kscally - Hi, Kelly and all. Is everyone off for the Easter weekend?
Kelly - hi Kathy!
Kelly - I don't know.....we're not off at all! Were you off yesterday?
kscally - Yes, I was. And I will be off Monday.
Kelly - wow....nice! Enjoy the long weekend!
Kelly - Hi Jane!
kinderjane - Hey Ya'll!!
Kelly - Congratulations on the Disney nomination!
kinderjane - Thanks! I intended to work on that today, but had too much catching up to do after 6 months of working on this!
Kelly - You can't forget us! :)
kscally - Has everyone been discussing the AC exercises?
kinderjane - Kelly, You're not taking any AC tests, right? HOw about you, Kathy, Nino and Korba?
kscally - No, I'm waiting until next year.
Kelly - Nino and Korba were apparently in here before....had gone when I got here! But I think everyone's been sort of slow to get into the AC stuff.....sort of taking a breather.....no I'm not taking anything there. Had I been smart, I would have done that and not an entry! :)
kinderjane - Kathy- Are you not going thru the process this year? I thought you were.
kscally - No, I'm a banker who discovered the mail ring. I am learning so much that I just took the year off to study via the ring.
kinderjane - Kathy- what are you going to redo?
Kelly - Jane - Kathy's one of my partners in crime! We started this process together! She's WONDERFUL! :)
kinderjane - Kelly and Kathy- so ya'll teach together?
Kelly - well...both in St. Louis...not the same school, though....
kscally - Kelly and I both teach in the St. Louis area, but in different school districts.
Kelly - Jane....what are you working on for the AC......do you find the outlines helpful?
kinderjane - I'm having a hard time getting motivated to get going on AC prep. I'm still sorta burned out from portfolio. The outlines do look helpful.
Kelly - When do you go?
kinderjane - I've looked over the literacy part. Started taking notes yesterday, but didn't get far. I'm reading a book on Lit. now. My children are doing so well, I'm learning where to go next with them! I go June 28.
kinderjane - Which AC questions are ya'll going to redo?
Kelly - Tracy Hastings posted some great thoughts on the AC.....I cut and pasted them into my files for each section!
kscally - I don't know yet. Mary (my mentor) and I are going to figure that out soon.
kinderjane - Did you do a lot of prep. before going to the AC? I just read Tracy's stuff a minute ago. Looks great!
Kelly - If I have to redo something next year, I'll redo the AC - literacy and/or math...depending on how many points I still need ....
Kelly - Jane - I did some prep...but looking back on it, we didn't have a CLUE what to be studying (did we Kathy?) :) This is so much better now that there is some direction for people to use to focus....
kinderjane - Kelly - I hope you get enough points with your entry #3 retake. I don't see how you narrowed that first section down. It was so long, but all important stuff!
kscally - I really didn't have a clue to what I was doing with the portfolio, either. We were what you could call pioneers in St. Louis.
kinderjane - We don;t have any NBCTs in my district. This ring has been SOOOOOO valuable!
Kelly - Jane - I cut two whole paragraphs about the families......I forget now.....but I ended up with the bottom line of page 10....THEN I had to cut more because I came home and added something after I had first tried to mail the box and chickened out! But the second time I ended on the bottom line of page 10 again! :)
kinderjane - The moral support has been as valuable as anything else.
Kelly - Kathy - LOL - BLIND pioneers at that! :)
Kelly - Jane - Kathy and I were making notes together - just about subject matter - we didn't have a clue about all the other aspects!....I was strictly curriculum.....
Kelly - I've learned SO much!
kinderjane - Kathy- What do you teach? I am in kindergarten. This is my 23rd year of teaching.
kscally - I am a Montessori teacher for the St. Louis Public Schools, Jane. I teach ages 3-6. I have nine Kindergarten students.
kscally - This is my 39th year of teaching, Jane.
kinderjane - Did your MOntessori training help you with the Play question at the AC?
kinderjane - I envision that I will still be teaching at 39 years and then some. I truly love it. They will probably have to run me out with my cane!!!!
kscally - Yes, it did. Most of all, however, I learned from observing the children.
kinderjane - Sharon, Have you started preparing for the AC?
Sharon - Actually, I certified last Nov. I love Onelist because I am working as a mentor, and I get so many good ideas.
