tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60047481683619344742024-02-18T22:41:51.090-05:00LB's Learning BlogAs an Ontario educator, I am fortunate to be constantly learning. Here, I hope to record, reflect, and respond to the challenges of learning. All sentiments are mine.bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-83637672814176849902020-04-17T11:16:00.001-04:002020-10-19T16:36:42.827-04:00Blog on the Move...Having tried to work with this blog platform (and wasted hours of time), I have decided to move LB's Learning Blog to a Wordpress site: <a href="https://lblearningblogca.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">LB's Learning Blog</a> (<a href="https://lblearningblog.ca/">https://lblearningblog.ca/</a>)<br />
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I am not migrating content from here to there - rather, I will update the new blog / website moving forward.<br />
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<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-30896991154028819992017-07-21T21:03:00.001-04:002017-07-21T21:03:58.884-04:00Trends in Education: Self-regulation in Secondary schools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/ww_struggle.pdf" target="_blank">Dr. David Tranter, School of Social Work, and Dr. Donald Kerr, Faculty of Education,</a><br />
<a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/ww_struggle.pdf" target="_blank">Lakehead University. “Understanding Self-Regulation: Why Stressed Students Struggle to Learn.” What Works? Research into Practice Monograph # 63, February 2016.</a><br />
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I think many secondary school teachers are just beginning to explore the formal notion of self-regulation, sometimes as a result of behaviours we’re seeing in schools, and sometimes because IEPs are increasingly including self-regulation strategies to meet student needs. Plus, it’s a topic more in the mainstream due to the explosion of fidget spinners (usually used in Resource Rooms / by Special Education Resource Teachers).<br />
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The research monograph explores self-regulation first by clearly defining it (as the authors point out, there are widely varying uses of the word) - interestingly, through three analogies - and then providing some helpful strategies. The authors conclude that “self-regulation is about responding to stress and managing one’s state of arousal. Students who have experienced chronic stress often struggle to self-regulate; their level of arousal may be either too low or high or may fluctuate rapidly through the school day” (Tranter and Kerr). It’s important to remember that self-regulation is about managing one’s response to stress.<br />
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In a secondary environment, we often see adolescents struggle with focus and placing attention where teachers want it; there are many stressors and distractors, most notably social and technological. I’ve seen a sharp increase in students who are unable to “unplug” from social media or video games, using this as a mechanism to deal with the stress of the classroom. Some students are quick to give up when cognitively challenged and move to social media instead. While teachers are trying to use electronic devices to support student learning, we’re increasingly seeing students who are unable to self-regulate their behaviour. “Successful self-regulation is not something we are born with; rather, it develops slowly throughout childhood and into the mid-twenties as parts of the brain fully develop and connect” (Tranter and Kerr). As such, we’re actively teaching strategies to adolescents to help them monitor their learning and self-regulate their stressors.<br />
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What are your most successful strategies for teaching self-regulation? What works with adolescents?<br />
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<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-86249062034812953432017-07-21T20:51:00.001-04:002017-07-21T20:51:02.690-04:00Article Response: Understanding the Whole Child and Youth<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Ontario Ministry of Education regularly publishes, <i>In Conversation</i>, a newsletter which features current research from educators, researchers, and specialists in everything from behaviour to youth development. In the Spring 2014 (Vol. IV, No. 4), the following article provides an overview of thinking about the whole child: <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/leadership/spring2014.pdf" target="_blank">"Understanding the Whole Child and Youth – A Key to Learning, An interview with Dr. Lise Bisnaire, Dr. Jean Clinton and Dr. Bruce Ferguson"</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the beginning of the article it stated, "It comes as no surprise that the cognitive development of children and youth in combination with their social, emotional and physical development and their mental health, has a profound effect on their well-being and potential to succeed at school and in life". As the article points out, we have a wealth of research into brain development at this point; what’s surprising to me is that there are still many people who are unfamiliar with the research, especially since policies from the Ministry of Education are developed with this research in mind (e.g. play-based Kindergarten, Student Success initiatives, mental health and well-being initiatives). If we view education simply as a cognitive exercise (and I don’t think policies in Ontario have for some time), then we fail to recognize how important social, emotional, and physical development are to a person’s well-being. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We need to capitalize on the developmental stages of children and youth; as Dr. Jean Clinton states about adolescents: “emotional areas are being refined and pruned ahead of the executive functioning areas of the brain. That may explain why activities that are novel, exciting, low effort and full of thrills are preferred over mundane and tedious activities. Young people need to take risks to grow. They have huge potential for creativity.” For students struggling with any points of development, it’s increasingly important to know their strengths, challenges, and areas of need. As Dr. Lise Bisnaire points out, “as educators, we can support them in this period of transition by helping them to navigate this new path. They look to educators for structure, predictability and consistency in a world where they may feel unprepared or ill-equipped to cope.” Given the rise of mental health issues in adolescents and children, nurturing positive, supportive student-teacher relationships has become more important, at times superseding academic pursuits. Dr. Bruce Ferguson succinctly states, “that our number one developmental task is to learn and know who we are and to develop our sense of self and identity. We do that through our interactions with others – in particular, through having engaging and continuous relationships with adults”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ideally schools should be designed to meet the changing cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of our students. I’m not sure they are given that we continue to use practices that are not in the best interest of students (e.g. early start times for adolescents, grouping students - en masse - by age rather than stage of development, classroom design and building decisions are driven by old funding formulas, etc.). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you could recommend one change in your school that you think would better serve the developing emotional, social, and physical needs of your students, what would it be and why?</span><br />
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bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-51412496493897768962017-07-21T20:33:00.000-04:002017-07-21T20:33:01.655-04:00<br />
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" 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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When comparing <a href="http://www.oafccd.com/documents/educationforall.pdf">Education for All</a><a href="http://www.oafccd.com/documents/educationforall.pdf"> (2005) </a>and <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf">Growing Success</a><a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf"> (2010)</a>, I decided to focus on 4 key areas of the document: core principles, instruction, assessment, and professional judgement. The comparison of the two documents show the influence of the expert panel’s 2005 report, <i>Education for All</i>, on the 2010 <i>Growing Success</i> document. The Ministry of Education has put more emphasis and focus into creating alignment in supporting documents like these, as well as revised curriculum documents, which now have very similar “front matter” detailing the Ministry’s focus and fundamental beliefs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Core principles:</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In <i>Education for All</i>, the focus is clearly on ensuring effective supports for all students while recognizing the need for special education supports; as Belief 1 outlines, “All students can succeed”. Belief 5 recognizes that “Each child has his or her own unique patterns of learning” while Belief 7 states: “Fairness is not sameness” (4-5). These principles are echoed in <i>Growing Success</i>, which outlines that teaching practices and procedures should be “fair, transparent, and equitable for all students”; as well as “support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit” (6). The two documents clearly promote the idea that the “Ontario government is committed to enabling all students to reach their potential, and to succeed” (<i>Growing Success,</i> 1). I’d argue that this fundamental belief of success for all students underlies every policy from the Ontario Ministry of Education.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instruction:</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Education for All</i> explicitly promotes universal design and differentiated instruction as seen through Belief 2: “Universal design and differentiated instruction are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or productivity needs of any group of students”. Additionally, Belief 3 focuses on instruction: “Successful instructional practices are founded on evidence-based research, tempered by experience”. We can see the same ideas echoed in <i>Growing Success</i> as teachers are expected to use practices and procedures that “are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students” (6). Teachers are to plan - using the principles of UDL and DI - for the success of all students by tailoring instruction to meet the needs of students. <br /><br /></span><h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Assessment:</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When it comes to assessment, according to <i>Growing Success</i>, teachers are to use practices and procedures that “are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning” as well as “provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement” (6). These statements are clearly influenced by <i>Education for All</i>, as seen in the process diagram on page 20. Moreover, both documents clearly outline the notions of assessment for, of, and as learning (page 22-23 of Education for All and page 28 of <i>Growing Success</i>). Each of the documents clearly define important concepts for teachers (such as diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments); <i>Growing Success</i> provides a clarified version of these definitions within a chart on page 41 which provide links between the rationale, the research, and the practice. Both <i>Education for All</i> and <i>Growing Success</i> discuss the triangulation of assessment data: “evidence of student achievement for evaluation is collected over time from three different sources – observations, conversations, and student products” (GS 39). <i>Education for All</i> focuses on observations and conversations, providing more specific strategies as well as the rationale: “the teacher uses observation to maintain an awareness of the uniqueness that individual students bring to the classroom environment and to specific learning tasks. A good observation process allows the student to demonstrate capabilities within an inviting and engaging learning environment.” (<i>Education for All </i>24). <i>Growing Success</i> pushes this idea further through learning goal, success criteria, descriptive feedback, and metacognitive awareness (33-34). Again, fundamentally, what’s necessary for some, is good for all.<br /><br /></span><h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Professional Judgement:</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Both documents highlight the importance of the teacher in developing a learning plan for students: In <i>Education for All</i>, Belief 4 clearly states, “Classroom teachers are the key educators for a student’s literacy and numeracy development. The expert report provides recommendations about how to support professional learning in order to support student learning. <i>Growing Success</i> acts as a policy document to outline assessment and evaluation policies and procedures based on research and best practice. At the same time, <i>Growing Success </i>recognizes that teachers not only triangulate data through observations, conversations, and student products, but that other considerations (such as the richness of the task or a student’s needs) are to be made as well, constituting something now known as a teacher’s “professional judgement”. The document defines this as, “Judgement that is informed by professional knowledge of curriculum expectations, context, evidence of learning, methods of instruction and assessment, and the criteria and standards that indicate success in student learning. In professional practice, judgement involves a purposeful and systematic thinking process that evolves in terms of accuracy and insight with ongoing reflection and self-correction (GS 152). Ultimately, as <i>Growing Success</i> clearly states, “The professional judgement of the teacher, acting within the policies and guidelines established by the ministry and board, is critical in determining the strategy that will most benefit student learning” (GS 46). As such, classroom teachers need to stay current on ministry, board, and school policies, procedures, and pedagogies. <br /><br />While the Expert Panel Report, <i>Education for All</i>, was written in 2005, it is clear to see the influence of this document in the current policies and procedures across Ontario as expressed in 2010’s <i>Growing Success</i>. </span></div>
bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-7720506352016697502017-07-19T17:53:00.003-04:002017-07-19T17:53:59.507-04:00New learning...Resurrecting the blog to share some of my learning from my Special Education Specialist (Part 3) course (see the tab above for posts). I'm completing the course as part of my own rehabilitation after a concussion in February (it's July and we're finally "increasing my cognitive load"). It's been a long road and I'm actually pretty keen to be using my brain again. Funnily enough, I also re-discovered an infographic I created for one of my other courses, and thought I'd post it here. Interesting how one's understanding of something shifts after having a first hand experience!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH9nmW-7myy47TBDg-iOYVYbdGJNPv1quSl7S276oKfO8MvCuQhQjjgOOyWBNz3YgPwF2ImlarqHVVwnQQ2UL31uhdXk2BAm8Ue7ERvidJDE4S189JAV5PByhq1NbqWR8RPjfyzgQwjp3/s1600/traumatic-brain.png.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="511" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH9nmW-7myy47TBDg-iOYVYbdGJNPv1quSl7S276oKfO8MvCuQhQjjgOOyWBNz3YgPwF2ImlarqHVVwnQQ2UL31uhdXk2BAm8Ue7ERvidJDE4S189JAV5PByhq1NbqWR8RPjfyzgQwjp3/s1600/traumatic-brain.png.png" /></a></div>
<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-87447412396281941882017-07-19T17:39:00.002-04:002017-07-19T17:39:18.487-04:00<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguof-aWCzxOdyRuf1Ckv2al6yREWSCJSBFYvfvz3eK6tw7G_oJSg3oY6C3EzWpCxK7RKoQ-1unrsaFd0IFks-L63JbyBuDGRbP6U0nMd9pi71M92igEzAhqeH0KqouJxcI0jtQM6Ylrzpd/s1600/ALG+2016.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="410" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguof-aWCzxOdyRuf1Ckv2al6yREWSCJSBFYvfvz3eK6tw7G_oJSg3oY6C3EzWpCxK7RKoQ-1unrsaFd0IFks-L63JbyBuDGRbP6U0nMd9pi71M92igEzAhqeH0KqouJxcI0jtQM6Ylrzpd/s200/ALG+2016.PNG" width="153" /></a>New! Updated, electronic-only version of the <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLIT/AdolescentLiteracy/Vision/AdolescentLiteracyGuide_Interactive.pdf" target="_blank">Adolescent Literacy Guide</a> by the Adolescent Literacy Learning (ALL) division.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvE89KLccJun3PtftTy_e5tWJcYwTnaZ8yAC8TH-DpXjpW9o0VN4TcdV9-fg2REWGjc82F1O-jzGZgJdO_aOW4M6pRjFhMKW07si3tLJpAL9hBFfM4i9jgia9-zp8TXmrKGvjLgse5TFb/s1600/ALG.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="675" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvE89KLccJun3PtftTy_e5tWJcYwTnaZ8yAC8TH-DpXjpW9o0VN4TcdV9-fg2REWGjc82F1O-jzGZgJdO_aOW4M6pRjFhMKW07si3tLJpAL9hBFfM4i9jgia9-zp8TXmrKGvjLgse5TFb/s320/ALG.PNG" width="320" /></a>bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-79391740429043187402017-07-19T17:38:00.000-04:002017-07-19T17:38:06.242-04:00The Impact of Grant Wiggins on Education<br />
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<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-70961152002482615452015-02-12T21:40:00.000-05:002015-02-12T21:41:53.708-05:00Why do teachers STILL want to deduct late marks?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjid7OQwO5Fp2rJUv-qIJFOe_olqZ-mUP2AHQW7m5xbLozCZ-nj8MN_0Mcgy8ay0eCZaGD8O9AURSvCRYLKbeuuLTxbkzvgBJW8Smf9sR5HM0YCUpJsTTH8-S0ch1VgOSKj6PXu9mK5bldJ/s1600/growing+success+wordle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjid7OQwO5Fp2rJUv-qIJFOe_olqZ-mUP2AHQW7m5xbLozCZ-nj8MN_0Mcgy8ay0eCZaGD8O9AURSvCRYLKbeuuLTxbkzvgBJW8Smf9sR5HM0YCUpJsTTH8-S0ch1VgOSKj6PXu9mK5bldJ/s1600/growing+success+wordle.png" height="168" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ever since <i>Growing Success</i> (2010) was released in Ontario, our education system has been undergoing profound shifts in assessment and evaluation, not all of which are welcome by educators. Teachers continue to struggle with the adoption of the fundamental principles of the document which "ensure[s] that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students" (<i>Growing Success</i>, 6). To do so, teachers should "use practices and procedures that are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students" (<i>Growing Success</i>, 6). <br />
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One of the areas that continues to challenge our staff are policies about late and missing assignments. I find that this particularly disadvantages students with special needs (particularly communication based learning disabilities). Our board guidelines clearly indicate that all strategies and interventions are to encourage the completion of the work and support the fair assessment of student work, but some teachers continue to believe that punitive measures are the most effective way of getting students to complete work.<br />
