MTW 2011

What is Sope Creek Model Teaching Week?

Model Teaching Week is a week-long intensive staff development course for teachers.   Throughout the week, participants have the opportunity to learn from master instructors about the theory and research behind current brain research and how it impacts student learning.  They also watch master teachers construct a brain-compatible learning environment, create a community of learners, and implement standards-based, performance-based learning.  One of the unique aspects of Model Teaching Week is that it is differentiated for teachers.  After they have attended one MTW, they move into guided curriculum-writing.  During curriculum-writing sessions, teachers take the Georgia Performance Standards and create lessons that are meaningful and standards-based.

This year's learning spaces and leaders were:

• Stage One Teacher of Teachers:  Jill Hay - presentations in the Media Center
• Stages Two through Five Teacher of Teachers:  Ellen Auchenpaugh - presentations in the Computer Lab
• K-1 Teachers of Students:  Fallon Hinz and Kate Wright
• 2-3 Teachers of Students:  Kerry Lance and Erin Mauldin
• 4-5 Teachers of Students:  Susan Jenkins and Stephanie Neal
• Small Group Teachers of Students: Cheri Vaniman and Lauren Presley
• Interns:  Caryn Adkinson, Kendall Foster, Judy Moschetta, Heather Tenuto, Angie Yim

65+ teachers received training throughout the week, and 85 students participated.  We had visits from District Personnel as well as teachers and prinicipals form districts throughout Georgia.

How was this staff development funded?

• Funding was provided by Cobb County's Professional Learning Department.

Do any other schools in Cobb host a Model Teaching Week?

• YES!  Bryant Elementary will host a MTW during the week of June 13th.  They will provide training for all levels of teachers:  elementary, middle and high school.  This is their second year to host a MTW.  Their training is also available to teachers throughout Cobb County.

Day 1: Enriched Environment

The focus for Day 1 is Enriched Environments.  An enriched environment is a classroom space that will enhance and accelerate learning:  it is physically appealing and emotionally safe and was set up with purpose and pattern.  Why is this important?  The Brain is a pattern seeking device that makes meaning/understanding from clear patterns. 

What are some elements you will find in an enriched environment?

*Free of clutter with homey touches and a 2-3 color flow
*Materials that are easily accessible
*Materials that are real
*Australia - a space for students to self-select to visit if they need to recenter or refocus to participate
*Areas for stduents to work collaboratively
*"Prime Real Estate" that is uncluttered and ready for direct instruction
*Space for Town Hall Meetings
*Where in the World? Map and Stewardship, Leadership, and Citizenship posters
*Procedures posted or readily accessible
*LIFESKILLS and LIfelong Guidelines posted
*SMARTS - Multiple Intelligences posted
*A student generated immersion area
*Curriculum posted (Year Long Theme, Key Points, Social Action)
*Agenda

 

Day 2: Creating Community

On Day 2, the students arrive!  Teachers greet students at the door and begin immediately to create a community of learners. 

Participants learn about the BODYBRAIN PARTNERSHIP:

• Emotion is the gatekeeper to performance
• Movement facilitates cognition

Day 3: The Being There Experience

Intelligence is a function of experience.

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Students went to the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area where they met Park Ranger Jerry Hightower.  He took students on a nature hike around the area where they found living and non-living things, discussed conservation and Teddy Roosevelt, and used many of thier SMARTS while they were on the trip. 

While hiking, student photographers took many photos of items they found.  They used these photos later to help them create their immersion area.

Second and Third Graders traveled to a home that was under construction.  They studied the home's  foundation and what happens when a home does not have a strong foundation.  Before they left on their Being There Experience, they watched video of real construction taking place:  a concrete driveway being poured!  Students conducted a scavenger hunt for materials that were natural, human, and capital resources, and looked for evidence that different contractors were involved in the project. 

Fourth and Fifth Graders had the Being There Experience come to them!  Instead of traveling off campus, five local members of the community came to Sope Creek to be interviewed by students about their experiences with tolerance vs. intolerance and memories of The Civil Rights Movement.  Students recorded interviewees' answers digitally with video cameras and with paper/pencil.

They also utilized local experts and learned from a local expert from the Atlanta History Center who brought a trunk filled with historical artifacts for students to explore and learn from.

