The purpose of this blog is to create a pathway for communication for the teachers of the schools within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to share questions, ideas and movements in the use of the R5 framework.
Teachers need to use the Gold Seal Lessons as a template and guide for forming their own classroom activities. Our curriculum guidelines are the basis for creating a similar set of Gold Seal Lessons. We do not want to use the content from the International Center since it is not our grade level curriculum.
I think teachers are always looking for new ways to improve their teaching. I think we need to provide them with lesson plans from our guidelines to give them a comfort zone before they take the risk of writing their own lesson plans incorporating Quadrant D. Maybe an opportunity to observe another teacher using RRR in their classroom might help.
Our teacher's concerns were on how to connect "Gold Seal" lessons with daily lessons and time management with these lessons to cover curriculum. Also, how to connect these lessons with teaching to different learning styles and different levels of abilities within a classroom. Our teachers also felt that they would benefit from observing teachers who consistenly use RRR in their classrooms. We would also like to have a tool(at grade appropriate levels) to measure the learning styles of students to make classrooms more "student-centered."
We talked in depth about these two questions and came up with quite a detailed list: Religion, Rigor, and Relevance Questions from meeting at Archbishop Wood
1. What further help do you need to understand RRR enough to make consistent use of it within the classrooms in your school?
o More workshops, but not a full day. o Small group demonstrations, possibly on topics suggested by teachers o Gold Seal lessons needed for specialty teachers (computer, physical education, etc.) o A video or DVD made for teachers to view at their leisure showing the whole process of RRR o Concrete lesson plans on each grade level to help us who have a tendency to revert back to our old methods of teaching o Maybe two or three lesson plans on each grade level for each trimester could be put online to help us put the concept into practice o Terra Nova results vs. RRR -Schools viewed by results vs. RRR -Parents more concerned about Terra Nova scores / SAT’s, etc. than RRR lessons
2. What fixable thing (s) keeps your school from progressing toward “student-centered classrooms” with high levels of student engagement?
o Not enough hours in the day to accomplish guideline concepts* o Size of classes and rooms not always lending itself to this idea* o First grade has ten ILA manuals and feels pressure to complete lessons now without adding a lot of RRR o Large amount of Math curriculum to cover as it is* o Pressure to complete guidelines puts added stress on teachers when we know what has to be covered and we tend to not add RRR lessons just so we can get it all done o Supplies and equipment needed to implement the lessons in the classroom o An OCE website to access from home like United Streaming. o Programs of RRR lessons on CDs for easier access for teachers to view o Guidelines are jam-packed and if more quadrant D lessons are taught (which involve many consecutive days) then all information in the guidelines won’t get completed o Equipment for the gym o Materials for health education that is updated o Materials that are updated for drug awareness o Resources to purchase headphones, tapes and answer books, SSR kits, and actual centers that would be appropriate for “student-centered” lessons o More Gold Seal lessons for all subject areas o More time is needed for planning and executing lessons in quadrant D* o Lack of prep time* o Too many demands already in the assigned Archdiocese curriculum* o Some classes too large with too many children who need extra attention o The traditional attitude in a Catholic School still tends to view a “quiet classroom” as a sign of a “good” teacher who has control o Too many workshops on weekends or evenings which should be family time-a Catholic value we stress and should be able to practice ourselves o Workshops presented a distance away from home schools presents problems for many*
1. What further help do you need to understand RRR enough to make consistent use of it within the classrooms in your school?
* Examples of actual lesson plans at use within Catholic schools at each grade level. The videos we've seen all show public school teachers working with an aide in a small class setting. We'd like to see how RRR can work in our Catholic school classes.
* We'd like to see the entire planning process from start to finish for each grade level. How do we get from the topics in the guidelines to a Quadrant D lesson that is successful?
* A way to share successes and failures with other schools in the Archdiocese.
* A system in place to check up on principals and teachers to make sure RRR is being implemented. (Students won't do their homework if they know you aren't checking it!)
2. What fixable things keep your school from progressing toward "student-centered" classrooms with high levels of student engagement?
* There is so much content in the guidelines that has to be taught that teachers feel adding RRR would waste time. End of year assessments are geared towards the guidelines which also add pressure to fit it all in. Should the guidelines and end of year assessments be revised to eliminate information that is not absolutely necessary so that teachers and students can focus on main ideas and concepts using RRR to get them across?
* In-Service days are not conducive to planning RRR lessons with grade level partners. More time during an in-service or more in-service days are needed to allow this crucial planning time.
What further help do you need to understand RRR to make consistent use of it within your school?
