Susan (NC) - Hey Kelly- I was waiting for someone I knew before I signed on........
Susan (NC) - Don't know where the person from India went?
Susan (NC) - Hi Delia
Delia - Hi, I'm a newbie. My first time chatting.
Susan (NC) - Are you thinking about going for National Boards?
Delia - Yes, I assessed literacy prompts over the summer.
DebbieMc. - Hey everybody!! I'm so excited to get to be here!
Susan (NC) - Hi Sunny & a big hi to you Debbie!
Kelly M - Susan - Hi! I was sitting out there, too...waiting to see if anyone was coming today! So I finally decided to jump on in! Hi Delia...Welcome!...and Sunny....welcome! Hi Debbie!...Great to see you!
DebbieMc. - Susan, long time to "see".
Susan (NC) - Yes!! way too long!
Sunny - Hi, I'm a Newbie and my question concerns the 4th portfolio. I was the major writer on a grant that will eventually bring in over $500,000 to my school and I want to use. The whole school will benefit from the grant. How do I do that?
Delia - Are you newbies or CIW's?
Susan (NC) - I'm back at school- our kid's 1st day was Friday!
Kelly M - Delia....did you enjoy the assessing experience? Are you already certified?
Kelly M - Sunny - you want to talk about its impact on the children....that's the number one thing in entry four! Bring everything back to impact on students.
DebbieMc. - Sunny, you've got to convince assessors that the grant you wrote impacted student achievement. So, whenyou're writing up the accomplishment make sure that you are able to show that student achievement was increased because of your writing.
Delia - I am just sending in my application. Assessing was a great experience though tedious.
DebbieMc. - Susan, I hope you have a wonderful year.
Kelly M - Hi Patrice and Jenn - how are you today?
Patrice in KY - Greetings all...just scooting in for a few to see what is going on today.
DebbieMc. - Hi Patrice
Susan (NC) - You too Debbie, are you still doing what you did last year?
Kelly M - Delia - that will help you tremendously as you are writing portfolios, though!
Jenn/NJ - Hi Kelly beautiful in NJ today
Sunny - Okay, but the parents will benefit also because of the training they will receive. Do I include that?
Patrice in KY - Hey Debbie...did you find your grant info you needed?
DebbieMc. - Still am, Susan...hope to get to sleep at home this year.
Kelly M - Sunny - absolutely! Can you get one of them to write a letter to verify it?
DebbieMc. - Yes, thank you, Patrice. I just went straight to KDE.
DebbieMc. - Sunny, that's also great for communication with parents or showing that you go out of the way to include them in their child's education.
Patrice in KY - hey aggie b!
Kelly M - Hi aggieb - how's everything? I bet you're enjoying resting after the AC!
aggieb - Hi every one!!
Kelly M - Hi Robyn - welcome!
aggieb - Yes, life is very different!!
robynspedteacher - good afternoon all
DebbieMc. - Patrice, I wanted big bucks and that's the place to get the big ones!
Sunny - I'm sure I can find several. Should I also get the principal to verify my work on the grant or is just one piece of documentation necessary. I hope to make that the focal point portfolio 4 since it is so all incompencing (however that word is spelled).
aggieb - Sunny you may want to talk about how the parents are becoming empowered and can impact their own children's lives
Patrice in KY - Maybe I need to hit them up for some bucks.
DebbieMc. - I'm helping to write this grant for my home district--in my spare time!
Patrice in KY - Spare time!!! Since when did you find any of that Debbie? LOL
aggieb - Sunny right now I would focus on writing it up and then look back at the documentation that will be the most convincing
Patrice in KY - You are one of the busiest people I have ever seen.
DebbieMc. - I've learned that you make time for what you want to do even if it kills you and makes you very irritable. That was one lesson from this process.
DebbieMc. - Kelly hasn't stopped all summer! I've been taking lessons from her.
Patrice in KY - I agree, aggie, the documentation thoughts can come a little later. I wrote up some things that I didn't even use later...so I did not need any of the documentation I might have requested.
aggieb - Delia, what one word of advice would you have given the CIWs if you could have about the portfolio?
