Lindbergh Learning Team - Beginning a Journey Together

Last Wednesday, the Lindbergh Learning Team met to plan for a strong feedback loop of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  This team's role will be to develop a path to ensure that Lindbergh's grading practices match its curriculum.  It's a thorny task, one that begins with philosophical discussions about the purpose of grading....

Swap Talk:  Share a grading scenario with your partner and get their input on solving the problem.

Swap Talk:  Switch scenarios and find a new partner for a new perspective.

And, continues with creative problem solving. 

The Problem:  Cell Phone Distractions During Meetings

Working Collaboratively to Solve the Problem

The Solutions:  

Place your phone inside the provided doors, and when appropriate, the "garage doors" open to provide access to your device.

Jam the access with this lovely pet.

Use your device at the wrong time, and an explosion of hot coffee, whipped cream, or confetti may send a reminder to everyone that to stay off their phones.

 The Presentations:

Sell your idea to the audience...which will be the best?

Like the above problem-solving activity, the Lindbergh Learning Team knows that grading practices are not a "one-solution" task.  It's up to us to determine what Lindbergh needs and how to support it.  As the year progresses, we'll continue our study of Charting a Course to Standards-Based Grading and work in small groups to further our knowledge:

• Professional Development - What does this team need and how does it further the learning at the building level?
• Research - What does the research say about these practices?  Nationally and locally, where has it worked well and where has it failed?  How do we learn from the work of others?
• Stakeholders - What's the input from parents and students?  How do we coordinate with student information systems to ensure success?
• Current Grading Practices - Where are we currently as a district and what do teachers need to be supported in any changes that may arise?

Starting with the S in STEM

The buzz of the room...

The chatter of groups introducing themselves to one another...

The laughter of people sharing summer adventures...

The anticipation of something new...

...It's the excitement of science curriculum revision.  Alright...there may be only a few of us who get that jazzed about curriculum writing, but truly, the work that's been done over the past two days analyzing and prioritizing standards is exciting!  We are on a journey in Lindbergh to look at our instruction differently, to provide more integrated and authentic learning opportunities.  Science, like so many other curricular areas, is a window into our children's future, and by getting this right, we set up thousands of children for success as adults.  No pressure, curriculum team!

Teachers K-12 brainstorm "lifelong transfer goals"

Teachers begin to collaborate on their ideas of "lifelong transfer goals"

Teachers begin to prioritize "lifelong transfer goals"

Teachers do get excited about curriculum! 

Teachers also began discussions about science practices to evaluate how interdisciplinary thinking appears in Lindbergh's curriculum:

1. Asking Questions and Defining Problems
2. Developing and Using Models
3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
5. Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
6. Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
7. Engaging in Argument from Evidence
8. Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

As you review these practices, reflect on how you currently integrate scientific thinking into your content...

Building New Teams

Never underestimate the importance of building a community.  Many groan at the idea of team-building activities (of course, not these warriors at Sappington and Dressel!), but getting to know your colleagues and learning to work together sets the tone for future interactions, and success! 

At Friday's PD, staff participated in activities that parallel real experiences in working with both students and staff.  Through these initiatives, they reflected on their personal needs as well as student and team needs in order to ensure a smooth transition into the 17-18 school year.  

Check it out!

Clear communication for success... 

Working together to build the tallest structure...

Sometimes, we get a little too close...

The competition is fierce....

Reflecting about our work....

Working through the problem...

All smiles in the Dressel family...

 Working out problems as a CLOSE group

 Everyone get CLOSER!

 Strategizing as a team

 Tower building takes concentration and collaboration.

 Okay, don't knock it over!

 Communication is key to solving this challenge.

 Specific directions are given to help complete the task.

 Another close one!

 Learning to work together!

 We're almost there!

 Trial and error...a huge strategy when solving a new task.

 Now let's try that!

PDC Heads Out on Learning Walks

On March 2, members of the district Professional Development Committee headed out to neighboring districts to take a look at some best practices in the areas of innovation and engagement.  Our PDC learning walks visited Rockwood, Parkway, Kirkwood, New City School, and Maplewood-Richmond Heights, taking a look at new ideas and different school approaches.  Taking time to look for engagement strategies and innovation work allowed the PDC to gain some new ideas to bring to Lindbergh as well as begin planning for their focus in 17-18.  

Following our time in schools, we spent time sharing what we saw, what we wanted to take back to our buildings, and what we wanted to leave a lasting impression on us.  Using the post-it plus app, we were able to compile and share our thoughts into categories.  

Lesson Study: Bring PD to Life in the Classroom

Sometimes...professional development is a miss.  That's right...we said it!  It may be that the professional development you are headed to is not something you are interested in at the time.  It might be that you just simply don't have time to learn one more thing outside of your classroom.

Well...Lesson Study might be your answer!  

