Professional Development done for PS 16 by Michele Ramos

1. The Workshop Model and
the value of Checking for
Understanding
November 2012
Election Day PD

2. Is my learning
environment rigorous?
• Are my students expected to learn at high
levels?
• Is modeling a part of every lesson?
• Is each student supported so that he or she
can learn at high levels?
• Does each student demonstrate learning at
high levels?
• Are all students engaged and expected to
respond when a question is posed?
• Do I offer a variety of ways for students to
demonstrate learning?
• Is the work challenging and/or providing
ongoing scaffolding to support learning for all
students?

3. To-With-By
TO WITH BY
Teacher Driven Collaborative effort
between teacher
and student(s)
Student(s) try
independently
•Read Aloud
Think Aloud
Modeling
•Shared Reading,
Shared Writing,
Interactive Writing
•Guided Reading
•Strategy Group
•Conferencing
•Peer Group
•Independent
Reading
•Independent
Writing
•Any independent
activity throughout
the curriculum that
students are trying
on their own after
explicit teaching

4. Architecture of a Mini Lesson
• Connect
• Teach
• Active
Engagement
• Link
• Students learn why today’s instruction is
important to them as writers and how the
lesson relates to their prior work. The teaching
point is stated.
• The teacher shows the students how writers
go about doing whatever is being taught. We
may teach by demonstrating (modeling how
and when writers use this strategy or concept
in their work rather than simply telling what
writers do); explaining and showing an
example; involving the class in a shared
inquiry; or taking them through guided
practice.
• After we teach something, students are given
a chance to quickly practice what has just
been taught or to share noticings about the
demonstration in order to understand a kind
of thinking about writing that they can try in
their own work.
• The teacher reiterates what has just been
taught, adding it to student’s growing
repertoire. Students are reminded that today’s
lesson pertains not only to today, but to every
day and to strengthen their writing for the
specific unit inquiry.