The new moon has given us reason to celebrate. Marking the beginning of the Jewish month of Tishrei, it is our school's sign to mark our progress. At the beginning of each Jewish month, the school has a treasured tradition of coming together for a joyous celebration of singing and dancing, and a chance for children to demonstrate their learning. This year, a year of innovation, we added new customs to our gathering. We added in components of a lesser-known ceremony called Kiddush Levana - the Sanctification of the Moon. The ceremony is held on a Saturday night in the dark when the moon first appears in the sky. Key components, which the children re-enacted this morning, include:
1)recitation (three times) of four rhyming phrases which each proclaim God as the Creator. Barcuh yotzreich;Baruch ohseich;Baruch koneich;Baruch Boreich.
2)jumping up to reach the moon and proclaiming (three times in Hebrew), "Just as I dance in front of you and cannot reach you, so shall my enemies not be able to reach me to do harm."
3)greeting one another (3 times)
4)singing songs of praise.
In the corner of the room we hung a moon made from construction paper. With the ceiling lights off and black lights on, the moon lit up the room!
Through song and dance, the children led us through the calendar for the upcoming month, showing on which day in the month the holidays will fall - Rosh HaShana (New Year), Sukkot (Holiday of the Booths), Simchat Torah (Rejoicing with the Torah).
We also celebrated student birthdays that fall within the month of Tishrei, and within the previous month of Elul.
Wishing you all a New Year of bright lights that shine your way and that inspire you to sing and dance and give thanks for all the good that you have.
Dina
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Phys Ed and Common Core
Gym classes are also opportunities to develop common core standards. In additional to developing gross motor skills, students practice listening and speaking skills, engage in collaborative conversations,recount experiences describing key ideas,and practice 21st century skills such as problem solving, accountability,and leadership.
How do they do this? At Hebrew Day School, the physical education teacher begins each class asking children to share something about a sport or event they heard about over the weekend. Students are asked to recount the main highlights of their sports experience over the weekend. During class, students rotate responsibility leading the exercise routine. They may add one additional exercise of their choice at the end of the routine. During class, students are often asked to make their own teams. When there are is an odd number and teams do not match, children are asked to suggest how to proceed.
Language arts skills are also developed during physical education. Students will establish their own athletic goal, write about the challenge and their progress, and post the writing in the gym. At the end of the unit, the posts will be made into book form which will become the gym "library" for reading during a break or free choice time. Later on in the year, the children may post a question about a sport and give students an opportunity to write down their answers.
And math? Yes, that too! Students will measure the fields, and do some comparing and contrasting. They will discuss the differences and appropriateness of the field for the particular sport!
Now that's solid physical education - but, it takes an excellent teacher and a willing educator to "move" in this direction. Yes, HDS has an excellent athletic teacher - Kim Braun.
How do they do this? At Hebrew Day School, the physical education teacher begins each class asking children to share something about a sport or event they heard about over the weekend. Students are asked to recount the main highlights of their sports experience over the weekend. During class, students rotate responsibility leading the exercise routine. They may add one additional exercise of their choice at the end of the routine. During class, students are often asked to make their own teams. When there are is an odd number and teams do not match, children are asked to suggest how to proceed.
Language arts skills are also developed during physical education. Students will establish their own athletic goal, write about the challenge and their progress, and post the writing in the gym. At the end of the unit, the posts will be made into book form which will become the gym "library" for reading during a break or free choice time. Later on in the year, the children may post a question about a sport and give students an opportunity to write down their answers.
And math? Yes, that too! Students will measure the fields, and do some comparing and contrasting. They will discuss the differences and appropriateness of the field for the particular sport!
Now that's solid physical education - but, it takes an excellent teacher and a willing educator to "move" in this direction. Yes, HDS has an excellent athletic teacher - Kim Braun.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Adoption of Common Core Brings Opportunity
One can look at the adoption of the Common Core State Standards as an exercise - making a large chart in Excel that lists each new standard on the left, and the corresponding former standard on the right. State-level Departments of Education that have done this laborious work call this chart their "Crosswalk." At a glance, you can see the comparison and also identify the gaps.
(BTW- these excel charts on State websites could provide a solution to the challenge noted in my previous blog related to tracking individual student progress on each standard. While the document would be quite long, the excel chart could be used. Erase the data from the right column that outlines the former standards, and use that space to write in comments on student progress for each one of the new standards listed on the left side of the chart. The forms, however, are pdfs and would have to be converted.)
Back to my topic - opportunity. Adopting the Common Core is more than an excersize in making charts. It is an opportunity to enhance instruction, an opportunity to increase accountability, an opportunity to freshly analyze a lesson and a student response to that lesson, an opportunity to enhance a lesson.
