Iowa ASCD

Iowa ASCD:  May Newsletter

May 1, 2011

Thanks to all of you who attended the Iowa ASCD Curriculum Leadership Academy.  There were great presenters from districts across our state - so fun to see all the schools on the move. 

 

Iowa ASCD's ning was unveiled at the the Academy.  We invite all our members to take part. And if you aren't getting our tweets, please subscribe to Iowa ASCD Twitter - the latest news and resources at your fingertips. 

 

We hope that you will consider joining us at our summer institutes. You will have a great opportunity to network as you increase your learning and strengthen your practices in instructional strategies that support student learning by attending one or both of these conferences. Please  download the registration form for the Summer Institutes, located on the home page of our Iowa ASCD web site. 

 

Remember, you can easily get to the articles of importance to you in this newsletter by "clicking" on the table of contents, located at the top of this e-mail on the right.   

 

And, of course, we want to introduce you to one of our new appointed board members, Chris Welch, the Director of Technology for Iowa ASCD.

 

 

Sincerely,
Lou Howell
Executive Director of Iowa ASCD
Iowa ASCD Election Results

President-elect Leslie Moore announced at the Iowa ASCD Curriculum Leadership Academy the election results for 2011-2012.

 

Congratulations to the following individuals voted by you, the members, to lead Iowa ASCD:
  • President-Elect:  Jason Ellingson, Superintendent of Collins-Maxwell Community School District
  • Member at Large:  Julie Grotewold, Regional Administrator, Grant Wood AEA 10
  • Member at Large:  Kevin Vidergar, Director of School Improvement, North Polk Community Schools.
Our congratulations to each of them.  We look forward to working together and serving the Iowa ASCD membership.
Iowa ASCD Graduates of Curriculum Leadership Academy

Congratulations to the following individuals who have completed three years of learning and graduated from the Iowa ASCD Curriculum Leadership Academy:
  • Mary Breyfogle of Panorama Schools
  • Jennifer Burkhart of Center Point-Urbana Community Schools
  • Beth Ebert of Cherokee Community Schools
  • Jim Gilbert of Newton Community School District
  • Terra Huber of Mid-Prairie Community School District
  • Tamela Johnson of Humboldt Community School District
  • Jennifer Koenen of Hampton-Dumont Community Schools
  • Gretchen Kriegel of Monticello Community Schools
  • Deborah Nagle of Northwood-Kensett Community School District
  • Mary Oelmann of North Butler Community Schools
  • Wendy Parker of Newton Community School District
  • Lori Porsch of Storm Lake Community School District
  • Jo Prusha of Benton Community Schools
  • Karen Sandberg of East Greene Community School District
  • Tracy Thomsen of Clear Lake Community School District
  • Sandra Van Drie-Yockey of Morningside College 

Congratulations to each of these educators - and a special thanks for their commitment to learning!

Meet Iowa ASCD's New Director of Technology

 

Chris Welch considers it an honor to be asked to serve on the Board of Directors for Iowa ASCD as the Director of Technology. "Iowa ASCD has a great technology platform and a wealth of knowledge and resources within its membership. Within the next few years it is my goal to infuse technology within the power of our membership," Chris shared.   The first addition Chris has been responsible for is the technology infusion of Iowa ASCD's NING. Iowaascd.ning.com is our social network for members to Share, Connect, and Reflect. Digital professional learning networks, Welch claims, have the power to positivity impact teaching and learning and have played a large role in his own educational career. 
 
Chris Welch have been in education for ten years as a visual arts teacher at the elementary level. Garden City, KS and Oak Park, IL comprised his first two years of teaching and the last eight years have been in teaching for the Urbandale Community School District in Urbandale, IA.  "Teaching in Urbandale has been instrumental in my technological growth and application with teachers and students," he shares.  "I was fortunate to be asked to serve on the district's technology committee and to lead an after-school program in 2005."  The after-school program has undergone a transformation where the initial impact of serving 20-25 students district wide to now serving over 120. The program focuses on using components of project-based learning to increase student knowledge of the technology and programs that the district already had and how those tools and resources could be used to deepen learning. This program operates at six elementary sites and students produce a year-in-review DVD that they give away for a donation. The students use the donated money to purchase additional technology tools, (e.g., cameras, flip video) for the buildings. 

