Digging Deeper into Mathematics

Every year, the Pleasantdale District 107 staff members strive to improve their teaching and assessment practices.  This year, a major curricular focus for the district is mathematics teaching and learning.

Math teachers of grades K-8, as well as some district administrators, are participating in the Metro Chicago Math Initiative (formerly the West Cook Math Initiative) in order to collaborate with other educators as we enhance our understanding of best practices in mathematics instruction.  Teachers will be introduced to new strategies that reinforce the implementation of tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving, support productive struggle in learning mathematics, and elicit and use evidence of student thinking. Goals of the initiative include supporting the development of the students’ robust understanding of mathematics and identifying strategies for building a sense-making classroom while promoting the Common Core Standards of Mathematical Practices across all grade levels.

In addition to teachers receiving on-going professional development through MCMI, we are also piloting new math programs at the elementary and middle school levels.  Our goal is to adopt a primary resource to support the CCSS math curriculum at the elementary and middle levels, while also providing students with rich tasks through which to develop deep conceptual understanding through engaging in the Standards for Mathematical Practices.  At the elementary level, the programs being piloted are Bridges in Mathematics and Origo Stepping Stones.  Select middle school math classes are piloting the Big Ideas program.  Piloting teachers will be utilizing the designated program materials with fidelity in order to gain a true understanding of the resources and how they can support our curriculum.  There will be ongoing professional dialogue among piloting teachers, and teachers will also be seeking feedback from students and parents on the math programs.  The Math Curriculum Review Team will make recommendations for future adoption based on these experiences, as well as their new learning about best practices in mathematics based on their participation in the MCMI.

We are excited about the possibilities our new endeavors hold and are looking forward to providing our students with increased opportunities to deepen their understanding of mathematics!

Engage, Excite, Ignite!

"Tell me, and I forget.  Teach me, and I remember.  Involve me, and I learn."

-Benjamin Franklin

Research shows that engaging learning activities must be meaningful and stimulate curiosity, among other characteristics.  At Pleasantdale, we are so fortunate to have educators who strive each and every day to pique our students' interest and ignite in them a passion for learning.  Below you will find just a few of the ways our educators engage students to maximize their learning and growth.

Collaboration:  Humans have an innate desire for social interaction.  Collaborative learning activities are wonderful ways to learn, process, and understand academic content while also teaching valuable social/emotional learning lessons about interacting with others and accepting diverse perspectives.  Through working with others, students can also experience an increase in retention, self-esteem, and responsibility.  In Mrs. Schmager's ELA class, students worked together to write and perform reader's theater skits for Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling to demonstrate their understanding the elements of the story's plot.  Mr. Madsen's sixth graders have been working collaboratively to research different Native American tribes.  Together they are writing a collaborative paper, creating a presentation, and making a flag in order to represent and communicate their learning in multiple ways.

Technology:  Effectively integrating technology into classroom activities is another way to engage students in learning tasks.  Our district's C4 Learning Plan and 1:1 device pilot this year provides all fifth graders with an iPad, sixth graders with a Chromebook, and seventh and eighth graders with a Lenovo laptop for daily school use.  In addition to using Schoology, our new learning management system, to make students more self-sufficient, teachers are harnessing the possibilities of technology in other ways to engage students in class!  Technology provides more options for students, which in turn allows for natural differentiation and the pursuit of student-centered interests related to a topic of study.  Mr. Tatina's music students were excited to use their knowledge to create their own audio tracks by mixing sounds online.  The fifth grade ELA students in Mrs. Triggs's class are used to using PearDeck to start class, which allows the class to compare and contrast individualized answers to the daily "check in" question.  In Mrs. Bubulka's math class, students are learning how to use Noteability to make their math problem solving multi-dimensional, which allows for each student to adapt class activities to best fit his/her own learning style.

Hands-On: Hands-on learning activities continue to be some of the best ways to engage students.  They foster critical-thinking, creativity, and problem-solving while allowing students to connect concepts discussed in class to tangible outcomes.  These hands-on activities can be either individual or collaborative in nature, thus providing invaluable opportunities for communication when done collaboratively as well.  In Mrs. Kim's science class, students have been learning about solar energy and gears.  As a culminating activity, the students are constructing their own solar-powered cars.  Mrs. Lewellyan's STEM students have learned a lot about aerodynamics and engineering through the various straw rocket designs they have tested.  Similarly, Mr. Reid's science students can tell you all about making weight-bearing structures after creating pillared structures out of only paper, tape, and glue that will hold up to 60 science books!


