Attached are Levy District Write-ups,'.  Where else do I need to send these???

All,

What a rush!!!  The 4th (showcase) was spectacular.  All we needed was fireworks to top off a great experience.

 My principal and I got the verbal go-ahead from our district administration to host a district-wide showcase next year(like Flagler did this year).  We are talking about hosting presenters from our district and inviting Dixie and Gilcrest to join us if they want to participate.  I need input from Nanc so we do not interfere with anything planned by CSI/UF next spring.

 Also, do we use write-up instructions from last year or did I miss getting the attachment???

Attached, please find Levy district abstracts.

We have completed data analysis for most of our group. I still
have two in Bronson, one in Chiefland and my own (with my principal). I did have an individual and a team redesign
their inquiries from their original ideas as their data led them to some
amazing discoveries. We are looking forward
to two mini-showcases in-district during the week of the showcase.

I have asked my group to get their abstract in a week early. (We are playing catch up to Tracy and Putman's group

A side note: Our
district retro raises and new stipends were in today's check. I'm goin' shoppin'!!! Have a great week prior to FCAT!!!

Nanc,

Can you post the format for the abstract as an attachment so we can forward them on to our inquirers???

Jack

I am relieved by Nanc's email that NEFEC will be represented at our meeting.  The lack of completion on our administrivia has driven me to distraction. 

I am hearing good stuff, not stressful stuff from my inquirers.  I think having support from others (District/School Administrators, NBCTs and past Inquirers) is making a big difference.  I also believe that teachers are evolving into natural inquirers as we dive into data processing and expectation-driven instruction.  Schools implementing the Continuous Improvement Model (Lake Butler was our model to emulate) tend to be favorable grounds for developing inquiry projects.

I am also interested in hearing more about the national fellowship and how we might gain influence into decision making on a small-to-large scale (school-district-state-national-global).

See ya' next week!

WARNING _ LONG POST

Levy district held our all day inquiry brief development meeting recently at Cedar Keys High School with a yummy waterside restaurant lunch and a fantastic session of inquirers working together in a positive way, gaining insight into their passions. We began by reviewing briefs from our texts and previous submissions using a document camera , lcd projector and giant screen. Then we dissected a brief using our protocol (fly-on-the-wall). We broke into three smaller groups and followed the same format to develop everyone's paper. I am fortunate to have several national board teachers and reading coaches (teachers familiar with inquiry) in our group this year. They played a key role by facilitating at the three tables allowing me the opportunity to share in all three discussions. Although invited, our district administration could not be present (saved me buying their lunch). We are holding small group meetings in our three main towns for the duration and setting up our own blog for sharing information and resources. I will post more on this later. Below, you will find our wonderings.

Jack Hughes - Chiefland Middle School Facilitator/Inquirer

What are the effects on our school's culture when a first-time school-wide, formal action research project, instituted to address school improvement needs, and the Florida Continuous Improvement Model are implemented? (continued from last year)

Robert Turnipseed - C M S

What are the effects on our students' learning gains (as measured by Thinklink assessment tool, then FCAT) when a first-time school-wide, formal action research project, instituted to address school improvement needs, and the Florida Continuous Improvement Model are implemented?

Cynthia Rankin - C M S

Will implementing literature circle as a learning strategy help my struggling 6-8^th gradereaders develop a love of reading?

Chris Faircloth - Chiefland Elem School

What effects will student-friendly rubrics from the book, 6 + 1 Traits of Writing, (Ruth Culham), have on my fifth grade students' writing ability?

Fidah Williams - Chiefland High School

In the area of writing, how much growth can be demonstrated by a group of 10th grade Intensive Reading students participating in the Leadership Through Reading Choice -Tutoring Program?

Cindy Roach - CKS/CMS/CES Mentor/Inquirer

I wonder if allowing teachers the flexibility of selecting books used for professional development will increase the likelihood that the information gained from the text will be reflected in their classroom practices?

Linda Campbell - Cedar Keys School

My wondering involves three of my kindergarten students who are having difficulty progressing in writing.

Will "free choice" during writing workshop or explicit instruction benefit these three emergent writers most?

