THE MAGNET CONNECTOR

Champaign Unit 4 Magnet Programs offer innovative programming and engaging student learning opportunities.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Magnet Highlights Tangible & Marketable Skills: BTW Tangible & Marketable Skills: Garden Hills Tangible & Marketable Skills: Stratton Calendar of Events

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Volume 1. Issue 5

January 2013

Unit 4 Magnet Students Learn Skills Beyond Traditional Education

Champaign Unit 4 Magnet Programs offer innovative programming and engaging student learning opportunities. This month we are highlighting the Tangible & Marketable Skills that magnet students learn in addition to the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Please join us in celebrating the special skills that our students are gaining!

BTW STEM Lab

Students mixing a base for a skin care line developed by BTW STEM Academy students as part of a chemical engineering project

BTW STEM Academy students explaining their skin care line/ chemical engineering project to WCIA news

U of I professor Dr. Stephen Michael works with BTW STEM Academy on a chemical engineering project/ skin care line

Stratton Leadership & MicroSociety

Bank employee at Stratton Leadership & MicroSociety

MicroSTEM University at Stratton Leadership & MicroSociety

Business Council at Stratton Leadership & MicroSociety

Garden Hills

Garden Hills IB PYP Candidate school student using natural Indigo dye to create their own Batik Tapestry at Krannert Art Museum The Magnet Connector Volume 1. Issue 5

Garden Hills IB PYP Candidate school students interpreting the IB learner pro le risk taking through dance and movement 1

Visiting visual artist, William Estrada, demonstrating screen printing to Garden Hills IB PYP Candidate school students January 2013

Tangible & Marketable Skills: BTW

Creating the tangible, marketable skills at BTW was a collaborative process including multiple stakeholders such as BTW teachers, district staff, university partners as well as our magnet staff and school administration. Throughout the process, we were mindful in grounding the tangible, marketable skills not only in research representing best practice in STEM education but also current trends in education such as Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards. While STEM is our magnet focus, we did not lose sight of the importance of socioemotional learning and community involvement. We had several day-long planning meetings prior to writing the tangible, marketable skills that brought many folks to the table to have a conversation about what skills and talents we actually wanted students to leave our magnet program with, paying particular attention to our interdisciplinary approach to STEM and its integration across all areas of the curriculum, including the arts. Ultimately, we created a product that is unique to our school, correlates to our quarterly STEM themes, aligns to both district and school curriculum and emphasizes student connections to both the community and world. The format of our tangible marketable skills includes ve over arching categories in the form of I Am statements that correspond to several indicators which vary by grade-level. The categories include: I AM a Scientist; I AM an Engineer; I AM a responsible Community Member; I AM Technologically and Mathematically Literate; and I have a STEM vision. We chose the format of I AM statements because we wanted students to be empowered by the tangible, marketable skills and view them as a way to strengthen their individual STEM identities. When it was time to create the assessment that would be used to gauge skill acquisition, we knew that it needed to be something that could be shared with both students and parents for student growth purposes. The resulting assessment provides both a framework for data analysis as well as an opportunity for students to shine through evidence of their accomplishments. Teachers collect artifacts which support student progress in each skill throughout the year. Artifacts are speci c to curriculum taught and uniform across grade levels. A common rubric is used to assess the artifacts and determine where each student lies on the continuum of each skill. I think of myself as an engineer because at my house I build forts out of blankets and chairs. Its like an engineer because I have to make sure my structure doesnt fall down so I tie the ends of the blankets to the chairs and put poles in the middle. ~Leyla Jackson, 1st Grade I am a scientist when I wear the lab coat in the STEM lab and discover things I dont know about. ~Theo Thomas, 3rd Grade I think of myself as a scientist when I
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explore outside, especially about rocks. I look at things with a magnifying glass and examine them. I even look at the bubbles inside water and try to gure out why they are there and what they are doing. ~Lalit Gurrapu, 3rd Grade The Tangible Marketable Skills allow me to sharpen my STEM focus as I integrate my content area with classroom curricula and school wide quarterly STEM themes. ~John Odum, Art Teacher Our focus is teaching our students to be thinkers and the Tangible Marketable Skills help focus our instruction on student outcomes. We want children to take away a vision of themselves as scientists, engineers and mathematicians. We see our students not just in terms of what they do, but in terms of who they are and who they will become. ~Michelle Frazer, Kindergarten Teacher