Kelly - Sharon - let me personally thank you for sticking with us! That's the only way our list thrives...we have people willing to act in a mentoring capacity. Many do not have mentors close by....or easily accessible....YOU and the others are a great help! I hope you stay with us!
kinderjane - I feel like I kinda know how to prepare except for play. Would observing and taking notes be the way to go? I already do that, but may need to do more. Also, should I observe 3 and 4 year olds, too?
Kelly - Sharon - and congratulations on certifying! We're all hoping to be in your shoes someday - SOON! :)
kinderjane - Sharon- I hope I am doing the same next year!
Kelly - Jane - yes - observe those little guys!
kinderjane - Kelly- The younger ones, too? 3s and 4s?
Sharon - You will be. I have faith in each of you! Yes I would definitely observe 3-4 year olds. I went to the preschool dept. at church.
kscally - I agree with Kelly, Sharon. It's the experienced people who make the mail ring and onelist valuable.
Kelly - Jane - and think about how you'd interact with them - and how you'd explain what the benefits of what they're doing to doubting parents....
Kelly - Jane - yes, the 3's and 4's......
kinderjane - Kelly- I have a parent this year that I've had to explain the value of play time and time again!
kscally - Getting books on play from the Teacher's College Library on play really helped me.
Sharon - Also be prepared to note differences in children and explain how you would build on each child's strengths.
kscally - It's important to be able to explain the value of play to parents for the AC exercises, too. That's one of the things the books helped me with.
Kelly - Jane - that should help you! :)
Sharon - Let me ask your opinions on something. Last year, to prepare for math, I prepared an outline for each prompt question in each strand. Some of the people I'm mentoring want to write their entire answers out for each question and then take their prewritten response with them to the AC. How do you feel about that?l
kinderjane - Am I still here? My name is gone.
kinderjane - There I am!
Kelly - Sharon - lots of people did that. (not me!...I didn't know enough to write about in advance!)....But the fact is that the person researched it enough to write their responses....I don't see anything wrong with it. Especially if they prepare all the strands possible, etc.....
Kelly - Jane - your name disappears if you haven't typed in a message for a few minutes! But you're still here!....it just drops your name!
Sharon - I have a scenario that I'm using for "Play" in an assessment workshop on May 6. Would you be interested in it. It would take me a few minutes to type it but I'll be glad to.
Kelly - Sharon - would you share it with the ring?
kinderjane - Sharon- Do you have a list of the strands your mentees are preparing for? I want to make sure I don't miss anything.
kinderjane - SHARON_ YES!
kscally - I would love it!
kinderjane - Sharon- I wish I could come to your workshop!
kscally - So do I!
kinderjane - Our district has no support like that.
Debbie Mc. - I hope everybody had a great week! Hey, don't stress out about the AC
kinderjane - Hey Sroger
Debbie Mc. - Did I miss most of the chat?
Kelly - Debbie - we've just been talking about the AC
kinderjane - I worked so hard on my portfolio. I would hate to blow it by not being as prepared as possible for the AC.
Sharon - Luke, Jacob, and Aaron are playing in the block center, building a roller coaster out of wooden blocks. Blocks cover the entire corner of the classroom. Jacob is clearly the leader of the three, examining the blocks to determine which best fit his plans. As he moves the blocks around, he talks constantly. His talk consists of giving orders about the roller coaster as well as absent-mindedly counting chairs along with the little girl in the center of the room who is setting up chairs for large group. Aaron obediently comlies with Jacob's wishes and pays no attention either to the little girl or to Jacob's counting. Luke watches passively and only occasionally adds a block to the roller coaster. The teacher is working with a small group at the paint center but is well aware of the activity in the block center. Suddenly Aaron becomes assertive and begins to express his own ideas about the roller coaster. He and Jacob argue briefly before Jacob says, "Oh, I get it. Yeah, let's try that." The two boys rebuild according to Aaron's plan and "test" their roller coaster with a toy car. Luke moves around to get a better look and all three boys squeal with delight as the roller coaster actually works! 1. How would you explain the value of play to a parent who is watching this scene?
Debbie Mc. - Study using the guidelines of the book and what's posted on the ring. I planned lessons for every math strand, studied up on science and literacy and made some notes about play but forgot them at home. Guess what I scored the highest on? That's right Play.
Kelly - Hi Tracy - thanks for your great post! I copied it all!
Tracy H. - You're welcome! Meant to send it sooner, but have been super busy! Hope it helps.
kinderjane - Sharon- That gives me a good idea of what to expect. Sounds like a scene from my classroom!
