Kelly - Hi Karen - how are you?
karen - kelly, i am in a panic!!
Kelly - What's the matter?
karen - i go the ac on monday
Kelly - I go a week from Monday. What are you feeling like you're missing?
karen - I have all the pieces for the math prompt but I need to pull it together for my brain to synthesize the info
Kelly - have you copied things into one of the booklets?....you know, jot notes????
karen - I am freaked out that they may through a curve ball and I will freeze up!
karen - I have notes for all but math so far.
karen - have been working with Debbie in Duluth for a while on math
karen - I know that I understand the math but putting it together in a pretty package concerns me
Kelly - Debbie is great. I"m sure the two of you have pretty much covered everything! Remember - nbpts isn't trying to trip you up!
Kelly - Speak of the devil! Hi Debbie!
karen - Debbie!
Debbie D - Hi everybody! Karen, what happened to your feeling of peace?
karen - It went away when I started reviewin this morning!
karen - I have notes in the book on everything but math.
Diana - Hi All!
Kelly - Karen - I think it's normal to have a feeling of peace come over you and then just as quickly have it disappear!
Kelly - Hi Diana - how are you?
Diana - I'm tired! I spent the week at assesor's training in Daytona - lots of sitting!
Debbie D - I can't stay long, because I'm working on a Father's Day project, but here's my question: I went to the Iowa simulation site today, and did the math question, and it didn't take more than an hour! So I'm thinking it's too superficial or I'm overlooking really big stuff. Anywone have any handy dandy reminders so I go deep and not on the surface?
Kelly - Diana - you're doing Literacy, right? How's it going?
karen - Debbie, did you answer each question thoroughly?
Kelly - Debbie - did you include assessing - before, during, after? How about home connections? How about literature?
Diana - Yep! Literacy. We had 4 days of training and one day of live scoring. It is very hard work, but they feed us well.
Debbie D - So literacy is in florida, SS/ARts in Nevada, science in OK, do we know where else our babies are?
Debbie D - Karen, it seemed at the time like I did, but probably not. I don't know how to tell!
karen - I feel like a neglectful parent... I haven't given the entries a second thought
karen - I have a question for kelly...
Debbie D - Kelly - I think assessing could be stronger, I did include literature and home.
Diana - I think the locations for scoring were on the NBPTS website, but I couldn't find them when I looked last night.
Kelly - oh oh......
Kelly - Debbie - how about connections to real life?
karen - When the math prompt is asking for what major understandings and key abilities over the year, do we list all for that conecpt or topic?
Debbie D - Kelly - another good thought! Can you come with me to the AC and whisper in my ear?
Diana - Debbie, relax. Think about the rubric. Try to include information related to everything that is mentioned in the scoring rubric - don't forget parent involvement or integration of curriculum.
Kelly - Debbie - I'll be right there doing math with you!
karen - Then choose one or two to write lessons for??
Kelly - Karen - let's hope Diana responds to your question! I'm not sure! I THINK we should list everything we can thing of - but I bet we really don't have to....we're probably fine if we just list a few....
Kelly - Hi bookworm - can we help you?
karen - Help Diana!
bookworm - just want to "listen in"
Debbie D - These ideas do make me feel better. When I'm at the AC, and I decide I need to go back and add something to a section I've already done, can I do that, go back, add on, then return to where I left off? Is that the worst question I've ever written?
Diana - Karen, I don't know a lot about the AC scoring, but I had a really good score in math. I don't recall exactly how I approached it, but I included everything I could fit in in the alloted time.
Kelly - Debbie - LOL - don't worry about it! Yes, you can go back within the exercise (like math) that you're doing. But keep in mind, they will be looking for evidence throughout the exercise....so if it's misplaced, it might be harder to find, but they SHOULD find it! At least that's my understanding!
Diana - Debbie, I was able to go back, but it doesn't really matter. Assessors are supposed to find the information no matter where you put it. Organization makes their job easier, but is not a requirement.
karen - Debbie, have you read over the process standards? I feel like those will be straightforward in terms of including them in whatever the topic
Kelly - Diana - you make me feel good....at least what I THINK is shared by someone else!
Kelly - Helen - it's sort of a "master teacher" type of certification
Diana - Kelly, I can say with certainty that assessors are trained to locate evidence no matter where it appears in the writing. Of course, it's nice if it is easy to find.
Debbie D - Karen, that's another good reminder - all of this is on the outline I worked from, but somehow didn't seem to take long enough in the writing to be complete. Now I can see what I was missing. Thanks guys! And Helen UK, we're actually all very experienced and accomplished teachers undergoing a certification process to show we are master teachers.
