Professional+Reading

= = =Professional Reading=


 * (Amy, Analisa, Yvonne, Selina, Iain, Karen, Ross, Shelagh)**

(Please summarize your discussion in the space below)

Bring your favourite book and be prepared to share and discuss it! How has it helped you in your practise and how can it help support the teachers you work with?
=**PROFESSIONAL BOOKS**=


 * What Really Matters in Response to Intervention: Researched Based Designs, Richard Allington**


 * focus on RTI /specifically reading intervention
 * clear, thorough, reflection of current research
 * provides clarity around what effective intervention looks like
 * provides solid data to support the need for intervention "in addition to" universal instruction
 * an easy read that simply gets to the point....short, concise, would be a great read for busy teachers

Note: The group spend some time discussing key understandings around good intervention, the importance of assessment, the importance of truly understanding why you are assessing students, distinguishing between universal screens and diagnostic assessment, sharing experiences that demonstrated a need for developing further understanding "in the field"

Because of this discussion, the following books were reviewed very quickly!!


 * Tuned Out, Engaging the 21st Century Learner (Karen Hume)**


 * current, research solid
 * focus on strategies for engaging learners
 * offers a good resource section
 * terrific web component - a valuable tool
 * Karen Hume responds to any contributions to her blog regarding the book or other thought


 * Differentiate Mathematics Instruction, Marion Small**


 * teachers appear to feel that they are able to differentiate instruction within their Language Arts program but find it much more difficult to differentiate mathematics programs\
 * this book a good support for teachers


 * Educational Leadership Magazine** **ASCD**


 * great resource for many current topics
 * the edition on "Effective Grading Practises" particularly good


 * Concept-based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom**, **Lynn Erickson**


 * guide to designing curriculum and instruction that encourages students to learn concepts as well as content and skills
 * focus on fostering students critical, abstract and creative learning skills


 * Pyramid Response to Intervention, Buffman, Mattes, Weber**


 * focus on RTI and Professional Learning Communities
 * RTI a schoolwide effort
 * very readable


 * Building Academic Language, Jeff Zwiers**


 * ELL and the importance of developing academic language
 * helps teachers think about different types of language
 * helps with ideas to support kids in the content areas

**//April 27th Contribution...//**

 * Comprehension Going Forward, many authors - edited by Smokey Daniel (**[])
 * written by gurus - here's where we are, where do we go from here?
 * it's a journey, not a destination - authors reflecting on where they've come from since their work was first published. Modelling continuous learning. It's affirming that if these 'experts' aren't //there// yet, how could we possibly be... "I'm good, but not done..." //I teach because I search//- Paula Frier.
 * Lead to a discussion on the training of teachers...reflection on **our** training and the teachers we support (and have worked with in the past
 * it talks about passion in all curriculum areas and the importance of comprehension in all curricular areas.


 * Choice Words - Peter Johnston** ([])
 * looks at teacher language and how it impacts students.
 * how to invite students into conversations without shutting them down - strategic conversations - becoming more conscious of the language that we use when speaking with students
 * practical resource with illustrative examples - could read in parts and still find examples to learn from


 * Are You Listening?** ([])


 * Creating Robust Vocabulary** (follow up on **Brining Words To Life)** Isabel Beck & others
 * helping to build the academic words that kids need to be successful

=__Notes:__=

= = = = =**CHILDREN'S BOOKS**=
 * Shared professional knowledge / vocabulary - where book clubs happen and people are using the same vocabulary to talk about the same thing.
 * Shelagh will post some of the articles she's been reading... maybe some of our meetings could be reading an article and then coming to discuss and then taking away another article.


 * Birdie for Now, Jean Little**
 * representative of the Orca Young Reader Series
 * rich themes for (8-10) but also appeal to older students at that instructional/independent reading level
 * about a child with ADHD


 * Woolbur, Leslie Helecoski**
 * Fun book about a non-conformist sheep!

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