Debbie Mc. - I really didn't over study, but I did plan lessons. A lot of what you've learned will help you at the AC. If you don't know a lot about play you do need to read up on that and second grade literacy.
kscally - That's exactly the kind of scenario that I think you will see at the AC. Be sure to print it and practice commenting on it.
Debbie Mc. - My play scenario asked how I would intervene and assist different children of course the scenario was different.
Kelly - Hi Robin! What AC are you doing?
Sharon - Kelly, I hit send before I typed the last 2 questions. 2.Analyze the teacher's role...should she intervene, etc.? 3. Analyze each boy's development and plan a strategy for each.
Robin - If you are asking what day, I am doing my AC exercises on May 2
Debbie Mc. - I read Interactions in the Classroom, Facilitating Play in the EArly Years by Jeffrey Trawick-Smith (or parts of it)
Tracy H. - For play scenarios you also need to be able to tell IF you would intervene in their play, HOW you would do it, and WHY.
kinderjane - Time for my "date" (with my husband). I'll catch what I missed in the archives. AND print the scenario.
kinderjane - Thanks all for all your great advice! Bye til next week.
Kelly - Have fun Jane - and good luck with Mickey Mouse! :)
Debbie Mc. - Bye, Kinderjane and Congratulations!
Debbie Mc. - This book had scenarios and gave ideas of what the teacher should do in each one.
Tracy H. - PATHWAYS TO PLAY that I recommended this a.m. on the list serve has TONS of play scenarios, too, and ways to intervene in them.
Debbie Mc. - I think if you have practice and some good guidelines to follow, you'll do fine.
Debbie Mc. - Weel, my son is home and I'm going to visit with him.
Tracy H. - Does this seem slow today? I'm not getting "new" messages very fast....
kscally - Does any banker have thoughts about analyzing student work samples -- the science question on the AC?
Debbie Mc. - Hope you all have a great week. Mine is slow too Tracy.
Kelly - Hi Lou......and welcome! Hey, doesn anyone have any thoughts for Kathy about the science question at the AC?
Tracy H. - Not a banker...but the "hunting for misconceptions" thing was a new line of thinking for me--those can be difficult to spot at the AC so training yourself to look for these beforehand is helpful; analyzing your students' science work samples, drawings, etc....
kscally - Thanks, Tracy. It was just a very difficult question for me.
Kelly - Tracy - I copied all of your post...but I can't remember. Did you have a specific book that helped you with spotting misconceptions?
sroger - no, elementary school 1st grade- pull out program
Tracy H. - DOING WHAT SCIENTISTS DO by Ellen Doris, the science section of INTERACTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM by Jeffrey Trawick Smith, and PIAGET PRIMER ---can't remember the author right now....it's on the list serve. All of these helped me with misconceptions.
kscally - Where did you order the books, Tracy? I would love to have them.
Kelly - Hi Kathleen! How are you?
Kathleen - I'm fine, thanks! I'm hoping to see you all on the NBPTS mailring we opened for you here at Teachers.Net (http://teachers.net/mailrings) and posting on the board at http://teachers.net/mentors/ec-gen
sroger - Kelly, I'm sorry I have to sign off, but I want all of you to know how much i appreciate your caring and sharing, Thanks
Tracy H. - Bought the book DOING WHAT SCIENTISTS DO from Amazon.com.....also bought PIAGET PRIMER from there....borrowed the Trawick-Smith book from a student teacher who had used it as a textbook....student teachers at your school are good sources for relevant and current books....
Kathleen - We had requests to open these features for the NBPTS candidates, and they are ready for your use
Kathleen - I know Jeff Trawick-Smith, he teaches at my alma mater, Eastern Conn. State U
kscally - Hi, Nancy! Imagine having you log on as I was asking about the AC science question!
sinetag - So is everyone busy prepping for the AC?
Tracy H. - That's cool, Kathleen...his book is really a fount of information...really knows his stuff.
sinetag - Are you aware that your AC Science question is similar to the MC/GEN Science question?
