Author: mrkobot

102 REVIEW, 2017-3-19: MOSL AND MOTP

Posted on by mrkobot in Principal's Blog

Your end-of-year rating from NYCDOE depends on two components, Measure of Student Learning (MOSL aka test scores) and Measure of Teacher Practice (MOTP aka Danielson Framework). Here are some information and thoughts:

MOSL UPDATE 3/20

Tomorrow we’ll meet in the auditorium at 3PM to go through some information about the 102 state test process. After that, we’ll share some information regarding the city’s new way of using test scores in teacher ratings, and we’ll do our best to clarify and answer your questions.

A WORD ON MOTP

Don’t let the Danielson Framework and our City’s ADVANCE observation process distract you from doing the things you know work. DF is hardly a cure-all, and it’s actually not hard to make the case that using it to measure teacher practice is actually making some teachers less effective. It compartmentalizes instruction and reduces a dynamic, complex, and distinctly inter-human process into a checklist of actions to be counted, noted, and quantified, and we all know instruction is so much more about the sum than its many parts.

Imagine what’d happen if we judged other types of artists using the same logic: that to judge the quality of a painting, we simply count how many colors were used, how many shapes are included, and whether the canvas meets the minimum size requirement. And then ignore the feelings and interpretations these paintings can evoke for different viewers–because they are impossible to standardize–even though they were probably the reasons why the painting was made in the first place.

Good instruction is not about how many times we do turn and talks, ask students to show thumbs up or thumbs down, or by asking endless open-ended questions with little regard to student abilities or the learning objective. Good instruction is having a clear focused learning objective and then designing a series of purposeful tasks/prompts that generate the precise student thinking needed to get them there. That’s it.

After the state test we’ll engage in a series focused workshops on this type of work in building a tighter through-line from a lesson’s objective to its Thinking Generator to student outcomes. Until then, do what works.

HIGHLIGHTS

Speaking of through-line from learning objective to Thinking Generators, check this TG one out by the consistently amazing Ms Arlequin:

“How are hashtags after a social media post similar to annotating in the margins of a text?”

(If only she could annotate for everyone the things I write and say…)

From Ms. Mintiens: The amount of writing that the Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students are producing is staggering.  If you haven’t checked out many of their bulletin boards, please do!  The choice in writing that TC gives them has been so positive. Ms. Monteleone and Ms. Wyckoff took a risk this week when they turned the tables and let the students teach their peers.  While the students were working on their independent writing both teachers pulled small groups. Ms. Monteleone reviewed punctuation with her group, playing a fun game ( Which phrase goes in which bag – ?, . , or !). Then she explained that the students would be turn keying this information to their table mates.  She used a mid workshop interruption to explain what was going to occur to the rest of the class and the students became teachers. This exercise was a first, but empowered the students greatly to take charge of their own learning.  I love seeing the risks teachers are taking to engage and reach their students!

Both Pre-K classes had an interesting visitor this past week.  An animal expert came in and the students got to check out turtles, lizards, rabbits, chinchillas, and more.  The students had a wonderful time, and this was a great learning experience.  Ms. Devito got a great video and and Ms. McLain got some great pictures.  This was a great way to give the students an experience/field trip without leaving the building, which can be stressful.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Fast and Furious Family Fitness Fun Night is this Tuesday, 3/21 from 4:30-6:30PM. Let me know if you’re interested in participating–it’s a guaranteed good time when Martial Arts and Zumba are involved in the same event.

Surveys: The first class in each of the grade bands to return all parent surveys will receive a pizza party. The first team of teachers to do so will also get a group prize, and a raffle will be done for one individual winner. Please turn your sealed surveys to Ms. Delvecchio or Ms. Falesto.

Individual Meetings:  The APs and I will begin individual meetings with teachers regarding the success and challenges of this year as well as goals for next year. Many of the systems we introduced this year are working, and it’s time we shift the conversation to how we see ourselves fitting into them now that we’ve seen and experienced it.

3rd Floor Hall of Fame: While the STEAM team takes over the 2nd floor gallery to amazing effects, Mr. Borelli is leading the charge on transforming the 3rd floor gallery into 102’s Hall of Fame. Soon we’ll begin accepting writing entries from classes to showcase student voice; more info to follow.

102 Review, 2017-3-11: PREPARING FOR PTC

Posted on by mrkobot in Principal's Blog

There’s a great deal of information this week, so we’ll go full bullet-points.

HIGHLIGHTS:

-I did a double-take when I thought I saw Ms. Mills doing Tai-Chi with her students. But they weren’t really doing Kung Fu in slow-motion; it was actually a game of “Simon Says obtuse/acute/right/ x degree Angle”.  I can’t think of a single test prep question or lesson that would be more effective at helping 4th grade students visualize and recognize angles come May. Simon says pat yourself on the back.

