YEAR+8+PLC+JP+MN+GY+EC

Meeting 1: 7/2/13

MN, EC, GY, JP

PLC NORMS

We will begin and end our meetings on time

We will all share the responsibility of taking the minutes for each meeting

We will all decide on and share tasks equally

We will not assign too much homework between meetings

We will adopt a sense of responsibility in and for the group

We will attend to others and listen

We will aim for consensus in decision making

We will confront problems respectfully

We will suspend judgements

We will use SMART goals to measure our work and progress


 * MEETING FOCUS FOR NEXT WEEK:**

Look at samples of persuasive diagnostic task for moderation

Meeting 2: 21/02/13

EC, MN, GY, JP

Moderated persuasive response and decided on SMART goal. Team: Year 8 PLC Team Members: MN, GY, EC, JP School Goal (from 2012-2015 Strategic Plan): To improve student learning outcomes Faculty Goal: To improve student achievement in writing ||
 * **Strathmore Secondary College - Student Achievement SMART Goals**
 * **Team SMART Goal** || **Strategies and Action Steps** || **Responsibility** || **Timeline** || **Evidence of Effectiveness** ||
 * = At least 80% of students will move up a criterion for use of persuasive techniques within their persuasive response. || Use formative task of persuasive responses for teacher and student to identify strengths and weaknesses || All week 4 ||= Persuasive piece is due by the end of Term 1. Moderation and reporting improvement to PLC beginning of Term 2. ||= Final persuasive piece will demonstrate if students have improved and by how much. ||
 * ^  || Look at student samples of persuasive responses and use these as models to teach classes || All week 5 ||^   ||^   ||
 * ^  || Focus on teaching minimal persuasive techniques and teach them well e.g. ‘logos’ and ‘pathos’ appeals || JP email PowerPoint week 6 ||^   ||^   ||

Meeting 3: 7/03/13 EC, MN, GY, JP

Discussed ideas for persuasive response decided on teaching appeals as persuasive techniques We will hand out samples of good responses next week in class to show students what good response looks like JP to email these and powerpoint of techniques

Meeting 4: 14/03/13 EC, MN, JP Reviewed Mag Assignment. The group felt that there is perhaps too much in the assignment and is difficult to get everything done in time. Especially with disruption of camps in term 1. Discussed how we will complete persuasive response: we will have students write their draft in class in test conditions by the end of week 8, we will make them based on their use of persuasive techniques only in order to make marking quick. Students will submit final in week 9. During week 9 will give students some time to complete their front cover and put mag together.

Focus for next week: Begin looking at pre-teaching ideas for 'Trash'

Meeting 6: 28/03/13

MN has been looking at data from student survey and suggested we used 'Trash' and focus on 'stimulating learning' for lesson goals. Using the reading strategies and developing activities that are more "stimulating"

Ideas: creating games, contacting school in Cambodia, year level wiki where students comment on their own - more that contribute means they are more stimulated,

SMART GOAL: determining how stimulating activities in English are.

To measure the effectiveness of activities in terms of stimulating learning.

Term 2 Meeting 1: 18/04/13

Looked at big ideas unit and clarified main focus and reciprocal teaching strategies looked at main assessment for 'Trash' Began looking rubric for assessment.

The group clarified summarising as being a recount of events. This is used purely as a comprehension tool for students.

23/05/13

Reviewed the summarising task of 'Trash' assessment and came up with the following recommendations (will need to adjust task for next year)
 * Part 3 is too long for a whole dot point summary of the whole section
 * Complete different summary skills for different parts of the book as it was too confusing for students to repeat same information for same section.

Concerned about the lack of time and how we seem to always be trying to "cram" a lot of work in during the last weeks of the semester. We need to work on strategies to overcome this next term for 'The Giver'

Team discussed and set the following SMART Goal:

Team: Year 8 PLC Term 2 Team Members: MN, GY, EC, JP School Goal (from 2012-2015 Strategic Plan): To improve student learning outcomes Faculty Goal: To improve student achievement in writing ||
 * **Strathmore Secondary College - Student Achievement SMART Goals**
 * **Team SMART Goal** || **Strategies and Action Steps** || **Responsibility** || **Timeline** || **Evidence of Effectiveness** ||
 * 80% Students have a proficient ability of at least 2 reading skills

100% students have a basic ability of using at least 2 reading skills


 * SMART Goal excludes students in learning support and ESL from results**
 * Work Refusers** || Formative tasks to identify if re teaching necessary || All PLC members || Prior to due date of each assessment task ||  ||
 * ^  || Focus on teaching each skill separately ||^   || Ongoing throughout the term ||   ||
 * ^  || Moderation of tasks during PLC ||^   || Ongoing after each piece of work is submitted.

At least last 2 meetings of term Week 10 & 11 ||  || Meeting: 30/05/13
 * ^  || Analysis of results after the assessment task ||^   || End of Term 2 ||   ||

Reviewed original SMART Goal: discovered that 80% was perhaps to high. Didn't consider those that were already on a 4 (Advanced)

Adjusted current SMART goal to include a disclaimer that the end results excludes students in Learning Support and ESL as they are completing modified tasks.

Writing about Author's Message: Group Task
 * Each group has an A3 size paper with theme written in the middle. Students move around to each theme and add their thinking and examples of how this theme applies to the novel.**

Three Stages of Brainstorming/Task**
 * 1) Brainstorm with Quotes
 * 2) What is the author's message about this theme.
 * 3) Present to the class what they have discovered during the message.


 * Organise Groups with the following roles:**
 * 1) observer/marker
 * 2) quoter
 * 3) reporter (speaker)
 * 4) leader
 * 5) scribe


 * Meeting 6th June 2013**

Discussed excursion for 'Alice in Wonderland' in Term 3. Decided better to have it end of Term 3 or beginning of Term 4 to keep it closer to the time when we are studying it. Decided it would be better to see 'Edward Scissorhands' and make a comparison study, as whole year 8 excursion would be too difficult.

Discussed use of symbolism in DVD covers


 * Meeting 13th June**

Discussed planning for 'The Giver' for the rest of Term 2.

introduce terms: utopia, dystopia, control, censorship, conformity Use 'The Island'/'The Hunger Games' and short story 'Examination Day' and possibly 'The Lottery' to introduce the big ideas of the unit.
 * Writing task** - describe their idea of Utopia and then how they would have to maintain this.

Planning to start reading 'The Giver' either during the holidays or beginning of Term 3.