* more prep time to prepare * have a web site similiar to United Streaming to view lessons * have someone from OCE to spend some time in a designated classroom to work hand in hand with the teacher in developing a lesson beginning in quadrant A and ending in quadrant D * work with "mentor teachers" * more hands on workshops * more parental support of RRRR
What fixable thing keeps your school from progressing toward higher levels of student engagement?
* more faculty inter communication and sharing of ideas * a stronger desire to impliment RRRR, and to accept the challenges of educating students for their future successes * a need to get our parents more on board with RRRR by inservicing them to gain a better understanding of what we are trying to acheive with their children's education * more time to integrate the various strategies * it would be interesting to follow an alumnus of one our schools to experience a day at work with him/her by webinar of DVD
* we have everything at our school to help us to have RRR in our teaching; we just need to boost our confidence!
In response to question #1 - In the past three years, our school has seen a new pastor, a new principal and a sizeable turnover on our faculty. We feel it would be beneficial to us as a school community to have a mini or refresher training so that we would all be working from the same starting point.
In response to question #2 - We strongly believe that our classrooms are student-centered. There is greater use of technology by teachers and students outside of the weekly computer lesson. There is also more frequent use of manipulatives and cooperative learning activities that put students in charge of their learning.
However, one of our biggest challenges is that students seem to lack the motivation and enthusiasm needed for successful learning. If the activity does not include a DVD or some type of reward, students are reluctant to participate.
We also feel that the time allotted for classroom teaching and the successful implementation of RRR is constantly being chipped away because of other initiatives brought into the classroom/school, e.g., Middle States, safe environment, wellness). Would RRR be more effective if it were the sole focus in our classrooms?
Teachers need to understand that kids work hard 7 hours a day. Thats a lot! But they think its ok because then they get a break at night. WRONG! They have to come home and do 2-4 hours of homework. They deny it but its true. And why can't the boys have a st. als football team. THats why several of the boys in my sons class left and the same reason im leaving!
Teachers need to understand that kids work hard 7 hours a day. Thats a lot! But they think its ok because then they get a break at night. WRONG! They have to come home and do 2-4 hours of homework. They deny it but its true. And why can't the boys have a st. als football team. THats why several of the boys in my sons class left and the same reason im leaving!
10 comments:
How are teachers supposed to incorporate the Gold Seal Lessons into their classrooms?
Teachers need to use the Gold Seal Lessons as a template and guide for forming their own classroom activities. Our curriculum guidelines are the basis for creating a similar set of Gold Seal Lessons. We do not want to use the content from the International Center since it is not our grade level curriculum.
I think teachers are always looking for new ways to improve their teaching. I think we need to provide them with lesson plans from our guidelines to give them a comfort zone before they take the risk of writing their own lesson plans incorporating Quadrant D. Maybe an opportunity to observe another teacher using RRR in their classroom might help.
Our teacher's concerns were on how to connect "Gold Seal" lessons with daily lessons and time management with these lessons to cover curriculum. Also, how to connect these lessons with teaching to different learning styles and different levels of abilities within a classroom.
Our teachers also felt that they would benefit from observing teachers who consistenly use RRR in their classrooms.
We would also like to have a tool(at grade appropriate levels) to measure the learning styles of students to make classrooms more "student-centered."
We talked in depth about these two questions and came up with quite a detailed list:
Religion, Rigor, and Relevance
Questions from meeting at Archbishop Wood
1. What further help do you need to understand RRR enough to make consistent use of it within the classrooms in your school?
o More workshops, but not a full day.
o Small group demonstrations, possibly on topics suggested by teachers
o Gold Seal lessons needed for specialty teachers (computer, physical education, etc.)
o A video or DVD made for teachers to view at their leisure showing the whole process of RRR
o Concrete lesson plans on each grade level to help us who have a tendency to revert back to our old methods of teaching
o Maybe two or three lesson plans on each grade level for each trimester could be put online to help us put the concept into practice
o Terra Nova results vs. RRR
-Schools viewed by results vs. RRR
-Parents more concerned about Terra Nova scores / SAT’s, etc. than RRR lessons
2. What fixable thing (s) keeps your school from progressing toward “student-centered classrooms” with high levels of student engagement?
o Not enough hours in the day to accomplish guideline concepts*
o Size of classes and rooms not always lending itself to this idea*
o First grade has ten ILA manuals and feels pressure to complete lessons now without adding a lot of RRR
o Large amount of Math curriculum to cover as it is*
o Pressure to complete guidelines puts added stress on teachers when we know what has to be covered and we tend to not add RRR lessons just so we can get it all done
o Supplies and equipment needed to implement the lessons in the classroom
o An OCE website to access from home like United Streaming.
