Setting Our Direction II

Setting Our Direction II AISI OCTOBER 2011

WELCOME • River Valley – Tyler Brooks • Cremona – Scott MacDonald • Delburne – John Ferguson & David Hope • Elnora – Jocelyn Pennock • HJ Cody – Dave Elwood • Sundre High

GOALS: • Connecting as a community of practice • Continuing to build our team • Feedback on the Quality Learning Environment model • Reflecting on your AISI work

Meeting your New Team

Quality Learning Environment: • To answer following questions related to the Quality Learning Environment document What is this? Who is this for? How will it be used? What does it mean? What is my role in this?

QUALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT • Part 1: Background Information • Part 2: The Core • Part 3: The 4 Key Components • Part 4: The Cultural Conditions

Part 1 Background Information

Mission & Vision • Great teachers and great school divisions get their core purpose right…they know why they exist… • Knowing where you are going and why you are going there is critically important…

Mission & Vision Statements • Motto confirmed- Where Students Come First • Mission - Chinook’s Edge School Division will engage everystudent in meaningful learning by challenging, encouraging and believing in them. • Vision - Chinook’s Edge School Division will be universally recognized as a collaborative learning community where learning is personalized for all students to achieve successas compassionate and innovative global citizens.

Key Questions for All of Us • Rick Stiggins would say that a student can hit any target that is clearly defined and stands still… • Does it stand to reason that we need to be abundantly clear about what a Quality Learning Environment looks like so that as teachers and instructional leaders we know what we are striving for?

Avoiding the Christmas Tree Effect What matters most? Multiple initiatives Lots of “activity” Lots of shiny distractions Focus on the big stuff and get it right – identify clear, simple principles at the heart of our work! Elegant simplicity ~ identify core ideas of what is important

If we believe that school improvement and student success in their learning depends on the quality of instruction in classrooms, then we need a conversation about effective instructional practices. • The catch is, how can we have in-depth conversations about effective instruction if we don’t share a common language? • To develop a common language, we need to identify – with your help and guidance – an instructional model that defines and provides a common language of effective classroom practice. Westerberg, 2009

Purpose ~ Quality Learning Environment • The teacher is our key focal point moving forward • Provide a common language about instruction • Provide clarity around what we are aiming for • Facilitate conversations around teaching and learning • Supporting the work of instructional leaders • Bring our mission and vision to life

Where did the data come from? • Board/admin retreat (March 2011) • Observations and conversations with schools related to AISI • Moving and Improving conversations – Learning Services and Student Services (May 2011) • Ongoing conversations with administrators and teachers • Provincial documents: Inspiring Action, Action on Inclusion, Action on Curriculum • Learning Services Coordinators (June 29, 2011) • ADCOS (August, 2011; Sept 2011) • COLT – (June 27; Aug 10, 2011) • Student Services (June 29, 2011; Sept 2011) • Teachers Matter (Sept 30, 2011)

Next Steps • Aug/Sept/October ADCOS • Teachers Matter Group • AISI Leaders input/feedback • Sp. Ed Liaison’s • School Staffs (Oct-Dec)

Part 1 Background Information LETS GET STARTED….

Part 1: Background Is the Background clear? • Why the QLE is being developed? • What is the QLE? • If you were to explain the QLE to your colleagues, does the background section assist you? • You can make notes on your personal placemat

TABLE DEBRIEF: • Go around the table….the most experienced person begins 1. Does the Background Section clearly explain: • The intent of the QLE document • Why it is being developed… • What it is… 2. What is missing or unclear in the Background section? 3. What questions do you have? • Listen for commonalities in the discussion – the least experience personwill record these on the GROUP PLACEMAT provided for your table.

Part 1: Background GROUP DEBRIEF

Relationships Improving learning for all students Student Engagement PART 2: THE CORE

Part 2: The Core ON YOUR OWN: THINK ABOUT: First Impressions? Suggestions? What doesn’t belong? What is missing? What is confusing? • Read pages 3 & 4 of the document (5minutes) • Record your reflections on your personal placemat

Part 2: The Core • WITH YOUR TABLE GROUP ~ DATA DUMP • Person #1 talks for 1 minute about their thoughts from page 3 • No one else gets to talk… • At the end of 1 minute, Person #2 shares their thoughts for 1 minute • Repeat until everyone has had a turn…remember…no blurting  • Once everyone has had a turn, an open conversation begins • Listen for themes • The person who drove the furthest records the commonalities on the group placemat

Part 2: The Core GROUP DEBRIEF

BREAK 15 MINUTES

Part 3 The 4 Key Components

Part 3: The 4 Key Elements • Select your chocolate bar • Go to the area that matches your chocolate bar • You will have approximately 15 minutes/station and then will rotate to the next one • You will end up at the station where you started for a summary conversation • Is the key component clear? • What should be added? Removed? • Implications of this element?

Return to table group • Discussion of the conversation you had: • Person with the shortest hair at your table records additional thoughts on the GROUP placemat.

Engaging through Learning Communities Culture of Literacy And Numeracy Part 4 Culture of Inclusion The Cultural Conditions Technology Embedded In Learning Research & Data Informed

Part 4: Cultural Conditions ON YOUR OWN: • Read page 2 of document • Agree with… • Disagree with… • I have a question about… • You can make notes on your personal placemat

TABLE DEBRIEF • Go around the table….the person who drove the furthest today begins • 3 rounds: (each person takes turn speaking) • What you agreed with? • What you disagreed with? • Questions? • Listen for commonalities in the discussion – the person who lives closest to Innisfailwill record these on the GROUP Placemat in the middle of your table

Part 4: Cultural Components GROUP DEBRIEF

Next Steps • August/Sept/Oct ADCOS • Teachers Matter Group • AISI Leaders input/feedback • Sp. Ed. Liaisons • School Staffs (Oct-Dec)

Next Steps & Thank You • Other Thoughts? • Email Lissa Steele: lsteele@chinooksedge.ab.ca • Wiki updates & processes: http://cesdqle.wikispaces.com

Looking at our Results: ON YOUR OWN: • You have an opportunity to look at another school’s APAR • We have created partner schools to do this

ON YOUR OWN, LOOK FOR (15 min): • What was surprising about the data in the APAR? • What evidence do you see that this project made a difference for students? • Does the data reflected in the APAR inform next steps? • What questions remain after reading this APAR? • What have you learned as a result of looking through this APAR that might influence your own work?

WITH YOUR PARTNER SCHOOL • Find a place to sit. • Share your answers to the questions • Leave your response sheet with your partner school for their own reflection once your conversation is complete

Levels

Wrap-Up

Setting Our Direction II