TEA Collaborative Learning Group
Overview of Plan

Demello

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Team Members:
Mary Ann DeMello - TEA Antarctic Teacher 2002/2003 Sue Rice - TEA Associate; High School Teacher Mara Carey - TEA Associate; Middle School Teacher Melinda Learning - TEA Associate; Elementary Teacher

What is your role within your team?
1. To foster a collaborative environment whereby our team is comfortable working together and excited about creating new activities and lessons. 2. To share information about Polar Regions. 3. To share my field experience. 4. To keep the team focused on making real world connections and developing investigations that model research. 5. For all members of the team to increase our knowledge and use of technology in the classroom. 6. To stiumlate interest in polar learning and expand the number of teachers interested in integrating polar studies into their curriculum.

What professional growth goals do you and your team members hope to reach through this partnership?
Team goals: 1. To learn more ways to connect what is taught in classrooms to real world research and situations. 2. To increase our knowledge of, and ability to use technology. 3. To expand our collegial network. 4. To develop new and exciting interdisciplinary lessons. 5. To become more familiar with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and the US National Standards in Education.

M.A.DeMello only: 1. To parcticipate as a real researcher; a job which, sadly, is rarely experienced by science teachers. 2. To improve my mentoring and leadership abilities. 3. To become an inhouse resource for using various types of technology including digital cameras, powerpoint, real audio, and web design.

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)?
1. Reflection will be ongoing each time I meet with individuals or with the team. We have already developed a good working relationship and we feel our rapport will strengthen as we continue to collaborate. With that foundation, honest and open feedback and reflections are more likely. 2. Classroom lessons will incorporate a variety of assessment tools. 3. The Antarctica Club members will be given a student survey. 4. Presentation/Workshop attendees will be asked to complete evaluations. 5. We will monitor the involvement of students, teachers, and members of the community. 6. We will check to ensure that our lessons align with the MA Curriculum Frameworks. 7. As we develop new lessons, we will share these with other TEA Associates and ask for their feedback.

Mentoring Plan (Revised from Orientation)
My mentoring plan has not really changed since the October 2001 submission. We have added a goal...to parcticipate in the annual Arts and Technology Festival in the hope of having students demonstrate how to use the Microsoft Powerpoint application by conducting student developed presentations on Antarctica and the Arctic.