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So, what to do? How can board staff better support the adoption of the fundamental principles of <i>Growing Success</i>, with an explicit focus on SUCCESS FOR ALL?<br />
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Assessment for learning (AfL) is the key to unlocking both the potential of ALL our students and our educators. "Assessment for Learning is
formative assessment plus the deep involvement of learners in the assessment
process. It is a process of both learners and teacher being engaged in
seeking and interpreting evidence to figure out where learners are in their
learning in relation to what has been taught, where they need to go next
in their learning and how best to get there" (Davies et al). To facilitate AfL, clear learning goals (derived from curriculum expectations), success criteria (ideally co-created), and a tight feedback loop are imperative.<br />
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A major shift in assessment practices includes administrators acting as "change agents" or instructional leaders. To facilitate change in our schools and systems, leaders need to model the change we want, especially if we want a focus on learning rather than a focus on grading. Our school board has been fortunate to be working with Sandra Herbst of <a href="http://www.connect2learningresources.com/" target="_blank">Connect2Learning</a> this year; in preparation of our work, I was able to attend a 3 day institute, "Using Assessment in the Service of Learning". In a recent article, "System leaders using assessment for learning as both the change and the change process: Developing theory from practice," co-authored by Anne Davies, Kathy Busick, Sandra Herbst, and Ann Sherman, the focus on leaders to create change is clear:<br />
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 14.7839994430542px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Leaders must take action and move beyond words to deeds.</span></i></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Leaders evaluate what they value and move beyond numbers to include triangulated evidence of learning.</span></i></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Leaders find ways to collect ongoing information and use frequent feedback loops. (Davies et al)</span></i></span></li>
</ol>
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In our board, we are working to help educators use AfL deliberately and intentionally to support
the learning of students. In her article and in her work in our system, Sandra Herbst is helping provide educators with strategies and examples so that our "students have clear learning destinations and are
involved in the classroom assessment process" (Davies et al). Moreover, we continue to work on the triangulation of data from multiple sources in order to inform the professional judgement of educators. System level staff and school leaders position themselves as learners (rather than experts), we are using varied sources of data (including student voices & perspectives) and we are modelling the same strategies and protocols in our meetings or to guide decision-making.<br />
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In our school board, we strive to meet the needs of <u>all</u> learners and provide success for <u>all</u> students with fair and equitable assessment practices (including limiting late mark deduction), through creative programming (such as co-op recall, credit recovery, alternative education or experiential programs), more creative or innovative approaches to the curriculum (teachers are engaged in curriculum rewriting in PLCs and PD), and a consistent effort to engage our students in monitoring and evaluating their own learning in order to create independent learners.<br />
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<b>References:</b><br />
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Davies, A., Busick, K., Herbst, S., & Sherman, A. (2014). "System leaders using assessment for learning as both the change and the change process: Developing theory from practice." <i>Curriculum Journal</i>, 25(4), 567-592. doi:10.1080/09585176.2014.964276.<br />
<br />
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). <i>Growing Success.</i> Queen's Printer for Ontario.<br />
<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-70430218366016072082014-06-17T20:30:00.001-04:002014-06-17T20:33:11.852-04:00Traumatic Brain Injury | Piktochart Infographic Editor<a href="https://magic.piktochart.com/output/2151592-traumatic-brain-injury#.U6DdlQ6DMmM.blogger">Traumatic Brain Injury | Piktochart Infographic Editor</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnkpN67sVypy_kOEwkpJLV8330y5TMfRlQqPztjbA3Z3irFLoXBPgohT8ltQJFL8KU9ilBauBd6MvxYaSNr3yJBYVWnuGpBJizLjwdEg83uObnqHQn34fo3H2wJCA_y5Zk_Z2tCTkUzBg/s1600/Traumatic+Brain+Injury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnkpN67sVypy_kOEwkpJLV8330y5TMfRlQqPztjbA3Z3irFLoXBPgohT8ltQJFL8KU9ilBauBd6MvxYaSNr3yJBYVWnuGpBJizLjwdEg83uObnqHQn34fo3H2wJCA_y5Zk_Z2tCTkUzBg/s1600/Traumatic+Brain+Injury.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright: Laura Beal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-7365558977122600712014-05-19T19:50:00.000-04:002014-05-19T19:50:09.522-04:00Infographic: IPRC Reviews<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8H1gd6QbdM3_0wjsdBYcPUhBUzdKjQc2l-R9Ox-SgLfWi-gQ-17yrsqmzU2Dwl8HYB8y4SprD-DNhjHkTeOmfuhKozGZ5Djv6NQ5R7vMxDRreEBP9LMdjaxIZ8WEBELXvqQ3DfXrNmExG/s1600/IPRC+Reviews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8H1gd6QbdM3_0wjsdBYcPUhBUzdKjQc2l-R9Ox-SgLfWi-gQ-17yrsqmzU2Dwl8HYB8y4SprD-DNhjHkTeOmfuhKozGZ5Djv6NQ5R7vMxDRreEBP9LMdjaxIZ8WEBELXvqQ3DfXrNmExG/s1600/IPRC+Reviews.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright: Laura Beal</td></tr>
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<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-23530321804865105852014-05-17T20:27:00.000-04:002014-05-17T20:31:02.499-04:00Co-Teaching in Secondary Schools<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/EvZPpbdoiRTXHhd5wciNj-DJcF_51WeTj-PYBxY5QC5O1VfFvwbnOcCw9KxxMZBEzg=s400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/EvZPpbdoiRTXHhd5wciNj-DJcF_51WeTj-PYBxY5QC5O1VfFvwbnOcCw9KxxMZBEzg=s400" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teachers co-planning, co-teaching in a grade 7 UGDSB classroom</td></tr>
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Imagine a classroom, full of students with a variety of academic, social-emotional, and psychological needs. For many Applied level secondary classrooms in Ontario, this is the reality. Some have formal identifications, some do not. Students are rarely removed from the classroom for extra support (in many cases, there simply isn't support available). Not only is inclusion of students with identifications the
law in Ontario, it is also the morally right thing to do. Segregation of
populations is rarely beneficial to anyone. To encourage student success for all,
co-teaching is an effective practice that not only creates a positive
environment for student learning, but also promotes highly reflective educators
who are engaged in improving their own practice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Although focused on Minnesota schools, the ideas espoused in
“Supporting co-teaching teams in high schools: Twenty research-based practices”
(Nierengarten, 2013) apply in Ontario given the focus on integration of
students into “regular” classrooms rather than in specialized, withdrawal settings.
As an example of the similarities, both jurisdictions have passed legislation
for inclusion, both require Individualized Educational Plans for identified
students, and both focus on a collaborative approach to providing support for
student success. Co-teaching as a strategy would focus on all students in the
classroom, not just students who are formally identified, which is fully
supported by the Ontario Ministry of Education’s idea of “good for some, great
for all”. Co-teaching is defined as “two or more professionals delivering substantive instruction to a diverse, or blended, group of students in a single physical space” (Cook
& Friend, as cited in
Nierengarten, 2013).</div>
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At a recent conference, I was able to hear of a successful
co-teaching project in Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, which focused
on Applied classes. They were able to create a sustained, supported program which
embedded a co-teacher into classes to support the learners and the teacher with
literacy. Many of the students were those with IEPs and this enabled the
teachers to provide support in a timely and reasonable manner as opposed to having
the students withdraw and access help via a resource room teacher. Much of the success
of the KPRDSB program (and it wasn’t always successful) was due to careful
planning, timetabling (to ensure common planning time), and the support of the
administration (at the school and board level), all of which was supported in
Neirengarten’s summary of the strategy. Another key part of the strategy is the
use of peer coaching and observation between the co-teachers; since the
teachers are focused on improving student success for students, they are
working to constantly improve their practice through collaborative inquiry.
Fundamental to improving outcomes for students with IEPs is ongoing support and
professional learning. New technologies, new pedagogies and new understanding
of adolescents (brain research continues to evolve our thinking about learning)
is leading to exciting changes in secondary schools such as co-teaching.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Reference</u>: <o:p></o:p></div>
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Nierengarten, G., E.D.D. (2013). Supporting co-teaching
teams in high schools: Twenty research-based practices. American Secondary
Education, 42(1), 73-83. Retrieved from <a href="http://search.proquest.com/docview/1462773619?accountid=14391">http://search.proquest.com/docview/1462773619?accountid=14391</a><o:p></o:p></div>
bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-79704397379614140852014-04-02T20:44:00.000-04:002014-04-02T20:44:33.877-04:00How Can We Engage Parents/Guardians in Education?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjLqF46rXPVadyavdcHFInRSnhUtOYxvS45TtRGI28CM_yfHkSOw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Bhaskar Peddhapati</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I cannot recall all of the conversation, but I recall freezing and not knowing what to say. In my first phone call home as a teacher, I was attempting to find out why Dylan was having trouble in class. I knew that Dylan had ADHD and was significantly behind in reading and writing (his IEP told me that, but unfortunately, not much else). He was struggling with </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">everything:</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> from academics to classroom behaviour to social interaction, nothing was going right in my grade 8 English class for Dylan. And I was stumped. I thought that calling home to talk to his parents would help - after all, I reasoned, they must know what works to help him calm down, focus, and get something done. I called, explained Dylan's latest blow-up in class, and well, it turned ugly pretty quickly when mom asked, "What did you do to set him off?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">I made some pretty big assumptions and errors in that phone call. Firstly, I really didn't have a plan; I assumed that all parents would offer some form of support for my travails and challenges as a teacher, completely neglecting the idea that a) they might not be supportive of me; b) they possibly wouldn't have strategies for helping me - after all, school and home are very different environments; and c) maybe I did "set him off". </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">15 years later, I still reflect on that first experience as I continue to dislike phone calls home. Let's face it: most aren't for positive feedback. But, I did manage to work out a few key ideas for communicating with parents and guardians, whether it's in a phone call or a face-to-face conference.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What are the 5 most important criteria for communicating with parents/ guardians?</span><br />
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<b>Kindness</b> - start with something positive, or better yet, call home with good news. Be sure to offer some concrete examples of something that is going well in class. Clearly establish that you are trying to help Dylan or Susie succeed in your class. Avoid judgement statements while stating the problem: focus on the behaviour or the issue (which can be corrected).</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<b>Honesty</b> - be honest about what's happening. The purpose of the phone call or conference is to ensure that everyone knows that Susie or Dylan is struggling and why. Don't speak in edu-babble, but outline what the problem is clearly and succinctly. Use specific, curriculum based examples if it's an academic issue. If it's a behavioural concern, reference the learning skills, and again, use specific examples. Ensure you know the student's IEP or history as outlined in the OSR.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<b>Ask questions</b> - if you are unsure of why a student might be struggling, try to determine what might be contributing to that issue. But, of course, there could be things happening at home that a parent or guardian simply may not want you to know. Hopefully, a kind approach and a focus on solutions will help create a positive relationship so that you might get more information. But, we can only go so far in our questioning. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<b>Offer solutions</b> - explain what you intend to do, what you thing might be done by the student, and what supports the parents/guardians could offer for the student's success. Be sure to have specific next steps. Solicit their feedback to ensure that everyone understands what needs to happen in order for the student to be successful. Provide resources if possible.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<b>Listen </b>- most importantly, be sure to listen carefully to what is being said (and what isn't!). Be responsive to what the parents/guardians are expressing. Rephrase what you are hearing in order to clarify and summarize so that there is no misunderstanding. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
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<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Have other suggestions? What would make your list of success criteria for effective communication with parents/ guardians? </div>
bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-62353864273028352722014-03-26T21:50:00.001-04:002014-03-26T21:51:58.953-04:00What Are the Elements of Good Professional Learning?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEDR3yEEXw4MQbgUFdesJ2nGZ39y8xoZSy_Qmd2wUrcfjKy3D-GOsq_lJ9MjX3R2mvtd2ize26xfBW7Isp6uFKUZoE2IaqgcBdsOYfvFTgmGbD_FAOw-syk-e6vQHfzt4vfqynYhmTPOk/s1600/Guelph-20130515+JFR+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEDR3yEEXw4MQbgUFdesJ2nGZ39y8xoZSy_Qmd2wUrcfjKy3D-GOsq_lJ9MjX3R2mvtd2ize26xfBW7Isp6uFKUZoE2IaqgcBdsOYfvFTgmGbD_FAOw-syk-e6vQHfzt4vfqynYhmTPOk/s1600/Guelph-20130515+JFR+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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What characterizes a great learning experience for adult learners? It's not that different than what is great for students. Aside from the obvious - you cannot please everyone, all the time - there are a few key things that can be done to create an environment in which adults will want to learn. Luckily, educators and researchers like Michael Fullan, Thomas R. Guskey, John Hattie, and even the Ministry of Education (among many others!) have written extensively on engaging educators in their professional learning.<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Provide Choice</b>: allow educators to "choose their own adventure". No one likes being told they have to do something, so forcing someone to participate in a new initiative isn't likely to yield results. Differentiate professional learning opportunities to appeal to your audience. Sessions need to range from ballroom delivery models with "experts" to job-embedded collaborative inquiry.</li>
<li><b>Create a Professional, Respectful Environment</b>: treat educators as the professionals they are. Have high expectations of staff, but honour their experience and knowledge. Build on it to help develop new knowledge and understanding. Invite teachers to reflect on their practice in a non-judgmental forum. Assume positive intentions.</li>
<li><b>Foster a Growth Mindset</b>: Use a strength-based approach (sometimes referred to as appreciative inquiry) to help educators identify what they do well and build from that strength. Foster positive mindsets in staff, especially if significant change is happening. See Carol Dweck's work on growth mindsets in students. The same assumption - that people have the ability to grow and learn - is true of our educators.</li>
<li><b>Facilitate Discussions</b>: Provide ample time for teachers to talk about what new learning they are experiencing. Let them learn from each other. Use protocols (such as those explained by the <a href="http://www.nsrfharmony.org/protocol/a_z.html" target="_blank">National School Reform Faculty</a>) to structure these conversations and ensure that all voices are heard.</li>
<li><b>Model Effective Practice: </b>Demonstrate and model new strategies for teachers. Encourage them to engage in the activities and effective practices we would like to see replicated in our schools.</li>
<li><b>Purpose/Audience: </b>Make the purpose of the learning relevant, meaningful and authentic for the intended audience. Plan and communicate clear intended outcomes. Share the outcomes with participants. Everyone should know why they are participating in professional learning. Big ballroom sessions rarely lead to transformative change, but they can introduce new ideas to people. It's important to follow up with next steps. Guskey points out the importance of planning for intended outcomes:</li>
</ol>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ol>"...the first thing people need to do when they plan professional development is to specify what impact they want to have on student learning. They begin planning by asking, “What improvements in student learning do we want to attain and what evidence best reflects those improvements?” Then they step back and ask, “If that's the impact we want, what new policies or practices must be implemented to gain that impact?” Next, they consider what types of organizational support or change are needed to facilitate that implementation, and so forth. This planning process compels educators to plan not in terms of what they are going to do but in terms of what they want to accomplish with their students. All other decisions are then based on that fundamental premise.</ol>
</blockquote>
<h3>
"Know thy impact" </h3>
<div>