Small Group Students visited The Young Chefs Academy in Sandy Springs.  They explored different healthy  and non-healthy snack options.  Then, they learned how to make pita pockets from scratch!  They measured flour, learned about yeast and letting bread rise, and filled their pita pockets with healthy choices: 

• whole wheat (pita)
• protein (turkey)
• dairy (cheese)
• vegetables (lettuce)

Day 4: Conceptual Curriculum

Curriculum Writing: The Brain Compatible Way

Day 4's focus is on writing curriculum in a way that allows students to make connections, engage in meaningful content, and to apply their learning in a real-world situation.  Curriculum writing is a standards-based practice. 

Curriculum from K/1 Class with Hinz/Wright
Download K/1 Curriculum

Curriculum from 2/3 Class with Lance/Mauldin
Download K and E MTW Curriculum 2011 POST SEE

Curriculum from 4/5 Class with Jenkins/Neal
Download 4-5 Curriculum MTW 2011

Curriculum from Small Group Class with Vaniman/Presley
Download Vaniman final curriculum MTW 2011

Curriculum is written with several different components:

• Conceptual Key Points (CKP): 
  
  • GLOBAL big ideas that transfer understanding to other locations or situations and are true 
    for the future, present, as well as the past.
  • Conceptual key points are displayed in the classroom and have symbols added to help students make meaning.
  • They are body-mapped and practiced.
  • The Conceptual Key Point gives students a framework to make connections to the skills and content they must learn - as required by the standards.
• Significant Knowledge Key Points (SKKP)
  • SKKP's are carefully aligned to the Georgia Peformance Standards (GPS).  They succinctly spell out exactly what the GPS expects students to know.
  • They are tied to the Concept.
  • They are often based in science or social studies standards.
  • They are body-mapped and practiced.
  • Inquiries build fruther knowledge of the key points.  Some inquiries (activities) are guided and others are independent.
• Skill Key Points (SKP)
  • Skill Key Points are the skills that need to be taught in order for students to complete the inquiries.
  • They are ususally based in language arts or math.
  • They are written very similarly to SKKP's.
  • They have inquiries, just like SKKP's.

  

 

Day 5: Multiple Intelligences and Celebrations of Learning

Students who participated completed Social Action Projects.

Kindergarten and First Grade Students made bird houses to place around the school grounds.  The houses will help protect the local birds in the community.   There is a relationship between land, animals, and people.  In order to conserve our land, animals, and plants.  like historical American figure Teddy Roosevelt, people must be respectful to our surroundings.  The desire to protect our land, plants and animals makes our world a better place to live and wil make it last in the future.

Mrs. Whalen accepted the bird houses on the school's behalf at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Thank you to Home Depot for helping with materials!  Thank you to Park Ranger Jerry Hightower for helping us to learn about conservation and National Parks!

Second and Third Grade Students made use of productive resources (natural, human, and capital) to build and assemble a collection of housewarming goods.  The goal was to create a homecoming gift that would help transform a house into a home for local Habitat for Humanity house recipients, the Mbacke Family.  Students split into teams of "contractors," working with experts in that field and each created one part of a gift. 

• Landscape Architects designed and planted a beautiful potted garden
• Interior Designers made napkins and napkin rings.
• Tile Layers created stepping stone mosaics for the garden area.
• Electricians assembled a lamp.

The gifts were presented to the Mbake family who was escorted by Ms. Rita Arena, a representative from Habitat for Humanity.

Fourth and Fifth Grade Students interviewed people who lived through the Civil Rights Movement and recorded "their story."  They wrote summaries of the stories and compiled them into a book.  Several copies of the book were created and donated during the Celebration of Learning.   One copy was presented to The Atlanta History Center, one copy was presented to the Sope Creek Library Media Center, and another copy will be presented to the Marietta History Museum.  A record of each interview, an overview of Model Teaching Week and the curriculum, as well as pictures of students and interviewees became a part of each book.

Small Group Students communicated information about nutrition and the brain, in an effort to educate people about the importance of healthy food habits, protein, and vegetables and how nutrition affects the brain.  There is a relationship between food and the brain.  Food contains nutrients for growing a healthy brain.  Nutritious food and water fuels your brain and gives you energy.  To be responsible for the heath of your brain, you must choose food from a variety of food groups if we want to have a healthy brain. 

• Students created HNN:  Healthy Nutrition Network, a news show complete with local experts, yoga demonstrations, a cooking segment, and tips for healthy choices.
• They provided a demonstration of how to make a healthy snack made with whole grain, dairy, protein, and vegetables.