Attendees will learn how to :

• increase student motivation in literacy
• help K-8 students meet the Iowa Core literacy standards
• organize reading and writing around real purposes for kids

You can access and  read the first chapter of her book here. 

The Common Core State Standards in Literacy and Mathematics were integrated into the Iowa Core (IC) in June, 2010. All Iowa schools are required to implement the IC. The IC provides higher expectations for all kindergarten through grade 12 students in Iowa by stating clearly what students should learn, when and how they should learn it, and how they should demonstrate and apply what they have learned.

This summer Marshalltown's Elementary Math Leadership Team was given the task of aligning our current kindergarten through sixth grade math curriculum to the Iowa Core Mathematics Standards. This process resulted in instruction, ranging from 28 percent to 43 percent, being removed at every grade level. Fewer topics are covered because faithfully following the Standards means critical areas of learning are identified and focused upon using deep, meaningful learning experiences. Following the standards also means all students master critical math concepts. Yet, even though instruction was removed at every grade level, no learning is lost because the topics removed are realigned to higher grades where the concepts are studied in depth and learning connections can be made.

Historically, American education has taught too many standards too fast. Students are moved on to new learning before they understand or master anything. The IC Standards have solved this "mile wide and inch deep" approach to learning.

First, the IC Standards require that each grade level dedicate 65 percent to 85 percent of instructional time to just a few critical areas of learning. This gives students time to experience deeply and master the knowledge and skills that research shows are essential to college and career readiness. Second, students' learning is organized into Progressions of topics across a number of grade levels that connect to and extend from the strong foundations laid in earlier grade-level critical areas. Topics build in such a way as to allow students to make logical connections between mathematical ideas within and across grade levels.

This is different from previous standards that are organized in parallel strands. A strands-type of standards does not emphasize relationships between topics that occur in different strands. For students, this makes it difficult to learn new math because it is presented in random, disconnected pieces that don't make sense to them. Eventually, students see math as a never-ending expansion of new ideas that are hard to learn.

For our students of math, the Iowa Core Standards bring important and much-needed changes, and we will continue to work to make the Standards a reality in Marshalltown schools as we build into learning, instruction, and assessment the focus, coherence, and rigor that these higher Standards demand.

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You may contact Jan Kloberdanz and Laura Fricke, teachers at Lenihan Intermediate School and members of the Marshalltown Community School District Elementary Math Leadership Team, or  Dr. Susan Pecinovsky, Associate Superintendent for additional information.  Also, watch for a special edition of The Source, addressing the Iowa Core - Math Literacy.  It should be available in December. 

• When you want to create a short list of priorities
• When you need to know where the group's energy is regarding a number of ideas

How Do You Use 100 Votes?   

1. After a number of potential options, goals, or actions have been identified, charted, and clarified, allot meeting participants 100 votes each, which they can allocate to this list according to their priorities.  To explain the technique, you might say:  "Now we're going to prioritize the ideas we have generated using a technique called 100 Votes.  You each have 100 votes to allocate among what you believe to be the best ideas.  In this case, the best ideas are the ones that you have energy around and would give priority to.  There are also very likely some ideas that you might think don't deserve any effort or consideration.  Don't give any votes to those.  There may be one, two, or more that you think are fantastic ideas.  You will probably want to designate the majority of your votes to those.  And there may be some ideas that you think have some merit which deserve some attention.  Place the rest of your votes with those.  But remember that you only have 100 votes.  The point of the exercise is to use your votes in a way that accurately weights your individual priorities regarding the ideas we are considering.
2. Tally the votes and display a summary for each choice with the number of people voting and number of votes case for each issue.  For example, 5/58 means five members cast a total of 58 votes.
3. Ask your participants to take a few minutes to visually review the data they have just generated.
4. Ask the group for their reactions.  You might ask, for  example:  "What are your reactions to what you see?  What surprises you?  What questions or concerns do you have?"
5. Decide as a group which issues to focus on and which to put aside.
6. Create an action/strategic plan as appropriate.