Relationships Challenging Academics 21st Century Skills
Random Thoughts....An
Affirmation
Megan
Jack shared the image below from the conference the Instructional Coaches are
attending in Denver, CO. As Megan shared information with me, her
learning from the Conference affirmed the same work we are committed to at West
Delaware High School. Understandable learning targets, descriptive
feedback, student developed goals, student self-reflection, and students
sharing out to others their learning are foundational components of what the
High School Building Plan is consists of. Each one of the above
characteristics can be seen in the 5 Attributes from Assessment for Learning
(AfL).
Major
kudos to each High School teacher for your work to dive deep into Assessment
for Learning (AfL) and focus on student centered learning!
Keeping Kids in the
Forefront
The past week, High
School students took an active role in their school. Student Focus
Groups, Mix It Up at Lunch, and Student State Leadership Conference are various
activities to help engage students in the culture and climate of the
building. Students actively engaged in the design of their learning makes
for students who have high expectations for their learning. Please
continue to reflect upon:
·Engaging
students in reflecting upon their learning and how they learning
·What assumptions
do we want to make about the appropriate way to teach?
·If we could do
anything we wanted to educate kids well, what would we be doing?
Technology Tip of the Week
Cybercriminals Can
Listen to Your Internet Activity. Always Use Encryption When Transmitting
Sensitive Information.
Any time you send or receive data, even thru a website, others may be able to
hijack and read this data. To protect yourself, use encrypted signals. Never
use a wireless connection that isn’t protected and only use websites that use
HTTPS when sending confidential information. Use a firewall and keep your
security protection on at all times for additional protection.
Relationships, Challenging Academics, 21st Century Skills
Random Thoughts...Preparing Students for the Future
Ten years ago, we had
pencil, paper and overhead projectors. Today, the 21st Century Classroom lets
us create a learning environment richer, more engaging, and more customized to
a given student's needs than ever before.
The 21st Century
Classroom involves more than just the latest technological devices. It is how
interactive technology, digital tools, the Internet, and a teacher armed with
the right knowledge combine to provide a learning environment that engages
today's students in learning.
·Engages the student and encourages collaboration
·Combine information and opportunities for learning
·Recognizing vast sources of information and knowledge on the
internet
·Skilled and professional teachers
From the U.S.
Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): A
rigorous high school program boosts the chances of success for both college
goers and students who do not attend college after high school. High school
graduates who don’t attend college are more successful later on if they’ve
taken high-level math courses and focused vocational training in high school.
Non-college goers did much better in the labor market if they had completed
high-level math and science courses; earned higher grades; completed multiple
vocational courses focusing on a specific labor market area, and obtained a
professional certification or license.
The
foundational piece in all of this is that the District has strong internal and
external stakeholder involvement and shared vision of learning.This is very important.Once we talk the same language, we can move
forward together.
Education across the
nation is realizing that learning should not just occur in the traditional
classroom.West Delaware is ahead of the
curve in this regard.Business and industry
will continue to be sought out in Delaware County to develop meaningful and positive learning experiences for
students.Schools, as a whole, need to
recognize the invaluable resources our communities provide.
Our challenge at West
Delaware is to bring all of this together.The High School Building Leadership Team (BLT) and individual teachers
are nurturing continuous improvement in instructional strategies and reflection
upon their practice.Ongoing work is focused
on developing assessments that are meaningful and
positive learning experience for students.
In November,
the BLT will meet to chart the High School’s course within the framework of the
District’s Vision.Using a “Branding
Process,” the BLT will craft strategies and principles for the High School to
use as we continue ahead.
Public WiFi Is Insecure. Do Not Use Banking Websites When On
Public WiFi.
On public WiFi, any data you transmit could potentially be viewed by someone
else. You should not transmit any personal, confidential or sensitive data when
you’re using a public connection. This includes banking activities, bill
paying, and anything else of a financial or private nature.
