ELA, SS, and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Other Technical Subjects August 2021
Here are some of the latest PD opportunities and resources!
Literacy Leaders and Coaches Network 2021-2022 - Update!
Dear Literacy Leaders & Coaches Network colleagues,
The LLCN Brief podcast is back for the 2021-2022 school year! In addition to the fabulous episodes, we’ll be adding an interactive Twitter chat. After continued conversation LLCN is maintaining a virtual format for this school year. We would like to announce that the release dates for the podcast episodes this year will be:
September 15, 2021
November 17, 2021
January 12, 2022
February 23, 2022
To increase the opportunity for networking within LLCN we are going to offer a Twitter chat that will occur two weeks after each podcast is released. This Twitter chat will be offered in the evening and will be moderated by Kent ISD LLCN staff. Each Twitter chat will focus on the same topic of the podcast that it follows and will have time for questions and answers as well as open dialogue. The chat will occur 8pm-9pm on the following dates:
September 29th, 2021
December 1st, 2021
January 26th, 2022
March 9th, 2022
Please make a note of all LLCN dates and Twitter chats on your calendar.
Thank you for your flexibility and understanding as we work to stay connected to Literacy Leaders & Coaches Network members. We are committed to maintaining the professional learning and networking around literacy that you have come to expect from the LLCN.
Join us on September 15th, 2021 for literacy and leadership learning!
Sincerely,
Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker
Considerations for Ensuring Safe, Inclusive, and Equitable Environments
Considerations for a Strong Tier 1 System for Each and Every Student
Assessment Process: Considerations for Identifying and Responding to Needs
As the Michigan Department of Education and the MiMTSS TA Center plan to move forward with developing additional guidance in systematically testing that guidance, we want to pause and get your feedback and reactions to the June 2021 guidance. A part of centering equity in the SEB process involves intentionally seeking input and feedback from multiple and diverse perspectives.
Please consider reading the guidance and then joining us for one of two live feedback sessions on September 16th, 2021. We will host one feedback session from 7:30-8:30 am, and another opportunity the same day from 3:30-4:30 pm.
We are seeking feedback from Michigan educators: classroom teachers, interventionists, principals, district leaders, regional leaders and consultants, Multi-Tiered System of Supports Coordinators, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leaders. If you are able to participate, please consider also inviting a colleague who serves in a different role to join as well. These are examples of the questions we will discuss on 9/16/21:
What equity-centered processes do you have in place to support student learning and the social, emotional, and behavioral health of all learners?
How do you feel about your local universal screening process? What have you done in the past years to reframe the process?
What have schools done to promote equity within the screening process regardless of the scope of racial diversity in your district? What detours to equity have you encountered?
What are your reactions to the content of the guidance posted in June?
Have your perceptions of the risk and value of a screening process for the children you serve shifted as a result of reading this document? How?
How is what you are already doing related to what is described in the June document?
What additional information/guidance would help you next? How can we help?
7th grade Geographic Inquiry and New Temporal Sequencing in Social Studies (GIANTS) Network
4:00-7:30pm on 9/29/21, 10/27/21, 12/8/21, 1/26/22, 3/16/22
Online via Zoom
Collaboratively presented by Dr. Phil Gersmehl, David Johnson, Rebecca Bush, and Roy Sovis, this 5-part series examines the connections between spatial thinking and temporal thinking through analysis of cause and effect of major events in Ancient world history and Geography. Curricular units, as the foundation for the 7th grade course include instructional strategies unique for the inte-gration of temporal and spatial thinking skills through the Arc of Inquiry, hands-on activities, literacy strategies, and best practices in both formative and summative assessment and will be modeled at each session.
Because of the recent updates to Michigan's Revised State Standards, the focus on Ancient world history at the 7th grade level is a monumental shift with regard to scope and sequence in some districts. Combined with more rigorous demands in temporal and spatial thinking, the curriculum and accompanying professional development network are the best tools to assist 7th grade Social Studies teachers.
From Molly Gale, Oakland Schools Social Studies Education Consultant:
Hello all!
The MC3 8th grade Social Studies course is being revised this school year, and units will be posted on a rolling basis over the course of SY 2021-22. The course description, pacing guide, and Unit 1 are already posted. All lesson plans, supplemental materials for lessons, and lesson slides are formatted as Google Docs or Google Slides. You will also find the approximate dates of publication for the rest of the units, so you know when to look back to get materials.
The new course is aligned to the 2019 standards, and it is framed through a lens of inquiry.
If you have any need to access the old course, it can still be found in the Atlas archives.
MiPAC Cohort 2 Participation Opportunity
Are you interested in learning how to develop and implement performance assessments in your district/school? Join the Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability (OEAA) as we work with the Michigan Assessment Consortium to develop performance assessments that are aligned to Michigan’s academic standards and model essential skills in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) in grades 3-8.
