"A Ghost-Walk is a campus or classroom visit to an empty space where the participants simply make note of what they see and/or don't see in relation to a focus question or specified categories."

from http://principalblogs.typepad.com/leadertalk/2007/09/ghost-walks-for.html


The purpose of this experience is not so much for the benefit of  person whose room is being toured, but for each visitor to glean something valuable from FOCUSED tour of the room.  

For this ghost walk, our focus question will be: 
"What would I know about this class from looking around this room?" 
Think about this question both as a teacher, and as a student.

Even if you spend time in your coworker's classroom regularly, viewing the room with a purpose will reveal new ideas. It is important to remember that the purpose of this walk is NOT to judge the value of what you see for that person's teaching but to merely "notice and note" and think about YOUR OWN teaching.

Procedure:

1. Go to 1st classroom on the list (should be about 3 or 4 total)
2. Note " Is there visible evidence of:
   1. IB ?"
   2. literacy?"
3. "What else can be seen about the learning from the visible evidence in the room, Including but not limited to:
   1. seating arrangements and workspaces for student and teacher?
   2. informational and decorative posters content?
   3. student work displayed and with any written teacher feedback ?
4. leave a sticky note in each room visited with a positive comment for the teacher about something in the room ?
5. Repeat for all rooms on your PLC's Ghost Walk list then eturn to a room to debrief with your PLC.

Eventually we hope to be able to do an instructional  walk in every room  in the building but will follow Ms. Barone's emailed schedule of rooms for this first round.


Piedmont's  ILT members did this activity during a tour of Marie G. Davis and found that each classroom had something of value to us as the "Ghost"

Our  IB Webinar course is now available on MyTalent!

Register before 1/31 for "Lit 497 Piedmont IB training." Course number 428936 ​

Follow these steps:

First, Login to  MyTalent

Link to MyTalent for CMS teachers:
https://cms.truenorthlogic.com

More about How to Use MyTalent:
​http://piedmontpd.weebly.com/piedmont-pd/how-to-use-mytalent-to-register-for-pd-the-new-mypd

The following summary of PL  is based heavily on the great work of the CMS PL department at  pl.cmslearns.org  who created the walk through and look-fors poster that inspired this ​http://pl.cmslearns.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IT_PL_Classroom-Look-Fors_Poster_11x17.pdf  

STUDENT IS SAFE, RESPECTED, and WELCOME
What you see:

• A motivational and respectful classroom environment (Ex. morning meetings)
• Respectful and positive student to student interactions
• Respectful student to teacher interactions
• Implementation of high, clear expectations for student behavior and routines
• Arrangement of the room supports student learning
• Multiple modalities of sensory input (like learning styles misnomer)
• Opportunities provided for global relevance and real world investigations that develop awareness of other languages and cultures
• Evidence of flexible learning environment (student seating is by choice or by task and flexible)
• Social and emotional well being of students is addressed
• Other practices can indicate a focus on the whole child. what are yours?

examples:

•  Students feel comfortable asking questions and voicing opinions
• Students can move around the room as needed for their work and can choose where to work , seated, standing, alone, in hallway, etc.
• awareness of and respectful interaction with others' cultures (in class and worldwide via global online opportunities)
• practice collaborative decision making and  problem solving 
• Multiple Intelligences valued in work assigned
  • genius hour
  • service learning
  • project choice and voice (see last cornerstone)

STUDENT OWNS WORK AND BEHAVIORS THAT BENEFIT THE CHILD THE CLASSROOM AND COMMUNITY

What You see:

• • Students are goal-setting
  • Students self-evaluate, self-regulate, and self-motivate
  • Students led conferring with teacher
  • Opportunities are provided for creativity and innovation
  • Students assume responsibility for learning through effective decision making, goal setting and time management
  • Teacher provides opportunities for student ownership
  • Classroom management is evident
  • Other:

Examples:

• Student puts himself back on task students self evaluate and self regulate behaviors
• student uses design process to create 
• Students in collaboration with classmates and real-world community via face to face discussion, webcasts, blogs, etc.
• Correct behaviors  are noted modeled and practiced 

STUDENT CAN VERBALIZE WHICH SKILL THEY ARE WORKING ON AND WHY

What you see:

• Rigorous task that require Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
• Teachers and students use a range of diagnostic, formative, and summative tasks to monitor student progress on work and on social and emotional areas 
• Timely feedback that considers adjustments to teaching-learning activities are made to maximize student progress
  • Students collect and utilize qualitative and quantitative data to support academic and personal growth
  • Curriculum, instruction and assessment demonstrate high expectations

Examples:

• Various formative assesssments incluing pretests to place students on the right work path:
  • teacher asking questions of students, using exit tickets, having students put their heads down and raise hands if they've ever heard a word before,  using Google forms and surveys range of assessments (see next cornerstone)
• Work plan (see Paces Playlists and Pathways below) is not private to teacher (as per a lesson plan) but is known to student and can be adusted according to  needs based on imput from student, parents, other teachers, admin, counselors-- all responsible for the student's education
• Advisory lessons that use social and emotional learning based on data about students feelings

All of the above 4 cornerstones take place within an environment where students are observed using  PL Learner Profile Definitions (or IB learner Profile) 
Which one would an observer see students practicing in your room today?

• • Creative & Critical Thinkers
  • Effective Communicators
  • Collaborators
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Flexible & Adaptable
  • Receptive to Feedback & Reflective
  • Leaders
  • Open- Minded
  • Self-Directed Learners
  • Academic Risk Takers

 Want to learn more?

As members of the PL pilot you have permission to take any of these courses.
​See Lisa Gurthie if you are interested in an on-site training by CMS for your PLC.

CMS PL PD COURSE CATALOG