Successes: I presented initial PD to a small group of alternative education teachers. The teachers were interested and engaged in the presentation. Although they were reserved at times during the session, they provided positive feedback:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTUGU5MkVKR2dGeU00eTVJVzFFMF91UXhXZnc0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTZzFKUHY0Yy1LVUhFRGJ2YlBZSjJxb3lQeU40
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTamVOVU8wRTVua1RfYlEyandDVmEtTF84bElv
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTdEpBSi1uSnc3SmFObElDTHBSNVhyR2hNY1FB
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTWkhZYU1CLUJBNXAxck44VmhYWlB6Y1plOUI0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTQjZCZ1Zyc2ZLVTY5QVNCX2tmQ1VWckZsbHlZ
Challenges: This group of teachers works under challenging circumstances. They are responsible for content across seven different grade levels, they have no content teams to collaborate with, and their curriculum is mostly computer-based. They have a new administrator this year. Co-construction poses a challenge with their students, who have low motivation and behavioral issues. I worked with the teachers during the session to come up with appropriate vocabulary terms and instructional scenarios. A science teacher, who had some previous familiarity with LINCS, created and shared LINCS tables for several words, but other teachers struggled to find any suitable words or opportunities within a unit to implement. I followed up with the teachers by email to offer coaching or other support, but got no response at all. I believe it will be a challenge for LINCS to become a true routine in their program without more meaningful commitment and follow-up from the teachers. This is unfortunate because students from my school, who are familiar with LINCS and other CERs, go to Alt Ed and come back. They would benefit greatly from consistency of instructional approaches between schools.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTUGU5MkVKR2dGeU00eTVJVzFFMF91UXhXZnc0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTZzFKUHY0Yy1LVUhFRGJ2YlBZSjJxb3lQeU40
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTamVOVU8wRTVua1RfYlEyandDVmEtTF84bElv
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTdEpBSi1uSnc3SmFObElDTHBSNVhyR2hNY1FB
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTWkhZYU1CLUJBNXAxck44VmhYWlB6Y1plOUI0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_mCRUJUV9kTQjZCZ1Zyc2ZLVTY5QVNCX2tmQ1VWckZsbHlZ
Challenges: This group of teachers works under challenging circumstances. They are responsible for content across seven different grade levels, they have no content teams to collaborate with, and their curriculum is mostly computer-based. They have a new administrator this year. Co-construction poses a challenge with their students, who have low motivation and behavioral issues. I worked with the teachers during the session to come up with appropriate vocabulary terms and instructional scenarios. A science teacher, who had some previous familiarity with LINCS, created and shared LINCS tables for several words, but other teachers struggled to find any suitable words or opportunities within a unit to implement. I followed up with the teachers by email to offer coaching or other support, but got no response at all. I believe it will be a challenge for LINCS to become a true routine in their program without more meaningful commitment and follow-up from the teachers. This is unfortunate because students from my school, who are familiar with LINCS and other CERs, go to Alt Ed and come back. They would benefit greatly from consistency of instructional approaches between schools.