This is only a small sample of the many exciting activities our students have participated in throughout the first few weeks of the school year.  Our district's mission is to "ensure each student becomes a passionate learner empowered with the academic and social skills to responsibly choose and excel in life's pursuits".  Our heartfelt thanks go out to our dedicated educators who are committed to engaging our students in exciting learning activities and making this mission into a reality!

Empowering Students with Schoology

In my last post, I referenced our goal of empowering students to take ownership of their own learning.  One excellent venue for promoting this sense of autonomy is Schoology, our new LMS (Learning Management System).  Schoology provides a wealth of opportunities for students to access and share content.  Teachers are able to cater their online learning environment to meet the needs of students, while also assisting in their executive functioning skills since this serves as a central, online location to house resources and important information.

Here are some of the most helpful Schoology features:

Sample Course Update

Course Updates: Teachers can post course updates to easily disseminate information to students.  This can be done for daily class agendas, to share an important announcement, or to post a unique resource.  Updates appear as they are posted on the student's home screen when he/she logs into Schoology, kind of like a newsfeed on Facebook.  These are posted in chronological order, with the most recent update at the top of the page.

Calendar: The calendar feature on Schoology allows students to see all of their important assignments and assessment dates for all of their classes in one place.  This is a wonderful tool to use when creating a study plan to manage time wisely.  The calendar has upcoming dates constantly running on the right side of the home screen, and by clicking on the word "Calendar", students can see monthly overviews.

Sample of What May Be Found in a Course's Materials

Course Materials: Think of Course Materials as an online filing cabinet.  Digital materials for future reference are organized and housed here.  These materials can include hyperlinks to websites, PDFs, videos, online discussions, and past assignments submitted digitally.  Teachers can organize these materials into folders, which will help students with their executive functioning.  Gone are the days where students lose a handout and can no longer complete an assignment!  Even better is that many of the digital resources teachers post allow students to problem solve and extend their learning beyond the physical walls of the classroom.

A few other reminders... Some assignments may be submitted and assessed digitally on Schoology, but there will still be other assignments and assessments that will not be submitted digitally.  Therefore, Skyward is still the best place to look for overall grades and student progress.  However, it is more advantageous for teachers to post assignments in Schoology rather than posting assignments in Skyward since teachers can attach resources to the assignments in Schoology, thus allowing students to be more self-sufficient after leaving the classroom.  Finally, keep in mind that Schoology is a new tool for teachers, students, and parents alike.  There will be a learning curve as we explore the many facets of the LMS, so please be patient as we explore how this tool can best be utilized in our schools.

Parents, if you have not yet had the opportunity to sign into your parent account, please follow the step-by-step instructions.  You can also find additional detailed information in the Schoology Parent Guide.  The district emailed parent login credentials in August.  Middle school parents, please do not hesitate to contact me if you need this information sent to you again.  Elementary school parents, please contact the elementary front office if you need your login credentials sent again.

A Time for Transitions

I have always loved the beginning of the school year.  When I was a student, the end of August meant brushing off my backpack, reuniting with friends I may not have seen over the summer months, and meeting a new crop of teachers who were ready to inspire me.  However along with all the excitement was always a slight undercurrent of nerves.  Would I have classes with my friends?  Would my teachers be nice again this year?  Would I be able to find the right classrooms at the right time?

The first day of school at Pleasantdale Middle School

As an educator myself, I now know all of these feelings are very typical.  The beginning of a new school year is always a time for transitions.  Students are learning how to navigate a new grade with increased responsibilities and expectations, while educators and parents alike are learning how best to support children as they navigate these changes.  Another transition we are all experiencing in Pleasantdale District 107 this fall is the transition from our previous use of the STAR test to now utilizing the MAP test.

MAP, which stands for "Measures of Academic Progress", is an adaptive computer-based test that measures student growth in English and Mathematics over the course of time.  Think of the MAP test as being similar to taking a child to a doctor for a check up.  The doctor is able to determine whether a child is growing at a healthy rate, physically, whereas the MAP test helps educators understand if the child is growing at a healthy rate, academically.  Students will take the MAP test in the fall, winter, and spring to provide "check ups" on their academic growth throughout the school year.

As we look to take our school "from good to great", we are continually looking for ways to help students take ownership of their learning experience.  One of the most exciting features of the MAP test are the reports it provides for each student, which highlight specific areas of strength and areas of growth in English and Math.  This information allows for improved differentiation in the classroom to optimize student growth, while also providing helpful information to students so they can be more invested in establishing SMART goals for themselves.  We are excited to see how these reports help students become more invested in successfully achieving their learning goals.

As the school year progresses, I am looking forward to sharing more ways we are empowering our students at Pleasantdale Middle School to make the most of this school year by taking pride and ownership in their school and community.  On behalf of the entire staff, we are looking forward to partnering with our students to make this the best school year yet!