 

Chris Welch has just been named principal of Pence Elementary in Fairfield, IA, where Chris "will have the pleasure of serving the students, staff, school board, and community." He will be joined in Fairfield by my wife, Kim, and four-year-old twins, Ezra and Ella. His goal is to continue to positivity impact teaching and learning with his new role as a principal and as the Director of Technology for Iowa ASCD. 

 

Writing - And Its Role in Learning!  

Power Strategies for Effective Teaching 

and Writing to Learn

            

There are many challenges facing Iowa school districts:

Pre-Kindergarten/Early Childhood funding, allowable growth, Iowa Core, and the inevitable looming deadline of NCLB.  

While all of these variables certainly have a large impact on schools districts, there is still the one constant, to increase student learning by providing quality instruction to our students.  

 

Dr. Douglas Reeves, through his research, shows that when educators believe they have a huge effect on student learning, student assessment scores rise (Reframing Teacher Leadership to Improve Your School, 2008, p 7).

 

Dr. Angela Peery will be in Dubuque to lead teachers and administrators through her seminar on Effective Teaching by helping participants understand the link between analysis of student work, selection of instructional strategies, and gains in academic achievement.

 

The application of power strategies to activate knowledge, engage the learner, and strengthen cross-curricular literacy in one's personal teaching style is just the toolkit educators need to reach all learners in the classroom.

 

Another major focus of the conference will be Dr. Peery's creation of Writing to Learn, explaining the simple strategies and the implementation of writing to be used in every classroom to create school-wide success student success.  A few of her writing strategies and tools include:

 

       Content-area writing rubrics

       Quick writes

       Graphic Organizers

       Student-to-student writing conferences 

 

So please join us to learn more from Angela Peery at the Summer Institute in Dubuque.  This is a working conference. Bring a team of teachers to increase the use of better instructional strategies in the classroom.

 

Power Strategies for Effective Teaching Seminar with a Focus on Non-Fiction Writing

Dr. Angela Peery, The Leadership and Learning Center

Grand River Center in Dubuque - June 20 and 21

  

Summer Institute at Lake Okoboji

 

 Better Learning through Structured Teaching Seminar

 Dr. Nancy Frey

 Arrowwood Resort in Okoboji - June 16-17

 

Drs. Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher presented recently at the International ASCD conference in San Francisco.

 

Their presentations on RTI2 and Better Learning Through Structured Teaching -aka Quality Core Instruction - provided the participants a better understanding of the tiers of RTI (Instructional Decision Making) and how to provide additional assistance to meet the needs of our learners who are "just not getting it" the first time around. 

 

Fisher and Frey believe RTI is more than responding with an intervention.  It is also providing quality instruction; hence, the RTI2.  

 

The message was focused on the premise if you provide an aligned quality core instructional program you will lessen the students needing Tier 2 and Tier 3 assistance.  Frey and Fisher emphasized the importance of their work with the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model and training teachers with the necessary instructional strategies to achieve Tier 1 success (student success).

 

Please join Dr. Nancy Frey in Okoboji June 16 and 17 to experience first hand her message on RTI2 and quality core instruction.  You will walk away with strategies to provide a quality instructional program.

 

Where in the World Is . . . Dick Hanzelka, Former Executive Directo?

 

Dick Hanzelka was introduced to Iowa ASCD by a very enthusiastic Tom Budnik in 1979. Since both were employed by Area Education Agencies it was inevitable that Dick would eventually come under the influence of master recruiter, Tom. Dick's tutelage under Tom led to deep involvement with ASCD and eventually to an ASCD presidency which, in Dick's words, "goes to show how an enthusiastic association member like Tom can lead to unimagined heights of involvement."

 

Dick was increasingly involved in curriculum development in his job as a Language Arts and Staff Development Consultant with the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, and Iowa ASCD offered not only great opportunities for involvement but also materials and expertise that were crucial for any curriculum leader. Being able to exchange ideas with the likes of Lu Kiser, Betty Atwood, Bob Pittman, Harold Hulleman, Art Huinker, Arnie Lindaman, and Maryellen Knowles along with Tom himself, provided a learning curve in curriculum matters that was pretty heady stuff.  Dick was involved in a number of Iowa ASCD committees over the ensuing years.

