Teacher Education UNIT Professional Development Session

Teacher Education UNIT Professional Development Session

8/22/2012

Comments:

Please share something from Dr. Dance's session that helped you understand the importance of the topic to the preparation of future teachers:

Value in school systems, regardless of reputation - more but I don't have access to my notes at this time.
He made it clear that the new curriculum was going to be part of his plan to improve the county's standing vis-a-vis the other large school districts in the state. His examples showed that the County's leadership needs better-prepared incoming teachers, and that's where we come in.
It was useful to hear Dr. Dance's vision and plan for Baltimore County. In particular, his comments about special education students were insightful.
Simple statement he made- his son is 3 years old and has only one opportunity to be 3, one opportunity to be successful in preschool, one opportunity to be successful in third grade, one opportunity to successfully complete middle school and one opportunity to finish high school on time. All of these opportunities are dependent on him having quality, nurturing, effective teachers that are knowledgeable and current in content and instructional strategies.
local school districts plans for the future
Comparison of data among counties. Needs assessment.
Dr. Dance discussed the importance of education of pre-service teachers specific to middle school. This needs continued support from out college/university.
The concept of partnership between BCPS and the COE for the purpose of preparing new teachers.
Dr. Dance clearly brings a new level of excitement and vision to the Baltimore County Public Schools. It was exciting to see that he understands how important a strong relationship between BCPS and Towson University can be to the entire metropolitan region.
Nothing at all. It was 'canned' state of Baltimore County and his plans for future speech.
I did not find Dr. Dance's to be informative.
His citation of the challenges BCPS is facing in overhauling their approach to teaching and assessment and his interest in partnering with TU (and other IHEs) to accomplish this. If we don't respond, they will go forward without us.
I was not impressed with Dr. Dance's PowerPoint slides with statistical information comparing Howard and Montgomery County’s student achievements with Baltimore County. I learned that if we are to improve our education within Baltimore County, we need to first look fairly and honestly at these comparisons (the bar graphs were tilted to make Baltimore County's gap appear less large). If the administrators are skewing the data and misrepresenting it to themselves, I am sure that is a disservice to the teachers and students.
His priorities were useful to hear.
I appreciate his comments about how the county and the IHE need to work together to implement changes
The statistics he shared were interesting.
His comment that he won't hire our teachers if we don't prepare them for CC to his satisfaction was enlightening.
Dr. Dance is an impressive educator. His zeal for and dedication to student achievement is inspirational. He articulated the importance of including students with special needs in general education classrooms which is a significant message for leaders in education to communicate.
We as a College are tied to the school systems we serve. They are our clients. We need to develop these relationships. All school systems are more alike than different.
His differentiated-tiered support model has been needed for so long in BCPS- and his four areas that new teachers need to be adept in- (using data, knowing depth of curriculum, being collaborative, and ....I forget the fourth one right now.
His focus on the problems in Baltimore County that needed immediate attention. Since I have a lot of experience both working in and working with Baltimore County, I found he was right on target.
His perspectives especially the importance of Middle School as he undertakes his efforts in Baltimore County Plus he offered food for thought regarding a new master's degree program in COE to be responsive to the changing needs of what is occurring in schooling.
I appreciated his analogy 'Don't try to boil the ocean.' because we all need to remember that change and improvement takes time. We will realign our course content to the CCSS, but it won't happen overnight (nor should it).
NA-
Dr. Dance shared the vision of BCPS schools under his new leadership.
His entire presentation was useful. I appreciated his use of data for deciding the area of focus in Baltimore County for the coming year.
I received new information when he discussed the three tier system in place to support struggling schools.
In his view, there needs to be a closer and more integrated working partnership between Towson University and schools systems in Maryland.
his direct connection to higher education
It didn't. I felt as if we were being asked to work for BCPS, which is not how this is supposed to work. Additionally, Dr. Dance has minimal experience in education relative to nearly every other person in that room, so it was a tad disappointing to be lectured by such a man about best practice. Our faculty have expertise that should be shared instead of outsiders. Perhaps we can teach them a thing or two.
His presentation was informative and cogent. (I already knew the topic was important.)
I felt he was a dynamic speaker, but a perhaps too cliché.
Dr. Dance is passionate about making Baltimore County School System into one of the best in the state.
I appreciated knowing his vision for the future of Baltimore County Public Schools AND that he sees TU and BCPS as a partnership.
Not-applicable. What I heard from him was the same old, trite nothingness of a driven politician and career social climber, ready to use each situation he doesn't understand, as a bigger stepping stone for his advancement (while sweeping those ambitious and lack of true substance under the rug). As I understand it, the man spent less than a year in the classroom before being promoted to absurd leadership positions and bouncing about wherever he could trade upon his looks and image for advancement. That's less inspiring than it is terrifying - particularly terrifying if some in our COE or who our president and her appointee find an image that should be lecturing us!? He certainly knows what to say and how to present himself to make the 'right' impression on a crowd, but this pied piper is saying NOTHING new or of substance for the most part; he's just charming people in rope-a-dope loops because he know people eat his image up. It's a mistake not to mention his bankruptcy of classroom experience when talking to a large group of teacher educators. It's dangerous to ignore that he was basically talking to those of us in higher ed (where a good portion of our students work in his county, but many do not) and telling us our job was to help raise his county's scores to be the highest, so that he might have one more misleading bragging right. Does it matter that many of us have concerns about such scores? Does it matter that many of us don't want to see educational systems used for competition around businessmen and politicians (a category of which I'd consider him, as he's not a true educator). It's not his age I question; it's his lack of genuine experience with teaching and learning + the path of positions he's scurried through as he preps for the next leap.
I cannot recall any one particular item. However, this was my first time to hear or see Dr. Dance in person. I found him very engaging, intelligent, and full of positive energy. This was important for me, given the question of his wisdom based on such few years of experiencing in education as a professional.
His emphasis on data-driven instruction will help me provide a stronger rationale for a key assignment in my course.
He seemed very dedicated to the effort of producing quality teachers with good training. His support of the new assessments that are coming out as well as the core is welcomed.