John Hattie, through his comprehensive meta-analysis, tells us that there are many effective and ineffective teaching and learning practices. Hattie's research tells us that we "need to retain learning at the forefront and to consider teaching primarily in terms of its impact on student learning." (2011, 1). All educators (including those who deliver PD) need to recognize that their practices have impact on learning; further, all educators need to constantly question whether or not they are having <i>positive</i> impacts on learning.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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“The teacher’s role is to change students from what they are to what we want them to be, what we want them to know and understand – and this of course highlights the moral purpose of education” (Hattie, 2012).</blockquote>
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Fullan references "the moral purpose of raising the bar and closing the gap for all students" (2013, 3). Appealing to educators' motivation for teaching makes sense. Fullan also discusses how new technologies, new pedagogies, and what he calls "change knowledge" will help motivate staff to further their own learning:</div>
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<br /></div>
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"Change will become more enjoyable when it proffers experiences that are engaging, precise, and specific; high yield (good benefit relative to effort); higher order (stretching humans in creativity, problem solving and innovation); and collaborative for individual and collective benefit." (Fullan, 2013, 3).</blockquote>
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<br /></div>
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And finally, while it might not seem important to everyone, <b>good food and coffee </b>help. If we are going to pull teachers from their classrooms to engage in their own learning, the least we can do is feed them! </div>
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<u>References:</u></div>
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Fullan, M. (2013) <i>Stratosphere: Integrating Technology, Pedagogy, and Change Knowledge</i>. Toronto: Pearson.</div>
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Hattie, J. (2011). <i>Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning.</i> New York: Routledge.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kreider, H. and S. Bouffard (</span></span>Winter 2005/2006<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">). "A Conversation with Thomas R. Guskey," <i>The Evaluation Exchange: A Periodical on Emerging Strategies in Evaluation</i>. </span></span>Volume XI, Number 4. Harvard Family Research Project.<br />
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bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-62773040411003031762014-03-25T22:15:00.002-04:002014-03-25T22:16:18.397-04:00No Technology Without Good Pedagogy!<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #46433a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Emergent technology use is different. It requires time spent deeply considering the instructional value added by new tools and time spent crafting instruction that puts content and instructional goals ahead of teaching the technology." (Kadjer, 2007, 216).</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #46433a; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I often wonder how to best help teachers focus on effective pedagogy with technology. Sara Kadjer writes about how to incorporate technology into the English classroom in meaningful, authentic ways through the use of blogs, wikis, podcasts, websites , and social media through the creation of artifacts like book trailers. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Other authors (and a whole host of Tweeting educators!) concur. Catherine Imperatore points to research which confirms that "students feel a greater sense of ownership and pay greater attention to detail when they know that their work will be published online" (2009). </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #46433a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New media tools - including social media - offer students opportunities to learn these new formats (which will be necessary for their futures, I believe), but they breathe new life into great pedagogy. There's a reason why book reports have been used for so long: it's a great way to summarize a book and provide one's opinion. But really, by the time adolescents hit high school, is the book report still necessary? Kadjer would suggest we use new tech tools and substitute the book trailer or have kids podcast their reports. </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #46433a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Teaching with technology in the English classroom is about always looking, whether it's seeing kids and the range of talents and literacies that they bring into our classrooms or it's seeing the possibilities in a new tool that allows me to amplify curricula for the better" (Kadjer 2007, 229).</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #46433a; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Will Richardson's book, </span><i style="color: #46433a; font-size: small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and </i><span style="color: #46433a; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><i>Other Powerful Webtools for Classrooms</i></span><span style="color: #46433a; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, is an indispensable tool for educators wanting to marry good pedagogy and technology in the classroom. There are umpteen edu-bloggers writing about the successful integration of technology and pedagogy.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #46433a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, there is also the need to teach the technology. Many teachers want to simply put the technology in the hands of kids and let them demonstrate their learning. I agree that some kids have the capacity to figure out the technology and use it to demonstrate their learning. But not all will be able to do this. Our students need direct instruction in how to use tech tools if they are going to demonstrate <em style="border: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">successfully </em>their learning. I think that exploration of tech tools is a great thing and that students should be given opportunities to try different tools, even if the teacher doesn’t always know how to use that tool themselves. This is learning. However, I worry that teachers we sometimes ask students to demonstrate learning using a medium they don't know and we give an unfair advantage to some over others. Consider a situation where we ask students to demonstrate their learning in a video and then evaluate that video as evidence of learning. This can be problematic: did the teacher instruct about how to create a good video? What are the evaluation criteria? I worry that the slickest video will get high marks, even if it’s not based a deeper understanding. </span><span style="font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">This isn’t necessarily a new problem — many students have learned how to create good looking posters or presentations, but the content was cut and pasted from the internet. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been learning how to help teachers use technology to effectively assess and evaluate student work, promoting a deeper understanding of material. We need to ensure that teachers are giving students opportunities to demonstrate their learning in creative ways, using technology, but with guidance and feedback. I think it’s important to ensure that teachers understand things like the TPACK model in order to use tech mindfully.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBfazTalOtiKpfhyphenhyphendSz6Dz7zSQ_fZA_v1TG5cFSYuG8sR2kgva2yb8ChV0bJ3vSBNRO3OpRLI402mMD6oeP5JiIDRcLGXJ52Cdfxl3UbFJ3OZ1D8qAIIoGievQLEhv3Lm0xIiVdF1ysNL/s1600/TPACK-new.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBfazTalOtiKpfhyphenhyphendSz6Dz7zSQ_fZA_v1TG5cFSYuG8sR2kgva2yb8ChV0bJ3vSBNRO3OpRLI402mMD6oeP5JiIDRcLGXJ52Cdfxl3UbFJ3OZ1D8qAIIoGievQLEhv3Lm0xIiVdF1ysNL/s1600/TPACK-new.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #46433a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"As the literacies that kids bring into our classroom change (alongside the literacies that they need in order to be productive and competitive in the world outside of school), there is a very real pressure to make sure that what we teach is relevant and helps to push them to develop the skills to be self-directed, ubiquitous learners" (Kadjer, 2007, 229).</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #46433a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today's students are pretty tech savvy; is your classroom tech savvy, too? Is your tech use pedagogically sound? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><u>References:</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Imperatore, C. (2009). "Wikis and Blogs: Your Keys to Student Collaboration and Engagement." www.acteonline.org.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kajder, Sarah. B. (2007). "Unleashing Potential with Emerging Technologies." <i>Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice</i>. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. pp. 214-229.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Richardson, Will (2010). <i>Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Webtools for Classrooms</i>. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.</span></div>
bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-541722633761385832014-03-18T21:57:00.001-04:002014-03-18T21:58:49.641-04:00What Does it Mean to Understand?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Saad Faruque</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ellin Oliver Keene brings students to life in her writing: a seven year old, Jamika, prompted her book when she queried:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“All my life, there’s just one thing I don’t ever understand. Y’all always say that – does this book make sense? … Ms. McKin, she say, ‘Jamika, does that book make sense to you, you feel like y’all are understanding that book, because you know the most important thing about books is they got to make sense to you.’ … But, none a y’all ever say what make sense mean.” (Keene, <i>To Understand</i> 2-3)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ellin Oliver Keene's book, <i>To Understand: New Horizons in Reading Comprehension</i>, and the chapter in <i>Adolescent Literacy</i> endeavour to explain the notion of "understanding" - or what it means to make sense - and the role this plays in education. Keene offers a short, “graduate school” answer: “Jamika, comprehension occurs when the reader constructs meaning in a way that combines his or her schemata with the author’s intended message, deriving a unique interpretation” (<i>To Understand </i>3). But, she also presents a more structured theory which she calls the "Dimensions of Understanding" that goes beyond simple interpretations of comprehension (that is, retelling, answering questions, learning new vocabulary, scoring well on a test, or completing a project).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Dimensions of Understanding</b>: </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"When we understand we...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...concentrate intensively.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...dwell in ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...struggle for insight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...manipulate our own thoughts to understand more completely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...explore as renaissance learners.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...discuss, engaging in rigorous discourse about ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...create models to help us remember.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...feel because our experience is enriched when we have emotional connections." ("The Essence of Understanding", 35). </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keene also highlights the role of metacognition in this process of understanding and stresses the importance of helping students find their inner voice to help them think as they work to understand ideas. The inclusion of student voices throughout her writing (much as Kylene Beers and Janet Allen consistently do), helps bring the texts to life, providing examples of the theory in practice. She also makes the important connection between student engagement and understanding, as she began her chapter in <i>Adolescent Literacy</i> with an anecdote where teachers were observing highly engaged students. Keene asks, "In our classrooms, do we create the kind of conditions (topics we explore, physical environment, assignments, materials, discussions) that promote these dimensions? ("The Essence of Understanding", 34).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fundamental to Keene's thinking is the idea that all kids have immense intellectual potential. Keene challenges educators to shift their “thinking about the depth and breadth of children’s thinking” and “understand how children’s capacity for thinking is nearly limitless if we create the learning conditions to support it, if we provide a language to define and describe thinking” (<i>To Understand</i> 245). The argument seems fairly simple: be clear about learning goals, have high expectations, and feed children’s innate curiosity to encourage deep, reflective, valued, engaged learning that is intrinsically motivated and therefore rewarding. It’s the epitome of “lifelong learning”, which many of us strive to engage in our learners. Of course, answering this challenge is the difficult part. Keene’s texts provides detailed ways to achieve these goals, using the words of learners and educators alike.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWkucOKQedGf768ukwpQQZqj3Qmt6aXZBQIrvjmiuiHh-YHXarHzYTSKaB93TfwviLoeYQwGHtplD5ylsCtDG1iiwd8G-qLrFnLLoNJMndnDiMXFRYKgqEI6XDBxfjwi7kdobY1gEjZ61/s1600/to+understand+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWkucOKQedGf768ukwpQQZqj3Qmt6aXZBQIrvjmiuiHh-YHXarHzYTSKaB93TfwviLoeYQwGHtplD5ylsCtDG1iiwd8G-qLrFnLLoNJMndnDiMXFRYKgqEI6XDBxfjwi7kdobY1gEjZ61/s1600/to+understand+cover.jpg" height="200" width="159" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>To Understand</i> builds on previous works (such as the dimensions presented in the chapter in <i>Adolescent Literacy</i>) and seeks to provide models for professionals to build a program for developing understanding. In the end, four main ideas stand out, all of which are supported by the Ontario Curriculum and <i>Growing Success:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Focus on what’s important (What matters most?).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Use research-based teaching and learning strategies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Teach essential concepts over a long period of time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Give students numerous opportunities to apply these concepts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I strongly recommend Keene's book to further explore the idea of understanding, especially as it develops the dimensions further and places them in a context of high expectations and life-long learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“This is a book about what it means to understand. It is about how we use books and language to discover, alongside children, the power of the human intellect. It is about focusing on what matters most in literacy teaching rather than teaching a little of this, a little of that, until we’ve squandered every opportunity for children to explore ideas in depth. It is about learning from intellectual mentors whose lives provide insight and direction for a nation of young scholars. This book is about capturing the essence of understanding and bringing it to life in our own and our children’s hearts and minds. This book is about what it means to understand.” (<i>To Understand </i>19)</span></blockquote>
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<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">References:</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Keene, Ellin Oliver (2008). <i>To Understand: New Horizons in Reading Comprehension</i>. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Keene, Ellin Oliver (2007). "The Essence of Understanding." <i>Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice.</i> Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.</span><br />
<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-43733190249807531492014-03-04T21:57:00.003-05:002014-03-04T21:58:49.788-05:00Diagnostic Assessments in Literacy<br />
I have been working with a great group of teachers lately - our Section 23 teachers, who are responsible for programs which operate in non-traditional settings to service kids who are in group homes, expelled/suspended students, students in a residential rehab centre, etc. Often, the students in these settings are with the staff for a short period of time and as such, the teachers need to quickly determine strengths, needs and next steps.<br />
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"...teachers in the school communicate with one another and with the administration to ensure, first, that literacy data gathering is both consistent across the school and/or board<br />
and appropriate for the students’ literacy needs, and second, that assessment results are used on a school-wide and/or board-wide basis to help students achieve success in meeting the goals of the ... literacy program." (Ministry of Education, 2006).</blockquote>
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We came together with the goal of creating common "intake" assessments in literacy, math, social-emotional health. In literacy, we settled on a portfolio approach to a student's time in a given program: a student would complete a diagnostic assessment, complete some targeted work to either gain credits (perhaps ILC work, or school work sent from their "home" school) or to improve their literacy skills, and then the student would complete an exit assessment (which essentially is a repeat of the diagnostic to determine what changes had occurred). The portfolio of work would accompany the student as part of their transition to their next school.<br />
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The Ministry document, <i>A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades 4 to 6, Volume 2: Assessment </i>outlines the key purpose of assessment in literacy:<br />
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"Assessment supports and furthers the broad goals of literacy instruction, which are to enable each student:<br />
• to become a strategic reader, writer, and oral communicator;<br />
• to expand thinking skills (including metacognitive and critical-literacy skills), developing the necessary habits of mind;<br />
• to deepen the motivation to learn;<br />
• to develop independence as a learner."</blockquote>
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One of the key challenges for these teachers is determining the appropriate grade level of work to assign students - where to start! In order to provide appropriate academic supports, the teachers recognized the need to identify not only their academic strengths and weaknesses, but also their social-emotional well-being, likes and dislikes. For the literacy assessment, we decided to focus on a mix of formats (online, written, oral), the reading skills of fluency and comprehension, and a written paragraph response.<br />
