Grade+4+Collaboration+2013-14

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Math Collaboration // Grade 4 Licausi
Attendance = Licausi, Battel, Monahan , Rexford

L. West overview of BIG IDEAS

UNIT 1 Big idea – operations / show change and action with numbers – changing #s


 * Use the 4 operations with whole numbers to solve problems
 * Gain familiarity with factors and multiples
 * Generate and analyze patterns ( such as arrays)

PROPERTIES: commutative(order) associative (groups) distributive (decomposing) equivalence

connecting big ideas of these 4 properties to the individual “Investigations” lessons throughout the entire year …. Discussion point – should we simply make these properties a learning goal as opposed to embedding this learning into the lesson.

PLANNING FOR Investigations Lesson 1.2 Making Arrays connecting cubes per student making arrays with manipulatives

Discussion point -- coming to an agreement on how to teach reading arrays based on order - meeting ends @ 10:30
 * * should be read as 3 groups of 2 ,
 * * rather than 2 groups of 3

**__September 11, 2013__**
Present: Holly, Scott, Gloria, Jennifer, Pat and Kathy

Purpose of our Collaborative Meeting Together
The 4 P's of Collaboration We want our collaborative time and conversation to encompass the following P’s:
 * __Purpose__ – a focus in student learning that is results -oriented and data driven
 * __Practice__ - discussing and sharing instructional best practices
 * __Participation__ - each member of the team engaged in accountable talk, sharing ideas, present and prepared for meetings
 * __Product__ - making student work the focus of our collaborative efforts

September Assessment- How did it go?
Monahan- F&P done, working on HFW's, Spelling Battel- completing F&P, working on HFW's, spelling done Rexford- WTW done (needs to be score), HFW mostly done, need be entered, 4- F&P

Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS) and AIS
Passed out expectations and calendar for submitting data into Northstar. Scott will meet with each teacher during the next 3-4 week to review classroom data.

Know- Need- Teach- Check
After reviewing student data, use KNTC to isolate next step for striving students in the areas of reading, writing, word study or literacy behaviors.

Coaching
Grade levels should choose for the following menu of possible cycle topics: •Student Talk During IRA •Shared Reading •Reading Workshop Mini-Lessons •Student-Based Instruction •Writing About Reading
 * •Small Group Reading- 4th grade has chosen this topic of study.**

Personal Narrative
__**Rubrics**__- Opinion Writing- Narrative Writing- Informational Writing-

Passed out 4th grade narrative rubric from Lucy Calkin's and writing learning progression. Question about demand tasks- Should we do all three at this time? While the personal narrative is the most essential, the other two gives you beginning of the year baseline data on the 3-types of writing. Ideally we want to show evidence of learning by comparing these baseline sample with post-unit demand tasks. We should see growth by every student. (Scott will get a copy of Chp. 2 from Writing Pathways- The First Step On Demand Performance Assessment for teachers. Teachers should review this chapter to understand the rationale behind the baseline and ongoing writing assessments). Briefly practiced process looking at one narrative writing piece. Teachers should use the legal size writing progression rubric to score writing and see where their students fall out. Consider overall class results for mini-lesson. Do the same for informational and opinion writing piece. We will compare baseline to other writing piece after units of study.

**__September 24, 2013__**
Present: Licausi/ Battel/ Monahan/ Rexford

Topic #1 Understanding how to implement the Quick Images for the 10 minute math. Discussion point : using grouping to teach/ practice/ name properties being used - commutative associative / distributive Finding 3 factors and using the associative property of grouping was admittedly a bit advanced – but still possible But the important idea for these quick images is to have the kids see groupings flexibly … so they can see things in many arrangements.

Topic # 2 fact fluency expectations

Discussion point : memorization rote learning or automaticity VS Giving kids strategies to solve unknown facts

This discussion led to how to implement and use the array cards from investigations program. Use the X chart to help show patterns such as compensation ex: 6 X 9 could be solved as 6 X 10 – six or using doubling and halving strategies. Everyone downloaded the quick images powerpoint for future use on 10 minute math Meeting ends @ 10:30
 * give X facts practice at home for practice -- Use the Sprint style practice where some pattern is established vs. sheets of random facts.
 * we also looked at lesson 1.6 Multiplicative comparisons – and using bar models as a strategy for this comparison.

**__October 4, 2013__**
Present: Holly, Scott, Morgan, Jennifer, Pat and Kathy


 * Reader's Workshop**
 * Kathy- Student2 are using the log; picking books; kids are finishing books but don't have comprehension- uses Reading Count to measure comprehension- meaning and understanding a need. Holding meaning through a chapter book. Kids look like they are reading
 * Jen- Will launch character unit Monday; student trying to balance two book- need to work on focusing on one book and bring it back and forth from school to home; majority of students are reading (20-30 minutes daily); focusing on making post it useful.
 * Pat- Focus- setting up routines- written directions in the morning to encourage independence; examining the log during conferring; working on the habit- beginning strategy group for kids that don't read. Reading notebook- using the story arch (interactive read aloud)- make connection to writing. Book selection still an issue.

