March+31

toc =Notes from March 31 CFF Coaches Meeting= Begin with re-introductions, so we all know who each of us is, as we only meet every few months.

Agenda for today
There is no set agenda, but some things we are thinking about:
 * Continuing collaboration days for 2008-09
 * Summer coach training days (to include Keystones) - Next meeting
 * Cross-curricular collaboration (for 2007-08 and 2008-09)

New Wiki
How To: There are so many times that we need to demonstrate a particular skill for our teachers. Why not help each other out? If you have a "How To" (think Coach Demonstrations from collaboration days or "Wiki Updates" from Mike Baker), post it to this new wiki. There's no need for each of us to create everything, when all of us can create it together.

Collaboration Days 2008-09
All coaches present are in favor of continuing collaboration days. The question, then, is how do we adjust?
 * Much of the feedback from teachers was asking for more collaboration time.
 * Do we need to differentiate the collaboration levels? There will be those who would be coming back for a second year, while others will only be attending for the first year.
 * There should be space for open collaboration. There also needs to be structure, but not too much, but not too little.
 * Do we need to extend sessions but limit the number of sessions, allowing for a different amount of time for collaboration across districts.
 * Post collaboration efforts on the wiki for those who want to collaborate on that issue to have an available room (Open Space, similar to what we saw at Boot Camp this year).
 * Work more on creation of content across districts, so they can create and have something to implement, and then see how the implementation works in various districts.
 * Sometimes, teachers want more of a tutorial. How do I make one and use it as opposed to seeing how others are using it. Include more "How To's" as opposed to the short coach demonstrations.
 * Have "How To" videos posted to the wiki, as opposed to do "live" training.

Location: Is it best to continue holding the collaboration days in Warwick? Are there other locations that may better fit the needs of IU's 12, 13, and 15? York County CTC has been volunteered as a location, as well. Is it wise to rotate and try things out, where issues will arise that have been solved at other locations? It is a lot of work, and there is a team in the building that MUST be involved. There is a great need for coordination. Warwick has volunteered itself as a location once again. Going into the collaboration days, all districts should be aware that there will be a minimal fee to help cover the costs of running the days. Possibly, a registration fee could be charged, as well.

Another possibility for expansion is looking at having two different days: One day for collaboration and learning, and another day for creation. Talking about collaboration is all well and good, but we need to try and get our teachers to take the next step to create materials that will be worked on with someone from another district. This would allow us to really model 21st Century Skills for our students to show how these skills are being implemented in the real world.

Cross-curricular days could be used for taking one teacher from each subject area (Math, LA, Soc. Stud., and Science) and have them working on extending their ideas into 21st C. Skills.

Collaboration days were very well received, and we need to continue offering our teachers what they need.

There are many ideas that overlap in the collaboration days. Is there a need to keep them separated by subject area? Or could we team-up on some days? Math & Science Day, Language Arts & Social Studies Day, Cross-curricular Day, Creation Day, etc. Combining days would also mean that we would have to put a limit on the number of attendees.

The consensus seems to be that we should continue with the separate collaboration days, but allow for more creation time built into the days. We can differentiate within the day for those that need the collaboration, but also allows for those who want to collaborate to have that time.

New idea: CFF summer camp. Offer Act 48 hours, there's no need for subs. These could be used as summer trade-off days for teachers. This could be a big issue with trying to accommodate Act 48, various district contracts, etc.

Conclusions:

 * 1) The collaboration days will be broken down by subject area. Coach demonstrations will be eliminated to allow for more creation time.
 * 2) Creation days will be set up within each IU.
 * 3) Collaboration days will be split between Warwick and York CTC.
 * 4) Work on splitting responsibilities so the same people take care of the same thing for each collaboration day.
 * 5) Eating on location (box lunch) saves a large amount of time, as lunch would only take a half-hour(ish).
 * 6) There will be a registration fee. It is still TBD as to how fees will be collected.

Collaboration Day Responsibilities

 * Location - Includes creating signs - Marg R., Ann, Chris S.
 * Registration (including money) - Box lunch at York CTC, as made by Culinary Arts Program - Beth (Boiling Springs)
 * Agenda (setting up) - Keep the same time schedule for all four days. Do we want to include a Keynote Speaker, vendors, etc. - Sue. S, Ben L.
 * Wiki (creating pages and setting up links) - Pat G. and Laurie V.
 * Bloggers - Make sure that there is a blogger signed up for each session - Jimbo L. and Sue A.
 * Hospitality - Greeting, Keynote Speaker, thank you gifts, emails (directions, reminders, etc.), nametags - Michelle K., Aly T., Sam S.

Registration:
GoogleDoc/Form for registering, collecting money (ahead of time), on-site registration, survey attendees to determine more popular topics for scheduling in rooms, deadline for registration/collecting money

//checks should be made out to “York County School of Technology – Curriculum Collaboration Day” (Mailing Address: Attention John Fitz, Business manager, York County School of Technology, 2179 South Queen Street, York, PA 17402-4628)//

Hospitality:
Nametags, gifts for presenters, directions sent out to everyone, building map, collaborative planning sheet/personal note page and action plan

Location:
Make sure we have rooms, __//**trash cans**//__, parking, network access, projectors, power cords

Agenda:
Get standards aligned with presentations (get presenters to do this), 5-6 presentations at a time with other space for Open Space

Dates

 * End of October, mid-December, end of Jan-sometime in March (2 sessions in this time frame)

Next Meeting
Plan for a one day TIPs: Technology Integration Programs, a day for coaches to play some day in the summer Friday, May 16, 9 AM - ??, arrive as you can; 9-11:30 planning for summer (and some more stuff for next year), after lunch to have some coach play time to help each other sort through the plethora of applications, etc. that are out there.