-Friday night after everyone has long gone in anticipation of freezing temperature and wind, I see Mr. McManus return with the girl’s basketball team from an away game. Who cares about the score; our girls won in life by having the opportunity to be coached by Mr. Mac.

And Ms Devito and Mr. Bianculli: you both are stars in your own rights and we can’t wait to see what happens at our first FFF Night. The best PE team in Queens, and it’s not even close.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Make Deadlines.

We know you are all incredibly competent so we’ll never micro-manage how you should tackle your heavy workloads. But deadlines must be met. They exist because someone somewhere need your work to do theirs. Care for others; Make deadlines.

PTC 3/16: Social committee is doing lunch, I’ll get coffee, and the coaches will be hosting mini-workshops on reading with their children as well as using online programs at home as test-practice. You should strategically direct parents to the workshops after you meet with them.

Should you encounter an upset parents, please direct them to an AP or myself ASAP. Again, it’s not your job to be yelled at, it’s ours.

102KNOW: Thank you to Ms. Babakitis and Ms. Khatibi for writing amazing pieces for our latest 102KNOW family newsletter. Let me know if you’re interested in providing content and/or ideas for upcoming issues.

POSTING HALLWAY MATERIALS: We love seeing staff taking the initiative to make our shared spaces more beautiful and/or more informative, and a memo will be distributed Monday regarding guidance on posting materials in hallways and other shared spaces. In short: get it approved first, aesthetics matter, and always have an end date.

BRING YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY 4/27

A letter will be backpacked home this week explaining to families that students will be excused should they go to work with their parent(s) instead of attending school on the 27th.

If you are interested in bringing your child to 102, please make sure to submit a request form that will be made available to all staff at the end of the week.

MONDAY PL: A few of you have asked for more self-directed learning time, and this Monday you should use the afternoon time as you see fit. Marking period 2 grades will be due close of business Tuesday, and you are free to use this time to prepare submitting grades (Mulé will send a reminder one-pager Monday).

Suggestion: If you have not been communicating with your students’ other teachers (RtI, AiS, ENL, SPED, speech, etc.) this is a great time to do so before meeting with parents Thursday.

102 REVIEW, ISSUE 2017-3-5

Posted on by mrkobot in Principal's Blog

We’ll have our final round of Inquiry Showcase tomorrow afternoon in the auditorium, and to be honest it’s getting a bit hard to take to see all the incredible work that’s being done whichever way we look. It’s awesome overload, and this isn’t just another case of principal hyperbole. See for yourself:

Students are learning how to care and how to say thanks (Operation Thank You website coming soon), they are reading and writing more than they’ve ever done (they’re writing critical reviews in early elementary!), and they engage in math and science lessons that are miles ahead of anything I’ve seen anywhere else. They get to engage in real physical education, they enjoy a full range of the arts, and they even code video games and robots if they are not busy acquiring fundamental skills using the latest technology via blended learning. They’re thinking, non-stop.

So don’t fret come testing time.

It’s natural for educators to self-doubt around this time. It’s why you’re amazing. “Have I not done enough? What did I not do? Have I let my students down?”

The answer is No, No, No. You’re awesome, we’re awesome, it is what it is. If you can’t take in so much amazingness, here’s some more:

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

FOR Ms. Mintiens: I’m always in awe of Ms. Mintiens’ energy to be both productive and nice, and her leadership in getting a Tuesday blended learning program started has been an incredible joy to experience. Like Ms. Pearlman, Ms. LaManna, Ms. O’Connor, and Ms. Bruce’s, she saw a student need and just filled it. Thank you!

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Parent Teacher Conference is next week. Please plan accordingly and a memo will be distributed tomorrow.

Review Materials: If there are materials you’d like to purchase to use in preparing students for the state exams, send me an email ASAP and we’ll try to make it work.

Tech and Furniture Requests: Our end-of-year budget plan is near finalized, and if you have a need or idea for next year let me know and I’ll try to squeeze it in.

THINGS I NEED FROM YOU

My mother is in town and she may or may not ask you whether you see me drinking soda or eating candy. You should tell the truth and say no. 

102 Review, Issue 2017-2-12: Respect for All (and Making Sure It Happens)

Posted on by mrkobot in Principal's Blog

102 Review, Issue 2017-2-12: Respect for All (and Making Sure It Happens)

FEBRUARY 12, 2017 BY PGEBHARDT

“Ultimately, this report concludes that Wisconsin must honor its commitment to make a public education available to all of its students, but must not do so at the expense of the vast majority of pupils who do not engage in disruptive behaviors. Similarly, teachers must be supported and allowed to teach in an environment where their focus can be on student learning, not discipline.”