The Magnet Connector Volume 1. Issue 5

Tangible & Marketable Skills: Garden Hills

A committee was formed by staff on a volunteer basis. The committee considered the essential elements of the written curriculum within the IB PYP framework. The Transdisciplinary Skills were chosen as these skills are necessary in the learning and demonstration of pro ciency for understanding and of central ideas. Discussion followed regarding how to communicate student growth and development of these skills throughout a grade year. The indicators of student progress are marked as beginning, developing, pro cient, or unobserved. These indicators were given a numerical value by the tabulators and a baseline number for each student was established. These skills are assessed through formative and summative assessments within the units of inquiry. On the recording document, student progress is marked as beginning, developing, pro cient, or unobserved. Thinking Skills Acquisition of knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Dialectical thought Metacognition Social Skills Accepting responsibility Respecting others Cooperating Resolving con ict Group decision-making Adopting a variety of group roles Communication Skills Listening Speaking Reading Writing Viewing Presenting Non-verbal communication Self-management Skills Gross motor skills Fine motor skills Spatial awareness Organization Time management Safety Healthy lifestyle Codes of behaviour Informed choices Research Skills Formulating questions Observing Planning Collecting data Recording data Organizing data Interpreting data Presenting research ndings By focusing these core set of skills, students understand how life works. Skills for communication, social interaction, and thinking provide strategies to solve problems and make connections which lead to student initiated action which they believe will make a difference. ~Julie Norcross, 2nd Grade These skills apply to settings outside the classroom. Through the various approaches in teaching the skills to students, teachers
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offer students a palette of ways to interact with the world. ~Abigail Heras, K-5 Music Through these skills, we make our class a peaceful and productive place for learning. The discussion and practice based on the skills helps the kids support each others learning and thinking. ~Melissa Kneller, 3rd Grade I practice communication through writing so people can better understand what I say and think. ~Natacia Stillwell, 4th Grade [Self-management skills] help you learn more and have more strategies for reading and learning. ~Janiyah Meeks, 1st Grade If you get lost, you can communicate with others to help you nd your way. Thinking helps to learn more about what you already know. ~Ingrid Hernandez, 2nd Grade

The Magnet Connector Volume 1. Issue 5

January 2013

Tangible & Marketable Skills: Stratton

Magnet Speci c goals for each grade level at Stratton are listed below. The ELA Common Core State Standard that aligns with each goal is noted in parenthesis. Kindergarten Students will be able to use drawing, dictating and writing to compose an informative resume. (K.W.2) Students will participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about business venture topics and texts with peers and adults in small and large groups. (K.SL.1) Students will speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly as they communicate within their business ventures. (K.SL.6) Grade 1 Students will be able to write informative text in the form of a resume, supply some facts about themselves, and provide some sense of closure. (1.W.2) Students, with guidance and support from adults, will be able to recall information from venture experiences to answer a question re ectively in written form. (1.W.8) Students will participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about business venture topics and texts with peers and adults in small and large groups. (1.SL.1) Grade 2 Students will write informative text in the form of a resume, using facts to develop points and provide a concluding statement. (2.W.2) Students will be able to recall information from venture experiences to answer a question re ectively in written form. (2.W.8) Students will participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about business venture topics and texts with peers and adults in small and large groups. (2.SL.1) Grade 3 Students will be able to write informative explanatory text in the form of a resume, to convey ideas and information clearly. (3.W.2) Students will be able to recall information from venture experiences and sort evidence to answer a question re ectively in written form. (3.W.8) Students will be able engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners about business ventures, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. (3.SL.1) Grade 4 Students will be able to write informative explanatory text in the form of a resume, to convey ideas and information clearly. (4.W.2) Students will be able to recall relevant information from venture experiences, and categorize information to answer a question re ectively in written form. (4.W.8) Students will be able engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners about business ventures, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. (4.SL.1) Grade 5 Students will be able to write informative explanatory text in the form of a resume, to convey ideas and information clearly. (5.W.2) Students will be able to recall relevant information from venture experiences, summarize and paraphrase information to answer a question re ectively in written form. (5.W.8) Students will be able engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners about business ventures, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. (5.SL.1)
The Magnet Connector Volume 1. Issue 5 4 January 2013

