Analyzing Texts: “Text Talk Time”

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

Teaching Channel recently posted this video in which the teacher facilitates a conversation around a careful analysis of a text. In “Text Talk Time,” children drive the discussion and answer their peers’ questions. Ms. Brewer, the teacher in the video, also describes specific protocols to increase the fluidity of the conversation.

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ELA Text Exemplars

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

North Carolina has put together the following document that links ELA text exemplars, listed in Appendix B, to their full text on the Internet (here).  Note, however, that the suggested texts are not a reading list. Instead they serve as models of what is considered complex for each grade span.

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Washoe Starts the 6th Grade Basal Alignment Project

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

Under the stewardship of staff from Curriculum & Instruction and the Striving Readers Grant, Washoe County has started a 6th grade version of the Basal Alignment Project. The process is just beginning with a completion date of December 2012 having been set.

In the short term, as we wait for the rewrites to be finished, educators should continue to emphasize the importance of asking questions that are text-based and requiring responses that include evidence.

You can access the 6th grade BAP by following these directions and using code 4k33tz.

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Materials used in Shift 1 Presentation September 12, 2012

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

A number of Washoe educators gathered to explore Shift 1—the importance of building general content knowledge.  The discussions focused on a presentation by Robert Pondiscio, Vice President of Core Knowledge (Part I & Part II), and a review of a MetaMetrics study. (We watched from 0:45 to 4:30.)

Below are the other pieces shared.

CK Graphic Organizer

Continue reading →

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Core Shift Blast: Shifting with the BAP

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

The Core Shift Blast was emailed this morning.  You can subscribe to it by emailing Torrey Palmer at TFPalmer@washoeschools.net. You can retrieve previous blasts by clicking here.

This week the primary focus is on the Basal Alignment Project (BAP). A reader will learn how to access the BAP and the value of the professional development that goes with it.  Erin Dawson describes using a BAP resource in her classroom and Torrey addresses frequently asked questions. You can download this week’s blast here.

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NCTQ and the BAP

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

The National Council on Teacher Quality posted on the Basal Alignment Project this week. Rob Rickenbrode, writing for the NCTQ describes, the BAP as an “innovative and elegant workaround to the problem” of having basal materials not aligned to the CCSS. You can read the entire entry here.

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Setting Priorities for Common Core Implementation–ELA

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

The following resource (here), created by the Santa Barbara County Education Office, was adapted from presentation materials shared at the August WestEd conference. It includes priorities for ELA implementation, introductory resources, and links to modules and videos

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Quick Guide to the Common Core

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

Tom Vander Ark, vice president of product development at Curriculum Associates, has created a “quick guide” to the Common Core. It serves as a succinct overview of what we need to do as we implement the CCSS.

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Presentation materials from 9/7 before IS’s

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

On Friday, K-6 ELA staff from C&I focused on “Aligning Literacy Instruction to the CCSS.” They looked at Learning Outcomes outlined in the standards, current PL and PD offerings from C&I, and reviewed the Basal Alignment Project. Below are the resources shared during the presentation.

September 7th PowerPoint

Aligning Literacy Instruction to the CCSS handout

Continue reading →

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America Achieves Films in Reno

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Aaron Grossman

As some of you may already know, America Achieves was in Reno to film Washoe educators describing their experience with the Core Task Project and the Close Reading Strategy. The video will likely be posted in February and other districts will be able to see how educators in our community are implementing the CCSS.

America Achieves is a nonprofit working to support large-scale initiatives that promote educational outcomes for young people. If you choose to visit their website, you can view classroom teachers implementing CCSS aligned lessons. You can also download these lessons. Registration, although free, is required.

Teachers participating in the filming included: Tierney Cahill, Tamara McCollum, Connie Fraser, Peter Cobin, Kim Price, and Jodie Westmont.

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