__Writer's Notebooks-__
 * Writers Workshop**- Looking More Closely at the Personal Narrative Baseline Task
 * Collecting ideas- then taking it to writing- collecting (10-15 mins.)- goal 2 pages of writing during this time- get pen to paper. You can write two pages on different. Goal right now- lots of writing- building stamina- collecting
 * Morgan will share practical resource- __Notebook Know How__- Aimee Buckner- copied first chapter.

__Writing Expectations-__ __Trends/Focus Needs__ Structure Development Conventions Units of Study- Launching- Writing Personal Narratives- Authoring Realistic Fiction Focus and Goal for the next months Gather ideas and short writes- writing stamina right now- pen to paper is about 10 minutes.
 * Look over annotated sample from Lucy Calkin's- to see expectation and progression
 * need beginning middle and end- no "authorness"- deliberateness of a writing- listing events rather than telling a story- strategy- get kids to be oral storyteller first;
 * missing the connection between reading and writing; strategy- all text should be viewed through the lens of the writer or author.
 * __Goal__- work on writing a good **lead** (3rd grade expectation- readers know the character were and what the setting was


 * Reminders**-
 * Use shared reading and interactive reading aloud to prepare for Novembers units of study.
 * Use shared reading to model "deep reading" and processing of short text similar to what students will need to do on the NYS Assessment
 * Team will be getting their own set of Lucy Calkin's Writing Units to use as a resource to support the work

Scott will be collecting monthly writing snap shots (collection, process pieces, on-demand writing) from the following students. Teachers just need to make copies of their work.
 * Action Research- Evidence of Learning- Tracking Student Growth in Writing**
 * Battel- Delaney, Kromphardt, Wilson
 * Rexford- Bradley, Naylor, Rivera
 * Monahan- Louissaint, Territo, Satgunaraja

**__October 8, 2013__**
Meeting to discuss Project Based Learning Project. Leanne, Pat, Kathy, Jen,

Native Americans - ideas CULTURE? (food, clothing, homes, way of life, customs) HOW DID THEY MEET THEIR NEEDS? (use natural resources for food, clothing and shelter) HOW DID THEY GOVERN THEMSELVES? (confederacy, great laws of peace)

DRIVING QUESTION: How did the Native Americans of NYS meet their needs?

What were their needs? food, clothing, shelter

Each class create student groups that will study one of these areas (food, clothing, shelter)

**__October 16, 2013__**
Continuation of meeting to discuss Project Based Learning Leanne, Pat, Kathy, Jen, Pat got his McDonald's grant so we discussed the planning of the visit from the Niagara County Historical Society - tentative schedule is Wednesday November 6 - 3 groups - 8:45-9:45, 9:45-10:45 10:45-11:45

Kick off unit 10/22 - read in text book to p. 69 by Friday - and Friday 10/25 students will formulate questions to research for the following week.

October 28 - assign students a question and they research it that week - Friday November 1 students brainstorm project ideas to create the following week.

Week of November 4 and November 11 they work to create a project - goal to finish by November 12th.

**__January 15, 2014__**
Follow up- small group instruction coaching cycle Morgan, Holly, Leanne, Pat, Kathy, Jen, Scott

Guided Reading- Looking at the characteristics of the level text you want to grow kids into prior to moving kids into groups. Currently using small group time to use assess students with F&P
 * Struggle- making time for small group instruction- Suggestion: first half of workshop- students work on the mini-lesson work, teacher confers. Second half of the workshop, students engage in independent reading (do a small group then).
 * Other question: What if the kids doesn't practice the mini-lesson skill because it is not relevant to where they are in their reading? What can we do to get kids to see what is taught in workshop should be applied during reading at any time. Suggestion: Have the anchor chart posted- refer back to the anchor charts.Keep the indicator in the kids mind. Focus is the critical indicators of the unit not the individual teaching points. Take time during the share to discuss other reading strategies used by students.
 * Other conversation: Trust the process and the components to form the whole reader. Scott shared is concert band analogy.
 * How do we work on endurance and stamina? practice staying focused- use independent reading and give student end-of-unit assessments that require 30-50 minutes of sustained work and focus.

