Oreo Cookies

In Gr. 5/6 at QEB, students were using their senses to uncover a repertoire of descriptive words to reflect their YUMMY oreo cookie experience. 

Students were asked to write one paragraph describing an oreo cookie to someone who has no idea what an oreo cookie is. 

After sharing their written responses, students were given an oreo cookie and asked to re-write their paragraph using personal experience along with co-constructed success criteria. 

Finally, students became each other's "critical friend" to receive immediate feedback about their descriptive paragraph. 

Student Voice - Listen and Learn

Today, I had the privilege of speaking with students at DPS about the following prompt:

What would you like your teacher to know about you as a learner? 

Here are some video clips. Please check them out and LISTEN to what students have to say!

What is a TLCP? Why Use It?

Teaching-Learing Critical Pathway is a promising model used to organize actions for teaching and student learning. The TLCP, inspired by a strategy presented by Michael Fullan,Peter Hill and Carmel Crévola in their book Breakthrough. 

The basic idea of the pathway is that classroom practice can be organized in a practical, precise and highly personalized manner for each student, with the intended outcome being increased achievement for all students. The model which sequences the work of each PLC is an organizer for deep learning and inquiry. However, it should be noted that a teaching-learning pathway is not simply a technical exercise. It also involves new ways of working together.

The Teaching-Learning Critical Pathway also promotes focused, precision teaching and assessment, based on current student needs, over a long period of time. The pathways are continuous thus allowing PLCs to apply their new knowledge in a variety of contexts. The team de-constructs expectations and learns deeply about;

• the concepts, skills and strategies their student will need to learn
• evidence-based instructional and assessment strategies they will use in the classroom
• current student achievement in relation to the expectations

A culture of true collaboration is born as the PLC discusses, analyze, plan, moderate, implement, adjust and reflect throughout the process. A culture of "rigor, inquiry and intimacy"(Keene 2008), which recognizes the strengths of both the PLC and the individual which comprise it is fostered. The TLCP supports the PLC towards becoming learners who fervently seek to understand.

Student Benefits

• Scaffolded instruction based on individual, current achievement levels (Gradual release of responsibility)
• Transparent assessment criteria and rubrics (students know by what standards their work will be assessed by peers, teachers and themselves)
• Quality Instruction based on evidenced based strategies
• Students know each week and over the course of the teaching sequence what they need to know and be able to do
• Engagement in the readings and tasks through the use of a "Big Idea"
• A climate of high expectations
• Specific teacher and peer feedback based on the co-created rubric which will help them to develop a clear understanding of their strengths, weaknesses and next steps
• Provided with many opportunities to develop and demonstrate their learning
• Provided with many opportunities to develop and demonstrate critical thinking
• Provided with many opportunities to reflect and adjust their learning path
• A cycle of continuous improvement toward their goals

"The teaching-Learning Critical Pathway makes use of the following high-yield strategies for improving student achievement:

• Setting high expectations for students (Brophy and Good, 1974)
• Using assessment for learning to guide instruction (Chappuis et al. 2005)Providing frequent, useful and useable feedback for students (Black and Wiliam 1998)
• Understanding the meaning and scope of curriculum expectations (Reeves, 2002)
• Engineering effective classroom discussion, questions and learning tasks that elicit evidence of learning (Marzano, Pickering and Pollack, 2001)
• (Capacity Building Series Teaching-Learning Critical Pathways Secretariat Special Addition #6)

School Benefits

·         Job embedded professional learning -- PLCs learn by doing

o    school staff learn in the "Gemba"

·         "Just in time" support from colleagues

·         Collective responsibility for ensuring student success

·         Includes an administrator, teachers and support specialists (Learning Resource Coach and/or Learning Strategies Consultant and/or Program Resource Teacher)

·         Facilitated by a school administrator

·         Ownership by the school staff

o    A high level of internal accountability

·         Promotes lateral capacity building --learning colleague to colleague

·         Gives individuals the opportunity to share their strengths

·         Risk inspiring culture

·         Promotes a collaborative culture of inquiry

·         Promotes common understanding of;

o    Curriculum expectations

o    Terms

o    Instructional strategies

o    Assessment tools and strategies

o    Big ideas

·         "Road Blocks" become important moments of learning for the PLC

·         Built from the School Success Plan

·         Promotes innovation

Teaching-Learning Critical Pathways (TLCP)

Teaching Learning Critical Pathways is an effective inquiry model for Professional Learning Communities who are seeking to continuously improve student learning. It gives Educators a framework in which they can explore critical thinking. Research tells us that humans learn best when concepts are:

introduced a few at a time	important to the learner
taught over a long period of time	applied in a variety of texts & contexts	(Keene 2008)

The TLCP precipitates focused, precision teaching and assessment, based on current student needs, over a long period of time. The pathways are continuous thus allowing PLCs to apply their new knowledge in a variety of contexts. 

