dvr-pascd newsletter - march 2016

Delaware Valley Region

ISSUE NO. 1VOL. 1

Pennsylvania Associationfor Supervision &

Curriculum Development

Meredith Denovan….………..............PresidentDorie Martin-Pitone…….….......President-ElectColleen Lelli…….…….................Past PresidentLyn Berenato….………..............Vice-PresidentRobert Magliano…………..…............Treasurer

OFFICERS

Connect with Us! @DVR_PASCD http://www.dvrpascd.org/

Table of Contents

President’s Letter ................Pages 1-2 Member Spotlight ..............Pages 3-5

What iGnites Us ..................Pages 6-8

Commentary ...................Pages 10-12

Book Review ....................Pages 13-15

DVR-PASCD Sponsors .....Pages 16-20

To submit articles, information,or feedback, please contact:Monica [email protected]

Editorial TeamMonica Conlin & Christina Brennan

President'sLetter

March, 2016

Dear DVRPASCD Members,

Spring is just around the corner….finally. And with that comes DVRPASCD’s annual spring event. College and Career Readiness: Preparing EVERY Learner for the Future. Save the date, April 13, 2016,and come to Cabrini College for another outstanding professionaldevelopment opportunity. Go to our web sitehttp://www.dvrpascd.org/events to find more detailed information andregister for this event. It is free for all DVRPASCD members…anotherbenefit of joining our organization. Register early! The first 30 registrantsreceive a free book – Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for theInnovation Era by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith.

Add another date to your calendar…November 1314, 2106….PASCDConference at King of Prussia! The theme of the event is Igniting StudentPassion Through Technology, Reading, and Digital Literacy. For thoseof you who have previously attended the State conference, you will notice achange in format. The conference will begin Sunday at 5:00 and end at 3:30on Monday. Cost for members is only $149.00.

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President'sLetter

Another outstanding benefit of membership in PASCD is online access tothe ASCD titles on our Gale Virtual Reference Library platform. 5 new titleshave been added to help increase principal and teaching effectiveness.These titles can help you think through ways to implement an evaluationprocess that is complex yet fair, accurate, and rigorous at measuring

the effectiveness of your principals and teachers.http://galesites.com/k12/pascd Passcode pascd.

DVR PASCD is awarding grants of up to $500.00 for proposals that impactupon student learning and promote best practices. Applications can befound on our web site. Submission deadline is June 30th.

As a professional organization, we are always looking to add to ourmembership. Please share this newsletter with your colleagues. In themeantime, feel free to contact us for information, propose ideas for regionalevents and/or to see how you can get involved in this fine organization. Welook forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Meredith DenovanDelaware Valley RegionPASCD [email protected] [email protected]

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Member SpotlightRina Vassallo

DVR-PASCD Board Member

When asked why she got involved she said, “…it was at the suggestion of my

supervisor and mentor, Dorie Martin”. She added, “I was very excited to get

involved with the board and have loved the opportunities thus far to be able to

collaborate with educators and administrators from a variety of schools and

districts. I have learned so much from their expertise and past experiences

already, and am looking forward to continued collaborative conversations.”

When asked about Christina, Dr. Dorie Martin, Christy’s mentor and President

Elect of DVRPASCD Board, said, “’The best way a mentor can prepare another

leader is to expose her to other great people’ (John Maxwell). Since I met

Christy, I have listened and provided support. I have also brought her to the

board to expose he to multiple leaders and leadership styles all of which

contribute to Christy’s growth as an emerging leader.”

Christina’s current role is Lower School Technology Coordinator at William

Penn Charter School. As part of her considerable responsibilities there, she

facilitates 1:1 Initiative using Chromebooks and provides expert professional

development to teachers via coaching and mentoring. Another one of her

projects includes managing the multiple demands of the technology and

computer science curriculum for the Lower School.

This newsletter we are profiling, Christina

Brennan, a fairly new DVRPASCD Board

member who just joined our Board in July

of 2015.

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Christina Brennan



Christy started her career as an Information Services Assistant at Tredyffrin

Public Library. While working there, she earned A Master’s in Education

Policy and Program Evaluation from the University of Pennsylvania. Her

thesis was entitled Education Policy and K12 Technology Access, Equity

and Integration.

Upon earning her Masters, Christy became a wellrespected elementary

school librarian at Coopertown Elementary School in Haverford School

District, where she met Dorie. Christy’s undergraduate degree was earned at

Rosemont College with majors in Education, History and Psychology.

She is very involved in professional organizations and obviously values

professional learning. Besides serving on the DVRPASCD Leadership

Board, she is a member of the PA School Librarian Association (PSLA), The

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and PA

Association for Communications and Technology (PAECT).

When asked why she got involved in a leadership position on our board,

Christy said, “I have been involved with the professional development

committee, particularly with planning our most recent fall event at Neumann

on Digital Literacy & Leadership. I'm also excited to be working with the

social media committee as well as doing some graphic design work with the

DVR newsletter.”

