Year+8+PLC+TL+PT+TH+FV


 * Minutes for PLC **

Norms 14/2/13
 * ** Begin and end our meeting on time and stay fully engaged during each meeting **
 * ** Maintain a positive attitude at team meetings – no complaining unless we offer a better alternative. **
 * ** Listen respectfully to each other **
 * ** Contribute equally to the workload **
 * ** Make decisions based on consensus **
 * ** Encourage one another to honor out commitments and candidly discuss our concerns when we feel a member is not living up to these commitments **
 * ** Fully support each other’s efforts to improve student learning. **
 * Document our discussions
 * Use SMART goals to direct our discussion
 * Next week look at diagnostic tests
 * SMART goals.

PLC Thursday 21/02/13

SMART Goal planning

Strategic – Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Results orientated

Time bound

SMART GOAL: To shift all Low and Basic students to Basic and Proficient on the persuasive writing. rubric

Teaching suggestion: Using strong examples as a guide to help the class and discuss the strengths. Highlight the persuasive techniques used. etc


 * By Monday**

If each staff member can type up two examples of a strong persuasive piece to be used as a model..


 * Before next PLC:**

In addition to modelling top quality pieces, think about other specific lessons/techniques to help improve our students in accordance with our smart goal (moving 1’s and 2’s up by one level).

28/2/13


 * Use of models
 * To project to the class. Look at topic sentences. Look at how the arguments are expanded. Look from general to specific - how to expand on ideas.
 * Use to model look at how it is persuasive - highlight talk about it.
 * Techniques
 * Role Play - get students to act out persuasive techniques

Next week - continue work on rubric next week.

7/3/13


 * Persuasive Writing
 * FV getting them to write a persuasive piece convincing their parents to let them do...
 * TH using 'Should' activity to get them to plan their issue

14/3/13


 * Persuasive writing
 * Looking at voice, etc in writing
 * Next week - Look at a formative assessment to see if kids are getting it.

21/3/13
 * Persuasive writing - TL mentioned they are having trouble coming up with ideas.
 * Issues - a little bit superficial
 * Logos and Pathos - live scoring, was good in terms of who knew, who didn't
 * Formative - looking at how we can make marking quicker, easier.
 * Last PLC this term - look at formative assessment.
 * reflect on the SMART goal.

28/3/13
 * Reflection on unit. It study habits that they are lacking. They didn't draft/plan their work.
 * Diagnostic - formative assessment under test conditions - feedback, final copy - this will give us clear idea of what they have learned.

18/4/13
 * Welcome to our new PLC member Eleni.
 * Looked at final assessment for Trash.
 * PLC for next week - to work on rubric for final assessment.
 * TH to bring models

2/5/13
 * Working on rubric for Trash using google docs
 * Discussion on live scoring/how you would use this for formative assessment.

9/5/13
 * Finished working on the rubric
 * JP - re-visit smart goal for persuasive writing.
 * SMART Goal for Trash.

16/5/13
 * Reflection - next SMART goal be careful about the data we are measuring against
 * TH - basic to proficient hardest kids to move
 * PT - keeping the SMART goal in mind while you are teaching.
 * PRTI - intervention, kids that were sent improved the most.
 * Setting new smart goal - students setting own goals
 * giving students formative assessment getting them to place themselves on the rubric
 * Set a goal to move up the rubric using the SMART goal framework
 * Getting students to track progress.
 * Next week - bring in some samples of students work for questioning.

