Part II - Chapters 4-5

Chapter 4 - "The Voices and Hearts of Youth"

In Chapter 4 we read about the importance of the student/teacher relationship.  Teachers are advocates for their students, and they need to build on student's belief systems to raise achievement (pg 85).  How do we, as elementary school teachers keep the excitement and willingness to learn alive throughout their time with us, and as they move onto middle school?

Chapter 5 - "Empowering students and Teachers Through Performance-Based Assessment"

In this chapter there was a strong argument for Performance-Based Assessment.  This type of assessment levels the playing field for all students and creates more meaningful learning and engagement.

As our state testing comes up, what are your thoughts on high-stakes standardized tests vs performance-based assessment tasks?  What other questions would you want answered about these PBATs? 

This chapter also dove into the role of discussion in a classroom, and how this discussion helps PBATs.  As you think about what you read about discussion, think about the Habits of Discussion we use at our school.  What are we doing that is confirmed or challenged in chapter 5?

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As you respond to this post, write about something that resonated with you in one, or both, of these chapters.  Answer some of the questions posed above, or bring up your own ideas based on what you felt was important in this reading.  What did you feel?

Part II - Chapter 3: Building a School of Opportunity Begins with Detracking

In Chapter 3 we learned about the success schools has once they detracked. 

"Although everyone may not get high scores, students can learn far more in detracked classes with challenging and interesting curricula than they can when they are isolated in the low-track class, with low expecations." (page 68)

The detracking successes in this chapter were shown in middle and high schools where schools got rid of the lowest track first, then accelerated all students gradually.

Questions to think about:

• How does tracking, or detracking, fit into an elementary school?  
• How does detracking support equity?
• Do you agree that students will learn more in detracked classes even if they are not getting high scores?
• What supports would our school and our teachers need in order to detrack? 

Choose 1-2 questions to respond to, or explain how your heart reacted when you read about detracking.  

Part 1: For Every Student (Chapters 1-2)

In Part 1 we learned about a school that made some big changes, and then saw their failures turn to successes.  We also read about what it takes to have "Whole System Change."  When responding this week think about any parallels you saw between Brockton High School and our school, or our district. Do you see any of the "components of success" for "whole system change" in our school? What do these parallels make you think or feel?

OR,

What stuck out for you?  Use the "Book-Head-Heart" strategy to share what you were thinking and feeling as you read Part 1.

Excellence Through Equity - Introduction

In the introduction the authors listed many arguments for equity and arguments for inequity.  Have you heard any of these in our district, our school, or our community that would help or hinder creating an equitable school?

The authors also called for teachers to have courage to follow a new paradigm.  This new paradigm comes from three areas of research:
1. child development
2. neuroscience
3. environmental influences on child development and learning.

What stuck out for you in regard to this new paradigm?  How does this shift make you react?