Math AVMR Learning Opportunities Starting in January

There are many learning opportunities in AVMR that will be occurring second semester.

Please sign up now to reserve your spot. About one month before your class starts, you will

receive an email confirming your registration and any necessary information.

AVMR Trainings:

AVMR Course 1 involves teachers learning about Add+VantageMR assessments and focusing
on a continuum of learning in relationship to the Learning Framework in Number.  Teachers learn
to use a series of three assessments to develop a profile of number knowledge for children:
number words and numerals, structuring, and addition and subtraction.  The profile then assists
teachers in making informed instructional decisions to advance students' knowledge and skills.

• January 15th   8:00 - 3:30
• January 16th   8:00 - 3:30
• January 23rd   4:15 - 7:15
• February 1st    8:00- 3:30

AMVR Course 2 is a continuation of numeracy continuum of learning in regards to t

he Learning Framework in Number.  You will learn about place value and multiplication/division
assessments that can be administered to your neediest students to know exactly where they are i
n their numeracy development so you can make instructional decisions that will help to move
the students along in their learning. To sign up for this course, you need to have completed
AVMR Course 1.   

• January 22nd    8:00 - 3:30
• January 23rd     8:00 - 3:30
• February 5th     4:15 - 7:15
• February 12th   4:15 - 7:15
• February 19th   4:15 - 7:15

Fractions Course (AVMR Course 3) is the newest AVMR Course!  

Developing Fractions Knowledge by Amy Hackenberg, Anderson Norton, and Robert Wright
serves as the course text and provides a detailed and comprehensive guide to classroom and
intervention teaching of fractions.  This course combines online learning with team meetings.
The teaching approach for this course relies heavily on working with students and then observing
and documenting students' mathematical activity and thinking.  Instructional sequences take into
account detailed information about students' current levels of knowledge, as well as how students
reorganize their ways of working with whole numbers in order to meaningfully work with fractions.
It is highly recommended that you have completed AVMR Course 1 and 2 before signing up
for this course.

• January 22nd   4:15 - 6:30
• January 30th    4:15 - 6:30
• February 6th    4:15 - 6:30
• February 13th  8:00 - 3:30
• February 20th  4:15 - 6:30
• February 27th  4:15 - 6:30
• March 12th      8:00 - 3:30
• April 2nd         4:15 - 6:30
• April 9th         4:15 - 6:30

AVMR Book Studies

AVMR Book Study/Make 'n Take - Teaching Number in the Classroom with 4-8 Year Olds -
Sign up for this one by November 8th

This book study will read and discuss the purple book that teachers receive with course one of
Add+VantageMR.  The topics covered in this book are beginning number and early counting strategies,
multi-digit addition and subtraction, and early multiplication and division. This book study will look at
the various assessment tasks and teaching activities that can be used in your classroom. Participants
will make and share resources for the various activities.

Teaching Number in the Classroom with 4-8 Year Olds  - Purple Book Study

November 13th 4:15 - 6:30 November 25th 4:15 - 6:30 December 4th 4:15 - 6:30 December 11th 4:15 - 6:30 December 18th 4:15 - 6:30

AVMR Book Study/Make 'n Take - Developing Number Knowledge: Assessment,
Teaching and Intervention with 7-11 Year Olds

This book study will dig into the red book that teachers receive with course two of Add+VantageMR.  
The key domains of number instruction, conceptual place value, mental computation, written
computation methods, fractions, and early algebraic reasoning will be discussed.  We will look at
various activities that could be incorporated into your math instruction to help meet the needs of
students. Participants will make and share resources for the various activities.

Developing Number Knowledge: Assessment, Teaching and Intervention with 7-11 year olds  - Red Book Study

March 4th 4:15 - 6:30 March 11th 4:15 - 6:30 March 18th 4:15-6:30 April 1st 4:15-6:30 April 8th 4:15-6:30

AVMR Book Study - Developing Fractions Knowledge

This book study will dig into the orange book that teachers receive with the AVMR Fractions course.  
We will continue our learning by digging into the chapters and the activities that can be done with

students to build their fractional knowledge

Developing Fractions Knowledge - Orange Book Study

January 9th 4:15 - 6:15 January 20th 4:15 - 6:15 January 29th 4:15 - 6:15 February 13th 4:15 - 6:15 February 26th 4:15 - 6:15 March 12th       4:15 - 6:15 March 19th       4:15 - 6:15

TDP Courses:

The following TDP courses will be offered second semester of our 2019-2020 school year.

• Differentiation of Add+VantageMR (AVMR) Games and Activities (January 7th, 14th, 21st, and 29th)  How do you meet the needs of all students?  One way is to take a game or activity and consider how it can be tweaked for the different levels and constructs.  That is exactly what we will do in this course! We will look at several games across the various AVMR areas and discuss how they could be differentiated for our students.