(What does the team want to achieve?) || ** Strategies and Action Steps ** (What teaching strategies might lead to achievement? What resources do you need? What other factors may influence success?) || ** Responsibility ** (Who is strong in this strategy already? Or, Who will adopt it as a personal learning goal?) || ** Timeline ** (When will the strategy be trialed and presented to the PLC?) || ** Evidence of Effectiveness ** (What will be presented to prove whether the strategy works? How will you know the strategy has been successful in achieving the goal?) ||
 * ** Strathmore Secondary College - Student Achievement SMART Goals **
 * Team: Year 8 PLC **
 * Team Members: TH FV PT Eleni **
 * School Goal (from 2012-2015 Strategic Plan): ** To improve student learning outcomes
 * Faculty Goals: ** Common Formative assessment used to monitor student progress through courses. Comparison of common assessment results for all students & classes in a year level. To develop a common set of rubrics for all assessment. ||
 * ** Team SMART Goal **
 * To encourage students to set their own goals for improvement and note the practical steps they will take to improve this. || 1. Design a rubric so students can track their learning. || Both year 8 PLCs. Shared responsibility. || Week 4 || All teachers were able to distribute rubric to students. ||
 * ^  || 2. Teach skills and give students feedback in terms of formative assessment. || Each teacher needs to aim to give students at least one formative assessment for each skill. || Throughout the 9 week unit. || Students will be tracking their progress on a rubric. ||
 * ^  || 3. Get students to track their progress and reflect on their goal as the unit progresses. || Teachers in PLC || End of unit – week 8/9 || Collect rubrics – get them to reflect on their learning goals/see if they were measureable. ||
 * ^  || 4. ||   ||   ||   ||


 * Thursday 23/05/13**


 * Discussed questioning progress. Some difficulties with developing beyond the text questions. PT has used the QAR style and received an initial submission from most students but they've not yet been graded on the rubric. We will all aim to have work samples (hopefully graded) by next meeting.

30/5/13
 * Talking through 'Trash'
 * Teaching 'Beyond the Question' - getting them to think about what the question would sound like in relation to the text. Then taking the text out of the question.
 * Talked about how to get students to write between the text questions.
 * Next week look at author's message, how to teach.

6/6/13
 * Visualising - often when author's want you to visualise something it's connected to the author's message. eg: Trash the prison scene.
 * Teaching - students should understand the TEEL paragraph structure. See what they retain from year 7
 * Homework - we need a whole school detention to make students do their homework
 * Next week - author's message, TEEL paragraph.

13/6/13
 * Author's message.
 * DVD covers - to show, general moderation
 * Next week - pre-teaching ideas 'Trash'

20/6/13

In year 8 English - LARGE PLC


 * __Clarify assessment tasks for Semester 2__**

Optional: Cartoon Hero's journey || Voice: object random/in Alice TBA || Persuasive (teacher choice) must explicitly teach persuasive language/techniques ||
 * **Report** || **Related Assessment Tasks** ||
 * Reading & Responding: The Giver || TEEL Paragraphs ||
 * Viewing & Responding: Alice In Wonderland || Analytical Essay
 * Creating & Presenting: Writing Folio || Dystopia: Write a diary entry/setting
 * Speaking & Listening || Sell a book
 * Other notes**
 * Writing Folio, The Giver: Dystopia – setting, increase word limit 300-500.
 * Second writing folio - optional, The Heroes Journey - need to be careful to pick a particular writing technique to focus on. Looking at symbolism in their writing. Or random voice writing folio, linked to Alice.
 * Speaking and Listening - Make sure that one piece is persuasive. Book report Wide Reading, each Friday a couple of students present, present voice writing folio

TH will write report description based on discussion and send around for feedback.

__**Semester 3 - Term 3**__
 * Extension - Animal Farm, other dystopia fiction. Essay question 'What can we learn from reading dystopian fiction'.
 * Questions:
 * **Early in the text**
 * The world of 'The Giver' is too controlled. Do you agree? (good general question - could answer throughout the text)
 * Are the communities rules about ageing fair?
 * Are the communities rules about ageing fair?


 * **Later in text.**
 * Conformity is good for society. Do you agree?
 * Through censorship the elders have created a perfect society. Discuss.
 * By keeping wisdom in the hands of a few the community is safe and protected. Do you agree?
 * Next week - Animal Farm extension activity.
 * Next week - Animal Farm extension activity.

25/7/13
 * What do we do with students who already know?
 * Animal Farm extension activity.

1/7/13
 * Continue with extension activity.
 * Background for students.
 * Finished extension activity
 * TEEL paragraphs
 * Next week - looking at TEEL paragraphs.

8/8/13
 * FV - TEEL paragraphs
 * When measuring use all the sections of the rubric so we know more specifically which areas need improvement.
 * For next week mark TEEL paragraphs so we can see a pattern.