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<h3>
The Literacy Diagnostic Assessment/ In-take:</h3>
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQnaiN-DFYbu8IwYVgZUwW5QeJBqKDF2o4ZW8zmEKqf90o_FBt8_ps1jsj1rkPrQOLEs7F6gAqBf6MuCzIk1VUEz-aPHP_ynegTdft3ZObOklub8h3RAuTH2nOm7YNdrekLShEhGZyrRK/s1600/literacy+diagnostic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQnaiN-DFYbu8IwYVgZUwW5QeJBqKDF2o4ZW8zmEKqf90o_FBt8_ps1jsj1rkPrQOLEs7F6gAqBf6MuCzIk1VUEz-aPHP_ynegTdft3ZObOklub8h3RAuTH2nOm7YNdrekLShEhGZyrRK/s1600/literacy+diagnostic.png" height="295" width="320" /></a>Step 1: Self-Administered Questionnaire</h4>
Google Form (pen and paper OR can be done on computer) <br />
<ul>
<li>Rationale: to determine students' likes and dislikes in reading and writing; to determine what kind of computer skills a student possesses (students would need to log in to the UG Cloud to complete the task, although paper copies will also be available).</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Step 2: Oral / One-on-One Conference</h4>
a) <a href="http://facstaff.bloomu.edu/dwalker/Documents/San%20Diego%20Quick%20Assessment.pdf" target="_blank">San Diego Quick Assessment of Reading Ability </a>: test of fluency/ vocabulary out of context to quickly determine a suggested reading grade level. Plus, since it's a one-on-one conference,<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
b) <a href="http://www.sonoma.edu/users/n/nickel/463/what.is.miscue.analysis.pdf" target="_blank">Miscue Analysis</a> - readings provided in <i>Ontario Comprehension Assessment </i>(OCA) Student Success, Grades 9 & 10 kits</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The Student Success kit provides both an explanation and readings to help beginning teachers complete a miscue analysis. Starting with the grade level indicated by the SDQAR, teachers determine which grade level reading (between grades 4-10) to conduct the miscue analysis. Essentially, teachers are able to use a system of symbols to codify a reading as the student reads out loud. For more information, check out the video below (ignore the crazy dog pictures!):</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wL7zC6mbzEY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
Step 3: Independent Tasks</h4>
</div>
a) Reading Comprehension - OCA kits, Student Success (gr 4 to 8), gr. 9 & 10<br />
<ul>
<li>Reading level Selections (Laminated, included in kit) assess pre-reading , during reading and after reading strategies. The skills assessed include making predictions, identifying main ideas/ supporting details, inference/ drawing conclusions, supporting an opinion, and metacognition.</li>
<li>The success criteria and rubrics are embedded in the test to help guide students. Exemplars provided by the publisher, Pearson, and moderated marking of practice tests is part of the training of teachers. </li>
</ul>
<b><i><a href="http://www.pearsoncanadaschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PS1zOw&PMDbSiteId=2621&PMDbSolutionId=25862&PMDbSubSolutionId=&PMDbCategoryId=25873&PMDbSubCategoryId=26107&PMDbSubjectAreaId=&PMDbProgramId=53503" target="_blank">Pearson's Explanation of the Kits: </a></i></b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"This resource links assessment to explicit reading strategy and skills instruction. Fully aligned with Ontario's key literacy documents, this resource:<br />
<ul>
<li>Provides feedback on student use of comprehension strategies identified in <i>Think Literacy: Cross Curricular Approaches 7-12</i></li>
<li>Aligns with the Achievement Chart categories and Language Arts/ English curriculum</li>
<li>Aligns with the OSSLT by assessing literal thinking, inferential thinking and making connections</li>
<li>Links assessment with "next steps" instruction, including specific links to Literacy in Action 7 & 8</li>
<li>Helps teachers link assessment to explicit reading strategy and skills instruction"</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-LVLTcbzyLPExL2P_Azdf9QdxPpJOn_n_xvQjxLWxXzDMHq1DrclUhNtxC2xh9HNuV3W-7CVhT3JrBDyxPjSRt7s-TswF-SAsXB7dJ6TrqiWMtsKtLWV6KpYWohf07jZ3SEniWajTYRA/s1600/writing+task+diagnostic+assessment.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-LVLTcbzyLPExL2P_Azdf9QdxPpJOn_n_xvQjxLWxXzDMHq1DrclUhNtxC2xh9HNuV3W-7CVhT3JrBDyxPjSRt7s-TswF-SAsXB7dJ6TrqiWMtsKtLWV6KpYWohf07jZ3SEniWajTYRA/s1600/writing+task+diagnostic+assessment.png" height="320" width="276" /></a></div>
<div>
b) Writing Tasks </div>
<ul>
<li>short prompts / questions (provide choice) for paragraph</li>
<li>holistic rubric (main idea, supporting details, use of conventions)</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Exit Assessment</h4>
a) Re-administer Google Cloud questionnaire <br />
<br />
b) Re-administer San Diego Quick Assessment of Reading Ability<br />
<br />
c) Complete second OCA reading comprehension assessment <br />
<br />
d) Write another paragraph <br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<h4>
Next Steps:</h4>
The tools we opted to use are mostly Canadian and link particularly well to <i>Think Literacy </i>so that teachers have tools to address the needs of students. It is extremely important to include <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/teacher_moderation.pdf" target="_blank">moderated marking </a>of the OCA in the training of staff:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“When teachers work together to consider the work students have produced, or listen to their presentations or analyse their electronic projects and so on, they bring the collective wisdom of all the people in the group to the exercise. More eyes (and consequently more brains) result in more reliable determinations of what students understand.” (Earl in <i>Teacher Moderation</i>)</blockquote>
<br />
The rich conversations about what constitutes success at each level is extremely important for staff understanding of reading comprehension. Once our educators have had some time to work with the assessments, we will revise the process as necessary before sharing with other groups such as Essential level teachers.<br />
<br />
<u style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">References</u><span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat (2007). </span><span style="color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;"><i>Teacher Moderation: Collaborative Assessment of Student Work. </i>Capacity Building Series Monograph 2. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Ontario Ministry of Education (2006). </span><i style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades 4 to 6, Volume 2: Assessment. </i><span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Toronto: Queen's Printer.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Ontario Ministry of Education (2006). </span><i style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades 4 to 6, Volume 3: Planning and Classroom Management. </i><span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Toronto: Queen's Printer.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Tovani, Chris (2004). </span><i style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? Content Comprehension Grades 6-12</i><span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">. Markham: Pembroke. pp 89-116.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Upper Grand DSB. (2003). </span><i style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">Blueprint for Literacy: A Handbook of Effective Teaching Practices.</i><br />
<br /></div>
bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-68083103896861499902014-03-01T13:33:00.002-05:002014-03-01T13:33:55.548-05:00Leadership in Literacy: Coaching in Secondary Schools as a Response to Professional Learning<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00AQl9apKGiIvbzc7PonjF6QWCixHrJ3PO9-ky7heUpZX8RJS8vwG323trVPBTI_lH2dO6tNv3di6HxvZNlRc_e9L2Ktfx4J3hohf4RATtc8ikmaxVhinZux4X5oiYhWFAY9no7Q3NZr2/s1600/Erin-20131011-00030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00AQl9apKGiIvbzc7PonjF6QWCixHrJ3PO9-ky7heUpZX8RJS8vwG323trVPBTI_lH2dO6tNv3di6HxvZNlRc_e9L2Ktfx4J3hohf4RATtc8ikmaxVhinZux4X5oiYhWFAY9no7Q3NZr2/s1600/Erin-20131011-00030.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EDHS Staff engaged in conversation on a fall PD Day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Do teachers have a moral obligation to engage in
professional learning? Should schools have a moral and intellectual
responsibility to learn from other schools and agencies and to contribute what
they know to others?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fundamentally, I would say that yes, teachers have an
obligation to be engaged in their own learning – I would argue this is a
measure what it means to be a “professional”; that is, rather than a <i>moral</i> obligation, teachers have a <i>professional </i>obligation to understand
current pedagogy. I also believe that teachers need to be provided ample time,
opportunity, and structures to allow for meaningful professional learning in
order to share “effective practice”. School and board leaders have
a responsibility to not only provide these opportunities, but also to cultivate
a system culture that encourages learning for all – staff and students alike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Framing the Problem for Secondary Schools in Ontario: “The
Applied Strategy”</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is much concern about <u>EQAO OSSLT</u> data showing a
widening gap in achievement between students in Academic classes and students
in Applied classes, English as a Second Language/ English Language Development
classes, and identified students. The
five-year trend shows that, despite best efforts to close the gap, only English
Language Learners are showing some improvement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 6.0pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-border-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-insideh: 1.0pt solid black; mso-border-insidev: 1.0pt solid black; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; width: 673px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 120.5pt;" valign="top" width="201"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 6.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Program of
Study <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2008-09<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2009-10<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2010-11<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2011-12<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2012-13<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.7pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 22.7pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 120.5pt;" valign="top" width="201"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 6.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Academic <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 22.7pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">96%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 22.7pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">95%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 22.7pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">95%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 22.7pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">93%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 22.7pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">94%</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 120.5pt;" valign="top" width="201"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 6.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Applied <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">62%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">60%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">55%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">53%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">51%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 120.5pt;" valign="top" width="201"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 6.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Students with Special Needs (excl.
gifted)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">55%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">54%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">52%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">52%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">51%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 120.5pt;" valign="top" width="201"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 6.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ESL/ELD <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">66%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">63%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">68%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">66%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 6.0pt 0cm 6.0pt; width: 2.0cm;" width="95"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">72%<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Board level data also reveal similar trends and therefore concern for achievement in
Applied classes; in our school board, many students in our Applied classes do
not experience the same levels of success as their Academic level counterparts.
While many students in Applied classes gain credits, many of these students are achieving
success at level 1 or 2, which means they enter College level classes at a
disadvantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Ministry of Education has explicitly expressed their
concerns about course achievement data as well: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“2009-10 OnSIS data indicates that mark distribution and
pass rates are not evenly and uniformly distribute between Academic and Applied
course types. Students in Applied courses who failed courses with grades below
40% constituted 11% of the student population in these courses, while only 3%
of students in the Academic course types received similar grades. Conversely,
38% of students in Academic course types had grades higher than 80%, while only
15% of those in Applied course types had a similarly successful outcome.” </span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">School boards are to address the gap by creating an “Applied
Strategy”. <i>So, what might improve
adolescent literacy in Ontario’s secondary schools (especially for those not
experiencing high levels of achievement)? </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some of the effective literacy practices, which I would
argue, should be part of the “Applied Strategy”:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 38.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>All staff
need to identify as teachers of literacy</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>Shared
language and practices</b> in a school (perhaps even school board) – for
example, the use of a writing strategy for paragraphs that is named, visible,
and taught by all staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b>Direct
support </b>for students who struggle – for example, through the use of
assistive technologies, such as <i>Google
Read and Write</i>; withdrawal for students who need extra one-on-one
assistance; and scaffolded practices including shared and guided reading with
appropriate texts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>Focus <b>Professional
Learning Communities</b> in schools to address one or two school-wide or
board-wide goals; use the Professional Learning Cycle (similar to the Teaching-Learning
Critical Pathway in elementary) to plan, act, reflect and observe changes in
practice that meet student needs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>Use <b>Literacy
Coaches</b> in secondary schools to develop a culture of learning and
reflection for staff. Literacy Coaches
support staff to match the right instructional strategy with the right
instructional material to support student success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 38.4pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“When coaching is part of a coordinated and
interdisciplinary literacy program, all of these educators can work together to
create the real changes needed to support all struggling students.” (Egawa 296)
</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Literacy Coaching in Ontario Secondary Schools: Why and How</span></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A respectful and collegial approach to professional learning: teachers are empowered to pursue their professional learning in a non-evaluative environment. Teachers are encouraged to be reflective of their own practice while being supportive of their colleagues in their learning. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Teachers become metacognitive about their own content area reading practices, which in turn helps teachers more explicitly teach their students these strategies (Egawa 299). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Coaches need to be highly knowledgeable of effective literacy and assessment practices, skillful in facilitating adults in learning and self-reflection (which includes the skills of listening and presenting), and able to effectively model practices in classrooms (which therefore includes the ability to easily connect with students) (Egawa 301).</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Roland Barth’s research suggests that “the relationships
among the adults in a school have a greater influence on the character and
quality of that school and on student accomplishment than anything else.”
(Egawa 300). Thus, the need for collegiality is paramount: administrators and
teachers need to be lead learners in their building, willing to take risks and
admit that they may not know the answer to something.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Teachers are encouraged to set meaningful goals – based on
student needs – to expand their pedagogical knowledge. Teachers become engaged
in job-embedded learning (the TLCP or PLCs): they are constantly collecting
student data, analyzing it to determine next steps, researching best practices
to close gaps, trying new ideas and then reflecting on the process. When
teachers engage in this process in a collaborative inquiry, the learning can be
even more impactful as best practice will spread across a school or a system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Richard Allington’s work describes what he calls “Good
teachers, effective teachers,” as those who “manage to produce better
achievement regardless of which curriculum materials, pedagogical approach, or
reading program is selected”. Allington further describes a few key practices of
effective teachers, which he codifies as the 6 T’s:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>TIME:</b> About half of class time is dedicated to
reading and writing. Extensive reading and extensive practice of reading
strategies is imperative; instructional planning accounted for a scaffolded
approach using guided and independent reading opportunities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> <b>
</b></span><!--[endif]--><b>TEXTS:</b> Appropriate texts are readily available.
