TEA Collaborative Learning Group
Overview of Plan

Demello

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Team Members:

What is your role within your team?

What professional growth goals do you and your team members hope to reach through this partnership?

How will you and your team reflect on these goals and on learning and classroom practice (e.g., pedagogy, the use of technology, content, the process of science)?

Mentoring Plan (Revised from Orientation)

Rockland is a blue-collar community in Southeastern Massachusetts. There are three elementary schools grades PreK-4, one middle school grades 5-7, and one high school for grades 8-12.  Each grade has approximately 200-250 students.  Classrooms in grades PreK-4 are self-contained and grades 5-12 are departmentalized, although the middle school model consists of two teams per grade.

MENTOR TEAM

Sue Rice – high school level
Mara Carey – middle school level
Melinda Learning – elementary level

The Mentor Team plans to meet on an average of one hour per week.  Through our work, the Mentor Team hopes to impact every grade level in the school system and as many teachers and instructional aides as possible.  The goals we have vary at each grade level to maximize the exposure, information, and experiences in each building.  Factors we will consider include age level, faculty response to a survey, interdisciplinary approaches, curriculum implementation opportunities, and student interest.

Goals:

o	Share the experiences of the TEA teacher.
o	Increase professional development opportunities.
o	Collaborate to implement the Transfer Plan.
o	Increase and improve polar studies in our schools.
o	Model real world science to show the link between pure science and applied science, and the importance of making interdisciplinary connections.
o	To foster collegiality and expand our professional network.


TIMELINE

FALL 2001

    	Apply for the Rockland Education Foundation Grant for money to help develop the "TEA Bag", a portable classroom kit of resource materials including books, Antarctica Discovery magazine class set, videos, models, etc.  Also included in this grant will be money to cover the cost of shipping for the TEA trunk containing cold weather gear.

	Begin to learn all we can about Antarctica and the Arctic.  Focus on gathering of resources such as books, web sites, videos, maps, models, etc.  We want to find resources that can help us develop lessons in all disciplines.  This will be an ongoing objective.

	The Mentoring Team will view the OMNI presentation "Shackleton’s Adventure" at the Boston Museum of Science.

WINTER 2001-2002

	Develop a variety of presentations for School Committee, teacher workshops, students, and community organizations.

	Begin developing lessons which can be used in various disciplines at all different grade levels.  These lessons must be appropriate for students of varying ability levels within a class and consider the different learning styles of students.

SPRING 2002

	Begin conducting presentations for School Committee, teacher workshops, students, and community organizations.

	Continue developing lessons.

	Mentoring Team meets to develop ways to bring Arctic studies into the classroom and to promote interest in communicating with Arctic teachers.

Mentoring Team initiates Antarctic Club.
SUMMER 2002

	I will attend the two-week pre-field research orientation with my research team.  I will then share this information with mentees when I return.	
	
	Meet for several days during the summer to 

o	reflect on the previous year, 
o	continue to develop lessons,
o	plan for the upcoming year and my field experience,
o	discuss ways to increase enthusiasm, and therefore, involvement prior to my departure.

FALL 2002
	
	Continue to generate enthusiasm within the system.

	Present lessons in classes to draw attention to polar studies and the upcoming trip.

	Continue to implement Transfer Plan.

	Be certain that mentees will be comfortable with their roles while I am in the field.

WINTER 2002-2003 

	Field experience.  Mentoring team will maintain communication to continue to carry out Transfer Plan.

	Mentees investigate ways use actual data from my field experience.

SPRING 2003

Mentor Team will revise previous lessons and develop new presentations and lessons based on information and experiences gained during my field experience.

	Goal is for the Mentoring Team to attend the NSTA Convention and other conventions to share their classroom experiences and presentations, as well as to learn more about polar science and all the sciences in general.

	Mentor Team details plans for the upcoming 2003-2004 school year.


FALL, 2003, WINTER 2003-2004, SPRING 2004 & BEYOND


	Mentor Team becomes involved in mentoring others with a focus on beginner teachers.  Focus of mentoring will be as follows:

o  	provide instructional models for using thematic teaching strategies using polar studies as an example,
o  	encourage others to become involved in NSTA and other professional organizations,
o  	help teachers to become aware of the resources and experiences available to them as educators
o	share information regarding polar studies with other educators

	Continue improving lessons and developing new lessons which

o	incorporate polar studies into various disciplines;
o	model real science;
o	allow for inquiry, design, experimentation, and creativity in the classroom;
o	consider different learning styles and age levels
o 	promote the use of technology;
o	encourage students to communicate with students in other parts of the world;
o	help students make connections between pure and applied science;
o	inform students about careers in science
o	improve students’ investigative skills