How “Integration” Makes these Standards Different

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

Common Core State Standards work team member and CEO of www.textproject.org Dr. Elfrieda Hiebert takes two minutes, in the video here, to address the integration of CCSS into classroom practice. She describes a key difference between the CCSS and state standards as being the integration of language processes into writing, reading, and speaking about what students are learning.

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Multiple Texts with Close Reading

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

Dr. Timothy Shanahan responds to a teacher’s question about using multiple texts with the close reading method (here) He notes that once you have read a text closely “then it is perfectly reasonable to wonder about how this work connects to other universes.” Shanahan’s post is especially timely after PARCC announced the release of sample items (here).

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Instructional Practice Guides

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

As part of their professional development launch in K-5, educators in San Lorenzo were introduced to the Instructional Practice Guides (PowerPoint here). You can download the guides here.

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August 16th “Blue Friday”

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

The PowerPoint for the August 16th Blue Friday K-6 ELA presentation can be found here. The short session included a review of the August 8th PD Launch and a discussion about an exchange between College Board President David Coleman and ACT President Jon Whitmore.  The video of Coleman and Whitmore discussing the future of assessment is linked in the PowerPoint.

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iTunes University CCSS Course Series

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

The Council of Chief State School Officers has created a series of iTunes University courses to prepare educators for the Common Core and the necessary instructional shifts. The courses provide experiences with critical outcomes and provide “classroom-ready resources.” You can find each course at the links below.

CCSS for Teachers: ELA/Lit Shifts (K-2)

CCSS for Teachers: ELA/Lit Shifts (3-5)

CCSS for Teachers: ELA/Lit Shifts (6-8)

CCSS for Teachers: ELA/Lit Shifts (9-12)

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Access to Common Core Edmodo Groups

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

Access to 11 popular Edmodo groups can be gained by using the links and codes in a document linked here. The groups include the social studies units and social studies close reading examples; SAP’s Basal Alignment Project and Anthology Alignment Project; Washoe’s 6th Grade Basal Alignment Project; Leading the Core—a group for principals and instructional leaders; Professional Development Modules and Sessions; and a folder of close reading exemplars.

As new groups that support CCSS implementation are created, they will be added to the Edmodo document. As links are changed, they will be modified in the document. Note that the links require you to “request.” (This is  a feature of locked Edmodo groups.)

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Teaching Annotation

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

Annotation seems to be a popular subject judging from the email I received asking for direction with this instructional approach. The following might help.

In an article that appeared in The Reading Teacher, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey describe a scope and sequence for annotation in grades kindergarten through 6th grade.  You can read the entire article here or simply skip to page 186 to see their suggested grade level expectations.

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‘How to Annotate’

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

A popular request from the Instructional Practice Guide session were the annotations posters featured in the intermediate grade video (here). Although we do not have copies of the posters, we did capture images of the posters and have posted them below. (To download, simply click on the image.)

AnnotationsAnnotate, How to

Sara Winnemucca Elementary created a Vertical Alignment of Text Annotations from kindergarten through 6th grade that you can find here.

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2013-2014 Professional Development ‘Sessions’

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

Washoe’s elementary teachers worked through a number of Common Core sessions as part of the district’s professional development launch. The sessions, all of which can be accessed on Edmodo (group link here) include content to connect to CCSS in the following areas: ELLs, SBAC, Instructional Practice Guides, 21st Century learning, Basal Alignment Project, formative assessment practices, social emotional learning, text complexity, coherent body of knowledge and writing from sources.

Each session, which includes PowerPoints, facilitator guides, and instructional resources were built so that any educator could move through the content. The keynote, by national speaker Sandra Alberti, and closing by Pedro Martinez are on Youtube and can be accessed here and here respectively.

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More Social Studies Close Reading Examples Added

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

Our Social Studies Coordinators have added an additional 6th Grade Close Reading Folder to Edmodo. Presently, it includes Close Readings on Hammurabi’s Code, Spartan Families, and the Iliad. Teachers will be adding close readings to this folder throughout the school year.

Here are the most up to date codes and links for SS Edmodo material:

Elementary Units:  ffxhnf or link

Close Reads (Grades 6-12):  182aau or Link

Regretfully the codes will expire so make sure to sign up in the next 10 days before they do.

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