PLC+Time+9-1-09


 * Agenda Day 1**:
 * 1) Team Norms
 * 2) Grade Categories (see example from the 11th grade team)
 * 3) Common Syllabus


 * Agenda Day 2 (shorter day):**
 * 1) Review, quickly, yesterday's work.
 * 2) SMART Goals
 * 3) Books
 * 4) Other areas for formative assessments (just sharing ideas)

Discussion of team norms (see link above) - Grade Categories - Subcategories: possibility on mygradebook.com Quarter two expository will attempt to do //feedback// based formative assessments.
 * Minutes**:
 * Taking turns with recording of minutes
 * What steps should be taken when a member doesn't adhere to the norms?
 * team lead will pull team member aside to address issues as they arrise
 * possible norm - sharing strategies and best practices
 * possibly preparing presentations for PLC time
 * call room 103 phone: 401-4795 if team member is going to be late or absent
 * adding items to the PLC agenda - two days in advance
 * last year's grade weighing did not work to the student's advantage
 * adopting the 11th grade team's categories
 * reading 35%, writing 35%, speaking 15%, participation 15%
 * this includes all assessments within each category
 * writing section - Notes/Assignments 30%, Formative 30% & Summative 40% assessments
 * retaking tests = for grade of no more than a C.
 * Should the team give feedback on formative assessments rather than a grade? Students get full credit in gradebook.
 * First writing formative assessments will use the same rubric as last year. All students score at least 50%.
 * reading section - Notes/Assignments 30%, Formative 30% & Summative 40% assessments
 * speaking section - Informal Speaking 60%, Formal Presentations 40%
 * participation section - Notes 20%, Group Work 40%, Misc./Checks 40%
 * extra credit category? up to 3%. Parent participation, community service, peer tutoring, etc.
 * categories approved by majority vote

Common Syllabus -
 * download and insert personal information. should be posted on course wikis for student and parent access. See Anthony Devine for help posting translation widget on your wiki.
 * common assignment policies - see syllabus

SMART Goals- Books- //Homework: Think of more ways to use formative assessments outside of the writing program.//
 * We reviewed the SMART Goal data from the last two years. The questions is, do we want to keep our goal or alter it? Currently, our goal is set pretty high.
 * We decided to keep our goal at 75% of students will meet standard (a grade of "B" or higher) at each level on all benchmarks.
 * Our books are new, so we need to keep them nice and keep them covered.
 * Books will be in storage, so keep 5 extra in your room at all times.
 * Interactive Practice Books will be stored in room 103, so keep 5 extra in your room at all times
 * Labeling: there is a white-out pen that can be used to write names on the Interactive Practice Books and Grammar Books.
 * Chart and monitor students understanding and use of the reading strategies
 * Flaw with the Cluster Tests: they memorize the strategy or copy it from the book
 * The Edge might have ways for students to track their own progress
 * Can we use TPR (Total Physical Response) to help students learn the reading strategies and can they demonstrate the strategy by presenting and recording that in the "Speaking" category?
 * In the text book, we should use sticky notes to address the reading strategy in the margins
 * We will create a plan for addressing the reading strategy

Wiki password protection-
 * Embed a widget to hide the page
 * On the technology page, you can copy the widget from "Getting Tricky with Wikis"
 * Highlight the HTML code, copy it, go back to your wiki page that you want to edit, click edit, then click on the icon that looks like a T.V., click on "other HTML" paste into the box, change password but keep the quotation marks, then change the URL for the window.location= wikispace to reroute people who don't know the password, and finally click save.
 * Once the password is in place, a box will pop up requesting a password before loading the page.
 * Do not project this on the screen because it will show students the password