Kelly - Diana - and heaven knows, we WANT to make it as easy as possible for you!
karen - Debbie thank you for helping me stretch again! Will you move to maryland?
karen - I am leaving for the Sheraton at 1pm tomorrow. I will spend the night reviewing and relaxing. Then up early to go to the AC
Debbie D - Karen, sounds like fun, but my husband needs the Great Lakes for his job! Why don't you move to Minnesota? Or better still, let's move to St Louis and start a school with Kelly!
Kelly - Karen and Debbie - I dub you two the Bobsey twins for this year!
bookworm - Thanks for letting me listen in. Best of luck!
Diana - Kelly, yes, I'm sure you WANT to make it easy for us. Unfortunately, not all candidates understand the scoring rubrics well enough to know what we are looking for - I know I didn't when I wrote my portfolio.
Kelly - Diana - I learn more about it all the time from you guys!
karen - Yeah! St. Louis here we come!
Diana - Kelly - that's a sign of an accomplished teaacher - always learning!
Kelly - Debbie D - come on down! Actually, Debbie Mc and I say that we are going to start a school half way in between her house and mine (I'm in St. L and she's in Kentucky!)
Kelly - Diana - LOL - then I make the grade!
karen - Diana, you are so right. I didn't understand the rubric until after the fact. I feel like I understand the AC rubrics much better!
Kelly - Karen - what city will you test in?
Debbie D - Kelly - and to think this started because Karen asked me what the FOSS kit for Solids and Liquids was like, and the rest is history, including the day she called me because I was stressing on the email group about margins for my portfolio! She's the best!
karen - Towson...it is in North Baltimore. 2 1/2 hours from home
Diana - Next year when you are all certified and mentoring candidates tell them not to stress about stuff like margins. Details like that are NOT stressed in the training for assessors.
karen - Debbie, my coworker got sick of my saying "Debbie in Duluth said..."
Kelly - Debbie - it's funny how certain people seem to gather - even through cyberspace!
Debbie D - After Monday, Karen can relax and think good thoughts for th erest of us - I go on Friday.
karen - It helps that Debbie and I are at similar stages with kids
Kelly - Karen - when you signed on today I thought to myself "Is that Karen from MD?"....isnt' it funny how we name each other? (And Diana is from FL!)....
karen - I will be screaming with joy on Monday PM and I will email you and tell you that it was a piece of cake
Diana - Is anyone else in here getting phantom messages from people who are not in the chat room? This seems to happen to me every time I come here.
Kelly - I go on Monday the 25th.....so keep your fingers crossed!
Debbie D - Yes, Karen, the stage where we're not sure they're going to pull their lives together, or if they'll tell us about it when they do!
Kelly - Diana - I am not. Are you getting private messages?
karen - Amen!!
Diana - I got two messages from sinetag when I first logged on.
karen - Diana, is your computer possessed?
Diana - Hey - those "children" wouldn't be teenagers, would they?
Kelly - Karen and Debbie - how old are your kids? Mine are 22 and 27...so they're pretty much set!
Diana - Possessed - yes! by what , I can't say.
Kelly - Diana - gee - sinetag hasn't been in here yet today!
Debbie D - Diana, actually two of mine have crossed into their 20's, the teenager is the most together of the 3 - and the only girl!
karen - I do have a positive right now... I am teaching a college course on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The first reflection paper was so awesome! They seem to be reflecting on the material and discussions!
Diana - Kelly, I know - that's why I was wondering... could they be leftover messages from the last time we chatted?...
karen - two kids... 19 1/2 and almost 17. The 17 year old has it together. The older one struggles. Both girls
Debbie D - Karen - good for you! Do you think all the reflection for NB helped you teach it so they can do it better right away?
Kelly - Diana - I have no idea.....I wouldn't think that this room would actually save those messages!
Diana - The room might not save messages, but maybe my computer did?
karen - Debbie, the students are probably sick of my talking about how important reflection is in all things... I showed my videos. Kind of like home movies
Debbie D - Karen you are so brave to let your videos see the light of day! I didn't even want to watch myself!
Diana - So, does anyone have exciting plans for post-AC? You deserve a break and a reward of some kind for getting through this process.
Kelly - karen - I look at my videos and laugh!...which is better than crying I guess!
karen - I wanted to share a part of myself. Sort of like making my self vulnerable to inspire them to share. Does that make sense?
Kelly - Diana - I get to go to LA for 9 days for the NEA Representative Assembly. I'll get to do some work with the NEA folks regarding candidate support for nbpts! I go on the 29th....so that's sort of "vacation" for me!
Debbie D - Diana, actually the day after AC I get on a plane at 6 am to fly to Cleveland to visit family, babysit my nephews, and read something by Dick Francis or Maeve Binchy!
karen - I leave for Seattle on July 6th and Austin on July 28th
Kelly - Karen - that makes perfect sense. I bet you get a lot better responses from them after sharing that with them!
