RMS Weekly Review - Volume 1 Issue 11 - 2/3/2012

RMS Weekly Review

Volume 1 Issue 11
February 3rd, 2012

Friday..Friday...Friday!!!!
What a great week had here at the corner of Beach Daly and Warren.

Monday, during our professional development day, we had two AWESOME sessions.  During our first session, Shari Hales, 7th grade ELA teacher, did a presentation on Project Bases Learning and how it fits into the upcoming Common Core State Standards.  She gave the staff several examples and then gave them time to work with their teams, departments, or content areas on developing a plan.

During the afternoon session, Physical Education, Art, and Music teachers met at the high school to work on curriculum alignment between the buildings.  The rest of the RMS staff relocated into the computers labs and worked on their “23 Things”.

We were fortunate enough to work with Carol Mayer,  Wayne RESA, on letting us develop our own cohort of teachers to do this web based learning project.  This cohort is a RMS thing only.  “23 Things” is...

    “Wayne RESA’s 23 Things is based on The Learning 2.0 program originally designed by Helene Blowers, Technology Director, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, and has been modified for use by Wayne RESA. The original program is loosely based upon Stephen Abram’s article, 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year (Information Outlook - Feb 2006) and the website 43Things.

This online program was built using freely available Web 2.0 technologies that include: Blogger, Flickr, YouTube, Wikispaces, Delicious and Bloglines.”

Staff worked in Pete Marabeas’s and Mike Moore’s room where we were able to facilitate and act as resources for the staff as they worked through their “Things”.  At the end of their journey through this process, staff have an opportunity to earn 2.0 SB-CEU’s.  On average, staff were able to complete eight of the “Things” during the three hours set aside for them to work.  Currently, we have seven staff members that have completed the course.  

This is all an initiative to move our building into the 21st Century teaching and learning model.  At the end of this year, there will be a Smart Board in everyone of our classrooms.  With that Smart Board, they also receive a new laptop and document camera.  By the teachers going through the “23 Things” course, they will find new ways to incorporate technology into their classrooms and lessons.

Tuesday, I sent the day with Ron, Alice, Sue, and Dennis at the MASSP workshop on the new Teacher Evaluations.  This is a two day work shop being presented by WRESA and MASSP.  We were able to look at the new law, shown how it effects our district, and given several different ideas on how to present the law to the staff and how it will effect them over the upcoming years.

Thursday’s “Breakfast with the Principal” was yet sparsely attended. Seven parents showed up and four of them I would consider “Regulars”.  I showed them a video from the International Center for Leadership and Education on brain based learning and how the brain works.  After watching the video, we had a great discussion.  At the end, I held a drawing and gave away one of our coffee mugs.
We received a letter from Susan G. Komen for the Cure thanking our WEB group for donating $500 to the cure.  This money was raised from our “Wear Pink” day last month.

Upcoming events:

• Mobile Dentist will be here on Monday
• We are having a PBiS Rewards assembly on Thursday featuring the Detroit Red Wings during 6th hour.

• Friday - 7th and 8th grade Valentines Dance - another PBiS reward

Have a great week.


“Teachers will Teach
Students will Learn
The Data will prove that what we are doing is Right.”