Doubling the Number of Teachers for Common Assignment Study

 By:  Renee Boss

As we near the end of the 2013-2014 academic calendar year, we are excited to announce that we will double the number of Kentucky teachers participating in the Common Assignment Study, a collaborative research study in which Kentucky and Colorado teachers create units of study for their students.  The expansion of our project comes on the heels of teachers and students wrapping up the second common unit this semester.  In addition to increasing the number of Kentucky and Colorado who participate, year 2 of the research study will involve teachers taking more of a leadership role in facilitating their colleague work groups during the summer workshops and throughout the 2014-2015 school year for ongoing face-to-face and virtual meetings.

Virtual and face-to-face meetings this school year allowed 22 teachers from Fayette and Kenton counties to collaborate with 22 teachers from Colorado.  The Common Core State Standards (known in Kentucky as the Kentucky Core Academic Standards and in Colorado as the Colorado Academic Standards) provided teachers a common set of standards to plan units of study for students in both states.  The goal is to engage students using essential questions and a thematic focus based on the Understanding by Design Framework for developing units of study.  Embedded within these units are Literacy Design Collaborative modules and other performance based assessments providing students an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the content and skills targeted for each unit.

Moving forward an additional 24 teachers from each state will join their colleagues in revising the units of study created this year.  This summer teachers from Washington, Simpson, and Fleming Counites will join Fayette and Kenton County teachers and teachers from multiple districts in Colorado for summer workshops hosted here in Kentucky.  The workshops will be co-facilitated by Kentucky and Colorado teachers and will include teachers analyzing samples of student work and making decisions about adjustments needed for the instructional units before they are taught again.

The collaboration between states allows Kentucky teachers and students to be connected based on the content they are learning and the skills they are acquiring. The crux of this project is teachers leading the work because this is the only way we will sustain and expand it in our states.  While the research study itself will end in the summer of 2016, the work in our states will continue to evolve and expand based on the needs of students in Kentucky and in Colorado. 

Common Assignment Study Gears Up for Second Semester

 By:  Renee Boss

We are one semester into our Common Assignment Study, and this means Kentucky and Colorado teachers have implemented one common unit in each of six subject/grade groups, have reflected upon what worked and what didn't, have analyzed student work, and have designed new units of study based on these learnings.   When we last wrote about our work, we were just beginning the implementation of the fall units, and now we are preparing for new units of study that will be taught during the spring semester, and we are also discussing how our work might expand during 2014-2015.

 For the past six months, Kentucky and Colorado teachers have demonstrated dedication, perseverance, and effectiveness.  Teachers regularly devoted Sunday afternoons or weeknights after teaching all day for conference calls, webinars, and Google Hangouts to collaborate on unit revisions and to share ideas about what was working during unit implementation and what wasn't.  Teachers also utilized social media via Twitter, and the CAS online platform to share ideas, communicate, and to encourage one another. You can read more about the fall units the teachers implemented by visiting this link.

Loveland, Colorado

After months of virtual collaboration, the Kentucky and Colorado groups were reunited in Colorado last week when the Colorado Legacy Foundation and the Thompson Public Schools district hosted workshops for us in their beautiful facilities in Loveland, Colorado.  Days full of collaboration and hard work yielded great results.  Check out our workshop hashtag if you want to follow some of the group dynamics and ups and downs of our week on Twitter at #casconvene. You can also read a personal account of the week by visiting here.

A few hints of what's coming this spring...

• Students in middle school science will design roller coasters.
• Students in middle school social studies will explore Westward Expansion.
• Students in high school science will explore human impact on biodiversity.
• Students in high school English language arts will argue the impact of social media on language.

The above are only hints not complete unit explanations because we want to allow the teachers some time and space for implementation,  but rest assured all units are designed using UbD frameworks and are thoughtful about how to engage students in learning.

While it's too early to communicate any research findings, we can certainly share that an overall impression of the work is that collaboration is tough, but productive struggle makes it worth it when we see improved student work and learning.

Middle School Social Studies teachers from both states

By: Karen Handlos

I just attended an amazing convening in Phoenix, Arizona; the Teacher Voice Convening. The convening only lasted a couple of days but was filled with over 150 educators from across nine different states sharing their stories and learning from others about the positive impact that the Common Core State Standards have and are making on their students.

One teacher’s story really stuck out to me. The teacher is a special education teacher and one of her former students had come to her not knowing how to read. The child’s parent spoke with the teacher and shared that her child was too low functioning and reading would never be a possibility. The teacher decided not to focus on what she was told the student could not do but to find out for herself what the student could do. The teacher believed that all students, despite disabilities, should have equal opportunities for education and that is exactly the kind of learning environment that she provided for this student. She persevered and challenged her student beyond her current capabilities and by the end of the year the student was reading and doing math problems. Had the teacher sat back and accepted the student as she was she never would seen this transformation and the student would still be low functioning and not reading.

Teachers have a powerful voice and position in the lives of their students. They can elevate the teaching profession by challenging their students to new heights and transforming their instructional practices to meet their students’ needs in ways that far surpass the status quo. I challenge all teachers to set the bar high and to work with your students so they may be able to compete in the global economy and allow their dreams for the future to come true!!

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry Brooks Adams

Kentucky Connected Educator Day 17

Jana Bryant

Hope Street Group Fellow

Daviess County Schools

In what way(s) are you a connected educator?

I participate in Math Design Collaborative, National Science and Math Institute (Advance Ky), National Board Certified, KEA, twitter, smartbriefs from NBCT, Edweek, NCTM, ASCD; Hope Street KY Fellow, Student Achievement Partners - Common Core Advocate, watch webinars, edutopia, TED talks
.

How does being connected impact your practice ?

I immediately have exemplars in the field that I can reach out to and get advice.  Shout out on twitter can answer your questions immediately Having "good housekeeping seal of approval" best sites to always trust works best.  Cruising the internet has become too complicated sometimes to find high quality material. 


Give an example of how does being connected impacts you as a professional?

My teaching practice has become so enriched.  Reading articles about current topics inspires and motivates.  Helps me find solutions.


What advise would you give someone just starting to get connected?

Smart Briefs are very informative; find one for your subject area.
I really enjoy reading items on twitter.


Jana Bryant is the Math Staff Developer for Daviess County Public Schools in Owensboro, KY. Over the last twenty years, she has taught mathematics in grades 5 through 12 and at the post-secondary level. During the 2012-2013 school year, Jana facilitated a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to scale the Math Design Collaborative (MDC) work for grades 6-12 within the district. She will continue to design training sessions for math teachers and provide support through the modeling of the MDC Formative Assessment Lessons and the assessment for learning strategies. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Master’s in Mathematics Education from Western Kentucky University. Jana is also a National Board Certified Teacher in Adults and Youth Adolescence in Mathematics. Jana co-created and authored several Student Organizer titles for Pearson. She assists with grant writing for the Daviess County Schools Foundation, serves as a Common Core Advocate, works as an adjunct instructor, and is actively involved in school and community partnerships.