Rebecca Fries - YankeeTown School

& Melba Lovely - Y T S

What changes will we see in our students' growth in reading as we incorporate the arts into our fourth grade reading curriculum?

Jennifer Martin - Joyce Bullock Elem School

How does daily written communication with parents via a behavior plan impact student behavior for students with significant behavior problems in a Kindergarten through first grade behavior unit?

Dian Dudek - JBES

& Patricia Coleman - JBES

How does explicit training in independent reading affect k-2 student stamina for lengthy assessments?

Susan Bastak - JBES Mentor/Inquirer (Unpaid - National Board mentoring)

What effectiveness will I find and be able to suggest in programs being implemented to help children transition from day care to school? (Same for any parenting programs that seem to work for disruptive students.) (Extension of previous inquiry)

Caryl Carlisle - Bronson Elem School

What changes do I see in my reading elementary remediation students' oral reading fluency as I implement explicit phonics instruction?

Michael Homan - BES

What effects do mentoring "struggling" students in 1st through 5th grade have on academics, behavior, and motivation in the classroom setting?

Ana Armbrister - Williston Elem School

How does the use of Repeated Readings affect the fluency and language acquisition of 3-5 grade English Language Learners?

Carmen Ward - Williston Middle School

What changes will I observe in my sixth grade ESE students' time-on-task behaviors and class work completion as I institute daily team building activities?

Rebecca Hilty - Williston High School Mentor/Inquirer

What changes will take place in the area of academic success as we introduce a daily planner into the requirements for my high school students with learning disabilities?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

One aspect of my first local meeting (Developing Your
Wondering) or my second local meeting (Designing Your Inquiry) that went well
was . . . the excitement that is spreading through our district. Our group number stands at seventeen
inquirers. We are using our sub day to
hold our second meeting to complete everyone's inquiry brief. We will meet in
Cedar Keys for an all day session including a waterfront restaurant luncheon,
hopefully with several principals and district administrators on board. I am planning to utilize some "techie stuff",
such as a document camera and lcd projector to shoot wall-size images of our
briefs as we design them. My plan is to
share past briefs as examples, provide guidance in the design of individual
plans, then use some small-group discussions to decide on data collection
methods (I will provide an extensive list to include the additions Nanc told us
about in the second edition text).

If
anyone would like to join us, we are meeting at Cedar Keys High School from 8:30 - 3:00 on
Wednesday, November 28^th (RSVP).

This is like gathering around a chest full of treasure maps and dreaming
of the booty to be discovered!

Levy District's first meeting(s) will be held Monday 10/29
and Tuesday 10/30 at a central location for convenience and accommodations for
prior commitments. With a large group (14
inquirers) this year, I felt that we would gain more by splitting the first
meeting to narrow down the wonderings. I
feel that I have the protocols down and look forward to honing in on the
burning questions. I will report on our
progress after our meetings and debrief sessions.
If you have not had a chance to visit the harmony school site for
additional protocol information, you should take the time. What a wealth of professional learning
community background and information!!!

My dilemma is with the administrivia.

I have not been able to find the sign up on my-points.org
activity search (none of my inquirers are registered). Any clues???

Also, are we to give invoices and activity logs to our
inquirers? If so, where do we find them
(attachments)?

What are our instructions for submitting sub-day info to our
district office (I plan to use that day to spend on Inquiry briefs with all
participants at one mass meeting)?

Fellow PLC,

Now that we are roaring into the jungle on this year's safari I find
myself elated. The excitement began shortly after the
Kick-off when several more teachers contacted me to join the hunting
party. We have set a pair of
back-to-back dates to meet after school in a central location.
This seems to accommodate those with prior commitments. Anyone
not able to attend our "R&D"
(refine and define your wondering) party will meet in small local
groups at a
later date with mentors and facilitator.

I am wondering if we need to have the various forms and protocols used in
past years available on this site so we can tap those resources as needed. Debbi seems to be a step ahead by providing
letters, etc. for us to adapt and use in our communication within our
district. THANKS Debbi.

Sabrina, can you provide the administrivia (instructions for invoicing,
timelines, activity logs, etc.) necessary for NEFEC via attachments?

Attached, please find Levy District PLC.