PLC: Professional Learning Communities
4 Crucial Questions
Preparing
Sorting
& Analyzing
Identifying
Learning Needs
Differentiating
Instruction
SLE, Iowa each
Core
What do we
want
student
Scaffold & Deconstructing
Rubrics, or
SMART
goals
to learn, know,
be
able to do?
What evidence
do we
have of
Formative and Summative
Assessments
Student Self –Assessment
the learning?
How will we respond when some
Differentiated Strategies
students don’t learn?
Considering: Interest, Profile, and Readiness
and
Content, Process, Product, Learning Environment
How will we respond to those
who have already learned?
Role of Assessment
Cassandra Erkens, 2008
Anam Cara Consulting, Inc
http://www.anamcaraconsulting
.com
Wall Space at a Premium!
With your table team
(a little friendly competition):
 List objects on your classroom
walls – 2 min.
 Do not include those items that
are teacher only – your duty
schedule
Anchors are a source of stability and
security. Thrown overboard, the anchor
stables the boat holding it firmly in
a desired location.
Likewise, an Anchor Chart displayed in a
classroom learning community anchors
student thinking while offering a source of
visual reference for continued support as the
learner moves forward.
Anchor Charts
 Three Types of Differentiating
 Content-what students will learn and the materials that
represent that learning
 Process-methods students use to make sense of the
content
 Product-what the students do to demonstrate learning
Individual Anchor Charts
 Resources that students use to support their learning
needs
 Explicitly taught on how to use and find the
information need to expand learning
 Easily differentiated to meet needs
 Examples:
 100’s charts, writing folders, phonics sound sheet,
timeline
Anchor Charts – Content
 Content – anchoring information, understanding,
concepts
Source: http://lilac.edublogs.org/classroomdisplays/
Content Anchor Charts
Source:
http://lizslessons.blogspot.com/2011/11/novemberinstructional-resource-update.html
Anchor Charts – Three Types
 Process –anchoring procedure, sequence, how-to
http://mathhombre.blogspot.com/2009/10/anchorcharts.html
Source:
http://working4theclassroom.blogspot.com/
p/teachers-resources.html
Process Anchor Charts
Anchor Charts – Three Types
 Product – anchoring purposeful independent work
Anchor Charts – Three Types
 Content – anchoring information, understanding,
concepts
 Process –anchoring procedure, sequence, how-to
 Product – anchoring purposeful independent work
 Wall Sort
Anchor Activities
 Purposeful practice that is engaging, motivating, and
at the independent learning level
 Represents learning that has been directly taught, but
now can be done without teacher guidance
 Change activities as expectations change
 Frees up teachers to work with small group
Connection to Daily 5-Reading
Students make choices of activities
 Read to self
 Read to someone
 Listen
 Write
 Word work
The choices are anchor activities, they can do them
independently and continue learning.
Anchor Ideas
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



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Writing journals
Creative writing prompts
Independent reading
Content-related reading
Reading games and activities
Math games
Spelling practice
Vocabulary activities
Art activities tied to content
Music tied to content
Independent projects or studies
Small-group projects
Extensions
Other to fit with curriculum
How Do I Get Started?
1. Teach the whole group to work on an anchor activity
independently and quietly. The teacher is not a
contact person at this time.
2. Progress to one group on an anchor activity and
another group on an another activity - then flip flop
groups. This may be done later in the day or in backto-back time slots.
 Example - One group may be working with the
teacher on math manipulatives while the other
group works independently on anchor activities.
How Do I Get Started?
3. Progress to 1/3 of the class on anchor activities,
1/3 involved in a teacher directed activity and
1/3 working at mini lab on a curriculum related
unit.
4. Move to the next stages only when your
students are ready. Length of time can be
increased at the second stage before moving on
to the third stage.
Must Do-May Do
 Balance of what is non-negotiable and what is
student selected
 Expand the initial understanding by synthesizing and
creating new variations that enhance learning
 Must have clear expectations and outcomes
 May Do’s vary and do not always address the same
How do I manage it?
 Monitoring for learning
 What procedures need to be in place for this to be
successful?
Anchor Critera:
o Appropriate
o Engaging
o Reinforce or make new connections
o Provide a different pathway
o Appropriate challenge level
o Practice in short chunks to build endurance with
students
o Able to Self-assess
Questions to Ask When Preparing
Anchor Activities…
 What SLE’s will be emphasized?
 How is the activity differentiated to meet the
needs in the class?
 What instruction needs to happen so students
can do it independently?
 What materials will be needed to be engaged?
Helpful Websites:
 Working 4 the Classroom – Classroom Anchor Charts
and Posters
http://working4theclassroom.blogspot.com/p/teachers-
resources.html
 School Anchor charts by Alison Voakes
 http://pinterest.com/alisonvoakes/school-anchor-charts/
 Anchor chart – Writing
 http://pinterest.com/pin/204069426835435492/
 Hundreds of examples
Google: Anchor charts, anchor charts for middle
school, anchor charts for…..

Reflection
If…then…
 Individual Profile
 Interests
 Readiness
 Content
 Process
 Product
 Learning
Environment