Curriculum Chats took place today with Exploratory staff. Thank you to all that were able to attend. The following was discussed.
-Feedback on the process of exploratory review cycle
-The process of horizontal collaboration time on IgKnight
-The PR of our amazing exploratory activities and events
Next week we will have a MTSS and SPED chat. Here is the LINK
At the secondary level, there are two areas up for curricular review this school year. One is high school world language, and the second is middle school exploratories. Through this process, teachers will be reflecting on units of study, specific learning targets, and their proficiency tables. This work has been designed to identify areas of improvement within the scope and sequence of current class offerings.
In September, the high school world language department met to review their units of study. Because the Spanish I offering at KHS aligns with the middle school offering of Spanish, a member of the middle school was in attendance for the review. World language is in a unique situation as it will become a graduation requirement in 2028 and the department will not have another opportunity to review their curriculum prior to this state level change.
The team met diligently and is on track to improve the offerings for our students in both Spanish and French courses. This week, the middle school exploratory teachers will meet to engage in a similar process.
The Exploratory Curriculum Review Team met for the first of many meetings to begin the work of reviewing topics, units of study and needs in the Exploratory content areas. During the first meeting the team developed a staff survey to collect feedback on possible topics and learning content for future Exploratoires. K-5 staff please take a moment to complete this survey prior to October 10th. This survey is essential in giving feedback on the learning needs of our students and to help the committee make next steps decisions. If you have any questions at all feel free to reach out to a committee member listed below.
Year One: Participate in a coaching cycle, or "coaching lite" if it is the first cycle
Year Two: Reflect on personal collaboration cycle needs. Establish collaboration cycle based on identified personal needs.
Year Three: Reflect on personal collaboration cycle needs. Establish collaboration cycle based on identified personal needs.
A frequently asked question is how do proficiency tables and rubrics differ. Some key differences can be found below.
Proficiency TablesWe are excited to announce the new escape room will be up and running very soon. Please see the options for dates if your grade level section or team would like to attend. Reach out to set up a reservation with Sarah Mumm at 10358@kaneland.org. Escape Reservations
When making a reservation consider the following:
-Half or full day? (half day is 1.5 hours and full day is 9:30 to 1:30)
-Register and collaborate with FVCC student sessions (when available)
-Register and collaborate with KIPLA student panel (when available)
-The room is set up to have 3 students as bankers that will need to have strong addition skills; the room begins with 5 small groups plus the banker small group.
Recently at an Ad Team meeting, we took time to create a clearer version of the 9 types of feedback broken into the 3 levels. Please feel free to post around your room and use with students during feedback conferences. Thank you Mrs. Aversa!
Welcome to the IgKnight Conference Registration. We are excited for an amazing conference on November 25th. Registration is now open through October 10th at 4:00pm. Please log on using the link below to create your schedule. Please note what you have registered for or save the link to your phone or device. All staff are responsible for pulling up and following their own schedule on the conference day. Reminder that any staff member who has not registered as of October 11th will only be allowed to select from sessions on the conference day that have openings. Please register early! Thank you and see you in November!
WOW! Kaneland staff have been busy connecting this Fall. We already have over 66 connections made so far as a district. Please remember to reach out to a person with the job category from your puzzle piece from the first day and connect any of the ways listed below! Good luck and keep connecting.
WAY: Who Are You
There is always a “WAY” to make someone’s day! Research and identify the person that holds the position you randomly selected. Send them a note, email or quick text to make their day. No response or interaction is needed, just a supportive message to them.
Submit who you connected with and sent a supportive message to and the job category they hold to Educational Service Department
1 entry
WIL: What I Learned
Where there is a “WIL” there is a way. Email, text, call the person and share a bit about yourself and ask them about what they do for our students in Kaneland.
Submit a WIL, what I learned from reflection that includes three things that you learned about the person and how they are committed to our students. To the Education Service Department
3 entries
WHY: We Hear You
“WHY” not actively listen and learn from each other?. Connect and discuss your why with your randomly selected job category person. Create a visual or snap a picture together showing how your whys connect to each other.
Submit your visual or picture to Education Service Department
4 entries
WWF: We Want Feedback
Let’s get electrified with some feedback. To earn 5 entries, you and the chosen partner will share a teaching video, lesson or go observe each other and use the feedback delivery table to co-construct feedback around learning for each other.
Submit a summary of what one thing you may want to shift in your practice based on your peer’s feedback.
5 entries
WIMS: Walk In My Shoes
On a “WIM” go and visit the randomly selected job category to see for yourself their job. Take a half day sub to shadow and observe in the person’s classroom or job area. While you are there, consider how what they do daily connects to what you do.
Submit the date of your observation along with three things you learned during the observation to Educational Service Department
6 entries
Please note the KDAB Delivery table, also found in the MTSS Guidelines for this year, to review the expectations of KDAB practices. If your team has embedded these practices into other times of collaboration and have met with your School Admin, you may not need to attend the schedule KDAB morning meetings as a team.
- The team met for the first collaborative inquiry meeting on September 25, 2024 from 1-3 p.m. at KMAC. Members held introductions.
- The team established the purpose for the year’s collaborative inquiry group.
- The first activity was a walk-around where the team discussed the impact our work is having on student learning. The team looked at classroom observables, data observables, staff observables, student observables, and what is holding us back. These observations will be taken back to CHESS and discussed to build the next steps.
- The team broke up in work stations, rotated through stations and reflected on how to be a transformative team, creating wonderings through data, using data to make an impact, writing and reading across content, defining what excellence means for us in Kaneland, and ways to incentivize staff this year. All reflections will be used throughout the year to determine the next steps.
- Next, the team discussed this year’s work and signed up for small-group committee work to do the bulk of this year’s work through small group-committee collaboration. Small groups planned out their meeting times to work on their own.
- Our next full-team collaborative inquiry meeting will take place in the last week of February or the first week of March.
At the most recent Kaneland Connects Commitment Team Meeting we asked the team to share a few grows and glows. We wanted to share our glows with all staff. The grows will be itess we discuss for next steps at our future meetings.
Our Fall 2024 GLOWS:
-Have seen more communication come through direct from MTSS teachers at K-5
-Kudos to KBK MTSS staff for the excellent start of the year communication
-I think KIPLA is a HUGE glow. You’ve taken all the practices and expectations and put them together in one school and it is working well
-Students reflect on personal learning needs lot more this year than ever
-Students can self-assess and defend their learning more now than ever
-K-5 SBG love the number scale
-So glad we changed 6-12 SBG
-The opportunity to meet and share was great tonight, thank you
-Kaneland staff are really open to listen
-1:1 commitment is overall very proficient and I feel this reflects how far we’re coming with tech
Our next Commitment Team meeting will take place in January. Thank you to the staff that were able to attend and engage in the conversations.