 

In 1990, Dick was elected President-elect of Iowa ASCD, became president in 1991-92 and in 1992-93 completed his term as past-president.  During his three years on the board of Iowa ASCD, Dick became involved in a number of initiatives and committees at ASCD as part of the ASCD's affiliate collaboration efforts. Of course, Tom's influence had not yet run its course. At some point during Dick's past-president year, Tom began to talk of retiring as Executive Director of Iowa ASCD. He talked to Dick and then talked to Dick some more until Dick finally agreed to become Tom's successor as Iowa ASCD Executive Director in 1995. Once again it was Tom's faith in an individual and his powers of persuasion that Dick was the right person that led to more incredible opportunities.

 

In 2001, Dick was elected to the ASCD Executive Committee (currently the ASCD Board of Directors), where he served for three years from 2001 - 2003. As Dick says, "My involvement with Iowa ASCD and ASCD and the professional development opportunities that resulted from that involvement breathed new life into my career. In large part it's the reason I am in my 50th year as an educator and still excited about it." As Dick explains it, travel with ASCD in many different countries and the opportunities to see other education systems up close gave a new perspective to what learning and teaching are about.

 

But Tom's modeling by example hadn't stopped yet. Tom had served as ASCD president in 1998-99.  As Dick finished his Executive Committee tenure in 2003, he began to think about running for an ASCD office as Tom had done. With encouragement from Tom, Dick was elected as president-elect of ASCD in 2004 and served as president during 2006-07. In 2005, Dick retired from the Iowa ASCD Executive Director position to focus on his duties as ASCD President. He felt he was very fortunate that during his years of involvement with Iowa ASCD and ASCD his Chief Administrator, Glenn Pelecky, at the Mississippi Bend AEA was very supportive and encouraged deep involvement as a good thing for Dick as well as for the agency.

 

In June 2001, Dick retired from the Mississippi Bend AEA to become Chair of the Education Department at Marycrest International University in Davenport, Iowa. That position lasted for three years until Marycrest fell on hard times and had to close. Interestingly enough, on the day the University announced its closing, Dick received word that his grant application to the National Writing Project had been approved. He was able to change the sponsoring institution to St. Ambrose University where he became Director of the Eastern Iowa Writing Project in 2002 and where he was ultimately hired as full-time faculty in 2005. He received tenure and professor rank last year. Dick continues to teach and supervise student teachers at St. Ambrose. He feels energized to be working with prospective teachers and feels optimistic about the future of education.

 

His work at St. Ambrose led to another international travel opportunity last summer when he and his wife, Mylene, spent fifteen days in Tanzania, East Africa, at the request of St. Ambrose. The University is working on a collaborative arrangement with the Diocese of Rulenge in Tanzania, which is in the process of establishing a teacher training college. Dick's task was to be the first "on the ground" to check out conditions and to talk with a variety of people including the Tanzanian Minister of Education. It will be slow going, but the intent is that St. Ambrose will ultimately teach the faculty members of the new college about teaching. Dick also spent a week in Helsinki, Finland, in January 2011 as part a group of ten individuals invited to be part of an ASCD Study Tour to visit schools in Finland.

 

Dick and Mylene spend as much time as possible with their ten grandchildren and also continue to travel. There are many opportunities to attend various fine arts and sports events as the grandchildren become more and more involved.  The week prior to the Finland visit, the two of them spent a week in Russia. "It was actually warmer in Russia in January than it was here," according to Dick.

 

"I have no doubt that if I had not been involved in Iowa ASCD, I would be retired by now. After 46 years of marriage, Mylene and I are having the time of our lives in large part because I feel happy and energized with what I am doing. There are no better people than those who make up Iowa ASCD. I want to thank all of those who helped me feel part of the association, and I hope those who are now leading Iowa ASCD will continue to keep it healthy and welcoming to educators in the state. Of course, I want to give a special thanks to Tom Budnik.  I continue to have the image of Tom in a shiny red Mazda Miata (see the February issue of the Iowa ASCD Newsletter) and wonder where that modeling will lead me."