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Meredith Denovan, DVRPASCD President, shared that since Christy

joined the Board last year she has hit the ground running. She added,

“Christy has been a presenter at our two of our professional development

events and has also served as an active member of the Professional

Development Committee. With her extensive knowledge and experience

in curriculum and technology, Christy is a valuable and welcome addition

to our Executive Board.”

DVRPASCD is indeed very lucky to have this young woman with her

considerable skills and talents serve on our board and we look forward to

continued collaborations

SAVE THE DATE

PASCD Conference in King of Prussia, PANovember 13-14th, 2016

Igniting Student Passion ThroughTechnology, Reading, and Digital Literacy

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What iGnites Us

Joy Rosser, DVR-PASCD Board Member

Joy Rosser is currently serving as secretary on the DVRPASCD Board,teaching sixth grade science at Kennett Middle School and serving on thePennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools To Watch State Team. Joy isexpanding her research and writing; discovering ways people are beingignited within educational institutions, among student interactions, andwithin families affiliated with education.

Set on the southern edge of the Kennett Consolidated School District inChester County, Kennett Middle School is changing lives through thestrategies and support of its students. More specifically, the staff isigniting the ELL population (EnglishLanguage Learners) throughout thebuilding in ways that are serving, embracing and encouraging. In theirquest for excellence, teachers personally sought out research on themarriage of SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) and ELLsto improve best instructional practices in classrooms and to establish aframework for organized, highquality instruction for all students. With apopulation of approximately 10% ELLs, Kennett Middle Schoolrecognizes the need for meeting these students where they are, andacquiring strategies to move them forward socially, academically andemotionally.

ELLs and SIOP An Educational Marriage forSuccess at Kennett Middle School: Landenberg, PA

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What iGnites Us


Teachers were creatively ignited by an Edutopia article entitled,“Strategies and Resources for Supporting EnglishLanguage Learners”(Edutopia, 2015). The richness of staff collaboration came alive when asample of selfmotivated teachers read the article, recognized its valueand encouraged fellow staff members to consider the impact it wouldhave throughout Kennett Middle School. The drive and desire for betterteaching practices to benefit the students was and is prevalent.

SIOP training is in full swing at Kennett Middle School; teachers arefocused on planning and delivering purposeful instruction that contains aContent Objective (what they want the students to know or learn), and aLanguage Objective (how the students will communicate or prove thelearning) in daily lessons. All students benefit from SIOP instruction andall students benefit from the advanced instructional practicesimplemented. For a school which strongly believes that the needs of itsstudents drive all decisions, SIOP and ELL are at the forefront of itsjourney, bound for greater success.

Most significantly, the teachers discovered that the list of strategiesprovided by the ELL article, mirrored teaching practices already alive inthe Kennett Middle School classrooms, and afforded new ideas as well. Listed below are a few of the strategies for supporting all ELLs. The list inits entirety can be found in the article.


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What iGnites Us


Speak slower, not louder. Provide outlines, advancedorganizers, or visual guides. Integrate games. Integrate listening centers. Provide exemplars of successfulprojects. Let students use their homelanguage in the classroom to solvework.

Use pictures, sketches, and graphicorganizers. Make videos of presentations forELLs to replay if needed. Pair up ELLs with strong oral andwritten English skills. Provide opportunities for lowstakeswriting (Edutopia, 2015).

Evidence of teachers igniting themselves for their students at KennettMiddle School is having a successful impact on the instructional practicesand on the learning environment. ELLs are fortunate to be members of aschool that is utilizing the best strategies for learning with the interest of thestudents at the heart of the implementation. SIOP is currently shapinghighquality instructional practices with ELLs being just one cohort of themany prosperous recipients.

www.edutopia.org/blog/strategiesandresourcessupportingelltoddfinley


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Would you like your school highlighted in our next newsletter?If so, contact Monica Conlin

[email protected]

CommentaryDr. Robert Magliano

DVR-PASCD Treasurer

It’s called giveback! Something I feel very strongly about and haveadvocated for a long time now. So, I applaud Facebook CEO MarkZuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, who upon the birth of theirdaughter this past December, announced that they were donating all but 1 % of their Facebook stock (worth about 45 billion) to the new ChanZuckerberg initiative to improve health and education, includingindividualized learning.

In an open letter to their newborn daughter they wrote, “It will take workingwith the strongest leaders in education to help schools around the worldadopt personalized learning.”

Zuckerberg notes that his generation grew up in classrooms where they alllearned the same things at the same pace regardless of their interests orneeds. He states that the next generation will set goals for what they wantto become—like an engineer, health worker, writer or community leader. They’ll have technology that understands how they learn best and wherethey need to focus. They’ll advance quickly in subjects that interest themmost and get as much help as they need in their most challenging areas. They’ll explore topics that aren’t even offered in schools today. Teacherswill also have better tools and data to help students achieve their goals.

