Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)
Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) meet one time per month over the academic year. PLTs are small teams of teachers who meet together monthly to collaboratively learn, investigate, and implement best practices. Participating in a PLT is a deliberate process that requires attention, focus, and a willingness to move beyond sharing lessons and ideas to critically examining practice, research, and implementation.
This PLT will be facilitated by Erin McClure & co-facilitated by Michelle Edmister.
This PLT will address the question: How might we analyze instruction in a mathematics classroom in order to assess student growth, understanding, and engagement with the content. We will discuss and experience Formative Assessment Lessons (FAL’s) from https://www.map.mathshell.org/lessons.php through the lens of the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) Dimensions.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Mondays from 5:00-7:00pm):
November 7th, SAMC Room 161
November 14th, SAMC Room 161
December 12th
January 9th
February 13th
March 13th
April 17th
May 8th
This PLT will be facilitated by Ron Perry & co-facilitated by Donna Callaghan.
This PLT will allow for collaboration amongst K-5 teachers surrounding the topic of productive math struggle in our classrooms. We will discuss purposeful decisions to make in our instruction before, during and after lessons. The goal is for us to gain a deeper understanding of what productive math struggle is, and then create an action plan for fostering perseverance and resulting in greater achievement and richer lessons.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Tuesdays from 5:00-7:00pm):
October 4th, SAMC Room 161
November 1st, SAMC Room 161
December 6th
January 3rd
February 7th
March 7th
April 11th
May 2nd
This PLT will be facilitated by Krista Jones.
Teacher.Desmos is a software that has many applications of the Math K-12 curriculum. This group will explore how students can learn from both evaluative and interpretive feedback. Students will learn by interacting with mathematical representations, illustrations and getting proper feedback. They will represent their developing ideas with graphs, sketches, card sorts, number responses and more. This group will learn the functionality of this software, engage in lessons already written, and write our own lessons. After using Desmos in our own classrooms, we will discuss how our work shows evidence of student understanding. These discussions will help us to rethink and refocus the goal of this PLT.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Wednesdays from 5:00-7:00pm):
October 12th, SAMC Room 161
November 9th, SAMC Room 161
January 11th
February 8th
March 8th
April 12th
May 10th
This PLT will be facilitated by Mary Dileas & co-facilitated by Stacey Kerr.
This PLT will discuss research based strategies to engage students to become mathematicians. The research we will use is from the book "Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You'd Had" by Zager. We will discuss, plan and implement research based strategies applicable to math classrooms from elementary to high school. Each following meeting we will debrief and evaluate and improve the strategy as a group. We will open ourselves to new ideas and perspectives as we read and discuss.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Tuesdays from 5:00-7:00pm):
October 18th, SAMC Room 161
November 15th, SAMC Room 161
December 20th
January 17th
February 28th
March 21st
April 18th
May 16th
This PLT will be facilitated by Alan Baczkiewicz & co-facilitated by Mary Katherine Flett.
3D Learning Through the Focus Lens of the Cross Cutting Concepts and the Science and Engineering Practices" will allow the participants to explore how we can teach the DCI's using the 3 Dimensions by focusing on the CCC's and SEP's. We will read chapters from two books published by NSTA: CCC: Strengthening Science and Engineering Learning (Nordine and Okhee), and Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using the Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices (Schwarz). Each month we will read one chapter from each book. Then, we will use those readings to develop 3D lessons for our students with the goal of making the lessons more student centered. By reflecting as a team on the collection of student work we bring in, we as teachers will be able to improve the strategies we use to teach. Focusing on the CCC's and the SEP's will help us become better, more reflective teachers.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates:
Saturday, October 18th, 12:30-2:30pm
Saturday, November 19th, 12:30-2:30pm *CANCELLED*
Saturday, December 3rd, 1:00-3:00pm
Saturday, January 21st, 1:00-3:00pm
Saturday, February 11th, 1:00-3:00pm
Saturday, March 11th, 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, April 18th, 5:00-7:00pm
Saturday, May 13th, 1:00-3:00pm
This PLT will be facilitated by Lukas Gill.
