Vienna Woods Education

Finally, a Way to Teach Teachers How to Teach!

2011-06-13T12:46:00.001-04:00

Are good teachers born or made? This question haunted me as I struggled at several points in my early teaching career. I believed, after wanting to succeed so badly in my teaching career, that because I was having difficulties, I just wasn’t cut out for the classroom. Of course, I discounted the times when I had wonderful successes. I was unable to reflect back on those times to analyze what I was doing right. It had been too unconscious, too instinctive because I hadn’t actually learned what constitutes good teaching . Thankfully, I didn’t give up. I watched, read, practiced, and learned effective classroom management techniques. If you have read Freakonomics, you will probably agree with me that one of the most comforting themes in that collection of studies, is the idea that most people who are outstanding in their field do not possess some magical innate ability. These people have simply worked incredibly hard, practicing what works over and over again.

I recently was assigned to read a NY Times article in my Mimio (interactive whiteboard technology) training class. Our instructor’s goal: helping us to understand what good teaching looks like. Having this foundational knowledge would certainly inform our own trainings when helping teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms. All the best technology on the market isn’t going to improve a classroom with inherently bad teaching. The article featured Doug Lemov ( who happens to hail from my area, Albany, NY) and other educators who have done important research into what it is that teachers do to create well-managed classrooms where kids behave and learn a lot. While helping to lead Uncommon schools, a Charter school network in New York and Massachusetts, he and his team of teachers came to a simple and powerful conclusion: “ what looked like natural-born genius was often deliberate technique in disguise”. Their observations of what techniques the best teachers use has been distilled into what is now called Lemov’s Taxonomy. This list is also in a just-released book version “Teach Like a Champion: the 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College”. The taxonomy is accompanied by 700 video clips of teachers demonstrating these effective strategies. Incidentally, the teachers who were lauded as “most effective” were identified based on higher student test scores. That criteria, even if limiting, does indicate general classroom success.

Yes, perhaps some gifted teachers figure out these techniques naturally like some people discover their own mental math tricks. Most of us, I suspect, benefit from instruction and mentoring. If I could have studied Lemov’s Taxonomy in my early days of teaching, I undoubtedly would have wasted less time doubting myself and spent more time perfecting specific techniques.

Take Care,
Nicole

Common Core Math: Skills for life

2011-05-30T15:55:00.183-04:00

"Math is everywhere in the world around you" is a foundational principal of the Common Core Mathematics. When you are preparing students for the state tests, remember that the best part of learning is discovery--that surprising joy that comes when one stumbles upon something new. Take this video from GE. There's so much wonder here. And there's so much math: multiplication, percentages, exponents...

(Did you know? Vienna Woods Education is based in Schenectady, NY—where GE started. GE generously supports the School of Humanities and Culture at Schenectady High)

Begin your math lessons by appealing to your students' curiosity, and once you've got them hooked, you'll help them sharpen other skills that will help them on the road to success and independence.

Math has so much practical, real-life value. The introduction to The Finish Line test preparation series for the Common Core Standards provides a great outline of the habits that students need to practice to achieve math proficiency. For example, students need to make sense of problems and not give up in solving them. They should take a step back, see patterns and use models, symbols, and numbers to solve everyday problems. They'll need to create structures to help them perceive the world and build their own. And they'll have to learn to work carefully and accurately. These sound like the qualities colleges and employers are looking for in their applicants, and proud parents in their children. Don't they?

IRA Convention: An inside look at the 9 Tier model of RTI

2011-05-18T13:57:00.001-04:00

We just got back from Orlando to the land of verdant lawns and endless rain! This year’s IRA conference attendance was down probably due to budget cuts in in many states. Most people who stopped by the Continental Press booth were from the Sunshine State. Visitors to our booth listened to our presentation of the Common Core Finish Line series and the accompanying brand-new Test Tracks software. They were

excited about the flexibility of the custom-designed tests.

I also took advantage of some of the big name seminars. Timothy Shanahan, former IRA president, and University of Illinois professor, spoke on the 9 Tier model of RTI (Response to Intervention). His research with schools in Illinois produced big results using his model.