Kelly - Nancy (sinetag!) - any good ideas about that?
sinetag - In your exercise you look at student work and analyze for understandings and misconceptions, true?
kscally - No, I wasn't aware of that. Any thoughts you have on the subject would be appreciated.
kscally - True.
sinetag - The MC/GEN AC Science exercise, Analyzing Student Work, uses a similar format.
sinetag - Although it is for 4th grade
sinetag - And just as you (EC/GEN) have a sample in the Scoring Guide of your Reading and Math AC exercises, the MC/GEN candidates have a sample in their Scoring Guide of the Social Studies/Visual Arts and Science exercises.
kscally - That's all right. Anything you could tell me about it would help.
sinetag - If you can get your hands on an MC/GEN Scoring Guide, it would be a useful exercise for preparation.
kscally - What a great idea!
sinetag - It shows three students' responses to a question asking them to write/draw everything they know about a particular science topic, and then there are questions the candidate has to answer regarding understandings and misconceptions, and then instruction and a culminating activity which they ask you to design.
sinetag - I do not know if the EC/GEN exericise is like that - if fact, I'm sure it is somewhat different - but the concept of preparing for each strand of science is the same.
kscally - It's exactly the same for EC/GEN.
sinetag - well there you go!
sinetag - the questions are probably somewhat different
Kelly - Kathy - do we have a scoring guide for MC-GEN? I know Linda Buchanan has one.....we could ask her to copy it for us.
sinetag - but obviously you need to be conversant in a lot of different science content areas in order to be able to analyze what students do and don't know
Kelly - maybe Carol Craig, too....
Tracy H. - sinetag, are you MCGen certified or EC Gen certified?
sinetag - In the MC/GEN Scoring Guide, the topic is the solar system, specifically eclipses
kscally - Thank you SO much! I'll see about the MC/GEN scoring guide. We have some candidates for it in the St. Louis Public Schools.
sinetag - MC/GEN
Tracy H. - It's neat that you've been so helpful to the ECGen folk , Sinetag!
Kelly - I think we've adopted you! :)
sinetag - Last year I did a presentation on that exercise at the orientation for interested candidates - we did the exercise together and it was staggering how unequipped most people were to analyze what these students knew about eclipses, since many of the teachers were not entirely clear on the topic themselves
sinetag - Well I work with about 100 MC and EC candidates here in Los Angeles
kscally - Kelly - I don't know Linda or Carol, but will see if I can contact them.
sinetag - You know, I know your friend Serafin. Also Bonnie Taft, who is on your list.
Kelly - Kathy - I can contact Linda if you want...she was one of the Parkway teachers in our original group. I'm sure Betty can contact Carol.....
sinetag - I have been putting together a web page with AC prep stuff on it. Perhaps I can scan that sample and put it up for the ECs.
Kelly - sinetag - I know you guys in LA have a huge support network. Serafin and a few others were talking about it at lunch in Washington when I got to visit with them....
sinetag - Yes, we are supporting almost 300 candidates (elementary and secondary) this year
Kelly - sinetag - it would be great if you could do that OR post the URL to the EC ring....that way anyone could just go to it (if that's possible!)....
kscally - That would be great, Kelly! This is what I was talking about. I took the year off to study via the mail ring and the chat room. I've learned so much and am continuing to learn!
sinetag - Well, most of it in 'under construction', but the URL is: http://home.earthlink.net/~sinetag/ACPrep/
sinetag - The only exercises that have prep stuff right now are the MC/GEN science and the EC/GEN science, and those materials are the same
Tracy H. - I must go....I've been on the computer all day and must get some other things done...
Kelly - Tracy - bye - and thanks again for posting all of that great information! :)
kscally - Good by, Tracy. Thanks for your help!
Kelly - Sinetag - thanks for the URL....I'll post it (and GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR IT, of course!) on the ec ring...unless you want to post it yourself!
sinetag - help yourself
Kelly - I officially dub you adopted! :) Thanks!
kscally - Thanks for your help, too, Nancy!
sinetag - not a problem
Kelly - Any more questions for our panel of experts?
kscally - Nancy, could you list some of the science areas with which we need to be familiar? I teach ages 3-6 and the science question, I believe, is aimed at children who are just a little older.
sinetag - I think your Science exercise if for 1st grade..
sinetag - not a problem
sinetag - Actually if you go to that web page, there is a list of the content areas for science from the California Framework for Science.
sinetag - They are;
sinetag - Matter
Kelly - Nancy - does the California Framework match National Standards pretty well?
sinetag - Reactions/Interactions
sinetag - yes
kscally - What is the URL of the California Framework for Science?
