
· Supplement your textbook with other available resources on the same topic (Borrow materials from other grade levels when possible.).
 · Incorporate charts, objects, pictures, and manipulatives.
· Provide graphic organizers such as charts, graphs, outlines and timelines to help students identify main ideas and important details.
· Ask students to orally retell concepts learned.
· Provide word banks for fill-in-the-blank activities.
· Read all or portions of tests aloud, as needed.
· Allow open book assessments.
· Use a version of the test with simplified language (less complicated verb tenses and vocabulary).
· Offer additional time to complete papers, projects, and other assessments.

The LEARNING-FOCUSED Strategies Model consists of excellent strategies for ELL Students, and aligns better to suggested ELL instruction than any other school instruction model.
Refer to LEARNING-FOCUSED Strategies, Catching Kids Up, Scaffolding Grade Level Learning and Scaffolding with Technology for more ideas.
Making Connections:  Interdisciplinary Units and
the LEARNING- FOCUSED Model
by Toni Enloe

Interdisciplinary, Thematic, Integrated, and Parallel Units are terms that have been used to describe the instructional practice of helping students make connections by weaving the curriculum standards between or among several subjects. Though there are subtle differences among the different types of unit designs, all focus on making learning relevant and challenging through active engagement and interaction with peers and teachers.

Interdisciplinary units have long been used in middle schools to engage and challenge all students and can be a viable option at all levels. When well planned they offer both motivation for students and multiple opportunities for differentiation. When coupled with a service learning project the learning becomes enhanced providing a more meaningful learning experience for students.

The idea of curriculum integration appeared during an Eight-Year Study of progressive schools during the 1930s. A study of more than 30 experimental high schools where curriculum integration was the focus revealed that students were at least as well, if not better prepared than their counterparts for college work. By the time the report was published in 1942, the US had greater concerns and the idea of curriculum integration was temporarily lost. A more complete summary of the study can be found at the following link:  http://www.8yearstudy.org/projectintro.html. More recently the idea of curriculum integration has become a focus for middle schools. As one of the seven design elements in Turning Points 2000, Jackson and Davis stress the importance of teaching a curriculum "grounded in standards, relevant to adolescents' concerns and based on how students learn best. " The Interdisciplinary Unit may be used in either a self contained setting or an interdisciplinary team. Either way the IDU lends itself to authentic assessment. The LEARNING-FOCUSED model addresses all points as students work through the three levels of learning.

> Why add a service learning component? According to the National Commission on Service Learning, service-learning projects: (www.servicelearning.org)
  • Link to academic content and standards
  • Involve students in helping to determine and meet real, defined community needs
  • Are reciprocal in nature, benefiting both the recipient and the student by combining the service experience with powerful and meaningful learning experiences
  • Provide meaningful opportunities for the application of learning
  • Can be used in any subject area as long as it is appropriate to the learning goal
  • Work at all ages
> What is not true about service learning
  • A one time volunteer activity
  • An add-on to the existing school curriculum
  • Logging community service hours as a graduation requirement
  • Only for high school and college students
  • One-sided:  benefits only the community or the student
> How do we plan a successful Interdisciplinary Unit? Several questions must be considered when planning a Standards-Driven Interdisciplinary Unit with a service learning component:
  • What are the goals? (Using a K-U-D organizer what do we want students to know, understand, be able to do, and value?)
  • Will service help achieve those goals and if so, how?
  • What disciplines are a "best fit" for integration in this unit?
  • What learning opportunities and materials will we make available to students?
  • How will we differentiate?
  • How will we know if the students are successful?
> What causes units to fail? It is important to remember that not all subjects may integrate well for particular units. Finding the natural fit is important to the success of the unit. Effective Interdisciplinary Units require time and commitment. There may be several factors contributing to failure:
  • Lack of thoughtful and adequate planning
  • Unit too long and students bored
  • Lack of relevance for students
  • Activities unrelated or connections not made
  • Flow of instruction not smooth
  • All team members not committed
  • Poor scheduling
> How does this fit into the LEARNING-FOCUSED Planning model?

Steps in the Design of a LEARNING-FOCUSED Interdisciplinary Unit:
1. Identify the topic, theme or concept.
2. Rank the standards for each discipline.
3. Look for overlapping concepts, questions and skills that are a natural overlap, not forced.
4. Using the K-U-D Organizer, identify what you want students to know, understand and be able to do.
5. Identify how you will assess student understanding. Will this be a good unit for a service component?
6. Identify the learning activities that will be used and complete the Student Learning Map.
7. Determine how you will differentiate the tasks for student diversity.

A group of 8th grade teachers decided to design an Interdisciplinary Unit with a service-learning component that centered around the impact of a major river on their town. Their service learning goal was to have students design and conduct a walking tour for 3rd grade students who studied local history. During the planning phase, they spent a considerable amount of time trying to make all of the subjects fit. After evaluating standards, skills, and concepts, they finally decided that the "best fits" for this topic would be social studies, science and language arts. Using the K-U-D organizer (see example) they identified some the major concepts and skills.

K-U-D Rivers

Teachers then discussed how they would assess student learning throughout the unit and what experiences students would need to achieve their goals. These were put in the form of a Student Learning Map (see example). In this example all three subjects' essential questions appear on one Student Learning Map, but each subject could have separate Student Learning Maps.

Rivers Student Learning Map

All students completed the historical research, scientific investigations and all of the public speaking and writing activities across disciplines, but the tasks were differentiated by interests. Some students chose to write scripts, some chose to design an informative coloring book for 3rd graders and others became tour guides.

Once the four week unit was completed, both students and teachers reflected on the experience. Students indicated that they had not only learned about the history of the river and how it contributed to the development of the town but also about how the river had changed and continued to change. The following summer, students who had been tour guides volunteered to give visiting students from Ireland a tour of the river.

While planning interdisciplinary units can be time consuming, the benefits for both students and teachers outweigh the headaches. They give teachers an opportunity to carefully examine content standards, plan collaboratively and tap their own creativity while giving students the opportunity to become successful learners through a series of integrated experiences.

For more information about differentiation check out LEARNING-FOCUSED Differentiated Assignments in the Catching Kids Up collection or join us in a Summer Institute on Sustaining Exemplary Practices workshop.

We Want You to Make "Connections"!
 
Subscribers, feel free to share the information, tips and strategies that you receive in LEARNING-FOCUSED Connections with your colleagues. Administrators and coaches, pass them on to the teachers in your school; teachers, share them with your teammates and leadership team. The newsletter can be the basis for discussion in team meetings or provide ideas for further staff development. If individuals in your school/district do not receive LEARNING-FOCUSED Connections, encourage them to visit our website, www.LEARNINGFOCUSED.com, and subscribe through the link on our homepage.
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Past Connections Articles
Past Connections articles are available through the archive tool of this newsletter. Please click here to view the resources.
 
Have an Idea for a Connections Article?
If there are questions you want answered or strategies you want to know more about, please let us know by emailing info@LEARNINGFOCUSED.com. Insert "newsletter article request" in the subject line.