KILMER SCHOOL VISION
2014-20
VISION: A FIVE YEAR PLAN
IF YOU HAD A MAGIC WAND, WHAT WOULD
THE KILMER LOOK LIKE IN 5 YEARS?
VISION SHIFTS
 Engaging Practices and Rigor
 21st Century Learning
 Social Justice
 Experiantial Learning
ENGAGEMENT AND RIGOR
 We have engaging practices and rigor
 The Shift is to always considered engagement at the
same time as rigor
 Shift from covering material to processing, inquiry,
collaborate
EXAMPLES OF ENGAGING PRACTICES
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POPCORN SHARE
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-participation-popcorn-share
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Jigsaw Read
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/jigsaw-method
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https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/inquiry-based-discussions-for-text
Two0CENTS
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/strategies-for-student-centered-discussion-full-lesson
Pinwheel Discussion
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/high-school-literature-lesson-plan
Gallery Walk
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/gallery-walk
Inquiry
MEANING OF FREEDOM
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/inquiry-based-teaching-discussing-non-fiction
 INQUIRY TEXT DISCUSSION
21st Century Teaching and Learning
 Problem Solving, Collaborating, think tanks, small
group, learning to learn- not necessary know all the
answers
Social Justice
 Think of CORE VALUES- Empathy, Respect &
Responsibility and ramping it up
 Connecting to Social Studies (ex K2 learns about
neighborhood, how can we improve that
community? )
Project based learning
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8
&list=PL3AB72E35B3A5BDB0&index=3
Remember when teaching
and learning was fun?
Experiential Teaching
and
Learning through Projects
“Experiential learning takes place
when a person involved in an activity
looks back and evaluates it,
determines what was useful or important to remember,
and uses this information to perform another activity.”
John Dewey
That’s nice,
but what could this look
like at the Kilmer?
To start, one project per year that
each grade level would ‘own’.
Families would know about this
project ahead of time,
and kids could look forward to that
project from year to year.
What’s a
project?
But examples are more
fun to think about…
Primary students rear frogs from
eggs and share their expertise in
an informative brochure for visitors.
Grade 5 students learn about
health, nutrition, and consumerism
as they create a new restaurant
that offers healthy and appealing
foods.
It is not, a book report diorama, a
coat hanger project, or a research
paper. These are all good things,
but they would not constitute a big
project.
It IS…
Young inventors put their knowledge
of simple machines to the test as they
create new, labor-saving machines of
their own!
Students study the great westward migration of the mid-19th century in America
and learn how important music was to those traveling along the trail. Students
listen to popular music of the time, and investigate the history and origins of a
variety of songs. In a final celebration, students sing and play tunes, and
present their interpretations from the points of view of a pioneer or composer.
We are already doing some
projects…
WJKU
Middle school scientists
build a seat.
Think about when you were in school.
What was the most fun?
When did you learn the most?
What are YOU excited about?
“I know a man who grabbed a cat
by the tail and he learned 40
percent more about cats than the
man who didn’t.” ~ Mark Twain
YEAR 1
 Focus on Rigor and Engagement through reading
 Emphasis on measuring the engagement (teacher
evaluation, student climate data, learning walk etc.)
 Professional development plan for teachers and
leadership team will emphasize engaging practices &
rigor
 Experiential Learning Project:
One project will be implemented per grade level