o Programs of RRR lessons on CDs for easier access for teachers to view
o Guidelines are jam-packed and if more quadrant D lessons are taught (which involve many consecutive days) then all information in the guidelines won’t get completed
o Equipment for the gym
o Materials for health education that is updated
o Materials that are updated for drug awareness
o Resources to purchase headphones, tapes and answer books, SSR kits, and actual centers that would be appropriate for “student-centered” lessons
o More Gold Seal lessons for all subject areas
o More time is needed for planning and executing lessons in quadrant D*
o Lack of prep time*
o Too many demands already in the assigned Archdiocese curriculum*
o Some classes too large with too many children who need extra attention
o The traditional attitude in a Catholic School still tends to view a “quiet classroom” as a sign of a “good” teacher who has control
o Too many workshops on weekends or evenings which should be family time-a Catholic value we stress and should be able to practice ourselves
o Workshops presented a distance away from home schools presents problems for many*
*Concept was given by several teachers
1. What further help do you need to understand RRR enough to make consistent use of it within the classrooms in your school?
* Examples of actual lesson plans at use within Catholic schools at each grade level. The videos we've seen all show public school teachers working with an aide in a small class setting. We'd like to see how RRR can work in our Catholic school classes.
* We'd like to see the entire planning process from start to finish for each grade level. How do we get from the topics in the guidelines to a Quadrant D lesson that is successful?
* A way to share successes and failures with other schools in the Archdiocese.
* A system in place to check up on principals and teachers to make sure RRR is being implemented. (Students won't do their homework if they know you aren't checking it!)
2. What fixable things keep your school from progressing toward "student-centered" classrooms with high levels of student engagement?
* There is so much content in the guidelines that has to be taught that teachers feel adding RRR would waste time. End of year assessments are geared towards the guidelines which also add pressure to fit it all in. Should the guidelines and end of year assessments be revised to eliminate information that is not absolutely necessary so that teachers and students can focus on main ideas and concepts using RRR to get them across?
* In-Service days are not conducive to planning RRR lessons with grade level partners. More time during an in-service or more in-service days are needed to allow this crucial planning time.
* New teachers have not been trained in RRR.
Saint Joseph School Aston responds:
What further help do you need to understand RRR to make consistent use of it within your school?
* more prep time to prepare
* have a web site similiar to United Streaming to view lessons
* have someone from OCE to spend some time in a designated classroom to work hand in hand with the teacher in developing a lesson beginning in quadrant A and ending in quadrant D
* work with "mentor teachers"
* more hands on workshops
* more parental support of RRRR
What fixable thing keeps your school from progressing toward higher levels of student engagement?
* more faculty inter communication
and sharing of ideas
* a stronger desire to impliment RRRR, and to accept the challenges of educating students for their future successes
* a need to get our parents more on board with RRRR by inservicing them to gain a better understanding of what we are trying to acheive with their children's education
* more time to integrate the various strategies
* it would be interesting to follow
an alumnus of one our schools to experience a day at work with him/her by webinar of DVD
* we have everything at our school to help us to have RRR in our teaching; we just need to boost our confidence!
In response to question #1 - In the past three years, our school has seen a new pastor, a new principal and a sizeable turnover on our faculty. We feel it would be beneficial to us as a school community to have a mini or refresher training so that we would all be working from the same starting point.
In response to question #2 - We strongly believe that our classrooms are student-centered. There is greater use of technology by teachers and students outside of the weekly computer lesson. There is also more frequent use of manipulatives and cooperative learning activities that put students in charge of their learning.
However, one of our biggest challenges is that students seem to lack the motivation and enthusiasm needed for successful learning. If the activity does not include a DVD or some type of reward, students are reluctant to participate.
We also feel that the time allotted for classroom teaching and the successful implementation of RRR is constantly being chipped away because of other initiatives brought into the classroom/school, e.g., Middle States, safe environment, wellness). Would RRR be more effective if it were the sole focus in our classrooms?
Teachers need to understand that kids work hard 7 hours a day. Thats a lot! But they think its ok because then they get a break at night. WRONG! They have to come home and do 2-4 hours of homework. They deny it but its true. And why can't the boys have a st. als football team. THats why several of the boys in my sons class left and the same reason im leaving!
Teachers need to understand that kids work hard 7 hours a day. Thats a lot! But they think its ok because then they get a break at night. WRONG! They have to come home and do 2-4 hours of homework. They deny it but its true. And why can't the boys have a st. als football team. THats why several of the boys in my sons class left and the same reason im leaving!
Post a Comment