This PLT will allow for collaboration amongst K-12 teachers implementing a drone education curriculum in their classrooms. Our goal is to explore FAA Part 107 certification for educators, develop K-12 drone education lessons or curriculum, and explore opportunities to develop obstacle courses that match local competition guidelines.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Wednesdays from 5:00-8:00pm at Orchard Park Middle School):
October 5th
November 2nd
December 7th
January 4th
February 1st
March 1st
April 12th
May 3rd
This PLT will be facilitated by Ed Hawkins & co-facilitated by Alan Tanski.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Mondays from 5:00-8:00pm):
October 17th, Orchard Park Middle School
November 21st, Orchard Park High School
December 19th
January 23rd
February 27th
March 20th
April 17th
May 15th
This PLT will be facilitated by Brooke Harris & co-facilitated by Chris Johnson.
This PLT is designed to provide outdoor science experiences for K-12 teachers in WNY. Teachers will collaborate and use these experiences to create engaging lessons in their classrooms to motivate and inspire their students. When possible, teachers will provide students with the opportunity to experience real world outdoor science in their own school or community environment.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates:
Monday, October 17th, 4:30-6:30pm, Seneca Bluffs Natural Habitat Park
Friday, October 21st, 6:00pm, Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Tower Auditorium
Saturday, October 22nd, 11:00am-1:00pm, Mt Morris Dam
Saturday, November 5th, 10:00am-12:00pm, Ellicottville Greens
Saturday, December 10th, 10:00am-12:00pm, Let’s Goat Buffalo
Saturday, December 3rd, 1:00-3:00pm, Buffalo Museum of Science
Tuesday, January 10th, 5:00-7:00pm
Monday, February 6th, 5:00-7:00pm
Tuesday, March 7th, 4:30pm-6:30pm, Aquarium Educator Tour
This PLT will be facilitated by Patrick Creamer.
This PLT will provide a community for collaboration and support amongst K-12 STEM teachers who are interested in or who are currently developing a STEM event or initiative in their building or district. Our goal is to create opportunities in STEM that extend beyond the classroom in ways that increase interest and depth of learning in STEM and connect students to their community.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Mondays from 5:00-7:00pm):
October 24th, SAMC Room 161
November 7th, SAMC Room 178
December 5th
January 9th
This PLT will be facilitated by Jennifer Aumer.
This PLT will allow for collaboration among teachers aiming to make STEM more inviting and equitable to girls. Our goal is to create experiences that will build young ladies' confidence to take leadership roles in STEM and spark confidence and participation in the classroom.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Wednesdays from 5:00-7:00pm):
October 26th, SAMC Room 161
November 30th, SAMC Room 161
January 25th
March 1st
March 29th
April 26th
May 17th
This collegial circle will be facilitated by Amy Sorrentino.
This collegial circle will read books, listen to videos/podcasts and use the information to spark meaningful conversations. Through these conversations, we will collaborate and discuss how we can apply our newfound knowledge to benefit our K-12 classrooms.
2022-2023 Meeting Dates (All meetings are on Wednesdays from 5:00-7:00pm):
October 26th, SAMC Room 178
November 29th, SAMC Room 161
December 6th
Algebra Strings
Amplify
AP Chemistry
Big Science Uploads
Climate Science in the Classroom K-12
Coaching
Common Language
Computer Science
Flipped Classroom
Hybrid Math Instruction
Mathematics Sharing
Calculus Sharing
International Teacher Professional Development
Hybrid Science Instruction
Literacy
Outdoor Science
Gamification and Technology
GIS in the Classroom
Make
Mathematical Investigations
Manifest
Mentoring
Physics and Math
Post Pandemic Teaching
Problem Posing and Problem Solving
Science Learning From Wherever
Social Emotional Learning
Growth Mindset in the Math Classroom
Teacher Networking Team
Teaching Earth Science/Living Environment Remotely
Virtual Instruction for Living Environment
