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Denver Model Teachers,

Attached I have articles I would like for us to discuss at the next discussion group, January 7, at 3:30.

I have read front to back the latest issue of Educational Leadership entitled, Common Core Now What. There are many insightful articles that focus on the shifts in learning that are necessary with the common core. I am convinced the work we are doing (e.g., Denver Thinking Strategies, Developing a classroom culture of a thinking community of learners, Academic Conversations, Writing across the curriculum, Focusing on vocabulary, Complex Text understanding, meaningful tasks, and giving effective feedback through conferencing to develop confidence in learners…) is right, yet we must continue refining our work to ensure we are getting to the **__depth and rigor of the common core standards__** and leading our students to deep independent reading. How we instruct students determines their motivation and abilities to meet the core head on.

I am seeing you make the right moves and want you to continue developing your craft so that you grow and change as your background knowledge about teaching and the core standards continues to expand. We want our students to be life-long learners and as teachers this must be what we model. I learn from you every time I visit and I hope you learn from each other and share ideas that work, to engage students in the work of becoming next generation

learners, ready for a successful life.

I am hoping you will read each of these attached articles. I would like for the following folks to lead a discussion about the articles. Please prepare each discussion to be about **10-15** minutes.
 * __Your task for our meeting:__**


 * 1) **__Closing in on Close Reading:__** Carl … please lead us in a discussion of this article.
 * This is a topic I have seen sooooo much about that we must implement well in order to get to the depth of reading and growing independent readers and thinkers. Our students must experience this rereading, questioning, deep thinking about purpose, language, authors choice of structure… This is a technique that we need to practice in every classroom to get our students to think critically as readers.


 * 1) **__Thinking Like a Seminar__**: Linda … please lead us in a seminar like conversation through questioning, modeling your classroom practice.
 * This is a great article that describes conversation as being a starting point for **__reading difficult texts__** followed by **__writing equally difficult tasks__**. Are we requiring tasks that get our students to this level? How does formal classroom dialogue lead to better comprehension? Are we using speaking and listening tasks… that really include **__speaking__**?
 * Think about the techniques we read about in **//Academic Conversations//**: Elaborate and clarify, Support ideas with examples, Synthesize conversation points, paraphrase, Build on or challenge a partners ideas. How can these techniques be used meaningfully to discuss challenging complex text?


 * 1) **__Non-Fiction__**: Very short… Kayla … would you give us the highlights of this article.
 * You might include how we can use the information at all grade levels. Others please use the academic conversation techniques above to add to Kayla’s highlights.


 * 1) **__What Happens to the Basics__**: Joseph … can you lead us in a close reading of this text?
 * How do we merge teaching of the basics, with close reading practice, complex texts, strategies for reading, goal set, make silent reading meaningful, and develop habits of mind that develop proficient readers **__by the end of 3rd grade__**? How do we take these ideas and as a school make a difference to our students that struggle?

I look forward to these professional conversations. You’re the best! Pam

Pam Williams Carroll County Schools Elementary Instructional Supervisor DAC/ Title 1/ EHS-HS Director Phone: 502-732-7070 Fax: 502-732-7073

“We need to overtly promote the growth mindset if we are to develop truly resilient, self-sufficient learners.” Carol Dweck