If you or your school teams are interested in learning more, check out the Capacity Building Series, Teaching-Learning Critical Pathways at:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/teaching_learning.pdf

Critical Thinking

Designing Critical Challenges - Usha James

Critical Challenges may take one of the following six forms:
Critique the piece, Judge the better or the best, Rework the piece, Decode the puzzle, Design the specs, and Perform to specs
If students or teachers are to be successful at questions/tasks that invite thinking, they need these Intellectual Tools:

Background Knowledge (content, specific expectations)
Criteria for Judgement (factors that they should consider when making a decision
Thinking Strategy (graphic organizer or series of steps to help students sort through content and apply criteria
Habits of Mind (personal characteristics students will need to be successful)

For more information please visit here: http://www.tc2.ca/wp/profresources/criticaldiscussions/

Optimistic vs. Pesimisstic

In a Kindergarten class at QEB, students are exploring the difference between pesimisstic and optimistic. How does this mindset affect who are we are people and learners?

Strategies to Support Self-Regulation

In Dr. Stuart Shanker's book, Calm, Alert and Learning - Classroom Strategies for Self-Regulation, he refers to the motor analogy, asking one key question: How is your motor running today? 

                     Low? Just Right? High?

The following picture is a classroom sample in a JSK in which the educators has brainstormed a variety of feelings with their students to help them gain a better understanding of what those feelings areand how they can translate into responses for the motor analogy. 

SNAP (Stop Now and Plan)

is another strategy that Dr. Stuart Shanker suggests as a highly effective strategy to insert a pause into student's automatic reactions so they are able to think of an alternative action before verbally or physically acting out.



The MindUP Curriculum Grades K-2, Brain-Focused Strategies for Learning and Living supports the importance of knowing how your brain works and leads to self-regulation through repeated lessons that focus on daily deep breathing and attentive listening

MindUP makes my brain happy, so I can learn better." - David, first grade

Self-Regulation

Self-Regulation has been a focus in Early Learning. What is self-regulation? How can we as educators promote the development of self-regulation?

“Self regulation is the ability of children to regulate their own emotions, behaviours, and attention increase over time with maturation, experience and responsive to relationships.”

FDELKP Draft 2010 page 6-7.

Dr. Stuart Shanker: Kindergarten Matters Video clip It’s About Self Regulating. Shanker shares the following message:

-Play based learning is the best way for children to learn how to self-regulate

-What is the difference between self-regulation and compliance?

-Important that we always reinforce the importance of safety for self and others

-regulating one’s behavior is about understanding purpose for one’s behavior

-Educator’s knowledge base and play based learning are critical to children developing self regulation; a child needs space to find what fascinates them as well as the things that they want to do/learn about

-play based learning creates a passion for learning and learning requires self-regulation = the importance of the three BIG blocks of time to: Work to Learn, Play to Learn, Listen to learn – makes it explicit for children as to their purpose in Kindergarten

What conditions might help children to self regulate?

-knowing every child and their learning needs

-asking good questions to elicit student understanding/feelings

-modeling what it feels like and sounds like to be calm and alert to learn?

-lead children through a process of self-discovery and self-regulation

What else can Educators do?

-Educators need to stay regulated and help each other become self aware; stay calm and alert

What needs to be considered?

-need to re-think the role of the teacher and the child

-encourage stay on task, re-directing their own learning

-opportunities to communicate student thinking and show case their learning

-co-constructing learning centers (e.g., pizza store…create a list of what should be in the pizza store)

Here is a fun and engaging way to share the Growth Mindset message with your students. Who doesn't like Seasame Street?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLeUvZvuvAs

BIPSA

What impact will collaborative teaching and learning that focuses on closing the gap for students with urgent learning needs, have on student engagement and student learning K-12?

AIM

AIM is the document that guides our actions each school year. It aligns with Ministry of Education priorities and connects to the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and also to School Improvement Plans for Student Achievement.

Our 3 goals remain:
Success for each Student
Employee Excellence
Community Connections

This year's plan contains the following 5 priority areas:

Reaching High Levels of Student Achievement
Promoting Well-Being for Students and Employees
Supporting Employee Growth and Learning
Optimizing Organizational Effectiveness
Communicating with Families and Communities

Each priority is integral to the others and has focused, measurable actions and success criteria which will be carried out during this school year. 

