Student
Engagement
This
initiative focuses on improving instruction for
all students so that students are engaging in
meaningful learning experiences and the
achievement gap is closed.
Makes
Sense Strategies
One of the key
goals of the Alabama State Improvement Grant
(SIG) and the State Personnel
Development Grant (SPDG) has been to
increase the quality of instruction so that
all students (i.e., typical achieving,
learning disabled, English-language
Learners, etc.) are more engaged in
meaningful learning to produce substantial
improvements in performance. At the
heart of this initiative has been state-wide
staff development in the Makes Sense
Strategies (MSS) developed by Edwin Ellis at
the University of Alabama. The MSS
model is an approach to teaching based on
three fundamental instructional principles:
1. Students learn better when they are
actively engaged in processing new
information in meaningful ways.
2. Increasing the learn-ability of
information or skills is preferable to
dumbing down what students are expected to
learn.
3. Students should not waste time
learning trivia.
In part, the Makes Sense approach is a
collection of powerful
techniques and tools for differentiating
curriculum, planning and implementing
instruction, and assessing student learning.
In part, it's a curriculum because students
learn new strategies and thinking skills
when teachers employ the MSS strategies.
In part, the Makes Sense approach is teaching philosophy about what students
should learn and how it should be taught.
MSS also includes strategies and tools for
planning, implementing and assessing
innovative school reform efforts.
Makes Sense Strategies (MSS) videos series explores the MSS
Toolkit, provides directions to access and use the software,
features
instruction routines, and provides samples created by
teachers to address specific learning standards.
Addressing
Disproportionality
in Alabama Schools
MSS professional development training must be
conducted annually for all newly hired teachers,
administrators, evaluators and others, as appropriate; in
Alabama Public Schools.
MSS
professional development is organized into four parts.
Complete the training in the order in which it is
presented, starting with Part I:
Introduction, Part II: Specific Discipline, Part III:
Big Bang Graphic Organizer Instructional Routines,
and ending with Part IV:
Teacher Assessment.
Handouts for the MSS professional development
video series are located in each training section part.
To view and print handouts for each part of MSS
professional development, click on the title of each clip.
If you have problems with the handout or teacher assessment,
try downloading the document to your desktop.
Then open it from your saved file
Part 1. Introduction
Click the link to view all three videos and
download handouts:
Makes Sense Strategies Introduction
What
If Introduction
Whats the Big Deal about Graphic Organizers?
MSS software tour
MSS SPE Teachers Instructions
Part 2. Specific
Discipline
Select from the menu below the area that best matches the
type of position for which you have been hired.
1. If you are a special education teacher,
then select the option that best aligns with the
curriculum area that you spend the majority
of your time supporting (e.g. if you will be
co-teaching math courses in grade 9, then select "MATH,
grades 6-12").
2. We recommend that physical education
teachers select one of the science options.
3. We recommend that ROTC teachers
select the Social Studies (grades 9-12) option.
Administrators & Instructional Leaders
Why Bother? -
Video
MSS
Critical Features
-
Video
Project Based - Learning Smart Sheets
-
Video
(e.g., curriculum Coordinator, Professional Developer,
Reading Coach)
School Counselors
MSS Application for School Counselors Part 1
-
Video
MSS Application for School Counselors Part II
-
Video
Early Childhood (K-3) Teacher
Part 1 Using Smart
Sheets to teach K-3 Reading
-
Video
Part 2 Using Smart
Sheets to teach K-3 Vocabulary
-
Video
Part 3 Using Smart
Sheets to teach K-3 Writing
-
Video
Intermediate (4-5) Teacher
Part 1 Using Smart Sheets to Teach
Reading
-
Video
Part 2 Using Smart Sheets to Teach
Vocabulary
-
Video
Part 3 Using Smart Sheets to Teach
Writing
-
Video
Part 4 Project-based Learning Smart
Sheets
-
Video
Language Arts (grades 6-8) Teacher
Part 1 Common Core READING Standards &
MSS -
Video
Part 2 Common Core VOCABULARY
Standards & MSS
-
Video
Part
3 Common Core WRITING Standards & MSS
-
Video
Part
4 Project-based Learning Standards & MSS
-
Video
Social Studies (grades 6-8) Teacher
Part
1 Smart Sheets for Social Studies Content
-
Video
Part
2 Vocabulary Smart Sheets
-
Video
Part 3 Project-based Learning Smart Sheets
-
Video
Science (grades 6-8) Teacher
Part
1 Smart Sheets for Science Content
-
Video
Part 2 Vocabulary Smart Sheets -
Video
Language Arts (grades 9-12) Teacher
Part
1 Common Core READING Standards & MSS
-
Video
Part 2 Common Core
WRITING Standards & MSS
-
Video
Science (grades 9-12) Teacher
Part 1 9-12 Smart Sheets for Science
Content -
Video
Part
2 9-12 Vocabulary Smart Sheets
-
Video
Social Studies (grades 9-12) Teacher
Part
1 Smart Sheets for Social Studies Content
-
Video
Part
2 Vocabulary Smart Sheets
-
Video
Part
3 Project -based Learning Smart Sheets
-
Video
Math (grades 6-12) Teacher
Part
1
6-12 Math MSS applications.-
Video
Part 3. "Big Bang Graphic
Organizer Instructional Routines"
Click the link to view all five videos and
download handouts:
Part
1 GO Instruction Big Ideas
-
video
Part
2 BEFORE Lesson GO Routines
-
video
Part 3 DURING Lesson Reading GO
Routines -
video
Part 4 DURING Lesson Writing GO
Routines -
video
Part 5 AFTER Lesson GO Routines
-
video
Part 4: Teacher Assessment
Click the link to open the teacher assessment.
Answer each question, then save and print.
Teacher Assessment
Assessment
for Administrators and Instructional Leaders
Note: If you have problems with the
handouts or teacher assessment, try downloading documents to
your desktop first, then open from there.
Contact Us
Theresa Farmer
(334) 694-4782
tfarmer@alsde.edu
ALSDE Contact
Theresa Farmer
tfarmer@alsde.edu
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