15/8/13 (What does the team want to achieve?) || ** Strategies and Action Steps ** (What teaching strategies might lead to achievement? What resources do you need? What other factors may influence success?) || ** Responsibility ** (Who is strong in this strategy already? Or, Who will adopt it as a personal learning goal?) || ** Timeline ** (When will the strategy be trialed and presented to the PLC?) || ** Evidence of Effectiveness ** (What will be presented to prove whether the strategy works? How will you know the strategy has been successful in achieving the goal?) || 22/8/13 Looking at differentiation - how are we going teach the different elements of TEEL in our class? || TH - Evidence/Explanation FV - Linking Sentence PT - Topic Sentence TL - is going to get some TEEL paragraphs || Before week 7 ||  ||
 * ** Strathmore Secondary College - Student Achievement SMART Goals **
 * Team: Year 8 PLC **
 * Team Members: TH FV PT TL **
 * School Goal (from 2012-2015 Strategic Plan): ** To improve student learning outcomes
 * Faculty Goals: ** Common Formative assessment used to monitor student progress through courses. Comparison of common assessment results for all students & classes in a year level. To develop a common set of rubrics for all assessment. ||
 * ** Team SMART Goal **
 * For 90% of students to achieve proficiency on the TEEL paragraph rubric. || 1. To adapt rubric to fit the 1-4 scale. || PLC as a team || Completed || Rubric completed and emailed around to all teachers. ||
 * ^  || 2. To make sure students have at least three practices before the summative assessment. || Classroom teacher || Before week 9 ||   ||
 * ^  || 3. Refer students to PRTI throughout the unit. || Classroom teacher. ||   ||   ||
 * ^  || 4.

5/9/13
 * TH report back on intensive TEEL - okay
 * Questions - need to be simple so that they don't feel like they need to answer both sides of the question.
 * Next week - moderate TEEL paragraphs, look at who isn't proficient.

10/10/13
 * Planning for term 4
 * See planning document on server.
 * Next week TH PLC to work on Speaking Listening JP group to work Writing Folio task.

24/10/13 > (What does the team want to achieve?) || ** Strategies and Action Steps ** (What teaching strategies might lead to achievement? What resources do you need? What other factors may influence success?) || ** Responsibility ** > (Who is strong in this strategy already? Or, Who will adopt it as a personal learning goal?) || ** Timeline ** > (When will the strategy be trialed and presented to the PLC?) || ** Evidence of Effectiveness ** (What will be presented to prove whether the strategy works? How will you know the strategy has been successful in achieving the goal?) || > || For 90% of students to achieve proficiency on the Writing Folio paragraph rubric for voice and word choice. || 1. Teach the concept of voice. || Whole PLC team || || || > ||^ || 2. Teach students how author's develop voice and some strategies for them to use in their own writing. || || || || > ||^ || 3. Handout writing folio || || 2 weeks > 1 - to write > 1 - to draft || || > ||^ || 4. Moderate drafts - look at how we can push them ahead || || || ||
 * Where are we at?
 * SMART goal - look at writing folio.
 * || ** Team SMART Goal **

31/10/13
 * Writing Folio - Writing as an object - Looked at FV drafts, finding they need more focus on the personality of the object.
 * scenario - parents/child eg: Can I go to a concert? They have to respond in a particularly personality type.
 * Personality traits: Proud, egotistical, caring, outgoing, shy,naieve, cynical, outspoken, determined, honest, devious, uncompromising, reliable, brave, ambitious, reliable, brave


 * 7/11/13
 * Discussion – of voice writing folio.
 * Try to fit in an Alice Speaking and Listening task incase you run out of time to fit one in at the end of the year.
 * Next week: Speaking and Listening task for all year 8 teachers.

14/11/13
 * Worked on Speaking and Listening task
 * FV to work on rubric
 * TH to finish planning sheet
 * Next week - top writing folio pieces. Judge/publish.

>
 * 21/11/13
 * Looking at top writing folio pieces.
 * 8D2 – Ryan 1st Jack 2nd
 * 8S2 – Sarah Rule 1st Holly Blackmore 2nd
 * 8C1 Mairead Callander Nathan Nygyen
 * 8C2 Josie Nelson, Caroline Lee equal 1st
 * Electronic copies to TH will publish on website.