Please visit the following link to take a closer look at each component of the AIM.

http://www.hpedsb.on.ca/ec/directorsOffice/documents/2014_2015_priorities.pdf

On Friday, September 26th, I participated in a community Terry Fox Walk with Queen Victoria Public School. Students, Parents and Educators wore school colours and/or red to acknowledge Terry Fox and each person indicated on their sticker who they were dedicating their walk to.

If $2000 is raised, Mr. Harvey has agreed to have his beard shaved and Mrs. Sutton has agreed to shave her head! Go Royals, Go!

It made me so proud as a parent and an educator to see the following:

Minecraft

Minecraft in schools? That is the question! And one that is being explored in a Gr. 6 classroom at Queen Victoria Public School and around the world!

What is the game and the addiction all about? 

Minecraft game that doesn’t rely on earning points or mastering levels, It doesn’t even come with instructions or have any rules at all. And that, right there, could very well be the secret to its appeal. Minecraft has been called the ultimate sandbox game. It allows players to take 1x1 cubes of different materials and build anything they want, from Roman cathedrals, to roller coasters to imaginary jungle worlds, and make the game what they want it to be.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/minecraft-why-are-kids-and-educators-so-crazy-for-it-1.2006975#ixzz3EL82guvJ

Minecraft - Is it the Ultimate Educational Tool?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI0BN5AWOe8

Is it the ultimate educational tool? YOU decide!

LLI comes alive at Queen Victoria Public School!

Students use whiteboards 

to work with words and 

word patterns through 

intense, small group

 instruction. 

Students use their word charts to select words that represent the word patterns they are learning about. Increased confidence and skill development was evident while sharing the learning with 3 students and their teacher!

Picture Books & Paragraph Writing

What is a paragraph? How many elements are required in order to draft a concise message that communicates one key idea to the reader? This is the focus in Gr. 5/6 and Gr. 6 at Queen Victoria Public School. 

Students engaged in small group conversations to recall what they already know about paragraph writing before sharing their thoughts back with the group. As you can see on the right, 6 important elements of paragraph writing were highlighted and determined the success criteria for paragraph writing. 

As a follow up lesson, I worked with students to continue furthering their understanding about paragraph writing. This time, students entered into a "think, pair, share" to figure out the appropriate order of a mixed up paragraph that I had created about my family summer fun. They also needed to figure out if all elements of a paragraph were identified while reconstructing the paragraph.

Next, I read students the True Story of the Three Little Pigs and through conversation, we created a web on the smart board (see photo up above, left side) to provide examples of the main idea, the topic sentence, the closing sentence as well as the supporting details connected to the story. 

Last but not least, students were asked to use the organizer we had created as well as the class generated success criteria to develop a paragraph about the picture book. 

Hands-on Learning

Students in Mrs. Walker's 3/4 class at Deseronto Public School are learning how to compare and order numbers. They began by deconstructing the learning goal to understand what will be focusing on during their math lesson. 

One way to explore numbers is by using a number line. The task was to order a set of numbers on a number line and compare which sets of numbers were larger or smaller. Students were also expected to explain their mathematical thinking when sharing their responses.

As a follow up lesson, students participated in a Place Value game in which students turned over 3 random numbers and organized them on the place value chart. When these numbers were correctly added up, the students with the highest number received a point. Team work, collaboration and problem solving were necessary skills to support their mathematical thinking. 

At the end of this lesson, students were asked to fill out an "exit card" in which the classroom teachers will use the information elicited by students to identify next steps for lesson planning.

Making Learning Visible

Co-constructing the learning is evident in Mrs. Rankin's J/SK at Queen Elizabeth Public School, Belleville. 

Children were actively engaged in helping one another to understand "Work to Learn, Listen to Learn and Play to Learn" in their classroom. Their thoughts were captured by the classroom teacher and DECE and students volunteered to print and draw pictures to produce a classroom anchor chart. WOW, IMPRESSIVE!

The Cafe

Many teachers that I support in the Moira SG who have implemented the Daily 5 are also exploring the CAFE model. This is the writing structure that supports the Daily 5 written by the same authors and is widely used in elementary classrooms. 

Assessing young readers involves more than determining a reading level and moving them onto the next. We developed the CAFE Menu to help students understand and master different strategies used by successful readers.

CAFE is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary, and the system includes goal-setting with students in individual conferences, posting of goals on a whole-class board, developing small group instruction based on clusters of students with similar goals, and targeting whole-class instruction based on emerging student needs and fine tuning one on one conferencing.

