Monthly Archives: September 2012

What is Close Reading?

What is Close Reading? Answer here.

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Jessie Beck and Bud Beasley Train on the BAP

Today, Jessie Beck and Bud Beasley Elementary trained on the Basal Alignment Project. Listed below are the resources used for the training as well as other materials referenced during the session. Training Materials BAP Training PowerPoint updated Pictorial Guide to accessing … Continue reading

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The Brain on Close Reading

Those of you who are employing the close reading strategy in your classroom may find this Standford news article interesting (here).  Researches are demonstrating that close reading increases neural activity and “how cognition is shaped not just by what we … Continue reading

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Core Shift Blast September 25, 2012

The Core Shift Blast was sent today and it includes an excellent overview of the Basal Alignment Project and the Core Task Project. Corrin Cathcart, a fifth grade teacher at Brown Elementary, describes her experience with the BAP rewrites and … Continue reading

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Common Core in the Classroom

Education Nation is in full swing on NBC. A panel was convened and a lengthy discussion on “Common Core in the Classroom” was shared. Panelists included Monica Sims with America Achieves, Dr. John Deasey, superintendent of LA Unified, and David … Continue reading

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“Instructional Shifts for Making ‘Fewer, Clearer, and Higher’ A Reality”

Susan Gendron from the International Center for Leadership in Education has posted the following PowerPoint describing the “instructional shifts” and some context, useful links, and helpful qualifiers for these moves. Gendron currently serves as the Policy Coordinator for the SMARTER … Continue reading

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Communications Leaders Meeting September 18, 2012

Washoe’s K-6 Communication Leaders attended their first ELA meeting and learned what efforts are being supported to align literacy instruction to the Common Core State Standards. Areas of emphasis included the Basal Alignment Project, the Core Task Project, and the Close … Continue reading

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School Librarians Work with the CCSS, September 17 2012

Librarians, at the WCSD Library Services K-12 Meeting, reviewed the “instructional shifts,” the importance of text complexity, and brainstormed non-fiction titles worth reading. Below are the resources used in the presentation. ELA ‘Shifts’ and the School Librarian PowerPoint Notetaker for … Continue reading

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Assistant Principals and Deans A&S Meeting, September 17 2012

District Assistant Principals and Deans gathered Monday to learn more about specific initiatives. Included was a short K-6 session on “Aligning “Literacy Instruction to the CCSS.” A&S Aligning Literacy Instruction PowerPoint Aligning Literacy Instruction to the CCSS Handout Messaging and … Continue reading

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Parenting Magazine and the CCSS

Parenting Magazine weighs in on how caregivers can bring the Common Core into the home with these tips. Read books to children that are ‘worth reading’ Ask children text-based questions and encourage them to cite evidence in their responses Push … Continue reading

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