 

 

Summer Conference with Heidi Hayes Jacobs: Developing Global Classrooms

Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs will be coming to Iowa on June 21-23, 2011. We hope that you will be able to attend this conference, along with other educators from across the state.

 

What year are you preparing your students for? 1980? 1995? 2025? Provocative and practical, Heidi Hayes Jacobs asks us to replace our dated curriculum with contemporary content and skills in a deliberate process called "upgrading." The strategies from her book, Curriculum 21: Essential Education in a Changing World, empower educators with specific ways to integrate web 2.0, digital tools, and global portals into each classroom.

  • How can each classroom teacher start the upgrading process?
  • How can we effectively globalize the curriculum?
  • What will new versions of schools look like in the future?
  • Are there signs of these now in the field?
  • What does 21st century leadership need to change to adapt to meet the needs of our learner?

Explore these questions and raise your own with internationally recognized curriculum expert, Heidi Hayes Jacobs, in what promises to be a lively and engaging event. She will share her newest project on how to upgrade professional development as well as provide you with specific resources for upgrading your classroom curriculum.

 

You can review an archived webinar addressing this conference at http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/heidi-hayes-jacobs-webinar.aspx.

Formative Assessment - Making It Happen in the Classroom by Margaret Heritage

  

Former Iowa ASCD presenter, Dr. Margaret Heritage, has released a new book on formative assessment.

 

Heritage's book introduces "formative assessment as a process and describes the elements of this process that are the focus of subsequent chapters."  She shares a process of formative assessment that is applicable to all classrooms in all subject areas and grade levels.

 

Key points of this book are found in the following areas:

  • The fit of formative assessment within the big assessment picture - reminding us that formative assessments are "the assessments closest to daily teaching and learning in classrooms."
  • The roles of learning progressions, learning goals, and criteria for success - reminding us that learning goals and success criteria are the drivers of the entire formative assessment process.
  • The selection of formative assessment strategies, interpretation of evidence from those assessments, and how the interpretations lead to instructional action.
  • The impact on learning goals of feedback to students from their teacher and peers as well as their own self-monitoring.
  • The knowledge and skills teachers need to implement formative assessment with effectiveness - including the development of a classroom culture where metacognition has a purpose and impact on student learning.
  • The establishment of specific structures and practices within a system to help teachers develop and deepen formative assessment in their classroom.
A great read and GPS for your journey with formative assessments!

 


Technology Tip from Chris Welch, Iowa ASCD Director of Technology:  Popplet

 

Every once in awhile a program comes along that is a perfect mix of function and form. Popplet, is one of those programs, as it combines Web 2.0 (collaborative communication) functions with a simple interface that is focused on organization. Popplet, see what you think together! I could not think of a more accurate description.

            

Impact. I always find myself looking at a program for immediate impact related to student learning. Brainstorming how a program can be used has to be in my top five favorite activities. Popplet has my brain working overtime. From collaboration, gallery creation, outlining, idea/concept exploration, chunking multistep project, critiques, documentation, and inspiration collecting, this program has it all, and it is free. Sure it is in its beta, pre- release form, but it is so powerful as is, and any improvements to the platform are sure to be outstanding.

           

So, how do I see Popplet impacting student learning? In its basic function,Popplet can assist the student with breaking a large project down into parts, "part to whole" like the multiple components needed to create a five paragraph essay or a term paper. If you would like to see a specific example of this be sure to watch the video on our ning.

 

Popplet, also allows for collaboration among students or from student to teacher on a wide range of projects. I can image using Popplet to assist new language learners' vocabulary as the ability to add a photo to Popplet is super easy. This feature could be very powerful if you are using PWIM in any area of your programming. Finally, with simple timelines or any sequencing activity, a Popplet can be just the tool that students need.

 

            

Collaboration, sequencing, images, words, and thinking, popplet services all of these areas. To discuss popplet and other Web 2.0 tools, please be sure to visit www.iowaascd.ning.com, and join the technology infusion group. Popplet, can be found at www.popplet.com.