As a case in point, this year we are asking each teacher to add a section to their submitted (monthly) review of their instructional goals. In this new section, they include information on the Common Cores standards that are addressed in their lessons. Our educational consultant, whom we have hired this year to support teachers in the process of adopting the standards, meets one-on-one with the teachers to review a lesson plan (among other things). This is an analytic process in which both review such topics as: Which standard was addressed in this lesson? How do you know whether the students accomplished the instructional goal? Which students do you think "got it" (group #1) Which didn't (group #2)? Which students are you not sure about (group #3)? What will we do next to take group one to the next level, to check in again with group #2 and group #3?
These are normal processes that all teachers (who are engaged in good classroom instruction) go through. But the adoption of new standards allows us to do this process with renewed energy and focus,and ultimately to greater individual growth.
(BTW- these excel charts on State websites could provide a solution to the challenge noted in my previous blog related to tracking individual student progress on each standard. While the document would be quite long, the excel chart could be used. Erase the data from the right column that outlines the former standards, and use that space to write in comments on student progress for each one of the new standards listed on the left side of the chart. The forms, however, are pdfs and would have to be converted.)
Back to my topic - opportunity. Adopting the Common Core is more than an excersize in making charts. It is an opportunity to enhance instruction, an opportunity to increase accountability, an opportunity to freshly analyze a lesson and a student response to that lesson, an opportunity to enhance a lesson.
As a case in point, this year we are asking each teacher to add a section to their submitted (monthly) review of their instructional goals. In this new section, they include information on the Common Cores standards that are addressed in their lessons. Our educational consultant, whom we have hired this year to support teachers in the process of adopting the standards, meets one-on-one with the teachers to review a lesson plan (among other things). This is an analytic process in which both review such topics as: Which standard was addressed in this lesson? How do you know whether the students accomplished the instructional goal? Which students do you think "got it" (group #1) Which didn't (group #2)? Which students are you not sure about (group #3)? What will we do next to take group one to the next level, to check in again with group #2 and group #3?
These are normal processes that all teachers (who are engaged in good classroom instruction) go through. But the adoption of new standards allows us to do this process with renewed energy and focus,and ultimately to greater individual growth.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Common Core Challenges
All beginnings have challenges. We are doing well on the macro level -- teachers are submitting their monthly units and their lesson plans with wonderful evidence of the CCSS and integration into their instruction. The challenge that many teachers are raising is a tracking challenge - how do we assess each student relative to each standard, and how do we keep track of all the information? How will these individual assessments be tied in to report card writing and how will individual assessments on the CC be presented at parent teacher conferences? The issue is volume. There are many standards, and we are attempting to be thorough and accountable. From our initial research online, we are aware that this is a common struggle among schools that have been at the forefront of adopting these standards. There are companies that are trying to capture the market and fill the need by creating software packages that allow for tracking. Do we sign up for this "first generation" attempt before the kinks are worked out? Do we attempt to create our own model for tracking? What is unfortunate is that so many schools are using precious resources (time and talent) to figure this out. It would have been helpful if the CCSS committee had launched the necessary implementation tools, along with the standards themselves. But alas, all beginnings have their challenges, and we will rise to that challenge, as we continue to collaborate with our teachers and with other schools across the country that are struggling with the same processes.
Any ideas out there that have actually worked to address this challenge in your schools?
Dina
Any ideas out there that have actually worked to address this challenge in your schools?
Dina
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Protocols for Collaboration
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When teachers together analyze student work and/or observe in each others' classrooms, how do they speak with one another using a collaborative positive tone that shows respect but also benefits the ultimate goal of improving instruction?
In previous teacher training sessions, we practiced two techniques - pausing and paraphrasing. During our last staff meeting, we learned two new protocols – probing and inquiry. We probe for specificity or for better understanding of generalizations. We inquire when we want to explore interpretations or different perspectives. We probe for clarity; we inquire for connections.
Sometimes, words or expressions are vague and require probing for further clarification. For example, vague nouns are: the parents, those students, the curriculum. To which parents might you be referring? How many? What aspect of the curriculum do you find complex? Vague pronouns include: they, we, them. Again, to whom in particular might you be referring?
A small change in the use of a word can change an inquiry from one that solicits a defensive response to one that solicits reflective thinking. Think of the difference in the following questions: “Why do you think that is?” “What do you think are some of the reasons for that?” Switching the word “why” to “what,” and switching the word “the” to “some” prevent a teacher from feeling on the spot. The word changes invite teachers to join a reflective conversation.