“Students need enormous quantities of successful reading to become independent,
proficient readers.” Students need multiple opportunities to “perform with a
high level of reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension”; students need
books that are appropriate to the level at which they read (not necessarily the
grade level they are in). Students are motivated to read by success with texts
they can read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>TEACH:</b> Instruction is carefully planned and is
direct. “Exemplary teachers routinely offered direct, explicit demonstrations
of the cognitive strategies used by good readers when they read. In other
words, they modeled the thinking that skilled readers engage while they attempt
to decode a word, self-monitor for understanding, summarize while reading, or
edit when composing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> <b>
</b></span><!--[endif]--><b>TALK: </b>Students are provided multiple
opportunities to talk – to other students, to teachers (and now, to others via
the internet) – about reading. Talk is purposeful, structured, meaningful,
varied, and relevant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>TASKS:</b> Teachers focus on high-level thinking
tasks which require student choice and are sustained projects over time. This
is turn fostered student engagement with the material.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>TEST: </b>Achievement and grades are based on
high-performance and a demonstration of growth rather than best performances
getting the best grades. Teachers need to know their students and evaluate the
growth of students based on clearly stated criteria (usually provided in a
rubric). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also significant to what Allington observed was the role of professional learning. Much of the district-wide learning and initiatives were not instrumental in the growth of these exemplary teachers. Instead, “most credited other exemplary teachers for supporting and encouraging them to become better teachers and to assume greater professional responsibility for the success of their students. These teachers seemed to understand that personal professional responsibility rested on the fact that they chose how to teach, what to teach, and with what sorts of curricular materials and tasks” (Allington). This self-direction in professional learning is fundamental to the culture of a school; staff need to be encouraged to experiment with instructional practices and assessment strategies to determine what will promote student success. <br /><br />Similarly, school and system leaders need to foster system-level solutions to provide opportunities for professional learning.</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>References:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Allington, Richard. 2002. “The Six Ts of Effective
Elementary Literacy Instruction.” <i>Reading
Rockets</i>. http://www.readingrockets.org/article/96.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Egawa, Kathryn. “Five Things You Need to Know About Literacy
Coaching in Middle and High Schools.” <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into
Practice</span></i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">. Eds. Kyleene Beers,
Robert E. Probst, Linda Rief. Pp 295-302.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat (June 2008).
“Teaching-Learning Critical Pathway.” Capacity Building Series #6. <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/teaching_learning.pdf">http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/teaching_learning.pdf</a></span></span>bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-89402000003287464182014-02-26T19:57:00.002-05:002014-02-26T19:57:44.899-05:00Word Nerds Unite! Vocabulary Instruction in Secondary Schools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv0BoMsq9isN2H8mmAWFkpMzPWyGxRWeGlGLvtdbjlgkfJRAcDlqtMpAu7r5CUlSzOwz2Z0QWDKVtRe6uEdhUHxLTyVfxQj_jNOm8EFDLw1LCTEXxK746h4M8rmLEeYUkt4HyCMADHtnX/s320/apostrophe-bad-grammar-011.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent and our language — so the argument runs — must inevitably share in the general collapse. It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism, like preferring candles to electric light or hansom cabs to aeroplanes. Underneath this lies the half-conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes." ― George Orwell, <i><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/Politics_and_the_English_Language-1.pdf" target="_blank">Politics and the English Language</a></i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
So wrote Orwell in 1946. Could you imagine what Orwell might say in the age of instant messages, text messages, emoticons, and Twitter? Actually, Orwell might have liked Twitter, as he argued for brevity, and careful use of the English language, as his 6 rules illustrate:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.<br />
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.<br />
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.<br />
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.<br />
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.<br />
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous. (Orwell, 1946)</blockquote>
Many teachers today lament the decline of the English language; but, as educators, are we prepared to take action? It's not enough to cringe at the sight of a misplaced apostrophe or the sound of a mispronounced word. <b>Just as I believe that every teacher is a teacher of reading, I believe that every teacher is a teacher of vocabulary.</b><br />
<br />
An excellent American educator, author, and recent workshop presenter at the <i>Reading for the Love of It Conference</i> in Toronto, <a href="http://www.janetallen.org/" target="_blank">Janet Allen</a>, has taken up the torch and is willing to shine a light on vocabulary instruction. Similar to Orwell, Allen recognizes that "language is power, and those who can use language effectively have an advantage over those who can't or don't" (2007, 102). Moreover, Allen argues that<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...our goal as educators has to include making sure students have access to the words for speaking and writing. This belief that we are teaching content for transfer's sake rather than content for content's sake will influence every instructional decision..." (2007, 102)</blockquote>
I've always struggled with vocabulary building in the classroom; I'm often left wondering if my disjointed application of word games and strategies works, because, like Allen posits, I don't see the transfer of new words to students' vocabularies. Interestingly, I wonder if I was more successful in this transfer of skill outside of the English classroom: I'm thinking back to lessons in my Canadian Law classes when I spent considerable time helping students decode the language (which relies heavily on Latin). My students were able to integrate phrases like <i>actus reus</i> and <i>mens rea</i> into their vocabulary during the course; my hope is that when they see these phrases in news articles about Canadian criminal law, they'll recognize them. Allen confirms, for me, the idea that we have to include vocabulary comprehension in all subject areas: "Teaching vocabulary is teaching new labels for known or familiar concepts; teaching concepts is teaching students about something for which they currently have little or no understanding or familiarity" (Allen, 2007, 92).<br />
<br />
<img height="320" src="http://ecampus.boisestate.edu/students/files/2013/04/NetGrammar.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<h3>
What to do?</h3>
<br />
Allen suggests, in her workshop (and readings below), four comprehensive vocabulary programs to help students build vocabulary, in all of their classes, regardless of subject (often, to prove her point, she uses science and history examples).<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>foster word consciousness: for example, use word walls (and have students keep their own version in their notebooks); </li>
<li>teach individual words (aim for ~350 new words a year): take 5 minutes during class to teach "stopper" words, or words that student will struggle with</li>
<li>teach strategies to learn new words independently: explicitly model how to use context clues -look for local context (inside the word with roots, prefixes, suffixes), brain/ background knowledge, use sentence context, and then global context (meaning everywhere else in the text).</li>
<li>increase the amount of reading</li>
</ol>
<br />
These four practices are fairly straightforward and present a viable solution to Allen's (and Orwell's) assertion that "vocabulary instruction is at least one of those foundational practices that continues to fall short of meeting its goal: producing students who can read, write, and communicate effectively because they have access to a large reservoir of words" (Allen, 2007, 88). It is certainly possible to not only improve our vocabulary instruction in schools, but also to create the delight that comes from word play and the understanding of complex texts. Students love the playfulness that can be generated through word of the day challenges or word games at the start of a class.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>References</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Allen, J. (2014). "What gets in the Way of Success in Reading?" Workshop at <i>Reading for the Love of It Conference</i>. Feb. 20, 2014.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Allen, J. (2007). “Mastering the Art of Effective Vocabulary Instruction” </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice. </span></i><span style="font-size: x-small;">K. Beers, R.E. Probst, L. Rief, Eds. pp. 87-104.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Allen, J. (2000). <i>Yellow Brick Roads: Shared and Guided Paths to Independent Reading 4-12</i>. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Markham: Pembroke Publishers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Allen, J. (1999). <i>Words, words, words: Teaching vocabulary in grades 4-12</i>. Markham: Pembroke Publishers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Orwell, G. (1946). </span><i style="font-size: small;">Politics and the English Language</i><span style="font-size: x-small;">. Access Feb. 26 </span><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/Politics_and_the_English_Language-1.pdf" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/Politics_and_the_English_Language-1.pdf </a>bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-45611003688542499242014-02-23T21:22:00.000-05:002014-02-23T21:23:25.196-05:00Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom<br />
Too many assumptions exist about graphic texts and comics; chief amongst them is the belief that the texts are low-level vocabulary and content which are best for reluctant readers. Many of today's graphic novels test that belief as they are rich, sophisticated texts which challenge readers intellectually, emotionally, and as readers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoZSx_tXx6CqjhxIKYEvH6KdvKL65ym45cwgNXIaepg4t8Ko7FMyHKSQn2XMfsD0OQVWVITGjODUYIDnI1UqPGS2X5Y-N-x7e0A_8b5eXtfj_FcEBEOrKDkofOc8U2fddIMgauC4kCMEE/s1600/reading+comics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoZSx_tXx6CqjhxIKYEvH6KdvKL65ym45cwgNXIaepg4t8Ko7FMyHKSQn2XMfsD0OQVWVITGjODUYIDnI1UqPGS2X5Y-N-x7e0A_8b5eXtfj_FcEBEOrKDkofOc8U2fddIMgauC4kCMEE/s1600/reading+comics.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
J.B. Carter writes to clarify misconceptions around using graphic novels in the classroom - mainly that they are intended for younger audiences or only reluctant readers. Instead, Carter points out that they are complex, rich texts which need careful consideration for use in the classroom. And while yes, some reluctant readers and some boys might be more likely to read these texts (as suggested in the Ontario Ministry of Education's <i>Me Read? And How!</i>), graphic novels are an "art form" which have appeal to a multitude of readers. Likewise, Teri Lesesne suggests that the graphic element is especially appealing to teens, as evidenced by the fact that there is a wealth of titles in Young Adult literature (65). Both point out that graphic texts - like all texts - need to be seamlessly integrated into classrooms in appropriate contexts.<br />
<br />
Carter cites the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the "need for authentic reading and writing experiences, textual investigations that help bridge the gap between the school world and the lived world, between narrow notions of what it means to be literate and broad notions of what it means to actually succeed as an intelligent adult in contemporary society." Graphic texts may do this for some audiences. <i>But, as with any text, appropriate selection and instruction must occur. </i>Many students - especially reluctant readers - have little experience with the complex conventions and themes of many graphic novels. Lesesne argues that the "visual scaffolds are the hook they need to enjoy the reading experince" (67), acting as an entry point to explicit instruction in visual and/or media literacy. Schwartz is cited by Lesesne:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Graphic novels offer value, variety, and a new medium for literacy that acknowledges the impact of visuals. These novels appearl to young people, are useful across the curriculum, and offer diverse alternatives to traditional texts as well as other media." (67)</blockquote>
Teachers must choose texts based on their students' readiness, appropriateness of content for the curriculum and the school community. I particularly like using graphic novels in Literature Circles, especially in other subject areas such as Native Studies (especially the senior courses). After students are introduced to the conventions of the text and the format of Lit Circles, they are free to read the text in order to understand the deeper meaning of the text. In Native Studies, this is especially useful for exploring sensitive topics which better deserve an emotional or personalized approach, such as residential schooling. Students respond to the graphics as well as the stories on an emotional as well as an intellectual level, which is an important component of the issues around residential schools.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Graphic Novels to explore Native Studies (click on the links for video book trailers):</h3>
Brown, C. (2003). <i>Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography</i>. Drawn and Quarterly.<br />
<br />
Dembicki, M., Editor. (2010). <i>Trickster: Native American Tales</i>. Fulcrum Publishing.<br />
<br />
Hill, G. (2010). <i>The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book</i>. Arsenal Pulp Press.<br />
<br />
Robertson, D. A. & S.B. Henderson. (2012). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcsjANq0oJI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUOJKSOg1pUOh78Sr9iBrHkw" target="_blank"><i>7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga</i></a>, Winnipeg: Highwater Press.<br />
<br />
Robertson, D. A. & S.B. Henderson. (2012). <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOj7du09nec&feature=c4-overview&list=UUOJKSOg1pUOh78Sr9iBrHkw" target="_blank">Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story.</a></i> Winnipeg: Highwater Press.<br />
<br />
Robertson, D. A. <i>The Life of Helen Betty Osborne: A Graphic Novel</i>. Winnipeg: Highwater Press.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
Wright-McLeod, B. (2011). <i>Red Power. </i>Fifth House Publishers.</div>
</div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uXo8n1u0nvX25TyeIHdAifeKxmO-X_hmmkhyMfSaAj_zz3nv76XdRJ_Savf9DJU-5LCgpkMH0aXlUc9xOBp99PrrYMJ_VSiogdFwKkzTo_lpgmuLb669Rsz2-zx1Y2Jb2P8C6It9yq74/s1600/7+generations.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uXo8n1u0nvX25TyeIHdAifeKxmO-X_hmmkhyMfSaAj_zz3nv76XdRJ_Savf9DJU-5LCgpkMH0aXlUc9xOBp99PrrYMJ_VSiogdFwKkzTo_lpgmuLb669Rsz2-zx1Y2Jb2P8C6It9yq74/s1600/7+generations.png" height="245" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of excerpt from 7 Generations courtesy Portage & Main Press</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<u>References:</u><br />
<br />
Carter, J.B. (March 2009). “Going Graphic.” <i>Educational Leadership</i>. Vol. 66. No. 6.<br />
<a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Going-Graphic.aspx">http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Going-Graphic.aspx</a>. pp. 68-73.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Lesesne, T.S. (2007). “Of Times, Teens, and Books.” <i>Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice</i>. K. Beers, R.E. Probst, L. Rief, Eds. pp. 61-79.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2009). <i>Me Read? And How! Ontario teachers report on how to improve boys’ literacy skills.</i> Queen's Printer for Ontario.<i> </i></div>
</div>
bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-25919923442890212922014-02-09T22:17:00.000-05:002014-02-09T22:17:16.045-05:00Literacy in the 21st CenturyWell, it's 2014. Isn't it time to make the shift to a 21st century framework in our education system? Just what is 21st century learning? Fundamentally, I believe it's a pedagogical shift of thinking that prioritizes <i>learning</i> over teaching. Our system has been undergoing this change for some time, but it's still glacially slow, especially at system levels.<br />
<br />
Much of the groundwork is being laid by classroom teachers and is often led by technological innovation. My concerns about 21st century learning are generally twofold: as someone who believes that all teachers are teachers of literacy, I want to ensure that we do not lose the significant gains made in literacy in Ontario. More teachers believe that they bear responsibility for teaching literacy today than they did 10 years ago. Secondly, we have great opportunities with new technologies as many teachers are re-engaged in professional learning (especially after a rough year with the government last year) and are keen to experiment in their classrooms with tools that promote creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and above all, changes that empower student voice and choice.<br />
<br />
<h3>
What is 21st century learning?</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfzXZsR4mGGDGut1Xo-IT3EIn6HQAPniztjxn9BUZ94jYNxtAA9RFeNRAFztYA8mb0Y6TuoSsqF4snDxgOhu9kbXIfcPgAeigR8nlabQV0_mhnx1PzTO7SQMSS7JWRFDY21u35IdAI6g6/s1600/iAmADream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfzXZsR4mGGDGut1Xo-IT3EIn6HQAPniztjxn9BUZ94jYNxtAA9RFeNRAFztYA8mb0Y6TuoSsqF4snDxgOhu9kbXIfcPgAeigR8nlabQV0_mhnx1PzTO7SQMSS7JWRFDY21u35IdAI6g6/s1600/iAmADream.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Ontario Minister of Education's Student Advisory Committee, August 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
With the re-vamping of the <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/HOME/index.html" target="_blank">EduGAINS website</a> (re-launched this past January), the Ontario Ministry of Education's <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/21stCenturyLearning/index.html" target="_blank">21st Century Learning</a> branch officially launched an online presence, but it's still a little light on substance, <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/21stCenturyLearning/about_learning_in_ontario.html" target="_blank">citing a continuation of the consultation process it began in 2010</a>.<br />
<br />
