"To learn with passionate intensity, young children need models. They need teachers who are avid learners." — Ellin Keene

The Professional Learning Program exists to provide opportunities for all of us to be learners and to improve our practice with one mission in mind: to improve the student experience.

Professional Learning Day, November 6, 2012

• Report to the School Committee by Deborah Bookis

PowerPoints for APS Staff

• "Supervision and Evaluation Framework A" by John D'Auria
• "Supervision and Evaluation Framework B" by John D'Auria

PowerPoint for AB Staff

• "Growth Mindset" by John D'Auria

PowerPoints for Paraprofessionals

• "Professional Responsibilities Training for Paraprofessionals" by Liza Huber
• "Facilitating Learning and Compliance: A Guide for Classroom Aides" by Charles Brown
• "The Teaching Assistant: Roles and Responsibilities" by Sally Smith and Mary Koert

Summer 2012

Reading Workshop led by Kathy Collins

Kathy Collins worked with Lucy Calkins at Columbia Teachers College in the Writing Project and the Reading Project and continues to teach at Columbia's Summer Institutes.

This past year, Sharon Ryan, APS Reading Specialist at McCarthy-Towne, facilitated a Book Study for Kathy's book, entitled Growing Readers.

Much to everyone's delight, Kathy made a special visit during the book discussion!

This summer, Kathy provided an overview of the Reading Workshop on two separate occasions: June 28th and 29th for educators of grades K-2 and July 12th and 13th for grades 3-6. She discussed the following topics:

• Overview of Balanced Literacy Framework—What is the context in which reading workshop is most successful?
• Scanning the Environment—What are the classroom conditions necessary for children to thrive in reading workshop?
• Close-up on Reading Workshop—What are some common structures, management tricks, and helpful tips that enable reading workshops to run smoothly?
• Focus on Best Practices for Instruction—What are research-based techniques for teaching in an effective, efficient, differentiated way?

• Mini-lessons—How can we make whole group instruction helpful to ALL learners?
• Conferring—How can we make the most of our one-to-one time with readers AND get to as many readers as possible?
• Small-Group Instruction—What are some kinds of small group instruction and WHEN do they fit into reading time?
• Read Aloud with Accountable Talk—Why is this component of balanced literacy so vital to reading workshop and how can we make the most of it?
• Talk and Comprehension—How can we get even our youngest learners to talk well and think deeply about their books?
• Reading Partnerships—How do we set up partnerships in our classrooms that support readers and improve engagement?

Over 55 educators participated, including classroom teachers, special educators, reading specialists, classroom assistants, assistant principals, and principals.

Next summer, July 8th-11th, we plan (it's still tentative until we can sign a contract, but we've reserved the dates) to bring Columbia Teacher's College to Acton to facilitate a Growing Readers Home Grown Institute. We are also hopeful that we can get Kathy back to be one of the facilitators.

Below are quotes from educators articulating how Kathy's workshop will impact their teaching of reading:

• I understand how all the components of a Balanced Literacy Program fit together. I'll be spending the summer reorganizing my Literacy block.
• I learned how to balance guided reading and conferring with individual students
• Now I know how to group students and teach them how to have deeper conversations about their books.
• I will definitely try strategy groups in addition to guided reading.
• I have a better approach to meeting with more students in a day.
• I learned how to involve students in developing reading logs that are meaningful.

Research and Development

This summer, over 80 educators worked collaboratively on over 37 Research and Development Projects to create curriculum from creating Differentiated Reading Units to Support Guided Reading to Developing Resources to Teach Website Evaluation and Citation and Redesigning AP Biology to Meet the New College Board Frameworks.

Research and Development (R&D) projects are intended to substantively advance current practice. All approved proposals incorporated the following components and thoroughly addressed the embedded questions:

• Fills a Need Not Currently Met: What problem or need in current practice does this proposal address? How will your R & D rectify this problem?
• Promotes New Perspectives or Approaches: How does your proposal incorporate new thinking?
• Impact Beyond One Classroom/Teacher: With whom and how will you share what you produce?
• Has a Clearly Defined Product: What will you produce?
• Evaluation: What measures will be used to evaluate the success of your project?

Protocols

Protocols are structured ways (procedures and criteria) to work and communicate that promote adult growth and are directly linked to student learning. They promote meaningful and efficient communication, problem solving and learning. Protocols give time for active listening and reflection so that all voices in the group are heard and honored.

This summer, two 3-day workshops were held for 28 staff members. Four of our own educators and administrators, those who were trained last fall during a five-day training session, led these sessions.

Conflict Resolution

A three-day training was held for staff members interested in expanding their skills in addressing various types of conflicts. Managing conflicts and disagreements and having difficult conversations are an important component of our work as educators. The goal of this training was to develop strategies, tools, and language to help participants engage successfully in different situations. Metropolitan Mediation Services (MMS), an organization that has offered mediation services in the Greater Boston area since 1984, facilitated the training. MMS provides mediation services to businesses, government agencies, schools, courts, social service agencies, and individuals from Greater Boston neighborhoods and families. They also provide conflict resolution training to business people, attorneys, judges, mental health professionals, and educators, among many others

Lion Training (no, not that kind!)

All APS educators received training on the new "Lion" operating system.

6 Traits Writing

The 6 Traits is a writing model that provides a shared vocabulary and vision for developing the qualities of good writing. By using a common language for writing assessment, teachers provide students with clear, accurate and usable feedback. This model can be used with any and all writing programs that are presently used in the districts. It is also applicable to every content area and grade level.