NGSS 3-Day Academy Cohort 1

NGSS 3-Day Academy Cohort 1

Hello Fellow Science Enthusiasts!

A Reflection on NGSS 3-Day Academy Experience.

     I have just completed Day 2, of the 3-Day NGSS Academy focused on: Planning instruction to meet the instructional shifts of the Next Generation Science Standards. The training was not a sit-and-get, but really pushed us into the idea of what 3-dimensional planning and instruction looks like.

     After an overview of two different instructional approaches at the same school, we could visualize what success would look like in a classroom operating within the spirit of NGSS. Having a visual of what it would actually look like in practice in a classroom, allowed us all to think about steps we could take within our current classrooms to shift to a more 3-dimensional approach. Then...the heavy lifting really began. After an overview of a Performance Expectation, and the dimensions integrated into each one, we formed groups and jumped in.

      I think the team would agree that it was hard work, and we all left exhausted after that first day, but by the end of day 2 we had created an overview for an NGSS-aligned unit. As a team we narrowed our focus to one lesson within our unit that incorporated the instructional shifts we had seen modeled. It was hard work and we had lots of discussions, but I left really thankful for the time with my colleagues and the challenges we worked through to successfully complete our lesson overview. I look forward to coming back together on October 27th for our third, and final day to craft a detailed NGSS aligned lesson/unit that we can try on in our JCCS classrooms. 

 Special Shout out to the Cohort 1 Crew: Jade Wang, Stephen Williams, Mark Leon, Damien Hembree, and Jerry Lindsey!! 
And our amazing Facilitators: John Speigel, and Chelsea Cochran!!

All NGSS Resources that were provided at the training are linked on the right side of the blog under Resources/Links section.

As always, please share the amazing things you are doing with your students in the comments or #sdjccscc.

Have a great day!!
Sara
"Wisdom begins with Wonder"-Socrates

3-Dimensional Instruction Map

If you teach science this year, you will have an opportunity to attend the 3-Day Science Academy facilitated by SDCOE's science coordinators: John Spiegel, and Chelsea Cochran. 

Academy 2 dates: January 13-14th and February 18th.
Academy 3 dates: April 19-20th and May 17th.
All Trainings take place at SCREC from 8-3:00.

**Detailed information about Academies can be found in the JCCS Professional Learning Catalog.**(PL catalog linked on the right-hand side of the blog under Resources/Links)

Steps to sign up:

1. Request Permission from your principal
2. Secure a substitute
3. Sign-up through the OMS system (see links below for specific cohorts)

• Academy 2 OMS Link
• Academy 3 OMS Link

**When registering under payment options: click on Purchase Order, and in comments box type: Kim Harrison/JCCS for payment**

Our Instructional Story-Board starting to unfold

The Power of Notebooks

As part of our redesign of the Coaches' Corner, we are including a short instructional video each week featuring a coach or guest teacher sharing an instructional strategy.  Please keep in mind that it is a work in progress and we are intentionally keeping the videos real, and not professionally polished. We welcome your comments, questions, and feedback.

For the next few weeks, we will be focusing on the power of notebooks.  This week is an overview of how to set up a notebook and reasons why you may want to use them with students.  In the following weeks, we will address writer's notebooks in the ELA classroom, science notebooks, and social studies notebooks.

Welcome To A New School Year !

Coaches’ Blog Post by Raymond Mallard

Welcome to a new school year!  After a rousing return event at USD’s Joan Kroc Center and subsequent days at Marina Village, teachers returned to their classrooms or decamped to their new sites or assignments.  And to that point, the Instructional Coach team shrank to its current number of three.  Change all around is the new reality.

Before I move on to the topic to start off this year’s Coaches Corner (you’ll no doubt be pleased that less of our entries will be textual and more will be dynamic videos starring the coaches and exciting guests), I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my personal and professional indebtedness to the coaches who have accepted new challenges.  All of you, Tracey Makings and Nathan Head who joined the ranks of administration, Malena Mandrapa who has enlisted her talents back as a full time classroom teacher at Innovations, and Jeff Heil whose support for student learning in the sector of technology will be a major asset for teachers who have integrated it into their instruction, provided a level of friendship and guidance that I will treasure the memory of always.  Our loss as coaches is others’ gain.

Because we are in a new school year, I thought I would offer up a few of the commitments and goals that we determined as a coaching team.  Unlike the traditional New Years resolutions that are more abandoned than achieved, these are goals we will hold ourselves accountable for as a team.

1.     To continue to provide the support to our teachers through Professional Learning opportunities and as thought partners to the teachers we work with in one on one coaching. 

2.     To continue to look for ways to stretch ourselves as professionals in order that we are better able to support teachers in achieving their goals as educators.

3.     To actively explore ways to model teaching strategies to deliver Common Core-aligned instruction.

4.     And to do everything we can to ensure that teachers are comfortable with their expertise in ensuring that their lessons include appropriate Learning Targets and Success Criteria.

As a Postscript, let me end on  a personal note.  I wish to thank my wife, Jacqueline, and all the people who have helped me throughout this past year.  My personal and professional debt to all of you is more than I can ever repay.  Ultimately however, it is my fellow coaches Melanie Tolan and Sara Matthews to whom I pledge my most sincere commitment to support and be a co-planner and strategist as we look to the year ahead.  Our tasks are big but more than achievable for a team.

Thank you all and may greatness be the result of all your work.

Have a fantastic year!!