Please share something from Dr. Alberti's session that helped you understand the importance of the topic to the preparation of future teachers:

Very inspiring, understanding of the process
She shared a great deal about the development and evolution of the curriculum over time, and gave some tips about how to put some of it into play. I think the examples she gave would have made more sense to presently-active inservice teachers, but they were illustrative of the type of work that needs to be done.
The web resources shared were useful. Dr. Alberti clearly explained the Common Core (much more informative than other speakers on this topic that I have heard).
She kept connecting her presentation points to her own elementary age children and to her mother who is currently teaching in a third grade classroom. She understands the confusion that is buzzing around about the Common Core, but she was able to share the facts about the development and value of the Common Core and relate it to the classroom. She took the fear out of Common Core.
specifics of common core structure
More on Common Core
The areas of focus (changes) for reading/math were helpful in understanding the changes in common core.
That all P-12 curriculum-related content in our teacher preparation program must include the Common Core State Standards
For me the most poignant aspect of Dr. Alberti's session was when she identified the three shifts in literacy and in mathematics in the new Common Core State Standards. Her explanation helped me understand how much of an impact these shifts will have on our nation's curriculum, instruction and assessment.
She very clearly presented key changes from 'old way' to Common Core (though she didn't acknowledge things that are NOT new at all, just new language.)
In promoting the new major shifts in literacy that are emphasized under the Common Core, there was an implicit, yet very strong message that many of the practices of the past ten years under NCLB and Reading First were wrong-headed. The policies flowed directly from the feds to MSDE to school systems to classrooms. And the result was a lot of flawed curriculum. Had we as teacher educators, scholars who are steeped in the history and developments of our field, fallen in line with the bureaucratic stream during that time, we would have been embarrassed and guilty of not performing our duties. Instead, most of us functioned as a safe harbor where students could learn about real best practices and learn how to think for themselves and troubleshoot the many wrong-headed approaches that school systems were adopting, that are now being challenged under CCSS. We need to continue to operate independent of the bureaucratic momentum and maintain our stance as independent agents who are both knowledgeable of what is happening around us--as we were during Reading First--and supportive of teachers working through the new paradigm. The education profession needs us to be independent. It should not want us to fall in line with the bureaucratic deployment of the CCSS.
The shifts
It was helpful to learn about the major shifts in the English language arts and literacy standards.
Dr. Alberti's presentation was the highlight of the day (although Dr. Dance was also excellent). She made clear the process leading to the CCSS was carefully thought through and guided by a variety of interests with numerous opportunities for input. She also made clear that it is imperative for us to re-examine what we are doing to prepare teachers and leaders for the new world they are facing.
Dr. Alberti focused on how the Common Core state standards do not ask us to rewrite curriculum, but rather teach it differently and provide different foci. This is quite helpful to me as I would guess that the CCSS would ask us to rewrite curriculum.
Her answers to our questions were helpful.
I was very disappointed that, once again, science was ignored. It gets very frustrating to always hear about math and literacy. People pay lip service to STEM, but I don't think anyone outside of the sciences actually cares about it
The concept of the 'common' core was interesting and will be a useful tool in the advancement of educating students.
Her overview of the major changes in CC was extremely helpful.
Dr. Alberti communicated that educators must ensure that students have developed the knowledge and skills that are basic to advanced achievement. Giving instructional time to develop the knowledge and skills is imperative.
