This document outlines an agenda for an instructional leadership meeting focusing on developing critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity skills through intentional teaching practices. The agenda includes refocusing on the 4 C's, sharing teaching artifacts, exploring how the artifacts relate to four instructional domains, learning criteria for selecting content-rich texts, exploring online educational resources in small groups, and sharing new skills and resources. The document provides information on various online tools and frameworks to support instruction aligned with the common core standards.

1. Intentional Teaching 2
for ILC Cafe
Kristen Fielding, Fernando Figueroa
and Ken Klieman
Instructional Leadership Corp
San Mateo Foster City School District
January 22, 2016

2. Agenda
1. Refocus on the 4 C’s: Critical Thinking / Communication / Collaboration / and
Creativity
2. Sharing of artifacts
3. Tie artifacts with a more focused look at 4 Domains - Students / Content /
Pedagogy and Instruction / Claims and Assessment
4. Criteria and tools for selecting content rich texts
5. Small group work time: exploring online resources
6. Jigsaw activity: sharing of new resources and skills
7. Closure and evaluation

3. Critical Thinking
Communication
Collaboration
Creativity
The 4 C’s of
the
Common Core
State Standards

5. Knowing your students and attending to all
strengths and needs
Strong content knowledge
Use of effective instructional strategies and
Depths of Knowledge (DOKs)
Incorporating the 4 SBAC Claims and multiple
types of formative and summative assessments
4Domains Students
Instruction
& Pedagogy
Content
Claims &
Assessment
*

6. Content Rich Texts
● ELA Practice 2: build a strong base of knowledge through content rich texts
● Comparing and contrasting two texts
● Both texts communicate the same concepts. What make the first text
complex?

7. Criteria for Selecting Content Rich Texts
Using quantitative measures to select and assign texts
● Lexile levels: https://www.lexile.com/analyzer
● Reading Maturity Metric: http://www.readingmaturity.com/
● Other Resources: Access to Quantitative Analysis Tools

8. Criteria for Selecting Content Rich Texts
Using qualitative measures to select and assign texts
● Does the text address a guiding or essential question?
● Is the text aligned with the standards - for content and/or strategy - that I am
teaching?
● Do students have prior knowledge necessary to access to key content of the
text?
● How much vocabulary instruction is necessary for my students to understand
the text?
○ Is knowing these vocabulary words relevant to my students’ learning goals?
○ Is this amount of vocabulary instruction an appropriate use of their learning time?

9. Online Tools to Access Content Rich Texts
*Newsela: www.newsela.com
* Frontrow Ed: www.frontrowed.com
* Socrative: www.socrative.com
* Read Works: www.readworks.org

10. What it is: A website with curated current news articles from major media outlets.
Why is it important:
● It allows students to change the lexile level of the article.
● The articles are curated and editors are cognizant of the content. (ex. The Paris attacks)
● Students can change the language of an article to Spanish.
● Articles include comprehension questions.
● Text Sets: A set of articles that follow a topic, concept or progression of a story.
● Prints into a PDF document which can be shared thru Hapara. (Pro paid version makes this
easier + provides formative assessments and data)
● Teachers can set up a class (Pro-paid version).
www.newsela.com

12. A Sample Lesson
Pre-conditions:
● I checked the standard that I want to work on (ELA Reading 2.1-2.4)
● I know the DRA and Lexile levels of my students and different articles will go to different
students.
● I read the article before hand.
● I created a Google Doc. asking vocabulary and open ended questions.
● I added a link to another page that explains an item on the original article.
● I used color on the response boxes.
● I created a short formative assessment (using the same questions from the article).
The Article
The
Assignment
The formative
assessment

13. What it is: A website with ELA articles, questions and Math problems organized by grade
level.
Why is it important:
● Easy to navigate and set up a class.
● Teacher creates assignments based on topic, content or grade level.
● Provides a diagnostic tool for students, before they start using the site.
● Short brief content and easy to follow lay out.
● You can see the results of formative assessment on assignments on the free version.
● A teacher dashboard to view progress.
www.frontrowed.com

17. What it is: A website with ELA detailed lessons, texts and materials that are peer reviewed
and aligned to the CA standards.
Why is it important:
● Easy to navigate.
● Lesson Plans organized by skill, strategy, comprehension and genre units.
● Passages available by Lexile levels and include formative assessments with multiple choice
and open ended questions.
● Focus on vocabulary, multiple examples of usage and Spanish cognate included.
● Content is printable and in PDF format.
● Standards covered are included on every passage and lesson.
www.readworks.org

19. Yes!
How?
How long?
What?

21. What it is: A website that allows the teacher to perform their own formative assessments...
and it self corrects.
Why is it important:
● Easy to navigate and free version has a lot of goodies.
● Quizzes can be formatted into Multiple Choice, True/False and Short Answer.
● Results are organized into an excel file.
● Teacher can view “live results” and reports can be easily created.
● Quizzes can be stored.
● Device agnostic.
● Provides feedback to students on wrong answers.
www.socrative.com

23. Small Group Work Time
Please explore….
Which resource works for you and why…..
Please be ready to teach each other …..

24. Jigsaw Activity: Sharing What We Learned
Thinking about one or more resources you explored……
● What did you know about it prior to today?
● What did you learn?
● How will you apply what you learned in your classroom?

25. Closure and Evaluations
Thank you for being here today….
After you fill in the evaluation, please get the contact information for at least one
other teacher. The more we support each other the better.
Love
Passion
Mindfulness
Compassion
Intent

26. References
• California Teachers Association, Instruction and Professional Development Website: www.cta.org/IPD
• Hargreaves, A. & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
• Hess, K. K., Carlock, D., Jones, B. S., & Walkup, J. R. (2009). What exactly do “fewer, clearer, and higher standards” really look like in
the classroom? Using a cognitive rigor matrix to analyze curriculum, plan lessons, and implement assessments. National Center for
Assessment: Dover, NH.
•McGatha, M. B. & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2013). Making shifts toward proficiency. Teaching Children Mathematics, 20(3), 162-170.
• SBAC General Item Specifications: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/ItemSpecifications/GeneralItemSpecifications.pdf
• SBAC Appendix B, Grade Level Tables for All Claims and Assessment Targets and Item Types: http://www.smarterbalanced.
org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ELA-Literacy-Content-Specifications.pdf
• Zwiers, Jeff “October 26, 2014 CTA/NBRC/SCOPE ILC Launch, Los Angeles, CA http://aldnetwork.org/page/Oct26