-Mike Ford, The Impact of Disruptive Students in Wisconsin Public Schools

There was a fantastic study two weeks ago I could no longer find, but the gist of it is simple: children learn how to behave mostly from the way their peers do, and not how the teachers and parents teach them.

When the majority of their classmates respect one another, children reliably learn how to do so. Conversely, when they observe classmates exhibiting disrespectful behaviors, the likelihood of them misbehaving increases.

Unfortunately, children who misbehave draw them most attention, and thus have the most impact. That’s why one hardworking student can never improve the behavior of 29 other students, but one unchecked misbehaving student can absolutely torpedo his/her entire grade.

The solution, obviously, is for educators to check their idealism and pragmatically remove the persistently misbehaving student from the general population. (This is all researched-based, by the way.)  So this Respect for All week (thank you for planning, Ms. Babakitis!), I urge all of us to identify the most-pressing behavior issues still persisting in each grade and let your APs know. The School Climate Team will have a mid-year review of our most critical “cases” this Friday and we’ll escalate our responses accordingly.

HIGHLIGHTS

Ms. Meenan, Ms. Danielski, Ms. Wyckoff, Ms. Monteleone, Ms. Listl, and Ms. Mercado, and Ms. Lee. To watch you expertly attend to explosive misbehaviors as you teach brings back memories of my mother wrangling with her own Hurricane William. Thank you, and your persistence is absolutely vital to the ones who need it most.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

INQUIRY SHOWCASE

AIS, School Events, and TechFlex: You’re Up. All staff please be ready to learn in the auditorium by 3PM.

OPERATION THANK YOU: I’ve heard that the Chancellor’s office were delighted by our Operation Thank You videos. Please upload them here; I’m creating a web gallery and we would like to share all of our photos and videos.

6TH GRADE TEACHERS: Effectively immediately, please direct all 6th grade students to use only the stairway by Ms. Mulé and Ms. Mintien’s office to and from lunch.

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING SEASON: I’ve been meeting with grade teams to determine how best to spend some of our discretionary budget. Instead of allocating funds to each teacher to make little purchases here and there, we’re aiming to be more intentional this time around with our Spring spending. Whether it’s furniture for the School Climate Team, per-session for planning, Whatever the Cohen’s need, TC books, chromebooks, or the Zecca’s Wish(es) foundation, we will take care of it because we are committed to removing as many obstacles from your work as possible. Help me help you. Go ahead, say, “Show me the_________” and I’ll do my best to oblige.

102 Review, ISSUE 2017-2-5: Maintenance Issue

Posted on by mrkobot in Principal's Blog

NEW ISSUE OF 102KNOW IS OUT.

Maintenance Issues

-MOSL: Test scores were going to factor into teacher rating, then they weren’t. Two months before the state exam, we are told MOSL (measures of student learning) will be used to calculate teacher ratings again. Ms. Mulé will be providing everyone with some information regarding MOSL selection, and we will convene a MOSL committee to participate in the process.

-Per-Session: Curriculum planning and development is now open to teachers of 1st year programs such as TC and STE(A)M. Please ask Jeanene for an application form and submit it to me by Friday this week.

Mid-Winter Intensive: Monday will be the last day for you to apply to teach 2 days during February break for MWI. We currently have 10 teachers, and we confirm with them we’ll create the programs and then offer permission slips to PID students. More info will be provided about the process by the end of the week.

TG HIGHLIGHTS by Mr, Borelli

TG: How does a species continue to exist on Earth when individuals of that species die? If every butterfly dies, how will there still be butterflies living 10 years from now?

This 4th Grade TG from Ms. Merino at first glance can be answered simply by answering “they reproduce.”  The thinking, when focusing on a butterfly is this: does a butterfly have the choice to not reproduce?  Is the sole reason of a butterfly’s existence is too make more butterflies?  The Monarch Butterfly, at best, can live up to 6 months and they generally live 2 to 4 weeks in the wild.  How does this insect, with such a brief existence, continue to thrive on Earth?

TG: The three little pigs built three houses out of these three different materials: straw, sticks, and bricks. Explain how these materials affected the outcome of the story.

This 3rd Grade Engineering is Elementary TG from Mrs. O’Connor highlights that materials matter, but maybe not always for the most obvious reasons.  From first glance, who wouldn’t think that a brick house is the best choice?  Most of the apartment buildings we see around the neighborhood have brick facades.  When we move to the stick house, the thinking can veer towards, “Well what types of sticks were used?” “Is there a difference between using dry, broken sticks from an oak tree or when bamboo sticks are used?” Could that 2nd pig have chosen better sticks? What was inherently flawed in the first pig’s and second pig’s respective designs?  Was it strictly the material chosen or was it a combination of the material and how they used it?  This type of thinking is what engineers do when they create any building to see how it fares against wind and the dangers of the environment. It’s the Scientific Method on display.