Similarly, changing yes/no questions to open-ended questions can have the same effect. Consider the difference in the following two formats: “Did you see that he had 5 spelling mistakes?” “What did you notice about his spelling?” The latter alternative invites dialogue and discussion.
While these changes might be small and obvious, they are not always the first words that come to our lips when we are in an informal conversation with colleagues. A little change and a lot of attention to how we frame our inquiries and probes, can lead to more effective reflection and collaboration.
Thank you to Jennifer Rosenberg for providing us with these protocols.
When teachers together analyze student work and/or observe in each others' classrooms, how do they speak with one another using a collaborative positive tone that shows respect but also benefits the ultimate goal of improving instruction?
In previous teacher training sessions, we practiced two techniques - pausing and paraphrasing. During our last staff meeting, we learned two new protocols – probing and inquiry. We probe for specificity or for better understanding of generalizations. We inquire when we want to explore interpretations or different perspectives. We probe for clarity; we inquire for connections.
Sometimes, words or expressions are vague and require probing for further clarification. For example, vague nouns are: the parents, those students, the curriculum. To which parents might you be referring? How many? What aspect of the curriculum do you find complex? Vague pronouns include: they, we, them. Again, to whom in particular might you be referring?
A small change in the use of a word can change an inquiry from one that solicits a defensive response to one that solicits reflective thinking. Think of the difference in the following questions: “Why do you think that is?” “What do you think are some of the reasons for that?” Switching the word “why” to “what,” and switching the word “the” to “some” prevent a teacher from feeling on the spot. The word changes invite teachers to join a reflective conversation.
Similarly, changing yes/no questions to open-ended questions can have the same effect. Consider the difference in the following two formats: “Did you see that he had 5 spelling mistakes?” “What did you notice about his spelling?” The latter alternative invites dialogue and discussion.
While these changes might be small and obvious, they are not always the first words that come to our lips when we are in an informal conversation with colleagues. A little change and a lot of attention to how we frame our inquiries and probes, can lead to more effective reflection and collaboration.
Thank you to Jennifer Rosenberg for providing us with these protocols.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Music Education Integrates Common Core State Standards
The Common Core State Standards will be incorporated into all aspects of our curriculum. In goal setting for the year, our music teacher identified both math and language arts skills that are part of her music instruction.
Mathematical Core Standards:
1) Attend to precision
2) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
3) Look for and make use of structure.
4) Provide students with a solid foundation in whole numbers...division and fractions.
Students in the fourth grade will learn how to read music, and they will learn how to play the recorder. Practicing the instrument at home will be a requirement. An incentive program based on the karate-belt system will be used, with "belts" given for mastery. Students will learn how to be his or her own critic - identifying when musical sounds or rhythms are not precise. To achieve precision, students will be taught how to review measures that are more difficult and not yet precise, until mastery is achieved. The structure of music will be taught such that students can identify when the musical patterns repeat, and when they change. Knowing the structure of the music will aid in learning to play the music with precision. Students will also learn to read musical notation; they will learn the relationship between different lengths of notes (fractions), and how these notes divide and complete a measure (adding fractions).
Language Arts Core Standards:
1) Speaking and Listening: Flexible communication and collaboration
2) Language: Effective use of new vocabulary
Students will be required to play both in small ensembles and with the entire class. They will also perform in front of the class and for larger audiences in the community. To play effectively in an ensemble, students must listen to the music around them. They must listen to each other, and adapt their own playing (sound and speed) to meet the needs of the larger group. Students will also learn to speak about music, using new musical vocabulary to communicate thoughts and meaning about the musical language.
There are additional academic benefits embedded in learning a musical instrument. Musical intelligence may be a new area of competence for a student, separate from abilities in other areas. Musical performance helps students gain self-confidence, particularly when performing in public or in front of friends. Learning to play the recorder provides a solid foundation for further musical competency. Fingerings on the recorder are similar to those on the flute, saxophone, clarinet, oboe, and bagpipes. Note reading skills are also applicable to string, brass, percussion, and piano.
In addition to classroom instruction, our school has a band (Klez Kids) for those who want additional development of ensemble and performance skills.
The Common Core State Standards will be incorporated into all aspects of our curriculum. In goal setting for the year, our music teacher identified both math and language arts skills that are part of her music instruction.
Mathematical Core Standards:
1) Attend to precision
2) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
3) Look for and make use of structure.
4) Provide students with a solid foundation in whole numbers...division and fractions.