Relationships, Challenging Academics, 21st Century Skills
Random
Thoughts....Leadership 3.0
I had the good fortune to
attend Eric Sheninger's keynote address at the June 2013 Technology Integration
Conference (TIC) hosted by Keystone AEA. Eric is an award-winning
principal, best-selling author, and international keynote speaker. As I
considered Eric's message, he focused on a concept entitled "Leadership
3.0"
A section of my notes:
Definition of Leadership
3.0
● dynamic combination of mindset, behaviors, and skills that are employed to
change and/or enhances school culture through the assistance of technology
● establishing direction,
influencing other, and initiating sustainable change through the access to
information to establish relationships in order to anticipate changes pivotal
to schools success in the future
Pillars of Leadership 3.0
● communication
● public relations
● branding
● professional growth - organizational and individual
● opportunity
● engagement
● learning spaces and environments
● collaborate and share
As I reflected then and
think back upon now, I focus on the Pillars of Leadership 3.0. We are all
responsible for the 8 pillars listed whether it be the leadership teachers and
associates provide in the classroom to students or instructional coaches
provide to teachers through the TLC program. YOU ARE LEADERS OF YOUR CLASSROOM, ACTIVITY, AND SPORT.
Questions to reflect upon this week:
- How are you providing communication
to others outside of the classroom? To parents? To our community?
- How are you engaging
students in higher level, real world problems?
- How are you
collaborating and sharing your talents with your peers?
- How are you leveraging learning spaces and environments to develop 21st Century learners? (collaboration, connections, critical thinking, and communication)
Upcoming work to help us celebrate our successes and
appreciate our staff culture at West Delaware High School:
- Group outings: Investigate a staff outing to a Waterloo
Blackhawks game or the Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque in November.
- Traveling Trophy: Anonymous nomination to celebrate a
personal achievement or special moment in a staff member's life.
- Refreshments/Merriment: Food and fun before Professional
Development and at Staff Meetings.
HS Typology Activity Summary
Thank you to High School
teachers for completing the Typology Activity during our Back-To-School
meeting. There were many positive and interesting results from the
survey. Some highlights: (you may need to zoom in to read all text)
The BLT will now analyze
this data and select themes to focus on as we work towards meeting our District's
Vision and Mission Statement.
Attendance Phone Calls
Beginning October 6th, all
school buildings will be using the automated calling system to notify parents
that their child is absent from school. Currently, a secretary calls each
family individually for each student that is absent from school without parent
notification. This can take a significant amount of time.
We would like to be more
timely and efficient with our notification. In order to do this we will be
using our automated message system. If a student’s teacher has marked a student
absent and we have not received parent notification, we will send an automated
message by phone, email, and text to the parent(s). These messages can be sent
in minutes and will ensure that parents are notified of their child’s absence
earlier in the morning.
If a parent receives one of
these messages, they can contact the attendance office in the child’s school to
let them know why the child is absent that day. To avoid these messages,
parents can contact the child’s school before 8:15 am to let them know that the
child will be absent.
Technology Tip of the Week When You Need to Send or Receive Sensitive Information over
the Internet with Your Browser, Be Sure the Connection Is Protected by Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) Encryption.
Look for HTTPS:// before the address of the website and a padlock icon in the
web address bar. If the connection only shows HTTP:// (without the S), then the
connection cannot be trusted and the data will be sent unencrypted, exposing it
to potential attackers.
Relationships, Challenging
Academics, 21st Century Skills
Telling the West Delaware
Story...
As I discussed at our
back to school meeting, we need to share our story to our community.
We are too "Iowa Nice" at times. I find hidden gems everyday at
West Delaware which I stumble upon. As the saying goes, "If we don't
share our story, someone else will." If we tell our story first - we
control the story - not others.
This is evident just this week in an article from the Des Moines Register "Should Des Moines get rid of its dams?" People are noticing the high quality of life in Northeast Iowa, specifically Manchester. When you add stellar educational programming with high quality of life and job openings, families are more likely to select a community to raise a family.
This is critical as we
seek to continue to provide opportunities to our students that will engage, inspire and
empower students for their future. It has been said that
"its not bragging if its true." As WD staff, spread the
positive culture you have developed, showcase the talents you constantly refine, and reap the benefits of your hard work.