The Ministry does identify 4 areas of priority for 21st century learning:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>"<i>Engaging students</i> as partners in their own learning</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Harnessing the <i>capacity of technology</i> to engage learners and to optimize and amplify student learning and achievement</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Emphasizing and teaching important <i>higher-order skills</i> such as <i>critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurship</i></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Supporting educators in preparing our students for a <i>rapidly changing, technology-driven, globalized world</i>." [All text quoted directly; emphasis mine].</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<br />
Much of this clearly draws from Michael Fullan's <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/FullanReport_EN_07.pdf" target="_blank">Great to Excellent (2013) report</a>. As a "Special Advisor to the Premier" (note that this was former-premier, Dalton McGuinty), Fullan argues that "Six C's form the agenda: character, citizenship, communication, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and teamwork, and creativity and imagination" (8), which seems to be the basis for 21st century learning in Ontario. While the Ministry continues with the research and consultation phase, using the Fullan report's ideas, many school systems are already grappling with defining 21st century skills for themselves.<br />
<br />
<h3>
For me, a focus on literacy must be maintained. But, what is literacy in the 21st century?</h3>
<br />
In <i>Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice</i> (2007) from editors Kylene Beers, Robert E. Probst, and Linda Rief, we are offered a collection of essays that attempt to provide teachers of adolescents "an edited collection where many voices came together to explore the many facets of adlescent literacy: reading writing, motivation, young adult literature, vocabulary, comprehension, and assessment, to name a few" (xi).<br />
<br />
In her opening chapter, Beers presents a compelling argument about the changing nature of literacy, tracking different forms of literacy: such as <i>signature literacy</i> of the colonial era, to <i>recitational literacy</i> that characterized education through to the early modern era, to the emphasis on textual analysis that characterized the post-war to late 90s (7-8). Underlying the entire collection is the belief that 21st century learners are different and are a reflection of their times, in as much as students of previous times were a reflection of their times. Beers' acknowledges the role of Thomas Friedman's 2005 <i>The World is Flat</i> and Daniel Pink's <i>A Whole New Mind </i>(2006) in defining the skills that today's students need in the <i>conceptual age</i>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"making meaning and connections will be valued as will focusing on the multiple possibilities of any situation over seeking one solution. In this age, creative thinking will be the key to success. ... [I]n the flat world, producing, not consuming, information is the measure of success." (8)</blockquote>
<br />
Students are viewed as creators or producers of text. Nowhere is this more evident than in student use of technology; many students are engaging with texts <i>outside</i> of classrooms in ways that are more meaningful and more authentic to them. In all of her books, Beers excels at including students' voices, such as the student blogger engaged in environmental issues but failing English; my own observations reveal students independently creating blogs, fan-fiction, computer games, or complex digital tracking systems for hockey drafts and pools. I often try to remind myself to create these authentic tasks, but old patterns (and lesson plans) die hard. Change is slow. And improving EQAO scores and or even our own testing too often remains a goal of our classes; it's the old argument that we're preparing grade 10 Academic level students for university. Why don't we just focus on preparing students for the world rather than another system (university) within this world (and one which many will not attend)?<br />
<br />
Beers is pretty clear about the role of standardized testing in school improvement planning; what she labels <i>academic literacy</i>, or the literacy needed for school texts and tests, is of limited value to the students of today (6). Instead, she offers 4 areas of learning that are fundamental to academic achievement: digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication and high productivity.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmG2pu5HJKVAynFx__UsskdZdNCb0FTXwqlPwks8-4nOEnBGGrZUhNvGoAolg1cHNCmoN3CXQ9S4o-9vb5ovdqdELsa7XSoubfpdOVQcAEdrqyQWU1OO45vS1rtgDV7WkFgOv3tTAcbCM/s1600/21st+century+learning.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmG2pu5HJKVAynFx__UsskdZdNCb0FTXwqlPwks8-4nOEnBGGrZUhNvGoAolg1cHNCmoN3CXQ9S4o-9vb5ovdqdELsa7XSoubfpdOVQcAEdrqyQWU1OO45vS1rtgDV7WkFgOv3tTAcbCM/s1600/21st+century+learning.png" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Similar to Beers, Jim Burke draws on both Pink and Friedman extensively, using Friedman's argument that "a flat world is a competitive world in which, thanks to digitization and the Internet, work will increasingly go to the people with the best skills, who can do it with the necessary time constraints, for the best price, regardless of where they live (152). He provides his students with real world examples of this by bringing community members into his classroom to discuss the realities of literacy in their workdays. Burke uses Friedman's list of skills necessary in the flat world to generate his list of 21st century learning in which students will need to be:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>great collaborators and orchestrators: the ability to effectively combine different individual skill sets in any situation (be it with geographical, political, cultural, linguistic challenges) for the benefit of a team goal (153)</li>
<li>great synthesizers: "take the many (perspectives, texts, ideas) and synthesize them into one new idea and form that draws on all the others that came before it" (154)</li>
<li>great explainers: the ability to provide, with clarity and in specific contexts, explanations of complex processes and products (154-55)</li>
<li>great leveragers: "managing oneself despite a constantly evolving workplace that demands new skills and abilities from its workers" (155)</li>
<li>adaptors: given the changing demands of workplaces, this is the ability to adapt one's current skills and knowledge to meet the needs of different situations that will arise (156)</li>
<li>green people: the ability to think of inter-connected systems (as in nature) as well as those who will capitalize on the emerging opportunities in "bio-inspired solutions to our looming energy and environmental problems (Friedman in Burke, 157)</li>
<li>passionate personalizers: "the ability to take a basic service and transform it into something only they can do or that meets some local need the community has" (158)</li>
<li>great localizers: the ability to use global resources and technologies to create local solutions (159).</li>
</ul>
<br />
At the core of Burke's thinking are students: he is attempting to ensure that the skills taught in his high school English classes are relevant to both students and the community at large. I would argue that this is akin to Fullan's notion of citizenship. One of the clear functions of schools is to prepare our students for society; today, the notion of socialization is called character education or citizenship education, but the goals are the same: prepare students to be good citizens. Or as Burke frames it,<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"If Friedman's is a flat world, it is also a brave new world, one in which we are inextricably a part, and where success and well-being go to those who learn how to live in it despite its ever-changing demands."</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I share Kylene Beers' concerns for the students of today and hope to foster her vision of schools of the future:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Schooling is still primarily about teachers distributing information and then students giving it back. Some schools understand the importance of inquiry, the value of collaboration, the critical need for creating and questioning and wondering. They understand the learning potential when students self-select writing topics and reading material. They have come to appreciate the absolute necessity for using technology as a tool for learning and not an electronic workbook for remediation, the difference between writing as a way of understanding and writing as reporting, and the inescapable truth that the measure of success must be more than a single state-mandated, minimum-standards test." (11) </blockquote>
I believe in schools that are responsive to students' needs, that encourage student voice, that focus on critical and creative thinking while grounding everything in literacy (and numeracy for that matter), all while maintaining high expectations for students. I believe that this vision of schools needs to be collaboratively developed within school communities -- staff, students, parents/guardians, community members, administrators -- all have a responsibility in developing effective programming for students.<br />
<br />
I also believe we can deliver this in Ontario schools. Our teachers, administrators, board level staff -- and yes, I would even argue the Ministry of Education -- also believe in 21st century learning. And, while much of the innovation will continue to come from teachers' classrooms, soon some clarity of thinking and coherence of goals will need to come from people in leadership positions. As the Ministry shifts to K-12 models (which is well underway in the division responsible for literacy), systems have the opportunity to envision better ways of meeting student needs.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>References</u>:<br />
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Beers, Kylene. </span>(2007). <span style="text-indent: -18pt;">"Introduction" and "The Measure of Our Success." </span><i>Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice</i>. Eds. Kylene Beers, Robert E. Probst, and Linda Rief. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. pp. <span style="text-indent: -18pt;">ix-xvii and </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">pp.1-13.</span><br />
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<br />Burke, Jim. <span style="text-indent: 0px;">(2007). </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">“Teaching English Language Arts in a ‘Flat’ World.” </span><i style="text-indent: 0px;">Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice</i><span style="text-indent: 0px;">. Eds. Kylene Beers, Robert E. Probst, and Linda Rief. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> pp.149-165. </span><br />
<br />Fullan, Michael. <span style="text-indent: -18pt;">(2012)</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">. "Great to Excellent: Launching the Next Stage of Ontario's Education Agenda." Retrieved from <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/FullanReport_EN_07.pdf">http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/FullanReport_EN_07.pdf</a> .</span><br />
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bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-30917662282876051722014-02-06T19:52:00.000-05:002014-02-06T21:41:51.102-05:00Do You DI?<h3>
Why should you differentiate your instruction?</h3>
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In Ontario, differentiated instruction (DI) has been actively promoted by the Ministry of Education since 2007. The Ministry has advocated for the use of DI to "foster instructional, assessment and evaluation practices that support student engagement, learning and academic achievement for all students in Ontario schools". ("2011 DI in Action Survey" p2). Fundamental to the DI strategy in teacher learning was the intent to offer multiple opportunities for teachers to learn about DI (DI workshops, DI mentoring/coaching, online webinars, DI summer programs, DI brochures, and teaching/learning examples, many of which are available on <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/di2/index.html" target="_blank">the GAINS website</a>). </div>
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A 2011 survey conducted by the University of Ottawa revealed several interesting findings related to Ontario teachers' attitudes about DI:</div>
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<li>Teachers gave a very high rating to the statement, "Encouragement from school administration to try new practices or strategies" (Avg 4.06 out of 5)</li>
<li>Well over 80% of teachers either strongly agreed or agree with the statement, “I believe that by implementing DI, student engagement can be significantly improved.”</li>
<li>Some of the top professional learning strategies for implementing DI were identified as:<ul>
<li>Planning and teaching with a colleague focusing specifically on DI </li>
<li>Mentoring by a DI-knowledgeable colleague </li>
<li>Working with a DI-knowledgeable learning team facilitator </li>
<li>Co-assessing student work</li>
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<li>Although teachers felt confident and supported in implementing DI they indicated that developing DI practice requires time; </li>
<li>Most teachers are implementing elements of DI but some are unsure of the deeper implications and rationale for its use, and of its application to specific grades and/or subjects; misconceptions are evident.</li>
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As a result, the Ministry of Education concluded that school boards, administrators, and staff needed to continue their work by creating a deeper understanding of DI (with a particular focus on improving attitudes at the secondary level), which could happen by considering a range of professional learning approaches to promote and foster DI implementation. Additionally, I would argue that this study (along with others like it, such as the TLLP program), contributed to the current focus on job-embedded collaborative inquiry.</div>
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<a href="http://215.educircles.org/files/2010/11/me-read-and-how-cover-212x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://215.educircles.org/files/2010/11/me-read-and-how-cover-212x300.jpg" height="200" width="141" /></a><a href="http://www.modernhousedad.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_2033.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.modernhousedad.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_2033.png" height="200" width="140" /></a>I have been fortunate to participate in projects like those with GAINS and DI projects such as those initiated in boys' literacy research on best practice and published in <i><a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/meread_andhow.pdf" target="_blank">Me Read? (And How!)</a>. </i>Some of the best professional learning sessions I have attended were as a result of Ministry initiatives for cross-panel work involving these documents. <i>Me Read? And How!</i> was created as a direct response to <i><a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/meread/meread.pdf" target="_blank">Me Read? No Way!</a>; </i>both documents outline a variety of strategies and programs (much of which were about differentiation, before it was called DI) created by schools to respond to poor rates of literacy in boys.</div>
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"It is critical that we provide classroom experiences that respond to the interests, needs, and learning styles of all students, and that we explore ways to engage boys and girls equally as readers and writers." (<i>Me Read? No Way! </i>p.5)</blockquote>
Research has shown that differentiation works; students respond to an approach that takes their needs, interests, learning styles, and readiness into account.<br />
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"In a recent article entitled “What Students Want From Teachers” (2008), students identified what they needed in order to be engaged in the classroom. Their comments fell into the following categories (pp. 48–51):</blockquote>
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➔ Take me seriously<br />
➔ Challenge me to think<br />
➔ Nurture my self-respect<br />
➔ Show me I can make a difference<br />
➔ Let me do it my way<br />
➔ Point me toward my goals<br />
➔ Make me feel important<br />
➔ Build on my interests<br />
➔ Tap my creativity<br />
➔ Bring out my best self (as cited in <i>Me Read? And How! </i>p6)</blockquote>
Much of the above list speaks directly to the need to differentiate in order to engage the learner. In secondary schools, one of the biggest challenges is engaging the reluctant reader. It's so important to include their voice and choice when selecting texts for reading. In <i>Education for All</i>, teachers are reminded of the importance of differentiation for reading (especially for students with special needs):<br />
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<a href="http://www2.algonquincollege.com/elc/files/2012/05/New-Picture-10.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www2.algonquincollege.com/elc/files/2012/05/New-Picture-10.png" height="200" width="155" /></a>"The instruction that students with special needs receive may not be different in content from that of other students, but teachers may need to deliver that instruction with more support and guidance, with more intensity, and with more opportunities to facilitate growth." (p93)</blockquote>
Using research-based, high-yield instructional strategies has become the backbone of our board's BIPSA; ultimately, it's important that we are using the right strategies and interventions at the right time. To determine appropriate interventions and supports, assessment once again becomes so important for teachers. We need to ensure that we are constantly assessing for student growth.<br />
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"Effective teachers will, however, vary instructional strategies and methodologies to provide students with special needs with the increased intensity and duration of instruction they may require. At the same time, teachers need to keep all students engaged and active in the learning process". (<i>Education for All</i>, p 94).</blockquote>
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<u>References:</u></div>
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Ontario Ministry of Education (2009). <i>Me Read? And How! Ontario teachers report on how to improve boys’ literacy skills. </i>Queen's Printer for Ontario.</div>
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Ontario Ministry of Education (2004). <i>Me Read? No Way! A practical guide to improving boys’ literacy skills. </i>Queen's Printer for Ontario.</div>
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Ontario Ministry of Education (2005). <i>Education for All:The Report of the Expert Panel on </i><i>Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6. </i>Queen's Printer for Ontario.</div>
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Ontario Ministry of Education, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Team, Student Achievement Division (2011). "2011 DI in Action Survey: Toronto Region Part of the Evaluation of the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Differentiated Instruction Professional Learning Strategy" and "Key Learnings and Recommendations from the Evaluation of the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Differentiated Instruction Professional Learning Strategy".</div>