           

 

Research Findings to Support Effective Educational Policies: A Guide for Policymakers 


In this brief guide, first published in 2009 and updated in March 2011 with new research, The Wallace Foundation highlights what it has learned about how to improve the academic and enrichment opportunities we provide for our children, both in and out of school. The research findings and other resources cited in this document offer policymakers - federal, state and local - practical guidance on: what an effective school leader actually does; how the training of school leaders can be improved to meet the tough demands of their jobs; and what districts need to change to better support and evaluate principals so that effective leadership practices are recognized and reinforced, and instructional improvement becomes everyone's top priority. The report also highlights what public and private leaders throughout entire cities need to do to ensure that the after-school hours and summer months are times of enrichment and growth for all children.  

Download this brief from the Wallace Foundation.
SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium Quarterly Report - April 2011

The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium of which Iowa is a member released its quarterly report in April.  Among its key accomplishments are the following:
  • Secured $17.3 million in additional funding ($15.8 million from United States Department of Education and $1.5 million from Hewlett Foundation and the Gates Foundation)
  • Launched ten work groups involving 90 consortium members
  • Documented eligible content for summative assessment
  • Created sample performance tasks
A few of the next steps in the work include the following:
  • Hire a communication director, while enhancing the external web site and the collaboration capabilities.
  • Develop detailed approach to test delivery
  • Support transition to Common Core through building library of "best of best" tools and resources
ESEA Briefing Book - Thomas B. Fordham Institute - Advancing Educational Excellence

 

Political leaders hope to act this year to renew and fix the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, also known as No Child Left Behind). In this important new paper, Thomas B. Fordham Institute President Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Executive Vice President Michael J. Petrilli identify 10 big issues that must be resolved in order to get a bill across the finish line, and explore the major options under consideration for each one. To be eligible for Title I funding, for example, should states be required to adopt academic standards tied to college and career readiness? What requirements, if any, should be placed on states for rewarding and sanctioning schools and turning around the lowest performers? Should the new law provide greater flexibility to states and districts? These are just a few of the areas discussed. Finn and Petrilli also present their own recommendations, which push federal education policy towards "reform realism" - an approach that is pro-education-reform but also realistic about what the federal government can (and cannot) do well in K-12 education. 
Drive:  The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink

From Daniel H. Pink, the author of the bestselling A Whole New Mind, comes a paradigm-shattering look at what truly motivates us and how we can use that knowledge to work smarter and live better.

 

Most of us believe that the best way to motivate ourselves and others is with external rewards like money-the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, Daniel H. Pink says in Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, his provocative and persuasive new book. The secret to high performance and satisfaction - at work, at school, and at home - is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

 

Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does - and how that affects every aspect of life. He demonstrates that while carrots and sticks worked successfully in the twentieth century, that's precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today's challenges. In Drive, he examines the three elements of true motivation - autonomy, mastery, and purpose - and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action. Along the way, he takes us to companies that are enlisting new approaches to motivation and introduces us to the scientists and entrepreneurs who are pointing a bold way forward.

Curriculum Leadership Academy 2011

The 10th Annual Curriculum Leadership Academy was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston April 13th and 14th.  The power of the Academy stems from the fact that the presenters are practitioners from all sized schools who are responsible for the design and implementation of curriculum in their own districts. 

 

The Academy is divided into four strands including Curriculum Leadership, Monitoring Student Learning, Managing the Technical Aspects of Change, and Implementing Quality Professional Development. 

 

This year's Curriculum Leadership strand featured Lou Howell, Iowa ASCD Executive Director, who reviewed the Guiding Principles and Functions of Central Office Leadership. Jason Glass, Director of the Iowa Department of Education, revealed his vision for education in Iowa at luncheon presentation on the first day of the Academy. 

 

Keynoting the strand of "Monitoring Student Learning," Kevin Vidergar, North Polk Community School District, presented valuable information around engaging staff in the use of data. 