West Delaware High School
was one of the first 32 high schools to register for the 2015 Healthiest State
Walk and we have been entered into the #MascotWalk challenge! If victorious,
WD can win $1000 to improve our school.
Here’s how it works:
32 schools will be put in
a bracket and go head-to-head until one school remains. The bracket will be
found on the Healthiest State Facebook page starting September 7:
www.facebook.com/HealthiestIowa
Anyone with a Facebook
account and over the age of 14 can vote for their favorite high school mascot
on Facebook. Voting will occur weekly starting on Monday, September 7, at 8
a.m. The schools with the most votes that week will move on. Winners will be
announced every Monday morning and the final winner will be announced by
Friday, October 9. (The voting will officially end at 11:59 a.m. on October 7).
If awarded,
West Delaware would utilize the funds equally across the 3 attendance centers
for healthy lifestyle activities.
Hawk Time - The Harbor
The following dates will
be used for "The Harbor" during Hawk Time.
October 6
November 3
December 1
January 19
February 16
April 5
May 3
Videos and classroom discussion will be sent out the week before the dates listed above.
Challenging Academics
Building Goal
Reminder: the
following is the process of working towards implementation of the Assessment
for Learning attributes.
Term 1 (2015-16):
- Complete Data Focus
Protocol in department PLC's during Early Out Wednesdays.
Term 2 (2015-16):
- Based on data analysis
from Data Focus Protocol in Term 1, select 1 attribute from Assessment for
Learning (AfL).
Assessment for Learning (Afl) Attributes:
·Learning
Intentions
·Elicit
Evidence/Instructional Modifications
·Descriptive
Feedback
·Self and Peer
Assessment
·Collaborative
Classroom Climate IMPORTANT: MORE INFORMATION ON THE ATTRIBUTES CAN BE FOUND HERE: LINK
- Model Teachers will be
selected based on Assessment for Learning (AfL) attributes
- Once the Data Focus
Protocol has been analyzed and attribute selected, teachers will observe Model
Teachers. Teachers will implement attribute in their classroom, complete
a written reflection, and be observed by administrator.
- Complete a new Data Focus
Protocol in Department PLC's during Early Out Wednesdays
Term 3 (2015-16):
- Based on data analysis from Data Focus Protocol in Term 2, select 1 new
attribute from Assessment for Learning (AfL).
- Teachers will observe Model Teachers. Teachers will implement attribute
in their classroom, complete a written reflection, and be observed by
administrator.
- Complete a new Data Focus Protocol in Department PLC's during Early Out
Wednesdays
Term 4 (2015-16):
- Based on data analysis from Data Focus Protocol in Term 3, select 1 new
attribute from Assessment for Learning (AfL).
- Teachers will observe Model Teachers. Teachers will implement attribute
in their classroom, complete a written reflection, and be observed by
administrator.
- Complete a new Data Focus Protocol in Department PLC's during Early Out
Wednesdays
Term 1 (2016-17):
- Based on data analysis from Data Focus Protocol in Term 4, select 1 new
attribute from Assessment for Learning (AfL).
- Teachers will observe Model Teachers. Teachers will implement attribute
in their classroom, complete a written reflection, and be observed by
administrator.
- Complete a new Data Focus Protocol in Department PLC's during Early Out
Wednesdays
Term 2 (2016-17):
- Based on data analysis from Data Focus Protocol in Term 1, select the last
attribute from Assessment for Learning (AfL).
- Teachers will observe Model Teachers. Teachers will implement attribute
in their classroom, complete a written reflection, and be observed by
administrator.
- Complete a new Data Focus Protocol in Department PLC's during Early Out
Wednesdays
Technology Tip of the
Week
Social Media Is
Viewable By Anyone. Do Not Post Anything Regarding The Organization Without
Prior Consent.
Social media can be seen by anyone even if your account is private; anything
you post could be shared on the Internet and it cannot be deleted once others
have begun sharing it. You should get written permission before you post
anything online about a coworker, colleague, client, or anyone else attached to
your organization.