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bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-37339781909264412072013-11-18T20:58:00.000-05:002014-03-01T15:18:44.628-05:00Using Assistive Technology for Literacy Instruction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What happens when students fall behind in their reading skills? As adolescents, "students should make the leap from learning to read to reading to learn and should be capable of reading to solve complex and specific problems (Urquhart Engstrom, p.30). For many students in our school systems, a learning disability (LD) makes it difficult for students to make the shift to reading to learn, especially in text-heavy courses.<br />
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In Ontario, defined by the <a href="http://www.ldao.ca/introduction-to-ldsadhd/introduction-to-ldsadhd/what-are-lds/official-definition-of-lds/" target="_blank">Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario</a>, "learning disability"<br />
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"...refers to a variety of disorders that affect the acquisition, retention, understanding, organisation or use of verbal and/or non-verbal information. These disorders result from impairments in one or more psychological processes related to learning (a), in combination with otherwise average abilities essential for thinking and reasoning. Learning disabilities are specific not global impairments and as such are distinct from intellectual disabilities." </blockquote>
One solution is to design the class to meet the individual needs of those most at risk of not doing well -- that is, students with special needs. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is defined by the Ministry as a "teaching approach that focuses on using teaching strategies or pedagogical materials designed to meet special needs to enhance learning for all students, regardless of age, skills, or situation". The catchphrase, "necessary for some, good for all" sums up the general idea well.<br />
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Common Misconceptions of Learning Disabilities:</h4>
The most common misconception is that students with LD have cognitive impairments or limitations; in fact, students with LD are able to function at age appropriate cognitive levels when they are provided appropriate tools to accommodate for their LD. Generally, students with LD have difficulty in oral communication, writing, reading, and mathematics.<br />
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Another misconception centres on how an individual "attains" an LD; in fact, learning disabilities are biological in nature.<br />
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"Learning disabilities are due to genetic, other congenital and/or acquired neuro-biological factors. They are not caused by factors such as cultural or language differences, inadequate or inappropriate instruction, socio-economic status or lack of motivation, although any one of these and other factors may compound the impact of learning disabilities. Frequently learning disabilities co-exist with other conditions, including attentional, behavioural and emotional disorders, sensory impairments or other medical conditions." (Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario)</blockquote>
So, since students with LD are cognitively able to do grade or age appropriate work, then what are some of the technological accommodations available to help with literacy? What tech tools can teachers embed into their classes using Universal Design?<br />
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Common Tech Tools for use as Assistive Technology in UGDSB:</h4>
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<i>Education for All </i>(2005) defines assistive technology as "any technology that allows one to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of an individual with special learning needs (Edyburn, 2000). Its applications and adaptations can help open doors to previously inaccessible learning opportunities for many children with special needs (Judge, 2001)" (p.127). In Ontario, many of these tech tools are provided, at no charge, to students.</div>
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<b>Read & Write for Google:</b> This web-based <a href="http://rw.texthelp.com/drive/Support/Start" target="_blank">Google application</a> (to be used in Chrome) will read aloud text in multiple formats - Google Docs, the Web, PDFs, ePub, and Kes (Kurzwell 3000 Files). The application sits right over top most pages launched in Chrome and is activated either through a drop down tab & menu or through the extension link in your toolbar. The voice can be customized (multiple choices and accents are provided as it is a global market); students are able to create their own, printable dictionaries (standard and pictorial) and vocabulary lists; a prediction tool helps with spelling; and students can directly search terms that may not be clearly defined in the reading. </div>
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<a href="http://www.kurzweiledu.com/kurzweil-1000-v13-windows.html" target="_blank">Kurzweil </a>is software which promotes independent reading and writing in students with LD by converting scanned text and images into pages that can be read aloud by the computer (students can choose from a number of voices). Files are editable, so that students can also write tests and compose their own writing on computers. </div>
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<a href="http://www.goqsoftware.com/" target="_blank">Word Q and Speak Q</a>: these programs suggest words and read aloud words for students while sitting overtop their regular software programs. Especially useful for those with challenges with spelling and auditory processing.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nuance.com/dragon/index.htm" target="_blank">Dragon Naturally Speaking</a>: speech recognition software which allows students to dictate their notes, tests, essays, etc. Students can train the software to recognize their voice and essentially allows students to run their computer programs using their voice, which is significant for those with processing delays or students having difficulty writing.</div>
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<a href="http://www.prometheanworld.com/us/english/education/educators/" target="_blank">Promethean & Activ Inspire</a>: Promethean multi-touch, interactive whiteboards and the sophisticated software allows students to actively engage and collaborative in a digital context. Students can interact with the software through their tablets or interactive devices, allowing teachers to collect data and provide immediate feedback to students.<br />
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<a href="https://smarttech.com/~/media/Images/Versioned/Current%20Projects/Serious%20Education/structure/smart_logo_corp.ashx?la=en" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Smart Logo" border="0" height="110" src="https://smarttech.com/~/media/Images/Versioned/Current%20Projects/Serious%20Education/structure/smart_logo_corp.ashx?la=en" width="200" /></a><a href="https://smarttech.com/Home+Page/Solutions/K-12" target="_blank">Smart Ideas</a>: SmartBoards and the software, Smart Ideas, allows students to actively engage with a touchable and computer-like, interactive whiteboard screen. The package is engaging, collaborative in nature, and appeals to multiple modalities in students. Smart Clickers also allow teachers to collect data from students and provide immediate feedback.</div>
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<i>Need help </i>with these programs? Contact your Resource teachers and those with Special Education Specialists. Much of the software is available through the <a href="http://www.osapac.org/cms/" target="_blank">OSAPAC </a>(Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee). </div>
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Why use these technological supports?</h4>
Today's technology allows students with LD to participate like never before; many tools are free to all students in Ontario (through OSAPAC) and require little training. Most importantly,<br />
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"Two major reviews of the research in assistive technology (MacArthur, Ferretti, Okolo, & Cavalier, 2001; Okolo, Cavalier, Ferretti, & MacArthur, 2000) confirmed the utility of computer-assisted instruction and synthesized speech feedback to improve students’ phonemic awareness and decoding skills, as well as the benefits of electronic texts to enhance comprehension by compensating for reading difficulties. Assistive technologies include text-to-speech software, word-processing programs, voice-recognition software, and software for organizing ideas.While these technologies are relatively new, they hold the promise of bridging the gap between a student’s needs and abilities." (Urquhart Engstrom, p.31). </blockquote>
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Integrating explicit instruction of reading strategies and assistive technology <i>can</i> improve content area comprehension. Students can improve accuracy, speed, and comprehension of text which will therefore allow them to better demonstrate their understanding of course material. More importantly, students with LD are cognitively capable of grade-appropriate work and need academic challenge; limiting critical thinking, using low level vocabulary for academic vocabulary, or substituting easier texts for challenging texts should not be accommodations. Rather, teaching students how to access these texts using assistive technology will enable success. To best accommodate our students with learning disabilities, we need to ensure careful planning and classroom instruction which will accommodate for any deficits a student may be experiencing. </div>
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<u>References</u>: </div>
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Ministry of Education (2005). <i>Education for All: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for </i><i>Students With Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6 </i> "Computer-based Assistive Technology” Ch. 10, pp. 127-138. </div>
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Ministry of Education (2010). <i>Caring and Safe Schools in Ontario: Supporting Students with Special education needs through progressive discipline, Kindergarten to Grade 12</i>. </div>
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Urquhart Engstrom, Ellen (2005). "Reading, writing, and assistive technology: An integrated developmental curriculum for college students." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 49:1. pp. 30-39.<br />
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bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-81991780174252416842013-11-11T22:35:00.000-05:002014-02-06T21:38:08.954-05:00Cross-Curricular Connections in Literacy<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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"Literacy floats on a sea of talk..." James Britton (1970) in <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/literacy2/thinkliteracy.html" target="_blank"><i>Think Literacy</i>,</a> p.4.</blockquote>
<a 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" 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" style="cursor: move;" width="153" /></a>I have been really fortunate over the past week; I have participated in a number of really rich professional learning experiences with a focus on literacy, all of which were cross-curricular in nature. Additionally, all of the sessions had one key thing in common: the focus on talk (or academic discourse) as the foundation of literacy.<br />
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First, the Ontario Ministry of Education did a fantastic job of rolling out the new <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/curriculum/secondaryresources/socialscience2.html" target="_blank">Social Sciences and Humanities curriculum</a>. Part of the success of the two day sessions was the use of protocols, or talk structures to encourage equitable participation in conversation and encourage thinking (for examples, see the <i><a href="http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLIT/AdolescentLiteracy/AL_Resources/ALG_FacilitatorsGuide.pdf" target="_blank">Facilitator's Guide </a></i>for the ALG). As a discipline, the social sciences and humanities rely on using non-fiction; teachers are, by necessity, teachers of literacy. This expectation is fully embedded into the curriculum:<br />
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"Many of the activities and tasks that students undertake in the social sciences and humanities curriculum involve the literacy skills relating to oral, written, and visual communication. For example, students use language to understand sources, to analyse and evaluate arguments and evidence, and to present findings in oral, visual, and written forms. In all social sciences and humanities courses, students are required to use appropriate and correct terminology and are encouraged to use language with care and precision in order to communicate effectively" (Ministry of Education, 2012, p45).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-e8_x2BJx9IpFbcTob-VYxWbA3HJyN8GdzBOfl5oSuOEKL9qUPAERvjzS0BlFqiv41CMyf4Ngj7K8XLarwE0BIrFqcI4bSLHFfCcuhec-STBkP9DoZILhnY9sEL0_aulcVTX_wa53iVV/s1600/alg+infographic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #7aa5d2; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-e8_x2BJx9IpFbcTob-VYxWbA3HJyN8GdzBOfl5oSuOEKL9qUPAERvjzS0BlFqiv41CMyf4Ngj7K8XLarwE0BIrFqcI4bSLHFfCcuhec-STBkP9DoZILhnY9sEL0_aulcVTX_wa53iVV/s1600/alg+infographic.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background-color: white; color: dimgrey; float: left; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16px; margin-right: 1em; padding: 4px; position: relative;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw4PxQcFoHMhgHb8JC6uQZx6W1eToYl9DSti_KJ02Vtm4EWdQ9638Leljn4CzcyJsMoZ0647VOx-NNXVgBRyVuv5MeG6fUP8DElO3m_OqtctD5c9VgefExqjPhFu6jKI0Zj_HonPZ58Rx/s1600/ALG+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #7aa5d2; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw4PxQcFoHMhgHb8JC6uQZx6W1eToYl9DSti_KJ02Vtm4EWdQ9638Leljn4CzcyJsMoZ0647VOx-NNXVgBRyVuv5MeG6fUP8DElO3m_OqtctD5c9VgefExqjPhFu6jKI0Zj_HonPZ58Rx/s200/ALG+cover.jpg" height="200" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">Literacy GAINS resource</td></tr>
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Foundational to Ministry documents and revised curriculum is the recently released <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/literacy2/adolescent/visionofliteracy.html">Adolescent Literacy Guide</a>, a resource which outlines a new vision of literacy for adolescents focused on three core skills: the abilities to read, write, and think (see graphic above).<br />
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Additionally, Literacy GAINS have created classroom-ready <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/literacy2/adolescent/additionalresources.html">ALERTs (Adolescent Literacy: Engaging Research and Teaching)</a>. These practical documents use the foundations laid out in the ALG and apply them to grade 7-12 contexts. At our Literacy Symposium, one presentation focused on the <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLIT/AdolescentLiteracy/AL_Resources/TalkingtoLearnALERT_8X11.pdf" target="_blank">"Talking to Learn"</a> ALERT, which shares classroom ready strategies for teachers alongside the research to support the best practice. The two teachers presenting were able to share strategies that work in all classrooms (the presenters were an English teacher and a History teacher).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3peQLsgZAE7acr_rPpyUeVSmDdogTndyUYXc2MvWbBtIrsCIxdwwDTb_7J0b8xHYiQq5GmIwwk-OFX6bgf8hmVQXxHMvoKhPd7zWlNzqb1IfnAkZTelks3q9REgLqpSpQXTPSjCpnjVxB/s1600/symposium+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3peQLsgZAE7acr_rPpyUeVSmDdogTndyUYXc2MvWbBtIrsCIxdwwDTb_7J0b8xHYiQq5GmIwwk-OFX6bgf8hmVQXxHMvoKhPd7zWlNzqb1IfnAkZTelks3q9REgLqpSpQXTPSjCpnjVxB/s320/symposium+poster.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a>Later in the week, the Student Success Literacy Committee hosted the <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ugcloud.ca/ugdsb-literacy/literacy-symposium" target="_blank">Upper Grand DSB Literacy Symposium </a>on Friday, November 8, 2012. Keynotes were delivered by Lucy West and Kathleen Gould Lundy, and workshops were led by over twenty UGDSB educators, who shared effective literacy practices with their colleagues in seventeen sessions. These sessions were cross-curricular in nature and covered at least one of the components (see diagram above) relating to the recent publication, <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLIT/AdolescentLiteracy/Vision/AdolescentLiteracyGuide_Interactive.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Adolescent Literacy Guide</i> </a>(2012), published by the Ministry of Education through Literacy GAINS. Presentations ranged from discussing literacy in alternative education programs to using specific strategies in a novel study to using TED talks and Genius Hour in Geography classes to using inquiry to build knowledge in all grade 9 classes... The sharing was rich and teachers were excited to hear from each other. Participants walked away with classroom ready ideas.<br />
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Both of the keynote speakers focused on talk structures. Lucy West's focus on academic discourse involves the teacher facilitating the discussion through specific practices to ensure that all students are held accountable for the learning. The teacher should:<br />
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• Write relevant student statements, vocabulary, and/or representations on white board or on technology board—make language and diagrams, tables, etc. visible for all learners<br />
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• Have students turn and talk to a partner to explain the idea or representation and be able to explain the idea/representation to the entire group<br />
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• Ask clarifying questions to the presenter<br />
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• Ask members of the group to explain, restate, or paraphrase what was just said or demonstrated BEFORE agreeing, disagreeing or adding to the idea and BEFORE expressing another idea. In other words, the community works to keep one important idea in play until all members of the class can engage in the conversation. (Lucy West, <a href="http://www.metatlcinc.com/new/images/Metatlc%20Images/Resources/Handouts/Building%20an%20Environment%20for%20Talk.pdf" target="_blank">Metamorphosis Teaching Learning Communities</a>)</blockquote>
Lucy West's focus was clearly cross-curricular; as a former mathematics teacher, many of her specific examples were not those traditionally seen at a literacy conference. However, they were clearly relatable for all teachers in the room. The need to engage students in accountable talk is a cross-curricular best practice. (For an example of a protocol from Lucy's website, see <a href="http://www.metatlcinc.com/new/images/Metatlc%20Images/Resources/Handouts/Talking%20Circle.pdf" target="_blank">Talk Circles</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://www.oupcanada.com/school/boldprint/images/spread_4-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.oupcanada.com/school/boldprint/images/spread_4-8.jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a>Kathleen Gould Lundy was also able to share her effective practices in an engaging and often humorous way. As a drama and arts teacher, Kathy has developed several talk structures which hold students accountable for deep thinking while engaging students. Her book, <i>Talking to Learn,</i> contains several specific structures that help the teacher assess oral communication, embed metacognition, scaffold talk, model talk, create informed talk, and help students present their ideas. Amazingly, woven throughout her presentation were artifacts (literal and figurative) that she uses to demonstrate the true cross-curricular nature of her work: student voice was included through student poetry created in various classes. </div>
