Supporting Classroom Instruction - Growth Mindset with the Towers of Hanoi

As part of an effort to support a growth mindset in our classroom, Andrew Protz and I started today's Modern World History class with a game, The Towers of Hanoi. Included in the resources from Learning and the Adolescent Mind by The Charles A Dana Center at UT Austin, this puzzle encouraged students to engage in a productive struggle. Innovations' scholars were soon adding rings to their towers, seeing how few moves they could solve the puzzle in, and helping one another to complete each tower. It was a wonderful way to frame a discussion around the importance of learning from mistakes and the power of persistence.

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'Focusing on the Core for All' - Session 1 for Science

Options Area science educators gathered this morning for their first session of 'Focusing on the Core for All' , the Options NVACS professional learning cycle for the 2015-2016 school year. This group includes teachers from Options Area schools, Implementation Specialists from MTSS and Student Support Services departments, Student Support Services area administrators, and Options Area school site principals, each of whom has chosen a content focus for the year (English Language Arts, History-Social Studies, Science, or Mathematics). The professional learning cycle for this year builds on that of past years (namely, the High School Core Task Project and Shifting Instruction to the Core ) and is focused on supporting teachers, implementation specialists, and administrators in the Options Area to expand and deepen alignment of instruction, materials, and programs Common Core Standards and Instructional Shifts so that all students are prepared for college and career.

Shifting Instruction to the Core, ELA Session II: Writing to Sources

English Language Arts teachers and their administrators gathered this morning for the second session of Shifting Instruction to the Core. Participants continued their focus Instructional Shift 2 and Core Action 2 from their previous session , this time with an emphasis on writing to sources. The session included a reflection on teacher's classroom use of Keep It or Junk It , a review of Core Action Two and Argumentative Writing, a careful annotation of "The Writing Revolution" , engagement in a lesson model for ranking evidence, and time to apply the lesson to their future lessons. Materials for the session are linked below. Presentation deck in PDF Reflection Note Taker College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing ELA Writing Standards Grades 9-10 Instructional Practice Guides for ELA/Literacy ELA/Literacy Instructional Shifts Excerpted copy of "The Writing Revolution" Annotation Guide : Annotating for Claim-Reasoning-Evidence

The Importance of Curriculum, Part One

I have curriculum on the brain this summer. Most of my current work is focused on curriculum; reviewing it, curating it, or exploring it in some way. Simultaneously, there is an increasing amount of scholarship in the field on the importance of curriculum. Much of this work answers the questions; does curriculum really matter? And if it does, what can we do about it? Educators in the field, academics, publishers and supportive organizations are recognizing that quality curricular materials can support equity in our schools, be a significant force for reform, and act as a key ingredient in high performing classrooms. Of recent note is the Aspen Institute's report, "Practice What You Teach" , which provides relevant research, profiles of curricular implementation, and key recommendations. EducationNext has a great post by Chester Finn titled " Education Becomes a Reform Strategy ". The latest research report by StandardWork, " Curriculum Research: What We K

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