 

Highlighting the Managing the Technical Aspects of Systems Change, a team of educators including Jeff Corkery, Superintendent; Julie Davies, Director of Instruction; and Janelle Brouwer, Middle School Principal from Western Dubuque Schools shared their story in aligning the programs, goals and curriculum in the largest geographic school district in Iowa.  

 

Becky Martin and Mary Ellen Maske, Cedar Rapids School District, presented to all Academy participants on the topic of collaborative professional learning communities and were the featured speakers in the Implementing Quality Professional Development strand of the Academy. 

 

Small-group sessions followed each strand's keynote and included presenters from Des Moines, Clear Lake, Hampton-Dumont, Marshalltown, Fort Dodge, East Union, Mason City, Ankeny and Southeast Polk School Districts as well as a presentation by Dr. Troyce Fisher, School Administrators of Iowa.  

 

One Academy participant stated, "Every year I look forward to this event! It is the most relevant professional development of the year!" 


Thank you so much for your continued support for Iowa ASCD.  We look forward to providing you with additional learning opportunities.

Please visit our  Iowa ASCD website for additional materials and supports for conference speakers. 

Sincerely,
Lou


Lou Howell
Executive Director of Iowa ASCD
[email protected] 
[email protected]
515.229.4781
In This Issue
Iowa ASCD Election Results
Grads of Curriculum Leadership Academy
New Director of Technology
Summer Institute - Dubuque
Summer Institute - Okoboji
Where in the World Is , , , ?
Curriculum 21 Conference
Formative Assessments
Technology: The Popplet
Guide for Policy Makers
SMARTER Balanced Assessment
ESEA Briefing Book
Drive - What Motivates Us?

Summer Institute in Lake Okoboji

June 16-17, 2011:  Better Learning through Structured Teaching:  A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility, co-authored by Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey,  describes how teachers can help students develop stronger learning skills by ensuring that instruction moves from modeling and guided practice to collaborative learning to independent tasks.

Join Dr. Frey for this two-day conference helping educators "Teach for Understanding" and leading teachers to challenge students to engage in a variety of thinking-centered activities.
 
The Iowa ASCD contact is Julie Davies ([email protected]).

Summer Institute in Dubuque

June 20-21, 2011:  Power Strategies for Effective Teaching Seminar-Angela Peery; Grand River Center in Dubuque
 
Teachers, instructional leaders, and administrators will discover, practice, model, and be able to replicate as many as 15 of the most up-to-date, effective instructional methods that they can begin to use in classrooms the next day.  This process will help ensure delivery of the Iowa Core Curriculum and success of all students.
 
This two-day seminar focuses entirely on best instructional practices and how to select practices based on information gleaned from student work and data, including the successful use of non-fiction writing. 

The Iowa ASCD contact is Cindy Swanson ([email protected]).
 
Curriculum 21 Conference at Southeast Polk

June 21 - 23, 2011.  Heidi Hayes Jacobs will focus on developing global classrooms where students demonstrate 21st century skills.  The Iowa ASCD contact is Pam Vogel ([email protected]).

Quick Links:

 

Iowa ASCD  

 

Iowa ASCD Ning 

 

Iowa ASCD Twitter

 

Iowa ASCD IEL Journal 

 

Iowa ASCD Mission Statement

 

The source for developing instructional leadership

  

Iowa ASCD Contacts

 

President

Julie Davies

 

President-Elect

Leslie Moore

 

Past President

Tom Ahart 

 

Membership Information

Bridget Arrasmith

 

Secretary

Marcia Tweeten

 

Treasurer

Julie Davies

 

Members-at-Large

Jason Ellingson

Julie Grotewold

Bart Mason

Cindy Swanson

 

DE Liaison

Cynthia Knight

 

Higher Education

Jan Beatty-Westerman

Elaine Smith-Bright

 

 

IEL Editor Tom Ahart

 

 

Leadership Council (ASCD)

Pam Armstrong-Vogel

Susan Pecinovsky

 

Curriculum Leadership Academy

Sue Wood

 

Fall Institute

Kelly Adams

 

Summer Institutes

Julie Davies

Cindy Swanson

 

Technology

Chris Welch

 

Membership Relations and E-Learning

Amy Wichman

 

 

Executive Director Lou Howell