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On Friday and Saturday, I was fortunate to participate in the "Sharing the Learning Summit" which was the culmination of the <a href="http://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/learning/teacher-learning-and-leadership-program/" target="_blank">TLLP project through OTF</a>; the <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/teacher/tllp.html" target="_blank">Teacher Learning and Leadership Project</a> is a self-directed professional learning opportunity supported (financially and purposefully) by the Ontario Ministry of Education. This conference was an opportunity to set up a display to share the learning from my project while seeing others' results as well. In addition to seeing many excellent projects which were truly cross-curricular in nature, we also heard fantastic speeches from <a href="http://www.peopleforeducation.ca/profile/annie-kidder/" target="_blank">Annie Kidder, of People for Education</a>; the Minister of Education, Liz Sandals; and <a href="http://edpolicy.stanford.edu/node/173" target="_blank">Ann Lieberman,</a> a Stanford University researcher who praises the TLLP for it's lofty goals and rich action research. I found their presentations interesting and attempted to share the ideas through Twitter, which is a fantastic tool for students to use to summarize, annotate, and comment on what they find important. Brevity is important when you only have 140 characters!<br />
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<div class="storify">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/BealsyLaura/tllp13/embed" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/BealsyLaura/tllp13.js"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/BealsyLaura/tllp13" target="_blank">View the story "#tllp13" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>
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Again, what resonated in this experience was another element of talk: the importance of stories. Both Kathy Gould Lundy and Lucy West spoke of the importance of story-telling as a talk structure or for discourse; Annie Kidder shared personal anecdotes about her children's experiences in education and Ann Lieberman shared about her research in Chile and China. Even Twitter, in it's truncated form, is about story-telling. All of these speakers wove stories throughout their presentations, making them effective by allowing for personal connections in the audience. For students, a great story can pull them in, activate prior knowledge, transmit new learning, consolidate their thinking, and even help recall important facts and details. By using the narrative structure, especially in oral forms, we enable students to understand non-fiction better, creating more personal connections to a text.<br />
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All in all, I return to one of Canada's great thinkers, Northrop Frye and his essay, "<a href="http://kckcc.ereunao.com/readings/start-thinking-frye.pdf" target="_blank">Don't You Think It's Time to Start Thinking?"</a>. Frye argues that the liberal arts and humanities are essential for today's students and the development of what we would today call critical literacy. This great essay argues its thesis by using George Orwell, a great author of fiction and non-fiction alike. Moreover, Frye stresses the importance of talk, for<br />
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"...ideas do not exist until they have been incorporated into words. ... The operation of thinking is the practice of articulating ideas until they are in the right words."</blockquote>
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<u>References</u>:<br />
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Frye, Northrop. "Don't You Think it's Time to Start Thinking?" in <i>Thinking Through the Essay </i>(1993). Eds. Judith Barker-Sandbrook and Neil Graham. McGraw-Hill Ryerson.<br />
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Literacy GAINS (2012). <i>Adolescent Literacy Guide</i>. Curriculum and Assessment Branch, Ministry of Education.<br />
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Ministry of Education. <i>Think Literacy</i>: <i>Cross-Curricular Approaches, Grades 7-12.</i> Queen's Printer.<br />
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bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-30632114383201606322013-11-04T21:38:00.002-05:002014-02-06T21:35:26.930-05:00What Are Your Students Reading? And WHY?What resources we use in the classroom are often dictated by forces beyond our control: budgets limit purchases of new novels, textbooks are over a decade old, photocopying is limited... But, teachers can be creative and source new materials -- especially those in the digital realm. New media has given us video, Tweets, blogs, and a variety of other "texts" for students to read and create on their own. Our challenge is to find the right text for the right student at the right time.<br />
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Cris Tovani writes about the importance for texts to be authentic. Students need challenging texts that will push their thinking in different subject areas. Current articles, in a variety of genres, can help pique students' interest.<br />
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"If we don't begin to find accessible text for all adolescent readers, they will continue to fail, only to become someone else's problem the following year. More students will become turned off to the content we love." (Tovani 42).</blockquote>
It's important to remember that even students who have difficulty reading may still be able to access challenging texts if we provide them with the appropriate supports. In secondary school, content area teachers can help teach reading strategies; in fact, they might be better positioned to do so. I know science teachers who are some of the most effective teachers of reading -- not only do they convey a passion for their subject area, but also, they bring in current readings and videos to ensure that their students are accessing current thinking, controversies and theories in science.<br />
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In addition to the need for texts to be authentic is the inclusion of student voice and choice in reading materials. We need to honour the choices they make and include new media forms. In fact, we need to help them decode, deconstruct, and dissect texts (in all forms). Moreover, we need to do this so they can then construct them. Good readers become good writers. There is a fallacy that because students are accessing text online, they are able to effectively read online.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dts.edu/images/public/library%20inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.dts.edu/images/public/library%20inside.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Dallas Theological Seminary</td></tr>
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"As new technologies increasingly become a part of classroom lessons, teachers are discovering that many students do not possess the new literacy skills required to successfully read and write with the many new technologies that regularly appear in today’s world." </blockquote>
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(International Reading Association [IRA], 2001, cited in Henry 615)</blockquote>
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Laurie Henry provides a framework, SEARCH, for students to utilize online text effectively. Firstly, Henry outlines the need to locate information -- if a student is unable to locate useful, quality information, then all further activities related to research (comprehending, synthesizing and communicating ideas) becomes moot (616). Henry's framework is useful for adolescents as it's fairly straightforward:<br />
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1. <b>S</b>et a purpose for searching.</blockquote>
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2. <b>E</b>mploy effective search strategies.</blockquote>
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3. <b>A</b>nalyze search-engine results.</blockquote>
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4. <b>R</b>ead critically and synthesize information.</blockquote>
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5. <b>C</b>ite your sources.</blockquote>
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6. <b>H</b>ow successful was your search?</blockquote>
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I would argue that the last step is especially important; not only do students need to be able to research independently, but they need to evaluate their own performance (metacognition). Of course, in order to reflect, students need to have been explicitly provided direction about the purpose for reading (which can easily be communicated through learning goals).<br />
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Understanding purposes for reading and writing will also help students become proficient readers and writers. Tovani quotes one of my favourite thinkers about reading, Kelly Gallagher (2003):<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Books_on_shelves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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"We adults have already found a multitude of reasons to read. Sometimes we are conscious of these reasons; but often, I suspect, many of these reasons have become internalized. We often take them for granted because we have long ago acknowledged their value. We motivate ourselves to read, consciously or unconsciously, because the benefits of doing so are ingrained in us. Unfortunately, this is not often the case with our students. Just because we have internalized a number of reasons why reading enriches our lives doesn't mean we should assume our students have done the same." (in Tovani 52)</blockquote>
Teachers need to scaffold purpose for students in the same way we scaffold other activities; students often need to be told the purpose for reading (especially if we are assigning the reading!). Eventually, though, we need to help them determine the purpose themselves. Tovani (p.61) outlines seven key ways to "hold your thinking" (that is, determine purpose, especially when reading a 'boring' text):<br />
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<li>Look for interesting details that could have multiple meanings.</li>
<li>Ask questions about titles and subtitles.</li>
<li>Ask questions about the piece.</li>
<li>Look for the author's opinion.</li>
<li>Read a piece to learn new information.</li>
<li>Make a connection to the piece.</li>
<li>Who is the author?</li>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Books_on_shelves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Books_on_shelves.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy jungleredwriters.com</td></tr>
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Students need to practice, discuss, and evaluate texts with a variety of purposes if we want them to internalize these processes. The use of protocols such as the <a href="http://www.nsrfharmony.org/protocol/doc/4_a_text.pdf" target="_blank">4A's Text Protocol</a> (Assumptions, Agree, Argue, Actions) or the <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/studentsuccess/thinkliteracy/files/thinklitenglish.pdf" target="_blank">I Say, It Says, and So Protocol </a>help students by providing structure to ensure they all participate to create understanding and therefore internalize good reading habits.<br />
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In the end, it's important that we expand our reading choices for students. Ignite their curiousity by giving them new and interesting readings that will challenge them intellectually. Provide opportunities for students to engage in lively discussion and debate to really explore authentic texts. Engage in new literacies and help students become proficient readers and writers of digital texts, whatever form they take.<br />
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<u>References</u>:<br />
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Henry, Laurie A. (2006), "SEARCHing for an answer: The critical role of new literacies while reading on the Internet." <i>International Reading Association. </i>pp. 614–627.<br />
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Tovani, Cris (2004). <i>Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? Content Comprehension Grades 6-12</i>. Markham: Pembroke.<br />
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Ministry of Education. <i>Think Literacy: Language / English, grades 7-9.</i> Queen's Printer.<br />
<br />bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004748168361934474.post-87139171140137514292013-10-28T21:40:00.000-04:002014-02-06T21:33:08.831-05:00Who are the "good readers" in our secondary school staff?<br />
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"I'm not a good reader..." How many times have we heard students say this? How many times have we heard other educators say this? Too often, some "content-area" teachers, especially teachers of math and technological studies (communications technology, construction technology, health / personal services, manufacturing technology, technological design, transportation design, computer studies) do not identify as "good readers". Yet, these same teachers are frequent users of texts - often in authentic contexts - which suggests a need to shift attitudes and help these teachers recognize the influence they have as teachers of reading. </div>
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Both Cris Tovani and Jacqueline Darvin discuss the importance of demonstrating to students the things that good readers do (typically through modelling, read alouds, or think alouds). While Tovani focuses on the use of specific strategies in the classroom (such as using text features, double entry journals, and modelling thinking to overcome challenging texts), Darvin's research took a closer look at tech classrooms (or what she terms, "vocational classrooms"). Darvin concluded that</div>
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"Vocational classrooms are discourse communities that combine the multifaceted worlds of school and work, the two places where adolescents and adults ... spend the majority of their time. They provide their members with opportunities to interact with texts in authentic, interesting ways that make use of the tools of multiple disciplines..." (17)</blockquote>
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In some cases, the teachers in her study were unaware that they were not only functioning as "good readers", but that they were modelling great practice for their students. Teachers tended to <u>use texts purposefully</u>: "One difference between vocational and academic educators, they told me, is that tradespeople don’t usually read texts in a linear, sequential fashion. They use texts in bits and pieces to solve problems, research, and enhance particular stages of the projects in which they are engaged. They typically read not for the sake of gaining general knowledge but to accomplish particular goals and to gain specific information" (Darvin, 12). Tech teachers help students manage texts in order to perform specific tasks; teachers focus on text structures, reading with purpose, evaluation of the text, and other practices used in English classrooms. But, in many cases, students, and some teachers, do not necessarily value the reading of a recipe or a manual. </div>
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"... two common misconceptions that several other vocational teachers also expressed in their interviews about reading. The first is that good readers should read <i>quickly</i>. The second is that only novels are <i>real</i> books." (Darvin, 13)</blockquote>
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We need to help technological and mathematics teachers embed reading strategy instruction into their practice; that is, they need to name the explicit use of strategies in authentic tasks. Professional learning communities, professional development or any professional learning, needs to occur in cross-curricular environments and encourage all participants to share effective practice. We need to validate and honour different types of reading. Darvin suggests:</div>
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"...these educators clearly do not view themselves as proficient readers or highly literate members of society. These perceptions have likely been cultivated from their experiences with schooling and narrow societal views about high-status and low-status texts (i.e., The New York Times versus Popular Mechanics); which genres of texts are privileged over others and considered “real reading”; the speed at which a person should read; the linear, sequential order in which texts should be approached; the emphasis on summarizing and memorizing material; and so forth. This is unfortunate because it results in a “distancing” of vocational educators from the larger educational and research communities. This situation needs to be remedied if we are to learn from one another and bridge the highly publicized gaps between school and workplace literacies" (17).</blockquote>
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My own experiences in an Ontario secondary school mirrors Darvin's conclusions. In addition to the fact that tech teachers don't identify as "good readers", I would add that there is a perception that tech teachers aren't "real" teachers since they may not have attended university. This is a divisive and dismissive attitude and doesn't help anyone, contributing to the "distancing" that Darvin notes. I've watched a committed chef work through this process, giving up two summers and evenings to get his teacher's certificate. And, he's an amazing teacher -- I would be seriously challenged to recreate the magic that happens in his classroom.<br />
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Staff attitudes matter; students learn from how we interact with each other. If the tech teachers and the English teachers (or the Math teachers and the Family Studies teachers) collaborate and share their work with students, it helps to validate both as effective teachers. More cross-curricular exploration of reading strategies is warranted. We are all "good readers"; we need to value different forms of text.</div>
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References: </div>
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Darvin, Jacqueline (2006). "'On reading recipes and racing forms' - The literacy practices and perceptions of vocational educators" <i>Journal of Adolescent Literacy</i>. 50:1. pp. 10-18.</div>
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Tovani, Cris (2004). Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? Content Comprehension Grades 6-12. Markham: Pembroke. pp 23-36.</div>
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bealsylaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13140629176015484231noreply@blogger.com0