Zuckerberg believes that students around the world will be able to usepersonalized learning tools over the internet even if they don’t live neargood schools. Of course it will take more than technology to give everyone 10


DVR-PASCD Treasurer

a fair start in life, but personalized learning can be one scalable way togive all children a better education and more equal opportunity.

Zuckerberg points out that we’re starting to build this technology now,and the results are already promising. Not only do students performbetter on tests, but they also gain the skills and confidence to learnanything they want. And this journey is just beginning. The technologyand teaching will rapidly improve each year. According to Zuckerberg,“together we can do this. And when we do, personalized learning will notonly help students in good schools, it will provide more equal opportunityto anyone with an internet connection.” He states that many of thegreatest opportunities for the next generation will come from givingeveryone access to the internet. Zuckerberg states that people oftenthink of the internet as just for entertainment or communication. But forthe majority of people in the world, the internet can be a lifeline.

It provides education if you don’t live near a good school. It provideshealth information on how to avoid diseases or raise healthy children ifyou don’t live near a doctor. It provides financial services if you don’t livenear a bank. It provides access to jobs and opportunities if you don’t livein a good economy.

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DVR-PASCD Treasurer

The internet, according to Mark Zuckerberg, is so important that for every10 people who gain internet access, about one person is lifted out ofpoverty and about one new job is created. Yet, still more than half of theworld’s population—more than 4 billion people—don’t have access to theinternet. Zuckerberg believes that if our generation connects them, wecan lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. We can also helphundreds of millions of children get an education and save millions oflives by helping people avoid disease. This is another long term effortthat Zuckerberg believes can be advanced by technology andpartnership. It will take inventing new technology to make the internetmore affordable and bring access to unconnected areas. It will takepartnering with governments, nonprofits and companies. It will takeengaging with communities to understand what they need. Good peoplewill have different views on the best path forward, and we will try manyefforts before we succeed. But together we can succeed and create amore equal world.

Give back!!!! Thank you Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet andall those who want to give back and make a difference.

“It will take working with the strongest leaders ineducation to help schools around the world adopt

personalized learning.”12

Book ReviewColleen LelliDVR-PASCD Board Member

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

While reading Mindset: The New Psychology ofSuccess by Carol S. Dweck, I was able to makemany connections I can use in my teaching practiceand my role as a parent. Much of Carol Dweck’sresearch and discussion fosters a mindset neededfor success and how mentors, teachers, coachescan help others (and themselves) improve theirmindset and find success in academics,

professional lives, or other pursuits. I can not say enough about how theresearch behind Mindset can improve all of our teaching practices.

Dweck (2006) explains the difference between a growth mindset and a fixedmindset. A growth mindset is a belief that a person has the ability to developincrementally over time with appropriate opportunities to learnmeaningintelligence develops. Everyone can change and grow his or her talents,interests or temperaments through application and practice. On the otherhand, a fixed mindset belief sees ability as innate and permanent—somepeople are intelligent and some are less so. Personality, creativity andintelligence are fixed rather than something that can be developed.

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Book ReviewColleen LelliDVR-PASCD Board Member

Mindsets can vary depending on a specific domain. For instance, aperson could have a fixed mindset about spelling and believe he or she isa terrible speller, but a person could have a growth mindset aboutbecoming a runner. That person understands running takes time,patience and training, and he or she is willing to push beyond limits to dowell. Carol Dweck says it best, “…the view you adopt of yourselfprofoundly affects the way you lead your life “ (Dweck, 2006, p. 67).

Through life examples, CarolDweck, Ph.D. explains howmindsets are developed fromchildhood. She discussed howthey affect ability andaccomplishment, how theyinfluence our relationships and

the fundamental connections for leadership. She also examines effectivemindsets for teachers, parents and coaches. Lastly, she concludes the bookwith a section on how a person can change his or her mindset.

As teachers, parents and coaches, instead of complementing talent andintelligence, we should praise the effort, determination, and persistence forthe growthoriented process. And what kind of messages should we besending to children about failure?

"The view you adopt of

yourself profoundly

affects the way you

lead your life."

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Book Review

Many times in our society the message has been sent that in order tobooster children’s selfesteem we need to protect them from failure.Dweck argues we need to provide honest, constructive feedback tochildren. In doing so, we are teaching them that learning is a processand part of that process is failure and will contribute to a healthy growthmindset. “Growthminded teachers tell students the truth and then givethem the tools to close the gap,” (Dweck, 2006, p. 199). Fixed mindedteachers, on the other hand, believe they are the finished product andtheir job is to impart the knowledge. For me, I know which teacher I wantto bethat growth minded teacher!

Colleen LelliDVR-PASCD Board Member

Mindset is a ‘mustread’ text for anyadult guiding and mentoring children.Furthermore, anyone struggling withfrustrations in their daily life wouldbenefit from Dweck’s theory andsuggestions to better understand themindset each of us possess and thestrategies that can be used to makechanges for the best.

"Growth-mindedteachers tell studentsthe truth and thengive them the toolsto close the gap."

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Thank Youto Our Sponsors

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dvr-pascd newsletter - march 2016

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