(Tangible & Marketable Skills: Stratton contd.)

After initial discussions and attempts at resume writing, interviewing, and writing responses, it helped me to decide what to do next. Students did not realize that even though what they wrote made sense to them, it was lost on me. Communication through written and verbal means were learned in my classroom. The important ways to communicate verbally in an interview and how to communicate your talents and skills via a written resume were discussed in length and were bene cial to their job searches. -Amos Lee, Stratton 5th Grade Teacher

Thoughts on tangible/marketable skills as positive for kids: It gives them a purpose for what they are doing and makes the real world connection. They now understand what a resume is and that they will need to apply for jobs in the future by interviewing. -Anne Crossetti, Stratton 5th Grade Teacher

.. re ection helps me learn from what Ive done. -Caelan Langley, Stratton 5th Grader

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. ~William Butler Yeats Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. ~Anthony J. DAngelo The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. ~Sydney J. Harris

The Magnet Connector Volume 1. Issue 5

January 2013

Champaign Unit 4 Magnet Programs Calendar of Events

January 2013
Mon 1 Tue 2 Wed 3 Thu 4 Fri 5 Sat

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GH: Magnet PD and planning ST: Covey Training

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School Tours 9-9:30 and 1:15-1:45

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BTW: PTA Mtg. 6:00 pm ST: Curriculum Writing ST: Tech PD 2:30-3:30

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BTW: Tech PD 3:45-4:45 ST: WILL/Il Public Media Field trip for Venture

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8:30-3:30 @ Hawthorne

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8:30-3:30 @ Hawthorne

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BTW: Magnet Team Planning BTW: Next Generation Sci Adaptive Schools Training Adaptive Schools Training Standard Workshop

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GH : Curriculum Writing GH: Curriculum Writing GH: Curriculum Writing 4th AM; 5th PM 2nd AM; 3rd PM Kind AM; 1st PM ST: Market Day, 7:50-8:50 ST: Market Day, 7:50-8:50 ST: Market Day, 7:50-8:50 ST: Tech PD 2:30-3:30

Understanding by Design Training, 9-4:00 @ Hawthorne

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GH: Tech PD 7:30-8:30 am ST: Curriculum Writing

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ST: Covey Leadership Assembly; 7:50-8:50 am

Notes: Cross Magnet events are in italic bold

GH- Garden Hills; IB PYP Candidate School ST-Stratton Leadership & MicroSociety Magnet School BTW Booker T. Washington STEM Academy

The Magnet Connector Volume 1. Issue 5

January 2013

Champaign Unit 4 Magnet Programs are funded by the federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant. Each cycle of the grant runs for three years and is managed by a Project Director. The purpose of the grant is to increase student achievement, diversity, and to ensure magnet program stainability. If you would like more information about our magnet programs, please contact Cheryl Camacho, Director of Magnet Programs/ MSAP Project Director, at: camachch@champaignschools.org or 217.373.7359 Champaign Unit 4 Magnet Programs Mellon Administrative Center 703 S. New Street Champaign, IL 61820 Phone: 217-373-7359 Fax: 217-351-3871 Web: www.unit4magnets.org www.facebook.com/unit4magnets

Announcing Our First Magnet Baby!

Abigail Heras, Music teacher at Garden Hills, and Kevin Farrell, Psychologist at BTW STEM Academy and Stratton Leadership & MicroSociety school are expecting the birth of their baby boy! All of our magnet schools are represented between Kevin and Abigail. Their son is due on April 20, 2013.