Patrice in KY - Delia, did you do assessment center scoring, or portfolio scoring?
DebbieMc. - BTW Kelly, is your ankle propped up?
Susan (NC) - Kelly & DebbieMc are the "energizer bunnies" of this group!
Patrice in KY - Kelly, how is your daughter?
DebbieMc. - Not me, not anymore. I haven't been doing a lot for the ring. I hope to do more this year. I really feel out of touch with my ole buddies.
Susan (NC) - OK- Kelly, what did you do to your ankle? Tell all!
Kelly M - My ankle IS up...and much better, thanks. And my daughter is doing pretty well....I'm off to Minnesota tomorrow morning to spend 5 days with the newlyweds!
DebbieMc. - Are you driving from Minnesota to Cincinnati?
Kelly M - I'm going from Minneapolis to Indianapolis to stay with an old college roommate from my days at Ball State! I'll stay with them Thursday evening and then drive down to Cincinnati on Friday morning....to pick up Mary Lou as we go to register for the conference!
Kelly M - Enough about me! Sunny and Delia....what are your due dates? I know portfolios come due three different dates this year with the new sign-up thing.
DebbieMc. - Are you picking her up at the airport??
DebbieMc. - I'm sorry Sunny and Delia. We really will answer your questions. We just haven't seen each other in a long, long time.
Sunny - Mine is due Feb. 15
Delia - I assessed literacy portfolios, make sure you focus on the scoring rubric. Keep going back to it as you answer the questions.
Kelly M - Yes, I'm picking Mary Lou up and taking her to the hotel.
DebbieMc. - If you're taking her back, you'll pass right by my hotel/suites.
aggieb - Delia I am in the process of working with some newbies and I will share that information!
Patrice in KY - Delia, I have actually not even read my literacy entry since my million and one reading before I mailed. I am afraid I will find something I missed.
DebbieMc. - Have you both gone over the directions for each entry?? That's very important. I made notes on what each one required and began to lay out the units I thought I wanted to use.
Sunny - Had I waited about 3 days my due date would have been Mar. 15 and that would make it so much better with all the testing FL does.
aggieb - Delia, how can we help you?
Patrice in KY - Has anyone heard fom Becky...wasn't she one of the first to assess before the portfolio?
Susan (NC) - I can't help much today since I'm from the older generation- - -
Sunny - I've read and reread the directions, but feel I need to go over them again as I outline what I want to do. I also have to meet with some teachers in my school to borrow a class or two to use. I don't have my own classroom, but do demo lessons in classes or teach writing lessons.
Kelly M - Sunny - I know...that's really a complicated mess, isn't it?
aggieb - Talking about helping,, I am almost afraid to until I get my scores back from the portfolio.. but I ask lots of questions of the newbies/
Kelly M - Susan....same philosophy, though!...just different directions!
DebbieM. - I lost my internet connection. Sunny, where do you teach?
Sunny - I teach in Polk County in FL
DebbieM. - Right Susan. You know more than you give yourself credit for.
Kelly M - Actually, Aggieb, that's what NBPTS suggests doing....answer questions by asking more questions! There rarely is one 'right' answer!
Susan (NC) - Kelly, I'm now hooked up with Direcway - no more phone lines to do internet........Cool!
Patrice in KY - Same with me, aggie. There are two teachers in my building working on the process and I am ALWAYS stressing to them that I am only a CIW.
Kelly M - Anyone who has been through the process can at least share how he/she did it....that's a great help to newbies!
aggieb - Kelly, I learned that technique well from this ring.. and yes it works!!
DebbieM. - Okay, what's direcway? I'm paying for two phone lines.
Susan (NC) - Direcway is getting the internet from a satelite; like DirecTV - and no, I do not work for them! ha.
DebbieM. - I've gotta run and change laundry from washer to dryer...be right back.