Mr. Shanahan has expanded the popular 3 Tier model to include more deliberate utilization of good teaching techniques to increase student achievement. Quality Tier 1 teaching by the main teacher should be research-based (think the National Reading Panel) using both easy and challenging text. This seems to be a nod to the

new rigor of the Common Core.

The next tiers are a departure from the current 3 tier model. He strongly believes that at Tier 2, the classroom teacher, not another staff member, must make intentional changes for students needing remediation. In this way, the teacher with the most knowledge of the student retains control and remains accountable. These changes would relate to the class environment and methods to reach the student during the regular time for reading instruction.

At Tier 3, instruction continues to remain with the original teacher but now needs to be aimed at increasing responsiveness and providing instruction in addition to the core teaching within small groups or individually. This extra teaching may have not been necessary at Tier 2. Changes at Tier 3 are more focused on extra time for remediation , not just adjusting the core instruction.

Tier 4 is a welcome focus on deliberately asking for and believing in parental help. We have been preaching this for a while!

Tiers 5 and 6 outline extra practice using a separate intervention program but coordinated with the classroom teacher. This level of intervention would require an additional teacher with specialized training. At Tier 6, the separate intervention program would increase in intensity.

Tiers 7 and 8 emphasize the importance of developing afterschool and summer school programs in order to provide more time for extra instruction and practice.

Finally, at Tier 9, after all these avenues are exhausted, referral for Special Ed services could be pursued. When Mr. Shanahan spoke of the profoundly neglected resource of parental involvement at every tier, his heart echoed my own. We need to train parents in the same research-based techniques teachers use and students will make more progress. (Senechal 2006) We are used to asking parents to read to their kids or to monitor homework. They are able to do more! For example, let’s ask them to model comprehension strategies and prompt use of phonics cues. Parents can become a whole new squadron of fighters sent to the front-lines of reading intervention.

For more information on Shanahan’s RTI research read: Implications of RTI for the Reading Teacher, Timothy Shanahan, Response to Intervention: A Framework for Reading Educators, 2008.

Teaching with Twitter and Video Games?

2011-05-16T09:01:00.001-04:00

Reaching into students' world is one of the hardest tasks. It's also one of the most important. Once you've got your students' attention, you can lead them through a lesson like a guide leads a group on an exploration.

If you can create excitement without losing control of your classroom, you'll have won a huge battle.

Here are few ways to hook your students.

Teach main idea through Twitter.

Vienna Woods Education on Twitter

At the NY IRA conference, a speaker told his listeners to summarize their favorite favorite fairy tale in 140 characters or less (the character limit Twitter maintains per "Tweet"). Not the easiest thing in the world but still not impossible. He explained that because Twitter forces you to boil concepts down to their simplest form, it is a valuable classroom resource.

At the end of each lesson, whether it's social studies, math, or science, have students write a "Tweet" about the lesson. They don't have to post it; they can just write it on a piece of paper. You can even have them keep a "Tweet" notebook that will help them study for tests when the time comes.

Not only will you be building a bridge from your world into theirs, you'll be developing an important life skill. Twitter will help them learn that less is more; and they'll take that skill into note taking, writing cover letters, and listening to speeches.

Make Tests Like Video Games:

Mimio Vote

Kids and video games go hand in hand these days. Imagine their surprise if you turned test taking into a video game. Mimio Vote is an exciting part of the Mimio Classroom package. Your students get to take tests with a handheld device much like a video game controller, and you get instant and accurate results.

When the going gets tough, the teachers get going

2011-05-10T16:41:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, Scott Waldman of the Times Union reported that 700 jobs are on the line in New York's Capital Region, and, because of severe budget cuts, most districts must tighten their belts. In many schools, students can look forward to fewer electives and teachers can expect over-packed classrooms.

With that harsh reality in mind, what are teachers to do? Quit? Some might, but most of the teachers you and I know stick with the profession because they care about what they do too much to pack it in so quickly. Teachers have too much true grit to let daunting odds pin them. They'll fight back.

And one reason they'll fight back is that managing a classroom is like managing a business. Like David Robison of Globalscholar.com points out in this blog post, the best teachers (like the best leaders) challenge their followers, create a stimulating culture, and commit to the well-being of the group. In the popular go-to management book, Good to Great, Jim Collins shows that the recurring factor in the most profitable corporations is an executive who "blend[s] extreme personal humility with intense professional will": a Level 5 leader. In the same way, humble and fierce educators—Level 5 teachers and principals—are what will push New York's education toward longterm success.