**__February 24, 2014__**
Literacy Collab with Holly Holly, Pat, Kathy, Jen, Joan, Gloria

Holly brought some things to share with us concerning literacy- -On Demand Poetry Prompt from MM -Monthly Unit of Study planning calendar template - backwards planning with a goal in mind so we can stay better on track -Looked at and discussed planning template for CAS meetings -Collaboratively graded a writing sample with the Caulkins rubric trying to come to some understanding of how to use the rubric consistently

**__February 24, 2014__**
Math Collaboration Pat, Kathy, Jen, Scott, Frank Review Challenge- students still not closely reading the question before solving. Possible solutions- shared the Randell Charles article-


 * Teach the process of solving a word problem using very easy math. Be more product driven. Three types of problems- **change** problems, **part-part whole**, **compare** ) Focus on process not content or specific math skill.
 * Read the question through once without stopping. Think- what is the gist of the problem? What is the big idea? What is the relationship between the numbers. **If necessary,** slow down the process- As they read **stop and think** after each sentence or phrase- what do I know now? As you read the next sentence or phrase- what do we know now, how does this relate to the previous statement, phrase or information.
 * OR Look at the problem- make notes (determine importance), take the problem away (visual), solve the problem. Key here- dwell on the important stuff.
 * When solving a problem ask- what do we expect it to look like when were finished.
 * Create an estimated answer- "What would make sense?" (Make sure students know the purpose of estimation)- We need to teach this content vocabulary- Use vocabulary CODE and put these key word on a math word wall with examples to anchor student thinking about the word.
 * Place the focus on a visual model to solve
 * Ask students to write an equation before solving- "Thinking Blocks" might be a good practice website for this process

Examined Major Cluster- NYS Testing Program for the next Investigations unit.
 * Unit 5: Numbers and Operation in Base 10- create 1000 booklets for each student
 * Look at the professional development resource in the back- Name the addition and subtraction strategies
 * reinforce with number lines and 10, 000 chart
 * Unit 8: Multiplication and division

**__April 7, 2014__**
Launching the Writing Coaching Cycle Holly, Pat, Kathy, Jen, and Scott

Looking over the writing folders and calendars- Resources: Celebrating Writers, The Art of Teaching Writing and Katie Wood Ray's- What You Know by Heart

Calendar- Any conflicts?- The team will be planning one trip before the end of the school year. Writing will be taught at the end of the day. Teachers were asked to complete the pre-cycle reflection sheet and give this to Holly before the coaching cycle starts April 28th. Holly will need to know where the grade level is in the unit of study prior to the coaching cycle. Team has already backward mapped on a calendar- Realistic fiction with a theme. They would be in the developing stage. Team has already done the pre- assessment writing task for unit. Question: What is the difference between developing and drafting?

**__May 18, 2014__**
June reading and writing unit launch

Holly, Pat, Kathy, Jen,

Took a look at the reading unit overview - Organizing Supports - do we have enough materials? Kathy - Underground Railroad - too narrow? How about "In Search of Freedom" opens it up to women's rights and slavery and even Revolutionary War Pat - Westward Movement Jen - Erie Canal

Suggested Indicators: First bullet - everyone needs a purpose to read before opening a book Second and Third bullet - authors write with bias - they might have a slant and often want you to think or feel a certain way about a topic Fourth bullet - fact/opinion
 * Indicator 1: readers recognize and interpret both facts and opinions in info. texts and can explain how this info. contributes to their understanding of the text.**

First bullet: find the part of the book that will help you answer your question Second bullet: jotting notes from multiple resources Third and Fourth bullets: students look at their fact collection and draw inferences
 * Indicator 2: Readers refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.**

Lesson on differences between primary and secondary resources Lesson on validity of resources (Leanne in library)
 * Indicator 3: Readers analyze the same event or topic in primary and secondary sources by noticing similarities and differences in focus and the information provided**

Focus on speaking - the written portion is really our writing unit.
 * Indicator 4: Readers integrate information from 2+ texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably, specifically expressing how their thinking has changed as a result of their reading and research.**

**__September 29, 2014__**
4th grade afterschool Math Collaboration - Frank, Jackie Mahoney, Pat, Jen

Aligned tasks - We will be receiving aligned tasks from last year's Math Test and also some new tasks to embed into our units.

Elementarymathematics.org - we took a look at this website and looked at the different things we could use it for. Frank pointed out how some of the explanations and information are very useful.

We used Frank's template to figure out what tools and strategies will kids use for the different types of multiplication problems.

**__October 1, 2014__**
4th grade Math Collaboration with Jackie Starks - Jackie Starks, Pat, Jen, Kathy

Scott wants Jackie to focus on kids who got high 2s and/or low 3s on the math assessment last year. We discussed which kids these are (these seem to be the kids that do the best in daily math workshop) Discussed schedule - 1 day with Monahan, 2 with Battel and Rexford to start - when we are in a coaching cycle Jackie will focus on the other 2 rooms. Discussed math results from the beginning of year CBM assessment we gave (we didn't get these results, Jackie sent them to us)