Diana - Kelly, that's the kind of vactions I squeeze in. I'm going on a literacy cruise to Alaska this summer with my bonus money the state paid for my certification.
Debbie D - Karen - I think it would be fine. You know how to word process, and if I'm reading it right, you have to take a tutorial before you start the exercises anyway. At this point, it just might make you more nervous! I think you're ready. You go, girl!
karen - Yes, they are a good group. Very open to sharing.
Debbie D - Diana - what is a literacy cruise and can I come too?
Diana - Hey, I'll be in Seattle (on my way to Alaska) July 11.
Kelly - Diana - that cruise sounds SO nice...... I'd love it....except I get claustrophobic!
Debbie D - Kelly - thanks for keeping us on track. I have an AC question. I don't think there's spellcheck, and I'm worried about typos. Do the AC assessors give us the benefit of the doubt on that?
Diana - The Washington Reading Association has booked a cruise to Alaska. It is a sort of mini-conference. Margaret Mooney will be one of the speakers. Anyone can go.
Diana - Debbie - typos do NOT count against you - neither does writing style, organization, or really anything except content.
Debbie D - Margaret Mooney came to Duluth a few years ago, and is a very good presenter with really good ideas.
Kelly - Debbie - don't worry about the spellcheck! As long as they can make it out, you're fine! Remember - every single person is under the same time contraints and using the same old time computers!
karen - Where Diana?
Diana - Karen - do you mean where in Seattle? The airport, of course.
karen - Diana, where do you get on the cruise? In Seattle?
Debbie D - I've really got to get back to the Father's Day project, I'm excited about doing it and keeping it a secret one more day. My husband wil be really touched. Have a good week everybody, and keep your fingers crossed for those of us still to test. Bye!
Diana - No, in Vancouver. You can read about it at www.wordreading.org
karen - Diana, at this point my brain is so full that I don't know what an airport is!!
Kelly - Bye Debbie ! See you on the ring!
karen - Debbie, I will be in touch!!
Diana - Karen - RELAX! Let me repeat again for everybody still facing the AC - nothing counts except the content of what you say. READ THOSE RUBRICS and you will know exactly what assessors are looking for. There are NO secrets to the scoring.
karen - Diana, I was at piece up to yesterday. I woke up today stressed. I will be okay by tomorrow. For the most part, I am a good test taker. I don't frezze up.
karen - Fruedian slip "piece"... I meant peace!
Diana - Karen, I know some people say their AC experience was awful, but it went very smoothly for me. There were no surprises - the booklet tells you exactly what to expect. My best scores were at the AC.
Diana - Not too crowded in here today. Guess everyone is either studying for AC or relaxing and forgetting about NBPTS after AC.
karen - We have thunderstorms rolling in so I will get off the computer. I will be okay after I get my notes written for math in the booklet.
Kelly - I have to go, too. I'll see everybody around on the ring. Karen - GOOD LUCK on Monday! I know you're well-prepared!
karen - Kelly have a great weekend and thank you Diana for your encouragement!
Kelly - Bye all!
santana - in ontario, we have something called the College of Teachers which oversees that kind of stuff. Our Premier wants to test us evey 5 years for recertification. Many of us are upset.
santana - does teacher testing occur in the US?
Diana - Santana, this is a voluntary process. It is for teachers who want to show that they are master teachers. In some states, becoming certified results in bonus money.
santana - really?! not here. it appears as though our gov't needs to appease the public.
Diana - Santana, individual states deal with the required teacher certification. Most states issue an initial certificate after you meet certain criteria which usually includes testing. The certificates must be renewed periodically. In FLorida, it is every 5 years. We have to provide evidence of additional training during the five years.
Diana - This group is going beyond the state requirements to earn a national certificate.
santana - I don't remember. Are you certified?
Diana - Yes, I earned my national certification last year. It was a very difficult process. ONly about 1/3 of those who apply are successful.
santana - Congratulations. That's quite an achievement. What soes this entitle you to do?
santana - that ;should read does
Diana - In Florida, I get an automatic bonus check of $3500 - I can earn an additional $3500 by mentoring other teachers. It also brings some prestige.
Diana - Some teaching districts also give higher pay to NBPTS certified teachers - but that is not the case for me.
santana - I'll say! We don't have anything like that here. Has this been implemented just recently?
Diana - National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is NOT a government agency. The certification process is entirely voluntary. You can read more about it at their website www.nbpts.org - they have been doing this since the mid 90's.
Diana - I have to go - I am traveling this weekend to take my daughter to a drama camp. I enjoyed chatting with you.
santana - I see. Does your NBPTS certificate allow you to teach in any state?
santana - Thanks for the chat