Preferred candidates for the Michigan Performance Assessment Cadre (MiPAC):
• have experience teaching mathematics or English language arts (ELA) in grades 3-5 and/ or grades 6-8
• have experience with/understanding of Michigan academic standards
• are employed in either general or special education
Educators with experience outside of general education or who work with students with disabilities are enthusiastically encouraged to apply.
You will:
• learn about the Michigan model essential skills for mathematics and ELA
• engage in a process to develop performance assessments and rubrics
• collaborate with peers from other districts
• practice using a rubric and calibrating the scoring of performance assessments
• take part in a research agenda focused on measuring student competencies through performance assessments
• (pending) earn up to 50 SCECH credits or alternative graduate credits
Participants are expected to attend and contribute to approximately 50 hours of job-embedded facilitated professional learning and assessment development over the 2021-22 academic year.
We anticipate virtual sessions will be scheduled in blocks of two-hour weekly engagements to meet designated project milestones.
These sessions include:
• collaboration with grade-span teachers in developing a performance assessment and corresponding rubric aligned to the state model competencies, with guidance and resources provided
• administration and collection of student responses for one performance assessment, revising items and rubrics as necessary for them to become part of a library of models
• collaboration with grade-span teachers in scoring student work that results from implementation of the performance assessment
• participation in project evaluation activities, such as observation, focus groups, and surveys
If you are interested in participating, submit your resume in an email to mde-oeaa@michigan.gov using the subject line “MiPAC Resume”.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation is proud to be a host for the September 11th Community Day of Remembrance and Scout Salute.
This year, September 11th falls on a Saturday. Please feel free to share this invitation with your students and school community.
Use the link below to print this flyer and send it home!
After an extended closure due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are looking forward to opening our doors once again and welcoming back our students!
At the time of this newsletter, we are still unable to faciliate groups inside the
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, but we are beginning to schedule future classes so please contact us to get your date on the calendar!
For more information, please visit our website or download this year's program guide below.
Select programs are now available in a virtual format. Your students can enjoy Primary Source Detectives, Three Branches of Government, and Advising the President from anywhere! Visit our website for details.
(Please note that all in-person classes will follow health and safety regulations set forth by the National Archives and Records Adminstration and are subject to cancellation in the event of building closure.)
Past, Present, Future: The Twists and Turns of the Equal Rights Amendment and the Quest to Put Equality in the Constitution
October 26, 2021 @ 1:00 PM ET
You and your students are invited to join Ann Compton as she moderates a discussion focusing on the history and future of the Equal Rights Amendment. Representatives from the National Constitution Center and the Center for American Women and Politics will join in the hour-long virtual talk.
For more information about this unique and immersive exhibit coming to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, visit: chapelsistine.com.
For information about registering student groups to visit the exhibit, please contact: cshubert@38foundation.org.
President Gerald R. Ford Student Writing Challenge
Did you miss our virtual awards ceremony for the 2021 President Gerald R. Ford Student Writing Challenge?
Visit our website to view the ceremony and learn more about the 2021 awardees. Prepare to be inspired by this year's winners and our guest speaker, John Agar (pictured at left.)
Information about the 2022 Writing Challenge will be released in November- stay tuned!
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation | 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Middle School English Language Arts Units Pilot Network: Call for Participants
We are looking for a group of teachers to pilot the newly-revised middle school ELA curriculum, provide support to each other, and give meaningful feedback on ways we can continue to improve these units of study.
Click here to access essential information about the units, as well as the units themselves.
Who might join us?
Middle School (6th - 8th grade) English Language Arts teachers interested in:
engaging students in authentic reading and writing experiences
support in providing integrated opportunities for reading, writing, speaking & listening, and language within units of study
What can teachers expect?
Six opportunities to meet (virtually) with fellow middle school ELA teachers throughout the school year
Time to collaborate with one another on implementation of the units, resources, tips and tricks
Deeper understanding of the foundational concepts behind the units, including UDL, Disciplinary Literacy, workshop model for Middle School, and diverse texts
Opportunities to give feedback on the units that will be used to inform the final revision in the summer of 2022.
What is the requested commitment?
Participants will be expected to pilot all four units during the 2021-2022 school year and provide feedback on each unit.
Attend at least four of the pilot network sessions
When and where will these pilot meetings take place?
All meetings will be held from 3:15-4:45 on Zoom.
September 16, 2021
October 21, 2021
December 2, 2021
January 20, 2022
March 17, 2022
April 28 2022
Mark Raffler
Kent Intermediate School District
Educational Consultant
2930 Knapp NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
