My Take Aways from #CISC14 (Curriculum Instruction Steering Committee)

I have been struggling with my transition from 23 years in the classroom to the district office.  It is strange because when I started my career as an educator, I always knew I would make the jump and I had imagined it would be after around 10 years in the classroom.  I stayed in the classroom for 23 years because I loved being with my students and I felt that as an instructional leader my credibility came from being able to say "this is what I did with my students last week..."

Ever since taking my job in August, I have been struggling to find my place as a curriculum coordinator. I have paid close attention to the educational leaders I follow on Twitter (and elsewhere) to notice how they model educational leadership in their various roles.  I see it being done everyday, but I was still missing how the transition would evolve for me.  It has been six months and finally I am beginning to understand how my role has changed and the impact it is having on my growth as an educator.

This past week I attended the CISC Symposium in Monterey CA. (my home town from age 3 to 29).  CISC - is short for Curriculum Instruction Steering Committee and was attended by 1200 education leaders from all over California.  For some reason my attendance at this conference brought clarity to my understanding of my new path as a district leader.

Here are some random quotes:

"People are smart and they WILL figure it out!" - Liz Wiseman
"Ask questions and let others find the answers." - Liz Wiseman
"The person doing the talking is the one doing the learning" Sarah Brown Wessling
"Ask questions rather than saying yes or no..." Sarah Brown Wessling
"If we traded brains, what would I understand about you?" Sarah Brown Wessling reminded us to think about this in regards to our students.
"Getting teachers from a zero to a 1 (on a rubric) is movement and growth that will positively impact student achievement" Dr. Robert Marzano
"Do you have a place (at M.I.T.) or in your classroom for a student from a migrant family, who works in the fields when not at school, helps take care of siblings, speaks English as a second language, and has a 3.7 GPA." Consuela Castillo Kickbush

Reflections:

• Building capacity in our students requires builing capacity in our teachers which requires building capacity in our leadership team
• When in doubt, ask a question rather than tell someone what to do, make others the genius by asking them questions.
• Instructional rounds seem like a powerful tool to use with leadership and teachers.  It can be used to deepen knowledge base of individuals and their understanding of how our district works
• can be used to change instruction (coaching teachers)
• can be used to build understanding of the district as an organization
• must be reflective participants need to ask WHY 
• used to build "learning organizations"
• teachers pick 2 areas of growth they would like to work on each year, requires admin to coach rather than evaluate
• involve the board, parents and community in the process of instructional rounds

Final thoughts:

• Work to be a multiplier in our district
• Ask more questions
• Believe: People are smart and they WILL figure it out!
• Build the expectation that all adults will be learners in our district.  They need to reflect and ask why.
• Be a talent finder, liberator, challenger, community builder, and investor in the folks working in our district
• Be purposeful; ask how; question, question, and question again; be explicit; develop deep conceptual understanding; model how to make a difference

This post is a reminder for me to not forget the information I learned while at #CISC14.  It also somehow helped me understand how to go from creating capacity in my students as a classroom teacher, to building capacity in the various groups of people within our district organization.  I will continue working to make the shift and connection between my classroom experience and my new role as a district leader.

Fluency Does Not Equal Speed

As an educator with 23 years in the classroom I used to give math timed tests to build automaticity in the basic facts.  After attending many math projects and teaching middle school math the past 10 years I learned that problem-solving, critical thinking and explaining are the foundation for student fluency in mathematics.  I also know that the CCSS (Common Core State Standards) specifically cite "timed fluency" in the third grade standards.  As I deal with this issue personally with my 8 year old son and as an educator who wants teachers to re-visit their practices around timed tests, I have drafted this letter.

Dear Second (or Third, or any grade) Teacher,

I understand that you are working hard to prepare your students for future learning in mathematics.  I also know that you would not want to discourage your students or make them want to quit learning.  That being said I would like to ask you to look at your timed test practices.  I understand you are trying to build fact fluency in your students, however, fluency does not equal speed.  There are many more foundational skills that need to be developed to support fluency.  I also acknowledge that the timed tests are a small part of your math program.

A wise person once told me that if you want to complain about something be sure to offer alternatives or ideas for changing course or forging a new path.  So here are some ideas or alternate ways of giving/using timed tests to build automaticity.

