STAR
Tech Components
The
STAR Cycle
The centerpiece
of the STAR Tech Professional Development Program is the STAR Cycle,
and the heart of the STAR Cycle is the Looking at
Student Work process. In the STAR Cycle, teachers collaborate as
a learning community, helping to create high-performing,
inclusive classrooms. Ideally, the collaborative team includes general
and special education teachers, content area and technology specialists,
and administrators. A team usually meets once or twice a month either
before, during, or after school. A facilitator, using a set of tools,
guides the team through the four phases of the STAR Cycle. Click on
the S, T, A, or R to find out about the phases of the cycle.
 [d]
Set
the Context ·
Teamwork
· Apply
Strategies · Reflect
on Results ·
Tools for the STAR Cycle
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 Set
the Context
A
presenting teacher leads off the meeting by presenting information about
the abilities and needs of three focal students, the lesson, the goals
of the lesson (noting their relationship to the standards), the instructional
strategies and technology tools used, and a guiding question for the
team. The guiding question relates to the reason the teacher chose to
bring this lesson and the work of these students to the team meeting.
What help does he or she want? What question does he or she want to
address? What concerns him or her about how to improve curriculum and
instruction in the classroom? The presenting teacher also distributes
copies of the student work. To prepare for this step, the teacher fills
out the Set the Context Tool prior to the meeting.
Return
to STAR Cycle Diagram
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 Teamwork
Teamwork
is led by a facilitator and follows a protocol.
For
each meeting one team member volunteers to take notes, recording the information
on the LASW Record.The
team does the following:
1.
Silently looks at the three pieces of student work.
2. Talks objectively about what they see in the work.
By objectively, we mean that they start out their sentences by saying
“I note...,” “I see...,” or “Here is...”
The teachers are only pointing out what is in evidence in the work.
3. Makes
interpretations.
Now the teachers bring everything they know about teaching and learning
to make interpretations about the work. They keep in mind the presenting
teacher’s goal and guiding question, along with the abilities and
needs of the students.
4. Generates instructional strategies and ideas for using technology
tools. Together the team members brainstorm what the teacher can
do to improve, strengthen, and deepen the instruction. They also consider
whether there are any low-, mid-, or high-technology tools that can
be used in conjunction with the strategies.
Before the meeting concludes, the facilitator turns to the presenting
teacher and asks if there are any strategies or tools that she or he
heard about that she or he would like to apply back in the classroom.
This is the time for the teacher to make a commitment to try a new strategy.
The facilitator also asks the presenting teacher if his or her question
and needs were addressed as a result of the dialogue. Often, other teachers
have heard strategies or suggestions that are relevant for their own
classroom. These other teachers may also make a commitment to try something
new in their classrooms. To support the teachers and make sure they
will implement these ideas, the facilitator asks if there are any ways
that the teachers can help each other. The technology teacher, for example,
might offer to help a teacher learn how to use a specific technology
tool or software program.
Return
to STAR Cycle Diagram
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 Apply
Strategies
The
presenting teacher and any other teachers who want to
try out a strategy experiment with and implement ideas back in their
classrooms. If needed, they can receive assistance from experts and
colleagues. As part of the plan for implementation,
team members think about evidence they will collect to assess student
performance. In order to plan for this step, teachers fill out an Apply
Strategies Tool.
Return
to STAR Cycle Diagram
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 Reflect
on Results
After
implementing the strategy, the teacher thinks about whether it worked,
whether the instructional goals were met, and whether there was something
he or she would do differently next time. At the beginning of the next
team meeting, before a new presenting teacher starts, there is time
for those who have tried out new strategies since the last meeting to
share their reflections on their experience. The facilitator asks teachers
to describe the new instructional strategies and technology tools they
used with their students and reflect
on how they helped students meet the curriculum goals. As part of the
reflection process, teachers fill out a Reflect
on Results Tool.
Return
to STAR Cycle Diagram
Top
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Tools
for the STAR Cycle
Instructions
for Downloading the Tools
Next to the name of each document you will see two icons. One for
the Adobe PDF 
format and one for the Microsoft Word 
format. Click on the icon that represents the version that you would
like to use. The links to the documents will open in new windows.
Please note: To open PDF files, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer. If you do not have Word on your
computer, you can download a viewer that allows users without Word
to open and view Word documents.
Download
the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader. (opens in new window)
Download the free Microsoft
Word Viewer. (opens
in new window)
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45
Minute Protocol
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LASW
Record
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Set
the Context Tool
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Apply
Strategies Tool
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Reflect
on Results Tool
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Return
to STAR Cycle Diagram
Go
to STAR Tech Components
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