StudyingTeachingPractice

PLC Meeting Location: Main Campus CiteLab PLC Meeting Time: 9:00am

Hour 1
Please view the video below as an anticipatory set for today’s lesson, to get your attention focused on using Inquiry to study Teaching Practice in collaborative groups: [] (seems to take a while to load and displays very small, but is worth it! Approximately 15 min.)
 * //ENGAGE//**

//[])]// [] []
 * //EXPLORE//**

Hour 2

 * //EXPLAIN//**
 * What would it take to provide time in a school day for teachers to discuss together?
 * When is there time for the teacher to plan and prepare for her lessons?
 * When do students have the time to discuss when districts restrict the amount of time for each subject?

First, take turns discussing the data you have collected so far on your Child Inquiry. These questions might guide your conversation:
 * //ELABORATE//**
 * Who did I choose?
 * What did I see?
 * What does it mean?

Next, it is time to analyze the data you have collected, or in other words, figure out what is going on with this student! Either individually, or in partners, take some time right now to read and listen to Modules 4 and 5. Once everyone has gone through these, discuss. Finally, the Inquiry #2 assignment requires you to select a teaching practice of your cooperating teacher to study—something that seems to work or something that doesn’t seem to work or something that has just caught your eye. Could be:
 * Grouping
 * Presenting
 * Classroom management
 * Communicating
 * Technology use

As a group, make a list of teaching strategies that you see used in your class. Take turns formulating a “wondering” about one strategy. How can your PLC group help you to initiate, analyze, and write-up this inquiry?
 * Think big, add small
 * Charts for comparing information
 * Rounding (1-4 weak willy/5-9 strong sam)
 * Educational experiements aka games to reinforce math
 * If someone says any negative comment, they have to say 2 positive comments back.

Hour 3
1. As a group, reflect on what you have learned today about studying teaching in collaborative groups.
 * //EVALUATE//**

When we work together we are able to bounce ideas off of each other to get a better understanding about what we are discussing. We each bring different experiences and different ideas about how to handle situations. Collaborating to improve teaching can prove to be beneficial.

2. As a group, draft a brief statement (approx 1-2 paragraphs) of what you learned or new understandings you came to during this discussion. What did you agree with/about, and what did you not agree with/about? How do you KNOW you learned and grew?! Post this statement to your PLC page.

We agree that collaborating is helpful to generate multiple views in every area. We can reflect on each other's teaching and build on each other's work. There is not enough time during the day for teachers to plan their lessons and prepare for their classes. We feel that by discussing these teaching strategies and explaining how to implement them in our own classrooms, we can be better prepared to provide our students with meaningful learning opportunities. We left with more information than what we came with.

3. As a group, please look at the Assignments page for the description and grading rubric for the Inquiry #2 assignment. Now is the time to being Inquiry #2, selecting a teaching practice of your cooperating teacher to study. The format is the same as your Child study, and you should use what you learned through the five QUEST Teacher Research Modules.

4. Individually, please send your PLC Check as an email to Caroline so that she can get you recorded as "attending" in the gradebook:
 * What/Who worked well in today’s PLC meeting?
 * What/Who didn’t work so well in today’s PLC meeting?