Photo Credit: http://www.kvaes.be/social/management-styles/

The Common Core Standards: A New Way to Accelerate?

2011-05-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

The phrase David Coleman referenced in his presentation on April 28, in Albany, "a mile wide and an inch deep," resonated with us. We remember numerous teachers lamenting over the years that policy makers "just keep piling it on". We laud this new Common Core philosophy for focusing on what is truly important. What's crucial to learn is to read, write, listen, speak, and compute. "Reading, writing, and 'rithmetic, taught to the tune of a hickory stick". Let's hope we can truly begin to accelerate reading progress because these new standards are very ambitious. The Grade 6 ELA standards for literature and informational text state that the expected level of proficiency extends up to grade 8—with scaffolding needed at the high end of the range.

So you are probaby wondering, as are we, how do teachers help students make these huge gains if they begin a school year at least a year below grade level? Coleman asserted that time spent reading complex text is the only proven thing that accelerates ability. When an audience member asked how this new philosophy would affect RTI, his answer was somewhat vague and limited. He argued that much progress must be made at the elementary level; so that by high school, students will be ready for complex texts. But what about the high school students who are already reading below grade level? Will the current RTI guidelines need revision to address the shift from targeted intervention using "instructional texts" to teaching using "complex texts"? This certainly counteracts the replicated acceleration of Reading Recovery, which uses texts that challenge but do not frustrate readers.

How will the research behind RTI be reconciled with the evidence used to design the Common Core standards? Perhaps the key is to elevate standards at the Tier 1 level (with scaffolding) and to continue to intervene at instructional levels at other times during the day to optimize the combination of instruction. Which acceleration will prove to be more effective?

Nicole from Vienna Woods

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week

2011-05-02T14:19:00.000-04:00

How do you measure the worth of a teacher?

2011-04-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

New York's subjective, Pass/Fail teacher evaluation system is wearing out. But the State Education Department is itching on the starting blocks, ready to sprint ahead with a re-energized system that's set to "Go" on July 1, 2011.

For a long time, all New York teachers could expect from a yearly evaluation was a basic thumbs up or thumbs down. But teachers and principals can expect new letters on their annual report cards; instead of just S or U, they could see:

H (highly effective)
E (effective)
D (developing)
I (ineffective)

20% of this grade will be based on the standardized tests, with the focus on students' academic growth rather than just their raw scores. Two other components are locally developed assessment (20%) and classroom evaluation (30%).

According to a Daily Gazette editorial, "Some good and bad in State Ed's teacher evaluation system," even third parties can tell a good teacher. Does the teacher control the classroom? Master the subjects? Engage the students? The writers of the editorial hope the new system will improve education in New York: better teachers get better pay; struggling teachers get help; terrible teachers get replaced—all of which help students.

Implementing the plan for new standards was a condition of New York winning $700 million in the Race to the Top initiative. Visit the State Ed's website to read more or submit your opinions on the new system. And tell us what you think in the poll on the right.

*Photo courtesy of disciplineproject.com/

"Bringing the Common Core to Life"

2011-04-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

Ready to Race to The Top? Cross the Finish Line First.

We have all the Common Core resources you need. And at Vienna Woods, we don't want any educator to get overwhelmed by the upcoming changes to the New York education standards; we want you to be ready to hit the ground running.

An easy first step to for you to take is to attend the State Ed's event on April 28, "Bringing the Common Core to Life." During the session, David Coleman, a lead author and architect of the Common Core, will help you gain a better understanding of the standards and their effect on instruction and assessment. You can attend in person or view the event as a webinar.

Here's an excerpt from the Senior Deputy Commissioner's letter: "Pleae RSVP before Tuesday, April 26 by sending an email to rttt@mail.nysed.go with the subject 'RSVP' and indicate whether you plan to attend via webinar or in person. On the day of the webinar, attendees will find a prominent link to the webinar on our Race to the Top home page."

(Read the rest to find out more about the event and how to prepare for it.)

Teachers Love Mimio

2011-04-21T12:24:00.000-04:00

If this woman won the lottery, she'd get Mimio for all the people she knows.