First of all, I would like to request that you actively involve the students rather than continue to have them be passive participants.  By passive participants I mean they take the test, hand it in, it is corrected then given back to them with a score.  As passive participants, the students can pass off their performance or lack there of easily and the poor performers can justify giving up - "I can't do this, the teacher just proved it" might be one such justification.  I am suggesting that you involve the students in every step and make the timed tests a learning experience rather than an assessment.  So, I hope you are. Let me share some ideas in how you can do this:

When the students take the test, set the timer to stopwatch instead of counting down and project the timer so all the students can see it.  When the student finishes they record their finish time.  Just like an athlete (it is Olympics time), you can remind them that they are racing against themselves rather than each other.  Their goal is to decrease their individual time rather than competing against other students.  This is the first step in actively involving students in the process.  Have them graph their times and see their growth each time they test.  It is also a great way for you to track individual growth.  You and the students will be focusing on increments of improvement and perhaps the students will see the need to practice rather than giving up or feeling stupid

After the students are done and have recorded their time, correct the test together or have the students correct their tests with an answer key (if they are all on different tests).  Then discuss (or provide reflection questions) successful strategies students use, patterns in the problems that the miss of find difficult, ideas for improving, etc...  You can also ask the students "How are you thinking about these problems?" and "What are your shortcuts?" which will allow the students to learn from each other.  This will actively involve the students by having them share successes and struggles with the intent of promoting improvement and having the students take responsibility for where they are in their learning.

You can also have a "Timed Test Station" where students go and complete the process of setting the timer to count up, take the test, record their time, and then correct the test.  Then the discussion with the teacher or a parent volunteer needs to take place so the student reflects on where they are.  If you want growth and improvement the students have to know where they are and see their growth (or lack there of).  Then they can set goals for improvement.  Because they are a part of every step of the process, they cannot pass off the responsibility to anyone but themselves.

My last request would be to set a "reasonable" time for the students to achieve.  Perhaps it is 100 in 10 minutes.  You may be thinking that is not a rigorous level of performance.  I would argue that it allows for the diversity of your class.  Since the students are recording their times as they finish, the one who want to be the "fastest" can still aspire to that level.  The ones who have struggled or are considered "slow" have an attainable goal that allows for success rather than failure and giving up.

I understand that timed tests may be mandated in your school/grade level/district, but please consider being brave enough to try a new approach and start a new dialogue with your PLC.  With your team of educators you can explore new ways of building fluency and automaticity in your students.

Marilyn Burns stated in 1989: "Speed with arithmetic skills has little to do with mathematical power."

I am including some resources and research for you to review and consider:

Can We Please Consider the Evidence? The Ways in Which Assessment Policies and Practices Create Math Anxiety in Young Children.

Math Solutions: Faster Isn't Smarter

GOOD NEWS: MISSILEERS ARE CHEATING TOO.

I have one final request:  Please do not tell me my thoughtful, problem solving son is "behind" in math because he is one of the slowest at the timed tests.  Instead, sit down and have a conversation with him at least once a week and ask him to explain his thinking and problem solving processes.  Find out how he thinks about numbers and how he takes them apart and puts them back together.  Ask him what strategies work for him and which do not.  Fluency is more than automaticity or speed or memorization.

Thanks for your consideration,
Sincerely,
Kristen Beck - Mom and Educator

More Homework Meme

So, this Meme has been going around twitter and although I have not been officially nominated by name, I have taken the invitations from Bill Ferriter @plugsin, Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp, and others to participate in this endeavor to share more about myself as a person.  I have read many posts by some of my favorite bloggers: Bill Ferriter's Homework Meme, Pernille Ripp's Homework Meme, Josh Stumpenhorst's Homework Meme, Brett Clark's Homework Meme and I know there are many more.  After reading these, I felt the urge to share and be a part of this process because I am all about reflection and building connections with other educators.  Here is Bill's "nomination":

INSERT YOUR NAME HERE.  (Everyone should show us their human side, y'all.  Jump in the Memestream and let us get to know you better.)

Here are the 11 random facts about Kristen Beck:

1. My husband and I find Seinfeld quotes that apply to our lives EVERY Day, and we finish each others sentences using the same quote... SICK!
2. The #NWP - Writing Project changed my life as an educator way back in 1992 in my second year of teaching.  That is when I became a teacher of critical thinking.  That is also when I built my first personal learning network - it was old fashioned, but it worked the same as my twitter and online PLN!
3. I often cry when I speak of my students to others.  They make an imprint on my heart.
4. I received a sports scholarship for SAILING to a top ranked school, but did not go because I would have been sailing with all of the people I grew up sailing with at home. 
5. I have gone cubing (riding on huge cubes of ice) on the 6th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Course just for fun... I also rode on cafeteria trays on the steep hills of Spyglass Hills Golf Course after a soaking rain, the spoils of growing up in Pebble Beach.  (The irony is that my husband is a golf course superintendent...)
6. I miss my father so much that it hurts, but I am so happy that he is in a better place, and I know that he is with me EVERYDAY.  
7.  I traveled to Nanaimo, British Columbia to bungy jump off of a 4oo ft bridge and I chickened out.
8. I am a homebody, I love hanging out with my hubby and my 8 year old son on our 7.5 acres, working the land.
9. I met my husband at a Halloween party and I had garbage taped all over me.
10. I have perfect pitch which makes watching American Idol tryouts PAINFUL!
11. In college my friends often encouraged me to go into teaching and I would laugh at them and say, "I don't want to be poor the rest of my life".  Then I realized it is not about the money, it is about passion and loving what you do.

