POWERFUL TEACHING & LEARNING – GRADE SIX

LEARNING MEETING MINUTES

October 11, 2004

Bellingham School District

ATTENDEES

Fairhaven: Mary Riley, Melanie Frey, Leslie Adcock-McInnis, Cathy Miller, Helen Cratzenberg Kulshan: Molly Foote, Linda Chapman, Tim Cosgrove, Kevin Shrum, Terry Pauls Shuksan: Aime Nadeau, Steve Stanage, John Finlay, Jerry Prather, Melissa Cornelsen, Cathy Fisher Whatcom: Melanie Kirkman, Melyssa Roberts, Deborah Everhart, Dana Ferrier, Tim Lucy, Julee Pitalo, Penny Sherwood, Darilyn Sigel

OUTCOMES

To develop consistent and coherent understanding and implementation of the research cycle

OBJECTIVES

Learning and practicing the research cycle

Learning information and develop new understandings about assessing comprehension

SHARED LEARNING

Teams of three, from different middle schools used the research cycle (Questioning, Planning, Gathering, Sorting, and Sifting, Synthesis, Evaluation and Reporting) to answer the question: What are the three best assessment strategies to inform my instruction of reading comprehension? Resources included background knowledge, the Middle School Literacy Guide, the K-10 Grade Level Expectations (GLEs),and three articles about formative assessment:

• Unlocking Formative Assessment ( http://authorpages.hoddersystems.com/Unlocking/UFA Photocopiable A4 pages.pdf – page 17)
• Assessment/Evaluation/Reporting from Changing Assessment Practices ( http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/toolkit98/A11H1.pdf )
• Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation ( http://www.pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=9 )
• The Research Cycle 2000 ( http://www.questioning.org/rcycle.html )

Each team created a poster and a persuasive argument supporting their recommendation of the three best strategies with another group. The posters reflected each group's current thinking about the best formative assessment tools/strategies to use in order to inform their instruction.

ALIGNMENT

Teachers discussed instructional strategies they use in order to support students in using the steps of the research cycle. They also talked about some of the challenges they face when trying to fulfill the requirements of using the research cycle. Members of the group

shared a variety of research projects that they have used with their classes and suggested new topics that fit their curriculum.