If you are interested in learning more about this CAFE model, 
visit http://www.the2sisters.com/CAFE.html

Daily 5

As I move between school buildings and classrooms in the Moira SG, I have noticed that some primary and junior teachers have implemented the Daily 5.

The Daily 5 model is a structure that can be embedded into the literacy block to promote student's development of life long habits of reading, writing and working independently. The idea is to "work smarter not harder -Gail Boushey and Joan Moser"

The Daily CAFE is the writing structure that supports the Daily 5 written by the same authors and is widely used in elementary classrooms. 

How does it work?
Students select from five authentic reading and writing choices, working independently toward personalized goals, while the teacher meets individual needs through whole-group and small-group instruction, as well as one-on-one conferring. These choices include

• Read to Self,
• Work on Writing,
• Read to Someone,
• Listen to Reading, and
• Word Work.

Teachers tell us their Daily 5 classrooms produce productive, highly engaged students who are developing a true love of literacy.
The benefits of The Daily 5 for teachers and schools include the following:

• students develop independence, stamina, and accountability
• less time consumed by classroom management leaves more for GUIDED instruction
• improves schoolwide literacy achievement
• behaviors of independence transfer to other content areas.

If you are interested in exploring this resource, check it out at http://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5

"I love MindUP! It is a way to focus your
mind, calm down and reflect on a situation
when you need to make a choice."

- Tyler G., Seventh Grade Student

Founder, Goldie Hawn collaborated with neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists and educators to create MindU), a program that fosters a classroom-learning environment where a child’s ability to academically succeed and personally thrive is maximized and directly linked to their overall state of well-being.

Research on MindUP has been proven to reduce stress, improve academic performance, strengthen abilities for concentration and help children and educators thrive in a setting that becomes a community of learners.

MindUP nurtures optimism and happiness in the classroom, helps eliminate bullying and aggression, increases empathy and compassion, while resolving peer conflicts in schools.

MindUP prepares teachers with the instructional shifts needed to achieve maximum academic performance using the Common Core academic standards.

MindUP also aligns with the Marzano Framework for dynamic educators.
MindUP serves thousands of children globally each year, preparing children to be able to navigate 21st century challenges while maximizing opportunities for success in life.

Click on the link below and listen to Goldie Hawn!

http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/mindup/video.html

MindUp

Growth Mindset

In HPEDSB, fixed vs. growth mindset continues to be a focus in our system. As an educator, I continue to wonder how to encourage my colleagues, students, families and school community about the importance of developing a growth mindset. I believe it begins with each one of us believing in ourselves, a willingness to take risks, accepting failure as a corner stone to future successes, embracing personal reflection into our daily practise and finally, giving ourselves permission to welcome new challenges and opportunities with confidence and resiliency. 

If you are interested in understanding more about the difference of a fixed vs. a growth mindset and the impact is has on our lives, please explore the following links. 

The Power of Belief - Mindset and Success: Eduardo Biceno at TEDx Talks
The way we understand our intelligence and abilities deeply impacts our success. Based on social science research and real life examples, Eduardo Briceño articulates how mindset, or the understanding of intelligence and abilities, is key. When students or adults see their abilities as fixed, whether they think they're naturals or just not built for a certain domain, they avoid challenge and lose interest when things get hard. Conversely, when they understand that abilities are developed, they more readily adopt learning-oriented behaviors such as deliberate practice and grit that enable them to achieve their goals. But this belief is itself malleable, and there are clear actions we can all take to establish a growth mindset and enable success for our children, our peers and ourselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc

Dr. Carol Dweck: Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Dr. Carol Dweck, one of the leading researchers in the field of motivation, explains why being smart and talented doesn't always add up to success. What is a fixed mindset, and why should you avoid it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTsF2TaEaJA

Pedagogical Documentation

The following are a variety of research based strategies to support the implementation of pedagogical documentation. 

Making Learning Visible Through Pedagogical Documentation by Carol Ann Wien, York University
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/Wien.pdf

Capacity Building Series K-2 Pedagogical Documentation
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_Pedagogical.pdf

Shelfari

I am exited to highlight and share a variety of  picture books on my Shelfari book case.

Often times, picture books are associated with primary students but as an experienced intermediate/junior teacher, I am passionate about exposing students to picture books as mentor texts connected to a specific focus as well as personal enjoyment.

DON'T FORGET...

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”

- Emilie Buchwald

“It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations--something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own.”

- Katherine Patterson