I think the change of focus on math was important. We had been using this spiral approach to math for a long time and falling further behind. The students who graduate from our department need to know about all subjects, or learn on the job. Special educators often have to be ready to support students in every subject.
First of all, this woman had a brain and while I did not agree with everything, I thought she articulated her case clearly and respectfully. 'Fewer, clearer, higher' is what I carried away.
I really liked her focus on the major shifts. The materials she shared were excellent, too. I have used all of her materials in my courses already and have the Achieve the Core website on all my Blackboard sites.
More specifics on the Common Core and what to consider as we prepare our students to be successful as teachers and leaders.
Two things she mentioned resonated with me. 1. Rigor = close alignment of what you say and what you expect students to do. 2. Think about using the eraser on my syllabus and do fewer things better.
The three critical changes addressed in CCSS.
Dr. Alberti's session was extremely helpful in understanding the important shifts occurring b/c of the new CC.
Her presentation was engaging and energetic. Her know of the how the discussion of the Common Core began was helpful and the information she presented as an overview of the changes that would have to come once the CCSS are implemented was helpfu.
The importance of linking to the anchor standards.
The new Core Curriculum respresents a fundamental change that will, among many other changes, involve a shift in how teachers are hired, promoted and compensated. Student learning and success will be the primary criterion rather than credentials.
her personal stories/experiences
This is a loaded question. However, we must teach our students to be conscientious consumers of curriculum rather than benign followers. Nothing that Alberti stated is a settled matter. There is considerable debate, a debate we should be having without fear of recrimination.
She, too, was informative.
Great introduction to understanding the Core Curriculum and also the importance of increasing student knowledge in the area of content reading.
Get out the eraser! Do not try to cover everything but be more focused on those things needed for college success. Deeper rather than broad instruction.
shifting mindset of SEAs and LEAs in relation to curriculum and instruction
It was good to be exposed to the overall concepts and theories related to the common core.
Dr. Alberti clarified how the changes in the curriculum will (have) change(d) what our students need to understand and be able to do when they teach.
This was the most informative session I have ever been to on the changes in assessing students that will come with Common Core. It was also reassuring to hear her collegial tone about how we can do this with our future educators!
+ She was wise to highlight the fewer main ideas about what real changes might look like in literacy and math. - If I go the rest of my life NOT hearing how big a name Grasmick is to pull in big deal people, I'll still have heard too much about that.
Dr. Alberti was very adept at sharing how the common core focused on a few key concepts in depth, with plenty of examples.
Her description of how the CCC came about and the three major shifts in math and ELA were very helpful; her explanation about what the CCC is and what is not was also helpful. I have already used the understanding I gained from this presentation in my courses.
She took what could have been a difficult topic and was able to give a short meaningful way to think about the changes that are appearing in the Core.

What changes could be made to ensure that these meetings provide you the information that you would need to include these important topics in your instruction for future teachers?

Give opportunities for faculty members to actually see the curriculum in action, enabling them to see their potential role in the conversion. As of now, there is a lot of information being shared, out of context, and that is not as conducive to learning as action would be.
It would be nice to have substantive time to discuss real changes we can implement in our classes with colleagues.
Just continue to invite quality speakers.