• AVMR Course 1 Revisited (February 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th)   Did you complete Add+VantageMR Course 1 and end up with more questions once you got back to your classroom?  This course will review the information learned in AVMR and provide the time to further develop your understanding.  We will take time to ask questions, share ideas with each other, and look at resources with activities to do with students.  We will focus on Number Words and Numerals, Structuring, and Addition/Subtraction. 

• AVMR Course 2 Revisited (March 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 31st) When learning something new, it is often hard to remember all of the key concepts.  This course will review the information learned in AVMR Course 2 and provide the time to further develop your understanding.  We will take time to ask questions, share ideas with each other, and look at resources with activities to do with students.  We will focus on Place Value and Multiplication/Division, as well as information in the red book. 

If you are interested in participating in any of these learning opportunities, please fill out
this Google Form and indicate your choices.   Since only a limited number of spots
are available for each course, sign up early to guarantee a spot.  You must attend all of
the dates/times for each particular course.

Equity in Education: Check Your Belief System at the Front Door!

As I continue to visit each school throughout the district, I have seen an intentional focus on schools infusing culture into their educational practices and embracing diversity.  I have noticed more consistent student engagement, collaboration between students, and students inviting me to come back again for another visit so they can share more of their learning.   Students are aware of the learning targets and can explain why they are completing the assignment which is awesome.  As we continue to strive to put culturally relevant teaching into practice, below are some key points to remember.     

Students + Feeling Valued = Ownership of their Learning

One of the most important qualities of Culturally Relevant Teaching is that we as educators must shift toward a diversified pedagogy that emphasizes student engagement versus our ability to lecture on content. Embracing a classroom style that has the teacher as a facilitator instead of specialist can be very difficult, but the switch has proven to show significant payoffs both academically and socially.

Students whose lives and cultures are not recognized are less likely to invest in the overall learning process, whereas those who do feel recognized and valued will be ready to learn. Even if that connection is made through something as simple as teaching the lesson through pop culture, movies, or the music that the class will enjoy, there is still a connection and relevance.  Students who embrace their role as powerful actors inside the classroom will become change agents outside of the classroom.  How do I make my students feel in my classroom/school?

Educators must watch their BS?

A crucial and challenging aspect of culturally responsive instruction for all educators is to abandon old ideas about cultural deficits, whether they are related to ethnic or cultural backgrounds or socioeconomic status. We must be careful not to convey judgment in the classroom that might reflect upon students’ families, friends, or personal histories. This means addressing their own assumptions about different behaviors, like the student who may come late every day or is always tired. 

We as educators should work relentlessly to establish meaningful communication and relationships with our students and their families. When students see family and teacher collaboration combined with mutual respect, they are more likely to invest in their education in meaningful and lasting ways.  As educators, it is vital we check our belief systems at the door and do not let our first thought, become our last.  Am I where I need to be as a culturally relevant educator?   

Light the Path to Equity

In this month's Learning Forward Journal, Fisher and Frey talk about the work of PLC's and the focus that needs to happen to ensure that ALL students are engaged, inspired and successful.
How can we refocus PLC's so that they are more than a series of meetings and result in REAL change for the students who need it most?

There is evidence that PLC's impact learning outcomes of students.

These authors have developed 5 questions that allow teams to put equity front and center:
* Where are we going? Consider the learning goals and trajectory for students. Expectations should be aligned to grade level expectations.

* Where are we now? Current performance levels of students. Accept responsibility to close this gap.

* How do we move learning forward? Detailed instructional decisions using evidence based practices.

* What did we learn today? What did you learn from students and what do you plan to do about it? Checking for understanding.

* Who benefited and who did not benefit? Trends in learning outcomes for subgroups of students.

Are your PLC efforts impacting student learning?

How Well Do You Know Your Math Standards?

How well do you know your grade level mathematics standards? I know that question may sting a bit. You may have been teaching the same grade for years and could answer with, “Yes, I know my standards. I’ve been teaching in the same grade forever.” You might however, be a new teacher or new to a grade level and are doing the best with what you know. In any case, it is a question we should all be asking ourselves and reflecting on the true understanding and the depth of our standards. 

When the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) came out, at the elementary level we focused our professional development around the Standards for Mathematical Practice and didn’t dig in deep to grade level content standards. This left teachers to investigate and interpret them on their own or perhaps with a team or coach. Over time, discrepancies in teaching the standards have come to light. This isn’t to say that we’ve been doing things all wrong. The standards are complex.  I’ve experienced in reading many of them that I know what they mean, but when digging in though, I find that the CCSS are meaning a different interpretation of what I thought. It’s time to calibrate around our standards so that all students are receiving instruction at the level they warrant.