I am now going to answer a mixture of questions provided by Bill, Josh, Pernille and Brett.

1. Grande Soy Green Tea Frappuccino with Extra Whip or House Blend Black? Grande Soy Green Tea Frappuccino with Extra Whip and 3 pumps of Raspberry.
2. What member of your digital network has had the greatest impact on your professional growth? Dan Meyer @dydan has had the greatest impact because his work has provided the foundation of my obsession with creating real life math problem solving activities for my students.    
3. What is something you have always wanted to do but continue to procrastinate and make excuses as to why you have not done it yet? I would like to write a book and now that I am a connected educator and have many role models, I finding it more difficult to procrastinate and put it off.
4. What was the first computer you owned?  (Double extra credit for visuals) Here is the first computer I used in high school: Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III, Introduced in 1980.
   

This is the first computer I owned and the last Apple product I owned:

5.  Android or iOS? Android for my personal preference. As an instructional leader I use both so I can share and help the teachers and students I work with.

6. If you were going to write a book, what would its title be? Mathematics is Everywhere, All You Have to Do Is Look.

7. What is most picturesque place you've visited? (Extra credit if you share a visual) The Fjords in Norway.

8.  What was the last book you read? Teach Like a PIRATE by Dave Burgess

9. The last song you turned up in your car or house was? Walk On by U2

10. Paper or plastic? If I forget my recycled bags I ask for Paper.

11. What is the last book that you passed on to someone else to read? I passed on "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown to my sister. It was an end of the year gift from a parent/friend of one of my students.

I am going to invite any/all who read this post to take on the Homework Meme and answer my 11 questions.

1. What are your nicknames? What do you prefer to be called?

2.  Do you save old greeting cards and letters? Throw them away?

3.   When making an entrance in to a party, do you make your presence known? Do you slip in and look for someone you know? Do you sneak in quietly and find a safe spot to roost?

4.  What was the most recent compliment you’ve received and savoured?

5.  When was the last time you really pushed yourself to your physical limits?

6.  What do you think about more than anything else?

7.  What are the top three qualities that draw you to someone new?

8.   If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life, what would it be?

9.  What’s one thing you’d rather pay someone to do than do yourself? Why?

10.  What was the best news you ever received?

11.  When do you find yourself singing?

So... Now it is your turn

Here’s how it works:

1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
4. List 11 bloggers.
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.

Wishes for the Season

I wanted to share this with my readers:

The Beck Family Season's Greetings

Enjoy the season with your friends and family!!

My #geniushour, Making Math/Science Connections

I have a confession, my #geniushour project is looking for resources that connect mathematics and science to real life situations.  Here is my most recent find:

I found this picture in HGTV Magazine's October/November issue. It is exactly the type of thing I am always on the lookout for, you see I am obsessed with finding pictures, videos, and articles that connect math to any type of real life situation that my students might relate to. Often, the connection is not necessarily something that is of great interest to the students personally. However, they are used to me bringing something of this sort into class, telling a personal story, and then asking them what math they see and/or can explore. This picture provides a great proportional reasoning experience for students. I prompt them to come up with mathematical explorations and record as they share ideas. We use the Standards of Mathematical Practice (SMP) in the Common Core state standards as our guide. For this activity, I might pick SMP 1 - Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 

As a curriculum coordinator, I will take this picture, the SMP of focus and then search the grade level standards to make this accessible to all grade levels K-8. Then, I will share with the teachers and hope that a few will experiment with their classes and explore. I am working to find a balance in providing Common Core experiences with the right amount of scaffolding for the teachers. Building capacity is something I was skilled at doing with students in the classroom. I find it more difficult to do with teachers, but I am loving the challenge of being one of the instructional leaders of a school district, not just the instructional leader of a classroom.

I am in the process of collecting close reading resources for the teachers in my school district. It is in the beginning or infancy stages so be patient as I work to organize and tweak what I find.

The resources shared on this page will be periodically edited and revised and updated, they are the beginning of my effort to collect and compile.

Beck’s Close Read Process:

• I keep my eyes and ears open at all times for current articles, news stories, student discussions and likes or dislikes
• I search resources like:
• NPR
• Newspapers
• Local Television
• ESPN - other sports
• Anything that will relate to the students
• I will do a search on a topic I know is of interest for the students
• As I am picking items for Close Reads, I search for information that can be used in a mathematical or scientific nature
• As we read and work to find the main idea, details, meanings of technical words and other vocabulary, we also formulate mathematical/scientific questions using the data in the article.
• We work with the text for the entire week, in class and as homework in both a mathematical/scientific way and in a Common Core ELA way.
• I am particularly interested in looking for proportional reasoning items since it is an area of struggle and foundational for connecting mathematics and science to real life experiences.

