Meeting+Notes+Minutes+March+24

(Laura gave each person 10 minutes to think quietly, then 20 minutes with their partner because it was really helpful and group asked for more time.)
 * What Are You Thinking?** Get with your blogging partner. You each get 5 minutes to give a "brain dump" on where you are with your learning, your artifact, your life. Then, each "pair" gets five minutes to report out to the rest of the group.

__Report Out Notes__ 1.Ted and Matthew: ML at a crossroads, looking at a job in Chicago charter school. Frustrated with school leadership.(Cool story about how it happened!) (Change is good!) Dan 'Cause all we do in APS is test prep....learning...lol!!! If we can change notes, just like a class room, why can't we do it here? CulmRinating project is his wiki Congratulations, Matthew. Ted making a foreign lang PLC in West JH (WSJHSFLPLC(culminating project). Several others already have PLCs. Stalled right now. (Need to carry one class less for time...issue of class size having to absorb more for PLC to happen.) Application of school PLC is challenging...stake holders have to buy in...Ted is going to have to step back into coaching, which will be challenge with starting a PLC.Blog hidden meanings.

2.Lynnae and Nina Nina's husband is doing much better and may even start driving. Nina's culminating artifact...requiring Lang Arts teaching to keep blogs with their students...mandatory part of the curriculum. Great idea...questions on student comments? Balance of authority with grass roots as motivators. Will they be mature? How will I police comments from 60 kids? find the balance between top-down mandate and grass roots enthusiasm. Only a small number of APS teachers even have blogs."Start with the pedagogy first before you go with the tool." Perfectly said. Nina training the dept., to model engaging blogging. Plus, many teachers have horrible writing skills...scary, some are ELA teachers (Mc Adam takes exception here:- ).I said, "some!" I'll send you a few blogs for proof. Ted quotes p. 131, __PLC at Work__ by DuFour. Dan quotes Dan Pink: "In our offices, in our classrooms, we have way too much compliance...."Lynnae: PLC for entire Upper School. Looking for full buy-in. School has Learning Teams, but nothing officially called PLC. Question? Is the PLC for 21st Century Learning only? Lynnae is very interested in moving to Inquiry-based teaching. Tough finding teammates. I completely agree--I think it is because everyone has so much else to do. Three prongs. (One using TI) Possibilty of meeting during flex time or chapel. Not necessarily everyone in the US. Half a dozen could be ambitious.

3. Bernadette and Elisa: Both frustrated with the process. (Meetings and more meetings). Elisa is not going to go with the funding of the gaming, but she is posting games for students on her wiki. If you need wiki help...find Elisa! Think I'm going to use my writing workshop as a culminating artifact. I've never taught it like this before. (used Primary Pad) B frustrated by lack of buy-in for PLC. "The power of one..." One person can change the world--Jesus, Gandhi, Dan, etc...Bernadette has "taught" very little this semester, but the learning continues. I will definitely blog about my writers' workshop and how well my students worked this week. It was a great experience and I was freed up to call parents about progress reports. By the way, I am also allowing students to use their smart phones for research in my classroom.

4.Dan and Holly 21st century competencies via poetry (for Dan). Feels overwhelmed starting a poetry curriculum from scratch--playing with backward design. Curricular unit=Culminating ArtifactHuge undertaking--good job issue of incorporating standards/stretching beyond them Holly--concerned about change in Leadership (dramatic changes, search for new headmaster), her work selling 21st century undone with leadership change...having to resell and hope for the best (may not take the same path she was on) writing proposal clarified her viewpoint for creating a Dean position (vision making)

5.Malaika and SallieGray Malaika: Frustrated with her Go Green initiative. All kinds of scheduling nightmares getting in the way. However, it is now scheduled for next week. (Plot behind the school, students studying what to grow there, how to sustain, etc) (Will document for her artifact.)

SallyGray: observed by Brandi, talked about ways to make class more fun. New implementation: background music, to create a relaxed atmosphere (alter culture). -research proves that playing classical music causes dindrites (sp?) to fire quicker, thus resulting in faster thinking--Dan (use music without words) group work to generate answers, rather than call and response method with kid/teacher taping her class as reflective piece -The 5 competencies? Which one do kids lack? Critical Thinking (Laura said), Matthew said, "Global connections." Ted shared example of CL group work--states that communication is lacking. Holly reminded us that "learning through failure" is a good thing. Is there a condition that has to exist in order to ripen creativity? Yes! Freedom from failure!--Dan

A. Critical Thinking - somewhat general consensus that this would be central competency to focus on
 * 5C's-Competencies of the 21st Century Classroom**

B. Communication

C. Creativity - Ted would pick this one. Communication isn't the problem, but the students don't think of themselves as creative. Me too. Communication and critical thinking would follow if creativity utilized. Laura: Is our label of "creativity" really the discipline of taking risks?

D. Global Connection Dan and Matthew would pick this because their Bankhead and Buckhead kids do not leave their environments respectively but maintain the status quo of engagement.

E. CollaborationThis is a close runner-up.

grading tool - upload a paper, highlight, make comments
 * Tool Talk**


 * Planning/Consulting Time**


 * FOR NEXT MONTH:**
 * Read "Disrupting the Classroom" (article from Bob) -Reflect/Respond on personal blog. Associate to your own exploration/experimentation towards a 21st Century Classroom.
 * Blog your learning and classroom experiences as well as your work on your artifact.
 * Next meeting is OUR LAST MEETING BEFORE CULMINATING PROJECTS DUE! So, with hat tip to Dan, it will be a "working meeting" where you should be working on your artifact; getting help from other fellows, as well as Brandi and Laura; getting ready to document the artifact on the wiki; planning any videotaping you need to do, etc.

NOTE: Meeting location for April TBD. Dan is checking on us meeting at Sutton Middle School for our April 14th meeting. It will be nice to see a "different" learning environment.