As a review, the CCSS were designed based on research and collaboration and include three key shifts: 

1. Focus: grade levels focus on fewer topics
2. Coherence: intentionally progressing domains across grade levels
3. Rigor: conceptual understanding, procedural skills and fluency, and application

For each of the grade levels, there are critical areas which are highlighted in the introduction section on the standards. This section explains the importance of focusing most of the instructional time in these areas. To follow, underneath each domain, each standard is stated. Some provide examples as to what the standard really means and some do not. It’s understandable that some standards can be confusing. For example, a third grade standard states, “Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.” (CCSS, 2019). This may lead one to believe that the standard algorithms for addition and subtraction should be taught in third grade. This is not the case (unless select students have demonstrated that they are ready). In fact, here is what the 4th grade standard states, “Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.” (CCSS, 2019). The standard algorithms should be taught at the universal level in fourth grade. 

In order to fully understand our standards in what they mean, strategies to teach, models to use and common misconceptions, I would suggest taking a look at Kansas Mathematics Flip Books. This is an excellent resource that provides a clear understanding of what teachers and students are doing with the math practice standards. It also includes more details about what each standard means as well as strategies appropriate for your grade level and different models to use. One of the things I like the most is that the flip book gives ideas of common student misconceptions that you may encounter. That is so powerful when planning! It is a lengthy document, however, it is very valuable. You will find that there are links to activities as well. I encourage you to check it out and soon you will want to bookmark it!

Understanding our standards to the depth that we are expected to can feel daunting because there are many of them. Start small, one standard at a time. What are you teaching next week? Pick a standard from your lesson plans and just dive in. You deserve it and so do our students!

Works Cited:

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2019). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/Math/

Kansas CAN: Kansas Mathematics Standards. (2018). Retrieved from https://community.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=5646

SAIL Principal Reviews

Over the past few weeks, all of our Principals have been giving us a summary of SAIL progress so far. The three benchmark indicators below are what we asked them to focus on during their presentations:

Data and Key Results

L5.1 Student Learning Data. 

How are you addressing your most critical student learning problem? What is it? Tell us!

How are you addressing your most critical problems of practice? What are they? Tell us!

Securing Accountability and Ensuring Excellence

L4.1 Structures and processes for using data to improve learning are used consistently at all levels and monitored for impact. Ongoing performance monitoring and key results data are used transparently to improve the learning process at all levels.

Cultivating Collaborative Cultures

L2.2 Key results are celebrated and shared and challenges are seen as opportunities for deeper learning.

We are more focused than ever and are equipped to make an impact! 

On the dark days, remember that each of you is changing and saving lives! 

Be a champion! 

Pick each other up! 

Use your team to gain positive momentum! 

Be your best today, for tomorrow is never guaranteed!

The Journey of a Promoting an Inclusive Classroom

At Hillcrest, we are continuing to explore different ways to build an authentic, inclusive learning environment for our students. One particular way that is generating excitement at Hillcrest are co-taught classrooms. This model is quickly becoming a preferred method of instruction as it directly aligns with our Theory of Action objectives and building goals, specifically collaboration. 

Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers that specialize in numeracy and literacy are beginning this journey with a special education teacher that also has a focus in these areas. A strong co-teaching partnership has proven to provide seamless and differentiated instruction for students while allowing teachers to problem-solve together. This may be the greatest part...you’re never in it alone. Having two educators facilitate a learning community not only helps encourage a safe and productive classroom environment, but it also allows for more opportunities with small group instruction, modeling during whole group lessons, and raising the level of rigor.

Even though the pros far outweigh the cons, co-teaching does not come without its challenges. One non-negotiable of this model is having a shared vision, which can take time to develop. Both educators involved need to work at making the partnership successful on behalf of their learners. This would include one of the most important aspects of co-teaching; co-planning. This can sometimes be difficult to accomplish when taking common planning times into consideration. However, with this piece at the forefront, the co-planning process encourages teachers to share ideas in order to deliver the strongest, most engaging lessons. It greatly helps nurture the shared vision.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to join teams during their co-planning sessions. Our focus has been student-centered discussions around mathematical practices that promote engagement and deep levels of thinking. I have witnessed teams 'sharing the load' by coming together to facilitate numeracy routines, mini lessons, and parallel teaching during small guided groups. The collaboration that happens during these sessions is so valuable and vital to creating a successful co-teaching environment. 

As we continue on our co-teaching journey, may we be reminded of Edutopia’s Marisa Kaplan’s Five Tips to Becoming a Strong Co-Teacher:

1.     Say this mantra: "All students are our students."

2.     Come to planning meetings prepared (with an agenda) to maximize co-planning time.

3.     If you feel something, say something! Open communication is the key to a successful partnership.

4.     Realize that the success of your class depends on the strength of your co-teaching relationship.

5.     Use a variety of co-teaching models to help maintain equality.

The picture below shows two teachers co-facilitating a whole group discussion.

The pictures below show parallel small guided groups happening at the same time in the same classroom. The intentional planning for these groups was done during a co-planning session.

"Inclusion is not a place, but instead a process." - Anonymous