December 20, 2012

What did we take from the showcase?  That critical thinking skill are being wide utilized within the building by other PLC groups.


What are some of the things you learned this semester around the PLC work?  You need to be patient, it takes time, choose one thing you are doing and focus on that...don't try to change everything you do as the same time.

How will it impact your PLC?  Continued growth through CT.

No supplies needed???

I do not see that you have indicated a need for any supplies for the Showcase.  If you are needing something, please see Mr. Black by Nov 30th, so we can try to accommodate your needs.

PLC Showcase

At the end of our semester of work, all PLCs will be showcasing their work at the Wyandotte High School PLC Showcase on Wednesday, December 12th in the Social Hall.  The showcase will be a public demonstration of our learning, collaboration, and results.  Each PLC will showcase work that reflects how your learning and collaboration has impacted student learning.  Each PLC is encouraged to be creative and innovative in their demonstration (student examples would be highly encouraged); however, please be sure the following are addressed through your presentation -
    PLC Focus

Collaborative Actions   

Summary of PLC Learning

Impact on Student Learning

Connections to Future Teaching and Learning

In addition, all staff will have an opportunity to visit each demonstration during the Showcase.  Many outside guests will also be in attendance.  

If your PLC requires any kind of additional resources, please submit any requests for those materials via the comment section to this blog entry by NOVEMBER 9th. You will receive these materials by or before your November 28th meeting, so you will have AT LEAST two weeks to work on organizing your demonstration.

Critical Thinking

10/24/12
The results of the daily implementation of Critical Thinking Skills in the classroom are great!
My students are beginning to show more accountability for their learning. They are starting to take more initiative and work to improve their abilities to think critically. 

10/17/12
In Musical Comedy, the students are working their solo pieces and most of them already know their music prior to our vocal coaching sessions. This is very encouraging because they are working to achieve their personal goals.

In an effort to tap into and develop higher order thinking skills, the students are to complete a character analysis over a character of a Broadway Musical Theater production. This activity must give a detailed analysis on the character including info on:

§  Origin of character

·      (Birth, place of residence, family background)

§  Personality type - (aggressive, passive, loving, bitter etc)

§  Relevance (why is this character important? What is their purpose?)

§  Musical type/style – Soprano, Tenor etc. Lyrical, Classical, Spiritual

§  Synthesis- How or what would this character look like today?

·      Visual Sketch/Picture or Drawing of Character

They must also complete a synopsis of the musical they've selected.  This information must be completed while the student is working on their solo music in order to give them a new perspective on their character.

October 24, 2012
Continuing with the critical thinking questioning in classes, I am seeing a growth with students in regard to them taking ownership and attempting to solve the problems WITHOUT demanding an answer from me.  I believe these questions help the student develop outside of the box thinking and problem solving skills.  Student's in my classes from yearbook to graphic design are finding ways to solve problems in a multitude of ways as opposed to a single, you must do it this way attitude.  This allows the students to learn in a way that is best suited for themselves.

Seeing Improvement

Students are now starting to show a new accountability for finding the answers on their own and taking responsibility for their own learning.  We are seeing this through the following:

1. Less questions about HOW to do something and more about WHAT our advice would be.
2. Listening to their own questions when they ask them and changing them when they ask.

We will continue to focus on critical thinking questions and move toward having the students form their own critical thinking questions.

PLC Meeting 10/3/12

I am working on motivating students within the classroom to think critically by implementing the following:

• 2nd Block is continuing their Thinking Journals and we will start to implement having them write their own critical thinking question next week.
• Finding a way to reach the Freshman, most of them do not seem to have critical thinking skills from middle school.

How is this going to improve my students?

• My students are starting to become more comfortable with wait time after a question is asked.
• My students are able to identify a higher level question, when asked one.

The purpose of our PLC is to develop critical thinking skills with students.  We are also developing  ways of assessing CT.  Over the next week we are working on higher level questioning and wait time on answers.  This contributes to student learning by forcing the students to think deeper when formulating answers.

Attendance:  All present @12:45 Hahs, Watts, Edwards

Efficient use of wait time around critical thinking questions posed to the class.
Teaching the students the art of questioning
Critical Thinking Skills Chart
Integrate Bloom's Taxonomy with Critical Thinking Questions

How is this impacting our students?
Quality has risen as opposed to quantity.