 
At Sappington and Kennerly this year, some grade levels have had the chance to dive into Lesson Study, an on-site, in the classroom approach to professional learning.  Lesson study is a collaborative approach to refine ideas about “best practice” through careful study and actual instruction. It includes doing the following with your PLC:

• Planning
• Observing
• Reflecting

Data collected during classroom observations by the PLC include:

• Academic Learning

• Student Motivation

• Student Engagement/Attitude Towards Lesson

• Instructional Strategies

Grade levels at these schools chose what they wanted to focus on, collaboratively planned lessons together, decided what data they wanted to collect, and off they went...into one another's classrooms to learn more. The best part about this PD is that it is totally focused on you and what your grade level wants to learn more about at the time. In addition, it is short, focused PD, requiring very little time out of the classroom. And...most importantly, you walk away with new ideas immediately!

Getting Oxygen, Not Carbon Dioxide

When we breathe our own air, it's not only stale, it's also unhealthy.  We know we have great instruction in Lindbergh, but sometimes we need to breathe fresh life into our practices, exploring the diverse schools within our area to identify ideas that will expand our thinking and engage our students.

The people:  3rd year teachers and C and I

The locations:  Maplewood Richmond Heights, New City School, and MICDS

The task:  Learn from the culture and innovative practices

New City School:  New City prides itself on the use of multiple intelligences within their curriculum.  Throughout the building, there is evidence of the diversity of learning methods and individualized strengths of students.

This PK-6 school sends students to Lindbergh.

Every student is represented in the halls with a personal philosophy/message to share

Problem-Based Learning:  The Delmar Divide -- this provides an authentic and relevant problem for student exploration and problem-solving

Students learn the multi-faceted skills needed for life, including dialogue and personal reflection

Integrating mathematical standards into the interdisciplinary study

Delving deep into the context as students build their understanding of the issue

Moving between the right and left brain as students grapple with a topic that is both factual and emotional

Kindergarten students learn Spanish in this multicultural environment

Purposeful integration:  As students learn about senses in their kindergarten class, the topic expands to their Spanish instruction

Maplewood Richmond Heights High School:  MRH creates a seamless approach to learning with the concept of 15% beyond the classroom.  There's a clear direction in providing students authentic learning opportunities.

Their cornerstones:  leadership, scholarship, stewardship, citizenship

The purposeful focus on these cornerstones are paired with examples of students exhibiting them.

Analyzing Napolean's impact in an integrated history class where 6 themes provide focus for every learning experience:  nationalism, imperialism, civil rights, revolution, economics, and social change

Inviting comfort and collaboration with snacks in the library

Emphasizing the importance of global experiences

Illustrating the district mission

Working with Washington University, students analyze data from their year-long science investigation

Science Investigations:  a year-long class where students select their topic and delve deep, collaborating with community members and presenting their work.

Not only does the student analyze the data, but she's created the device to capture it...by hand.

Literature review:  The entire process reminds me of my dissertation as the student delved into the literature prior to developing an hypothesis.

Analyzing messages:  Yes, this is a science investigation, but the student goes deeper analyzing the company's website for content only to find misspellings.  Those errors make her question the effectiveness of the product.

Her presentation shows the path of her learning, analyzing the effectiveness of air purifiers

The emphasis on skill over content

Sharing the purpose and expectation with the student work

A culture of learning

Setting the tone for the future

Reinforcing growth mindset

Maplewood-Richmond Heights Elementary:  At MRHE, the focus is on "School as a Museum", where students are challenged to synthesize their learning by creating artifacts, displays, and exhibits.  The school community is committed to authentic student learning experiences by allowing students opportunities to "show what they know" frequently.  

 At MRHE, once a quarter, students synthesize their learning by creating a grade level exhibit for parent, students, and community to view.  Students create artifacts that showcase the "big ideas" in their learning.    

 Every display at MRHE was student-created.  Displays are meant to be used for learning and for display of learning.  They don't always look perfect but they increase learning.

 During math workshop, students utilize the inquiry model to problem-solve with partners.  Asking questions, digging for information, and coming up with possible answers are the key.

 In this culminating exhibit, students focused on building a growth mindset.  They spent time looking at literature that supported a growth mindset and feature those texts in their exhibit.  

 One component of many exhibits that caught our eye was the interactive piece.  Students are encouraged to interact with the displays, making it a learning opportunity for all.

 Sharing what they've learned in math and writing.  More interactive components as well.

 A culminating event for 5th graders is a trip out of town, looking at various historic places.  

MICDS: Students demonstrate ownership of their space and their learning in the upper school.

 Math and science teachers fill this workroom when they're not teaching. Students can stop by anytime, check the teaching schedule on the wall, and seek out an instructor who teaches the content in which they need support.

Students use these collaborative study rooms to work with peers before and after school or during free periods.

Student sculpture and artwork decorate common spaces atop library shelves.

Students practice math on their personal devices while the teacher monitors their learning in real-time from her own device in a shared online learning platform.