What's The Connection? How to Integrate Mathematics, Common Core Standards, Real Life Experiences, and the Content Areas 09/20/13 Global Education STEM Webinar

Close Read Resources (this will be added to continually)

Beck's Close Read Process (this will be revised periodically)

Baby Steps into Standards Based Grading

In August I started a new job as Curriculum Coordinator after 23 years in the classroom.  As a classroom teacher I was always a practitioner and advocate of standards based grading, even before the twitter hashtags - #sbar and #sbgchat.  It has been my instinct to provide students with feedback on their progress towards proving understanding of standards or skills or outcomes etc...  It was a lonely road for many years until I joined twitter.  I was finally being validated and questioned and challenged which enabled me to tweak and grow in my implementation of SBG.  I worked to share with my colleagues, but I did not press or push my agenda upon others.  I find that in my new position there is a need in the district for movement towards standards based assessment/grading.  I am also experiencing anxiety, resistance, and uncertainty.  So, this post is the starting point, the beginning of my journey in transitioning a small K-8 school district into an authentic standards based grading district.  I will be sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of this journey as we move one baby step at a time.

I am blogging about the process for a variety of reasons.  First, I was to track the movement of the district so that I can see growth or lack there of.  Second, I will need support, ideas, encouragement, and a group of educators to push and challenge me as I work to move the district forward.  Third, I want to share the journey with others so that they can learn from the plethora of mistakes, restarts, and challenges I come up against in this process.  So, where do I start?

This school year, our district has identified three ELA standards and one Writng standard from the CCSS (common core state standards):

RI.2 - Main Idea and Details of Informational Texts

RL.9 - Compare and Contrast Literary Texts

L.4 - Contextual Clues

W.4 - Writing Informational/Explanatory Texts

We also identified three CCSS Mathematical Practices for the teacher to focus on this year:

Model with mathematics

Make sense of problems

Construct viable arguments

So one of the first tasks I was given was to revise the K-5 standards based report cards.  The first thing I did was eliminate the standards and skills that had nothing to do with Common Core.  Then I made and executive decision to add the six Common Core standards the district had decided to focus on across the K-8 grade levels.  Here is what I have come up with so far:

Fourth Grade Report Card Revisions

Fifth Grade Report Card Revisions

When I sent these out to the 4/5 teachers it was received with respectful rejection.  The 4/5 teachers are the only ones in the district who have to do both standards based grading and letter grades and they have a problem with the "fairness" of this.  So, we made a decision to divorce grades from tracking standards and allowed the 4/5 teachers to only post letter grades on the report cards with non of the above standards as part of their grade book.  This poses a juxtaposition for me.  As an advocate of standards based grading, my soul, gut, and every part of my being felt like a sell out and/or a failure.  I caved and surrendered my beliefs and what I know is the right thing for students.  On the other hand, I have won over the upper grade elementary teachers by letting them assign what I believe are meaningless grades.  At the same time I know that they will have to assess and track student progress on the identified Common Core Standards our district has identified.

So, here I stand as someone who used to be a singleton classroom teacher implementing standards based grading to a district person who will be working to move the K-8 teachers towards this meaningful way of tracking student proof of understanding.  The gauntlet has been thrown down, and I have to take the baby steps that are required to move a district forward toward standards based grading.  There is no way that I can do this alone, and I am thankful that I have the vast resources on twitter.  I will look to you all to support me, challenge me, and provide resources.  It is such a huge task, but I will do the work and share the process with my #sbgchat folks.

What I am Doing for International Dot Day

Last year, my students and I participated in our first International Dot Day.  I pledged to continue the tradition because it had such an impact on my math students.  In fact in my end of the year survey quite a few students stated that their favorite activity of the school year was “Dot Day”.  This summer I took a job that has me out of the classroom and into a curriculum leadership position in a K-8 school district with 4 elementary schools and 1 middle school.  Instead of doing dot day with my 120 middle school math students, I will be doing dot day with 22 of the teachers in the district.  So, I will be increasing the number of students and teachers I reach by quite a lot.  As a district we have chosen three ELA Common Core Standards to focus attention on this year.  I will be integrating these standards into the lesson plan so I can model the common core standards while teaching the students to “Make Their Mark” on the world.  Here are the lessons I plan on teaching in the upcoming weeks.

International Dot Day Lesson Plans - These are a work in progress and will be changing as I think and revise and then repeat that process. I thought I would share now even though they are not complete.