Students in the fourth grade will learn how to read music, and they will learn how to play the recorder. Practicing the instrument at home will be a requirement. An incentive program based on the karate-belt system will be used, with "belts" given for mastery. Students will learn how to be his or her own critic - identifying when musical sounds or rhythms are not precise. To achieve precision, students will be taught how to review measures that are more difficult and not yet precise, until mastery is achieved. The structure of music will be taught such that students can identify when the musical patterns repeat, and when they change. Knowing the structure of the music will aid in learning to play the music with precision. Students will also learn to read musical notation; they will learn the relationship between different lengths of notes (fractions), and how these notes divide and complete a measure (adding fractions).
Language Arts Core Standards:
1) Speaking and Listening: Flexible communication and collaboration
2) Language: Effective use of new vocabulary
Students will be required to play both in small ensembles and with the entire class. They will also perform in front of the class and for larger audiences in the community. To play effectively in an ensemble, students must listen to the music around them. They must listen to each other, and adapt their own playing (sound and speed) to meet the needs of the larger group. Students will also learn to speak about music, using new musical vocabulary to communicate thoughts and meaning about the musical language.
There are additional academic benefits embedded in learning a musical instrument. Musical intelligence may be a new area of competence for a student, separate from abilities in other areas. Musical performance helps students gain self-confidence, particularly when performing in public or in front of friends. Learning to play the recorder provides a solid foundation for further musical competency. Fingerings on the recorder are similar to those on the flute, saxophone, clarinet, oboe, and bagpipes. Note reading skills are also applicable to string, brass, percussion, and piano.
In addition to classroom instruction, our school has a band (Klez Kids) for those who want additional development of ensemble and performance skills.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Taking a step back - I want to share some of the comments from teachers about our collaborative project building a Garden of Eden in the back of our building. As you can see from the comments, the teachers have already begun to use our sacred space. Sacred - because of how it was created, because how it looks, because it is outdoors in God's nature, and because of the opportunities it will now afford our students.
-- "I'm inspired to expose my own daughter to nature, now that I've had this experience."
-- "Nice team work! We were on the mulching team. "The Mulching Madams."
-- "Working on a small team was fun! Being part of the greater team was awesome!"
-- "I was humbled and inspired by the hard work and dedication of all. What a priviledge to be a part of this talented group of professionals."
-- "I was inspired to share a walk in the woods with my children (JCC pre-school students), together with the gansters (kindergarteners from Hebrew Day School)."
-- "It was great to learn some gardening/ecology skills. What immediate gratification for us all!"
-- "It was great to see how teams intermingled and pitched in wherever needed, with any task."
-- "It was amazing to see the overgrown paths transform into an accessible space, labeled and ready for kids!"
-- "I learned how to build a bird house."
-- "I learned that the more you do something, the better you get (referring to building a bird house)."
-- "We learned how to collaborate. Now I will have my kids (students) inventory the animals."
-- "How inspiring to see and experience the joining of hearts, minds, and souls in a glorious collaborative venture: the creation of the Garden of Eden!"
-- "(Digging) 2-3 feet holes! Oh my! Arbor to the sky!"
-- "It felt like Adam and Eve - working and watching over the land. L'Shomra U'l'ovdah!"
-- "More than words can say."
-- "Team work, great attitudes, physical labor, communicaton skills, camaraderie, feeling of accomplishment, and coming together to purchase a bench for our Garden."
-- "I had fun."
-- "I'm inspired to expose my own daughter to nature, now that I've had this experience."
-- "Nice team work! We were on the mulching team. "The Mulching Madams."
-- "Working on a small team was fun! Being part of the greater team was awesome!"
-- "I was humbled and inspired by the hard work and dedication of all. What a priviledge to be a part of this talented group of professionals."
-- "I was inspired to share a walk in the woods with my children (JCC pre-school students), together with the gansters (kindergarteners from Hebrew Day School)."
-- "It was great to learn some gardening/ecology skills. What immediate gratification for us all!"
-- "It was great to see how teams intermingled and pitched in wherever needed, with any task."
-- "It was amazing to see the overgrown paths transform into an accessible space, labeled and ready for kids!"
-- "I learned how to build a bird house."
-- "I learned that the more you do something, the better you get (referring to building a bird house)."
-- "We learned how to collaborate. Now I will have my kids (students) inventory the animals."
-- "How inspiring to see and experience the joining of hearts, minds, and souls in a glorious collaborative venture: the creation of the Garden of Eden!"
-- "(Digging) 2-3 feet holes! Oh my! Arbor to the sky!"
-- "It felt like Adam and Eve - working and watching over the land. L'Shomra U'l'ovdah!"
-- "More than words can say."
-- "Team work, great attitudes, physical labor, communicaton skills, camaraderie, feeling of accomplishment, and coming together to purchase a bench for our Garden."
-- "I had fun."
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