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The District offers a
variety of formal learning opportunities throughout the school year for staff. Search by
subject to the left. You can also view workshops by date on the
Professional Development Calendar.
FOCUS
GROUP: STUDENT WRITING It’s more than the words on the page.
DATES:
See below
TIME: 3:30-5:30
LOCATION: Middle School, Room 8
RSVP:
Rod Septka at rseptka@mvschools.org
*You
must arrange for a substitute in order to attend the morning Focus Groups.
Though the workshop ends at 12 noon you can take the full day to work
back at your school.
Full
Participation
in this Focus Group is one way to fulfill the Professional Development Plan
for teacher evaluation and can be used as credits towards salary
advancement. See your site administrator for specifics.
This
group is open to teachers in grades 4 through 8 who are interested in
analyzing student writing for instructional purposes and assessment.
We will explore some of the big
questions facing teachers of writing:
-
What
does research say about the teaching of writing?
-
What
are some features of an effective writing classroom?
-
How
can writing be used to develop critical thinking?
-
How
does writing fit into learning across disciplines?
-
What
does a school-wide writing program look like?
-
What
are fair ways to assess writing?*
(*Taken
from Because Writing Matters by the National Writing Project and Carl
Nagin, 2006.)
Teaching
writing effectively is one of the biggest challenges facing teachers in
our schools. This focus group
will examine student work in an effort to discover what kids are doing
well as writers, what they need to do to be better, and how we can help
them do it.
Research
by the National Assessment of Educational Progress: Educational Testing
Service (NRAP/ETS) suggests that “An effective writing assignment does
more than ask students to write about what they have read or experienced.
It engages students in a series of cognitive processes, such as
reflection, analysis, and synthesis, so that they are required to
transform the information from the reading material in order to complete
the writing assignment.” (Because
Writing Matters, p. 47.) With
that in mind, we will begin the year by giving our students an expository
writing prompt and using the work students produce from that prompt to
guide our study.
Sessions:
1.
The Writing Prompt
Tuesday, October 2
3:30-5:30
On
this afternoon, we will develop our focus and define the writing prompt.
2.
Analysis of Student Writing
Tuesday, October 30
8:40-12:00
On
this day, we will analyze student writing at each grade level, identify
strengths and weaknesses and plan for instruction.
Afternoon time will be
available for teachers to plan with their partners.
Check with principal to secure afternoon time.
3. Teaching
Strategies and Assessments
Tuesday, January 29
8:40-12:00
On
this day we will share work in our classrooms, examine teaching
strategies, and develop working rubrics for assessment. Afternoon
time will be available for teachers to plan with their partners.
Check with principal to secure afternoon time.
4.
Writing Prompt 2
Thursday, March 13
3:30-5:30
On
this day we will define our second writing prompt and plan for its
administration.
5. Analysis
of Work
Tuesday, April 1
8:40-12:00
On
this day, we will analyze student writing across the grades and the work
we’ve accomplished in our classrooms.
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FOCUS
GROUP: PORTFOLIOS
DATES:
November 20, February 12,
April 24
TIME: 3:30-5:30
LOCATION: 1st Meeting in Middle School, Room 8; subsequent meetings
will be in teacher classrooms
RSVP
BY OCTOBER 9TH TO:
Rod Septka at rseptka@mvschools.org
Full
Participation
in this Focus Group is one way to fulfill Professional Development Plan
for teacher evaluation and can be used as credits towards salary
advancement. See your site administrator for specifics.
This
group is open to teachers in grades 4 through 8 who value the portfolio
process and want to explore ways to sustain the use of student
portfolios in their classrooms.
Portfolios have
been a valued part of the district curriculum in 5th and 8th grades
since 1982 when the Education Task Force (ETF) now the Marin
Teachers Network (MTN), developed a portfolio assessment at these
grades. In many ways the portfolio helped to define and improve literacy
instruction by enabling teachers to share best practices. Recently, Mill
Valley teachers have expressed interests in developing portfolios that
are less prescriptive and more student centered. Teachers want a portfolio
designed to demonstrate student growth and effort. (Developing
Assessment Literacy, John R. Criswell, 2006).
-
Reflecting
on Portfolios Tuesday,
November 20: What
we value about portfolios, developing shared purposes and resources.
-
Reflecting
on Portfolios
Tuesday,
February 12 : Reviewing
student work/effective classroom practices that help students demonstrate
growth/effort and select/reflect on their work.
-
Portfolios:
New Directions Thursday,
April 24: Teacher reflection/future
implementations.
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DINNER
DIALOGUES
DATES: Ist Thursday of every month (with exceptions-see exact
dates below)
TIME: 6:00-8:00 pm
LOCATION: Mill Valley Middle School, Room 8
RSVP
ONE WEEK PRIOR TO:
Rod Septka at rseptka@mvschools.org
This
is an open invitation to all District educators to participate in guided
conversations about intriguing topics in education and learning.
Remaining
dates:
-
Thursday,
December 6
-
Thursday,
January 10
-
Thursday,
February 7
-
Thursday,
March 6
-
Thursday,
April 3
-
Thursday,
May 1
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ONGOING
CLASSROOM SUPPORT
Available
to literacy teachers grades 4-8 who would like support in their classroom
for teaching literacy or pursuing a line of teacher inquiry. Past work has
included: establishing writing workshops in the classroom, conferring with
students on their writing, helping students deepen reading comprehension,
planning new units of study, differentiating curriculum, developing
rubrics, sharing planning with teaching partner, and demonstrating lessons
and peer observation debriefing.
For more information contact Rod Septka, rseptka@mvschools.org
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EXTERNAL
OPPORTUNITIES
Bring California
History Into Your Classroom
with Calisphere Images & an iPod
In February and March 2008, two
2-day workshops - Bring California History Into Your Classroom with
Calisphere Images & an iPod - will be conducted. The target
audiences will be 4, 8, and 11th grade language arts and history/social
studies teachers and library media teachers. Visit the CTAP
website for more information and to sign up.
Bay
Area Watershed Project Workshops
for Bay Area Environmental Educators from February-June 2008. Download
workshop brochure
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