Progress Monitoring Reminders, UbD Days, Reading Conference Video

mClass Progress Monitoring

So we talked about progress monitoring on mClass at our literacy meetings this week with K-3. Students who fall into the red on mClass should be progress monitored every 10 school days. Students who fall into the yellow on mClass should be progress monitored every 20 school days. Classroom teachers are responsible for progress monitoring their own kiddos in mClass.  Remember you want to start progress monitoring in the lowest skill where you see a deficit.  

Where this can get confusing... RTI

In addition to your progress monitoring in mClass, interventionists who see our RTI Tier 2 and Tier 3 kids, will progress monitor our children based on their interventions.  Interventionists use a variety of progress monitoring tools, like Aimsweb and Fountas & Pinnell.  If you have students in RTI at Tier 2 or Tier 3, and are not quite sure about what progress monitoring for that student should look like let us know.  

UbD Trainings and Workdays

Four times this year, grade levels will have a day to meet for UbD trainings and work sessions.  This will be a time where we can dig a little deeper into UbD and begin planning a unit at a time.  The first meetings will happen in these next two weeks.  Check the dates and location below!

K/1 - Tuesday, October 7th at Extraordinary Ventures

2/3 - Friday, October 10th at Extraordinary Ventures

4/5 - Friday, October 17th at Extraordinary Ventures

So how do I prepare for my meeting day?  

• If your grade level has already written a UbD unit, you will work at the first meeting to revise that unit.  You will re-evaluate each stage of the unit to strengthen areas that need work. Bring any materials or resources you think might be helpful in your planning.  
• If your grade level has not written a UbD unit, you will work on writing your first unit! You will talk with your team and choose a unit that you teach 3rd quarter.   Bring any materials or resources you think might be helpful in your planning. 

Reading Conferences

This is a great video of a fifth grade teacher, Rick Kleine, conducting reading conferences with his students.   One of the best things about this is that Rick really lets students in on what it is they need to work on and then gives them strategies that they can use to improve and become better readers. By doing this, Rick is empowering the students to own their learning.    (Enjoy the video - try not to get too distracted by Rick's earring:)