Patrice in KY - My big question from peers since school began is...Have you heard yet? I need a sign to carry that says.....scores coming in Nov./Dec. lol
Susan (NC) - We did have 2 phone lines..........I think this will be cheaper in the long run-
Kelly M - Susan...I still have to use my land line to dial up a connection to the net. But at least now I have a cell phone right here, too!
Kelly M - I'm going to have to go shortly. I hope you all have good weeks!...especially those of you already in school! We don't have kids until the day after Labor Day!
Susan (NC) - Have fun with your daughter Kelly!
DebbieM. - Kelly, I'm going to look up the directions for airport to Hannaford Suites and email them to you.
Kelly M - Thanks Susan! And that'll be great, Debbie! Can't wait to see you next weekend!
DebbieM. - Me either!! Have a good week and be careful traveling.
Sunny - For the literacy portfolio, some of our assessment is done with computer programs. Are we allowed to use that material even though technically we didn't administer it.
Susan (NC) - I'll be with you Debbie & Kelly -" in spirit form"
DebbieM. - I think if you use it as a tool to gather information about your child's abilites then you could certainly use it.
DebbieM. - You could always fly up and join us, Susan.
DebbieM. - Delia, are you still here?
Delia - You can use any form of assessment.
Susan (NC) - Wouldn't that be fun.........some day you two will meet me even if I have to get you to come to the Smokies!
DebbieM. - I was just going to say, Delia should be able to answer that .
Patrice in KY - Be sure to go to the great Gap/BR/Old Navy outlet store in cin.
DebbieM. - Patrice, I feel like all I do at night is shop. I've been everywhere up there.
Molly - Sunny, yes use the computer data you find for literacy, they are intersted in many ways you assess your kids (informal and formal.)
DebbieM. - That's a deal, Susan.
Patrice in KY - I got my daughter four swimsuits originally $50 suits, for fifty cents a piece there!!
aggiebb - Delia were you looking for different strategies for both children or was the focus on each individual child?
Delia - Can you tell me in the SS/ARTS/Community portfolio entry, are you teaching a unit or lesson?
Sunny - Thanks so much for the help. Sometimes I interpret things very literally.
DebbieM. - My husband said that I tried on 100 last Thurs. night.
aggiebb - Delia, you should focus on a unit of study
Patrice in KY - The outlet is at exit 8A (Hebron exit) off of 275.
DebbieM. - Your entry is going to be about more than just one lesson. Do you mean for the video, Delia?
Molly - For the SS/ARTS/Community Itaught a unit about community helpers.
Patrice in KY - Except that it is really in Erlinger out side of Cin.
DebbieM. - Patrice, you might want to tell the NBCTs on the ring that little snippet. They're gathering there next weekend.
Molly - You really have to teach a unit becasue you will want to video several lessons and choose the best one that meets the instructions
Delia - aggiebb, do you mean teaching strategies?
DebbieM. - I mean in Cincy, not Erlanger.
Patrice in KY - Will do, Debbie.
DebbieM. - aggie's right. You're going to have to discuss your goals for the unit of study.
aggiebb - yes, I thought if was important to show them that for different children I used different stratiges at some times..
Delia - Absolutely, you want to show what you did with each child as an individual.
Molly - Remember "the arts" are not just drawing and painting-incorrperate dance, music, poetry etc...
aggiebb - Sunny this group is the best support you are going to find.. It is a very knowledgable group.. Not speaking of myself :<
Sunny - I'm heading off to finish laundry and start dinner. Thank you for all your help and support.
Delia - This really is a great group the information I have gotten out of the files is invaluable. Thanks to all.
aggiebb - Someone on the ring assessed entry 2 and made a comment about it can be large group or small group vidoes. Any comment?
DebbieM. - It's a compilation of many great people's advice.
DebbieM. - I think your whole group can be working in smaller groups. But your whole class has to be seen.
Molly - hi
DebbieM. - Well, ladies, I guess I'm outta here if no one has any questions.
Delia - I know I'll have more questions as time goes on. Bye.
DebbieM. - Delia, you probably gained a wealth of info assessing.
DebbieM. - Well, aggie...I'll see ya later.