sinetag - Force/Motion
sinetag - Energy: Sound
sinetag - It's not online as a document, but the URL http://home.earthlink.net/~sinetag/ACPrep/
sinetag - will take you to a page with a link to a list of the strands
kscally - Thank you! I'm really learning so much today!
kscally - Keep going, Nancy. I didn't mean to interrupt you!
sinetag - I can list them all if you want
kscally - Great!
sinetag - Enery: Heat
sinetag - Energy: Magnetism
sinetag - Light
sinetag - Astronomy
sinetag - Geology
sinetag - Oceanography
sinetag - Meteorology
sinetag - Living Things
sinetag - Cells
sinetag - and...
sinetag - Ecosystems
sinetag - Voilà
Kelly - Queen of Science! Thank you!
sinetag - You guys make me laugh
kscally - I have them and will print them out when the archives are posted. Thanks!
Kelly - It's a shame that elementary teachers aren't credited for having to know anything! That list proves it!
sinetag - Okay, and as I said, they're also on that web page. I just looked at the page and typed them in here
Kelly - Hold on sinetag....I'm jumping through the computer screen to hug you! :)
sinetag - Thank you - I definitely needed that! I had a truly hideous week at work.
Kelly - Tell us who we need to go beat up on to make next week better....we'll send the troops! We have to take care of you! :)
sinetag - Very good!
sinetag - You can start with my principal.
sinetag - And move on to my Assistant Principal..
Kelly - Oh - I'm good at that! Lots of practice! (Just ask mine!)
sinetag - then the Staff Development Coordinator..
sinetag - and finish up with about 70% of my faculty.
Kelly - Wouldn't it be nice to teach and not worry about those other people?
sinetag - Thank you.
kscally - Nancy, can you give me a source -- maybe a book -- that tells how to analyze work samples and look for misconceptions?
sinetag - for science?
kscally - Yes!
sinetag - Well, the way we prepare MC/GEN candidates for this entry is to have them take notes on each of those content strands. The notes consist of what students should know and be able to do in that area, then what resources could be used, instructional actvities, and a culminating project.
sinetag - I think once you are clear in terms of what students *should* know, then analyzing their work samples is not difficult.
sinetag - The template that we give them to take notes with is also on that web page.
Kelly - Keep going....you're on a roll again! This info will really be helpful to everyone on the ring!
kscally - That helps. It would probably help if I taught first grade, too. Tracy gave me a few titles, too. I'm on my way! Thank you SO much!
sinetag - Look at your rubric for this exercise - see what they say a 4 response looks like - see what they say it includes. For example, if it mentions assessment (I don't know if it does or not) then you know that you need to be prepared with assessment strategies to match the instructional strategies and culminating projects which you come up with for each content are in your notes.
kscally - Will do. Keep going!
sinetag - The key to the AC exercises, in my opinion, is in deconstructing the rubric and exercise description which they have provided you up front.
sinetag - You will truly not be asked to provide anything which is not, in some fashion, noted in the rubric.
sinetag - I don't know if that helps, but it is the approach I use with EC, MC, and EA/GEN candidates for all of their AC exercises.
kscally - From your description of the "Analyzing Student Work Samples" in science, I think the rubric is very close to the MC/GEN one. You have really helped me today!
Kelly - Nancy - thanks again for spending time with us! It's like the day you talked about the "big ideas"....it was great! :)
kscally - Yes -- thank you!
sinetag - You are all quite sweet
sinetag - You can use the same approach with the Reading and Math entries. I think the Play entry is a bit different.
Kelly - LOL - "sweet" is not a word generally used for me! ....for Kathy, yes, but NOT for me! :)
sinetag - well that's okay, because people don't generally go around thanking me the way you all do, either!
kscally - Kelly, everyone on this mail ring and chat room is sweet. I really mean that!
kscally - You have been an angel today! Thank you again.
Kelly - Well.......you know I think our ring is absolutely wonderful. It's supportive climate is a real "community". I am very grateful for everyone's contribution to keeping it that way!
sinetag - well, the National Board process is at its best when it is collaborative
Kelly - EXACTLY! :)
Kelly - Okay, ladies...I'm leaving you now....thanks to both of you....Kathy for asking and Nancy for answering! Can't wait for everyone to be able to read the archives! I know they'll all appreciate it!
sinetag - yes, I am out of here too
kscally - I'm on my way to study, too. Thanks!
Kelly - bye bye....see you all on the ring!
